These are very very good guidelines for proper nutrition. The key to nutrition and athletic performance is to understand very clearly what you should not be eating.
We already know to consume vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, lean un-fried proteins, and water.
The real focus is to completely eliminate the sugars, fried foods, and wheats (eliminate bread, see what happens). It is very difficult to do, but it gets results.
Read this list slowly and carefully. It can improve your lacrosse performance now and improve your quality of life for a long time.
Top 8 Rules of Nutrition for Optimal Athletic Performance
By Brian Yeager
1. Consume 4-6 balanced meals per day. This will help to fuel the metabolic rate, optimizing body composition and maintaining consistent energy levels throughout the day. Eating frequently throughout the day ensures that you will be able to build lean muscle tissue and lower your body fat levels if necessary.
2. Each meal should consist of a lean protein, fibrous carbohydrate, and healthy fats. Some sources of fibrous carbs are listed below.
Broccoli
Lettuce
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Green beans
Onions
Asparagus
Cucumber
Spinach
All forms of peppers
Zucchini
3. Sources of healthy fats are nuts, seeds, fish, and supplemental fish oils. Over the years, many "experts" have preached against having any type of significant fat in your diet. In truth, if you are physically active and demanding of your body, your fat intake should equal 25-30% of your total calories
4. Avoid grains whenever possible, especially wheat. 75% of all Caucasians are allergic to a protein found in grains, know as glyadin. This can cause gastrointestinal stress, disruption of the nervous system, and slower recovery from training. All of these can hamper athletic performance. The majority of your carbohydrate intake should come from fruits, nuts, and vegetables and should account for 40-45% of your dietary intake. Protein should make up approximately 30% of your calories, but try to eat at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.
5. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Chances are if it came in a box, can, or bag, you shouldn't be eating it. The best way to ensure that you're eating the right foods is to eat similar to a caveman. If you couldn't access a particular food 10,000 years ago, don't eat it.
6. When consuming fruits, the darker the better. Darker fruits tend to be higher in levels of antioxidants which will aid in recovery from training. They also tend to be higher in fiber, thus improving insulin response in the blood.
7. Avoid fried foods. Not only can these cause the storage of excess body fat, but they have shown to be toxic to the nervous system and brain tissue. Yes, fried foods might tasted good, and they might love to make you smile, but they won't help your performance on the field. If you must have fast food, make sure it's only on rare occasions.
8. Consume adequate water. Try to drink only filtered water from either a home filtration system or a high quality bottled water manufacturers. You should aim to drink half your body weight in ounces every day. Water is probably the most important, yet underrated sports supplement available today. As little as 3% dehydration in your body can cause a 10% drop in performance.
Each meal should consist of a lean protein, fibrous carbohydrate, and healthy fats. Some sources of fibrous carbs are listed below.
gastrointestinal stress, disruption of the nervous system, and slower recovery from training. All of these can hamper athletic performance. The majority of your carbohydrate intake should come from fruits, nuts, and vegetables and should account for 40-45% of your dietary intake. Protein should make up approximately 30% of your calories, but try to eat at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.
Avoid fried foods. Not only can these cause the storage of excess body fat, but they have shown to be toxic to the nervous system and brain tissue. Yes, fried foods might tasted good, and they might love to make you smile, but they won't help your performance on the field. If you must have fast food, make sure it's only on rare occasions.