Nutrition and recovery for athletes

  Wrightkitchen is a very visually pleasing blog. They produce artwork with food, such as fresh fruits for big brands like Vans, Bare Minerals and Samsung. The way they arrange the food in colour order is very pleasing to the eye. They make it look like a food rainbow. Their pictures are of very high quality, they clearly spend a lot of time and effort to make the food like a work of art. 

Angie Asche recently wrote about "optimising nutrition on your menstrual cycle" in her blog Eleat Sports Nutrition.   This inspired me because I think it is a topic that needs to be explored and understood more, enabling female athletes to enhance their performances and recovery. Nutrition is a great way to optimise this.  Archie Belfield has a blog discussing different strains of protein My Sport Science . He talks about how they are different and when it is best to take them in order to optimise growth and recovery. This is useful information for people who are unsure of when and what they should be taking, but also for others who just want to see another opinion on the topic. 

Phase 3 of a women's menstrual cycle. This is the last phase of the cycle, and are days 15-28. In this phase there are large fluctuations in hormone levels as the unfertilised egg is shed from the uterus. Women will also experience symptoms such as bloating and lower back pain. The physical changes that occur; the hormone levels are balanced which can counteract the mood swings and also helps cure and hormonal acne. Experts say you should consume wholemeal cereals, bananas which are high in vitamin B6 and A, almonds which are high in calcium, and omega3 such as fish. It is said to avoid acidic foods.  During these 14 days I made some smoothie bowls with berries, milk and yoghurt and then I added banana, granola and honey on top. The granola had almonds and pumpkin seeds in it. I also add banana op top of my oatmeal as well as the berries and seeds already on there. In the UK I eat a lot of salmon as it is much cheaper to buy it there compared to here, meaning I rarely eat it here. ...

Thanksgiving is a very special time of the year, and something every American celebrates. It is a wholesome tradition where families come together, cook together and appreciate their quality time spent with each other. I am not American so I do not celebrate thanksgiving. However, since being in the United States for just over a year, I have celebrated thanksgiving once. I must say, I had a wonderful time and felt very loved. The family I was staying with were the parents of one of my teammates.  At the dinner, we had a joyful time talking about the start of the season and the great matches we had played so far, along with other memories we had created so far, and also what we were thankful for. As the food and drinks we flowing with ease, I felt a sense of inclusivity and very welcome at the table. I feel like this is what the holiday is all about, being inclusive and loving, making others feel welcome at your table. The food preparation took many hours and there was chaos in the ...

This post is about phase 2 of the menstrual cycle and what experts say you should eat during days 13-14 of your cycle to help support the female body. In phase 2, ovulation is triggered and oestrogen and FSH levels drop. The physical changes that occur are FSH and oestrogen levels are sufficiently restored and rebuilt. Foods high in fibre and antioxidants are highly recommended, along with vitamin rich fruits and vegetables. It is also recommended to cut down on meats and dairy products.  During these two days, I decided to add blueberries and raspberries into my oatmeal along with honey. Berries are very high in antioxidants and fibre. Honey is also high in antioxidants but also anti-inflammatory properties, which is very good for the body. I also added in kale to most of my main meals. It is a very good vegetable and doesn't taste of much, but when you cook it, it shrinks down in size. This means you still eat a lot of it, but it doesn't look so overwhelming. To make the kale...

Women's menstrual cycles is still a very taboo topic, however for female athletes it is something that is left very much in the dark. It is very important to help make people talk about this more and also feel comfortable doing so. We all have to deal with it, but it never spoken about, or if it is, it is in a very hush hush and secretive manner. As athletes, it affects out training. It is another thing we have to think about, on top of getting good sleep, eating well and performing your best. This topic needs to be explored and understood more. Enabling female athletes to enhance their performances and recovery during their cycle is very important. There are some tips and tricks published by nutritional experts, where they talk about the different food types you should eat during each phase of your cycle.  There are 3 phases in the cycle. The first phase is during days 1-12. This is when the body is producing FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) which increases the production of oes...