Nutrition is one of the most overcomplicated, confusing and even feared areas for people to address when aiming to improve their physical and mental state – and in all honesty, I totally understand.
When you have a hundred different fad diets being blasted out daily, it’s tough to know what’s good information and what’s not. There are vast amount of ‘experts’ out there – who all tout their own ‘formulas for success’.
Nevertheless, let me clarify something before I move on – I am not a nutritionist, nor do I consider myself an expert – but, what I can claim unequivocally, is that I have years of experience, among a variety of differing disciplines, that have all required specific needs to be addressed.
Throughout the years, I’ve aimed to learn as much as possible and through trial and error, have found what works best for me in order to reach peak physical performance no matter what it is.
Who Am I To Dish Advice?
For those who aren’t aware I’ve had to learn to eat accordingly for the following disciplines over the years:
- Professional Sport (Soccer/Football)
- Gymnastics
- Commando
- Functional Athlete
- And most recently, Ninja Warrior
As you can see, each discipline requires a remarkably different approach to nutrition as the goals for each are very, very different.
What I do may conflict with what you do, or, what others have instructed you to do – and if that’s the case, no problem. We’re all different and we all need to find what works best for us as individuals.
But, if there is something different then I encourage you to learn more about it. My mother always said, “You’ll never regret educating yourself”.
Here are my nutritional ‘secrets’ for reaching your peak physical performance.
Stay Nutrient-Dense
I focus on nutrient-dense foods. I ensure every meal consists of carbohydrates, fats and protein (i.e “the essentials”), so I have enough energy for training. The last thing I want to be doing is fighting an uphill battle, because I’ve not consumed enough food.
Carb It Up
Prior to training, I’ll have a slightly higher amount of carbs so my glycogen stores aren’t depleted. This simple gym hack will allow me to train for longer and harder.
If you’ve ever felt ‘depleted’ throughout a workout, this is one way to address that. Good carbs are foods such as vegetables, fruits like apples and bananas and nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds (chia, pumpkin seeds) and whole grains (brown rice, oats).
Recover Right
I bet you’ve heard this a few times. Matter of fact is, this principle is key to long-term success and goal achievement. After every session, I make it my first priority to consume some Performix Protein to aid recovery. It’s very simple – but if you’re not refuelling, you’re not doing yourself any favours.
Blend For Benefits
I always blend avocado or natural peanut butter with my shakes. This helps provide me with essential fats, post-workout. Although fats are slow-digesting, they pair with carbohydrates as my main fuel source, for high-intensity and/or longer, endurance-based workouts.
Stay Consistent
Forget the tired terms of “diet” and “healthy” habits. Peak physical performance is strived for, attained and achieved in the long-term. For your eating to support this, you need to enforce a lifestyle change.
I refuse to believe that committing to methods which are known to improve your quality of life is “too hard” or “hasn’t worked in the past”. I speak with members of my work out program daily who are undertaking challenging classes and finding amazing successes. It’s all possible.
The Right Mindset
My ‘secret’ is that there is no secret. Keep things simple and effective. There is no miracle pill or undiscovered diet that I am in possession of. All you need are the right principles in place and the will-power to enforce it, until it becomes the norm.
Scott Evennett is a health, fitness and mindset expert who has served in the Australian Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) as an Australian Commando