When it comes to peak performance golf nutrition, you can forget about the traditional Food Pyramid.
Even the more recently revised version still sucks.
We will be covering numerous issues in great detail on this blog in coming months, but for now, let’s just focus on six overriding principles of your golf nutrition.
Start to incorporate these into your diet, and you’ll be on your way to better scores and overall health.
1. Eat five or six small meals a day. Whether you refer to it as a meal or a snack, nutrient timing is important and you need to offer your body good balanced nutrition at regular intervals throughout the day. You may even find that eating more often has the added benefit of accelerating your metabolism as well and provides steady energy levels throughout the day.
2. Combine carbohydrates and protein at every meal. Our bodies tend to operate better with a balance of carbohydrates and protein. It’s the combination of these nutrients that helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and provide a steady release of energy throughout the day.
3. Don’t forget to use the right portion size. It only takes a handful more calories daily to add an extra 10 or 15 lbs. of body fat each year. Portion size has everything to do with long term weight management. Use the size of your clenched hand to determine appropriate servings of carbohydrates and proteins for your next meal. Use this same approach for each meal and this should put you in an effective calorie range.
4. Plan meals ahead of time. One of the most difficult things we face in eating according to a plan is making sure our pantry is well organized and our meals are properly planned. Experiment with different seasonings and meal plans to see what works for you. Then, take the time to prepare those meals or snacks in advance so it becomes a natural and easy process for you.
5. Drink 50% of your body-weight in ounces of water every day. Staying hydrated can serve you well in the heat of a long tournament, through training, or simple recreational rounds when you could just use a little more energy. Remember it only takes a small amount of dehydration to have a dramatic effect on your golf performance. Avoid sodas, coffee, tea and “energy” drinks, as they are diuretics and will hurt your hydration efforts. If you do drink them on occasion, you’ll need to drink even more water to compensate for the diuretic effect these have on your body.
6. Focus on consistency, not perfection. Have you ever heard the term “paralysis by analysis?” Try not to over think your golf nutrition process. Just keep things simple with your meal plans and goals. Consistency is far more important than laboring over moments in time when you have trouble sticking with it. Don’t beat yourself up. Everyone has a bad day now and then. Keep your fitness and eating goals in front of you and you’ll feel the difference.
Start today on one or more of these principles of golf nutrition, and keep me posted on your progress.
Remember one of our mottos: Better athletes make better golfers, and healthier people make better athletes!
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