Yeti Stereo Microphone & FaceTime HD Camera 1:12

Welcome to the racing unstoppable girl athletes podcast. I'm coach Bree, an elite competitor coach for female athletes, and I am so excited that you're here. No matter if you are just getting started on this sports moms journey, or you have lots of seasons under your belt or somewhere in between, this podcast is for you to help you develop deep confidence in your athlete daughter, get her to believe in herself as much as you do play to potential, and for you to enjoy this sports journey as well. I'm really excited about today's episode. I had the opportunity to interview Amy Dirks, who is a sports dietician nutritionist. She is a wealth of knowledge around how our athletes can fuel themselves to compete and to perform. But not only that, it's also how to get them to prioritize nutrition without you being the pushy one; the one that's always nagging. She has some awesome ideas around how to do this, and also some really simple and tangible ways that you can plan and prep, so that nutritious choices are available for your family. I got a lot of value from just listening to her and the ideas that she had. So before we get into today's episode, I do want to give a shout out to a mom and an athlete in our community. I am really proud of the progress that this mom and this athlete are making in the program. In fact, the other day, Katie mentioned this in our private group. She said, "I have seen some awesome progress. So we had a private soccer lesson last night, and when my daughter did struggle with some of her shots, instead of getting frustrated, she told herself things like, Hey, it's okay. The power was good, or I used a certain part of my foot that I was supposed to, so that is good. She gave herself grace to not be perfect and also to see some positives." Now, this is really cool. I'm Katie. I'm really glad that you posted this in our group because we talk a lot about perfectionism. And I hear over and over from moms that their athlete daughters struggle with being perfect. They have to do everything just right. They're always beating themselves up. And so what is happening here is that her daughter is not lowering her standards sometimes athletes think, Hey, that means if I'm not perfect, that just means that I, you know, am lowering my expectations for myself and I'm not going to be as good. That is absolutely not the case. What her daughter is doing right here is she is learning how to productively process and evaluate her performance. So you heard her say my power was good. I use the certain part of my foot that I was supposed to. And that's good. And this is where the magic happens. Now she's not beating herself up, which then impacts when she goes into her next training session. She is taking the good, she's taking the positive and she's looking at it objectively. So really proud of the, both of you and the progress that you're making in the program. Keep it up. All right, moms. One other thing before we get into this, it really helps us, if you haven't already, to rate and review the podcast along with following. So wherever you're listening to this podcast, if you click the follow or the subscribe button that helps us out a lot and also helps you out so that you don't miss an episode from us. So follow rate and review the podcast. Again, it helps us out more than you know, and it also helps you out as well. All right. Let's get into this episode with Amy Dirks. I cannot wait for you to learn about all things, nutrition, and how to help your athlete daughter in this area of her training.

Breanne 4:37

Hey Amy, welcome to the Elite Competitor Podcast.

Amy 4:41

Hello. Thanks for having me. Super excited to be here.

Breanne 4:44

Yeah, I'm really excited to have you on too. We're just chat chatting offline, I mean, for a long time, like a half hour about all sorts of things. So Amy, you're super easy to talk to and we, we met on social media, which is kind of cool. This has been kind of the story for a couple of the guests that we've had recently, and I'm like, you know, social media, we were talking. It can be kind of a rough place and we wanna balance our time there. But it also brings about these amazing connections and so I'm like, oh, okay, we just gotta use it for good.

Amy 5:11

Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, to have access to what we have now, as an entrepreneur, it's amazing. It really is. It's just, it can be frustrating if you, if you don't know how to maneuver it.

Breanne 5:22

Yeah. So one, at least one good thing came from it, which is this, so, really excited to get into what we're talking about today because nutrition is such a huge topic and one of those things that we know as moms of athletes, it's really, really important. So we'll get into what we're talking about today, but can you just give us a little background about who you are and what you do?

