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This morning I came across this Bible story and it made me think of some “dad training” I took early last year. I’ll summarize it but I encourage you to go back and read it for yourself and let God speak to you.
It’s in 1 Chronicles 28 and 29 and it is the story of king David and his son Solomon. David realizes that it will be his son Solomon that will build the house of the Lord and not David himself. The king addresses all of Israel’s leaders and his son Solomon as well, and I can almost picture the assembly of important people gathered together as David commissions his son with this most important task. The plans and all the details are laid out. He describes the gold and the silver to be used for every kind of service and every article showing how all these items are of utmost importance. All of them in a house built to give God honor and praise and reverence because He is worthy of such things.
So, God really showed me that our children have a call to something just as weighty as Solomon’s call. They are called to build a house for God too! God wants us and our children to build houses and households and families that revere God and lift up the name of Jesus and bring Him honor and give Him glory. What an important task!
Sometimes it’s pretty easy to lose sight of how important it really is and so here is where our part as fathers comes in. David did a few things for Solomon in this story setting him up for success, but I wanted to point out two specifically. The king encouraged his son and he prayed for his son.
Verse 20 of chapter 28 says, And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God-my God-will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” We can encourage our children. In every situation they come against, as they grow and mature, remind them of their noble cause and that the houses and the lives and the families that they are building are not for man but for the LORD.
And in chapter 29 David ponders how inexperienced his son is and what task lies before him, and so he invites the help of the God of heavens armies, the Creator of the universe, for nothing is too hard for God! 1 Chronicles 29:19 shows the king praying for his son “”And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple for which I have made provision.” This just might be the most important thing that we can do for our children. Just like king David, we as kings of our house pray for our children. We need to do this EVERYDAY. They need it. They have a house to build.
Now, I don’t always know what to pray for so I thought I would take some advice from king David and I put this prayer together to pray for my children. You may use it if you wish or use your own, but please pray for your kids daily.
Heavenly Father, I pray that my children would know You and serve You with a loyal heart and a willing mind. That their hearts and their thoughts would be directed towards You. Your word in the bible tells us that if we seek You we will find You. I pray that my children would consider how much You love them and that You have chosen them to build a house for You. It is my prayer that they would be strong and do it. Father I pray that You would help me to convey the plans you have given me and help me to train them and teach them and prepare them for what is ahead. I need Your help LORD to encourage them. I pray that they would be strengthened with all might and that they would be of good courage. I pray that they would not experience one single ounce of fear and that they would not be dismayed. God I ask that they would perceive Your presence around them at all times and that they would remember that You will not leave them or forsake them. I pray that they would set their affection on You and that out of love for You dear LORD, they would honor You with their everything. I ask these thing in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord. AMEN.
Protein is an essential macronutrient composed of amino acids. There are nine essential amino acids that your body cannot synthesize so you must get them from the diet in order to build the proteins that your body needs. For athletes, protein is critical for recovery after workouts and muscle synthesis.
Ideally, you should consume a mix of proteins and carbs within an hour of finishing a workout to maximize recovery. What are the consequences of not getting enough protein? Fatigue, illness and injury. Studies have found that athletes who do not consume enough protein are at higher risk for injury and protein consumption can boost your immune system. This is key since immunity has been shown to be impaired up to 24 hours post workout.
The USDA recommends .8g of protein/kg of body weight, aka not very much. We are talking about 50g of protein/day if you weight 130lbs. However, the studies used to set this recommendation were done with a sedentary population. Although fat and carbohydrates are the primary fuel for exercise, some proteins get broken down too. Consequently, athletes have a higher protein requirement.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) claims that endurance runners need 1.0 to 1.6g/kg protein, up to double the needs of sedentary runners! Good sources of protein include poultry, meat, dairy, eggs, fish and soy product. However, avoid eating high-fat foods since fat can impede the absorption of amino acids. Vegetarian sources of protein, such as legumes, nuts, and whole grains, are also good sources of proteins but do not contain a complete amino acid profile (with the exception of quinoa and soy) so it is important to eat a variety (beans and rice or almond butter on whole grain toast) to get a full complement of amino acids
What is the bottom line? If you are feeling worn down, sick or find yourself constantly injured, you many need more protein. Although carbohydrates and fat should compose a majority of an athlete’s diet, you should be getting between 10-20% of your daily calories from protein to stay healthy and capitalize on performance.
Written: by Tiffany A.
