We talk a lot about the role food plays in building a strong, agile athlete in terms of physical performance and the ability to recover, but we don’t often touch on its impact on mental fitness.
A “good diet” helps athletes focus and drive themselves in training. It builds resilience and fuels perseverance. It charges mental discipline so when it’s time to dig deep in a workout, giving up is not an option.
Six Pillars of Nutritional Psychiatry
You may be familiar with Doctor Uma Naidoo for #ThisIsYourBrainOnFood. A nutritional psychiatrist, she is the director of nutritional & lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, teaching six pillars of nutritional psychiatry to enhance her patients’ mental fitness and improve athletic performance:
1. Be Whole, Eat Whole
Whole foods retain their nutrients, phytochemicals, and fiber, which is otherwise lost in processed foods. We’re talking fruit, veg, nuts, and seeds, plus whole grains, healthy fats, and quality, well-sourced clean protein.
2. Eat The Rainbow
The colour of your fruit and veg dictates the type of nutrient it provides, and so the more colours; the more nutrients. And the more nutrients, the better the quality of your diet.
3. Greens for the Gold
Found mainly in dark green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, and nuts, folate is associated with decreased depressive symptoms and improved cognition to support a motivated mind. Leafy greens are also packed with dietary nitrate, which could enhance exercise tolerance.
4. Tap Into Your Body Intelligence
If your food doesn’t make you feel good or perform well after eating it, you need to make better dietary choices next time. Seems simple, but requires you to pay attention to how motivated you feel as well as how you’re physically coping during that tough workout.
5. Consistency and Balance Are Key
Mental fitness through diet doesn’t happen overnight. Much like a physical fitness “journey”, lasting mental fitness comes through balance and consistency. Working toward the goal of 80% of your diet being rich in whole foods, use the other 20% as a buffer.
6. Avoid Anxiety-Triggering Foods
Nutrient-poor processed foods stress out your gut, overwhelm your mind, and prohibit muscle recovery. Whole foods calm the gut back down to reduce stress and anxiety, and lessen the risk of physical injury.
Overwhelmed? We’re Here To Help!
To become your physical and mental best self, you must eat mindfully and pay attention to your thought processes during workouts. Easier said than done. Especially when you also need to track your progress in training, juggle work, family, and all the other responsibilities life throws your way! But just like your coach will always help you tackle what’s programmed on the whiteboard with adaptations, tactics, or logistics, they’re also there to lean on for any advice regarding your health and wellbeing. Nutrition advice is part of the job, and helping our members live a healthy, happy lifestyle is why we got into coaching in the first place!
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