Many leaders know what they should eat, but they don't eat well. As they juggle meetings and projects, commitments to Family and friends, and social obligations, they may make time to exercise but don't always make time to eat right. Yet, nutrition plays as critical a role for their stamina as does exercise. A finely tuned engine, out of gas, goes nowhere.

Eating Enough, of the Right Fuels

In the perspective of Nancy Clark, a registered dietitian who has worked with many top athletes, food is more than something that stops your hunger; it is fuel composed of important nutrients essential for maintaining optimal health and top performance. She coaches her clients to learn the basics of nutrition for top performance. The right mix of fuels powers a staminac:

Carbohydrate	A source of calories that fuels your muscles and brain. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source when you're exercising hard. You should get 60 percent of your calories from the starches and sugars found in carbohydrate-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, breads, and grains.
Fats	A source of stored energy that we burn primarily during low-level activity, such as reading and sleeping. You should limit your fat intake to about 25 percent of your total daily calories.
Protein	Essential for building and repairing muscles, red blood cells, hair, and other tissues, and for synthesizing hormones. Protein is digested into amino acids, which are rebuilt into the protein in muscle and other tissues. Protein is a source of calories and can be used as energy if inadequate carbohydrates are available, such as during a strict diet or exhausting exercise. About 15 percent of your calories should come from protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, and dried beans.
Vitamins	Metabolic catalysts that regulate the chemical reactions within the body. They include vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E and K. Most vitamins are chemical substances that the body does not manufacture, so you must obtain them through your diet. They are not a source of energy (calories).
Minerals	Elements obtained from food that combine in many ways to form structures of the body (for example, calcium in bones) and regulate body processes (for example, iron in red blood cells transports oxygen). Other important minerals are magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and zinc. Minerals do not provide energy.
Water	An essential substance that makes up about 50 to 55 percent of your weight. Water stabilizes body temperature, carries nutrients to and waste away from cells, and is needed for cells to function. Surprisingly, most people overlook the importance of adequate amounts of water in their daily diets.

Busy lifestyles keep us from eating regular, balanced meals. But that doesn't mean that we can't change that with a little bit of planning and thought. The key is to try to eat a variety of foods. There is no one magic food. Each food offers special nutrients, that others do not. The second key is moderation. Even soda and chips, in moderation, can fit into a well-balanced diet. For the most part, try to choose natural or lightly processed foods as often as possible, such as eating whole wheat rather than white bread, apples rather than apple juice, and baked potatoes rather than potato chips.

Eating in the Fast Lane

An executive's life can be hectic and fast-paced, placing large demands on the body for energy. Moreover, high tempo and required travel disrupt healthy eating patterns so essential for stamina. With a great proportion of dining at restaurants or catered affairs, learning how to make healthful selections is a critical survival skill.

When Ray Kroc opened the doors of that first McDonald's restaurant in 1955, he opened a new world for busy parents, fussy eaters, and people who just plain did not like to cook. He also gave the hurried executive a source of "fast food". With so many time constraints, even eating is measured carefully against other priorities. Fast foods make the desk or the car seem a suitable dining room. Convenience foods are a major source of energy fuels, so some awareness of their options and limitations is important to make healthy choices.

Over the last five years, many convenience food chains have begun to offer salads and salad bars. Some offer baked potatoes, and sell small (child size) portions. And more recently, some offer nonbreaded, nonfried chicken selections. As more Americans are seeking healthful choices, these chains are developing new products.

If you want nutrition information from any of the larger chains, ask the manager or write directly to the company. You probably won't be able to determine the exact nutrient content of foods served at your local nonchain fast food restaurant, but many restaurants offer some selections with 'healthy heart' symbols for the low calorie, low fat alternatives.

