weekends, ski weeks and free time in the mountains in general in winter (as well as in summer) are a source of stress relief.
And what about nutrition?
Managing energy expenditure with the right foods is possible, here's how with the advice of experts.
Weekend in the snow or skiing week, nutrition tips
“In the mountains, planning meals is difficult because all the rhythms and times are modified and the approach to food changes which is often conditioned by the most diverse circumstances.
However, particular attention must be paid to nutrition, especially in terms of quantity, quality and moments of food intake during the day", explains Prof. Laura De Gara, President of the Master's Degree Course in Food and Health Sciences. Nutrition of the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.
"Proper nutrition is in fact essential to provide the body with the necessary energy, facilitate rapid post-exercise recovery and reduce the risk of injury. A single challenging workout or a long day on skis requires a considerable amount of energy; a balanced diet that provides carbohydrates, proteins and good fats, helps to maintain adequate energy levels throughout the activity carried out. “It is therefore very useful to know how to manage nutrition in an adequate and balanced way in view of the days on the snow expected perhaps at the weekend. Eating in a balanced way - with the right macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) and the correct mix of vitamins and other micronutrients, without skipping meals and hydrating properly every day, allows you to best achieve your planned sporting commitment" - concludes the professor ssa De Gara involved in the Nutripiatto project.
So what is the reference framework for young sportspeople in the mountains?
Compared to other days, it presents some simple guidelines to dispel doubts about the ideal diet for children when at high altitude. Breakfast must be richer in carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
For those preparing to spend a day on the snow, breakfast is particularly important.
It should be richer than other days, a complete meal, easy to digest but highly energetic, which can help the body to withstand the energy expenditure required by physical effort exerted at low temperatures.
As with any sports training of a certain extent, it is advisable to have breakfast approximately two hours before starting to ski.
In general it is good to provide:
· milk or yogurt to which to add carbohydrates such as bread, biscuits, oat flakes, cereals and jam
· a source of fat provided for example by oily nuts or spreadable creams derived from oily nuts
Green light also for savory breakfasts: in this case eggs are the first ally, but also cold cuts, parmesan, nuts (with, in addition, fresh seasonal fruit or juices based on fruit and vegetables, which can represent an important source of vitamins and micronutrients).
During the day, observes De Gara who together with the experts of the Bio-Medico Campus of Rome carried out the project with Nestlè - it is advisable to break up frequently with small snacks containing a small source of carbohydrates and a small amount of fat to guarantee constant energy: snacks of fruit or dehydrated fruit with the addition of oily nuts, cubes of parmesan or even squares of chocolate, preferably dark or with dried fruit, can be carried comfortably in the pockets of our little athletes and consumed approximately every 2-3 hours.
The meal in the refuge or cabin must be adequate for energy expenditure, with light and balanced meals.
For a child, after a morning on skis it is advisable to start with a lunch consisting of:
· a small portion of pasta or rice with tomato or a light soup
· a small quantity of lean meat, such as raw ham or bresaola, accompanied by vegetables and fresh fruit
If you intend to continue with skiing, an alternative could be:
· a sandwich with cold cuts, not too large or seasoned, or a controlled portion of pasta with light seasoning
· for a snack, a fruit or a healthy snack, such as a bar of cereals or dried fruit, for a quick energy intake.
Never forget hydration which is often neglected at low temperatures: whether before or after sporting activity, drinking is essential to help you get through each day with strength.
But be careful: don't drink too cold drinks too quickly.
At the end of a day spent on the snow, it is essential to ensure an adequate level of hydration to restore the fluids lost during sporting activity.
In addition to water, taking a hot drink, such as milk or infusions, can help.
Dinner should also be carefully planned, considering how much was consumed at lunch, the tastes and tiredness of the young athlete, as well as the adults of the family who shared the day on the snow with him.
Skiing has its advantages (for psychophysical well-being)
For many people, sport represents a moment of psychophysical well-being and sociability, it helps all athletes, both competitive and amateur, to come into deep contact with their emotions and learn to manage them naturally.
Furthermore, get used to setting yourself fundamental objectives to achieve important goals and train your mind to relax to improve your performance.
Finally, an important system of team and sharing rules encourages respect.
Dr. Adelia Lucattini, Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst of the Italian Psychoanalytic Society and the International Psychoanalytical Association, addresses the topic of psychophysical well-being linked to a particular sport, such as skiing.
What benefits does skiing offer?
"Skiing increases awareness of oneself and one's body, proprioception, coordination, knowing how to move with equipment on, which engages the whole body, not just legs and feet. Learning a new technique, tackling the descents, gives confidence and makes you proud of your results. Furthermore, it is a way to get to know the mountains and new places that can only be reached on skis. Challenging yourself on the slopes by mastering the technique better and better, instills confidence in your abilities and ability to face "obstacles" gradually, gradually increasing the degree of difficulty. Psychologically, the different perspective from which you look at things, embracing mountains and valleys with your gaze, orients your mental perspectives, broadens your views, accustoms you to diversity and complexity. Very important, the new sensorial experiences, the white color of the snow, the woods, the wind, the winter sun, the silence, the different sound of one's own voice, the echo, the typical rustle of skis cutting through the snow, are experiences that starting from the five senses, they are stratified and rooted naturally in the unconscious.
