We Are How We Eat: Nourishing the Body for Peak Performance

written by Katlyn Hagley

We Are How We Eat

NOURISHING THE BODY FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE

There is no such thing as “the perfect diet.” 

Although there are hundreds of recommended diets and food plans available for all kinds of athletes, a “quick fix” or “one size fits all” meal plan does not exist.  An appropriate diet depends on your gender, size, genetics, amount and type of exercise you do, geography (where you live), personal preferences, cultural influences, and ongoing changes within the body as a natural part of aging.  The key is to not fixate on following a strict diet or meal plan, but to instead fixate on how you are eating. 

When we practice mindful eating, we are better able to listen to our bodies, provide it what it needs and properly nourish ourselves through all its stages in life.

Eat Mindfully

Where do you eat the majority of your food?  In a car or bus?  While walking?  While watching TV?  At a table?  Or on a bed or couch?  Studies show that eating while distracted, also known as “mindless eating,” makes it difficult for the human body to identify what it needs, including being able to identify when it is full.

Our bodies are remarkable machines that are designed to send signals to our brain when we are hungry and when we are in need of certain vitamins or minerals. Ever crave broccoli? That may be your body’s way of telling you that you need vitamin c, calcium, magnesium, or iron.  What about feeling completely “stuffed” or full?  Before we reach the point of needing to unbutton our pants or losing the ability to take a deep breath, our body sends our brain a signal that we have received enough food.   When we are not eating mindfully, we often miss those signals.  When we eat while distracted, we are putting our brains on “autopilot,” mindlessly going through the motions of eating but not being in control of monitoring the signals our body is sending to us.  Eating while distracted often leads to people overeating “empty calories” or foods that are high in fat and/or sugar and low in nutritional value.  This can lead to unhealthy weight gain and/or becoming malnourished.  Even though an entire bag of chips may make you feel “full,” your body is not getting the variety of vitamins, minerals, and energy it needs for optimal performance.  If you have one to two meals like this a day, over time your body begins to lack key nutrients essential for overall well-being and health. 

Eating while distracted also puts us in a state of stress.  Our bodies have evolved to eat best while in the seated position.  If we eat while slouched over or even laying down, we are restricting the muscles in our neck and esophagus, impeding our body’s ability to properly digest the food we are eating.  Eating in a slouched position makes it difficult for our food to move through the body freely, for us to get proper oxygenation during the digestive process and for us to be able to properly metabolize our food (David, 1991).

HOW TO EAT MINDFULLY:

1. Sit and eat at a table in a comfortable upright position.

2. Look at your food.   Are there a variety of colors?   What are the proportion of food you have on your plate? Is it mostly grain or starch? Is it mostly foods high in protein? Sugar?

3. Smell the food.  Our sense of smell is the first way to enjoy our food.  It is also the first signal the brain receives regarding what food will be entering the body.  If it doesn’t smell appetizing, that could be your body’s way of telling you that food is not right for you.   What does your food smell like?

4. Eat one bite at a time.  What does it taste like?  What does the food feel like in your mouth? 

5. Listen to your body.  When are you feeling satisfied or full?  Does your body need more?

6. Notice how you feel after your meal.  Do you have discomfort?  Are you feeling sluggish or tired? Are you feeling anxious, sad or angry?

Slow It Down

We get it. As track and field athletes, you want to be fast.  But save the speed for the track, not the table.  Americans are some of the fastest eaters on the planet, often times failing to chew completely and swallowing food in partially whole pieces.  The lack of chewing places a burden on our digestive system. 

The mouth is the first step in the digestive process. Enzymes in our saliva begin to break down the food in our mouth as our jaw, teeth and tongue work together to help turn our food into smaller pieces.  When this food reaches our stomach, the stomach acid works with these enzymes to maximize digestion.  When you swallow something whole, the stomach has to secrete more acid than normal and may have to use its own muscular movements to help breakdown the food. 

When we eat in a stressful state and do not properly chew, we are producing excess acid which can lead to stomach pains, gas, acid reflux, heartburn and even ulcers.

