NUTRITION ARTICLES

Eat the Color of the Rainbow — and Why It Matters 

Summer in Portland is the perfect season to enjoy a wide variety of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Challenge yourself to eat a rainbow of colors every day! Each color represents different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that work together to support your overall health — often more effectively than any supplement.

Here’s a quick guide to what each color can do for you: 

  • Red – Heart Health 
    Examples: raspberries, beets, tomatoes 

  • Blue/Purple – Circulation Support 
    Examples: blueberries, plums, eggplant 

  • White – Immune System Boost 
    Examples: garlic, onions, cauliflower 

  • Green – Muscle Strength & Function 
    Examples: broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard 

  • Yellow – Brain Function 
    Examples: yellow peppers, apricots, summer squash 

  • Orange – Skin & Eye Health 
    Examples: carrots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes 

Eating a variety of colors ensures you’re getting a wide spectrum of nutrients to help your body thrive. Try it out and see how you feel! 

Have fitness tips, questions, or want to share your rainbow eating experience? We’d love to hear from you! fitness@irvingtonclub.com

Tips on Preventing or Reversing Insulin Resistance

Approximately 40% of adults in the US have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when the body’s cells don’t effectively respond to insulin and take in glucose, leading to high blood sugar levels. It is a key factor in developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, obesity-related cancers, and other health-related issues. There are two primary ways health care professionals determine a diagnosis through blood work:

·       A1C test with results between 5.7% and 6.4%

·       Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test with results between 100 and 125 mg/DL

Once receiving a diagnosis, doctors recommend the following: 

  • Eat healthy foods. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil is associated with a lower risk of prediabetes. Choose foods low in fat and calories and high in fiber. Eat a variety of foods to help you achieve your goals without compromising taste or nutrition.

  • Be more active. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up sugar for energy and helps the body use insulin more effectively. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise.

Below are some other tips that may help to improve your insulin resistance.

Track and decrease added sugars in your diet. Sugars occur naturally in products such as fruit and milk and have nutritional properties that benefit our body. Added sugars contribute zero nutritional benefits and add unnecessary calories.

The best way to tell if your foods contain added sugars is to always read nutrition labels. This will show you total sugars, which is the combined amount of naturally occurring and added sugar in your food. For example, if a food has 20 grams (g) of total sugars and 15g of added sugars, then you know that only 5g of sugar were naturally occurring.

Some food products have a surprising number added sugars. Sweetened yogurts, breakfast cereals and bars, nut butters, condiments, sauces, energy drinks, sweetened tea, and coffee can be high in added sugars. Other common sources of added sugars are from regular soft drinks, fruit drinks, candy, and ice cream.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories each day. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day, 25 grams, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s no more than 150 calories per day, 36 grams, or about 9 teaspoons.

Switch from a sweet to a savory breakfast.  Start your day with a stabilized blood sugar level.

Eat veggies before carbohydrates to slow down glucose absorption and reduce spikes.

If you eat dessert, eat it right after a meal. It can help minimize blood sugar spikes.

Integrate light exercise after eating. Ideas include walking 10 to 15 minutes, or doing a series of calf raises, squats, etc. Light exercise after eating can help stabilize blood sugar levels.

Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or if you tried this and how it went.  Thanks!  Irvington Fitness Committee fitness@irvingtonclub.com

Peri-Workout Nutrition: Fueling Performance On and Off the Court 

Whether you're hitting the gym, running drills, or grinding through a tough tennis match, how you fuel your body around your workouts—known as peri-workout nutrition—can make a big impact on performance and recovery. 

Before Your Workout: 

Eat 1–2 hours before activity to boost energy and focus. Prioritize carbs for fuel and protein to support your muscles. 

Example: Oatmeal with berries, a turkey wrap, or a banana with yogurt. 

During: 

For longer or intense sessions (like a two-hour tennis match or heavy gym day), keep energy steady with: 

  • Water + electrolytes 

  • Fast carbs (sports drinks, fruit, or gels) 

This helps delay fatigue and maintain performance. 

After: 

Within 1–2 hours post-workout, focus on protein and carbs to kickstart recovery and replenish energy. 

Example: A smoothie with protein and banana, eggs with toast, or chicken and rice. 

Whether you're training hard or playing sets on court, dial in your peri-workout nutrition to stay strong, sharp, and ready for the next session. 

Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or ideas for future articles.  Thanks!  Irvington Fitness Committee fitness@irvingtonclub.com

Simple Tips on How to Eat for Better Performance 

The goal for better nutrition is to provide the body with stable energy and sufficient nutrients to perform. Below are six guidelines to simplify what better nutrition means for your body. 

FUEL: minimally processed, high-fiber carbohydrates that provide sustainable energy  

BUILD: lean proteins that provide the body with building blocks for repair and recovery 

PROTECT: healthy fats that decrease inflammation and nourish the brain 

PREVENT: colorful fruits and vegetables that provide the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed for repair and immune function 

HYDRATE:  ½ to 1 oz of water per pound of body weight per day    

THE 80/20 RULE: We are only human and eat for pleasure as well. Strive to eat right 80 percent of the time and not beat yourself up about the other 20 percent. The 80/20 rule is not a relaxed approach to nutrition, but mindful eating. If you take one day off a week and eat virtually anything you would like, you would be eating well 85.7% of the time. 

If you have any questions, comments, or recommendations for future articles, please contact the Fitness Committee at fitness@irvingtonclub.com. Thanks!