Build Better Bones
As athletes, most of us know that calcium is important for bones but for many of us, that’s about where our bone mineral savvy ends. What you may not realize is blood calcium is very tightly regulated at 1% which means when dietary calcium is inadequate your body starts breaking down bone, the storage sight of calcium, to compensate. After adolescence, 1000mg/day is usually enough to maintain healthy bones, teeth, nerve function and muscle contraction but when it comes to absorption, there are a few other factors to consider for maximum efficiency.
For example, alcohol reduces calcium absorbition and inhibits the activation of vitamin D. Carbonated beverages have also been associated with reduced bones mass because of their high phosphorous content. In addition, excess sodium cause increased excretion of calcium in the urine. Some natural occurring plant toxins, like oxalic and phytic acids found in spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes and beans, can also bind to calcium so it is best not to take supplements with these foods.
You typically absorb 30% of calcium found in food. Good sources include dairy products, greens, almonds, tofu and molasses with smaller amounts occurring in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and grains. However, for athletes, especially female athletes or those unable to digest dairy, a supplement is a good idea. Nonetheless, the array of supplements is overwhelming. So what should you be looking for?
First of all, there are two major forms of calcium: carbonate and citrate. Citrate absorbs better (you can take it without food) and does not cause GI discomfort. However, the percentage is smaller so you’ll be popping about five pills a day and it’s generally more expensive. Pills should be taken with low iron meals in doses less than 500mg.
Next on the list is vitamin D which is essential for absorption. You want vitamin D3 and the RDA is 600mg. Very few foods (cod liver oil, eggs, fish) contain vitamin D so this is especially important during the winter months when the sun is too far to stimulate your skin to produce adequate levels of this vitamin.
Magnesium is also paramount for calcium storage. Apricots, bananas, avocados, whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables are all good sources of magnesium so if you’re eating whole foods, you should be set. However, if you find yourself relying on supplements to fill in your nutritional gaps, you should add this mineral to your list of things to look for in a calcium pill. Research has shown that magnesium citrate is superior to magnesium oxide and the RDA is 400mg.
Other cofactors for strong bones include boron and vitamin K but these are often found in adequate levels in the diet. In summary, while exercise is good for building up bone strength, intense training can cause increased risk of fracture and hormonal changes that decrease bone density. Since peak bone density is achieved in your early 20s, calcium is vital to maintaining optimal performance.
Written by: Tiffany A.
One exception to the myriad benefits of hard training is that inherent and all too familiar foe: inflammation. Unfortunately, the more intense the training, the greater the level of inflammation accrued which bumps up your injury susceptibility. Essentially, inflammation is the body’s reaction to stress. Your body responds to stress by making cortisol, a catabolic hormone thus breaking down muscle tissue.
Inflammation is also the pain you feel with training injuries. Culprits such as plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, and stress fractures are common injuries that will probably send you to raid the medicine cabinet for relief. However, the problem with traditional anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen is that they are linked to stomach and kidney problems so they are not recommended for long term use. So that leaves us with the question: How can we curb inflammation, improve recovery and reduce cortisol release post training in a way that is safe but equally effective?
One possibility is with bromelain. Bromelain is a pineapple extract from the stem of the pineapple fruit. Although bromelain has been used by traditional societies for hundreds of years to treat indigestion and inflammation, research is just now studying the medicinal role of this enzyme. In addition to anti-inflammatory properties, bromelain has been shown to speed the healing of wounds and bruises, decrease swelling, and alleviate pain following soft tissue injury. Bromelain can also be used to relieve sinus congestion, upset stomach and arthritis pain.
How does it work? Bromelain indirectly targets the same pathway as NSAIDs so it keeps down pain, swelling and inflammation. When taken on an empty stomach, bromelain is absorbed rapidly and remains active in the blood for hours. Since the mechanism is different, bromelain is safe for long term use because it doesn’t stimulate the acid secretion associated with GI upset and other side effects.
So why not just eat pineapple? Supplemental bromelain is more concentrated, you would need to eat copious amounts of pineapple to derive the same benefit. For sports injuries, researchers suggest 500mg 4 times per day on an empty stomach. One caveat: As with any nutritional supplement, use caution when trying a new product. Bromelain may increase the risk for bleeding so always discontinue use two weeks before surgery.
- Taussig, S.J. The mechanism of the physiological action of bromelain. Medical Hypotehses. 6.1(1980), pp. 99-104.
