National Player Lina Magull about nutrition in elite sport

At the football boarding school, I was forced to build an independent life for myself. I had to take responsibility for my actions.

I started to take a closer interest in my diet.

Until then, I didn't know whether my diet was good or bad. I only knew that I could play football well and that I needed energy to do so. I gradually immersed myself in the subject, mainly through fitness magazines.

I learned to weigh up which foods were good or bad. In the process, however, I gave in to one trend after another.

I believed everything the fitness models said! 

The biggest fear I had, which was to last for the next few years, was carbohydrates. And of course sugar - a real killer!

Luckily I wasn't a sugar junkie, but the amount was my weak point. Instead of consciously allowing myself one or two pieces of chocolate, I started a chocolate party until my guilty conscience caught up with me.

After that, however, I kept my distance from such parties again for a long time. Instead of preparing something for dinner late in the evening after training, I bought a double hamburger at McDonalds at the station out of hunger pangs and ate only the two meatballs. Low carb and the best meat.

Fortunately, I can still say that there has never been a time in my life when I didn't want to eat anything at all in order to lose weight.

Because that's what it's always been about, of course: losing weight. I haven't even managed to get through a weekend of juicing. One day was enough for me to give in to my habits again the following day. I simply found it difficult to develop a holistic approach to an extensively healthy diet without including the enemies, sugar and carbohydrates.

In the end, carbohydrates in complex form have become my friends, but I still don't fully trust pure white sugar.

Over the years, however, I have gained a greater and greater understanding of nutritional issues.

A good friend from Wolfsburg, who has been eating vegan for ages, had flipped a switch in my head. It wasn't about reprogramming me to be a vegan, but about the quality, the handling, the quantity, the added value, the nutrients and vitamins of the food.

He educated me and wrote me my first diet plan for better understanding.

I didn't become a vegan, but I've tried it twice so far to go completely on a plant-based diet for a while. And that's what makes the topic of nutrition so exciting.

There are many different ways to eat. There are many experts who are said to have discovered true miracle formulas, but ultimately everyone has to find out for themselves which way of eating is best for their own body.

It can be crucial which diet you follow - even basic principles have a positive influence on your eating behaviour. You don't have to completely destroy your personal preferences.

At best, choose a healthier option for the most part and enjoy nutrient-rich foods.

You feel your body, notice what is good for it. A healthy diet is not witchcraft. It's easy to understand, easy to implement and promotes your health and fitness.

I am not an expert. I am a competitive athlete, a certified nutritionist (purely out of interest) and have spent years studying nutrition in depth.

In fact, I had once set my mind on launching my own nutrition app. So it's even nicer that with the B42 nutrition app, we can draw attention to the importance of nutrition in addition to focusing on fitness.

When I was younger, I would have liked to have such an app.

It is important to put a lot of emphasis on healthy eating. You don't have to become a 5-star chef and spend hours slaving away in the kitchen.

Cooking can be fun, preparation can be quick, there are great recipes and inspiring restaurants. And ultimately, the reward for investing in good food and dishes is a healthy body that can better protect itself and feel vital.

The biggest challenge nowadays is overload in food supply.

Many consumers are overeating, including nutrient deficiencies - based on the mechanisms of the food industry.

You lose the overview and surrender to supposedly good food. In order to cope with the chaos of food and to be able to enjoy food with a clear conscience, I have put some basic principles into my heart and internalised them.

• Eat plenty of plant-based and natural foods as a basis.

• Ensure a well-functioning immune system through the intake of sufficient vitamins, trace elements, secondary plant compounds and fibre

• Drink plenty of pure water for a natural and healthy metabolism.

• 80/20 Principle: 80% consciously healthy. 20% for the soul. The dose makes the poison

• Discover and avoid sugar traps. Choose complex and whole carbohydrates 

• Let protein do the work (building and repairing substances for cells) 

• Don't be afraid of good fatty acids (e.g. nuts), but avoid trans fats 

• Expand your knowledge (nutrition books, scientific texts, nutrition apps, etc.)

• Go for quality, regional and seasonal products and organically certified foods

• Reduce animal-based foods and go for biodynamic quality 

• Make sure that food is well stored and consumed consciously

The new nutrition app from B42 helps you learn more about nutrition and put together an individual nutrition plan - depending on the goal you set yourself.  

Make the topic of nutrition your personal companion in everyday life. Start to understand why and how certain foods, nutrients and vitamins are important for you in a natural form.

There is no point in me going into detail about how I eat - it is about finding out for yourself what is good for you.

With some knowledge, time, new insights and experiences, you can also bring out your own values even more. It's also about sustainability, discipline, environmental awareness, health, self-responsibility, personal development, performance enhancement - all positive values that go along with it.

Besides, it's pretty cool to eat healthy ;-) 

In any case, I wish you a lot of fun. Enjoy it.

Yours, Lina

Be Fearless. Be Focused. B42