Many people tout the health benefits of adding
freshly squeezed juice to our diets, but with all the conflicting information out there it can be hard to know what is true and what is not. When talking about adding fresh squeezed juice (fruit or vegetable), we are referring to the fresh juice that you can easily make at home if you have the right equipment.
Juicing gets rid of the toxins in your body
Myth - Drinking juice can't flush pesticides or other toxins out of your body. As a matter of fact, your body does a fantastic job of "
detoxing" on its own through your liver, kidneys, lymph glands, colon, lungs and skin.
Drinking fresh juice helps to keep you hydrated
Truth - Drinking a cup of juice before or after your workout will
hydrate your body and also give you the carbohydrates you need to keep your energy up. Be aware that fruit juice can provide a lot of calories, so try not to over do it.
It speeds up the recovery process
Truth - Studies have shown that certain juices can be beneficial to the
recovery
process, such as pomegranate and tart cherry. These two types of
juices tend to be more easily obtained in a store, however, if you decide to
buy any of these juices, avoid buying juice with added sugar.
It gives your digestive tract a break
Myth - In fact, your stomach, intestines, and colon are muscles that need to be used in order for them to work properly. If left for too long on a juice only diet, your
digestive tract may actually slow down.
It increases athletic performance
Truth - Once again, studies have shown that certain juices improve performance. Currently, there is information that states that
beet juice can have a positive affect on performance. It's not clear how it works, but researchers suspect that it's due to the large amounts of nitrates in beets. The nitrates turn into nitric oxide in the body, which reduces the amount of oxygen required to perform exercise.
It's full of nutrients
Truth - When you squeeze fresh produce, fruit or vegetables a large amount of
nutrients are transferred to the juice. Dark leafy greens, berries, oranges and carrots are the high performers.
It's good for weight loss
Myth and Truth - If you drink only juice for days, assuming you stick to the low sugar juices you will
lose weight. Juice fast diets are not a healthy way or sustainable way to lose weight since it affects many aspects of your body, including your ability to recover from intense training and can negatively affect your immune system.
Overall, juicing is probably not any healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables since there is no solid scientific evidence that proves otherwise. However, if you have trouble getting the required amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, it can be a good way to incorporate it into your lifestyle.
References from the SIRC Collection:
1. Bhardwaj R, Pandey S. Juice Blends-A Way of Utilization of Under-Utilized Fruits, Vegetables, and Spices: A Review. Critical Reviews In Food Science & Nutrition. July 2011;51(6):563-570.
2. Hamitton A. Beat a PB with beetroot juice. Cycling Weekly. February 9, 2012;:37.
3. Kordich J. The Joys of Juicing: Fresh juice is a quick, delicious way to
consume nutritious fruits and vegetables raw and in quantity. Yoga Journal. August 1993;(111):18.
4. Marsh T, Cullen K, Baranowski T. Validation of a Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Availability Questionnaire. Journal Of Nutrition Education & Behavior. March 2003;35(2):93.
5. On the Beetroot Juice. Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness. October 2010;71(10):32.
6. Perry M. can juice really make you healthier?. Shape. June 2008;27(10):166-172.
7. Spalding L. the big squeeze. Yoga Journal. August 2010;(230):35-38.
SIRC Newsletter now available online: Staying Active over the Holidays
The coaching profession is constantly changing and coaches at every level need to know more than just the basics to ensure success in the field. This is why education and further professional development such as conferences, workshops, and mentoring are vital to a coaches career path. Coaching should be a profession where the opportunity for continuous learning should never be passed up.
It is well known that regular exercise is excellent for your heart, health and well-being. There is also plenty of evidence that proves that regular
exercise is essential in warding off various health-related issues; what's not as well known is that people who perform non-weight bearing exercises such as cycling or swimming
as their sole method of exercise could be putting themselves at risk for osteoporosis.
SIRC Newsletter now available online: Sports and your Smile
Cross training, whether it's done as whole other sport or alternate activity can be a fantastic mental and physical break from your regular training. Splitting up your daily routine with weight-lifting, spinning or swimming for example, gives you a whole new set of skills to focus on and inserts you into a fresh atmosphere with a different group of people.
