Nicole Baird, Certified Holistic Health Care Practitioner  Marion Hauser, M.S., R.D. Sara Cook, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach

The Hauser Diet is unique in that it explains why there is not one diet for everyone. The Hauser Diet is actually five different diets: Lion Diet Type™ (carnivore), Otter Diet Type™ (mainly carnivore), Bear Diet Type™ (omnivore), Monkey Diet Type™ (mostly vegetarian) and the Giraffe Diet Type™ (vegetarian). It explains why one person needs a particular type of diet and another person needs another. Learn about The Hauser Diet

Nutrition Basics for Athletes
We all know that nutrition plays a significant role in our lives. Many of you have been reading our newsletters and have been trying to incorporate exercise into your daily life schedules. Hopefully some of you who read our newsletters are aspiring athletes, or even already seriously involved in a sport!

Two and a half years ago, I looked at myself and realized that I needed to make a concerted effort to include daily exercise in my life. I started jogging. At first I could not run around the block. But since then, I have worked harder and harder and am now able to say that I have completed three marathons!  My last one was just this past weekend!! This summer I participated in my first duathlon (run 5K, bike 40K, run 10K), 4 half marathons, 3 5K and 2 10K races. What these races do for me is motivate me to keep exercising to keep my body strong. Not only do they help me cardiovascularly, but I am incorporating a weight training program to keep my bones strong to prevent osteoporosis – not to mention the fact that it helps keep your weight stable!

You too can do this if you put your mind to it. You don’t have to be someone who WINS all the races, but getting out there to participate is a big part of the winning the game!  With these types of exercise comes figuring out how to adjust your nutritional needs.  We would like to provide you with some nutrition basics to remember during your athletic activities.

Nutrition is one of several significant factors that can affect your performance as an athlete. Optimal performance also relies on good training, good health, and proper rest.

Nutrition for sports performance includes these components:
Proper fluid intake and hydration
Ingestion of the correct energy balance (carbohydrate, protein and fat)
Proper vitamin and mineral supplementation
Nutrition for Recovery

Proper Fluid Intake: Proper hydration is extremely important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake for athletes, even the recreational kind, is essential. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink plenty of fluids. Inadequate water consumption can be physically harmful. Consider that a loss of as little as 2% of your body weight due to sweating, can lead to a drop in blood volume. When this occurs, the heart works harder in order to move blood through the bloodstream. Prehydration and rehydration are vital to maintaining cardiovascular health, proper body temperature and muscle function. Most athletes should be drinking water every 15 minutes during the heat and at least every 30 minutes otherwise.

Correct Energy Balance: We have found that athletes should consume the same that they normally feel good on – even on race day or pre-race/event day. For example, if you have received dietary testing and are told that you need to eat more like a carnivorous (meat-eating) lion, then you should eat like this on event/race day. People who normally do not do well with carbohydrates will not do well with carbohydrates during an event/race.  Therefore, things like “carbo-loading” really do not benefit all people. It is best to determine your Hauser Diet Plan and then eat accordingly. You may need additional caloric intake, but the make-up of your food should be the same as you normally eat.

Proper Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation: We recommend that athletes are at least taking a good multivitamin supplement that provides greater than 100% of the RDA.

Because you are constantly repairing your body after exercise, you need the extra vitamins that you might not get from food. We also recommend that all athletes take an antioxidant that will help with the reparative process. Many athletes are low in Magnesium, so supplementation may also be required. For a full assessment of your particular needs, please consult a nutrition-minded medical doctor or come on in to Caring Medical.

Nutrition for Recovery: After running a race, playing a game of football, tennis or soccer, or any other activity, it is important to provide the body with the proper nutrients for recovery. We really love enzymes. Enzymes help accelerate the healing process. Again, avoiding sugar during this time will help the body repair itself.

Your body is a machine that needs regular fueling and upkeep. It takes work to keep it running smoothly, especially after you have taken it out on a long road trip! Here’s to you keeping active for life!

Patient Information: Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services
715 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60301 (708)-848-7789
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• The information in this website are the opinions of the authors and should not be used as a self-help guideline. We are not responsible for the use or misuse of this information. The information presented here does not constitute a physician-patient consultation. Every attempt is made to insure accuracy, however, it is up to the reader to confirm any information through other sources. Not responsible for errors or omissions.

• Although there are many studies suggesting the benefits of nutritional and herbal supplementation, there is not enough evidence to suggest that supplements, in general, have any beneficial effect on health and disease.

• Not everyone will benefit from taking supplements.

• Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services is an internationally recognized center for nutrition, natural medicine, and Prolotherapy

c. 2006 Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services
Lion Diet Type™, Otter Diet Type™, Bear Diet Type™, Monkey Diet Type™, Giraffe Diet Type™ are registered trademarks of Ross A. Hauser and Marion A. Hauser.