Gut Nutrition On-the-Go: High Performers Guide to a High Performing Gut

I’d be lying if I said nourishing yourself comprehensively as a high performer was easy. As high performers you’re low on time with high stress levels and likely an ever-present underlying decision fatigue. I can confidently tell you just how much caring for your gut matters. You can also exhale knowing that by reading and implementing these meal prep tips it’ll be a lot easier to have a healthy gut supporting you in your pursuits. Gut nutrition on-the-go is your way to do the most for your gut. So that you can get the most out of this second brain living inside of us.

Why Gut Health Matters so much for High Performers:

The community of high achievers I work with need to be able to validate the time they spend on given tasks. Here’s the validation you need to know why this is so important to you.

Every second of time and focus counts:

High performers often have busy schedules, leaving little time for digestion-related discomfort such as bloating, gas, or indigestion. A healthy gut microbiome facilitates efficient digestion and nutrient absorption, minimizing digestive issues that could disrupt productivity and focus. This is essential if don’t want to waste time in the bathroom or running to the pharmacy. I also know that focus work requires a quiet body. What I mean by this is a body that is not screaming for help. Especially in the form of pain and discomfort.

Less sick leave:

High performers’ nightmares usually start like this: There is nothing worse than leading up to a deadline and just when you are most needed: your immune system decides to shut down. Your gut plays a significant role in immune function. A large portion of your body’s immune cells residing in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). A balanced gut microbiome helps regulate your immune responses. This reduces the risk of infections and illnesses that could sideline you when you’re needed to be at your best.

Your Mental Well-being:

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system between the gut and the brain. A healthy gut microbiome can influence your mood, cognitive ability, and stress resilience. This is through the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA(gamma-aminobutyric acid). A balanced gut microbiome supports you in having the motivation, brain power and stress tolerance you need to perform at your best.

Energy & Stamina

The gut microbiome plays a role in producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This happens through the fermentation of the fibre found in plant foods (and in abundance in whole grains and legumes). This is why all the recipes I share are high in fibre. SCFAs serve as an important energy source for the cells lining the colon and contribute to overall energy production. High performers can benefit from a diverse gut microbiome capable of efficiently producing SCFAs to support sustained energy levels.

Nutrient Metabolism:

The saying has changed from: “You are what you eat” to You are what you absorb“. A healthy gut helps you metabolise, synthesise and absorb nutrients. Especially ones like vitamins B (for converting food into energy) and K (for protein production). Efficient nutrient metabolism is essential for you to extract nutrition from the diet you’re working so hard to get right. I do know how hard it is to get it right for each individual. While scrolling down to the snacks and meal prep below will help. Personalised nutrition is always the highest quality nutrition which is why I recommend working with my team at The Gut Health Agency. We’re a team of gut health experts and a dietician to take all the guess-work and stress-work out of the equation.

Manage your gut, manage your stress:

Pressure is inevitable in high performing environments, stress however can be managed. Gut health should form part of your stress management plan. It’s especially important since chronic stress can disrupt gut health by altering the composition of the gut microbiome. This along with compromising the integrity of the gut barrier. A well-cared-for gut microbiome can help mitigate the effects of stress on the body, supporting high performers in managing stress and maintaining peak performance levels.

Gut health extends so beyond just how you digest food. As seen above it’s an essential part of your success, especially as a high performer. Let’s dive into exactly how we’re going to do this. The first key in this is planning. Planning comes in the form of meal prep. This vital activity does take time and planning but nothing compared to the time, mental energy, stress and dis-ease that NOT caring for your nutrition would.

Fundamentals of Meal and Snack Prep for High Performers.

You’ve seen why this is so important so now it’s finding the time that is going to be the best for you to do the following important weekly steps:

1. Set aside a time every week to plan weekly meals and snacks (it needs to be scheduled in your planner like a meeting would be).
2. List the ingredients you would need for all of your snacks and meals and put it into a shopping list.
3. Go shopping. Tedious and maybe you’d like to outsource this. Otherwise you can do what I do by setting a timer to stay focused, putting on a podcast on my airpods and getting it done.
4. Prep and store the weekly meals and snacks.
5. Set time for another day that week to do any more prep needed to get you through the rest of the week.

Meal Prep Essentials for High Performers:

If you’re newer to the world of healthy eating this blog that I created for holiday eating is a great introduction to what I call The Magic Plate Method. This is even more important to understand for high performers Put simply it’s making sure my plate always has a combination of:

• Protein
• Essential Fat
• Fiber

It’s important to decide if you’d like to eat the same meals for a few days or mix it up every night. Both are possible they just require that little bit of extra planning to really nail.

This is what I keep top of mind when planning meals and snacks for my week. I always want to aim for plenty of colour. When I’m on the go I know that protein keeps me satiated for longer so I make sure that my snacks are packed with protein – here’s some examples to kick us off.