Athletes should be able to get the required amount of protein for their
needs by talking to a registered dietitian and altering their diets to match
their training. Some good examples of protein to add to your diet are: milk, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, assorted beans, peas lentils and grains. 
Omega 3's - For those Canadians that suffer from Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD), nutrition experts recommend introducing Omega-3 fats in your diet since these have been shown to relieve symptoms of mild depression. Salmon, walnuts and flax seeds are all good sources of Omega-3 fats.
Nerves that get stuck and irritated by swollen muscles or ligaments can be a torment to athletes. The ultimate goal for any athlete experiencing the pain of a pinched nerve is to alleviate any pain or discomfort you are feeling, all while
working within your boundaries and keeping up a comfortable range of
motion. As an athlete it's important to know what to look for so you'll have a better chance of getting the proper treatment.
Common nerve injuries for athletes are Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, Morton's Neuroma, and Piriformis Syndrome. Depending on the severity, a pinched nerve can be treated a number of ways, such as supportive braces, anti-inflammatory drugs, injection therapy, massage, chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy and sometimes surgery.
Any periodization training plan requires at least some measurement of work - daily, weekly or monthly. The challenge occurs when we try to balance work and recovery in the short, medium, and long term. One way to determine how hard your body is working is to measure your rate of perceived exertion or RPE. Simply put, RPE is our perception of how hard we're working based on how we feel. 
Periodization training is the division of a training year(s) into a cycle of of several phases, each phase devoted to different training methods and objectives. In it's most general form, a periodized training program will span 6 months to one year with the exception of Olympic athletes who plan for four years. Each phase is divided up over the designated time period with each phase devoted to one aspect of training.
Transition Phase
Children are encouraged to participate in sport because physical
activity and play can be a great outlet to help the body get out excess
energy and release endorphins. Children will test, explore their environment, and act impulsively sometimes but as a coach it's important to be able to recognize when there is a problem more significant than normal development.
With an abundance of fun tech available, more of us are using a variety of tools to enhance our workouts. Measuring your heart rate can be useful and is something that a lot of people are incorporating into their training. That being said, many of us rely on our gadgets to provide us with this information but do we really know how to utilize it?
Many people tout the health benefits of adding freshly squeezed juice to our diets, but with all the conflicting information out there it can be hard to know what is true and what is not. When talking about adding fresh squeezed juice (fruit or vegetable), we are referring to the fresh juice that you can easily make at home if you have the right equipment. 
Truth - When you squeeze fresh produce, fruit or vegetables a large amount of nutrients are transferred to the juice. Dark leafy greens, berries, oranges and carrots are the high performers.
When playing sports, warming up is a must and with
kids there's an entirely different approach to coaching them through warm up drills. The value of a warm up created for children is that it raises the body temperature and heart rate, prepares the muscles and joints for activity, and helps to prevent injury. However, most people aren't aware that proper warm up also sets the mood and pace for the activity that is to follow. Part of a coach's job is to capture the children's attention and to get them excited to move around.
SIRC Newsletter now available online: Sleep
Fatigue seems simple: your body has reached its limit, you're tired. The current understanding is that we feel exhausted because of physical factors. Not enough oxygen and fuel to the muscles and decreased blood flow to the brain means that your muscles are no longer able to generate power no matter how hard you try. While this is true, it may not be the only factor in feeling fatigued.
Icing an injury is one of the oldest and best known injury treatment strategies, yet there is often confusion among athletes and coaches as to what injuries they should ice, how often and for how long. Based on current research there are no definite answers to these questions however here are some basic guidelines you can follow:
Breathing is intuitive so most people probably feel it doesn't require special training to get it right. However, it's easy to form bad habits as a result of poor posture, movement patterns and even stress. For athletes, these bad habits can affect the nervous system, contribute to muscle fatigue, and decrease performance, so it's worth taking the time to learn some breathing techniques.
To learn optimal breathing techniques, getting the position of your ribcage right is key. A neutral posture, the happy middle between slouching and having your chest pushed forward, gives your diaphragm the most room to contract. Good breathing posture develops pressure from the within the abdomen that stabilizes your core, and transfers power between your upper and lower body giving you the ability to move more efficiently.
