Diet & Nutrition for Basketball Players & Athletes

First a disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or food expert (I just play one on YouTube). The world we live in now is full of information; any technical questions on eating/diet/nutrition can be answered through a simple Google search. I am not responsible for your diet or the choices you make when you sit down to eat. If you “don’t know” something, look it up.

Now back to the program.

I started out eating recklessly — like the first video (with the trees in the background).

And, with new information, I have made changes over time, and there will be more:

The change was due to new information. Below are many links I have gathered which discuss the principles I addressed in the video about my eating habits and changes.

This page will be updated with new information as it becomes known to me, so check in from time to time. If you are an nutritionist or have some expertise/knowledge in this field, feel free to contact me or leave a comment that can help inform me and other readers on these topics — the information out there can be quite overwhelming.

What I Eat Daily – Meal Delivery Options (see below for where I order from now)

Where I Order My Meals From

• FreshMealPlans (Current as of January 2015)
• CateredFit (February 2014- December 2014)
• Primal Organic (I stopped ordering form Primal because they were too expensive and didn’t offer as many meal options as CateredFit. But if the Primal plans work for you, I 100% co-sign the greatness of the food!)

Meat Video – This video shows harsh realities of the meat industry and how animals are treated. Granted, the video is made by people who are against the consumption of meat, thusly it is as graphic and horrific as they could possibly make it. But these things do happen, as I have seen similar practices in other documentaries (Food, Inc is one that comes to mind). Most of the US food industry gets their food from factories similar to what you see in this video; if you shop at a local grocery store and buy the “basic”, cheapest meat (or you eat at national chain restaurants at all), this is where your meat is coming from. This is a fact that has been accepted.

WARNING: This video is not for the faint of heart, eyes, emotions, or stomach. View at your own risk (and probably not before you eat bacon or sausage).

Egg Industry Grinds Millions Of Baby Chicks Alive

Aside from these links, here are a few websites I refer to regularly for food information when it comes to “Clean Eating” (they cover things from recipes to pre- and post-workout food to shopping lists to saving money when changing your eating lifestyle and everything in between)

• HeandSheEatClean.com Has everything coming from the perspective of a clean-eating couple and the complete lifestyle that comes with it, including simple meal recipes.
• Whole Foods Healthy Eating We all know about Whole Foods, and they use their website to share lots of info in cooking and preparing all the stuff you can find in their stores.
• BodyBuilding.com Food and Recipes For serious athletes, BodyBuilding always delivers new useful food ideas, recipes and tips. The forum leverages all the users who are all too happy to share what they know with the community.
• Meatless Miami For SoFla residents, a perfect site that lists the best places to eat all over town, along with pros and cons of your choices.

“Clean” Eating:

• Clean Eating Basics For Athletes: http://www.befitfrisco.com/2012/02/clean-eating-basics/
• What “Eating Clean” Really Means: http://nataliejillfitness.com/eating-clean/
• Sample Clean Foods List — Carbs, Fats & Proteins: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=130328293&page=1
• Clean Eating Vs. Paleo Diet: http://transformationtrainer.com/2013/03/paleo-vs-clean-eating/

Proteins:

• Getting Your Necessary Protein Without Meat: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=158

Carbohydrates (“Carbs”; Energy Food):

• Energy Food — Simple Vs. Complex Carbs: http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/carbs/simple-vs-complex-carbohydrates.html#b

Fats (You need these — just the right types):

• Healthy Fats: http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm
• Fat As Energy for Exercise: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/Fat.htm

Sugars:

