I had the opportunity to talk with Beverly Goebel, a professional soccer player, about her life changing choices and adventure towards a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating is not all about looking good in a swim suit. For Beverly, eating healthy correlates with her performance on the field. If you have ever felt held back by your weight, Beverly’s story will hit home. Beverly’s bravery and determination to reach her goals is inspiring and motivating. She proves that hard obstacles are possible to defeat and that our dreams are in reach, as long as we jump for them.
To start here’s a little about me! My name is Beverly Goebel-Yanez, I am 24 years old and always wanted to be a professional soccer player. When I was younger my teachers and classmates used to get a kick out of asking the following question: “What do you want to be when you get older?” My immediate response was always a professional women’s soccer player. When playing for my first time, I just absolutely fell in love with the game! It was more than just an outdoor activity for me. I had a true passion for it.
I wanted to pursue a career in the sport and further my education, which landed me at the University of Miami in Florida. I graduated in 2009 with a major in Sports Administration and a minor in Communications. During my time at Miami I took a Nutrition course with a woman who worked closely with the USA track and field team. She was an enthusiastic teacher, extremely fit and super inspiring. Her knowledge on nutrition and fitness was based on her first hand experiences with the athletes as well as the courses she took and taught.
After the course finished, I officially realized, I had found another passion besides my love for the game. It was one of making healthy choices and teaching/encouraging others to do the same.
I decided to start meeting with my teacher outside of class in regards to the nutrition specifically for my sport. I at the time was having a hard time eating healthy, was gaining a ton of weight and felt so heavy on the field. I felt I wasn’t being a good teammate and not prepared to last an entire game. It also added to the stress of being a student-athlete. During these meetings I started to learn about complex and simple carbs as well as the amount of calories I should consume according to the amount of time I spend working out every day
I started changing my habits little by little and in 2010 was drafted 27th overall into the WPS (Women’s Professional Soccer League). I played 2 years in the WPS with Washington Freedom DC in 2010 and WPS Champions WNY Flash in 2011. But during these two years I still found myself with some bad habits. I tried to change but always felt tired and craved what was easiest aka junk food and take out. I never played consistently in the WPS. I believe my bad habits contributed to my unhappiness and this inconsistency, in some way shape or form.
Photo source Bevery’s Sponsor, @oneworldsports oneworldsports.com
To be honest my biggest change and most eye opening experience has been here in Japan. I relocated last year to Kobe, Japan in order to pursue my career with Inac Kobe Leonessa. When my flight landed a year ago I will never forget looking around and seeing only Japanese characters (absolutely no English) and there was not an overweight person in sight. I was absolutely shocked and immediately intrigued as to what they were doing so differently than in the USA, where we are currently suffering from an obesity crisis.
I believe some of the cultural differences play a vital role in these habits. Japan has one of the, if not the best, public transportation systems in the world. Because Japan is only 20 percent habitable, it relies heavily on the transportation system. And due to the limited space the cities are where most people reside. Making most every day needs available and within walking distance. Due to the high gas prices, small roads and high population, this makes traveling by car extremely inconvenient and expensive. Meaning most people take the ressha (train), their jitensha (bike), the shinkansen (bullet train), the basu (bus), or sometimes just walk. When taking the train, shinaknsen, flight or bus most people walk or bike to the stop. These forms of transportation are commonly used to get to work and for every day demands. Making a small workout part of their daily schedule, without setting the time aside it becomes more like an active lifestyle.
Also, the Japanese people take much pride in that their country experiences all four seasons. Because of this they tend to eat seasonally. Meaning you will notice especially in the super markets by the pricing alone a fruit or vegetable is out of season. The menus also change in locally owned restaurants according to the winter, spring, summer, and fall foods. I believe eating seasonally gives you the reassurance you are eating the produce at its peak season. Therefore, in my eyes being its freshest and best chance to receive the most beneficial nutrients the foods have to offer.
Fruit is also considered a delicacy here. It is common to purchase approximately 30 dollar grapes or a 40 dollar mango that you can to take to a friend or family members house when getting together. It is a good dessert and a great gift to thank the host. This fruit in particular is grown to perfection and carefully taken care of, not to mention tastes great. You can choose from the many fruits with beautiful packaging included.
I have lost a good amount of weight and have benefited from the importance of making healthier choices. I now value walking and biking as well as making a better effort to eat fresh produce. I have managed to maintain a healthy weight and in turn have been playing my best soccer yet. Not only do I feel better on the field but more importantly I feel better on the inside. Happiness is an important part of life, allowing your body to have the proper nutrients can lead to a long and happier life.
Photo Source from Beverly’s Sponsors @pitchsidereport Pitchsidereport.com
My time here in Japan has given me a strong desire to share my knowledge and experiences with others. I would like to go back to school when I am finished with my soccer career to pursue a career in the field of Nutrition. I want to work with both athletes and non-athletes. Changing lives one by one!
Beverly’s Caprese Spirals
- All your ingredients needed
- Mozzarella cheese
- Tomatoes
- Basil pesto
- 100% whole wheat bread
Directions:
- First cut the crust off the bread. Save the trimmings for later. We will use them to make croutons, so that no food is being wasted.
- Take the rolling pin and flatten the bread. As you can see the piece in the left has been flattened. Do this to both slices or however many rolls you would like to make. Each piece of bread slice makes approximately 5 spirals. Depending on your party size you can determine how many pieces of bread to flatten.
- Chop tomato and mozzarella together and use a fork to mash the two together. I like to add a splash of olive oil and balsamic to the mix for some more flavor.
- Spread pesto spread on each of the slices
- Then a spoonful of the cheese tomato mix on each slice. Roll it up and slice it like spirals.
This is a great recipe for get-togethers and fun for kids too!!
- Garlic salt
- Parsley
- Granulated Onion
I was personally inspired when I first visited Taralynn’s page. Not only do I love the recipes, but it’s extremely admirable she has used her experiences to give back and help others. I understand I bring a different insight to Taralynn’s page being a professional athlete and needing more calories and more intense workouts than most. But the want and commitment to being a healthier more fit and all around happier person is something we all have in common. Let’s help each other one step and one recipe at a time!
Beverly’s adorable coasters, @gomacro GoMacro.com
Want to contact Beverly?
@beverlygoebel twitter
@bevgoebel Instagram
Beverly Goebel Facebook
Look out for Beverly’s articles in @ourgamemagazine and online women’s soccer magazine in the April & June issue!
Next week, we will be doing an “ASK BEVERLY” post. Leave your questions for Beverly below and check back next week for her replies!
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