FoodBozo.com

You probably think the typical Olympic athlete’s big nutritional concern is eating enough to make it through the day’s workout(s). That’s certainly true for some. Cross-country skiers, particularly women, have a difficult time consuming the 4,000 or 5,000 calories they may need to replace what they’re burning off, says Susie Parker-Simmons, a sports dietitian with the United States Olympic Committee.

But then there’s the poor Olympic ski jumper.

The full article is Winter Olympic Nutrition Plan.

In 776 BC, Coroebus of Elis, a baker, won the stadion (now known as the sprint), making him the first medalist on record at the world’s very first Olympiad in Greece. Makes perfect sense. A baker with easy access to carb-filled foods is bound to outrun, let’s say, a bricklayer or a sandal maker, right?

There is no question: Diet plays an active role at the Games. Food fuels the body, and each athlete demands a particular kind of sustenance. For instance, a 250-pound bobsledder requires proteins like steak to compete, while an endurance athlete like a cross-country skier needs carbs to go the distance.

To aid the more than 2,000 competitors in their quest for the gold, the folks behind the 2010 Vancouver Olympics spent years researching and planning the grub for the Games. What goes into the prep for these hungry athletes? We got the skinny from Nejat Sarp, VP, Services, Villages and General Manager Vancouver.

Read the interview at Gold Medal Meals: What the Olympic Athletes Eat at the Vancouver Winter Games.

By Real Age

What is the secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones – serotonin and melatonin - flowing. Yawning yet?

Bananas. They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect – it’s the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.

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