We continued on our journey along Pillar 1 by focusing on a 2nd important point.

The importance of a healthy balanced diet for sports and everyday life

Health is intrinsically linked to our diet. Our diet directly influences the body’s functions and builds our physical strength. A balanced diet helps us maintain good mental and physical wellbeing.

From a young age, we’re taught that eating well helps us look and feel our physical best. What we’re not always told is that good nutrition significantly affects our mental health, too. A healthy, well-balanced diet can help us think clearly and feel more alert. It can also improve concentration and attention span.

Conversely, an inadequate diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, and can slow down reaction time. In fact, a poor diet can actually aggravate, and may even lead to, stress and depression.

In addition eating well for physical activity and sport can have many benefits including:

• allowing you to perform well in your chosen sport or activity
• reducing the risk of injury and illness
• ensuring the best recovery after exercise or a training programme