Does your gymnast know their way around the kitchen? Do they know how to cook or how to prepare a balanced meal for themselves?

An athlete taking ownership of their fueling and nutrition goes beyond just knowing what choices to make (although that is a HUGE first step in the right direction).

But when your gymnast is away at college or beyond, will they know how to cook and prepare their own meals? Or will they go broke eating out all the time?!

We know from the research that people who cook at home are associated with the consumption of a healthier diet. Plus save a ton of money.  In addition, the time you invest with your gymnast in the kitchen now will only help to serve their self-esteem and confidence by building some basic cooking skills. 

The best time to get your gymnast involved in the kitchen is today!
 
In this episode you'll hear about: 

• Why hands-on learning in the kitchen is the best approach to gymnast buy-in 
• The extended benefits of teaching them to cook now
• How to balance the sweets if your gymnast loves to bake

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Live Summer Cooking Class Series for Gymnasts
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and gymnastics club owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

I view part of my role as a peds/adolescent sports dietitian to help gymnasts not just perform their best but also have longevity in the sport AND feel good in their body 

In my last few years of gymnastics I spent more time injured than not, and while I would never have owned up to this at the time…part of my love for the sport was starting to wain due to the burnout of always being injured, always on the comeback, etc. 

On the outside, so many high level gymnasts look happy, successful, etc. But this is often not the case due to burnout. 

In this episode you'll learn: 

·      Why the burnout-injury cycle is such an issue in this sport

·      What burnout has to do with nutrition 

·      What you can do as a parent to help your gymnast stay as happy and healthy in this crazy sport as you can (especially if they have dreams of doing elite or NCAA gymnastics)

Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 4: RED-S
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

One of the biggest myths in the gymnastics world is that it's "normal" for a gymnast to not get their period or to lose it...

All the time parents are told things like: 

 “Oh it’s normal for a gymnast to not have their period, they just workout too much”
 “She may need to quit gymnastics to get her period”
“It would be better for her to not have her period until after the Olympics”

All of these couldn't be further from the truth. 

A female's period is what is called the "fifth vital sign"; it's an essential sign the body gives us that can indicate it's getting enough nutrition to support health and longevity in the sport. 

In this episode you'll learn: 

• What's normal and what's not for periods
• When to be concerned if your gymnast hasn't had her period (or has lost it)
• Why birth control is a bad "bandaid" for a missing period
• How to support your gymnast's health

Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 4: RED-S
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

How do you feed your gymnast and your family at the same time...without feeling like a short-order cook, a referee, or like you're going to lose your mind??

Every family is different. Every kid is different. But most parents struggle with some of the same issues when it comes to feeding their gymnasts and other family members. 

I think we all know how important family dinners are, but what happens when the reality of life and schedules make that tricky on the best day? Or maybe you have kids at different developmental stages, so you're not sure how to ensure everyone gets what they need. Perhaps you have a super picky kid who makes preparing meals feel like jumping through hoops.

Parents are just trying to do their best to feed their gymnast and family.  I'd love to support you in this endeavor so listen in today to get some insight on how to navigate these road bumps.  

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• The number one mistake most parents make when planning and cooking meals
• How to navigate adequately fueling your gymnast when that may differ from the rest of your children's current nutritional needs. 
• Common challenges parents face in feeding their gymnasts and families

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 4: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and gymnastics club owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

Have you been told that your gymnast should stay away from carbs or bad things will happen?

Sadly, too many gymnastics parents are getting this message and unfortunately, it's coming from sources they usually respect and listen to. These days, oftentimes the term carbohydrate or carb is practically synonymous with profanity and is avoided at all costs. 

But what do the science and research say about carbohydrates and fueling high-level gymnasts? Is a low-carb diet the best way for your gymnast to get ahead? What are the pitfalls or downsides of only focusing on the other macronutrients? Are all carbs created equal?

Listen in to hear me answer these questions and more.

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• What a carbohydrate is and the science behind the different types of carbs
• Why gymnasts need carbohydrates to fuel training and what happens when carbs aren't properly included in a gymnast's diet
• How much carbohydrate gymnasts need (you might be surprised)

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 48: Do Gymnasts Need Snack Breaks?
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and gymnastics club owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

Does your gymnast need a snack break during practice?

This is a highly debated topic, with lots of opinions and biased reasoning behind those thoughts. How old-world gymnastics culture has historically viewed snacks during practice has created a frenzy of misinformation and misunderstanding of one of the best tools your gymnast can utilize to maximize their training. 

In today's episode, I'm discussing how dietitians trained in sports nutrition approach using performance nutrition for intra-workout fueling. AKA, the strategic usage of the right fuels at the right time and hydration to level up performance and focus, and recovery.

When we view gymnasts consuming snacks from a performance and recovery perspective, we can see it's more nuanced than "Oh I'm hungry and I need a snack". 

Listen in to hear if your gymnast should be fueling during their workouts.

