Developing Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the opinion you have of yourself. It is the mental image of how you perceive yourself, as well as what you can do and the role that you can play.

A good and healthy self-esteem is essential to a swimmer so that he or she may achieve a high-level of self-confidence. With good self-confidence, the swimmer will be able to perform better.

Here are some pointers on how you can develop and improve your self-esteem:

* Know your strengths and weaknesses
No one is perfect. All of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what they are and our limitations bring us one step closer to our objectives, and ultimately, success.

* Be comfortable with yourself
Learn to laugh at yourself every once in a while.

* Focus on your accomplishments
Failure is part and parcel of life. But just because that's so doesn't mean we must give it center-stage. Each time you don't succeed in something, be mindful of your achievements and accomplishments.

* Be kind to yourself
Find one thing every day that you can pat yourself on the back for. It's not hard to find.

* Visualize success
Have a positive image of exactly how you want to be, and shut out the negative chatter-box voice inside your mind.

* Take a break
Nurture and take time-out for yourself.

* Develop a support system
Have a few close friends you can rely on who can reinforce your positive self when you are feeling down.

* Think positive
Develop for yourself a positive situation where you can grow and learn to avoid situations that depress you.

11 Nutritional Tips

1. Skipping meals or reducing your calorie intake does not help control weight in the long term. It is important to eat at regular intervals, ideally every 3-5 hours, as this helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.

2. Most of us do not drink enough water. Symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, lack of concentration, irritability and headaches. Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day and you will stay well hydrated.

3. Your mother was exactly right when she forced you to eat up your greens. We should be eating 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day for general health. To allow your vegetables to retain as much goodness as possible, put them into a pot of boiling water and cook them quickly.

4. Beware the hidden fat foods, which are normally those tasty party foods quiche, sausages, pork pie, salami and dips are some examples. Of course biscuits, cakes and desserts should also be kept to a minimum and only eaten as a special treat.

5. When you buy yoghurt go for low ‘live bio’ versions. These help to restore the ‘good’ bacteria that aid digestion.

6. Bread, potatoes and pasta are all carbohydrate foods that have received bad press in the past. These foods do not make you fat on their own. However, if you have a big cheese sandwich, knob of butter on your potato (or have chips), or make a rich cream sauce for the pasta you will increase the amount of fat you are eating.

7. Alcohol taken in moderation can be beneficial to health, but if you are watching your weight it is relevant to know that the calories from alcohol cannot be used as fuel for exercise, nor do they provide any vitamins, minerals or fibre.

8. The butter versus margarine debate continues to rage. The best advice is not to eat a lot of either, but to eat a little of both. The best oil for cooking is Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is not the cheapest but a little goes a long way.

9. Dairy products are a high source of fat and cholesterol, BUT they do provide us with other beneficial nutrients. The best approach is to buy “low fat” versions of milk, cheese, yogurt etc. as they will provide you with all the nutrients without the fat element.

10. It is not necessary to cut meat out of your diet. Instead buy the leaner cuts and trim off any fat. It is also recommended to eat oily fish (tuna, mackerel, herrings) at least three times a week as they contain the beneficial Omega 3 oil.

11. Finally, whoever said “a little of what you fancy does you good” was probably right – exercise moderation in all things and you can’t go too far wrong. It is not what you eat between Christmas and New Year that makes the difference but rather what you eat between New Year and Christmas.

Happy eating.