Do we think about what our young curlers eat, even if it's what we feed them for snack after practice? In this episode, I speak with Melissa Kazan, a registered dietitian (RD) and sport nutritionist in Richmond Hill, ON. We have a wide-ranging conversation that includes why we shouldn't label foods as "healthy" and "unhealthy," what we should feed our kids before and after practice, and the importance of variety, tradition and taking pleasure in the food we eat. I also reveal my own nutritional "Achilles heel" as a Little Rocks coach (while getting some advice to solve it!)
Some of the topics we discuss include:
* Why it's important to know the nutritional needs of kids (2:37)
* Young athletes should be well-fuelled for practice (7:59)
* The "pee test" - How to know if you're well-hydrated or not (13:43)
* "All foods fit" - Don't label food good or bad (19:35)
* What to look for in a post-practice snack (21:40)
* Nutritional advice to new bonspiellers (28:01)
* What to consider for a bonspiel lunch menu (30:40) and why you should offer snacks as well as the meal (33:04)
* Should I feel conflicted if I use candy/chocolate as holiday treats or on-ice prizes? (36:14)
* Why we should trust kids to regulate themselves, even around a bag of Halloween candy (39:10)
* What is a Registered Dietitian (RD)? (41:10) and what is a "Nutritionist"? (43:38)
* Coach Glenn admits his nutritional "Achilles Heel" and what can he do about it (46:54)
* Take time to eat! (48:46)
* Melissa's favourite smoothie and a introduction to smoothie ingredients (51:52)
Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:
Melissa Kazan Sport Nutrition Web site
https://www.melissakazan.com/
Melissa's e-mail address: healthyme@melissakazan.com
Melissa's Instagram handle: mksportnutrition
Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling
Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at coachingkidscurling@gmail.com
The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise
By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward
Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/