Amy 5:42

Absolutely. I guess I'll go back cuz I was a division one volleyball player in college, so I, you know, I have that experience under my belt and as an athlete, I was a tough player, but I also struggled and I didn't even know that my struggles, you know, had to do with my poor diet and, and you know, the lifestyle choices that I was making. So I kind of learned the hard way cuz I thought it was just the grind of the sport and mm-hmm. So that led me actually to my career path. I wanted to help other people with, with, you know, health and wellness and diet and exercise. And so I majored in exercise physiology and Of course, as a personal trainer or in corporate wellness, like you're, you're constantly being asked what you should eat. You know, if you're working out, you wanna eat the right things too, or what supplements to take and mm-hmm. and, you know, I decided then and there that I needed further knowledge and so I went back to school to be a dietician. And then, Became a dietician when I was actually pregnant with my first daughter. And so that led me to staying at home with her, but also working PRN at the hospital as a clinical dietician and WIC nutrition and my own personal training business. And so I, I did a little bit of, of all of those things before. really finding my niche, which was in sports. Wellness is definitely my, my background. You can apply all wellness and nutrition to sports, you know, as well. So we moved to a small town like in Warrensburg, Missouri, and, and I helped the, some of the sports teams there. So I started volunteering first and got my feet wet with, with the whole sports dietetics thing and loved it, but never thought I could make a career of it. Mm-hmm. And then we moved to Kansas City, back to Kansas City and I had my own wellness business, so I was helping everybody, you know, with, with lifestyle and, and wellness and nutrition. And that led me to concierge wellness. And that led me to Hey, do you wanna start sporting KC's Sports Nutrition program? So I ended up, you know, being the m l s sports performance Dietician for the local m l s team here. And had the honor of working with, you know, the first team and their US L team and their academy. So it, you know, taught me so, so much and And when I decided that I could help a lot more teams from a virtual perspective, I, I took, you know, all of my knowledge and experiences and, and went online with it over Covid, so, that's pretty much me in a nutshell.

Breanne 8:28

Yeah. So cool. So much experience and a lot of passion it sounds like, especially for athletes and how they're fueling themselves.

Amy 8:35

Absolutely. And you know, I, I mentioned my struggles, but I didn't mention that everything went away with when I changed my diet, so, you know. Mm-hmm. I had all these inflammatory issues and you know, was getting a cortisone injection in my shoulder and you know, ultrasound for this and just icing and all the things. And then when I changed, you know, my inflammatory diet and all of my, my other ailments went away. So anyway, pretty powerful.

Breanne 9:04

Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. I can't wait to get into that. So before we do though, by the end of this episode, just let us know what are, what are one, one or two things that you want moms to walk away knowing?

Amy 9:16

One of the main things I would like moms to know is that you're doing a great job. It's such a challenge just being a mom anyway, but also, in the busy world that we live in. And if you do have kids in sports, like it is a full-time job. And, and so, you know, try, try to thrive and not just survive. And, and so with that, you know, it comes like self-care, you have to take care of yourself if you're gonna have your tribe to take care of and so, how can you do that? What does that look like for you? Can, can you take a brisk walk? Can you read a book? Can you take a bath with Epsom salts at night? Can you, you know, drink a green juice? Like whatever it looks like, make yourself a priority and modeling that Self-care is so important for your kids too, because they're watching all the time and if they see you taking care of yourself and showing them that it's important, then that will follow suit. And it may not be right away but eventually, you know, they'll, they'll realize like, okay, this, this is important. Mom's been doing it, I should do it too. Cuz what's good for you is, is usually good for them as well. So you know, find time to, to make time for yourself and, and prioritize your own health and. The other thing I would say is it's okay if you have to push the easy button because you're your worst critic. And so, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do. But I, I kind of equate it to when you have a test, and you're prepared for that test. And you, and you go in and you know the information and you're confident, you you feel like you can, you know, ace it and take on the world. Versus when you're not, prepared. You're anxious, you're, you have self-doubt. And, and so, Food is very similar to that in, in preparing and, and planning ahead, especially when you have a busy schedule and, you know, knowing that you're planning ahead and, and you've got some things, you know, lined up for the week so that you don't have to eat fast food or, you know, you, you can cook at home or whatever it might be. You. Will mentally feel better and just, and just more confident and, and prepared, and you'll, you'll feel good about yourself because you know you're doing good for your family, so.

