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 Nutrition
is important, but especially to athletes and those who regularly work
out. This page provides you with some "know-how" tips.
- Avoid exercising on
an empty stomach. While some people get cramps if they exercise too
soon, eating something very small about an hour before your workout
shouldn't cause cramps. A small snack will improve your workout performance
because it will provide you with the glucose needed to fuel your workouts.
Remember that fat burns only in the presence of oxygen and sugar,
so provide that glucose by eating half an English muffin, a slice
of toast with a dab of peanut butter, yogurt or a granola bar. Even
if you don't eat food, at least treat your body to a small glass of
juice or milk so that you are not running on empty. A light snack
shouldn't bog you down, but it will provide important energy to help
you exercise harder and longer than if you wouldn't have eaten. Tip
from Joanne Bednar of Motivation
Station
- Joanne also suggests
eating within an hour after your workout to replenish the glycogen
stores you just used up. These glycogen stores are important to replenish
quickly so that muscle repair and fat metabolism may occur. A snack
or meal mixed of carbs, protein and a little fat is a good choice
post workout.
- Carbs should
make up between 55-65% of your daily diet.
If you exercise for more than an hour every day then you should consume
the higher end of 65%. If you work out every other day, then you should
stay at the low to middle end of 55-60%. What should you eat? You
should focus on complex carbs and natural simple sugars, rather than
refined sugars. Basically that means you should try to avoid the processed
carbs, and stick to foods as close to their natural state as possible.
Choose an orange over orange juice, or whole grain bread over white
bread. Breads, cereal and pasta are all great choices, but try to
stick with the whole grain options. Tip from Joanne Bednar of Motivation
Station
- Eating too many carbohydrates
may elevate blood levels of triglycerides, blood fats that are thought
to increase heart disease risk. However, if you do occasionally eat
too many carbs, a recent study revealed that daily moderate exercise
can thwart the increase in triglycerides that usually results. Tip
from RealAge.com
- Protein is a nutrient
that most Americans have no trouble eating the recommended amounts.
Most people eat way more than what they need! Protein is important
in our diets, because it builds and repairs tissue (muscles, tendons
and ligaments), synthesizes hormones and enzymes, and is also important
for the transport of fluids. Protein can be used as an energy source
when adequate carbohydrates are not present, but that is not its primary
function. The body prefers to use glucose instead, reserving protein
for the functions listed above. There are 4 calories per gram of protein,
just like a carbohydrate. Proteins are made up of amino acids. There
are 20 different amino acids, 9 of which the body cannot produce on
its own. Therefore, it is important to include protein in the diet
so that these 9 amino acids, called essential amino acids, are available.
The recommended protein intake for an adult is: 0.4 grams of protein
per pound of body weight. Tip from Joanne Bednar of Motivation Station
- If you've been hesitant
about trying tofu in the past, it may be time to give it a go. Eating
more tofu and less meat could be good for your heart. In a recent
study, two groups of people ate similar diets, but the participants
in one group ate 290 grams (about a cup) of tofu per day while the
participants in the other group ate 150 grams of lean meat per day.
After one month, the tofu group had significantly lower total cholesterol
and triglyceride levels. Lower blood-fat levels could translate into
lower heart disease risk over time. Tip from
RealAge.com
- Don't buy into the the
"energy bar" hype for their special powers. Just because
they have more like 30% protein instead of the average "less
than 20%" doesn't mean that you couldn't get the same thing from
other smart snacking. What is very beneficial is their portability.
