Benefits of Fueling with Eggs!

Athletes, fuel with eggs for the perfect high-quality protein source! While providing 6 grams of easily digestible protein, optimal levels of essential amino acids, 13 essential vitamins and minerals, eggs are the right fuel source to help build muscles, and repair muscle tissue during strength training and endurance exercise.

Studies show aiming for at least 30 grams of protein per meal, multiple times per day, helps stimulate muscle synthesis. Athletes can safely eat 2-3 eggs per day while training. Don’t be afraid to add in this perfect protein source to your meals to meet these optimal fueling needs!

Egg Whites versus Yolks:

Egg whites are rich in some of the egg’s high quality protein, riboflavin and selenium. However, when skipping out on the yolk you miss out on multiple vitamins and minerals. Unless directed otherwise, we recommend eating the whole egg rather than just the egg white so that you don’t lose out on these nutrients and their health benefits!

•  Vitamin D: Works with calcium to promote bone health

•  Choline: Essential for cell functioning

•  Vitamin B12: Involved in energy metabolism

•  Folate: Needed for healthy cell division and growth

•  Vitamin A: Antioxidant supporting immune function, eye and cell health

•  Vitamin B6: Needed for protein metabolism, and immune health

•  Iron: Vital for oxygen transport throughout the body

•  Thiamin: Required for nutrient metabolism & healthy functioning of the heart, muscle & nervous system

•  Vitamin E: Antioxidant preventing cell damage

•  Additional Selenium: Antioxidant which helps regulate hormones, and prevents cells damage

•  Phosphorus: Essential for healthy DNA and bone structure

•  Zinc: Important for proper immune function and wound healing

How to add more eggs into your diet:

•  Create a healthy omelet with a variety of vegetables. Try spinach, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and top it off with avocados

•  Add 2-3 boiled eggs to the side of a whole wheat toast, English muffin, or whole-wheat bagel for breakfast

•  Add boiled eggs to your grilled chicken salad

Did you know…

•  The feed of the hen determines the color of the egg yolk

•  Almost half (42%) of the protein comes from the yolk

•  Eggs are graded based off of interior and exterior quality (AA, A, B)

•  Organic eggs are all cage-free (hens that can roam in open areas)

•  May is National Egg Month! Use that as fuel to add more eggs in the next few weeks!

Happy Fueling!

Yasi Ansari, RD

For more information on Egg Carton Labels:

http://www.eggnutritioncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ENC-Egg-Labeling-Guide-PDF-proof.pdf

Text Source:

Egg Nutrition Center: www.eggnutritioncenter.org

ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables

This spring keep an eye out for seasonal fruits & vegetables: asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, spinach, and strawberries. Increasing your consumption will help maintain optimal bone health, support your immune system, while providing healthy food sources for adequate fuel during activity!

Avoid peeling! Fruit peel with the exception of oranges, mangos, and bananas provide a good source of fiber and nutrients. Eat your fruit with the peel!

Buy them whole! Avoid canned fruits in heavy syrup. Look for whole pieces that you can take on the go!

Chop them up into small bite-size pieces. This makes them easier to eat while in class or to add to a salad.

Dessert with fruit! It is okay to indulge once in a while but make sure the majority of your dessert plate is fruit.

Entrees. Pack half of your plate with fruits and veggies. Find ways to sneak veggies into the recipes you already make (ex: pasta dish, chicken stuffing, or fish).

Farmer’s Market! Attend your local farmer’s market. You can try fruit samples and buy all of your weekly needs fresh and at a reasonable price!

Grill time! It is the perfect time for a BBQ! Experiment with grilling pineapples, zucchini, or peaches!

Home cooking! Eat out less and more in your own kitchen. This will encourage you to prepare meals from fresh ingredients!

Involve the whole family. The more members of a family adopt healthy eating habits, the more likely everyone else will do the same.

Jot down and prepare snack ideas the night before. This will keep you on track with a healthy snacking routine.

Keep cut up fruits and veggies in Ziploc bags. You can store them in the refrigerator, in your school bag, or car.

Limes! If you are worried about taking cut up fruit with you to school because it may brown, try adding lime juice to prevent oxidation!

Make baked items with grated carrots, zucchini, or blueberries for added nutrients, fibers, and vitamins.

Nourish your body with the pulp of the fruit for added fiber and nutrients when juicing.

One fruit serving per meal is a great way to start. As you get comfortable with that, add them in for snacks as well!

Purchase them frozen for a fun treat. Frozen fruits have all the same nutrients as fresh ones but may be better on a warm day.

Quench your thirst with fruit flavored water. Add pineapple, orange or strawberry slices to an ice-packed water bottle for a refreshing and hydrating way to pack in fruit.

Research the benefits that fruits and vegetables provide! When you better understand the vitamins and minerals that are provided you will be more inclined to increase your consumption.

Steam veggies with your meat for an easy way to get a serving of vegetables with a meal.

Think color. The darker the fruit the more antioxidants it provides! Choose deep blues and reds.

Understand that you need at least 6-7 svgs of fruits or vegetables per day! (Remember 1 serving of fruit is about the size of your fist!)

Visibility is key. If fruits and vegetables are out of sight its consumption will be less. Keep a plate nearby and in front of you.