Breanne 11:51

Yeah. Oh, two very powerful things. So, all right, well, let's get into it. It seems like right nutrition is important for our athletes. However, it seems like teenagers and those competing in sports. Can kind of get away with anything. And I remember kind of feeling like that too when I was in high school. I was like, I can do whatever I want and like doesn't seem to change. So we logically know that that's not true, but from your perspective, why is that not true? Like why is it that athletes actually can't get away with anything? What, as in terms of their nutrition?

Amy 12:26

Yeah, that's, that's a great question because Society markets to kids, right? They, they throw all those like convenience foods and really to kids and to moms pretty much are, are the two that they're, they're throwing that out to. And so it's really hard for both of those parties to not gravitate towards that. However, what's happening inside is something that they don't know because like you said, they still recover. They're young. They're vibrant. They don't notice that any of these things are like adding up. And so, you know, food is medicine. It breaks down into chemical messengers in the cells, and it tells our cells what to do basically. And so I always try to like point it out to people that you can eat to heal your body or you can eat to kill your body. And there's definitely that difference of, you know, athletes or, or kids or moms that, that want to feel better, perform better, recover better, you know, whatever it might be. We'll, we'll try and make it a priority. And then there's those that, you know, think they're invincible, you know, and it, it doesn't apply to them until later. And, and then they're like, oh wow, I wish I would have done this, you know, prior to. And and really there's no way of convincing them that. Nutrition is a priority unless it's being instilled in them at home, it's being instilled in, in them, like on their team. You know, they're surrounded by that message, basically, because otherwise, I mean, they're not learning it in school these days. And yeah, it, it, it's a challenge for sure. And, and most of the time with those younger athletes I would. Focus on one or two things, adding in the good, not worrying about taking away the bad. If they started feeling a difference, you know, usually by two to three weeks of doing something, they do feel a difference. A lot of times it could be stomach aches or maybe they have acne or, you know, little things that, that bother them. you know, you kind of can touch on, and most of the time it's, it can be diet related. So, you know, they'll, they'll start to listen if, if they start to feel or notice any kind of a difference, so...

Breanne 14:43

Yeah, I agree. And so what are those like big rocks that make the, the biggest difference in their performance and how they're feeling and, you know, all of those, what, what are, what are the big things that they need to be focusing on?

Amy 14:56

The biggest thing is a lot of youth athletes are not ever satisfied. They're always hungry. That's one of the main things. And the reason why is because they're eating, you know, maybe calorie dense foods, but not nutrient dense foods. So they're getting empty calories, pretty much. There is a lot of carbohydrates and you know, I'm not dogging carbs. they're simple carbs most of the time, not the FiberCon containing complex carbs. And, and so kids are hungry all the time because their bodies are like using up that, sugar from those carbs so fast and leaving them with nothing in the tank. Mm-hmm. And then you add on like, you know, they're going to school all day and they're not refueling or snacking properly, and then they have practice after school. And maybe they don't have a recovery plan for after practice and so really learning how to balance your, your meals and your snacks with some protein, some healthy fat. and some fiber with, you know what, whether it's from fruits or vegetables or whatever source makes a huge difference in their energy levels, their sleep, their performance, their recovery. Like, you know, it carries over into everything, so, when moms say, oh, my child eats all the time, they're never satisfied. They're always hungry. That's the, the main thing that, you know, I try to focus on is well, they're eating cereal for breakfast and a granola bar for a snack and, you know, a, a sandwich that is just bread and meat and cheese for lunch and they're just not eating the right combination of, of those foods. So usually start there. Another big one is what are they drinking? Kids, moms, we're all getting too much sugar from some of the drinks that we have. Whether it's coffee, drinks, sodas. You know, juice, there's, there's so many things on the market now, so, I see kids walking around just drinking Gatorade all day and even if they haven't worked out or sweat or, or anything, and, you know, they, it's, they don't need that extra sugar when they're not, you know, utilizing their, their muscles and. So that's another big piece that I always touch on right away is like, if there's one thing that you look at in your day or your week your family's diet and you can change, it's, it's rethinking your drink.

