Commercial sports candies are nothing but pure sugar. If you prefer an “all natural” alternative, think about dates. Yes, those bite-sized brown fruits that appear in holiday date-nut breads are actually great fuel for during endurance exercise! During hikes, winter snowshoe treks, bike rides, and even long runs, snacking on dates provides a highly nutritious source of carbs for fuel, while providing your body with wholesome goodness. Dates are a very rich source of anti-oxidants and bioactive compounds that help fight inflammation. They also offer potassium, calcium, magnesium, and many other vitmains and minerals.

If you choose Medjool dates (a specific variety of dates), they have a creamy texture that is not too dry. The moistness can translate into“sticky fingers”; to avoid that inconvenience, simply shake some raw oatmeal (or blenderized oats, made into oat flour) into the baggie in which you carry the dates. Solves the problem!

In general, when choosing fruits, you want to think about eating a variety of colors. (You know, red apples, blue berries, orange oranges, etc.) Each color offers different bioactive compounds. Dates fulfill the “brown” color. Give ‘em a try! Diced dates are yummy on cereal, in salads, as a part of trail mix, and combined with peanut butter for pop-in-your-mouth bliss.

Disclosure: I recently attended a yummy dinner sponsored by Medjool Date growers. (www.medjooldates.com).They didn’t have to work hard to convince me these are great sports foods. I’d just made some date-nut bread earlier that day!

Fuel wisely and feel great,

Nancy

Are you struggling to find a helpful gift for your active friends? Here are a few suggestions (admittedly self-serving)!

For your friends who like to bicycle:
     Cyclist's Food Guide: Fueling for the distance (hot off the press!)

For new runners:
    Food Guide for New Runners: Getting it right from the start

For novice and experienced marathoners:
     Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for everyday champions

For soccer parents and players:
     Food Guide for Soccer: Tips and recipes from the pros

For anyone who loves nutrition books:
     Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

For hungry athletes who need quick and easy recipes:
     For iPhone recipe app: Recipes for Athletes

If you are a health educator and want to yourself a present, consider these ready-made teaching tools. There’s no need to re-invent the wheel!
Ready-made PowerPoint Presentations (with script)
            SportsNutrition for Student Athletes NEW!
            EngineeredSports Foods
            SportsNutrition: Fueling for Performance
            Dieting,Weight & Exercise: Finding the Right Balance

Ready-made sports nutrition handouts - set of 16 popular topics for activepeople

For CEUs for ADA, ACE, ACSM, NATA, NSCA, CHES:
     Online Sports Nutrition Workshop --or take a trip to LA, San Fran, or  Phoenix for the live workshop
     For RDs: 25 homestudy credits for Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Please see my website for more information and to place your order:

www.nancyclarkrd.com

With best wishes for a happy holiday season, a healthy 2012--and many thanks for your support of winning with good nutrition,

Nancy