WHEN you don’t take in the right stuff at the right time, you will suffer.
The summer is (again) blasting hot, and some friends decided to get together and play basketball. I decided not to bring any extra hydration aside from water, because Gatorade and all other forms of sports drinks are apparently full of bad stuff like sugar, right?
Ten minutes into the first game, I get cramps. Ten minutes into the next game, I get cramps again. Apparently, since I sweat a lot, and it was extra hot, water just wouldn’t cut it. So my basketball career lasted a grand total of 20 minutes. Thank you, good night.
I’m still kicking myself for not being thoroughly prepared. Since I didn’t take anything to replenish my electrolytes, sodium, and whatnot at a time I needed to, I paid for it. I had boxed sports drinks into the “evil” category of foods and paid the price by becoming a glorified cheerleader the entire two hours we rented the court. Instead of channeling Michael Jordan, I was now channeling Bill Wennington (for those hardcore NBA fans, you know who I’m talking about).
I’m learning that what we take in is important; when we take it in is also equally important. Black coffee is about the healthiest drink you could ever get, but downing a cup an hour before bed will give you never-ending jitters and set you up for caffeine imbalance.
On the flip side, most sugary treats are frowned upon by most health buffs, but eating a donut (or three) on a night out once every two weeks won’t necessarily destroy your plans to be the next Sylvester Stallone.
It’s all about balance. I am one of those who believe taking in good literature and video content is paramount to becoming a responsible human being. But every now and then I’ll take a break with a “senseless” anime if only to recharge my depleted brain cells.
I am usually averse to anything processed and sugar-laden, but, as my previous example showed, a sports drink would have been what I needed to avoid cramping like a newbie basketball player.
Look, there’s only so much we can do on “work mode.” We take in as much good stuff as we can and process it. But too much of a good thing can be bad as well.
Mentally, it may take a toll and be unsustainable in the long run. Which is why, for me, the rule of thumb is to take in “good” things 80 percent of the time and leave the remaining 20 percent for enjoyment and blowing off steam.
Always be mindful of whatever you take in, unless it’s the Houston Rockets losing in the NBA. I can’t take that in.