Buy them for convenience, not the suggested advantage that their advertisement
wants you to believe. Tip from Joanne Bednar of Motivation Station
- Many people ignore nuts
as a nutritious snack because of their high fat content. Indeed, approximately
75 percent of a nut's calories come from fat, but most of that fat
is the heart healthy monounsaturated kind. Nuts also pack a wallop
of protein: a one-ounce serving of peanuts has about as much protein
as a glass of milk. Many nuts also provide valuable fiber, vitamin
E, the B vitamins folic acid and niacin, and the minerals zinc, copper
and magnesium. Tip from Runner's World Training Extra. To read more
tips like these, subscribe to Runner's
World Training Extra
- A few spoonfuls of flaxseed
every day may have prostate-protective powers. In a small study of
men with prostate cancer, participants who followed a low-fat diet
that was supplemented with flaxseed appeared to have slower-growing
tumors than men who did not follow the flaxseed diet. More research
is needed to confirm the link, but in the meantime, adding flaxseed
to your diet will boost your intake of fiber and healthy fats. Tip
from RealAge.com
- Consider adding leeks
to your diet. Leeks are rich in allicin, an organosulfur compound
that inhibits the growth of certain cancer cells, including breast,
endometrial, and colon cancer cells. Leeks also contain calcium, iron,
vitamin C, and fiber.
- Americans don't
get nearly enough fiber in their diets.
The recommended intake of fiber per day is 25-35 grams, but most only
get 10-15 grams. If you need a good reason to eat fiber, here it is:
for every gram of fiber you eat, your body saves 7 calories in food!
That means, if you do eat the recommended 35g per day, you can eat
an extra 245 calories without gaining any weight! Or, if you are trying
to lose weight, you can save 1715 calories per week, which results
in a half a pound weight loss! Also, if you are trying to lose weight,
fiber is bulky and low in fat, so you will feel fuller, longer!
Good sources of fiber include: barley, wheat and oat bran, apples,
apricots, blueberries, many breads (read the label!), lentils, beans,
baked potato with skin on. Ways to avoid getting fiber include: processed
foods, fiber pills, wheat crackers. While many products imply they
are high in fiber, read the labels before you buy. Tip from Joanne
Bednar of Motivation
Station
- Saturated fats are the
BAD fats. Saturated fats are found in foods like meats, whole milk
dairy products, and some oils like coconut, palm kernel, and sadly
enough the cocoa fat in chocolate. Saturated fat increases your risk
of heart disease, so it is important that you keep your saturated
fats to less than 10% of your daily diet. By cutting your fats in
total, you will usually cut your saturated fats as well.
Unsaturated fats are better, and they make up the remainder of the
fat content in your foods. Vegetable foods, like oils, contain a larger
proportion of unsaturated fats. There are monounsaturated fats and
polyunsaturated fats, depending on how many points of the fat molecule
have hydrogen attached. The important thing to remember is that saturated
fats are the worst of the fats. Do beware of hydrogenated fats, however,
as they are unsaturated fats that have hydrogen atoms attached to
make them more resistant to going rancid. Hydrogenated fats should
be avoided. Tip from Joanne Bednar of Motivation
Station
- What good does a sound
fitness program do you if you are eating a diet full of fast food,
sweets, and red meat? Nutrition is probably the biggest obstacle for
Americans maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Choosing a diet that is
low in fat, high in fiber, low in sodium, and sugar sounds easier
than it is. As social being, food has become a major part of our lives,
and it is no longer for survival purposes like it was in the caveman
days. Most celebrations center on food, as do dates, holidays, and
unfortunately for many people, comfort. It's ok to splurge now and
then, but keeping a variety of foods in your diet is key. Concentrating
on the Food Guide Pyramid is a great way to ensure you include the
correct amount of servings from each of the food groups. Incorporating
as many of the disease fighting vegetables and fruits as you can is
a great way to stay ahead of the game. Tip from Joanne Bednar from
Motivation Station
- If you have trouble
consuming the recommended eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water, try
adding a little zest to your water by squeezing some fresh lemon or
lime juice into it.
- If you are a salad lover
but find that they don't keep you filled up, try adding some protein!
A cut up grilled chicken breast can add just the right amount of protein,
and it can be marinated, blackened, etc., to add some real punch to
your salad. Don't forget about good old nuts. You can add a tablespoon
of chopped nuts to your salad for a dose of protein and healthy fat.
