| Show SlANdARd'ExAMINER Eating to win The nutrition label Reading points to the right decision Not long ago an athlete’s favorite pregame meal was steak and eggs 'But pregame eating has changed In fact’ it has been turned into a nutritional sci- ence designed to give athletes a competitive edge How can a meal do that? By ensuring that the athlete has enough energy and fluid stored in his or her body to last through the entire event A pregame meal should include extra carbohydrates — at least 60 percent of the meal’s total calories — ' ' and plenty of water to drink Consumers (that’s you) got a big boost in their efforts to choose foods wisely when the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act took effect in 1990 That act requires food companies to attach an informative nutrition label to food packaging Learn to analyze this label and you’ll become a smarter shopper You can even help your family eat healthier by volunteering to go along on supermarket errands as the official nutrition label analyst shoulder stretches Why carbohydrates? I I i When we exercise hard our muscles take lots of sugar from our blood This “blood sugar” called glucose is taken from the glycogen in the liver The purmeal is to pose of the fuel the liver with glycogen If the liver’s glycogen fuel gauge hits empty the athlete hits the floor field or ice When i j -- No sugary desserts Your muscles need sugar right? So why not eat a candy bar? Eating a candy bar causes a sudden gigantic surge in blood sugar levels which triggers a sudden gigantic release of insulinWhat’s next? A hypoglycemic reaction: You’re tired What you can learn from the nutrition label Nutrition Facts Serving Size 8 crackers (28g) (1 cracker is approx1 VV x 2 V2") Servings Per Container About 16 : Amount Serving Size: Serving size is based on the amount to be eaten at one time Servings Per Container: Tells the number of servings included in the package' Calories: Measure of the energy supplied by this food Calories from Fat: Tells how many of the product’s calories come from the fat it contains No more than one third of the calories you eat in a day should come from fat Total Fat: Measure in grams of the fat in each serving to eat this meal The pregame meal should be eaten no earlier than five hours before game time and no later than three hours ' before The liver can’t hold onto glycogen because the blood is constantly taking it away If the meal is eaten too early the liver’s glycogen fuel tank will not ’ “be as full as possible Eating a meal causes the level of blood sugar in our veins to rise This in turn causes the pancreas to release extra insulin into the bloodstream If the meal is eaten too close to game time the combination of extra insulin and working muscles drawing sugar from the bloodstream may trigger a hypoglycemic reaction of tiredness — which is exactly what tire athlete wants to avoid! EducAit's Kkk f j j Pr touring Calories 120 Calories from Fat 25 Bally Value 4 2 Total Fat 3q Saturated Fat 05g Polyunsaturated Fat Og Monounsaturated Fat 1g Cholesterol Omg Sodium 180 mg Total Carbohydrate 22 g 0 7 I8 7 5 u 3 Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 7g Calorie Conversion Information: Tells the number a calories per gram provided by a Protein 2g c carbohydrate fat and protein Note that fat contains 9 calories per gram more than twice the calories per gram in carbohydrate or protein (each of which has 4 calories per gram) Daily Value: Shows how the nutrition provided by this food fits into an imaginary “perfect” 2000 calorie diet that provides 100 of all needed nutrients Your goal should be to get 100 of each nutrient by eating a variety of foods each day Vitamin A 0 Vitamin C 0 Calcium0 Iron 6 3 'Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs 2 500 Calories' 2 000 I ft 5 5 I s p is s u Activity-Label-E- ase 10 Here’s an easy and effective way to judge whether a food it healthy by using the information in the nutrition label Try it out with the nutrition label on this page then try it at home with the labels of foods you like to eat Raise one finger for each of the following nutrients contained in this fcxx!: 10 10 or more Iron or more Vitamin A 10 or more Fiber or more Vitamin C 10 3g or more Protein 10 or more Calcium Lower a finger if the food has either 10 or more total fat or 200 or more calories per serving If any fingers remain up the food is nutri- tious (Source: National Dairy Council) |
