5 strategies to prevent student athletes from falling off the nutrition wagon in the summer...plus a mindset shift about all of that.
Diane Johnson
Empowering youth athletes with simple and strategic nutrition & wellness support.
An easy 4 minute read today.
Summer is in full swing and for student athletes, it’s a much anticipated (and needed) break from classes and training.?
Over the last few weeks of summer I’ve been listening to many athletes and coaches (and regular folks) talk about how they’ve fallen off the nutrition wagon because it’s summer holidays.?
They judge and criticize their food choices because they ‘know’ they should be eating better, but…
It’s like they have this underlying belief that ‘nutrition’ and nourishment is something that turns off and on like a light switch.?
Like we do it for a while, and then we stop when its inconvenient.?
Or that we can’t do all the fun summer things AND maintain a healthy eating routine.?
(If you've been following along, you'll know that I tend to think about nutrition for student athletes differently.
PS - If you don’t regularly follow, you can do that easily at?Diane Johnson).
The reality is that nutrition is something that is interwoven into every facet of our life and constantly hopping in and out of an eating routine because of external factors, and then beating ourselves up for it doesn’t feel great or serve our health or performance.?
Most people know me for my work with student athletes, but I help adults with this stuff too. Message me if you need some help to feel great again.
Below I offer 5 suggestions for maintaining a more regular eating pattern during the holidays.
These strategies are helpful, BUT, the real work here is to do get more curious about our beliefs about things like
Because addressing the root causes of our actions (our beliefs and thoughts), is the key to making changes in how we ‘do’ nutrition.?
1) Plan Ahead for Healthy Snacks
During the summer, you may find yourself out of your normal routine and this makes it easier to fall into the habit of reaching for convenient, but unhealthy, snacks, especially when you are unprepared.??
A little bit of planning and preparing nutritious snacks in advance will go a long way in terms of helping you grab more nutritious snacks.
Stock up on:?
Having healthy options readily available will help you resist the temptation of less nutritious alternatives.
(At GUTS we help student athletes develop these kinds of strategies so they can feel great and perform their best.)
2) Stay Hydrated
With the warm weather and increased outdoor activities, it's essential to prioritize hydration. Water is your best friend during the summer.?
Aim to drink at least 2 liters per day and carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go. If you engage in intense workouts or practices, consider replenishing electrolytes by adding some sea salt into your water.??
(Don't like drinking water? Message me here. I've got some great ideas to help you make hydration more interesting.)
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3) You DO Have Choices When Eating Out
Summer often means dining out or attending social gatherings. While you are absolutely allowed to enjoy foods that aren’t a part of your regular routine, that might be more fried, or richer in nature, you are also fully able to make nutritious choices when eating out.?
Food and eating are tightly interconnected to social gatherings and connections. And too many feel that to be a part of the gathering, you have to serve and/or consume junk foods. This isn’t true at all and I’ve made some amazing connections about the delicious whole foods served at events.?
(Student athletes eat out a lot in season as well. If you're a Coach who wants to give their athletes some in-season suggestions about how to eat on the road, check out The Coaches' Easy Nutrition Playbook.)
4) Incorporate Fresh Produce
Take advantage of the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer months. Visit local farmers' markets or grow your own produce if possible. Including a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your meals provides essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which support overall health and athletic performance.
5) Maintain a Balanced Routine
You get to relax and enjoy your summer break. Maintaining a balanced routine is actually an important piece of summer being ‘restful’.?
(Summer is a great time for student athletes to practice both active and passive recovery. We talk about this in the 4th pillar of GUTS.)
Aim to have regular meals, even if the timing is different from your school or training schedule. Get to sleep and wake up at about the same times every night.?
Drink lots of water.?
Incorporate a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats into each meal.?
Avoid excessive consumption of processed foods and sugary drinks, as they can negatively impact your energy levels and performance.
If you can do this most of the time, on repeat, it won’t be such an adjustment to get back into your school and training routine come the fall.?
And here's the mindset shift about all of this.
It’s really important to remember that everything in the natural world ebbs and flows and we are connected to these shifts. Our habits will change with the seasons and with the highs and lows of schedules and events taking place in our lives.?
Our nutrition habits are a part of this and will also ebb and flow. This is perfectly natural.?
However, what we want to continue to work on, is to develop a level or awareness of these changes so that we can make conscious decisions about how we choose to nourish ourselves. Drastic swings back and forth can be challenging for our body and for our mind to flourish under. There’s also a good chance that because you KNOW what you SHOULD be eating, you’ll beat yourself up about it when you don’t. And that doesn’t help any part of you or your nutrition habits to thrive.??
In addition to developing some strategies to maintain nutrition habits over the summer, continuing to develop your awareness and exploring your beliefs about food and nutrition will make your nutrition habits more sustainable and enjoyable in the long run.?
When you are ready, there are a few ways that I can help you.
Until next week.
~ Diane