As with all aspects of healthy nutrition, eating out at convenience food chains involves planning. This not only includes a choice of the restaurant and menu, but also requires a global view of your day. If you're going to eat out, it's better to plan for it early. When a burger restaurant is your last-minute decision at 1900 and you are starving, you may be setting yourself up for high-risk eating. Consuming three out of five calories as fat or refined sugar, as many people do, affects more than our waistlines. It crowds-out fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and other nutrient-packed foods. We also don't get the fiber we need - fiber that may help protect us against heart attacks and cancers (which are more prevalent in people with a diet high in fat and calories).

With some planning, you can find healthy meals at convenience food restaurants. The goal is to try to have the main entree under 15 grams of fat, and the whole meal under 20 grams of fat. This amount represents about one-third of the fat allowance for a 1500-calorie eating plan or one-fourth of that for a 2000-calorie plan. So, you can eat healthy, even when eating out.

Some Healthy choices while eating out	Calories	Grams of fat
Junior Roast Beef	233	11
Light Roast Beef Deluxe	294	10
Light Roast Chicken Deluxe	276	7
Light Roast Turkey Deluxe	260	6
Garden Salad	117	5
Roast Chicken Salad	204	7
Cheese Pizza (2 Slices)	344	10
Ham Pizza (2 Slices)	362	10
Baked Fish w/Lemon Crumb Rice and side salad	330	5
Hamburger Deluxe Sandwich	340	12
Grilled Chicken Classic	250	3
Light Soft Taco Supremes (2 Tacos)	400	10
Light Chicken Burrito (1 Serving)	290	6

Without going into every chain's selections, this example demonstrates that you can 'have it your way', if your way is healthy as well as tasty. Here are some general tips from the experts:

• Pass up mayonnaise-type sauces and tarter sauces.
• Choose the smaller burgers, rather than the larger ones.
• Skip the extra crispy/crunchy coatings.
• Be careful with your beverages. A regular 12 ounce soda has 150 calories, and no nutritional value.
• Choose a salad, but be careful of the extras, such as creamy dressings, bacon bits, cottage cheese (if not low-fat), potato salad, olives and cheese.
• Complete your basic meal at home with a salad, low-fat milk, fruits and vegetables.

Techniques to Use When Dining Out

Even when dining at an "upscale" restaurant, advance planning is a good survival skill. Start early. If you expect to be dining out in the evening, anticipate your whole day's food requirements and plan the meals you consume for the remainder of the day around your plans to eat out. You will avoid excesses in your daily calories and fat requirements. It is very easy at the end of a tiring day to decide to go out to eat and to end up eating too much. Fatigue is a high risk trigger for many people. Is it one of yours? If it is, be careful about eating out on the spur of the moment.

At a restaurant, you can:

• Order from the a la carte menu.
  
• Choose a salad, soup and roll (with jam, not butter or margarine).
  
• Choose a salad and an appetizer or two.
  
• Think before you order.
  
• Before beginning to eat, ask for a "doggie bag."
  
• Order meats, fish, or poultry broiled or grilled without butter, sauces on the side. Good choices: petite filet, marinated breast of chicken, broiled fish or seafood, and steamed shellfish.
  
• Eat half of the main entree and save the rest for lunch tomorrow.
  
• Look for the hidden fat items on the menu. Beware of terms like: sautéed (cooked in butter), crispy, fried, deep-fried, and au gratin (in cheese).
  
• Share a meal (entree, desserts). Order separate salads to complete each meal.
  
• Ask for sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce or dressing,
  then spear the food.
  
• Limit alcoholic beverages. Consider club soda with lime, orange or tomato juice, etc.
  
• Watch the bread basket.
  
• If you are very hungry, a small roll or two crackers may take the edge off your appetite.
  But use judgment on how much bread you should eat. And limit the butter. Better yet -
  skip the butter or margarine.
  
• Learn foreign foods and how they are customarily prepared:
  

Italian	Alfredo/Primavera	=	Cream Sauce
Italian	A la Parmesan/Mozzarella	=	Cheese
Chinese	Chow mein Noodles Egg Rolls, Sweet and Sour	=	Fried Food
Japanese	Tempura	=	Fried in Batter
French	Scalloped	=	Creamed Sauces