Breanne 17:23

Yeah. Oh, that's a good one. Rethinking your drink. So, what should their drink be,and how much?

Amy 17:30

Well, I mean, obviously water is, is the mm-hmm. end all, be all, it's like the best thing for you. It helps with every bodily process. And most of the time we, we do walk around in a dehydrated state. Mm-hmm. don't even realize it, you know, and if you, if you become thirsty, you're already probably dehydrated. So half your body weight, ounces of water is just sort of a general rule of thumb for, for water. You know, you can make water. Interesting. Most people are like, Ugh, water's so boring. I don't like it. And, and so I, you know, find combinations of fruits and herbs and things that you like to put in your water. You know, I, I love like strawberry and basil or mm-hmm. or mint and cucumber and lemon and mm-hmm. you know, there's lots. Fresh things that you can add to your water to make it taste a little better. And it adds a little vitamin C and, you know, some, some good nutrients in there too. So, or sparkling water, you know, some, there's some really good sparkling waters. There's some that are flavored and have mm-hmm. you know, more ingredients, so maybe they're not as good. Coconut water is great. Mm-hmm. has some natural electrolytes in it, so that's always a good one to. and kombucha is another really good one. A lot of times when people are drinking a lot of sodas the carbonation and the sweetness of, of kombucha can replace that soda for them mentally. So those are all like the, the main ones that I would focus on. I mean, coffee and tea are good for you too, but then if you add a bunch of stuff to it, then you're kind of taking away some of the benefits. And then. Like, as far as juices go, you know, I do have athletes maybe have a little bit of orange juice in the morning for breakfast. Again, it's, it's kind of with that sodium potassium, like helping get those electrolytes in a little a little more sugar in the day. but not just to have just a drink, you know? Right. So, tart cherry juice is really the only juice that is really good to just drink for anti-inflammatory reasons for recovery. It helps with sleep and it doesn't have a lot of sugar in it, so mm-hmm. a little OJ from time to time at breakfast, especially on game days and stuff, and, and then some tar cherry juice. I always tell people, make their own electrolyte drinks because there's not a whole lot of great ones out on the market. And so you can't be just using your own, like a little oj, a little lemon juice, some water, some honey, some sea salt, and mixing it up and taste delicious and mm-hmm. it's more economical, you know, you can make a huge batch and, and have pretty much your own electrolyte drink for the whole week, so,

Breanne 20:07

Yeah. Oh, that's good tip. I have the like, Element packets for electrolyte, but which is like convenient.

Amy 20:15

Those are great actually. Those, those are one of the few that are actually really good.

Breanne 20:21

Yeah, but I mean, even that, I'm like, Hey, these are kinda expensive, and it's like, here's my, I could just totally do like seas salt, lemon.

Amy 20:27

Yeah. Sure, sure.

Breanne 20:29

Okay. Yeah, that's, that's big. I'm curious, so in your story at the beginning, you were talking about how when you changed your diet, something started changing for you, like especially with some of those nagging injuries and, and things like that. Like what were, what were kinda the main things that you changed, either added or took away that got you those.

