Action Steps

1. Stock your office, gym bag, back pack, or locker with performance food.

Throw in some raw nuts (raw cashews are a good choice, delivering a sloid balance of carbs, fat, and protein), a can of wild Alaskan salmon or light tuna and a can opener, or, in a pinch, an organic whole food energy bar (available at many health food stores). That way, you’ll be sure of having the right kind of food to fuel you through your day, whatever life throws at you.

2. Avoid energy drinks and coffee, and try a more natural alternative.

OK, so coffee is natural, but it’s not really natural for us to drink it. Coffee gives you a quick high followed by an inevitable crash. Worse, it’s very habit forming. Drink it for a while, and you’ll find you can’t function without it. Energy drinks are even worse, not to mention full of artificial chemicals that do God knows what to your body in the long run. If you need a pick me up at “Go Time”, try taking some Korean white root ginseng an hour in advance. Or take some L-Tyrosine (an amino acid found in all protein, chicken, fish, etc…) with your pre-game snack. Tyrosine is the natural chemical that your body uses to make adrenaline, and a little extra Tyrosine with a meal can charge up your adrenals to fuel you to your best performance. If you think you really need caffeine to kick into high gear, try green tea instead of coffee. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, and is less habit forming than coffee, which contains a few other drugs in addition to caffeine.

3. Hydrate the Day Before

Every cell in our body functions worse when we aren’t properly hydrated. Even a 3% drop in total body water can have severe effects on mental and physical performance.  For an average sized person, this is around one liter of water. It’s easy to lose this much through the day just sweating, going to the bathroom, and breathing. There’s no reason to ever let yourself get dehydrated, but staying hydrated is especially important when you’ve got to perform.  It takes a while for the water you drink to reach all of your cells, so always be sure to hydrate well the day before an important event. It's important to hydrate with quality water that contains electrolytes, which are critical for absorption. Fiji, Voss, and Smart Water are all good choices, but they can get expensive. Alternatively, add a small pinch of sea salt - not enough to taste - to filtered water to up its electrolyte content and make it easier for your cells to absorb.