I never thought I would be spending both my Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching the PGA Championship, but last weekend after my other social events we watched the end of the tournament. In case you aren’t a golf fanatic—it was a total upset!
(If golf isn’t really of interest to you, please keep reading, because this blog is not about golf. It’s about aging (which we are all doing), winning (which we all want to do in some fashion) and being open-minded to new approaches.)
So, here’s the background:
Phil Michelson, age 50, won the PGA Championship last weekend. Golf championships are usually four-day events, and this particular tournament was played on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, SC. I’ve been to Kiawah and the only thing I remember is alligators. They are everywhere. And as I was watching TV on Saturday, play had to stop while a young alligator sauntered across one of the greens! Besides alligators, it is known for being one of the most difficult golf courses in the U.S.
Add in the fact that 50-year-old golfers rarely—if ever—win golf tournaments (it’s usually the twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings that are winning). Younger golfers typically are in better shape, have more stamina, and are better scoring golfers.
And while I don’t personally think 50 is old, there is NO WAY that 50-year-old Phil Michelson was predicted to win. But, by the end of day 3 (Saturday), he was ahead by a few strokes.
How did he win?
Let me share with you what Phil looks like now (on the left) and what he used to look like a few years ago (on the right). The change is remarkable.
For most of his career, Phil was pudgy. Plus, he was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010, which was a devastating blow to his career. I remember hearing about his diagnosis and thinking, “Well, that’s a painful disease and probably a career-limiting event.”
Fast forward to Sunday, May 23, 2021, when he rocked the golf world. Just google “Phil Michelson Diet” and you’ll find out one of the secrets to his win. In fact, his win was so remarkable, that you can read about it in multiple places; golf.com, foxnews.com or forbes.com to name a few.
The secret to his success?
- Deep daily meditation (to help quiet the distracting noise when he is golfing)
- Intermittent fasting (he fasts every week for 36 hours and occasionally has done a 6 day fast (drinking only a special coffee blend plus water) to “give his body a rest and the ability to reset”
- Being mindful about what he eats and drinks (no more diet sodas) and eating less
And of course, as with any professional athlete, he has multiple coaches and practices daily.
But more than anything, Phil showed me—and the rest of the world—that you could turn back the hands of time by being willing to change your habits. You could conquer a devastating auto-immune condition by changing your diet. You could actually give up ALL food for short periods of time to allow your system to rest. My anecdotal research has shown that intermittent fasting can help with many conditions (pre-diabetes, weight loss and more). And of course, as an elite athlete, the discipline of practicing, utilizing coaches to improve your performance and—more than anything—having a winning mental mindset can change your destiny.
So maybe you’re not a golfer. But you probably have a few extra pounds and some aches and pains. And there is probably some part of your life in which you want to improve your performance.
Maybe it’s time to hit the reset button. Maybe it’s time to get a coach. Maybe it’s time to evaluate your diet. Perhaps it’s time to find a way to improve your concentration and focus.
Who knows? Maybe Phil’s special coffee mixture will work for you:
Phil Mickelson’s “special coffee blend” ingredients
- 350-450 grams of coffee (Ethiopian beans)
- 2-3 tbsp. MCT or XCT oil
- Large scoop flavorless collagen protein powder
- Dash of Himalayan pink sea salt
- Small glass of almond milk
- 200 mg. L-Theanine
- 1 tbsp. Manuka honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
No surprise that Phil has already launched this coffee as a product line, Coffee For Wellness!
So, whether you decide to try meditation, hire a coach to help your performance or start intermittent fasting, I hope you know that age doesn’t matter! At any age, we can have a winning attitude!
Enjoy and stay healthy!
Karen