Amy 20:47

So yeah, I'll just go through the list really fast with I had plantar fasciitis in my, in one of my feet. Mm-hmm. I had biceps tendonitis in my shoulder. I had patella tendonitis in my knees. Mm-hmm. I had gut issues, I had acne I had allergies really bad, like, and for all of these things were meds, right. So I was on allergy meds. Said I would have to be on them for the rest of my life. I was taking all the different antibiotics and stuff for acne which in turn was probably causing a, a lot of my gut problems. And it was just, it was just crazy and I'd never looked at it like, this is all related and. You're treated everything separately and, and that's not how the body's meant to work. The body's meant to work synergistically as a whole, one thing affects another, and your, your gut health is where it starts because everything is going to that first, right? So it's your first line of defense. It's, you know, 70% of your immune system. It's your second brain. It's communicating with the brain. There's neurotransmitters that it creates. And so if you have a lot of unhealthy bacteria in there that are feeding off of sugar, refined foods, processed foods, you know then you're creating a, a really tumultuous environment, you know, because systemically everything else is, is gonna be affected by that. So I basically cut out, I started cutting out all the fake. Any processed foods. So if it was in a box or a bag and it had a label with tons of ingredients, I wasn't eating it. and, and I just got to, to eating real foods, like okay, chicken, fish, grass-fed beef Turkey, and then a side of vegetables, salads, fruits not what I was eating in college was like, noodles, cereal, sandwiches. Every refined pasta, carbohydrate, you know, that I, that I could find. And I, because I thought I was doing good by doing that, I thought I was eating low fat and low calorie and, and I was creating this awful like scenario inside my body and I couldn't lose weight. I, I gained quite a bit of weight in college actually, despite me running, in addition to practices, despite me, like cutting calories. You know, the energy balance scale is not as easy as they make it sound. It's not just about exercising more and, and eating less. Because if you look at a hundred calories of broccoli versus a hundred calories of cheesecake, It's the same amount of calories, but it's not doing the same thing in your body. So so I just, I stopped drinking, you know, any sodas or anything like that. I just drank water. I think one of the big things, and if you grew up, when I did I mentioned low fat. That was huge. All the foods had fat taken out, sugar added to make it taste better. And, and they pushed low fat on us big time. And so what ended up happening was we, we messed up our hormones. We, we messed up our gut like. and then we added more sugar to our diet. Mm-hmm. And, you know, sugar is what feeds those bad bacteria. Sugar is, it causes this like crazy hormonal response in our brains, in our body. And that's why you store fat is from sugar, not from eating fat. And, and we're missing a huge source of energy when we eliminate fat from our diet because it's, it's a very dense source of energy. So And, and you know, also it helps with like lean mass and testosterone. Mm-hmm. and anyway, there's, there's lots of health benefits of eating healthy fats. So that was another thing that, that I had to switch in my mind was, it's okay to eat fat, you know, as long as it's good fats. And so I started incorporating nuts and, and seeds and I mentioned fish earlier. You would've never gotten me to eat a sardine, but like now, you know, I, I love them. And you know, there's some things you you might wanna do to them to like, make you love them more, but yeah, and, you know, nut butters and avocados and If you think about what grows and dies, you know, that's, that's the food that you need to be eating, and that's what our bodies were intended to eat, you know, is, is that real food, not chemicals that were made in the lab that, you know, you don't have in your kitchen to cook with, you know? So you eat artificial ingredients, preservatives, things like that, your, your body can't always process those, you know, they can't break it down. So, it can cause leaky gut, it can be stored as fat, it's toxins to the liver. So anyway, there's, there's all kinds of stuff that, you know, you, you can do. But I just really started being more mindful about eating real foods and eating less of the process stuff. And in turn it just sort of like everything got better. Yeah. Oh, that's amazing. I mean, yeah, it was, I mean, my acne went away. I didn't need allergy meds anymore. It was crazy. So I healed myself, you know, by healing my gut. Really?

Breanne 26:06

Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. And, you know, and this all sounds great, and we're like, yes, that's what, that's what I want. You know, as moms, we want that for our kids. And then there's the reality. We have practice five days a week, or we have games until 10 o'clock and we have to leave at 2:00 PM and you've got full-time work. So how, and I know it's, it's possible, but it's challenging. What are your tips around helping our families eat in this way, in a way that is economical in a way that's, you know, works with our schedule.

