Practical Practice For Police #1- A Variety of Colors = A Variety of Health and Performance Benefits
Why including a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet can be a game changer... and how to easily do it.
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Answering the Call: Proper Physical Training for Police and Military in the in the 21st Century
Why this matters:
People in law enforcement, like many professions requiring shift work, often struggle to remain healthy and fit. When we combine the stress of the job, the hours, and the on-the-go shifts officers find themselves in...convenient unhealthy food choices are unfortunately common place.
We need fit and healthy police officers on our streets. To accomplish this you need the energy to train. A healthy diet is the foundation to support your activity…both on the job and in training.
Real World Application- When building a meal, include 2-3 (or more) different colors of fruits and vegetables alongside a protein and carbohydrate source. An example could be this masterpiece pictured below:
Benefits
One dietary practice researchers appear to agree on is eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Despite the different fads that come and go, these food groups always seem to stick around in a sensible diet. Why is that?
With some exceptions, fruits and vegetables are typically lower calorie, high in fiber, and dense in vitamins/minerals. Another natural chemical found abundantly in fruits in vegetables are phytonutrients. These are the chemicals that keep plants healthy and protect them from various germs, bugs, fungi, etc.
Phytonutrients are often the unsung heroes when discussing vegetables. Now before I reguritate the information from the sources below, I want to be clear...I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I am not dispensing medical advice but various research modalities have shown the potential benefits of ingesting a variety of phytonutrients.
Some of these stated benefits are:
Reduced inflammation
Improved reproductive health
Improved digestion
Improved cardiovascular health
Improved cognition
Lower rates of heart disease and cancer
You become John Wick
Below is a phenomenal breakdown from Harvard Health Publishing on what phytonutrient is provided by color/vegetable:
Application and Conclusion
The simplest way to apply this to your daily habits as a busy first responder (or anyone) is to include 2-3 different colors of fruits/vegetables in each of your meals. If you are trying to establish new habits, start with one color for each meal. Breakfast is green, lunch is orange, dinner is red. Once you have accomplished this habit add another color for each meal. View this as taking medicine. Just take your dose and move on.
This doesn’t mean you have to saute fresh brussel sprouts, purple onions, and garlic every meal. Although that would be great, most people do not have the schedule to always enjoy something with that much preparation. However, one can always take advantage of the convenience of frozen vegetables.
As an example, purchase a frozen bag of “Normandy” blend vegetables. Drizzle some olive oil into a pan, add your preferred spices, and then poor a large portion of the vegetable blend in. Cook until they reach your desired texture. Save the rest in a container so you will have more to eat later with zero prep other than throwing it in the microwave. Or even eat them cold if you’re on the go.
That combination alone has five different vegetables with four different colors. This includes carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, and cauliflower. As you learned that will bring a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and John Wick abilities that will most likely improve your health and performance. In this example you also cooked these powerhouses in a healthy fat source which has it’s own benefits. Now simply include a serving of your choice of protein and carbohydrates (all goal dependent for the rest of the meal) and you will be well ahead of probably 95% of the population.
Develop these daily habits. They are just as important as any other training modality you should be doing as a police officer (or if you aren’t in a gun carrying profession, your long term health is still just as important). Cook in large batches. If you don’t make this convenient for yourself you probably won’t do it, or you’ll reach for something less desirable.
People usually don’t just wake up in poor shape...it takes time. Take responsibility for your health and performance and be the fit police officer you need to be for yourself, your family, and the community you swore to protect.
This is just one part of the mindset shift and evolution to address the demands 21st century policing. You signed up for a profession that requires a certain lifestyle. You don’t have the luxury of always going through the drive-through.
Be the example for your peers. Be part of the solution.
References:
Eat more color infographic. www.heart.org. (n.d.). https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy- eating/add-color/eat-more-color
Harvard Health Publishing. (2017, April 10). Add color to your diet for good nutrition. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/add-color-to-your-diet-for-good-nutrition
McManus, K. D. (2019, April 25). Phytonutrients: Paint your plate with the colors of the rainbow. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/phytonutrients-paint-your-plate-with-the-colors-of-the-rainbow-2019042516501
Vegetables and fruits. The Nutrition Source. (2021, March 3). https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/
WebMD. (n.d.). What are phytonutrients? types and food sources. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/phytonutrients-faq
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“Eat your vegetables” doesn’t make for sexy Instagram videos or cool workout pics but for cops it’s more neglected than strength endurance and flexibility. Most cops do something physically even if it’s occasional. But the bad diet continues. Especially for the night shift peeps. Great article again from this author and a message that needs to be heard. Solid.