A balanced diet is a lifestyle choice that reaps huge rewards
FEELING SLUGGISH? IT MIGHT NOT BE YOUR SLEEP PATTERN, IT COULD BE DOWN TO YOUR FOOD CHOICES AND BALANCE IS KEY TO FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.
THE countdown to Santa is upon us! As we reflect on whether we are on the naughty or nice list, we suddenly get distracted by all the naughty and nice treats instead; each one more tantalising and tastier than the next.
Many people don’t allow themselves treats in the run up to the festive period, then once it’s officially the holiday season, all hell breaks loose. This time of year there are simple things we can do to prepare ourselves – and our bodies – for Christmas.
Temptation is all around us, we need to develop a healthy attitude towards food. It’s about allowing yourself to be comfortable in your decision-making when it comes to what you eat. If you are going out for a meal don’t starve yourself for the day in the lead up to it. That only serves to slow down your metabolism, meaning you’ll feel stodgy once you consume a three-course meal later that night. Eat plenty of fibre and vegetables that day and up your fluid intake instead.
As a sportsperson I had to be strict with myself in the past. Now, as a former intercounty player I can afford to be more lenient, if I so choose. But that’s a dangerous road to walk down. When I first stepped away from intercounty, I gave myself far too much “wiggle room”. I paid the price, not just physically but mentally too. I noticed my energy levels were down and my moods were more erratic than usual. My sleep patterns also suffered.
Once I decided to return to healthy food choices, I fell back into a routine. I am never one to eliminate treats from my weekly diet, everyone should occasionally enjoy their favourite dishes and foods. But occasionally is the optimum word here.
Many of us, myself included, can have a love- hate relationship with certain foods. We love how they taste, but hate what they do to our bodies! There is truth in the saying that “abs are made in the kitchen” but sometimes we fool ourselves into believing that if we exercise regularly then we can eat whatever we like.
Even professional sportspeople cannot eat whatever they like. Ironically they are the most disciplined when it comes to their eating habits. You need to look at your food like you look at fuel for your car.
When I speak with younger players about nutrition I ask them would they put petrol into a diesel car? When I ask them why that would not be a wise choice, they wisely shout out that “the car wouldn’t go very far”. Our bodies are the same. Our fuel is the balanced diet we intake daily. If it’s not suitable for our individual bodies, how do we expect to function properly.
This time of year when the weather is bleak and the darkness is a visitor that overstays its welcome, we need to be careful about comfort eating. Our mood can be influenced by food and vice versa. Food preparation is key, so rather than having the fridge stocked with food, organise it to have meals and snacks in the fridge ready to take, if required. Chop up and separate vegetables and fruit into portion sizes, divide into freezer bags and store in the fridge or freezer, ready to use for an ‘on the go’ smoothie for example.
The wintertime can result in a weakened immune system, so increase your consumption of ‘ greens’ and probiotics. It sounds simple but it will make a visible difference to your overall health.
Broccoli and leafy greens can be easily thrown into a smoothie. Stop squirming at that thought, they don’t taste that bad!
Add in some peanut butter (the healthy version) and some berries and you won’t even taste the greens, but you’ll reap the benefits.
When we feel sluggish and tired, we reach for the high sugar foods for an energy boost. My advice is to save your treats for times when you can really savour them, rather than having them out of necessity just to get through the day.
Oily fish is also great for improved brain functionality and, let’s face it, we can all do with that with shopping lists as long as our arms at the moment. These are tips I try to live by to keep me the straight and narrow… most of the time!
Enjoy your food, be sensible but be realistic. If you have what you consider to be a ‘ bad food’ day then before you go to bed, hit the reset button and start again for the following day.
D o not allow today’s setbacks to influence tomorrow’s choices. Don’t seek to change, seek to improve.
IF YOU ARE GOING OUT FOR A MEAL DON’T STARVE YOURSELF FOR THE DAY IN THE LEAD UP TO IT. THAT ONLY SERVES TO SLOW YOUR METABOLISM.