All these factors expand the ability to think.
Being surrounded by wonderful landscapes, views of pristine peaks and tree-lined slopes teaches us to value and appreciate natural riches.
Furthermore, the mountains stimulate the imagination, improve the ability to observe and expand physical pleasure and the feeling of tranquility."
What does skiing teach in particular?
"Skiing teaches us to observe people in their natural element, observation in psychoanalysis as in life is the basis of all learning. Skiing enables us to learn to observe ourselves and make changes based on our own reflections. Furthermore, we leads us to concentrate and look at where we are at that precise moment and to do what is necessary here and now, in order to reach the destination we have set ourselves. At the end of the journey, turning to look at the mountain makes us aware of the route, satisfied with their efforts, proud of their efforts and of themselves. Skiing teaches that sacrifice always pays off, usually linked to holiday periods, to a break from our everyday life, but it can be a way of thinking and a good habit to include in one's habits. Skiing as a modus vivendi, not just as a sporting activity. By preparing to hit the snow you learn many things: the right equipment for each discipline (alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, Telemark, ski mountaineering, etc.);
the value of "earning" every meter between curves, descents and ascents;
personal safety and that of others, the necessary rules to respect (the use of helmets, priorities, etc.);
respect for the technical level of your partner or friends, without forcing them if they are more capable and without feeling "inferior" if they are beginners.
Everyone has their own mastery of the discipline, their own style, their own times and personal objectives.
Once the technique has been learned, everyone ventures where they want, as much as they believe, where they can, without forcing themselves or having to prove anything to anyone.
Skiing teaches solidarity, everyone skis alone, but at the same time, together with others.
Safety is not an "optional", the mountain has its rules and they must be respected.
The mountain calls for company and asks us to always be sober, to be vigilant even while having fun, it invites prudence.
There is no fun without safety".
Why teach skiing to children?
"Skiing is a lot of fun, it is also excellent for little ones who are always looking for new things, curious to learn and discovering "adventures", which are always exciting in the mountains. Children are eager to learn and naturally inclined towards activities other than those habitual, as long as they are together with their parents or adults they know, such as their teachers. If skiing is learned from a young age, it combines the pleasure of this activity with the love for the mountains, learning a discipline, playing and gaining experiences while being in a group, movement in an environment beneficial to health. Learning to ski as a child is the best moment, because the little ones quickly become passionate about the snow and quickly learn, in an intuitive way, the automatisms of this sport. It's a sort of " imprinting", which remains in the unconscious, physical, psychic and sensorial memory throughout life, associated with the memory and pleasure of those moments".
Dr. Lucattini, can skiing, in addition to training the muscles and the heart, reduce stress?
"It is certainly an excellent sport for keeping children in good physical shape, improving their health of the musculoskeletal, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It improves elasticity, strength, general well-being, instills a feeling of pleasure through the release of endorphins. Furthermore, being a sport practiced at altitude, it helps those children who suffer from allergic asthma, due to the rarefaction of oxygen it favors the increase in red blood cells, which remains even when returning home. Of crucial importance for the psychological well-being is the typical silence of life in the mountains. An adequate period of "detoxification" from noise pollution, in which children are immersed in the city, in the classroom, in the gym, at home, is certainly fundamental. Furthermore, it is a privileged environment in which it is not possible to use electronic tools or, if necessary, only for a short time; therefore, it favors a rather painless separation from all devices thanks to physical activity during the day, tiredness in the evening and the discovery of games and alternative activities.
In fact, in all the mountain resorts, you can find evening singing activities, group games, acting, etc., from which children are literally "kidnapped" and who learn by playing".
Tips for approaching skiing as adults
What advice for those who want to approach this sport for the first time, even as an adult?
"It is a way - replies the psychiatrist Lucattini - to do physical activity in a natural environment, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, large spaces, where the quality of the air and the silence are incomparable: the mountains are always antidepressant; The technical evolution of technical equipment allows you to learn more easily than before and the instructors are trained to teach beginner adults: skiing instills self-confidence; It
is not compulsory to dedicate a very long period of time to holidays, to start with a week can be more than enough and then continue with weekends dedicated to exploring the many equipped ski resorts: it is therefore also suitable for those with little time available;
Skiing brings you closer to yourself, relaxes, calms, restores: it is an excellent anti-stress and anxiolytic; With skis it is It is possible to reach places that otherwise would not be visitable: it stimulates curiosity and instills courage; After skiing, mountain resorts are full of low-cost opportunities, for example public swimming pools and wellness centres, Kinderheims equipped with activities for children: life in the mountains it increases sociability;
At the end of the day after skiing and snowboarding lessons, there is also space for those who love relaxing in solitude, listening to music, relaxing with reading: the silent and enveloping mountain environment helps you to cultivate your hobbies;
Learning new disciplines certainly puts you to the test, but it also gives great satisfaction and instills confidence in your possibilities.
It makes you feel better and livens up: it always gives you a new and pleasant vitality."
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