Nutrition for Health and Performance

The Army Ethic

Physical Readiness

• The ability to meet the physical demands of any duty or combat position
• Move lethally on the battlefield, accomplish the mission, and continue to fight, win, and come home healthy
• Overarching physical training goal is movement lethality
• Movement lethality is the ability to apply and sustain the right amount of strength, endurance, and speed to meet the demands of training and combat physical tasks
• Supported by optimal mental function

Nutritional Readiness

• The ability to recognize, select, and consume the requisite food and drink to meet the physical and non-physical demands of any duty or combat position
• Goal is to promote optimal performance readiness
• Intertwines with other readiness domains: physical, mental, spiritual, and sleep readiness
• Comprehensive performance nutrition program is proactive, active, and reactive
• Proactive nutrition provides the foundation for baseline health and homeostasis
• Active nutrition fuels the arduous activities and events Soldiers perform
• Reactive nutrition centers on specific dietary interventions to treat illness, injury, or medical conditions

Mental Readiness

• The ability to meet the mental demands of any combat or duty position
• Adapt successfully in the presence of extreme risk and adversity
• Accomplish the mission and continue to fight and win
• Helps Soldiers understand uncertain situations and be aware of their own mental processes
• Reduces miscalculation and errors of judgment under extreme duress
• Enables Soldiers to manage severe stress and grow mentally tougher

Mental Readiness Factors

• Character
• Sense of purpose
• Values
• Virtues
• Morals
• Conscience

Character

• A Soldier's true nature
• Includes identity, sense of purpose, values, virtues, morals, and conscience
• Expressed through behavior, verbal and nonverbal actions, writings, photos, and videos

Other Key Concepts

• Resilience: the ability to face and cope with adversity; adapt to change; and recover, learn, and grow from setbacks
• Cognitive skill: the ability to expand and integrate knowledge into decisions
• Social Acuity: the awareness of, control over, and ability to manage interactions with others
• Spiritual Readiness: the ability to endure and overcome times of stress, hardship, and tragedy by making meaning of life experiences
• Sleep Readiness: the ability to recognize and implement the requisite sleep principles and behaviors to support optimal brain function

This quiz covers the importance of proactive nutrition in maintaining health and preventing diseases, as well as fueling physical activities and events. It also touches on reactive nutrition and its role in specific dietary interventions.