But don't add too many nuts, as they can add calories quick. A hard
boiled egg is another good option. A single egg only has 5 grams of
fat. Want more ideas to make your salads more interesting? How about
adding some fruit to boost up the nutrition! Mandarin oranges, raisins,
craisins, grapes and apple chunks are just a start! Tip from Joanne
Bednar of Motivation Station
- Eat your greens! Cruciferous
vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale, have high levels
of cancer-fighting compounds, but kale has the highest concentrations
of vitamins A, C, and E.
- Not only does broccoli
contain calcium and iron, two essential minerals, but it is also high
in vitamin C which is importating for healthy skin, teeth, bones,
and gums and vitamin A which helps grow and maintain skin and hair.
- Try adding the Chinese
cabbage bok choy to your diet. You'll be getting a healthy dose of
compounds called indoles. According to research, these compounds may
inhibit cancer, particularly breast cancer. Look for this leafy green
cabbage in the produce aisle of your local grocery store, or in Asian
food stores. Tip from RealAge.com
- Most pastas that fill
your plate do little to fill your nutritional needs. Unless those
noodles are soba. Soba noodles are made from a blend of wheat and
buckwheat flours and have more nutrients than the typical white-flour
noodles. In fact, several studies indicate that buckwheat boasts two
cancer-fighting antioxidants, quercetin and rutin. Soba noodles also
are a powerhouse of virtually fat-free protein. Tip from RealAge.com
- Nutritionists have changed
their focus to study how athletes stay so healthy, and they have learned
that sugar is not as bad as everyone thinks. When fit people eat sugar
they don't get an insulin rush. The sugar is turned into muscle glycogen
for tomorrow's run. An out-of-shape person who eats sugar, converts
it to fat and stores it in the fat cells. Rather than eliminate all
sugar from your diet, start a good solid exercise program and your
body will be able to handle all nutrients better! Tip from Joanne
Bednar of Motivation Station
- Eating a bowl of cereal
in the morning is a great health habit, but don't overindulge! Many
people pour themselves almost twice the recommended serving size for
their breakfast cereals which is a lot of extra calories. To balance
your morning meal and add variety to your diet, eat the recommended
serving size but add fresh fruit to your meal
- Red plums are one of
the best fruit sources of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and A.
Plums are also a good source of fiber and potassium.
- Did you know that tangerines
contain beta-cryptoxanthin? This carotenoid is one of a group of antioxidants
associated with improved respiratory health. Also, one medium tangerine
also contains half of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin
C.
Eat a generous
portion of strawberries, watermelon, grapefruit, pineapple, papaya,
lemons, limes, oranges, apples or grapes first thing in the morning.
Then wait two hours before eating a fat burning breakfast. The two-hour
waiting period allows your body time to digest the fruit, which speeds
up digestion to help you burn more calories during breakfast. Two
hours after eating fruit, try one of these low-fat breakfast ideas:
- 1 toasted bagel with
a little jelly or lightly buttered
- slices of whole wheat
toast, lightly buttered
- 1 toasted English Muffin,
lightly buttered
- 1 slice of cheese on
toast
- 1 low fat muffin
- 1 hard roll, lightly
buttered
- 5 rye crackers and a
slice of cheese
- 2 egg omelets and 1
slice of toast
- 2 scrambled eggs with
1 slice of bacon
- 1 cup of oatmeal with
skim milk and honey
- 1 cup of corn flakes
with skim milk
Tip submitted by Donna Willoughby of INSPIRATION-TIPS
- Star fruits, also known
as carambolas, are one of the lowest calorie ways to get your fill
of several important nutrients. Eating one large star fruit supplies
you with 200 milligrams of potassium and a healthy dose of vitamins
C and A. Yet a star fruit contains only about 40 calories.
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