Peak Nutrition. Maria Hines
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as all-or-nothing thinking. In general, in the first few months it is more important not to skip your habits than it is to see progress. Consistency will eventually lead to improvement and success.
4. Plan for failure. I (Mercedes) have added this to James Clear’s list because it’s the one we thing we forget about. We all fail. Without this, though, we wouldn’t grow. When building a habit, it’s important to plan for failure, or at least leave room for things to go a different way. For example, if you know you are going to brunch with friends, either give yourself a break and tell yourself, “I’m okay with eating this and I will enjoy it,” or look at the menu ahead of time and decide what you can eat before you get there and cave because you’re too hungry to think about it. Planning ahead can keep you consistent or at least ease your guilt. And remember, you can always go right back to your habits if you have a “blip.”
PEAK NUTRITION ANCHORS
These anchors are meant to be built upon each other. Just like skills, one builds upon the next, slowly making you into a nutrition ninja. After you set one anchor, you can set another, then another, until you have set them all and you are in complete control of your nutrition. The goal is to work on each anchor for two to four weeks. Once you feel like you are applying one anchor consistently and doing it every day, add the next one. We don’t recommend doing these all at once.
•Anchor One: Eat slowly and to 80 percent full.
•Anchor Two: Eat whole foods.
•Anchor Three: Switch to water or zero calorie drinks.
•Anchor Four: Eat balanced macronutrient meals.
•Anchor Five: Eat local and organic.
•Anchor Six: Get to know your eating habits.
•Anchor Seven: Experiment.
Anchor One: Eat Slowly and to 80 Percent Full.
This is the hardest anchor to set, which is why it’s the first one we list. The next time you eat, notice how fast you are eating. Mercedes: I was definitely a fast eater for most of my life because I was always rushing and always eating at the last minute. But since adopting this simple habit, my gut health has improved (no more acid reflux or gut cramping) and my portions are controlled, allowing me to be free from calorie counting. Do this with every food you eat, whether it’s junk food, chocolate cake, or a delicious broccoli salad. In theory, you will see benefits as long as you eat slowly and mindfully—and stop when you are 80 percent full.
How to start with eating slowly: Set a timer for 20 minutes. Sit at a table with no distractions. Smell your food. Have gratitude. Then fill your fork with only a bit of food and put it in your mouth. Put your fork down. Chew your food, feel the texture, and relish the taste. Swallow and wait longer than you normally would before picking up your fork again and repeating. Did you make your food last for 20 minutes? If not, no problem. Start by adding 1 minute to your current eating tempo. This will take time, and you’ll notice that you’ll enjoy your food so much more.
How to know when you are 80 percent full: Twenty minutes is the benchmark for eating duration because it takes that long for your satiety signals to go from gut to brain and back to the gut. Every few minutes, check in with yourself: Are you content? Or are you still hungry? If the latter, keep eating, slowly. This is also a trial-and-error process. Certain foods, like desserts and salty snacks, trick us into continuing to eat. The Pringles slogan is “once you pop, you can’t stop,” and it’s bloody true. Knowing when you’re 80 percent full will be especially challenging with these types of food, so go deep and notice how you feel while eating them.
You can also reinforce portion control by reducing the size of dish that you eat from or serving yourself smaller portions to start. This can help you slow down and feel less guilty about finishing your food. If it’s on your plate and you like it, you will eat it no matter how full you are.
PEAK PROFILE
SHAWNTÉ SALABERT
On longer hikes or runs, I carry an assortment of energy bites and bars, but nothing can replace the tried-and-true power of Swedish Fish (preferably the large ones, red only). Sure, there’s the quick sugar hit, but it’s really all about the emotional energy boost for me.
I have a delicate digestive system; too much sugar or caffeine, or any amount of gluten, will set off intestinal fireworks. My solution is to move toward more whole foods and fewer processed ones; it means a heavier carry, but a happy tummy is worth the extra weight.
Best: I eat breakfast every single day; it’s a great way to keep my fire stoked from the jump. Worst: If I buy a bag of chips or a box of cookies, I will annihilate it within one or two sittings. Oh, the guilt! And the indigestion!
As I partake in more endurance-based physical challenges, I’m learning that not only do I need to vary my “fuel” to include fewer packaged items and more real food energy sources, like sweet potatoes and nut butters, but I also have to eat more frequently so I don’t bonk.
Anyone who’s ever backpacked with me knows that for the last few miles of any trip, all I can think about is biting down into a warm, gooey, cheese-stuffed enchilada.
Cat lady for life! Maxine, my slow, but trusty 2005 Honda Civic. Down.
Shawnté Salabert is a Los Angeles–based freelance writer interested in the connections between humans and the natural world. Her work has appeared in Adventure Journal, AFAR, Alpinist, Backpacker, Los Angeles Magazine, Modern Hiker, and Outside, among other outlets. She is also an avid hiker, runner, and author of Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California.
This is your back-up anchor because when all else fails, or you feel out of control, you can always come back to it.
Meal frequency. As long as you eat the right foods slowly, and stop when you are 80 percent full, meal frequency is a matter of personal preference and can be mapped to your individual training, eating, and recovery plan for your mountain sport. You could eat smaller meals often or large meals less often. Experiment with what works best for you.