The Best Fruits And Vegetables For Baseball Pitchers

You already know the importance of eating a healthy diet. For me, fruits and veggies are a favorite and can provide many of the essential vitamins and minerals you need to perform your best on the mound. Here's the nutritional value of produce and their corresponding seasons.

April

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Salad greens (radicchio, mache)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Richly colored, nonwilted leaves

REAP THE BENEFITS: A two-cup serving supplies more than 400 percent of for vitamin A, 100 percent of folate, and a wealth of minerals, such as magnesium and potassium.

May

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Strawberries

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Deep-red fruit, without mushy or spoiled spots; smaller are often sweeter

REAP THE BENEFITS: One cup fulfills your daily vitamin C needs and contains the cancer-fighters ellagic acid and anthocyanins.

June

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Apricots

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Rich orange-colored fruit that is slightly soft, indicating tree-ripened

REAP THE BENEFITS: Three apricots pack more than half of the DV for vitamin A, 15 percent of fiber, and tons of potassium.

July

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: White corn

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Green husks; partially peel and look for plump kernels

REAP THE BENEFITS: One ear boasts loads of the B vitamins, such as thiamin, vital for metabolism.

August

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Blueberries

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Even blue color; plump but not soft in appearance

REAP THE BENEFITS: One cup supplies a hefty dose of fiber, 30 percent of DV of vitamin C, and anthocyanidins, a group of antioxidants.

September

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Honeydew melon

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Sweet smell and smooth skin, free of cuts or overly soft areas

REAP THE BENEFITS: 90 percent water, which aids hydration, plus loads of potassium, vitamin C, and carotenes.

October

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Concord grapes (or other deep-red or purple grapes)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Plump, evenly colored grapes; avoid bunches with wrinkled tops and loose stem connections

REAP THE BENEFITS: Full of potassium and polyphenols, which help minimize LDL, or "bad," cholesterol.

November

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Red cabbage

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Tight head that feels heavy

REAP THE BENEFITS: One cup raw supplies 25 percent DV of vitamin C and potassium, in less than 20 calories.

December

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Sweet potato

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Firm, without cuts or deep blemishes

REAP THE BENEFITS: Contains more potassium than a banana and a hefty dose of the cancer-fighter beta carotene.

Did You Know? Proper Hydration Can Give You An Edge

Here's a simple formula for hydration from a lecture in which Robert Lang, a notable nutritionist, says he believes that a baseball pitcher even 1% dehydrated could very likely see his performance suffer.

The following guidelines can help prevent even the slightest case of dehydration:

* The optimal amount of water to drink is 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day.
* Other fluids, such as "sports drinks" and flavored water or sodas don't count.
* The body is in a dehydrated state every morning.
* 25% of your total water consumption should take place first thing in the morning.
* The remaining water should be consumed between meals.
* Room temperature water is absorbed easily and quickly compared to ice cold water.
* Drinking a lot of water during meals is a bad idea as it dilutes enzymes that help digest foods.

Why Baseball Pitchers Need To Eat Breakfast

Continuing on our theme of preparing a pitcher for competition, following a sufficient night's sleep a pitcher needs to "fuel his fastball" by eating a healthy breakfast. The following bullets are from a number of sources, including Lifespan hospitals, Robert Yang and Dr. Tom House:

* Breakfast restores sugar levels after up to 12 hours of not eating.

* It is extremely difficult to get all of your necessary daily nutrients without breakfast.

* People who skip breakfast are less mentally and physically efficient for longer periods during the day.

* People who eat breakfast are more successful at losing weight and sticking to a diet.

* Athletes who skip breakfast train less effectively.

* Eating breakfast can raise metabolism by as much as 10 percent.

* People who eat breakfast regularly are more likely to rate their health as "excellent" or "good."

* Eating breakfast has been shown to increase concentration.

* Eating a bigger meal in the morning and a smaller meal at night optimizes your daily energy levels.

* When on the go or headed to practice, a food bar with 40/30/30 (carbs, protein, fat) is a smart, balanced choice.

