Golfing and Nutrition: Not to Be Overlooked Of course everyone knows that exercise when it comes to staying in optimal golfing shape is important. You want to work on certain muscle groups, maintain flexibility and improve your overall power. What many however often don’t focus on enough is nutrition. In other words, the foods you eat and what you drink can certainly also impact your swing, your power and your flexibility. Have you taken the time to evaluate what you eat and what consequently you put into your body on a daily basis? Are you maximizing the amount of nutrients, vitamins and protein that you get? We’re not talking about a specific diet or a regimen that is so restrictive you cannot maintain it throughout your life. What we are talking about is an approach to diet and nutrition that helps you get healthier and thus fare better on the golf course. Not to mention, if for instance, you are preparing for a tournament or some sort of competitive event, you may want to pay particular attention to how you treat your body in terms of what you feed it. Below are a few tips the conscientious golfer should consider…especially if they are training for an event and want to feel and perform better. Avoid processed foods. This seems a pretty simple bit of advice, but you’d be surprised at how many go for the “junk” food in order to get what they believe is a quick burst of energy. All these types of foods do is to temporarily cause a spike in your blood glucose which actually can lead to inflammation and thus disease down the road. This isn’t true energy—not the kind you really need. Eat foods high in Omega-3s. As has been widely proven, omega 3s help with everything from brain function, to maintaining heart health, to yes, helping with those energy levels. This includes foods such as nuts, avocados, fish, eggs and certain seeds. Keep hydrated. In other words, drink a lot of water. And not just in anticipation of a hot day on the course under the blazing sun; water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. It also aids in refueling your muscles. The benefits are truly endless. Consume the right kinds of protein. So not a Big Mac. Protein is essential for muscle repair and recovery and it is also a fundamental building block within most of the body’s systems. You want to try and stick to those proteins that are lean and lower in calories. This would include: fish, legumes, chicken and low fat dairy options. Certainly this is not a comprehensive guide to how a golfer should eat in order to be in the best shape possible when it comes to hitting the lynx. The point is though, what you do on a daily basis from what you might have for a snack to how much water you’re actually drinking, does make a difference in how your muscles, bones, and tendons respond. The more attuned you are to what your body needs, the better your game is bound to be.