Archive for April, 2011
Gatorade Sports Moms Twitter Trivia Contest
Posted by: | CommentsGatorade recently launched its new resource site for Moms (Dads could learn something, too) who are raising athletes. The primary focus of the site is to educate us on everything from nutrition to keeping a balance to injury prevention and beyond.
On Monday, May 2nd I will be visiting Gatorade headquarters in Chicago with other Sports Moms to learn even more about the science behind Gatorade, and to hear from Gatorade scientists and sport nutritionists about how nutrition and fuel help our young athletes’ performance. If you have any questions for the scientists regarding Gatorade and sports nutrition, leave me a comment below and I’ll see if I can get it answered.
We will be taking in a lot of great information I will definitely be sharing what I learn with you in the weeks to come. However, I will be using Twitter to share some insights and will be hosting Twitter Gatorade trivia contest throughout the day, too! I will have four Gatorade Sports Mom Survival Packs to use as contest prizes for the first Twitter follower who correctly answers each of my Gatorade trivia questions.
Here are the details of the Twitter event:
What: Gatorade Twitter Trivia Contest with Gatorade Sports Moms
When: Monday, May 2 between 9 am and 3 pm Central Time
Who: Everyone is welcome and the even will be hosted by me @SportsGirlsPlay
Hashtag: Use the hashtag #SportsMoms to mark your answers
Prizes: Winners will receive a Gatorade Sports Mom Survival Pack, which includes:
- Gatorade dri-fit shirt (women’s cut)
- Gatorade water bottle
- Gatorade towel
- Gatorade drawstring bag
- 18.4 oz of Gatorade 02 Powder (makes 4 qt of Gatorade)
Don’t miss out on the Twitter party or other upcoming events on SportsGirlsPlay! Follow me on Twitter now – @SportsGirlsPlay and don’t forget to like the SportsGirlsPlay Facebook page, too.
Twitter bird courtesy of Link Creative
How Much Fiber Does Your Athlete Need?
Posted by: | CommentsGiving your kids the right nutrition is tricky enough, but when they are bodies in constant motion – also known as athletes – not only is it tricky, but it is really important, too!
I recently wrote a piece on Kids and Fiber for the Kellogg’s Snackpicks website based on some really interesting information I found on the Kellogg’s Nutrition website.
Fiber is important in your child’s diet because it helps to keep the digestive system healthy so it can absorb nutrients and turn food into energy, prevent constipation, and maintaining a healthy population of gastrointestinal bacteria. All of these are essential for athletes!
And it’s easy to determine how much fiber your athlete needs – simply take your child’s age plus 5 grams of fiber each day. So if you have a 12-year old, she needs 17 grams of fiber each day.
Getting the fiber into your athlete’s diet takes a little planning, but like everything else in their athletic schedules, it quickly becomes routine! Head on over to the Snackpicks article on Kids and Fiber to get some simple ideas from this busy Mom (that would be me) on how to incorporate more fiber into your athlete’s diet.
Its Never Too Late To Challenge Yourself
Posted by: | CommentsThis post is for all the sports moms out there that may have some how, some way managed to lose their own sports path and goals because they are so focused on helping their children achieve their goals and dreams!
I was an active kid and did a variety of sports. I ran cross country in high school and in college I did 5K, 8K and 10 mile races with friends for fun. And then something happened. I got married and started my own family, juggling the demands of running a busy house and running my own business. And somewhere in all of that craziness I forgot about me. I forgot that I love to play, compete and challenge myself.
As I entered my forties I decided it was time to find the athlete in me again! I took up golf and last year I set about learning how to run again. I made it my goal to run a 5K race this year – no matter how slow. And guess what I did?
Last weekend I completed my first 5K in twenty – count them – twenty, years! It was so much fun! We hung out with the Easter Bunny before the race and it was great to see Moms, Dads, teens, kids and little ones in strollers all out there to run together. I ran the race with a good friend – who like me, decided it was high time to find her inner athlete again. We didn’t care if were last (which we weren’t), we just wanted to run the whole thing. We finished the 3.1 miles in 40 minutes. Not lightning speed by any measure, but we accomplished our goal and that was the best part.
And as an added bonus, I think I have now got my 14 year old son hooked!! He ran the 5K race too – it was his first one and he finished it in a blazing (compared to us) 23 minutes. Not too shabby for the first one! When I asked him how it went at the end, he simply asked, “When can we do that again?” COOL!! So, I think we are going to run another race in June.
I know its hard to carve out time for you when you are shuttling kids back and forth to practice, going to competitions, and still trying to keep the household moving, but you have to do it. Be creative. Make the time and give yourself a challenge. The rewards are HUGE! Not only will you feel amazing, you set the most important example for your kids that you possibly can!
So, what’s your challenge and how are you going to go about achieving it?