Protein-Packed Snacks:

• Hard-boiled eggs: Prepare a batch at the beginning of the week for a quick protein boost.
• Greek yogurt: Opt for plain Greek yogurt and add your favourite whole food granola or fruit for extra flavour and nutrients.
• Nuts and seeds: A great option for protein and healthy fats
• Rice or seed crackers and homemade bean spread: An option to get in those high fibre legumes and pack in the flavour for a snack spread that is versatile and made in minutes.
• Hummus and veggie sticks: Cucumber, carrot and celery are all great pairings with hummus.
• Fruit and nut butters: These may be lower on the protein side but whole or cut up fruit is a nutritious, satisfying snack. The nut butters add protein and healthy fats to keep you fuller for longer.

Breakfast ideas:

• Overnight Oats: Prepare overnight oats in individual jars with oats, plant milk and toppings like fruits, nuts, and seeds for a quick and filling breakfast or snack. I also like to add a scoop of my favourite clean plant protein to keep me fuller for even longer.
• Smoothies: These can be prepped a week in advance by preparing the smoothie bags so that all you have to do is add your liquid and blend.
• Sourdough toast and bean spread: bringing us back to increasing those whole grains and legumes this quick and easy breakfast also includes a fermented bread – another food your gut microbiome LOVES.

Lunch Ideas:

• Bean Burritos: All the relevant ingredients are prepped in advance and all you have to do is assemble.
• Salad Jars: With all the chopping work done in one go you’ll have your salad jars lined up and ready to grab one for the day and go.
• The Viral – Ramen Jar: Swop out the fried ramen for rice noodles and prepare all the elements in advance to have a lunch ready in two minutes where all you have to do it add some boiling water.

Dinner Ideas:

• Bean Chilli and Rice: This meal can be enjoyed hot or cold and all the ingredients are simply added to a pot or slow cooker so it’s a tasty, nourishing, low effort meal.
• Homemade Pizzas: Buy (or make) wholefood pizza bases and have all the ingredients chopped and prepped for a dinner that’s easy to throw together in just 15 minutes each night (10 of those being it cooking in the oven while you shower 😉
• Stir Fry with Veggie Noodles: Another 10 minute or less option. This requires even less prep on a Sunday if you buy pre-chopped vegetables. Prepare your sauce and either fry up fresh each night or fry up a large batch and simply reheat each night. My favourite noodles with this is cauliflower noodles but any noodle including regular noodles will be delicious.

What if I don’t want to eat the same thing every day/night?

The amazing thing about these meals suggestions is that they’re so versatile that you can easily adjust the flavour profiles. Like having different flavour overnight oats – chocolate, vanilla, carrot cake or berry swirl for example. Choose berry smoothies one week and create your version of a peanut butter jelly the next. Switch out the grains in your dinners and change up the sauce you use in your stir fry.

Remembering also that you can prepare individual elements to create a variety of meals each week is also possible. The same vegetables you use in your salad jars can also be used to make a soup or curry. This simplifies your shopping experience and saves money as well.

Meal Prep Tips for High Performers:

Prep Your Whole Grains:

Things like your oats, rice, quinoa or noodles can be prepped in advance to bring down cooking time each evening/day.

Soak and cook your beans:

If you have a pressure cooker you can go ahead and skip soaking but knowing that this is an essential step helps you think ahead the night before by setting out your chosen beans in a large bowl of water to be cooked the following day.

Chop your fruits and vegetables:

A tedious task I know but your future self with thank you. This is the time I usually catch up with friends or listen to a podcast or music. Store your chopped fruits and vegetables in containers with dividers, glass jars or air tight containers to keep them fresher for longer. Some fruits and vegetables even store well in water so be sure to give it a quick google if you notice any particular fruit or vegetable going off a little too quickly too often.

Have emergency meals:

I always make extra and freeze some of it so that if my meals run out, are shared or are just not what I feel like I can throw a frozen meal in the pot and heat it up in no time. This helps me not turn to junk when I’m hungry but don’t feel like anything I’ve prepped for that week.

Prep Desserts:

Your ideal self might never have sweet cravings and only eat the meals you’ve prepared. The reality, however, is that we’re human. Instead of shaming ourselves until we give in and binge on an entire chocolate bar from the convenience store – prepare healthy and delicious sweet treats as part of your meal prep.

Dessert Ideas:

• Chia Pudding: This can be as easy as making your favourite smoothie, adding in chia seeds and leaving to swell overnight.
• Mug Cakes: Make pre-mixed mug cakes that you can pop out of the fridge, into the microwave and into your happy place.
• Date Balls: These store really well in the freezer and can also be great pre-workout or on a day where you need a little energy boost.

Final thoughts:

Here at the Gut Health Agency we really look at where you are now and what those goals are. We then work out a plan to follow. Even with that plan we always make sure to highlight that you are the expert on you. If you’re feeling really hungry, tired or have a lot of cravings for sweet foods we adjust accordingly to fuel and balance you as a high performer. The right way is the way that is the most enjoyable and sustainable for you.

Gut health is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in overall health and performance, especially for high performers and achieviers and by reading this I know you’re on the right track. Good luck and happy meal prepping ;).