I am sure that we have all made a stop at the turn for a quick hot dog and coke, thinking that it will give us the energy we need to finish off our round. Does it surprise you when, 4 holes later, you are not feeling so sharp and your game starts to suffer? Do you think that you could avoid this situation by making some wiser nutrition decisions? YES!

Tiger Woods made the following comment on his diet: ” My energy level and stamina are the highest since I was a kid. I attribute it to watching what and when I eat”(17). If a good diet is important enough for Tiger, then it is probably important enough for the rest of us too.

Proper Diet ? Boring Food

Proper nutrition is critical to not only your performance on the course, but also your general health. Most people assume that eating correctly involves giving up everything you love and instead living on a diet of bland foods. While eating correctly is very important in improving your golf game and losing weight, it is perhaps even more important to remember that you do have to indulge a little bit from time to time or else risk going crazy.

Instead of giving up everything you love, just cut down on the amount of a particular “bad” food you consume. My Achilles Heel is Mountain Dew. Although it is definitely not good for me, I allow myself to have it every once in a while. By treating yourself occasionally, you help to avoid the cravings that can sneak up on you if you were to ignore altogether the foods you like. Moderation is the key.

Success is Doing a Few Small Things Right

You must remember that often times you do not have to do everything right to achieve your goals. Success in anything is usually determined by doing just a few small things correctly. A perfect example of something you can do to instantly improve your health and energy levels is drink 10 glasses of water a day. It is so simple, yet most people don’t do it.

Implementing a dietary change is a major lifestyle change. As such, you stand the best chance of staying with your new nutrition program by slowly introducing new, healthier foods to replace your old, unhealthy foods. By doing this, you gradually become accustomed to being aware of what you are putting in your body and don’t miss your old “bad” foods as much. You will also realize that your body will being to crave the nutrients that it requires for optimal functioning. Amazingly, you will find that you will have more energy, feel better, lose weight and play much better golf.

The Pure Power Program will provide you with general nutritional advice that will help you implement a new dietary lifestyle. You will learn the basics of “working” a grocery store and selecting the proper foods. We will show you how to read a nutritional label and different ingredients you should watch out for. You will also learn how different foods can affect your blood sugar levels and how high or low blood sugar levels can affect how you feel. We want you to be given the best nutritional information so that you can make the best food selections.

Chapter 8-Nutrition Summary:

• Your food choices serve as the fuel for your engine. You must feed your body correctly in order to realize your full potential on the course. Your performance depends on your food selections.
  
• Proper nutrition on the course will help tremendously in maintaining physical stamina and mental focus as the round goes on, both of which are critical for playing your best golf.
  
• The Pure Power Program will give you advice on how to eat for your round, showing you what foods are optimum for performance and also convenient to carry. We will go into detail on nutritional strategies you can use pre, intra and post workout to ensure maximum benefit and recovery from your workouts. We will also point out food selections that can help control pain/inflammation and which foods can cause the inflammation responsible for painful joints and tight, sore muscles.