Paleo for my Summer Athlete

It's official - it's summer vacation!

No alarms were set.  No homework was done.  No shoes were worn for most of the day.  And now, no one is home except me.  The kids couldn't wait to plan things with their friends now that finals and end of course tests and class parties and bedtimes were over!

And in mom-speak - summer vacation is official because my summer calendar has been uploaded!

All the summer camps, conditioning, practices, recitals, Nationals, vacation and pool parties are set with reminders and lists of special equipment or clothes or whatever.

My son, the football player, is going to be spending 4 mornings a week lifting weights and running and pushing sleds and running into and over other teenage boys for 3-4 hours at a time.  That's a lot.

Last year we (especially HE) was new to Paleo and he lost a LOT of weight.  He eventually gained a lot of muscle and speed and the ability to lift a lot more in the weight room, but I don't think we did it quite right in the beginning.  I was so excited that he was finally eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies and lean proteins and healthy fats that I didn't do enough research on this type of eating for an athlete.

I had to fix that during football season - he was dropping weight so fast they thought he couldn't play his position any more.  So I just fed him more!  More of the good stuff, but just MORE in the beginning. 

Then I got on the internet and to the library and found some very specific info on the best foods to eat to maximize his performance.

Once again, I am compelled to say that I am not a doctor or dietician or personal trainer or physical therapist or anything with lots of letters denoting my expertise.  I am a mom.  A mom who feels strongly about my son eating healthy, but understanding his need to stay strong and solid for his sport. 

I also know my son does not tolerate much food before a morning workout - we've settled on a fruit or fruit and veggie smoothie with some almond butter - either in the smoothie or on a spoon!  The extreme Texas heat is not his stomach's friend either - if he has an afternoon workout or scrimmage, I make sure he eats 2 hours to 90 minutes before we leave the house and it's always a lean, non-spicy protein - chicken breast or turkey usually and grapes or celery or an apple with almond butter.  That meals stays in his tummy where it belongs!  We are also big on hydration.  Water all day, every day!

That leaves me with what he needed to eat AFTER the workout.  I mean, he comes in the door thirsty and ready for a shower and then he comes down the stairs starving!  Like, crazy-eyed starving!  I read a lot about the importance of carbohydrates post-workout.  Sadly, he does NOT like sweet potatoes or blueberries - the easiest, most affordable Paleo carbs that are always in my house.  That's how I made the decision (after lots of research) to add organic russet potatoes back into our diet.  Some people say russets aren't paleo - I choose to disagree.  We prepare them simply and we eat them sparingly AND they are real, organic, completely unprocessed food AND they keep my kids happy!

I rarely have a full meal ready when he gets done with his workout - I mean, it's usually 10:30 in the morning, so I keep healthy, 'snackier' options in the pantry and fridge for him that will tide him over until meal time.  I keep Epic bars or jerky, hard-cooked and scrambled eggs (that can be microwaved) for protein, olives, raw almonds and unsweetened almond butter for healthy fats, plantain chips, unsweetened dried fruit and russets fried in coconut oil (also usually microwaved) for carbs.  This allows him to fuel up soon after his workout without upsetting his stomach or blowing his clean eating for a bag of chips or a plate of pasta. 

For what it's worth - there is a lot of info about pre- and post-workout meals for Paleo athletes and a lot of it is conflicting.  We just played around with it until we found what worked best for my kids (my daughter is a competitive dancer - she is a grazer during and after her workouts, preferring raw fruits and veggies with cashew butter during and an Applegate hot dog after with those fried russet potatoes and an orange for her post-workout meal.) 

All I know is finding and keeping healthy foods on hand (especially the healthy carbs) and making sure they are refueling about an hour after their bigger workouts seems to keep them at a healthy weight and keep their energy levels up ... or maybe consistent is the word I'm looking for.  Both of them have improved their abilities since making the change to Paleo eating - faster, stronger, higher leaps or jumps and endurance.  

Every body has different needs.  I'm all about reducing inflammation in my joints and eliminating bloat and improving sleep.  My kids need clean eating for sleep too and focus and energy - but their level of exercise is so different than mine, I had to do some research and figure it out.

It's tough for a teenager to commit to a healthy diet - I feel like it's really important for me to find and keep food and snacks on hand that don't give them any excuse or desire to go back to our old habits. 

It's officially summer - time to go stock the kitchen with healthy, kid-friendly proteins, fats and carbs before our first practice next Monday!