Mastering Martial Arts #10: Five Easy Nutrition Tips

In 2008, I was in the process of losing 5kg to make weight for the World Grappling Games.Losing 5kg when you’re already lean is a challenge. Particularly when the weigh in and fight are only a few hours apart.

I had reduced my calorie intake, I was drinking an ocean of water, and had cut out simple carbohydrates (such as bread and pasta).

And everything was going great until about 2 weeks before the competition. That’s when I found myself staring at a loaf of bread, salivating.

All I could think about was how good a piece of toast would taste.

After a lot of soul-searching, I decided I’d have that piece of toast and no one was going to stop me. It was everything I’d dreamt it would be and more. Toast had never tasted so good.

As an athlete, I regularly have to make weight to ensure I have the best chance of winning. Thankfully, I normally don’t have to lose that much, but it can still be challenging.

I also have to make sure any changes I make don’t negatively affect my performance. This has led me to research diet and nutrition, and I found out one thing…

…it’s incredibly confusing.

Everyone seems to say something different, and it’s no wonder people struggle to know what’s best for them. Some people say you should cut out carbohydrates, some say complex carbs are fine, some say it makes no difference if you eat carbs or not.

The major problem with all nutrition research is the human body is an incredibly complex system, and it’s difficult to isolate how changes will affect the body.

So what can you do?

There are a few things every nutritionist agrees on, and everyone can do that have a positive impact on your health. They’re not complicated, won’t require much extra effort, and might even save you money.

In episode 10 of Mastering Martial Arts, I cover 5 simple diet and nutrition tips that can have a big impact on your health.

Key Points:

• Avoid processed foods
• Eat vegetables with every meal
• Drink plenty of water (1 litre per 20 kgs body weight)
• If you don’t have it, you can’t eat it
• Cook

Try one out for 30 days and see how it works for you. If you feel the benefit then keep going and make another change.

If you do make any changes, don’t worry if you mess up occasionally like I did with the toast. I’ve found if you stick to a diet 80% of the time you’ll still reach your goals.

To learn more about martial arts classes in Plymouth and to get a Free Trial call 01752 262233 or visit https://martialartsplymouth.co.uk/start

A while ago, I created a short nutrition course that covers many important aspects of diet and nutrition. It’s designed to be simple and full of actionable information.

It’s completely FREE and is delivered directly to your inbox in bite-sized lessons.

To access the course visit https://martialartsplymouth.co.uk/start/nutrition-for-martial-arts/