Nutrition is an integral part of one’s health and growth and more so for athletes. Having two young athletes living away from us has presented its share of challenges. As parents, we always want to ensure that our children’s nutrition is adequate for their age and activity levels.

To be honest, both boys have always been very disciplined and have understood the importance of a balanced diet given their lifestyles. However, we know there are way too many food choices available. Even as an adult, it’s hard to discern what’s best for our bodies, that feeling magnifies for a couple of teenagers and this is where they sometimes need our assistance.

In Johan’s case, he currently has no need (or desire) to cook as Porto takes care of that aspect of his life. Similarly, Louisville also takes excellent care of Jogo; however, Jogo loves to cook frequently (more so recently). As you can see from his hobbies, he finds cooking therapeutic as well fulfilling…and this is where we (mom) come in.

See, when they both lived in Frisco (about an hour away from us), their nutrition was easy to manage (and even influence). Mom would cook additional portions that they would in turn freeze, transport to their home and eat at will. During the weekends, the boys would come home and we would just all eat together (all smiles).

Nowadays, we leverage technology to increase Jogo’s nutritional IQ. We not only help him with cooking but also with shopping. I must say, it works extremely well. The videos also serve a secondary purpose as they help us practice my native language. Warning, the video below is in Spanish.

Remember that carbohydrates are an athlete’s main fuel. Their body changes them to glucose -a form of sugar- and stores them in their muscles as glycogen. A diet rich in carbs is important. In the future, we will be adding more videos about other support methods (ex. grocery shopping) and hints to help young athletes and their families with managing/influencing nutrition remotely. As with anything you do in life, do it with a passion.

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also

In other news, the chums have been doing really well and continue to increase their follower base. This week’s guest was NFL’s Hunter Rentfrow. Give them a listen when you can and susbscribe to their YouTube channel or Spotify. Enjoy