Balance is the Name of the Game for Winter Nutrition and Health

Winter activities require a special balance to be fun and rewarding. With the exception of the serious racer, the reason we hit the slopes is simply to add excitement to our lives, enjoy the outdoors, and escape the mundane daily activities we tend to get caught up in. It is our chance to cut loose and reconnect with nature, ourselves, our friends, and our family. However, without balance on and off the slopes, this “reconnection” can be more work than it’s worth, leaving us feeling drained and unfulfilled. Effective choices for how you treat your body and the fuel you use for it can help you to balance the extreme nature of mountain sports with the serenity of the mountain setting, helping you to feel charged, invigorated, and ready to face anything.

Food is fuel, and while your body is an effective machine that is literally able to power itself with just about anything, it will be far more efficient with a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each category is important and will help you in different ways and they are equally necessary. Fad diets that are high in protein or low in fat and carbohydrates may put the body on a roller coaster ending in poor health. It is critical to understand that healthy eating is a result of a balanced diet based on your current health and activity level. This is especially critical on the slopes because an all-day activity requires a great deal of energy and uses up a tremendous amount of resources such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

When you start gearing up for the slopes, take extra care to insure that your diet contains balanced proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The typical diet should be made up of approximately 60% carbohydrates, primarily complex carbs from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; 30% unsaturated fats; and 10% proteins from low fat sources like fish, eggs, soy, and vegetable products. Your caloric intake should be determined by your level of activity and your food choices should be widely varied and as fresh as possible. While many diets are slashing carbohydrates these days it is important to remember that they are your source of long-term fuel—what your body uses for activities and basic metabolic functions. Fats have many uses. They are your source of immediate fuel (especially good for keeping you warm on the slopes) and carry many vitamins and minerals. They are essential for hormone production and aid in brain function. The key to proper fat nutrition is to choose quality and quantity carefully. Quality fats are unsaturated, come from fish, olives, avocados, and nuts, and should be eaten in moderate quantities. Proteins are the building blocks your body uses to repair itself–rebuilding is a constant process regardless of your activity level. Your body cannot heal or repair itself without the proper materials. Proteins are made up of amino acids which the body uses for immune function, tissue repair, and enzyme production. Eating proteins from a wide variety of sources will insure that your body receives all nine of the essential amino acids, as well as the eleven other important ones.  Quantity is as important as quality here as well – a diet too high in proteins can lead to sluggishness and acidosis, a condition that may lead to additional health problems.

For your day on the slopes, keep in mind that eating small meals several times during the day will serve you best by providing a steady source of ready-to-use calories.  Small meals will also keep blood flowing to your entire body instead of to your stomach.  Be sure to keep these small meals balanced. Good quality fats at each meal will deliver concentrated energy keeping you warm throughout the day; carbohydrates will insure you have enough energy to keep going for the whole day, while proteins will keep the flow of energy smooth and even.

While considering what to eat for your day on the hill, also keep your fluid intake in mind. It is highly important to keep well hydrated, as mountain air can be very dry. The wind and the altitude will rob your body of vital fluids and the alcohol and caffeine we tend to indulge in on vacation can be dehydrating. Exercise activity in the winter can make you sweat as much as in the summer, but it is less noticeable and we are less thirsty in the winter. Drinking water, herbal teas, cider, and juice are all good ways to replenish the fluids you loose. It’s easy but often requires a conscious effort.

Balance is a very individual thing. It is an art form that requires careful consideration of all the facts and the ability to use that knowledge to our greatest benefit.  For balance on the slopes, nutritional support is vital. Careful consideration for what we eat and drink to prepare for the season as well as for a day on the slopes will help to insure an enjoyable and healthy day on the hill.