Creating a functional body, fit for the soul

What do I eat before Aikido? I get home late and need to get to bed at a decent hour. What do I eat after Aikido? What can I eat when I will not be training to better prepare my body for when I am training?

The phrase "you are what you eat" seems to become more and more true in my life. Practicing Aikido keeps me present in my relationship with diet and nutrition. Can I feel food in my stomach during class? Does that affect my ability to stay connected? It is a touchy subject with Aikido and eating. If I have no calories will I function optimally? If I am full, my body wants to use its energy to digest and assimilate.

I have found that a plant-based diet built mostly on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains creates a healthy body. Meat can be eaten but it isn’t the main source of protein. Hemp protein, pea protein and the protein in beans and vegetables make up the majority of easily digestible protein I consume.

About two hours before training I like to have a couple of fresh fruits or dried dates and some raw nuts or hemp seeds. Mixing fat and protein with the simple sugars in fruits maximizes the duration of use from the carbs. Sustaining energy. Fruit again right after training. Then I return to a plant-based diet with a variety of fruits and all kinds of vegetables.

My favorite author on diet and exercise, Brendan Brazier, has created a line of athlete-focused, performance-enhancing nutritional whole food products. They are great snacks and additions to my diet before and after training in Aikido. The line is called "vega".

Editor's note: Biran and Biran Online will be featuring essays on diet and Aikido practice for the next few issues. Please send contributions through your chief instructor or directly to the Biran editor. Let's make this an ongoing dialog! My favorite products are Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer in berry flavor, Vega Sport Pre-workout energizer (acai berry flavor), Vega EFA (essential fatty acid) oil, and Vega Vibrancy bars. I buy my vega at www.iherb.com. They offer the best prices on vega and free shipping in the US.

For people who are interested I recommend Brazier’s books, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life, and Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness.

Katy Norris frequently cooks for events at Port Angeles Aikikai in Washington State.