HOW TO SLOW IT DOWN:

1.      Take one bite of food at a time.

2.      Chew each bite 20 times before swallowing.

3.      Bring mindful eating to your chewing. 

Make Your Own Food

We know that being aware of what you eat is more important than “watching” what you eat.  However, when we eat food that we do not prepare, it becomes impossible for us to know what we are eating.  As it becomes increasingly more popular to eat out or rely on highly packaged and processed cafeteria food, we continue to lose the control over what we fuel our bodies with.  When we eat food prepared by someone else, we are letting them decide what is right for us.

In order to properly nourish your body for optimal performance, prepare as many of your meals at home as possible.  It is important to plan ahead.  Create a grocery shopping list and get all of the food you will need for one week.  Choose a variety of foods (i.e. fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and healthy fats) for each meal.  Avoid foods that make you feel bad after eating them.  For example, you may love peanut butter, but maybe it gives you a stomach pains after you eat it.  Discomfort after eating is another way your body lets you know what it needs and what it does not need.  If food makes you feel sluggish, lethargic, heavy, angry, agitated or leaves you in discomfort after you eat it, it might be a sign to leave that food behind!  After you have prepared your meals, pack your bag the night before.  You know what you need.  Don’t leave it up to someone else to fill your plate or body.  Prepare and bring food that will serve your body, your goals and make you feel good. 

Eat Seasonal, Local, Whole Foods

You want to know what all fad diets have in common?  They agree that processed food is “garbage.”  Processed food is the process of taking food products and turning them into other forms of edible food.  Sounds resourceful, right?  The problem with processed food is that they are often packed with preservatives, added sugar and are low in naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that whole food has.

Have you ever wondered why certain processed foods do not exist in other countries? Because other countries have strict food laws that prohibit many of the common food additives found in popular American processed foods.   Potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide, BHT, BHA, BVO, yellow food dyes no. 5 and 6, red dyes no. 40, bovine growth hormones, ractopamine. These food additives (and many more) have been linked to many different health problems, including cancers.

Processed foods are often high in sugar.  The sugar in the food makes it taste good and also tricks our brain into thinking it needs more – it’s a marketing technique to keep you buying the product!  The next time you eat something with a nutritional label, see how much sugar you are eating per serving.  How much of that sugar is natural sugar?  How much of that is added sugar?  You’ll be surprised to see just how many processed foods have added sugars in them! The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests the average person consumes 25 grams of sugar per day.  The average American currently consumes 100 grams of sugar a day, mostly from processed food sources.  Excessive amounts of sugar in a diet can lead to chronic inflammation in the body and even to diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers, and depression (worldheath.org).

Many processed foods lack naturally occurring nutrients that our body needs to maintain optimal health.  Among one of the most important nutrients lacking from processed food is fiber.  The average American needs 25 grams a day of fiber to be able to maintain a healthy weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar.  Fiber also helps support healthy gut bacteria and bowel health.   The average American is eating less than 15 grams of fiber a day.  Our bowels are designed to help our bodies release waste we no longer need, including toxins from our food, lifestyle and environment.  If we do not maintain a healthy fiber intake, we cannot maintain healthy bowels and therefore have a higher risk of disease.  Cutting back on processed foods and adding more fruits, vegetables, legumes and beans to your diet could help you increase your fiber intake. 

Our bodies are designed to eat off of the land.  Ever notice how a watermelon tastes so good in the summer but less enjoyable in the winter?  That’s for two reasons. One, watermelon is a seasonal fruit which means it only grows one time a year (in the summer) and two, our body doesn’t need the “cooling” affect the watermelon provides us in the winter.  Instead, you might notice your body gravitating towards root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, rutabaga, turnips and warm spices like chili pepper, cinnamon, turmeric or cumin in the winter.  That’s because they are seasonal to us in the winter and they provide us with the warmth and grounding we need in the cooler months.

HOW TO EAT SEASON, LOCAL AND WHOLE FOODS

1.      Choose more foods in the fresh produce section of the grocery store (USDA approved organic foods, when possible).

2.      Avoid foods with a lot of packaging.  The more they are packaged, the more processed they are.  Plus, the earth doesn’t need any more wasteful plastic!

3.      Notice where your produce comes from.  If it comes from another country, it is most likely a food that is not in season in your area.  Shop produce from local farms whenever possible.

4.      Read labels.  The more ingredients in a food, the worse it is for you.  If you can’t read an ingredient, it doesn’t belong in your body!

5.      Be mindful of your body’s needs and be prepared to change your diet as your lifestyle and seasons change.

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