How vegetable gains can boost your training
Like Peanut Butter? Try this Peanut Soba Super Salad
We recently had a conversation with one potential fighter we'll call "X" that went like this:
JAI: You've got some great speed and quick reflexes unusual for someone your size (He's wears XXXXL)
X: Yes. I just get tired so fast. I don't want to be the 30-second fighter.
JAI: What do you eat?
X: I eat McDonald's three times a day and have snacks like coke, chips and pies in between because that doesn't fill me up.
JAI: Do you get any fiber into your diet - that can help to fill you up.
X: Fibre. What's that?
JAI: It's found in vegetables - you can eat them with rice when you stir-fry them or raw in salads if you prefer.
X: You know what. I don't actually like McDonald's. it's just easy to eat with my colleagues, but it makes me feel so sleepy and tired after eating it.
What we were amazed at was how well X performed on this diet of fast and junk food. If he was good now, imagine how much athletic potential he would have if he improved his diet!
MASSIVE MUAY THAI GAINS!
We don't have anything against fast food as a treat - but as a large part of your diet, it's lacking in essential nutrients essential for keeping your body working as it should and full of other stuff that affects your body negatively.
Even if weight gain wasn't an issue - as a Muay Thai athlete, imagine how much you could do with;
extra speed
faster reflexes
more energy
longer endurance
... and being able to go through life with more focus and an added spring in your step.
That's a lot of gains you're missing out on.
One simple way of improving your diet is by simply increasing the amount of vegetable produce in every meal. Yes, we know salads are expensive, especially when they don't fill you up, so they are a side, on top of your main meal.
But if you have some extra time, try combining some protein with your veggies, for a one-dish meal solution. If you load up on vegetable produce at the Farmer's Markets or grab a big bulk bag of pre-washed salad from the supermarket, you can be set for a week at a relatively affordable cost.
Another plus - if you go easy on the dressings, you can actually eat until you're satisfied - so there's no need to worry about going hungry. In fact, it's better to be satisfied now, rather than indulge in a less healthy dessert or snack later in the day. And one good thing about vegetable produce is that it's high in all the good stuff, but low in the bad stuff (like calories).
The good thing about vegetable produce is that it's loaded in fiber and water to give you a feeling satiated, and paired with healthy protein sources, will keep you feeling full for longer than a Triple Cheese Burger Hunger Buster combo.
PS Gains aside, you may even grow to like the taste better!