Because nutrition varies from person to person, I decided to ask two student athletes, Cooper Collinge '21 and Caroline Korman '21, at Fort Worth Country Day to participate in my project. I provided them with guidelines to follow in their daily lives that promote balance and simplify the idea of a healthy diet. In order to make the process as stress-free as possible, these guidelines were very flexible.
I began by showing them some easy snacks that they could make after school. It is easy to grab a bag of chips after a long day, but small changes like these are crucial for a sustainable lifestyle. As we got further into the semester, I began showing them how to swap common "unhealthy" foods for healthier options without sacrificing satisfaction and flavor. A few examples of this are swapping regular pasta for plant based protein pasta, white bread for whole wheat or whole grain bread, and drinking water, tea, or coffee instead of soda.
At the end of each week, I asked them a few questions: Did you notice a change in your ability to focus? Did you find that it was easier to participate in sports? Did you have more energy during the school day? What was your mood like throughout the week?
At the end of the first week, they reported that they had a more clear mind, but didn't notice any drastic changes in their energy levels. By the end of the third week, they said that they found it much more easy to consistently participate in their sports during games and practices.
Although this project was not initiated with the intent to lose weight, both reported that they noticed they saw changes in their physical appearance. Cooper reported losing 6 pounds and Caroline reported losing 5.
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