If you’ve followed me for long enough you’ll have seen me go through some stuff with my health. In 2019/2020 I had multiple IV iron infusions because the diet I was following was not sufficient to nourish my body. I doggedly continued that diet, which led me to complete exhaustion while I pushed my body to the extremes of physical exertion 🥵

At the time I felt like a failure for not being able to make the diet work for me – others made it work so why couldn’t I? 😔 For a long time I beat up my body, berating it for not doing what I wanted it to do. Until one day I had a conversation with an expert on different body types, and she suggested a different diet. I knew instinctively that she was right because in the past when I had eaten that way my body was strong and healthy 💪👌

With that ‘permission’, with that ‘expert’ opinion, I allowed myself to change my diet to one that worked for me. Unsurprisingly, my body got stronger, I felt soooo much better and IV iron became a thing of the past 💉

Now, I work with a nutritionist to help me out from time to time. Just like my coach, physio, and counsellor, my nutritionist is part of my team to help keep me fit and healthy. 

There are so many fad diets, and competing messages out there for how we should eat and what we should strive for. Over the years the main thing I’ve learnt is to listen to my body and look at what is going on with my health as clues to how I should be feeding this amazing machine. We are all different, what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, so also remember not to judge yourself by someone else’s measure 💫

Things I do:

🍲 Plan my food for the week: meals, snacks – the lot

🍲 Cook my breakfast, lunch and dinner in advance and box it up ready to go

🍲 Ensure I’m eating enough for my training, even on rest days

🍲 Eat a balanced diet, there are no ‘bad’ foods/food groups

🍲 Seek professional help when I need it