Do you follow a regime that is geared around nutrition for high performance? Let’s find out by considering the six styles of dining behaviour.
The six patterns are called : survivors, vaudevillers, disease avoiders, food faddists, fat-fighters and health enhancers.
Which pattern best describes how you eat?
1.SURVIVORS eat to stay
If they did not have to eat, they wouldn’t. Food is not important to them, nor do they think it tastes that great. Food bores them and nutrition is of little interest. As a result, survivors give the topic and the process minimal attention.
2. VAUDEVILLERS are at the other extreme.
Food is primarily entertainment! All that matters is how something tastes. Implications for the shape or health of the body, the manner of food preparation, the source of the food item are of no concern to the vaudeville diner. Another word for this pattern is junk food junkie. If there were a United Church of Eat, they would be ministers!
3.DISEASE-AVOIDERS are inadvertently trained to worry about nearly everything they eat by some health educators, doctors, nutritionists and health book
This group is frightened by the latest research which implies that nearly.everything causes cancer, and what’s left causes heart disease! Further, if these maladies don’t get them, something else they ate recently probably will!
4. FAT-FIGHTERS are the unhappiest of all eaters.
Everything they eat seems to go to their hips or gut. They eat more than other people but enjoy it less. Food contains not just calories but guilt, fat, shame and kgs. Fat-fighters spend a lot of money on weight-loss books, fat farms and spas, doctors, special diets, restaurants and supermarkets. Food of all kinds is seen as both a positive and negative four-letter word.
5. FOOD FADDISTS are no fun to be
They want you to worry, feel guilty or get angry about.food issues. If the food item is not organic, home-grown, freshly picked or purchased in a “health food” store, it is viewed as if it were a toxic agent like PCB or otherwise harmful, contagious or sinful. They are the folks who pop vitamin and mineral supplements throughout the day and consider a blend of wheat germ and tofu a gourmet dinner.
Last, and definitely not least, is the
6. HEALTH ENHANCER style of eating
This is a pattern that is growing in popularity among wellness-oriented folks who are as concerned about health and performance as they are about taste or pleasure. This is the diet type that will ensure you have sufficient nutrition for high performance.
High Performers are or will become a health-enhancer diner.
There are only two basic reasons why you should adopt the health-enhancer style of eating. One is you will be sick less often, and the other is that you will enjoy a higher quality of life!
No, it is not difficult, or expensive, to dine for performance, health and pleasure. But, it takes some effort and requires a bit of knowledge.
How close are you to being a health-enhancer already?
If you can check “yes” to all ten questions, you are a “health enhancer diner.”
A LITTLE QUIZ
1. I eat at least one of the following nearly every day. Citrus fruits, melon, strawberries, green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, or tomatoes.
Yes / No
2. I favour non-fat or low-fat milk, avoiding artificial non-dairy creamers, regular milk and cream.
Yes / No
3. When I indulge myself with high fat and/or sugary foods, I do so without guilt because my diet is basically consistent with high performance dining and I’m physically fit and deserving of enjoying occasional departures from being a culinary saint!
Yes / No
4. I only eat fried and greasy food on rare occasions.
Yes / No
5. I often eat poultry, fish, part-skim cheeses and dry beans.
Yes / No
6. The cereals I buy are sugar free, whole-grain.
Yes / No
7. I ensure that I include plenty of roughage and fibre in my daily diet.
Yes / No
8. I make it a point to have healthy snacks in my work and home environments, such as bananas, apples, oranges, celery sticks, carrots and the like.
Yes / No
9. I know better than to use food as a stress management technique, in fact, I usually do a brief form of relaxation or meditation ritual before eating to insure that I am centred and “balanced.”
Yes / No
10. I make a special effort to follow a regular eating schedule.
Yes / No
If you are·at the low extreme or somewhere in the middle, don’t despair! Start. today to dine for performance, health and pleasure.
You won’t regret it.
If you are at 10 or nearly at 10 you can be assured you have what it takes in the form of nutrition for high performance.
