You know what it’s like when you’re driving home from a thorough session and your hungry belly is crying out for those yellow arches, well, d’yer ever think about what could happen if you got a bit more organised and replenished your body with fuel more befitting the king of the sport of kings? (By that we mean board riding, not horse racing). Well, Angela Jackson has some inspiration for those of us that are struggling to by pass the drive-thru…

Words  Angela Jackson // Photos  Peter Plooey

SUP: Hi Angie, can you briefly run us through a typical daily menu for you right now?
AJ: At the moment my trainer has me focused on eating a lot for my blood type which I find is working extremely well, so I’m eating a lot of clean food with red meats. No wheat and no dairy. I’m a massive fresh juice maker and drinker. My usual juice l make everyday is beetroot (lots), apple, carrot, ginger and celery.

Does the nutritional composition of your diet change much throughout the year?
Not really, as l eat for my Blood type. If l have a longer endurance race coming up things change a little but not much. I have gotten myself in a regular food routine now and l stick to it.

What would you say are the biggest enemies to a healthy body?
Well everyone is different but my personal worst food enemy is dairy and wheat base foods, my body hates it and even if l slip up and have a smoothie l end up paying for it the whole day, haha.

Can you talk about how your current diet is better than a ramshackle diet made of junk food and sugary snacks?
Ha, well l used to be a sucker for junk food and sugar but with my trainer breathing down my neck and keeping an extremely close eye on me l can’t slip up, so l don’t. She seems to know! If l feel the need for sugar l will make a fast fresh squeezed orange juice from whole oranges, this gives my body the sugar it craves but in a good way. There are plenty of little tricks l have been taught in the last three months with my new trainer. My body really can feel the difference between clean food and junk food now and l hate the feeling junk foods gives me, so it’s an easy choice for me now. To perform at my best l understand l have to eat very clean.

Imagine you are stuck on the road for a few days without access to decent food. All you have to choose from are fast food chains. What ya gonna do?
Well yes hard question! Road trips are very hard; when junk food or fast food are the only options it makes things tough but one thing l have learnt is we always have a choice. I try to choose something with less sugar, less carbs but higher in protein. Oh, and drink a lot of Water. It’s still something l need to control a lot better but I’m getting there. It’s really not easy, especially if you’re in a foreign country.

Chicken Caesar salad then.  Before a race, what are you eating and why?
The last few years my eating was all over the place but since l have my new trainer she has got my whole pre race food planned out. The day before a graze on a lot of food and have a good early dinner, usually fish and nothing too heavy. I hate eating pasta before a race, it just weighs me down and makes me feel sluggish, so l will go for brown rice over that any day. The morning of a race l will have eggs and a good veggie Juice followed my small light snacks before the start. I’m also a big protein drinker.

And what do you go for after a race to replenish and help recovery?
That night after a race I eat a lot! I try and replenish my stores that I’ve used during the race. This is when l may have a little treat like some sweet stuff. I may even have a Diet Coke but only one glass.

Since you started paying closer attention to your nutritional uptake, do you feel any different?
Oh so much! It really does make a world of difference and l seriously can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realize it. I’m so pumped for the 2014 season as l feel the fittest and healthiest I’ve ever felt. Not to mention dropping body fat percentage as well, so that makes you feel so much better.

What about smashing a couple of beers after a hard day on the water. Can you please tell us that this is still a good idea?
Ha ha, I’m the wrong person to ask as l don’t drink. My big thing is no alcohol, l don’t like the taste at all so l don’t drink. Sometimes l may have a glass of wine but that’s it and really rare. After a race l may have a glass of soft drink depending on how l feel.

Finally, imagine there is someone reading this who wants to change, but is too addicted to cakes and burgers. What would you say is the one big thing they are missing out on?
Good question! Well l would say they don’t know their full potential as you can’t perform at your peak eating high fat and sugary foods. Give eating clean a go for four weeks and see how much better you feel in body and mind. Sugar is a big killer not only for your body but also slows you down mentally as well. SUP