by Mandy Green, Busy Coach
I want to share a great piece of information from one of my most favorite books ever, The Miracle Morning. Now, I know that I am preaching to the choir when I say all of these things to a group of coaches, I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder.
The Miracle Morning is about developing a morning ritual by doing 6 different activities: Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing. I highly recommend it.
As I was rereading part of it today, it occurred to me that this might be a good reminder to pass on. At this time of year, we spend a lot of time traveling all over the place recruiting, maybe starting to do camps, maybe you are in-season, or you are already preparing for your next season. As we go from one place to the next, we tend to let our healthy eating habits go a little bit. Pretty soon, we wonder why we are absolutely exhausted and have no energy.
A low energy coach teaches their team, campers, or recruits well below their potential, and when it comes to energy, food may play the most critical role of all.
If you’re like most coaches, you make your food choices based on convenience first, taste 2nd, and consequences third. What makes us happy when we eat doesn’t always give us maximum energy. There is nothing wrong with eating foods that taste good, but if you want to be truly healthy and have the energy to prepare your team to be champions, you must learn to value the energy consequences of the food you eat, above the taste.
Digesting food is one of the most energy-draining processes the body endures (think about how exhausted you feel after a big meal, like Thanksgiving dinner). Thus, eating living foods that contribute more energy to your body than they require to digest is the secret to maintaining extraordinary levels of energy all day long.
Foods like bread, cooked meats, dairy products, and processed foods require a lot of energy to digest and contribute very little energy to your body, leaving you in an energy deficit. Foods like raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds typically give you more energy than they take, empowering you with an energy surplus to perform at your best.
Over the last few years, I have shifted my view of food from that of a reward, treat, or comfort to that of fuel. I want to eat delicious, healthy foods that fuel my energy levels and allow me to keep going as long as I need to go.
The easiest way for me to start making some better decisions about my eating was to start paying attention to the way I felt after eating certain foods. I literally started setting a timer for 60 minutes, as soon as I finished each meal. One hour later, my timer would go off and I would assess my energy level. It doesn’t take much when you are actively recognizing the way your diet affects you. I can clearly tell the difference in my energy level the days that I eat a salad, and the day I cave for a chicken sandwich or some of that pizza that smells so good.
I find that just by incorporating as many of the right foods as I can often stops me from snacking on the unhealthy foods. The idea is to eat what you need to refuel and recharge your body— to give your body exactly what it needs to generate a sustained energy level.
What if you gave your body what it needs to work and play for as long as you like? What if you gave yourself exactly what you truly deserve: the gift of great health, consciously chosen through what you eat and drink?
If you are eating throughout the day almost as an afterthought, maybe hitting a drive-through after you’ve hit the point of being famished, it could be time to start building a new strategy.
Give some thought to the following: Can I start consciously considering the consequences of what I eat (both health and energy consequences), and valuing that above the taste? Can I keep water with me at all times so that I can hydrate with intention and purpose and so I can avoid becoming dehydrated? Can I plan my meals in advance, including snacks, so I can combat any patterns I have that don’t serve me?
Yes, you can do all of these and much more. Think about how much better will your life be, and how much more energy you will have to develop your program, when you become conscious and intentional about your eating and drinking habits.