5 Diet Changes to Boost Performance

Instead of praising all the “superfoods” we have these days, here are five small changes you can make to your diet that will have a huge effect on your exercise performance over time.

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Don’t expect anything fancy. Chances are you have most likely heard these before… but did you actually give them a try and stick to them for longer than 3 days?

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Let’s implement one each week and make sure all focus on that week is this little habit that, over the long run, will make a big difference in how you eat.

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No magic pills, just good habits

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We all want that magic pill that will make us super healthy just by looking at it. Unfortunately, there is no such thing!

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The closest we can get are products that are proven to boost your sports performance. The amount you will have to take to see any results are not realistic and most if it is just marketing.

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Instead of pouring your money down the drain, start by implementing some easy habits. All it’ll cost you is some effort and motivation.

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5 Eating Habits to Improve Sports Performance

#1 Eat slowly

No matter what you eat, when you eat, where you eat or who you’re eating with – eat slowly! It’s that simple… or is it?

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For me personally this is super hard and I really need to force myself to slow down. I came up with the following steps that I try to follow every day until I won’t have to think about it anymore:

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·        Add 5-10 minutes to each meal

·        Sit down to enjoy the meal

·        Put utensils down between bites

·        Take a breath between bites

·        Don’t eat in your car – find a nice setting

·        Remove distractions like your phone or TV

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The most important thing is to set aside enough time to eat. Make enjoying your meal a conscious and deliberate act that’s a well-earned break from your busy day! It doesn’t have to be something you squeeze in between other things.

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It takes around 20 minutes for your stomach to signal the brain and let it know you’re full. Slowing down helps your body do its job!

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By eating slowly you’ll also digest your food better, feel more relaxed and more satisfied.

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#2 Eat until you’re 80% full

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“80% full” is not a specific number, but rather an idea: Eating until “just satisfied” or “no longer hungry” but not full or stuffed.

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This will teach appetite awareness, building intuitive understanding and control of hunger/fullness. Over time, you will learn to sense hunger and satiety cues properly, as well as distinguish physical hunger from cravings.

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It may sound simple to understand but can be quite hard. To get the feeling right, try to eat once 100% full and maybe even 120% to realise what the difference is.

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At first, you will not be able to feel hunger or fullness, or any stomach cues. Keep learning and paying attention to any signs to your physical hungry or full, such as:

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‍Hunger cues

·        ‘Hunger headache’

·        Feeling light-headed or ‘spaced out’

·        Being ‘hangry (hungry + angry)

·        Growling or empty-feeling stomach

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Over-full cues (ate too much)

·        Feeling stuffed / bloated

·        Heartburn

·        Feeling nauseated or gassy

·        Feeling heavy and sluggish

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Satiety cues (ate just enough)

·        Feeling energized and no longer hungry

·        Feeling generally satisfied

·        Feeling like you could get up and do something(such as going for a walk)

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#3 Add an extra portion of vegetables to each meal

Eating more colourful fruit and vegetables improves nutritional quality. It will bring more variety to your meals and helps feeling more satisfied because of the fibre. Adding more food will feel a lot nicer than taking it away!

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The best way to do this is by ‘eating the rainbow’ – mix up the veggies you eat so that you have multiple colours on your plate. Vegetables of the same colour often have the same kinds of nutrients, so a wide variety of colours ensures you’re getting a more balanced meal.

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Write down the vegetables you like to eat and check how variated your taste is. If you realise your plate is mostly just green vegetables, next time you go to the supermarket spend 5 min on finding some different colours like carrot, cauliflower, red onion, butternut squash, red cabbage… be creative and try something new!

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When going out for lunch or dinner always ask for a portion of roasted vegetables or a salad on the side.

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Kickstart this habit by adding 1 colourful fruit or vegetable to each meal. 1 serving of vegetables is about the size of a fist.

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#4 Cut out refined sugar and make smart carb choices

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Cutting out sugar doesn’t mean you can’t have any carbs! Almost everyone will benefit from having some carbohydrates in their diet. Go for “smart carbs” which are slower-digesting, higher-fibre and nutrient-rich.

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These include such foods as:

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·        Whole grains (brown or wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oats, etc.)

·        Beans and legumes

·        Fruits and starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas and plantains, etc.)

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Low carb isn’t always ideal when doing CrossFit or high intensity training. Most people look, feel, and perform better with some carbs in their diet, even if they’re trying to lose weight/fat.

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So, remember not all carbs are created equal: “smart carbs” are a great nutritional choice and not the same thing as processed sugars!

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Serving size is approximately 1 cupped handful/meal for women and 1-2 cupped handfuls for men. Although the portion size may change when activity levels go up. When you feel you're not recovering from your training sessions and feel low on energy you may have to up your carbs.

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#5 Drink only calorie-free beverages

It’s easy to take in a lot of unwanted calories with drinks. Most drinks don’t offer many nutrients or add value to our bodies. Drinking only calorie free beverages (such as water), we can automatically improve our nutrition and cut out excess energy intake.

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Try out the following challenge:‍

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ONLY DRINK CALORIE FREE DRINKS FOR 2 WEEKS!!

Gather data and see what happens! Start by looking at what you currently drink, and where you need to substitute or change your choice.

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What you can do to make it “a little bit better” is switching your soda drink for sparkling water if you like to have some fizz, add a slice of lemon or lime to give more flavour. Eat a piece of fruit instead of just drinking the juice, etc. - be creative!

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This can be difficult, especially if you like alcohol. Experiment with it and see how you feel; after the two weeks you can decide what elements of this habit to keep in your routines.

If you like to get more help in setting new habits to a healthier life, give mea shout in the gym or email me at cb@innerfight.com