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http://www.5iantlavalamp.co...>http://www.5iamas-microsoft...> Most people, especially kids, don’t think too hard about what they eat. They pick something up, put it in their mouth and chew. They don’t realize that what they just ate will be a part of their body within 2 hours. It is a part of their body just as bricks are a part of a wall. The entire wall is made of bricks and your body is made up entirely of the food you eat!

Certain foods are much better for you than others. Fruits, vegetables, fresh leafy greens, milk, lean meats, fish, nuts and water are all important in building and re-building your body. This is true for everybody. But it is especially important for athletes because athletes break down their bodies faster than non-athletes and need to rebuild it faster as well. Just as important is what you rebuild your body with. A perfect example of this can be seen in the tale of the “3 Little Pigs”.

You see each home of the pigs was built with something. The first house was weak and didn’t stand up against the rigors of the wolf. This is what happens when you work hard (like you do during our camps) and then try to rebuild your body with candy, sweets, cookies, sugary cereals, and you leave out vegetables and fruits. Your body is going to breakdown easily and not be very strong when it needs to be.

The second house was built a little bit stronger but not by much. His house was still pretty easily taken down by the wolf. This is like drinking sugary, caffeinated drinks like Starbucks and eating greasy hamburgers and hotdogs with a few veggies on the side. Your body will still not be able to stand up to the work you put it through. You will be tired, sluggish and you won’t play too well.

Now the third pig, he had one heck of a strong house. It was made of brick and iron. Nothing could take it down and it was always ready for the next challenge. This is what your body feels like when you eat lots of vegetables, fruits, lean meats like chicken (no chicken strips!!), fish, low fat dairy like yogurt and chocolate milk.

            These are just a few, but here are good food choices:

The key to making good choices is keeping added sugar out and eating foods that are minimally processed. Do not eat food that is deep fried with batter, drenched in butter, no fast food and ice cream only once per week. Parents, you are the ones buying the food. Buy and prepare quality meals with whole foods. Your child’s body will thank you.