Eat like a Pan Am athlete this summer. With the Pan American Games only a week away, starting July 26, there is a lot of attention about the incredible talents of the athletes. Their performances will hopefully inspire you to increase your physical activity and eat more like an athlete.
Whether you’re a weekend gardener or a professional athlete, your body requires optimal nourishment. The quality of food is important to ensure you’re receiving top nutrients, but it’s also important not to deprive yourself. In her book, Eat Like an Athlete, author Simone Austin says, “We’re not going on a diet, we’re not making ourselves feel deprived, we’re not judging ourselves [for what we eat] too much, and we’re still enjoying food. Food is about enjoyment.”
So how do you eat like an athlete?
We know that our energy needs increase when we’re active. Most people need between 1,500 and 2,000 calories a day. For athletes, this number can increase by 500 to 1,000 more calories.1
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables … at least five servings per day, including a variety of colors. One serving is approximately the size of a baseball. Add Greens to your smoothies for extra vitamins and minerals.
- Choose whole grain carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread or pasta. Avoid sugary cereals, white breads and bagels.
- Choose healthy sources of protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, peanut butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, flax seed, Mila, nuts and legumes.
- Hydrate! A loss of sweat equals 2% of body weight and this can cause a noticeable decrease of physical and mental performance. Losses of 5% or more of body weight during physical activity may decrease the capacity for work by roughly 30%.2 Energize your daily workout with sugar-free, anti-oxidant rich ENERGY. Replenish vital fluids, electrolytes and nutrients, while quenching your thirst, with GPS Hydrate.
- Stick with whole food options instead of processed foods.
Navigate to your peak performance with GPS
Whatever your level of activity, from yard work to general fitness to professional athlete, let GPS guide your performance. GPS Energize, GPS Circulate and GPS Adapt help prepare you physically and mentally by providing nutrients to muscles and organs and helping you adapt to physical stressors. GPS Hydrate replenishes lost liquids, GPS Rebuild restores energy to muscles and GPS Reset resets hormones while burning calories while you sleep.*
Use all six products as a system for best results or customize their use to your nutrient and energy requirements.
Energize, Circulate, Hydrate, Rebuild and Reset are all Informed-Sport Certified so you can be assured they have been tested for banned substances and are safe to use.
Get your sport on
Want to create some friendly competition with your friends or family? There are so many ways to get active. Did you know that race walking is one of the sports in the Pan Am games? Practice during your lunch hour, or when walking your kids to the park. It would be fun to hold your own triathlon at home. Plan a bike/run/swim event, or just a bike/run event if you don’t have access to a pool or a lake.
The Pan American Games begin on July 26 and run through August 11 this year. Have a watching party and cheer for your favorites! Get inspired to increase your activity and be sure to eat like an athlete to optimize your performance.
1 https://familydoctor.org/nutrition-for-athletes/.
2 http://www.sportscardiologybc.org/the-effects-of-hydration-on-athletic-performance/
Be adventurous in 2019 and try a new exercise class or a new way to work out. According to the American College of Sports Medicine,
You can also be assured that GPS Circulate, GPS Energize, GPS Hydrate, GPS Rebuild and GPS Reset have been Informed-Sport tested and are free of banned substances. Look for the logo on 
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