Amy 26:39

Okay, so you probably don't remember who Sandra Lee is, but she was on the food network and she had a show and it was called Semi Homemade. Mm-hmm. And so when I was younger, I, I cooked a lot at home. You know, my parents weren't around and so I had a little brother. That was kind of how I cooked was like, okay, well I can take, you know, these two canned canned goods and then I can, you know, boil this and I can add this and, and, you know, I'm, I make a meal. And so in, in a way, You sort of have to semi home, make it like, cuz you can't always like, make everything from scratch and have, have time to do that. So, so that's my first tip is like, it's okay to add some convenience foods in with the real foods and, and it kind of balance balances out, you know, so don't beat yourself up over that. Another thing is that they, they are giving us more and more and more resources that make this easier for us now. Mm-hmm. the. The kits, the boxes that get delivered that, you know, have all the ingredients for you. All you have to do is follow the instructions and cook it. Mm-hmm. And so that was a big one that I used with a lot of the sporting guys that had families because I controlled breakfast and lunch for them. But then when they went home, you know, they were ruining everything basically. And so they wanted their girlfriends or wives to help out. And so we would do Sun basket and, and you know, they, they really loved that. Another one that was really helpful is e-meals mm. And it's, it's just, you know, they give you seven days worth of, of recipes and meals and grocery lists and, and they're simple and you can pick which. Category, I guess. So there's Mediterranean, there's slow cooker, there's vegetarian, what, you know, whatever you might be. So those were really, really convenient to have as well. So, you know, utilize what, like, I mean, groceries can be delivered now. Like, yeah, I use imperfect foods. So there's lots of ways to, to make it more convenient to cook at home. And then the other thing is, Just start somewhere. Mm-hmm. it can just be one meal a week that you make at home, and that's fine, you know, because when you cook that one meal, you know, you can always cook extra. So you can have leftovers. Maybe you, maybe you cook something that can turn into another meal. I like to do that a lot. So if, if I make like just a simple rice, chicken, veggie bowl with a, a dressing or a. then that rice turns into a fried rice or, you know, something else for mm-hmm. for another meal. I always tell people to cook once, but eat several times, so always cook extra. Another thing is like the simplest. Meal that you can, you can buy that you don't have to make is a bag, salad and a rotisserie chicken. Mm-hmm. and then throw a piece of fruit with it and, you know, there's a complete like, healthy meal for your family right there. And, and so really it's just a matter of taking five minutes to look at your week. Okay, what, what do we have this week? Where can I fit, fit it in? And, and. Kind of prioritizing your time to make, make that work. Whether it's one meal, whether it's several meals, and then maybe you're like, okay, there's no way that we're gonna have time, so we're gonna pack our snacks. We've got trail mix, we've got fresh fruit, we've got, you know, almond butter packets that we can go, you know, have with the bananas or whatever your snacks might be. And then, I know that Chipotle's right there by our practice field. All right, we're gonna get a grain bowl or like a, one of their salads or, you know, something healthy from a, a decent place like that. When you do have to go to, you know, fast food or there are options. Yeah. And you have a choice and there are better choices that you can make. You don't have to. You know, the quarter pounder with cheese and the large fries and a soda, like mm-hmm. you, you can try to get other things that are a little bit healthier for you, that, you know. those small steps, you know, make a big difference over, over time. So, and, you know, small successes breed more success, so. It, it's different for everyone, honestly. Mm-hmm. like, yeah, I can give you these tips and everything, but you really have to look at your, your life and your. What's practical for you to do? And, and again, it doesn't have to be all or none cuz I totally live by the 80 20 rule and yeah, 80% of the time, you know, we try to eat at home, we try to cook and, and do what's right. But you know what, like tonight our daughter has a an away game and I'm supposed to play a co-ed game and it's probably not gonna happen. But I sat out some meatballs that were in the freezer. And then I put out some organic noodles and I have a homemade sauce that's in the freezer, and somebody can boil the noodles and make like just a simple spaghetti and meatballs. Yeah. And then I have a salad in the fridge. So you, it, it's not, it doesn't have to be gourmet and you know, you just have to kind of figure out what is practical for, for you and your family. And I, I never recommend just jumping all in and like making all kinds of meals. It's, there's nothing more frustrating than making something a new recipe and your kid's not liking it. Yeah. Or the family not not liking it. I always make a list of like, okay, these are my go-tos. I know everybody in the family likes these mm-hmm. so, you know, let me incorporate at least one of those in a week. Mm-hmm. And that way I know that they're going to eat at least. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, totally. I mean, yeah, everyone's situation is different, but what I'm hearing you say is planning ahead a little bit, kind of seeing what's on the schedule, making 'em simple.