Whip up a smoothie! If you are unable to get all of your fruit and vegetable needs in a day, blend them all for a heart healthy shake. Try: blueberries, strawberries, grapes, kale and your choice of milk.

You do not need to do everything at once. Try one new idea from the list above each week. Little steps will help make a big difference while guiding you in the direction of reaching successful fueling goals!

May Nutrition Athletes of the Month!

Christoph Bono and Alexis Walker are featured as this month's nutrition athletes! Find out how our Bruin superstars are fueling for success.

Christoph Bono, Baseball, Outfield

Sophomore, Christoph Bono joined the UCLA baseball program in January 2012. Bono's most recent achievements in 2013 included playing in 55 games and in all of UCLA's postseason games, scoring two runs in 12 at-bats while helping the Bruins to the NCAA Championship. He entered the majority of games as a defensive replacement in the outfield and did not make an error all season, recording a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage!

Read what Bono has to say about his fueling experience:

What is the impact of nutrition on your performance? Nutrition makes a big impact for my performance in baseball. Being that baseball is a slow and long sport my game days at the field can be exceedingly long, making nutrition an important part of sustaining my energy. I try to plan out my game day meals/snacks while I’m at the field as much as possible before heading over to the park for the day. Having a big meal before I go to the field (4 hours before the game) is really important and the base of my energy for the rest of the evening. From there it’s all about eating snacks to maintain my energy; anything from mixed nuts, fruits, applesauce, trail mix, etc. I try to constantly snack during the game as well, as it helps me keep my energy to focus. 

What is your favorite recovery food/drink? Muscle Milk pre-made and powder is probably my most used recovery drink. I always have a Muscle Milk after weights, practice and games. I also like to add Muscle Milk to my smoothies in the morning or a peanut butter banana smoothie at night. In terms of food, PB&J is definitely my staple snack before games... I've probably had about 30 already this year.

What is the biggest difference that you have seen in your performance when you have made changes to your diet? When I am paying attention to my nutrition, eating healthy and as often as possible, my energy is always better. Baseball is a long game and I'm sure you have heard the saying that it's "90% mental and 10% physical”. It’s really true. In order to keep that mental focus and energy for the duration of the game, my nutritional plan helps me do that. If I am keeping myself energized and well fed then I give myself the best chance to succeed on the field.

Alexis Walker, Track and Field

Senior, Alexis Walker has had a very successful Track and Field career thus far. After graduating Pasadena High School with multiple awards and recognition in track, she began her career at UCLA in 2011. Her most recent achievement has included her first-ever heptathlon, where Walker scored 5,409 points at the Mt. SAC Relays, jumping into UCLA's record books! Walker finished second overall and is the second Bruin to earn Pac-12's weekly women's field honor.

Read what Walker has to say about her fueling experience:

What is the impact of nutrition on your performance? For a period of approximately 6 months leading up to the beginning of the 2014 outdoor track season, I have made a concerted effort to change the way in which I eat. I have changed the type and amount of food that I eat each day as well as the number of times throughout the day that I provide my body with nutrition. With this new program that was created in consultation with Emily, I have seen and felt a huge difference in my in endurance as demonstrated in my ability to practice, compete, and recover efficiently. The impact of nutrition on my performance has been as dramatic as night and day this year and has allowed me to perform at the level of athlete I always knew I could be. I am having the best season I have had while attending UCLA and among other things, I attribute the changes made in my nutritional intake to be a major component to my performance.

What is your favorite recovery food/drink? My favorite recovery drink depends on what event or activity I have just participated in. After weights, I like to drink Muscle Milk or Avia protein shakes. After a hard practice or run, I like to drink something I call the peanut butter cup smoothie. It contains 1 frozen banana, 1-2 cups of almond or regular milk; depending on weather I want it thicker or thinner, 1-2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of coca powder. I mix it all up in a blender or shaker bottle and ENJOY!

What is the biggest difference that you have seen in your performance when you have made changes to your diet? The biggest difference that I have seen in my performance since I made these changes in my diet is how much more energy I have. I have been able to push myself longer in running workouts and am able to lift heavier for a longer period of time before I get to a point of exhaustion. I feel that I am having better practices and because of that I started to greatly improve in both my performance at practice and in competitions. I have also been able to recover faster and feel better and less sore the following day. 

A glimpse through Walker's nutritional journey: 

“As an athlete at a college filled with other athletes who are competitive and driven, I strive to push myself, while caring for my body, to constantly become a better version of my athletic self. My journey with nutrition has been a roller coaster and until this year I really struggled with having the right plan that fueled my body and worked for me. In the past I made the mistake of thinking that to become a top athlete I needed to be extremely diligent about what I eat, causing me to think that by eating extremely clean and healthy that I would get better. In reality I was actually hindering my body from getting what it needs to excel. As athletes, we need to eat and nurture ourselves so we can call upon our bodies to perform. In order for our body to do what we are asking it to do, we have to give our bodies the nutrition required to operate at the highest levels and fuel those areas responsible for performance. As athletes, there are certain types and amounts of nutritional foods needed that directly relate to performance and there are differences based on the type of sport and exercise being performed. We need to consume the right nutritional foods in the right combinations and proportions in order for our body to excel properly. It takes some time and experimentation to figure out exactly what works for your body. Nutrition has changed who I am as an athlete and has allowed me to become the athlete I am today."