George Lockhart is an American Nutritionist who is currently working with World Heavyweight Champion boxer Tyson Fury. In this blog he explains his tips on healthy eating for performance.
“Everyone knows that Boxers and Pro Fighters need to make a weight limit, but few people think that you can easily follow the same routines and planning they do to achieve similar results.
There really is no magic formula or secret to achieve success. I always say that if you eat healthy, train hard, and give your body what it needs, then you will achieve peak fitness – the weight loss is just a by-product of that process.
For example on this current Training Camp up at Tyson Fury’s house in the North of England, I do the food shop for the group just like you would at home.
OK, because we’ve got a house full of professional boxers maybe I visit the shops a bit more than you would, but we eat together, home cook our meals and use the same foods you would. So really it’s no different to anyone else doing your family food shop.
The trick is getting used to asking questions about your food and making good healthy choices about the brands you buy.
Take meat. We always buy from a local butcher who can tell us everything about that piece of meat. Where it was from, where it was butchered, how it’s been stored, prepared and importantly the animal welfare aspect as well. Do you ask yourself similar questions about everything you eat?
It’s easy to fall into a routine with food shopping – especially when you’re busy working – and lose motivation for cooking the same old thing. Tyson’s butcher is so good we get the variety of cuts and suggestions from them to keep it varied. All while being confident in the supply chain.
It’s the same with every food. With Manuka honey in particular you have to be aware of where it’s harvested and packed, because when you’re paying top dollar for such a unique honey, you’ve got to be confident it’s the real deal.
That’s why I’m happy to have partnered with Manuka Doctor honey to supply all our honey needs on this camp.
As well as cooking with it, I feed it to the fighters daily in an immunity tonic drink – and we use it all the time as part of the sports nutrition. Either in a shake or just a spoonful before a session.
Just like our local food market and butcher, we know it’s of the highest quality, where it comes from, and is going to deliver on what it promises.
When you find a product you love, then it’s about learning new ways to use that ingredient.
If you think about my job, these guys are eating a lot of meat for protein, but it’d get real boring real fast if I didn’t add a lot of variety into how I prepare that single ingredient. Sauces, marinades, dressings and mixes.
The same goes for Olive Oil, fruits, nuts and vegetables. Spend a little time learning about where that product was made – how it was made – and if it’s truly as natural as it can be.
To sum things up. If you want the best out of your body, then you’ve got to put the right foods in. If you owned a Lamborghini you would put in top grade Petrol. The same applies for food.
Avoid processed foods, think about where your ingredients come from, and learn to use them well in different ways.
