Nutrition today is as complicated as it has ever been. 30 years ago, you would be hard pressed to find any books on nutrition yet today there are whole floors dedicated to this subject.
Being an ex-international athlete myself and being widely known as the guy who got David Haye into exceptional shape it wasn’t too complicated because there were very few people in charge, Adam Booth, exceptional boxing coach and master tactician, Kevin Lidlow, in my opinion the best physiotherapist in the world and myself, looking after Strength & Conditioning, nutrition and Sports Therapy. Everyone had their own specific role, we communicated well, and the outcome was David became heavyweight champion of the world.
Nutrition is much the same, it is best kept simple, effective and when the body is getting what it needs, no more no less, it is a remarkable machine, and anything is possible when it comes to performance.
Sleep and Water:
When these two things are in sync and you’re getting enough of them both everything else in terms of performance can fall into place. We should be sleeping eight hours a night, more if you are placing a high physical, mental and emotional demand on the body, and this goes for both athletes and soldiers. When I was an athlete, I would sleep up to 10 hours a night and have a two-hour nap in between sessions during the day.
Water is the next big thing which is often overlooked. With up to two litres of water lost during the night through perspiration and respiration and a further 1 litre during the day sweating even if not visible, it is safe to say that very few people, athletes and soldiers are drinking three litres of water per day. The rule is three litres per day plus half a litre per hour of exercise. This will ensure not only that you replace lost fluids but that you function at optimum levels.
Water is vital for brain function, digestion, absorption of nutrients (if not properly hydrated and or dehydrated, no matter how well you are eating you will not absorb nutrients optimally, forms the basis of blood, digestive juices and is contained in muscle, fat and bones. It is safe to say that without a properly hydrated body not only will you not perform at your best, but it becomes increasingly difficult to not only digest food but to absorb it.
As the body cannot store water, we need a fresh supply on a daily basis to make up for water loss from the lungs, skin, urine and faeces.
So we have covered water and sleep, now let us look at digestion and absorption, or salt and probiotics.
Salt is as vital as water, but you have to have the right ones as not all salt was created equal. Himalayan pink salt has finally got the recognition it deserves, it contains around 75 minerals needed for optimum performance. However, my personal favourite is Celtic Sea Salt which has around 85 minerals including three different types of magnesium which help drive water into the cells aiding in proper digestion. We also need adequate levels of sodium and chloride to make Hydrochloric acid in order to digest food properly.
Beware of table salt which only has two minerals, sodium and chloride and is directly responsible for so many health complaints.
Probiotics are also of vital importance when it comes to general gut health, immune system function and so many other things which scientific research is discovering on a daily basis. One of those things is nutrient absorption. In fact, different probiotics do have different roles within the body and indeed between men and women. For example, Acidophilus Rhamnosus helps women stay slim, helps with UTI’s and that time of the month.
Now we have covered the basics let us look at what foods to stay away from. This all depends on what levels of discipline you are willing to put yourself through. Personally, non-negotiables for me are wheat, dairy and sugar. I suffer from Hay fever and as long as I stay away from the big three from January to September I am always hayfever free.
When eating fish, chicken or red meat as a general rule of thumb try to stick to a portion as big as the palm of your hand. Depending on your energy requirements the portion size of carbohydrates should be small especially if you are carrying excess fat and again a handful of green vegetables. If losing weight try to stay away from carrots, beetroot etc. Every meal should have a spoonful of fermented vegetables to aid in digestion such as Kimchi, sauerkraut or pickles. Fermented vegetables also help stop sugar cravings.
It is that simple, once you start adding energy drinks, energy and protein bars which are all full of sugars and ingredients which the human body doesn’t like you start not only toxifying but having extra calories to burn in the form of fat.
I would also advise that you stop drinking water 30 minutes before your meals and start drinking 45 minutes after.
If you have any questions about nutrition, please feel free to contact us.