Top Six Food Options For the Diabetic Athlete

Diabetic Athlete:

Top Six Food Options

By Keith Payne

For Diabetic athletes, nutrition should be a “huge” priority considering the constant battle you face to keep blood sugar in a normal range. Here are some great food options to incorporate into your diet. The following foods have a low glycemic index rating, are loaded with vitamins and provide needed fiber. Keep in mind these foods should be included in your daily diet in sensible portions.

 

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Spinach and Kale as well as many other dark green leafy vegetables are superfoods that are packed with vitamins and fiber. These vegetables are so low in carbohydrates you can eat virtually as much as you want.

Fish

Baked Salmon is a great choice because it is high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids as well as protein. 

Beans

Beans (pinto, navy, kidney, black beans) are great sources of protein. They are high in fiber and contain high amounts of magnesium and potassium.

Sweet Potatoes

Packed full of vitamin A and fiber, sweet potatoes have a lower GI than the starchy white potato.

Fruit

Berries (strawberries, blueberries) and citric fruit (grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes) are loaded with antioxidants and fiber. They are also great sources of vitamin C.

Nuts

A handful of nuts can help you manage hunger and at the same time provide healthy fats and vitamins such as magnesium.

 

Whole grains and low fat milk products can be good foods for the diabetic as well. Word of caution: many people are allergic to some grains and milk products and don’t realize it.

While we are on the subject of food, if you are using any dietary supplements I would advise you to READ THE LABEL. Pay particular attention to the carbohydrate/sugar content. Many pre workout and protein drinks are loaded with sugar! Choose the low sugar supplements.

Keith Payne CSN, CPT, YFS

Functional Strength Systems

Supportive Gear Is Not For Novice Lifters

Powerlifting 101: 
Supportive Gear Is Not For Novice Lifters
Unfortunately, over the years I have seen many novice powerlifters compete in bench shirts and squat suits. Many times these lifters are accompanied by “equipped” training partners or advisors who have encouraged the novice lifter to jump into supportive gear too soon. The novice lifter has not had the opportunity to gain a good raw strength base because they tend to spend an inordinate amount of time training and competing in supportive gear. It is not unusual to see these same lifters compete for years without getting noticeably stronger.
Give yourself a chance to learn how to build a good raw strength foundation and continue to improve upon it before adding the supportive gear. (especially if you are in the youth/teen divisions).
Keith Payne

Powerlifting 101: Proper Deadlift Grip

Powerlifting 101: 

PROPER DEADLIFT GRIP

Grip is a seminal factor when it comes to how much you can Deadlift. Simply put, you cannot Deadlift what you can’t hold. We all have seen a lifter pull a big weight only to watch him drop it two inches before lock out. DON’T BE THAT LIFTER!

                  

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure A   Bar is too far toward the middle of the hand.                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure B  Bar is more toward the fingers.

So, how do you grip the bar? A good grip begins with the correct placement of the bar in the hand. If the bar is held toward the middle of the hand (figure A) it will move down the hand when the weight gets heavy during the deadlift. When this happens you are likely to lose your grip more often than not. This phenomenon also causes the skin to fold which in turn causes calluses to form. It is far better to place the bar in your hands near to the fingers (figure B). All your fingers and both thumbs should be wrapped around the bar. The bar should be gripped very hard. This will actually enhance your strength according to Sir Charles Sherrington’s “Law of Irradiation”. This principle states that a muscle working hard recruits the neighboring muscle, and if they are already part of the action, it amplifies their strength.

During the Deadlift the bar tends to roll if your grip is not strong. For this reason the mixed (sometimes called alternated) grip is preferred by most competitive powerlifters. When using the mixed grip the palm of your dominate hand should be facing up with the other hand facing down. Therefore, if the bar begins to roll out of one hand it will in effect be rolling into the other hand. This usually allows the lifter to hold the bar longer.

Since this article is directed toward the novice competitive powerlifter I do not recommend an overhand grip or hook grip unless you have Olympic lifting experience. Usually beginner powerlifters do not possess the grip strength or skill to utilize these techniques.

Needless to say (but I will anyway) none of this matters if you don’t have a strong grip. We will talk about how to train your grip in the next article.

Keith Payne CPT, YFS

Functional Strength Systems

 

Powerlifting 101 articles are focused on primary fundamentals of powerlifting and are designed to help novice lifters. For more Powerlifting 101 articles visit www.functionalstrengthsystems.com

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