Welcome to the Health Talks NOW podcast, a Baptist Health production committed to bringing you the facts you need to help keep you and your family well.  We are wrapping up our mini-series Like A Pro. Today, we hear from Erin Simon. Erin is serious about nutrition and has seen how it impacts not only athletic performance, but also overall health and wellbeing. Today’s conversation touches on body image, eating disorders, nutrition, healthy eating and overall wellness. 

To kick off the conversation, Erin shares about her own nutrition journey. Much like many athletes in women's soccer, she admits to struggling with an eating disorder during her college years. Her mindset shift came when she began to learn about nutrition as a means to fuel her body for peak performance on the field. Since she was a health and exercise science major in college, Erin had a broad knowledge on the subject. Wanting to learn more, she hired a nutritionist who helped her understand the concept of macros. After applying this newfound knowledge to her own life, she noticed huge changes in her performance, energy levels, speed, acceleration and more.

As women, we have been conditioned for a long time to consume less calories in order to fit into society’s mold of a beautiful woman. This is the exact opposite of the messages being preached to our male counterparts. Erin points out how easy it is to see someone on social media and assume they have a perfect life. She has witnessed a shift recently as more people are beginning to be more open about mental health. For any young girl athletes working through the standards put upon us as women, Erin shares her best advice. Listen to what your body is telling you it needs and prioritize your gut health. Athletes’ main focus should be on their performance rather than their appearance.

Then, Erin offers a look into her eating schedule. She normally eats 5 small meals per day every 2.5-3 hours. On game days and the night before, she intakes more carbs than usual for future energy. She adheres to the 80/20 rule, in which 80% of her lifestyle habits are healthy and balanced, while the other 20% gives her time to enjoy herself and relax with loved ones without obsessing over health and nutrition. She believes that shocking your body with cheat meals is actually a good thing as it forces it out of its normal routine and allows it to learn to adapt to other things.

Finally, Erin participates in a lightning question round so that listeners can get to know her a little better. Hear about her staple dinner recipe, favorite guilty pleasure food, workout and training music and her favorite restaurant in Louisville.

Key Takeaways:

[0:45] Introduction to the episode and today’s guest.

[1:30] - Erin’s nutrition journey.

[5:00] - How society’s standard for women have affected Erin’s role as an athlete.

[7:16] - Advice for young female athletes making sense of the standards put upon them.

[9:03] - Erin’s game day vs. rest day eating habits.

[10:15] - The 80/20 rule.

[12:26] - Lightning question round.

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