Nutrition fuels the body for daily living and peak performance. When a person refines their nutrient intake, the potential for peak performance is in most cases heightened dramatically. The concept of chemical synergism comes into play. You will get more energy from the input than the sum of the individual foods would offer.

Michael Colgan, M. D. presented the keynote speech on Nutrition at the 1984 Olympic Scientific Congress that showed proper personalized nutrient intake improved marathon times an average of 11 minutes as compared with the placebo groups 7 minutes (this placebo effect illustrates the effect a person's mind has on performance), strength increased up to fifty percent, and for those who had been anywhere malnourished, I.Q. was enhanced by over 20 points.

Nutrition can affect the mind in positive or negative ways. The neuroendocrinologist, R. Wurtman showed in a study that complex-carbohydrates can have the same effect on people as anti-depressant drugs -- they can improve mood, diminish sensitivity to negative stimuli, and ease the way to sleep.

The spirit is affected by and can affect food. We will suggest information on the former. Oriental research over the centuries has shown that the best food for the body/mind/spirit is: fresh, whole, unadulterated, and as live as possible. "Live" vegetables offer a person more highly oxygenated food with an ability to oxygenate their system. It should be grown naturally, without chemicals. Recent studies as described by Dr. Gabriel Cousens M.D. in the book Spiritual Nutrition and the Rainbow Diet have shown that the energy structure of organic food is organized, while non-organic food had incoherent/scattered energy patterns. The premise for using organic foods is then that the organized food molecules will have an organizing effect on the body's molecules, and waste no energy, thus, maximizing human functions.

Nutrients for the human being are also air, liquids, and thoughts. The purist of each is obviously the best for optimizing performance and health. The amount of nutrients, as well as when and how they are ingested, can be as important as what we ingest. The use of muscle testing or Behavioral Kinesiology is commonly used to find the appropriate kind and amount of food,vitamins, and minerals for an individual who cannot consult a qualified nutritionist. Diamond, in the small book Your Body Doesn't Lie, presents a succinct description for using this technique.

05/02/98

Total Fitness was first published in the Journal of the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Feb. '97, Sacramento.

Success Systems International teaches the techniques of Peak Performance Training. SSI and its division of the Institute of Sports Psychology were founded in 1982 by the futurist, Kurt A. Krueger. He has been a University faculty member in Psychology and Physical Education, 11923 West Kagel Canyon, CA 91342 USA.