Some may equate summer’s long stretches with never-ending baseball innings set to the backdrop of a blazing waning sun, but it’s spring that’s the true harbinger of America’s past time. The thaw that descends across the country means baseball can’t be far behind. The fact that Major League Baseball (MLB) teams head south to Florida each year to shake the cobwebs off only makes the majority of us even more anxious for that opening pitch and warm weather. In the eyes of Christian Fletcher Atlanta, this period between traveling to Florida for warm-ups and opening day at stadiums across the country is the perfect time to get the body back in shape. To do this, die-hard Atlanta Braves fan Christian Fletcher Atlanta turns to his skills as a chef and dedication to a healthy and active lifestyle. For those looking to field the baseball diamond with friends in the coming months, the following dietary suggestions may end up making all the difference.

According to BodyBuilding.com, how you feed your body can make all the difference between optimal performance and a sluggish afternoon. “Nutrition provides the energy for sporting events, the nutrients for muscle growth, and overall performance. Nutrition allows for optimal body fat for our sport as well,” the article on baseball nutrition states. The first point in the article that Christian Fletcher Atlanta would like to also address is the fact that foods without expiration dates should be avoided. “The reason it is considered bad, is that to have a shelf life for a long time, it must contain preservatives to keep it that way, or maybe this supposed ‘food’ was never alive in the first place,” the article states. As a chef with considerable cooking skills, Christian Fletcher Atlanta says that food prep with fresh ingredients is always preferable – especially if you’re trying to fuel your body for exercise or help it recover from sports-related injuries.

Another aspect of smart eating that Christian Fletcher Atlanta advocates is avoiding trans-fats and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). While these ingredients are found in almost everything on supermarket shelves these days, a rule of thumb that’s suggested in the BodyBuilding.com article is to not consume anything where either of those two items fall into the top five list of ingredients. The same goes for drinks, which also notes that athletes should steer clear of everything except water, green tea and milk. While the preceding tips may sound strict to some, there’s little doubt that these approaches work and it’s evidenced by pro MLB players across the country.