Okay so you’ve got your workout down, now lets work on your diet… No I didn’t say go on a diet, I said diet as in what you eat, what you put inside your mouth, what you fuel yourself with.
A balanced diet means to eat all types of food, but in a balanced amount. Your body requires a wide variety to provide all necessary nutrients. The needed nutrients include carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, minerals and fats. Every essential nutrient has an important role to play for the proper functioning of the human body.
A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and that is low in fat and added sugar is incredibly important for a number of different reasons, most importantly:
1) Preventing Infections and Diseases including the risks of many chronic conditions heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer.
When the body gets all the required nutrients, it will improve the functioning of the immune system, which is responsible for the prevention of various infections. Also keeping your blood sugar and pressure levels under control.
2) Controlling Weight
Basic math, 3500 calories = 1lb
What you consume daily, minus what you burn daily (either by exercise or just daily life) = a positive or negative amount. If you are in the positive, guess what?… You are gaining weight. Keep in mind you need to consume healthy fats such as nuts or olive oils to burn fats (fat free isn’t always the best choice), otherwise your body will hold on to the fat it has.
3) Active Lifestyle
A balanced diet is beneficial to the state of your mind. The body and mind are connected and when they are in a good state, they coordinate effectively. If you are working out hard, do your body a favor and give it some love, feed it the fuel it needs. Remember from the inside out!
Okay so now you ask what do I eat?… It all depends on you and what your goals are. When I’m trying to shred down a little I avoid excess carbohydrates, alcohol and sugars; I rarely eat anything fried or processed because I don’t enjoy the taste and they’re not my weaknesses anyhow. Besides tasting gross processed fried foods are gross when digested.
My recommendation eats a full breakfast (I usually do a protein shake listed below) if I work out in the morning I have a mid morning snack such as Greek yogurt. For lunch I have a big kale or spinach salad filled with veggies and topped with chicken or fish, and some nuts. My lunch is similar to my dinner, greens and a protein of my choice, which I mix it up throughout the week. I love a piece of steak once a week, however my usual go too is either fish or chicken and sometimes I do tempeh and one of my favorite vegan restaurants.
Posted in September 2011 …
In good Health
Everybody has a unique body: with has individual needs that differ from day to day depending on physical exertion, time of year, amount of stress, sleep, food intake, height, weight, male, female, etc., there is no one right way approach to correct poor nutrition and lack of exercise.
Exercise: Elevated heart rate, sweat should be done in proper form, effectively creating change, and frequently (on average 1 hour, 3-6x per week).
A healthy diet: involves consuming appropriate amounts of all essential nutrients and an adequate amount of hydration (water). A healthy diet requires a balance of macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates), calories to support energy needs, and micronutrients to meet the needs without inducing toxicity or excessive weight gain from consuming excessive amounts.
Balance your life: Keep the amount of time and energy spent in check: rest, time for yourself, work, finances, fun and social life.
Be conscious of your unique personal mid-line, for you in your life, what feels good to you. You may need some extra time in the gym right now, or extra sleep or extra social time just make sure to avoid extremes in any direction because you will wind up craving the opposite for example too much work might make you go off the deep end with one of your vices (alcohol). Be kind to your body, take breaks, slow down, listen to your body.
