Fueling Your Body for Peak Performance

It was my niece's birthday today, so I pretty much relaxed the entire day. I did put myself through a quick conditioning routine though in the morning. My body's a bit beat up and resting seemed like a good idea. Because I was at a children's party (my niece, Madison, just turned one), there was a lot of dessert. I normally eat healthy, but today, I binged on some chocolate cupcakes and ice cream.

Since I was in high school, I've adopted the philosophy that the human body is the best instrument you will ever have/use--the "perfect" machine. Just like any machine, the human body needs to be taken care of properly: proper exercise, nutrition, rest, etc. Many people train well and rest adequately, but they neglect proper dieting and supplementation. I'm a huge fan of healthy living and often follow a strict nutrition program. Similar to experimenting with martial arts techniques and strategies, I've tried many nutrition programs and have tried a lot of different supplements.

About 5 years ago, I found what I think is the "perfect formula" for my body. It took a lot of patience and determination to go through all the experimenting, but it was worth it because I feel strong and energetic when I follow my program. In a nutshell, I eat six times a day and avoid the low carb lifestyle. Moreover, I use a good multi-vitamin, a range of natural herb supplements, and several sports supplements. For the past few months, I've been experimenting with a new approach that calls for eating different organic and natural foods, and supplementing with a ton of different vitamins. Thus far, I think the organic foods are making a difference. As for the vitamins, I won't continue taking about 70% of them when they run out because I don't feel a difference.

If you've never been on a strict nutrition program, I highly recommend you give it a try--I guarantee you will feel better and have more energy. Eating right can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be, especially when you're just starting. In the Philippines, I don't know many people who really eat healthy. For those that do, they usually only last a few weeks. To explain how I go about my own diet, or to describe all the steps I think people should take, etc. etc. would take a long time. So, instead, I'll provide some personal insight into nutrition that might help lead you in the right direction. This is far from a comprehensive list and I could go on, but the idea is to provide you with some basic info (in no particular order).

1) Eat lots of chicken breast - For people who don't want to spend an arm and a leg on eating right, start out with chicken breast. It's cheap and it's easy to cook. It's low in calories, has a ton of protein, and has very little fat. There are times where I'll eat one or two chicken breasts every day, for months. Yes, it can get boring, but I rely on a lot of different herbs and spices to change the taste. I suggest you broil or grill your chicken. I prefer broiling. Oh, don't even think about eating the skin. Throw away the skin even before you cook your chicken breast.

2) Eat salad - There are a ton of benefits to eating vegetables and other green foods. Besides the common nutritional benefits, vegetables are low in calories, so you can eat a lot of it to help satisfy your hunger until your next meal. To make your salad more appealing, mix it up with different kinds of vegetables that you like. Steer clear of fatty dressing. If you don't like salad, try seasoned stir fried vegetables. For some reason, people who dislike cold salads sometimes welcome hot and "cooked" vegetables.

3) Simple/Complex carbs in the morning - When you eat breakfast, you should feed your body foods that have simple and complex carbohydrates. If you don't know the difference, here's a quick and dirty explanation. Simple carbohydrates equate to quick energy, while complex carbohydrates are commonly known to provide more sustained energy. Because your body has been sleeping, it needs some quick energy. Fruits are a good source of simple carbs. I usually have a banana and some berries with my breakfast. Oatmeal is a good source of complex carbs. When I can't get either of these, I will normally drink some fresh orange juice, or something with sugar (simple carbs) and eat some whole wheat/grain bread (complex carbs), and take in some protein--normally a protein powder.

4) Protein is your friend. Invest in a good protein powder that you can use daily. I use protein powder twice a day, usually, because I think it's convenient. I rather drink a protein shake than cook up some egg whites in the morning, for example. If you're using a protein shake/powder, drink one in the morning for breakfast, some time during the day, and one before going to bed. Personally, I drink casein protein at night--I do feel a difference between casein and whey.

5) As a snack, or even a short time before bed, cottage cheese and an apple is a good combination. Without getting detailed, the cottage cheese will stay in your system for a while providing you with a good source of protein, and an apple will give you quick energy without the crash (it's a low GI food).

6) Water. You've heard about it time and time again--drink 8 cups a day. But, don't stop there. Drink more. I drink at least a gallon a day. If I can, and normally during periods when I train hard, I drink 2 gallons a day. At first you'll be heading the the restroom very often, but your body will adjust.

7) Try staying away from "cheap" energy drinks. They're usually low quality beverages with lots of sugar, some taurine, a negligible amount of vitamins, and caffeine. They're good for waking you up, most of the time, but aren't great for athletic performance. There are some decent ones out there, but they are expensive. Also, they are not readily available in the Philippines. If you drink coffee, make sure to follow it up with a glass of water. Coffee is known to dehydrate the body, so the water will help off set this. (As a side note, I remember one time when I rolled shortly after drinking a cup of coffee. It was at the Carlson Gracie Academy and I was training for the Gracie Worlds. During my first sparring session, I gassed so fast and felt my feet cramping up. I blame it on the coffee.)

8) Supplement properly. Finding the right supplements for your body is difficult. There are a lot of supplements out there that are nonsense, while others work for some, but not all. It's a matter of experimenting. I do recommend that you at least take a good multivitamin - not one of those "once a day" multivitamins. Take one that is either time-release formulated or a twice a day formula. Also, I find that a good amino acid or glutamine supplement taken religiously, helps me recover much faster and helps me build quality muscle.

Now, people always ask me what supplements I take. When I tell them, they can't believe it. I've even heard people tell others that I take or have taken steroids. (I've never taken steroids and don't plan to. I don't even know the first thing about steroid use!) So, instead of answering that question, I'll ask you a question. What do you want? What are your goals? Do you want to be Mr. Olympia, or do you want to be a bad ass fighter? If you want to be as big as Batista, then you probably won't believe me when I tell you I don't take the latest body building supplement. If you're supplementing to perform better, then you'll likely understand why I like using herbs such as grape seed extract.

You can train well. You can rest a lot. However, if you're not fueling your body with the right stuff, you might be limiting your ability to perform.

Tags: nutrition, diet, program, mixed martial arts, fighters, brazilian jiu jitsu