For any fitness buff, it is well known that you must consume adequate protein, with a diet that is low in sugar and not high in saturated fats or "bad" fats.
However, what are some of the best or perhaps easiest ways to get the micronutrients you need. Obviously, fruits and vegetables. But, if you are like me, eating large quantities of veggies, or fruit may be difficult.
Although, you must consume some amount of veggies and fruit, another alternative is to get the proper types of fats and proteins through nuts. I find nuts to be a good source of nutrition because they don't go bad and are so portable. Furthermore, because they tend to have a relatively high fat content as compared to fruits and vegetables, they are more satiating. Research has found consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter is linked to decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, type 2 diabetes and other health problems.
One caveat, you should consume them raw or dry roasted; don't consume the nuts embalmed in the sugary or oily substances that make them delicious, but less useful for heart healthy purposes. Once exception to this is a cocoa dusted almond from Emerald.
Almonds are a good example of a nut that contains the important micronutrients you need if you want to compete at the best of your body's ability. Almonds contain (assuming a serving of 24 almonds) 163 calories, with 6 Gm of protein and 14 Gm of fat. The good news is that only 1 Gm of that fat is saturated "bad" fat. Most is mono unsaturated or "healthy" fat that helps lower LDL "bad" cholesterol and raise HDL or "good" cholesterol. Studies seem to indicate that this type of diet reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. This serving size of almonds also contains 6 Gm of carbohydrates, but only 1 Gm of that is sugar. But, in addition, almonds are a great source of fiber, B complex vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folate). Vitamin E is abundant at 170% of recommended daily allowance (RDA) and is an important fat soluble antioxidant used in the maintenance of cell membrane integrity. Last but not least, they are rich in minerals such as manganese, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and selenium.
Although the almond is probably the best all around nut, pistachios provide many of the same benefits.
Pistachios are a good source of phyto chemicals like carotenes that are beneficial because of their antioxidant properties. They also contain Vitamin E and polyphenolic antioxidants. Pistachios like almonds contain most of the Vitamin B complex vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, etc. Pisachios are also a rich source of minerals, i.e zinc, iron, and in particular copper (144% of RDA). Like Almonds, Pistachios contain a large amount of mono-unsaturated fats (like Oleic acid) which can reduce LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Because of their high protein content (an ounce of pistachios contains as much protein as one egg), eating them post work out is a good choice.
Peanuts are technically not nuts (they are legumes), but contain the same ingredients to qualify them from a functional standpoint. Peanuts are high in protein (about 7 Gm per ounce) and also contain heart healthy lipid lowering mono-unsaturated fats. Eating Peanuts (or natural based peanut butter) prior to a work out is a great source of energy. Ounce for ounce, peanuts have a higher content of bioflavanoid resveratrol than grapes which has been shown to reduce a number of maladies including cognitive decline and may help stave Alzheimer's disease through this and other vitamins like Niacin.
Walnuts are key to any diet. They contain a large amount of the antioxidants that heavy training athletes need. They also provide the highest amount of Omega-3 fatty acids of any of the nuts. One of these is alpha Linolenic Acid, which is very good at reducing the level of inflammation in the body. Several studies have shown that walnuts provide a litany of health benefits from improved heart function to reducing the incidence of diabetes to reducing the chances of certain types of cancer (prostate and breast). It is believed that most of the health benefits from walnuts result from their antioxidant and anitinflammatory effects.
Brazil nuts are large and high calorie. Because they have a high calorie count and are a great source of vitamins and minerals they are a staple food in amazonia where their fruit trees are native. The high caloric content of this nut is from the large amount of fat. Fortunately, like the other nuts discussed above, the fat in the Brazil nut is mostly mono unsaturated fats like palmitoleic acid and oleic acid. They are also rich in vitamin E. Brazil nuts are particularly noted for their very high selenium content. At 3485% of RDA for selenium, this is the best natural source for this mineral. In reality, only 1 to 2 nuts per day is all anyone really needs. Brazil nuts are also a good source of B complex vitamins and many important minerals like: copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc.
I've highlighted just a few of the best nuts; but, all have some redeeming qualities. I believe proper nutrition is a huge key in achieving big score in the Speed Strength Combine.
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