Mindset & Hope Through Food & Movement

Having coached so many young lads who attend private schools, it never ceases to amaze me just how much unhealthy junk food these schools serve up for them to consume on a daily basis.

So much for paying for an upper level of education, when the foundation of our thinking, behaviour, emotions and well being is linked to the food we consume.

In general, the British school dinner system is poor and inadequate.

In Japan, they do things very differently. All schools have a nutritionist, where the children are taught healthy eating and processed foods are off the menu and not allowed at all.

The children are taught how food creates health and even how to eat a meal, to get the most out of the food.

It also wasn’t that long ago in Japan and may even still be part of the school rules, that all students had to choose a martial art as part of their school curriculum.

This wasn’t a choice, it was a requirement.

This makes perfect sense to me. Both the food we eat and the manner in which someone exercises, develops discipline, respect, focus and health.

It produces its own resilience and positivity.

It’s astonishing that we look at terms such as ADHD, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, as something that needs fixing in the child, rather than the garbage food they get given each day and the lack of movement that has been normalised for the child.

In comparison, when I look at the mindset coaching available today, it equally astonishing that only dialogue is being used.

I’m not down playing the importance of powerful conversations but unless someone masters what they consume and takes exercise seriously and understands it’s true potential, they will never reach the mindset they are looking for.

Just this week a client remarked to me how much more resilient he feels, disciplined and motivated.

When I asked what has made the biggest impact for him, he replied.

“The food and the exercise program has made a remarkable difference. I just needed a connection with my own body and this seems to have made an unexpected impact on my mindset.”

I believe our approach at Unlimited Courage of Food, Thought & Movement will become more prevalent in the future.

The coach of the future will need to know how movement, food, breathing and the knowledge to have powerful belief changing conversations all flow together and aim at the same outcome.

This isn’t a new approach, it’s ancient but has been lost in the modern cherry picking of mindset approaches.

We know that exercise makes us feel better and reduces the risk of illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. It is also responsible for reduced inflammation and improved metabolism.

Exercise also releases the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline, that have a positive impact on the brain.

Recently, an even more interesting find in the past decade is the discovery of what has been termed “hope molecules.” These are chemicals known as myokines which are secreted through muscle contraction and act as an antidepressant.

Despite this amazing discovery, I think we can go much further still.

What I have discovered over the years is that the exercise we pursue can create profound changes in mindset.

This is not through the common myth of simply relying on a physical look for self esteem.

Gyms are now mostly about personal egos and sex. One only has to take a good look inside these modern gyms to see this is true.

This focus on the look and the ego, really inhibits the potential of exercise.

Exercise is primarily a vehicle of enhanced mental strength and self understanding.

It is possible to create more assertiveness, self belief and courage by how we move, breath and the application of physical power.

A physical power that directly translates to the power of the mind and its applications towards all of life’s challenges.