Just like how an army marches on its stomach, athletes depend on their diets to fuel them for peak performance during both training sessions and competitions. Finding the right nutrition plan is never easy – one mustn’t just consider the sport but the body performing it as well. The best nutrition plans are always the ones that are tailored to the individual as it ensures both efficacy and sustainability.
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National athlete Timothee Yap understands this concept all too well. Having competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, personalised nutrition plans were considered the norm with all of his peers. Of course, it’s not just athletes who benefit from having the right food. Be it the office worker who’s constantly stressed or the yoga mum fixated on toning her thighs, proper nutrition does the body a great deal of good.
We managed to get some time with Timothee to find out what goes on behind the kitchen counter and perhaps learn a trade secret or two!
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How much time do you spend on training (a day, week)?
10-11 times a week. 3-4hours each time.
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Do you work with a specialist(s) to customise a special training routine?
I work closely with my coach and I also get support from the Singapore Sports Institutes and various other private vendors for physical therapy, massage, psychological and nutritional support.
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Do you have specially prescribed diet to help you achieve better results and/or help with recovery?
I take certain supplements recommended by my coach and nutritionist to boost my recovery.
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How do you fuel and refuel before, during and after your training?
I make sure I consume sufficient carbs and protein, avoid unhealthy food (sugar, fried, oily). Before and after training I consume my supplements and during training I rehydrates with electrolytes.
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Are you prepping/training for any major competition?
The World University Games 2019 and SEA Games 2019.
One of Timothee’s favourite tools for preparing his meals is Braun’s MultiQuick 9 hand blender. It’s unique ACTIVEBlades allow for a 40% reduction of effort when blending, so there’s no need to hang on for dear life while prepping your pre-workout smoothie! The Braun’s MultiQuick 9 hand blender also utilises SPLASHControl technology, making messy clean-ups a thing of the past.
Here are two of Timothee’s favourite recipes for blended meals, because who doesn’t love convenience?
Protein smoothie
Ingredients:
- 100g low-fat quark
- 30g vanilla protein powder (whey)
- 100g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 3 tbsp oat
- 1 tsp honey
- 150ml milk or water
Preparation:
- Puree all ingredients with the help of Braun’s MultiQuick 9 hand blender.
Pumpkin soup
- Ingredients:
- 1kg Hokkaido pumpkin flesh
- 1 medium potato
- 3 carrots
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 piece of ginger
- 10g coconut oil
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp salt
- A pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 pinches of curry powder
- 300ml coconut milk
Preparation:
- Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut into cubes. Also peel the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and ginger, then cut into cubes.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Then add the ginger, sautéing briefly.
- Add the pumpkin, potato and carrot cubes and fry everything for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes until soft.
- Then add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Puree the soup with the help of Braun’s MultiQuick 9 hand blender, and season to taste with curry powder.
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