Breanne 32:38

Yeah. I mean, one thing I always, when I make like anything super stewy type, I just double it and then I freeze half of it. Mm-hmm. And then on those days, like today, I'm like, okay, we are like going in a million different directions, but just pull that out and they can just heat it up and or the Crock Pot, you know? Yeah. Putting something in in the morning and then it's ready at night. You know, there's things like that. But it does take like some thinking ahead. Just a little bit.

GMT20221012-173419_Recording_gallery_1280x720 33:01

But

Amy 33:01

yeah, it, it does, it does. And you know, it's uncomfortable to change. It's easy to continue doing what you're doing. But again, it just has to become a priority for you. And then you'll find the time because right, if you can find, you know, an hour to watch your favorite show every week, then you can take those commercial breaks to create your grocery list and like, you know, what your schedule's gonna be and where can you fit in, like, you know, throwing in some healthy meals.

Breanne 33:33

Yeah, totally. It's something I look forward to now every week. Like I, I like my meal planning days and Good for you. Yeah. Drilling it all out,

Amy 33:41

Yeah. And another thing is obvi, I mean, everybody says this, but like, get your kids involved. Well that's easier said than done sometimes. But I will say this, I have always been one to encourage and not force. Again, the role modeling makes a big. Yeah. So finally at my 13, almost 14 year old finally is like, mom, I really wanna start like, eating healthier and, and like is just like a different child. Like, like, whoa, what, what happened here? You know? And Right. It's

Breanne 34:17

play cool. Like, oh, okay. Yeah, yeah.

Amy 34:18

Exactly. All right, well, what does that look like for you? And, and how can I help you? And so you know, Here, let me come here and help me make this past Mayo and I'm gonna show you how to make this Turkey wrap and, and you're gonna make that for your lunch, you know, and my 11 year old loves to like crack eggs, and so, okay, let me show you how to scramble eggs. If you're, if you're gonna crack the eggs, then just go ahead and make the rest of it. And so it's little things that doesn't have to be like they're making like the whole meal or whatever, but just, you know, asking them, okay, what fruits do you want me to get for you? This. For, mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. let's try a new vegetable. What do you think? And just somehow involving them somehow and yeah. Eventually it will, it will. They'll pick, they pick up those little cues, you know? And and that's what you want, because you want. You don't wanna force it on them, you want it to be their choice. And of course, what kid doesn't wanna make their own choices and be independent, right? Especially about like, you know, what they eat and stuff. So when it's their choice and it's not, you like forcing the broccoli on them, you know, it makes a big difference mentally for them.

Breanne 35:26

Okay, awesome. Well, Amy, this has been great. So many good tips and so many things for us just to be considering and thinking about. So where can moms find you and more information about what you do?

Amy 35:37

So I have a website and it's amy dirk's sports nutrition.com. So it's kind of a mouthful, but and then on Instagram, I'm at Amy. Sn, which the SN stands for? Sports Nutrition. Mm-hmm. Those are the two main, main places that I spend my time. I do, I'm on LinkedIn as well, and I'm on Facebook, but I'm not on there near as much as I am on Instagram. And, and then you can contact me through my site as well. And I have a blog on there, and, And all my programs, all my recipe books, so, yeah. Yeah.

Breanne 36:09

Cool. Okay. I'll make sure to link your website and your Instagram handle in our show notes so they can find you easily. But thanks again for being on. I have learned a few things from you just in this short time, so I really appreciate it. And yeah. So thank you.

Amy 36:24

Of course, anytime. If you need me to come back, I'd be happy.

Breanne 36:27

Okay. Yeah, I know there's so much to talk about in terms of nutrition that we didn't even like dive into yet, so yeah, for sure. Thanks again, Amy.

Amy 36:35

All right. Thank you.