~Outlier Chronicles~
By: Giovanni Curcio
A Brief Introduction to Better Vitality by Outlier’s Performance Nutritionist!
“First off, there is no such thing as a perfect diet,” Carrie Hogan kicks off her seminar with an alluring smile, “and if there is, it’s simply not sustainable.”
Carrie, our new in-house performance nutritionist, flashes to the next PowerPoint slide with the confidence of a seasoned presenter.
“Simplicity is key here. The funny thing is, we already intuitively know what we should and shouldn’t be eating,” she continues while diligently studying our reactions, “intuitively we already know we shouldn’t be reaching for that extra helping of macaroni and cheese, or that ultra-rich chocolate ice cream. But we do it anyway. And it’s okay, we’re only human.”
Tell me about it, I smirk ironically as I take another sip of my soda.
“Changing too many things at once, especially when it comes to your diet, is a sure recipe for disaster. But I’m not here to badger you about what you can and can’t eat,” Carrie’s next slide pops up, displaying a cornucopia of vibrant fruits and veggies, “instead, I want to help you devise a lasting, sustainable strategy to replace poor eating habits with better ones. Start your meal with raw, fiber-rich veggies to curb your portion intake; chew your fruits, rather than drinking them in the form of sugary juices – these are but a few simple, everyday tricks you can use to begin building a better dietary foundation. And the better your foundation, the stronger your house.”
Sadly, I realize I don’t even recognize half of the produce on the screen: that’s a problem.
“No matter how dedicated an athlete you may be, the reality is your motivation to stick to a strict diet is going to ebb and flow. There’s going to be times when you just won’t be able to resist temptation, but that’s alright. Indulging a bit here and there isn’t going to ruin you. Remember, the poison is always in the dosage.” She cues up the next slide, which appears to be a pyramid composed of mostly produce, and a small section for animal meats.
Shit. I’ve got it upside down.
“What you’re going to want to look for are foods that are nutrient dense.” She continues, “That means foods that contain naturally higher ratios of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants. Choosing unprocessed, traditional foods not only maximizes your nutritional intake, but will subsequently maximize your performance.”
Better foods, better fuel, I note.
“Single ingredient foods found in nature are your absolute best resource for providing your body with nutrients it can readily break down and use. Processed foods sacrifices natural water content, nutrients, and fiber – which greatly hinders what our bodies actually digest and absorb.”
Carrie gives us another radiant smile and, I think, is making an active effort not to go overboard with clinical terminology, “You see, everything we eat depends on our digestion. This is where the term gut health comes from. You need to be able to efficiently absorb the nutrients in your food, or else your diet won’t matter much. One effective method of improving digestion is by reducing your body’s nutritional stress. By regularly increasing the nutritional density of the foods in your diet, you will increase your body’s ability for nutrient absorption.” She pauses to let that little gem sink in, “This is why I promote building a better foundation, i.e. your regular dietary habits, before worrying about the addition of supplements.”
She clicks to another slide of vegetables. Surprise, surprise.
“Make veggies the foundation of your meals,” Carrie elaborates, “green veggies, especially, have no limitations. Eat them freely and as often as you can. If fruit is your thing, then try and shoot for berries – they’re usually higher in fiber and antioxidant content. And as I mentioned earlier, be wary of juices because their high concentrations of sugar can lead to unnecessary fat storage. Make your body work to access the fructose!”
So long O.J., I mourn silently.
“Learn to love spices, too,” she adds with an entire screen dedicated to all their varieties, “each is a nutritional powerhouse in their own right. Ginger, for example, increases your body’s metabolism and reduces inflammatory responses; garlic boost autoimmune functions; and cinnamon has the wondrous effect of reducing the glycemic response of our food intake. I try and add it wherever I can, especially in my morning coffee.”
And now I’m going to add cinnamon to literally everything I eat.
“In summary,” she wraps up by the end of the presentation, “try your best to make raw, unprocessed foods the foundation of your diet. The less ingredients, the better. And don’t become discouraged if you find yourself tempted every now and again, just try and be mindful of your dosage of poison. As long as the majority of your diet is composed of fresh, real foods, you’ll be harder to derail in the long run. And that’s what life is all about, isn’t it? So don’t shoot for ‘perfect’, shoot for ‘good enough’, and you’ll begin to see long-term, sustainable results to your overall physical health and improved performance.”