How Olympian Gretchen Bleiler Found What Foods Work For Her + Why She Meditates Daily

I’ve been an athlete my whole life—not just the 15 years I’ve spent as a professional snowboarder. I’ve been a swimmer, a soccer player, cross-country runner, ice hockey player—you name it, I’ve pretty much done it. Sports are how I’ve always felt most myself. It’s where all of my insecurities fall away and I’m just left with me and my goal of doing whatever I’m doing to the fullest because that’s also just who I am.

As an athlete training and competing at a high level I would hear, “You need to eat more meat” or, “carb load before a competition.” For years, I didn’t think twice. It was only as I neared the end of my career that I began to question what I had consistently been told.

I realized I had never tested what actually worked best for me. It didn’t make sense that the same diet would work for everyone given various body types, daily routines, and environmental factors.

I began to put myself—and my diet—through the paces. I tried the Paleo diet. I tried being a vegetarian. I tried only raw foods for a while. I realized it wasn’t about finding an extreme diet but rather consuming everything in moderation.

I create my diet with a focus on vegetables in combination with strategically chosen proteins, fruits, nuts, and whole grains. I even splash in dairy here and there too. My diet is something that’s simple and I can stick to in everyday life, whether I’m at home or on the road.

I live in Aspen, Colorado. We have a short growing season, and it doesn’t make sense to attempt to eat only fruits and vegetables year-round. Meat protein has been a large part of the diet of people native to this part of the country for ages because we don’t have a year-round abundance of fruits and veggies.

Almost every day, I’m outside and moving—whether that’s split boarding in the backcountry, cruising laps on the resort, practicing yoga, hiking with my dog, or surfing in the summer. My activity often lasts for a lot longer than I expected when I first set out.

For this reason, I always keep homemade trail mix in my coat pockets. I love to chop up a bar—the GOLEAN peanut hemp crunch is great. The crunch from the hemp seeds adds a nice texture and is packed with protein, and I like that hemp is a common crop here in Colorado—and then I throw in some coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, and goji berries. This is a trail mix combo with ingredients that #GOTOGETHER perfectly for optimal taste and fuel that powers me when I’m outside and on the go.

I believe that what we put into our bodies is a huge part of living a happy and balanced life. The biggest tool that I use for this is meditation! Through meditation, I’ve been able to shift from a reactionary, fight-or-flight mode, to a place of relaxation, clarity, and wholeness. Only from this place of wholeness can we really understand what our bodies truly need. What I’ve learned is that diet and meditation are two key elements of my life that #GOTOGETHER to fuel my active lifestyle.

Mantra-based meditation is not about not having thoughts; it’s about the attention that you give to your thoughts. During this meditation, commit to placing your attention and awareness on the sound of your mantra. A universal mantra I like to use is “So Hum.”

At first, this process may feel uncomfortable simply because it’s new, but do the best you can! It’s important not to judge yourself or your practice. When you commit to consistent practice, you will notice a difference in how your comfort with stillness changes.