I have a confession – I didn’t really eat green vegetables until I was in my late twenties. My father said that my mother tried to force feed me brussel sprouts when I was little and I wouldn’t eat anything green after that experience! Admittedly I didn’t start eating brussel sprouts until my late thirties!!

Whatever the reason, as I look back I think I functioned pretty well under the circumstances but since discovering the power of green vegetables I know I certainly function way better these days…….both physically and mentally.

What are the main changes I noticed?

Soooooo many but here are a few…….

• My focus increased and I started to crush through my to-do list in less time
• I was able to be fully present for longer in client meetings
• I discovered way more energy for my training and, in particular, started to run more on top of teaching fitness classes.

How should we eat for maximum performance?

Everyone is built differently, and with different goals, so I’m certainly not going to start preaching exactly how everyone should eat but here are a few broad tips to work with………

• Eat breakfast – Just like putting fuel in your car before a roadtrip – it makes sense to fuel your brain at the start of the day
• Eat your greens (and if you don’t like eating them…….. drink them in a smoothie) – Green vegetables have so many micronutrients to help you thrive both physically and mentally. They are the biggest bang for your buck in terms of most about of nutrients for the least amount of calories. And yes they are carbohydrates so a great replacement for other more “comfort carbs” (think pasta, potatoes, bread etc) which don’t sustain your brain performance.
• Fill up on protein instead of “comfort carbs” – Proteins whether plant-based or meat-based are always great to help you feel fuller for longer as well as help your muscles repair.
• Get the good stuff into you first – Now don’t get me wrong – I still love chocolate and chicken schnitzel burgers as much as the next person (probably more so) but it’s important to fuel your brain first. Once you have the nutrients you need, if you can fit in a few other things which your tastebuds love then go for it. At Next Evolution Performance we are all about 80/20 when it comes to food.

If you would like to find out more about how to fuel your brain for sustained performance, we’d love to hear from you. So contact us.

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If you’d like to find out more, join the conversation in our next open workshop.

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