Nutrition impacts coaching outcomes

Why nutrition is much more than eating healthy and support our physiology.

Whenever we engage in a conversation with a coach, mentor, or counsellor, we will most often do so because we have a desire, a wish or simply a sense, of something needs to change in some way. Sometimes that is fuelled by necessity, sometimes by curiosity.

Exploring fresh solutions or a more conscious understanding, of how carry ourselves in the world, and sometimes a deepfelt wish to become something different.

Science Photo Library - MIRIAM MASLO. / Getty Images

The thing is that any changes or divergence from our habits and routines will require additional resources. 

Or, if we do have enough the resources, the skill to re-distribute fuels that are already stored in our system. 

Resources can refer to several different kinds of resources depending on the context. Time, finances, staffing, knowledge and the likes, are what often comes to mind when we talk about having enough of them.

But resources are also necessary when it comes to fuelling what we do on a physiological level. In the context of oxygen and glucose to the brain and tissues. Calories to fuel metabolism, respiratory muscle activity and heartbeats. Blood cirkulation. Repair of damaged tissue, etc.

Our system will see energy surplus and availability as a main prioritisation. 

When we look at our chances of survival in this world, safety is key. And the best way to secure safety is by knowing what is going to happen. At best before what happens happen. Because being dead makes it pretty hard for us to be successful.

By maintaining a high degree of predicability we can enhance our chances of surpassing our genes, getting things done, and making sure that all the fun stuff we do wont kill us. 

When our clients seek us out. It is most often rooted in some form of "I would like to change things in my life" or for some, "life has forced me to find a different strategy than the one i have relied on so far." That involves change. And changing things is un-predictive. Changes demands available energy. Doing things in a different way, pattern, or structure than we are used to demands resources.

Because of our physiological need for prediction, we are very aware of changes in our environment and changes in our energy expenditure. Yes we have some build in emergency strategies, but they are not meant to supply us for longer periods of time, nor are they capable of supporting long term performance.

Prefrontal cortex activity is influenced in large part by the state of our nervous system. 

A high stressed stage will eventually take over our rational thinking, our ability to feel and express empathy. It will makes us more prone to "amygdala takeover", meaning that we basically becomes more driven by fear than by compassion. When our catecholamines, hormonal neurotransmitters, gets activated  it is because there is an instant need for resources. So we try to free up enough internal available resources, to match the demands from our external environment.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Do we take in to consideration that any stress, long term or temporary, burn off resources at a faster pace ?

2. Do we provide the client with tools to use to make sure they can fuel the change process ?

3. Are we aware of the amount of resources that the client currently has at their disposal ?

4. When we work together with our clients, exploring new perspectives, insights and more clarity, we will most likely agree on specific areas to focus on. Often by the end of every session. Do we then make sure we know the client have resources to apply to the extra demands the new thinking requires ?

Sometimes clients has gained the insights and deeper understanding of self, chosen the right starting point, and calibrated accountability with the coach. Only to find that the required fuel was not available to carry out the chosen strategies.

The considerations of nutritional strategies in a coaching setting:

1. How stressful the clients life is and thus how fast they burn fuel.

2. Do the client spend enough time on recovery. 

3. The difference in our baseline health status.

4. Macro nutrient status.

5. Do we lack certain minerals, vitamins or enzymes.

6. What are my primary goals. Meaning how hard are the things I want to work on for me to begin changing.

7. There is a difference in how each of us handle different foods, and thus how much energy we can obtain from said foods.

Because all of the above will influence motivation, determination, and the ability to build skills and habits, it is not just a question of health but a question of how succesful outcomes we can facilitate. If we are not mindful of our resources, and we do not fuel our system, we will in the end most likely fail. No matter how important we think the need for change is.

Stress will be present in our systems as long as we do not have enough fuel available. Stress will be activated as long as it is required for us to perform beyond our resources or capabilities. A stressed system will resist any change because change is not considered safe. Especially in the absence of fuels.

End note:

Make sure your output matches your input, and make sure you have enough fuel to evoke change and feed the "stressful state of uncertainty".