Some of you might be wondering if I follow a strict diet or if I am obsessed with what I eat. Well here’s the truth I am not obsessed with what I eat, honestly I view “dieting” as unpleasant.  I regard nutrition as important especially on the elite level. For me it’s more about having a passion to live a balanced life. Having a balanced life means focusing on good habits and taking care of your body. I usually stick to guidelines as apposed to following a strict diet that would have me counting the calories and stress over my weight. Plus it makes me happier to now and again be able to indulge and treat myself to a slice of chocolate cake or a waffle. I listen to my body so when I am hungry I eat and when I have a craving I try and fulfil that craving!

I usually eat more when on a marathon program, which is normal. I don’t eat before my morning runs as it is too early to eat, I would only have a cup of coffee to wake me up and give me some energy to get out of the house. Guidelines include consuming nutrients that would give me the energy I need and allow my body to recover.

Below I have shared my eating plan, to give my followers more insight into how I eat, so that you can better plan your own diets. I believe that everyone’s eating plan should be individualized, so the idea is not to copy what I eat but to rather help you should you need some advise on healthy eating habits.

My advice: Aim for consistent good habits and keep it simple!

Do’s
*Eat lots of vegetables – (mostly steamed) Vegetables contain antioxidants which helps you recover , as well as other nutrients which powers your workouts.
*Eat breakfast everyday- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A morning meal offers you a chance to replenish your glycogen and recover the muscles from the previous day’s damage , thus I ensure that I consume both protein and carbohydrates.
*Eat atleast 2 fruits a day.
*Try to cut down the sugar, by avoiding sweets, chocolates ect- I try and replace sugar with honey in my tea and when I have oats.

*Snack during the day- usually with nuts, fruits, biltong, protein bars.

*Drink lots of water- Without sufficient water, your brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, nerves cannot work properly.

Dont’s
*I try and stay away from fast foods.
*I try and avoid soda’s
*Don’t drink alcohol when I in season training.

What can I not go a day without?
Coffee. I seriously would not function without it. It’s scary , I think I am addicted to it. I usually drink it before a run , so that I am able to take my iron tablets after my run. Iron does not absorb when you have it with coffee and milk.

My trusted snack for energy boost
Banana

How I stay hydrated during a run
I usually have peptopro on my longruns , where I practice taking it every 5km’s. In my training sessions I woud sip on it during the sets. And then post sessions, I would always have a 500ml of peptopro supplement to aid recovery.

Most challenging
Drinking 3L of water a day. I don’t like drinking water, but I know it is of utmost importance. So I just keep my 500ml bottle of water close to me and remind myself that I have to atleast drink 5-6d of them during the day.

Favourite meal
Pizza or Thai green curry

Favourite Treat
Chocolate cake or Brownie

Favourite fruit
Mango and Pineapple

Eating plan

Breakfast
Option 1:
Bowl of Oats with cinnamon , honey and milk.
2 boiled eggs
Coffee

Option 2
Plain Yogurt with mixed fruits
Hot breakfast- egg , 1 slice of low GI bread , bacon/macon or baked beans.

Lunch
Option 1
Protein (1 serving) Chicken snitzel/any other meat; salad ,
Starch (1 serving): potatoes/sweet potatoe/rice/pasta
Vegetable (2 servings): Beetroot/ greens/ coldslaw

Option 2
Spagetti bolonaise/

Vegetables (2 servings) : Carrots/ any greens

Dinner
More or less the same as lunch, but with a different protein. So if I had chicken at lunch, I would have fish or meat as my protein source. Also with the starch, if I had potatoes the afternoon I would have rice for dinner.
Rooibos Tea with honey and milk.