• Why Added Sugar is Bad For You: http://nomoreaddedsugar.com/why-is-added-sugar-bad/
• Dangers of Refined Sugar: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/sugar-problem/refined-sugar-the-sweetest-poison-of-all
• Quitting Processed Sugar Tips: http://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/02/09/tips-on-quitting-processed-sugar/
• How Processed Sugars Are Hidden in Foods: http://www.blackweightlosssuccess.com/hidden-sugars-the-many-names-of-processed-sugar/#.UrZ5v5H2jR0
• Kicking The Sugar Addiction: http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction
• How To Detox From Sugar: http://drhyman.com/blog/2014/03/06/top-10-big-ideas-detox-sugar/
• How Much Sugar Should We Eat Per Day?: http://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sugar-per-day/
• 21-Day Sugar Detox, Fully Explained (With Foods to Eat and Avoid During the Detox): http://www.rosecole.com/handouts/21DaySugarDetox.pdf
• Three-Day Sugar Detox: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2392930/The-Three-Day-Sugar-Detox-How-banish-sweet-stuff-life-look-younger-AND-lose-weight.html
• Breaking Your Sugar Addiction: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1663

For Athletes:

• Diet And Athletic Performance: http://www.cabrillo.edu/~pkaplan/misc/dietandathleticperformance.html
• Post-Workout Eating: http://www.runtothefinish.com/2012/08/clean-eating-for-endurance-athletes.html
• Pre- and Post-Workout Eating Guidelines: http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/best-things-to-eat-before-and-after-a-workout/
• Supplement – MSM: http://www.naturesalternatives.com/lc/lcmsmfaq.html [#2: http://www.arthritis-msm-supplements.com/newsletter%20archives/msm_for_athletes.htm] Where To Get It (Must Call): http://capothecary.com
• Q&A w Dwight Howard (Who removed all sugars from his diet): http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken-berger/24370760/nutrition-in-the-nba-part-i-dwight-howard-qa
• LA Lakers Change Their Entire Food Program: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken-berger/24370416
• NBA Players On Paleo Diet: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken-berger/24373097/nutrition-in-the-nba-part-ii-paleo-diet-taking-hold-for-variety-of-reasons

Paleo Diet (My diet from Fall 2013 – January 2015):

• 6 Easy Steps to Paleo [BEST Paleo post I have read to date]: http://www.crossfit816.com/6-easy-steps-to-paleo
• Tim Ferriss Robb Wolf & on Gluten and the Paleo Diet’s benefits: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/
  
• Paelo Beginner’s Guide: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/
• Paleo Diet 101: http://paleomagonline.com/paleo-diet/
• Paleo Diet Comprehensive Food List: http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-diet-food-list/
• Protein Powders on Paleo Diet: http://robbwolf.com/2012/05/03/wheying-in-protein-powders-paleo/
• 21-Day Primal Challenge (via Mark’s Daily Apple — basic breakdown of Mark’s interpretation of how anyone can get started on Paleo. Includes food, activities, exercise tips and more): http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-blueprint-21-day-challenge/#axzz2y2VQPAti

Vegan Eating

• Why Go Vegan? http://www.vegansociety.com/try-vegan/why-go-vegan
• 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-frazier/vegan-diet_b_3996646.html
• Top 10 Reasons To Go Vegan: http://www.peta.org/living/food/top-10-reasons-go-vegan-new-year/

Raw Vs. Vegetarian Vs. Vegan Vs. Paleo:

• The debate amongst experts in each field, all in one piece: http://experiencelife.com/article/paleo-vs-vegan/
• What’s The Best And Why? http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/whats-the-best-diet-raw-vegan-vegetarian-or-paleo

Food In General

• 100 Super Foods For A Super You: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=307
• Portable Snacking Tips: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=137
• Shopping Cart Essentials: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1001
• Where Cheese REALLY Comes From: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianfaqs/qt/Is-Cheese-Vegetarian.htm
• Vegan Cheese Vs. Vegetarian Cheese: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue3/vegan_cheese.htm

Body Care

• 6 Reasons Why You Should Get A Colonic: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5407/6-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Get-a-Colonic.html
• Colonics: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/robynne-k-chutkan-md-fasge/colonics-good-bad-and-ugly