Hey Everyone! I think it's time we spoke about positive eating. I know this is a subject area you are well versed in. Ever since I've had my surgery approximately 2 1/2 weeks ago, I've had an epiphany in terms of my eating habits. It seems like all the junk foods I would eat without question were no longer appealing to me. Foods such as buffalo wings, steak and cheese subs, or even pasta with alfredo sauce just doesn't seem too appealing anymore. To further add to this, I was obsessed with late night McDonald's trips over the summer. Not only is the time of day terrible (usually around midnight), but all the crap I was ingesting into my system was probably doing more harm than I expected. I had a former teammate of mine in college ask me "how can you eat nothing but crap and still run well?" This question I am still yet to answer. However, could an improvement in my eating habits benefit me in a race? Could all the fast food and empty calories I took in have hindered me from reaching my potential as an athlete? As this is my first post on the SISU Project blog (and my first post on a blog in general) I hope this creates discussion for a matter I am taking seriously. I want to live as long as I can, and live as healthy as possible too. And, I will ask what can I eat that will be high in protein and iron? These two things are essential for my diet as a blood test showed I was deficient in both areas. My only preference is that the food is delicious, and can give me similar joy to the feeling I used to get when I ate a double cheeseburger and fries!
-Adam
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Adam,
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome to hear! Eating better directly impacts your health. We feel more energized when we eat healthy food. It makes us feel happier and we generally do not get sick as often. These are just a few of hundreds of benefits that come from eating real food.
My direct experience with eating healthy and performance enhancement is not a direct one. This is to say, that eating fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and healthy proteins does not directly equate to faster running times.
What is does equate with is: better recovery, less illness, more energy for workouts and better mental focus to name just a few. This is why I say nutrition is a vital performance aid. Without proper nutrition you are wasting lots of good training. Whereas eating properly helps you maximize each workout. That is why many people need to run hundreds of miles a week and spend lots of time and money trying to recover from this type of training.
Matt
NPR had an interview with BU stud David Proctor today. He is recovering from anorexia. He talked about his obsession to lose just 1 more pound, believing it would make him faster. Food is important! and the right food is even more important!
ReplyDeleteFound this gem on a David Proctor bio page:
ReplyDelete"Track is an individual sport, and it requires you to know yourself and your body well. I was anorexic during freshman and sophomore years because I thought I'd put on too much weight to be fast. I remember the day I made the connection in my head that what I was doing was actually hurting me. Restrictive eating caused my underperformance and injuries. I learned the small things that help my body: hydration, nutrition, and psychology."