When I Realized the Power of Nutrition.

I was feeling fine. I had earned some good playing time in my first two years and even gotten an all conference nod coming off the bench--things were good…but there was something telling me that it could be better, I could be feeling better, and I could therefore be playing better.

Conveniently, it was around this time that I declared nutrition as a major. Declaring a major was a whole different story and process (just ask my coach and teammates) but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it completely opened my eyes to what it was that I may have been missing--proper nutrition. I was doing all the basketball work that was being asked of me: hitting the weight room, ball handling and shooting in the gym, conditioning workouts, off season training, etc., but what I wasn't doing was paying any attention to how I was fueling myself between all those moments.

Once I started paying attention to my nutrition--things changed.

Eating before morning conditioning? Wow I can run faster for longer.

Halftime snack during a game? Wow I don’t hit the wall like I used too.

Better balance in meals throughout the day? Wow I’m noticing way more strength gains and muscle definition.

Yes, there is a lot that goes into performance and I’m not saying all of this was ONLY because of nutrition, but I can absolutely guarantee that much of it was. Training wise, things stayed mostly consistent—it was nutrition that I really focused and started to utilize that I think helped those positive changes be seen.

Now that I’m a professional in the world of sports nutrition and dietetics it makes even more sense. It doesn’t require groundbreaking and complex changes to elevate performance, it’s small, consistent, realistic changes—that’s where the magic happens. My goal is to bring this magic to athletes that may not have sports nutrition as a resource to them. It truly can elevate performance, see for yourself!

You can create your own nutrition plan through the Collegiate Nutrition Academy. Interested in learning more? Apply here.