Ronnie O’Sullivan - Top of Your Game: Eating for Mind and Body

RONNIE OSULLIVAN

with Rhiannon Lambert

70 Recipes To Help You Eat For Success

RONNIE OSULLIVAN

with Rhiannon Lambert

70 Recipes To Help You Eat For Success

Published by Lagom
An imprint of Bonnier Books UK
The Plaza,
535 Kings Road,
Chelsea Harbour,
London, SW10 0SZ

www.bonnierbooks.co.uk

Paperback 9781788700917
eBook 9781788701181

All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or circulated in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of the publisher.

A CIP catalogue of this book is available from the British Library.

Copyright Ronnie OSullivan and Rhitrition Ltd., 2019
Photography copyright Andrew Hayes-Watkins

Ronnie OSullivan and Rhiannon Lambert have asserted their moral right to be identified as the authors of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Every reasonable effort has been made to trace copyright holders of material reproduced in this book, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers would be glad to hear from them.

Lagom is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk

The author and publisher shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity regarding any loss, damage or injury incurred, or alleged to have incurred, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.

You might well be thinking, Why is the world snooker champion Ronnie OSullivan telling me how eating well will change my life? He isnt a chef he wins snooker championships, so what does he know about food?

These are all questions that I wouldnt blame you for asking as you think about buying this book after all, moderation, healthy living and self-care arent necessarily things that you would automatically associate with me. Ive been very honest about my addictive personality in the past; depending on the year and what else was going on in my life, my addictions have included drink, drugs, food, Prozac and running. Its taken me a while, but I can now accept that my addictive personality is just the way I am its my nature and Im finally okay with that.

But Ive also learned to manage that nature by changing my diet and regarding food as the fuel that can help me get the best out of life. The idea that what you put in dictates what you get out is not rocket science, but I now realise that whats on my plate has a massive impact on how I feel and, most importantly, on how I play snooker. I dont want you to pick this book up and think, Oh here we go, another person in the public eye is telling me to buy expensive healthy food, when he probably has people to cook for him. I actually look after myself and try to keep my life simple and focused with good food and good exercise, which (I hope) helps me play my best. All this also makes me nice to be around and helps me to be a better dad too. Thats all I care about.

Being motivated to be the best is what drives all ambitious people. Im never satisfied with myself and want to be as good as I can. That said, though we all love to win, I genuinely believe that as long as you do your best and try to improve, its doesnt matter where you finish. Theres nothing wrong with coming last, as long as youve given yourself the best chance and are curious about how you can do even better next time.

Whatever sport or business youre in, you should always be looking around at your competitors and asking, Is anyone doing anything better than me? And can I learn from them? Since I sorted out the way I eat, I have more belief that I might be able to play for a bit longer than I previously thought. Id love to think I could still be competing and winning tournaments well into my fifties and who knows? What I do know is that it all comes down to how I treat my body and my mind.

As you will learn in this book, my new addiction is a really healthy one: its a commitment to eating well that is making me feel the best I ever have. Ive finally realised that my body needs to be nourished rather than punished and that, if I look after it in the right way, it will do right by me. It sounds obvious but its true you get out what you put in and the machine is only as good as the fuel you use. To be the very best at what you do, you need to invest in yourself its all about being motivated to reach your full potential in whatever you do. Be proud of the talent and skills you have, but also know that you have to do your bit. I know from experience that nothing comes to you just because you want it.

I hope this book will help you realise that life is all about moderation. Thinking about food this way has shown me that I can still have the odd fry-up if I make better choices; Ill have rye bread, two eggs, two pieces of halloumi, avocado and tomatoes, but wont have the unhealthy bacon or sausages. Its still delicious and its still a treat and it shows what Im trying to do in this book. It isnt about denial its about finding the option that suits you best and making healthy changes.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to maintain the level of excellence needed to consistently win world snooker tournaments. At times it used to feel impossible, but since Ive been following a healthy eating plan for the last couple of years, all that has changed my renewed physical energy, mental staying power and self-belief have taken me to the best place of my career. In this book, I really want to show you how you can eat, think and work your way to being number one and stay there.

This book wont give you an easy way out; if you know youre eating badly, I wont tell you that you can still pile your plate with the terrible food that got you in the state where you need to make changes. Youre reading this book because you need to shake things up we all get into that situation now and again, but the trick is to recognise it and find someone who can set you on the right path. I did some research, and tried to find someone on my wavelength who spoke common sense and could help me understand what I needed to eat in order to get the best out of myself. I found Rhiannon Lambert, a registered nutritionist who specialises in weight management and sports nutrition.