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• The difference between "snacking" and "fueling"
• The most common roadblocks to fueling during workouts 
• Who should be using intraworkout nutrition and when to implement it during practice

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 4: Relative Energy and Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and gymnastics club owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

Has your gymnast encountered mental blocks and it feels like you've tried everything to help them? Have you wondered if maybe their nutrition has an effect on their mental state?

In today's episode, I'm chatting with mental block expert Rebecca Smith M.A. of Complete Performance Coaching and we're discussing the role nutrition plays in overcoming mental blocks in gymnastics. 

It probably doesn't occur to most gymnasts and parents to look at their nutrition when struggling with a fear or mental block, but if your brain is running on empty, that's a threat to your health and safety. Since it's our brain's job to keep us safe, mental blocks are basically a flight, fight, freeze response and are exasperated by underfueling. 

 Listen in to hear Rebecca's advice on overcoming mental blocks in gymnastics. 

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• What a mental block is, how it can start, and how nutrition (or lack of) can contribute to its existence. 
• Controllables your gymnast can work on to battle mental blocks
• The role parents play in helping with both nutrition and mental blocks for their gymnasts to be successful

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Rebecca Smith, M.A Complete Performance Coaching Training
• Connect with Rebecca on Instagram @complete_performance
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

What helps my high-level gymnast clients be successful and shine at Nationals?

In this quick tip episode, I'm giving you a list of all the non-negotiables when it comes to fueling the high-level gymnast for performance and longevity in the sport. Things my clients know they have to focus and work on if they want to reach their peak performance when it matters most. 

Nutrition is the foundation for gymnasts. Working on their nutrition, having a fueling plan, and using performance nutrition strategies is something your high-level gymnast needs to incorporate into their daily schedule. It's just as important as going to practice, conditioning, rehab, and anything else she does to hone on her craft. 

Now is the perfect time to systematically review this list of nutrition non-negotiables for high-level gymnasts and see where they might need extra help and focus. 

In this episode you'll hear about: 

• What high-level gymnasts need to prioritize to be successful long term
• 5 non-negotiables that help my clients stay healthy and perform their best
• How to get help if your gymnast is struggling with any of these; it's not too late!

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 4: Relative Energy and Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and gymnastics club owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

Will your gymnast show up to college campus prepared and capable of managing their nutrition?

Freshman year of college is a major transition for everyone. Even gymnasts. They're miles away from home, interacting with new coaches, and new teammates, eating out of the dining hall or dorms, crazy schedules...it's a lot. Everything is different. 

If they are not already aware of fueling and taking an active approach, it oftentimes gets put on a back burner because the transition is so hard. 

Gymnasts can't put off learning about these things until they get to college. Especially if they want to make the lineup freshman year. Knowing nutrition, how to fuel, and how to plan is PARAMOUNT to your overall success in college, not just gymnastics. 

We're discussing what college-bound gymnasts need to know about nutrition (along with their parents) before they get to college. 

In this episode you'll learn about: 

• Common issues freshmen gymnasts struggle with and the roadblocks that are tripping up these athletes. 
• How to help a gymnast navigate the body change that is normal in college
• Where to go and how to get support when on campus if struggling with food/body etc

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 4: Relative Energy and Deficiency in Sport and Gymnastics
• Blog: Your Gymnast Gained Weight, Now What?
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]  

Most gymnasts and parents who work with us say that they wished they’d started earlier.   

They wish they’d found us years ago, as they have connected the dots between nutrition, performance, and recovery and realized this was the missing piece from their gymnast’s success. 

If you've been following along with our five-part recovery series, in today's part 5, Gymnast Nutrition & Recovery in the Off Season- Nutrition Can't Wait Until Next Season, I'll be discussing the most common reasons gymnasts and parents put off learning to really use nutrition to leverage their performance and longevity in the sport.  

Why? Because it’s really easy to think that you don’t need nutrition, when you actually do. I say that with so much love, but when nutrition is the foundation of everything your gymnast does in and out of the gym…it can’t wait any longer. 

Learning how to fuel your gymnast can literally change the trajectory of their career, which could be the difference between an elite career or not, getting that NCAA scholarship or spot, or not, and just overall saving a ton of time, money, and heartache from nutrition-related struggles and setbacks. 

In Part 5  of our Gymnast Nutrition & Recovery in the Off-Season series, we're addressing the 5 most common reasons parents put off investing in their gymnast’s nutrition and what to do about it. Listen in! 

In this episode you'll hear: 

• Why working on nutrition is a crucial part of your gymnast's path, no matter what age or level 
• The top 5 reasons why parents hesitate to invest in nutrition for their gymnasts
• How to overcome these 5 reasons with your gymnasts

 Links & Resources 

• The Balanced Gymnast®  Program for level 5-10 female gymnasts 
• Podcast Episode 31: Investing in Your Gymnast's Nutrition for Sport & Life
• Team Talk Series inquiries for coaches and owners
• Connect with Christina on Instagram @the.gymnast.nutritionist or [email protected]