Want More Distance Off the Tee Then Feed the Golfer to Fuel Your Drives!

Mar 10, 2014 by GBCAdmin

WANT MORE DISTANCE OFF THE TEE?
TIPS ON WHAT TO FEED THE GOLFER TO FUEL YOUR DRIVES!

Do you start your #golf game with the fuel tank half empty? #Nutrition and #fitness is such an important part of our golf game, and really has become a lifestyle for many of us. Whether you are a weekend golfer, an amateur or professional player there is not that much difference in what you should fuel your body with, so yes, go ahead and eat what Tiger Woods eats before stepping up to the tee! If you feel good, you will feel more energy, have more confidence and have the endurance to play a better round of golf.

I have been an athlete for 35 years and Long Drive Professional for 7 of those years and although much of the way that I train or prepare for an event has changed, I still eat the same types of foods when preparing for any athletic activity. Golf is as much of a mental as physical game so it is important to fuel your brain and your body!

A nutritional obstacle for many golfers is extra body weight. Despite the success of some overweight professional golfers, excess body fat is more detrimental to your game than a double bogey.

Golf is challenging enough on our bodies, we don’t want excess bodyweight to add even more stress to your muscles and bones or to your heart, which is potentially life threatening.

Excess bodyweight can also hinder your golf technique, making it more difficult to produce correct technique, you become fatigued faster and it starts to place distractions on your game. So it is important to eat healthy not just pre tee time but try to make adjustments daily.

Just like we work on our golf swings, choose one part of your daily nutrition to work on and as that becomes easier then add another change, before you know it eating healthy will be as natural as your golf swing!

So what DO you eat to be able to fuel your body and have the power and energy to hit your drive on the 18th hole, just as well as you hit your drive on the 1st hole?

A good combination of protein, low fat and low glycemic carbohydrates are important. The types of foods you eat can vary but it is important to have a good ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates. When we train or exert energy we need to allow our body to burn the fat and not breakdown muscle. We also want to keep our insulin levels from spiking and dropping for sustained energy. We need healthy fats so it is important to choose not just low fat food but foods without transfat.

I like to eat a breakfast of an egg white omelette and some turkey and veggies, or I mix up one of my favorite protein packed smoothies and take it to go. Whether you don’t like to eat when you first wake up or simply just don’t have time it is important to eat something within an hour or two of being awake.

Breakfast is important to fuel your drives, but you also need to sustain your energy through out the round. Here are some nutritional ideas of foods you can take with you. The golf course snack shop does not always have the best choices, so don’t only fill your golf bag with tees and your new sleeve of golf balls, fill it up with healthy snacks!

Holes 1 thru 9….. You just hit your farthest drive because you had a healthy breakfast so keep the momentum going and pack some raw almonds, a banana, and make sure you hydrate! Try to avoid caffeine and pack a healthy sports drink sugar free or low in sugar.

You are playing one of your best rounds and have the energy to not stop at the turn, one of my favorite things at this point is a KOOG Protein Bar (www.koogbar.com) no soy, gluten, preservatives or artificial sweeteners, and high in antioxidants and Omega 3’s. If you are like me I don’t like to take my glove off or get food on my fingers so this makes it easy! KOOG bars are real food, meaning it has the right ratio and combination of fat, protein and carbohydrates our bodies will burn for energy.

Holes 10 thru 18….You are starting to get superstitious and need to keep your nerves calm as you are on your way to your lowest score. This is when I make sure I have a second banana in my golf bag. Bananas contain natural sugars so not only are you feeling instant energy it also has the right sugars for sustained energy. It also has potassium, an important electrolyte to keep you hydrated. Research has shown that just 2 bananas can provide you with enough energy for a 4 hour round of golf! Bananas contain vitamin B for energy and also contain tryptophan, a type of protein your body converts to serotonin which helps to relax you and keep you calm. So eat a banana, it will help you feel better about that last shot you just shanked!

When you hit a powerful drive on the 18th hole to bring it on home, go ahead and reward yourself on the 19th hole and have that yummy shrimp salad or grilled salmon a perfect combination of low fat and high protein to end your day!

And the next time you hit that big old slice, may it remind you to put a banana in your golf bag!

MICHELLE’S PROTEIN PACKED/LOW FAT SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Ingredients

1 scoop protein powder ( I use MRM Whey Isolate Protein)
1 tbsp chia seeds (for antioxidants and Omega 3’s)
1 tbsp PB2 (powdered peanut butter with out all the fat and calories)
1 banana (gets you in a good mood for your first drive)
3 strawberries (good choice of carbohydrates, natural sugars)
1/2 cup fat free vanilla Greek yogurt (high in protein, no fat. I like Dannon)
1/2 cup unsweetened fat free almond or coconut milk ( I like SO Delicious or SILK)

Blend and take with you! I like to double the recipe and freeze half for a delicious healthy frozen dessert.

Stay awesome everyone