The Truth about Sports Products…..FINALLY!!
Here’s my take…

Ok so there was a program on the other week about Sports Products and if they really do everything they claim…in other words “does it do what it says on the tin”??

I was under no misconception that the sports fuelled drinks are laden with sugar….but even still the program shocked me.

South Africa 1930 was when the first ever “sports drink” was made and since then the drinks have been mainly tested on “Athletes” and not the general public, whom are more likely to buy and it is who the advertisers are aiming at. Last year (2011) £1/4 billion was spent on sports products like this.

Whats actually quite scary is that Powerade (alongside McDonalds) are the Official Sponsers for the London 2012 Olympics and there re numerous adverts out there with professional sports people promoting these drinks…they say a lot about “Hydration” and then this of course convinces people “oh yeah I must have this drink…if the athletes say” < but thats the problem…..we are NOT top elite athletes (yeah we are all athletes in our own right….but not to their level) …..what also concerns me is that in these adverts it will have an effect on “kids too” (even though these companies have claimed they are not aiming it at under 16s) as they will see their “heros” and famous sports people drinking these drinks and they will think “OMG I need to drink that and then I can be like that” < clever advertising from these companies…BUT why dont we get more clever and play them at their own game?

Powerade has Electorlytes (salt to us) that has NO effect on the body…and also Carbs (in sugar form to us – but they dont always show this on their labels..wonder why) that creates an effect but takes hours to show…and only really shows very little effect…not really worth it!!….oh by the way did you know Powerade is also made by Coca Cola…hmmm says a lot doesnt it.

Lucozade Sport next – there is NO evidence to say that these “carb” drinks actually help…..OK OK for Endurance Sports ppl…yeah maybe but for the mass general public…you would be better to avoid and you will be thinner and fitter…dont waste ya ££.
In a 500ml bottle of Lucozade (32g carbs) there is 8 teaspoons of sugar!!! Thats 1/3 of the daily amount for kids…..NOT good for energy requirements!! You see people swigging this after a little bit of exercise…it really is not going to help.

Be honest would you put 8 teapsoons of sugar in any drink?? NOOO of course you wouldnt…so why drink one that contains that many??? WHY?? Well more than likely because they DONT state this and YOU dont know….well now you do 😉 x

The Sports Drinks are clever in the fact they say “Sugar Free” and that they are good for you < could it be anymore misleading…they are all artificially sweetened “zero” sugar!!

I mentioned about Powerade using “hydration” before…..why are humans the only ones who seem to need to be TOLD to drink??…..De-Hydration is NOT a disease…it is a biological response to exercise.

You should LISTEN to YOUR Body and Drink for YOUR Thirst….we are all individuals

In 2010 during the London Marathon a 22yr old Fitness Instructor died from drinking TOO much water whilst completing the Marathon…..and it is said that 1 in 3 people PLAN to drink to much…for fear of dehydration.
Since the Marathon Started:
16 people in the world have died and 1600 have been critically ill from TOO MUCH fluids during Marathons……

Now I am NOT saying…dont drink….well avoid any “Sports”Drinks….but what I AM saying is…DRINK FOR YOU….and YOUR THIRST! We are all different and we all require different amounts of fluids…throughout the day….of course we need to be safe and keep hydrated….but to what suits YOU and not everyone else.
Remember there is NO evidence (in general public) to show these sports drinks actually work…..you wouldnt buy a car if you werent sure if it was going to start would you???

WATER WATER WATER < it really is all you need!!!

Dont be fooled by the “claims” that these sports drinks seem to make…..unless you are planning on competing in the next Olympics in 2016….then I wouldnt waste your money!!!

Good Fats ‘v’ Bad Fats

So – fats always seem to be outed as the “bad guys” and the devils in the waistline wars…but you may be surprised to hear this is not necessarily the case.

There are actually “good” and “bad’ fats out there…now Im not going to bore you (or myself) with all the science jargon…Im just going to keep it simple and tell it how it is and hopefully shed some light on the Fat debate

Now lets just clear this up the Saturated fat found in coconut oil (as I know this is all on trend at the minute) is different to that found in a pizza!!

All Fats contain 9 calories per gram, but they all have very different effects on your health and your weight. Trans/Bad Fats are the unhealthy ones,

Lets start with the Bad Guys….The “Bad” Fats

Bad Fats increase cholesterol and increase your risk of certain diseases.
Bad Fats or “trans fats” or “saturated fats” (but not all….) are the type that cause:- weight gain, clogged arteries, heart disease and much more.

Bad Fats are found in:
Processed foods
Commercial baked goods (cakes, pizzas, biscuits, bread)
Packaged/Processed Food
Solid Fats (margarine)
Friend Foods
Pre-mixed Foods (cake mix etc)
And anything with “partially hydrogenated” oil on the ingredients list

So basically any food you love to binge on….think again! It contains all these Bad fats, but lets be honest we all know this anyway don’t we??

Now the Goodies…..The “Good” Fats

Fats are essential to our physical and emotional health – well the Good Fats are. Heathy Fats play a huge role in helping you manage your moods, fight fatigue and even help control your weight.
Good Fats aka “monounsaturated” and “polyunsaturated” fats can help improve blood cholesterol levels, lower your risk of heart disease and also benefit insulin levels, therefore controlling blood sugar (helpful for anyone with diabetes)

Good Fats are found in:
Avocados
Olives
Nuts
Natural Peanut Butter
Seeds
Flaxseed
Fatty Fish (Omega 3)
Coconut oil (YES I KNOW)

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat and they are superheats for the brain and emotional health. Omega 3 Fats help:
Protect the body against memory loss and dementia
Reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer
Eases arthritis, joint pain and inflammatory skin conditions
Supports a healthy pregnancy
Helps balance mood and sharpen mind
These amazing fatty Acids can be found in Fish, Seaweed, Fish Oil, Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Sprouts, Kale, Spinach and Parsley, Olive Oil

Low Fat?? Whats all that about – its a chemical sh*tstorm thats what it is….

Nowadays there are so many “low fat” options, but these have only helped increase the obesity rate…not as healthy as they sound. The problem is people are swapping the “fats” and opting for “low fat” – which are just basically full of refined carbs and sugars…which have negative effects on the body, meaning we’ve swapped 1 bad thing for another…..how does that make sense? I mean come on…how did you think the food would have taste when the “fat” was removed?? SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR!!! THE REAL DEVIL

Red Meat?? To eat or not to eat?
With the environmental damage and treatment of industrially raised cattle, the fact they are pumped with growth hormones and antibiotics and denied much outdoors time….what else could put you off? Oh and they are given GMO Feed grown with pesticides… If you must eat red meat – limit the amount and also go for organic/grass fed/free range as these don’t pose the same health risks.

So what can you do?
Increase your intake of the Good Fats
Use Coconut Oil
Have Omega 3 Fatty Acids everyday
Avoid processed Sat fats
Don’t replace fat with sugary foods
Vary your diet
eat your veggies
Go Organic
Don’t fry your foods
Snack well

Remember FAT isn’t the devil here……maybe look at your sugar intake and before you grab that “low fat” meal….THINK!!

Fat is needed and is can be god for you…choose wisely

Jen x