When it comes to sport success, diet is a big piece of the puzzle that many athletes fail to master (or appreciate). Creating a healthy diet to optimize sport performance is not as confusing as many people make it out to be. Although intense and prolonged training increases energy, carbohydrate and fluid needs, the essential nutritional needs of active individuals are very similar to sedentary people in order to help maintain a healthy weight, reduce risk for disease, improve physical and mental health and live a longer, healthier life. Despite the strong relationship between good nutrition habits and athletic success, many athletes overlook consistent nutrition habits in favor of training harder or longer. However, it’s only when you supply your body with optimal nutrition can you perform at optimal levels.
With many strong opinions on nutrition, it’s easy to fall victim to extreme dogmatic nutrition approaches. But the truth is that every human being responds differently to different foods, making it impossible to prescribe a ‘one size fits all’ diet plan. Nonetheless, the essential component to a healthy diet is very simple - prioritize minimally processed, whole foods. It's important to take the time to personalize your diet so it works for your health and fitness goals. Say good bye to food rules and dieting as you learn realistic, healthy and sustainable eating practices - tailored to work for you physically, psychologically, culturally, financially and socially.
- Create YOUR diet - If you really want a sustainable way of eating, plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Healthy eating is best accomplished in this order: plan, shop, prepare, eat. When you know where your food is coming from and how much of it you will/want to eat, you will feel more control over your style of eating with less temptation to indulge.
- Emphasize real food - Almost every diet plan has one thing in common - eat.real.food. And to no coincidence, those who eat a mostly real food diet tend to have the best quality of life. Sadly, farmers have a quiet voice in a food industry overpowered by food companies. We live in an unhealthy nation that stresses healthy eating. Take a look inside your daily meal and snack choices to determine if you can make a few tweaks each day to move toward a more real food-based, locally sourced, and wholesome diet.
- Create a positive food experience - Eating should not be a miserable, dissapointing and time-consuming experience. It is important to have a good relationship with food so that meal time is a njoyable and positive experience. Let your life stop for a brief moment when you eat. Make peace with food and as much as possible, eat at a table and not in the car/behind a computer/on the go. Be grateful for the food you get to it as it should not be taken for granted.
- Make a lifestyle change - A healthy lifestyle is more than just what you eat (or choose not to eat). Embrace the many components that bring happiness and good health. A healthy lifestyle means managing stress, sleeping well, staying active, moving the body as much as possible, and reducing sedentary time. It’s important to surround yourself with positive people while always making room for “me time”. Create happiness by finding joy in a career choice, exploring nature, traveling and learning, and emphasizing a real food diet that offers flexibility rather than restriction.