Surfing and Nutrition: Rely on Your Tribe

Low quality photo, high quality vibes.

Suring can be super intimidating. There’s always a lot going on in the ocean and sometimes we take bad wipeouts. Wanna know the time I really needed my tribe? I was surfing overhead waves (6’+ for my non-surfers) and I was charging one when my friend yelled that I should pull back. I said, “Too late! I’m sending it!”

BAM.

The wave crashed on top of me and sent my board flying. I was pulled around under water searching for my leash to reign in my board. I didn’t know which way was up so I held my breath and tried to remain calm as best I could. I came up for air and managed to get my board only to see another wave coming right for me. I was going for another hold under and there as nothing I could do. So I took it. My board was once again ripped from my hands and I was tumbling underwater. I did my best to find peace underwater and part of that came from knowing that my friend was in the line up. I wasn’t alone.

Once the set was over, I was able to get my board back, check it for dings, scan my body for any injuries and paddle back out to the line up. Now, it would have been easy to paddle in and sit on the beach feeling anxious. That wouldn’t help me improve my surfing, it would only increase my fear of overhead waves. I went out to my friend and I was able to laugh off the hold under while sharing stories about scary things that we’ve overcome with surfing.

While nutrition may not always feel scary like my hold down—although it can, especially if you’ve had experiences with disordered eating— it’s important to have that support and accountability. With all of the information available to us via social media and the internet, it can be hard to figure out what’s true and what isn’t. Working with a coach can allow you to parse through the information with someone so that you don’t feel alone in your journey.

I love when my clients reach out to me to work through “setbacks”. For example, I’ve had clients say they went totally overboard and aren’t sure what to do to fix it. We work together to create a plan to help them get past the event and to work on what we can do better for next time. We refocus on healthy eating habits by prioritizing natural foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. By working together, my clients can relax knowing that they are supported on their journey and that they can always come to me when things don’t go as planned.