So what, exactly, goes into building a balanced breakfast? For starters, breakfast should provide at least one quarter of the calories you need for the entire day. Most nutritionists agree that a good breakfast contains the following ingredients: at least one serving of fiber, at least one fruit and/or vegetable, milk or another source of calcium, and protein, i.e., from meat, cheese or egg.

3 Nutrition Tips To Help Baseball Pitchers To Recover Faster From Workouts

To help your body recover from the stress of your baseball workouts, you should try to consume calories within 30 minutes of the end of your training session. It will help you trigger your body out of a state of breakdown and into a state of recovery.

When I was pitching in the Chicago Cubs organization, my post-workout meal consisted of 20 to 30 grams of protein and 40 to 90 grams of carbohydrates. We were taught to shoot for a ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 carbs to protein.

1. Shakes were my favorite because they contain protein that your body can easily digest

2. Chocolate milk is also a great, cheap option because it's got the sugar (carbs) and protein you need at a fraction of the cost of shakes

3. Any meal that balances 4 ounces of protein with a large helping of carbohydrates is good, be creative!

Simple Hydration Strategies For Baseball Pitchers

There's nothing better than pitching when it's hot! You warm up quicker. You stay loose longer. And you throw harder. Even more, when it's hot and humid, the breaking balls and off-speed pitches often work better (air is thicker, which affects the rotation of the baseball). But there is a downside to pitching when it's hot - dehydration. And many times pitchers get dehydrated without even knowing it, which can be detrimental - especially if you're a starting pitcher and looking to pitch deep into a game.

Here are some simple strategies you can implement to take full advantage of pitching on warm days without sacrificing performance.

First, determine fluid loss during baseball practices and games by weighing before exercise begins and again after exercise has finished. This gives a good estimate of how much fluid is lost during physical activity, and lets you know how much fluid you need to replace!

Next, monitor urine output. See your pee. Really! The goal is light in color and a large volume,
especially in the first void of the day.

Finally, drink enough fluid. The guidelines are as follows: Weight ( pounds) x 0.67 = number of ounces of fluid required daily.

Guidelines for fluid intake:

2 cups of fluid 2 hours before a game or practice
6-8 ounces of fluid every 15-20 minutes during games or practices
24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during practices or games

Best fluid choices for baseball pitchers:

BEFORE: Water or sports drink

DURING: Water, sports drink

AFTER: Sports drink, water

Other considerations:

Juices may cause stomach upset during exercise. Carbonated beverages can cause bloating, and can cause fullness before fluid needs are met. Caffeine-containing beverages may have a slight diuretic, or fluid-losing effect. Alcohol can affect reaction time and is also a diuretic, causing valuable fluid loss. In addition, alcohol after exercise, before the body is optimally refueled will delay the body’s recovery from activity and may decrease performance!

Stay hydrated. Be successful. Plain and simple.

Pitchers: Why you shouldn't skip breakfast

What did you eat for breakfast this morning? Did you have breakfast? A bowl of cereal? An English muffin? Oatmeal?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, particularly for pitchers. If you didn't eat breakfast this morning or if you routinely skip out on eating first thing in the morning, I hope I can get you to change your habit.

Breakfast quite literally means "break" the "fast." By the time you get up in the morning, your body hasn't consumed any calories (energy) for eight hours or more. Breakfast replenishes the body's energy system with the nutrients (vitamins and minerals), fluids, carbohydrates, protein (amino acids), and fat (essential fatty acids) it needs to rev up for the long day ahead.

What to eat? Aim for a mix of high, medium, and low glycemic carbohydrates. A bowl of oatmeal with skim milk, honey, raisins and/or blueberries/raspberries/bananas provides a nice mix. There's protein (about 7 grams) in the milk. Add two eggs or an English muffin with peanut butter for protein and some good fat. Drink a glass of OJ and/or water to top it off.

Sound like a big meal? It should be. Breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day because the time between the moment you go to sleep until the time you wake up is the longest your body goes without food in a 24-hour cycle.

I know you're serious about your pitching. Now get serious about your breakfast. What did you eat for breakfast today? Enter your comments below.