Fuelling to thrive and celebrating your body, with Dietitian Jessie Speedy 🍓

Jessie is a New Zealand Registered Dietitian (NZRD) who works with athletes of all levels, from recreational enthusiasts to Olympians! An avid distance runner herself, Jessie champions the importance of fuelling your body to thrive in both sport and everyday life. Passionate about all things food, her go-to meal is a miso salmon poke bowl, and most weekends you'll find her enjoying an almond croissant with friends.

Below, Jessie shares her top tips on how to fuel and feel your best.

1. Fuel before and after all exercise session

Before exercise: eating an easy-to-digest carbohydrate-rich snack will help to up your energy stores, assist your body to hit high intensities and maintain concentration - all helping you perform at your best. Yes, even if you train at 5am this is still important! Start small with foods such as fruit juice, a banana, handful of dried fruit, or honey on toast. As your digestive system becomes 'well-trained' to eat before exercise look to increase this amount. 

After exercise: aim to refuel as soon as possible. Opt for a snack that contains carbohydrates and protein, or a complete meal. This will help kick-start your recovery by providing your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to adapt. Snacks such as yoghurt and granola, or a protein-rich fruit smoothie will do the trick if your next meal is longer than 1 hr away. Nourishing meals such as eggs and avocado on sourdough, or a salmon brown-rice poke bowl are some delicious ideas to refuel. 

2. Include all food groups and eat regularly across the day

I strongly believe that food is so much more than just 'fuel' for training. It has a role in social settings, for satisfaction, and for enjoyment! Enjoying a wide range of foods and not excluding whole food groups (unless confirmed dietary allergy) is a great way to maintain a healthy relationship with food. Additionally, eating regularly across the day (e.g. x3 meals and balancing snacks between) can help to sustain your energy across the day, improve recovery, and limit the chances under-fuelling (no eating enough for your activity level).

3. Leave comparison behind and embrace your unique self

It can be easy to compare what you eat to an Instagram influencer, your best friend, or even training partner. However, it is important to remark everyone's needs and preferences are different, especially when it comes to food. If you struggle with comparison, be mindful of who you choose to follow on social media as what is posted is not always a true reflection of someone's food intake. Focus on embracing your unique self. Choose to focus on goals such as feeling more energised in the pool, hitting a PB at the gym, or nailing your recovery protocols (e.g. sleep, nutrition, down time). 

4. Honour your body

Allow yourself to rest when needed and enjoy your favourite foods anytime. The body is amazing at letting us know what it needs (sleep, rest, food, water...). But these signals can get lost in the new digital age where apps and even devices can influence and override decision making about what to eat and how to do exercise. If this sounds like you, consider having at least one day a week where you do not use a wearable device such as an activity tracking smartwatch. Take this time to truly tune into your body. The strongest and best version of you is fuelled and confident in your own skin!

- Jessie xx

ps. you can find Jessie @sustainspeednutrition