Snack Smarter This Summer With Olympic Gold Medalist Misty Hyman
From carb loading to keto, we’ve all been a part of diets and fads. They’ve all had great effects on society and the way we view food. But what is the “smart” way to eat? As we head into summer, this is a common question on people’s minds. Olympic gold medalist and inspirational speaker Misty Hyman shares with us how she properly fuels up and what foods she likes to eat.
“Growing up as an athlete, properly fueling up was really important, especially as I got more serious about swimming. In high school, I really started to understand how critical it was to fuel my body correctly to have the performances I wanted. After my swimming career, it was easy to lose sight of that sometimes, but I know now it’s just as important to fuel up for my daily activities as it was for my swimming. I try to eat well-balanced foods using common sense. Some of my favorites are oats and whole grains, nuts and seeds. I try to have a balance of lean protein and complex carbohydrates as well as lots of fruits and vegetables. Within that well-balanced approach, I try to find plenty of variety for that. My go-tos are oatmeal and nuts and seeds. There is an element where you want to have — just like everything — a balance. You want to understand how proteins, carbs and fats work in your own body, and your body’s own tendencies, because everyone’s body works differently. There’s also the element of listening to the knowledge your body has.”
Misty’s favorites: “I love plain yogurt with muesli and with lots of fruits, nuts, oats and milk on top of it. I like yogurt and the milk and grains all on there. I use whole milk and whole fat yogurt because we’ve found some of that fat is good for us. It used to be lower fat diets were all the trend. But eliminating fat caused us to eat more sugar. And instead of becoming thinner, we’ve become fatter in trying to take out the fat.”
About Misty Hyman:
Olympic gold medalist Misty Hyman, M.B.A., won a stunning upset victory at the 2000 Sydney games when she came from behind to break the American record and win the 200-meter butterfly. Recognized as a pioneer in the sport for her innovative underwater dolphin kick, the Stanford graduate is a 28-time All-American who won 13 U.S. and five NCAA national titles including 1998 NCAA Swimmer of the Year.
Misty’s knowledge of the sport, gained from two decades of competitive swimming for two of America’s top swim coaches, coupled with her friendly and encouraging personality, have made her one of the country’s leading swim instructors. Fodor’s named Misty’s private swim lessons at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa one of the world’s top 15 most exclusive hotel experiences.
She served as the senior assistant coach for the Arizona State University swimming program and hosts clinics and camps throughout the United States. As an inspirational speaker, she helps athletes, students and corporations alike set and reach seemingly unattainable goals. Az Business Magazine named Misty one of Arizona’s Most Influential Women in 2018.
