Senior Golfers and nutritious food

The game of golf requires surges of energy for the high-power action of the game followed by lengthy periods of standing, walking, and possibly even sitting in a cart. The long periods of physical and mental alertness requires the body and the brain to be operating a peak capacity. The right foods and liquids will fuel the
body and the brain to their optimum performance level.

You will want to balance your blood sugar and keep it balanced with the foods you eat. Your brain consumes the most blood sugar than any other organ in your body. If your blood sugars supply is low, you will become sluggish, you will experience concentration, plus slow and distorted communication with the body. The end results will be a poor golf game.

Most of the time poor shots such as bogies or wayward shots made late in the round could be caused by low-energy and dehydration. Golf is a tough enough game for you to find yourself running out of energy before the end of the game. Here are some suggestions to keep you at the top of your game towards the end of the round

For breakfast the day of your golf match, you will need to eat 45 minutes to 1 hour before you play. Have a balanced meal consisting of 35 – 45% carbohydrates, 25 –30% protein, and 20 – 30% fats. The follow is a list of some foods to choose from. It will give you an idea of the type of food you need to eat.

Complex carbohydrates – fresh vegetables and fruits, not fruit juices and a small amount of whole grains.

Protein/Fats – fish, fowl, fresh lean meats, or boiled eggs, hard or soft.

Dairy products - Only small amounts of dairy products should be consumed. Dairy products can be difficult for most people to digest. You might try goat dairy products such as yogurt. Use butter. No margarine.

Protein/ Carbohydrate shakes.

Vitamins – 2 Daily vitamins and Omega 3’s.

Eat 4 to 5 small meals or snacks every day. Fresh fruit, such as an apple along with peanut butter or raw nuts are a good choice. Peanut butter and celery sticks are another good choice. You don’t want sugary or fried foods. Low sugar protein bars can be good especially the ones made with nuts and seeds. Sugar substitutes are not good either.

Use these ideas when preparing the snacks you will take with you on game day to help keep your blood sugar in balance. You will want to make a habit of preparing your snacks the night before and have them already in your bag. It doesn’t work well if you try to prepare them the morning of game day. It is important for you to keep your brain and body fueled so you can last all day.

You will want to take along plenty of spring water. You will want to stay hydrated the whole day. Use the rule of thumb and drink 8 – 8oz. Glasses of spring water. Tap water has too much chlorine and toxic metals which has been added to the water. You will want to drink water every other hole, more if it is hot. Do not drink caffeine, alcohol, fruit drinks or sodas.

Last but not least, you will need to get plenty of sleep the night before. If you go to bed around 10 or 10:30 so as to wake up on your own with out the assistance of an alarm clock, you will have a better chance of a good performance