Last week, we talked about progression to our exercise routines. This time let’s deal on the nutrients we need to take to fuel our fitness programs.
Health and nutrition experts say if we don’t have enough food on our tummies before we exercise, we easily get tired, meaning fewer calories burned. I suppose we had this kind of feeling at some point when we do our fitness routines with lesser gas in our tanks.
It was suggested that we take in some healthy carbs at least an hour before we hit the gym or go for some outdoor exercises. Here are some foods recommended which they say are good fuels for our fitness programs.
Most of us are not used to eating whole grain cereals, but a bowl of this with skim or low fat milk can give us energy to get complete our sets. Whole wheat toasts and bagels will also do, but it is advised to skip the butter and cream cheese which normally goes with bagels because of the saturated fats that takes longer to digest.
Sometimes, we don’t have enough time for meals so fruits, especially bananas and apples, which are packed with carbohydrates and nutrients, give us energy to fuel our workouts. Eat a banana 10 minutes before starting workouts.
If we’re doing regular exercise, we need more proteins compared to people stuck on their sofas. Proteins are used by our bodies to produce blood cells and repair muscles, among others. Lean meats like chicken (without the skin) and fish are the best. Eggs are also good sources of protein as well as beans and nuts. Soy products like tofu and soya milk likewise are good protein sources.
It is better to snack on fruits and vegetables because of its fiber content that helps us to feel fuller without the added calories. Greek yogurt or low fat yogurt is kind of expensive, but if we can splurge once in a while, it does go well with fruits. If possible, avoid the fruit and vegetable juices as the fiber content are lost in the process and we are mostly ingesting sugar. The same goes with fruit-flavored yogurts.
Two slices of wheat bread with about two teaspoons of peanut butter is an energy booster. This is a simple but also ideal protein and carb combo. But if revisiting childhood memories is not our thing, two boiled eggs and a slice of wheat bread will do the trick.
Lastly, hydration is important. Depending on the intensity, water usually will do. Small sips of water in between breaks will suffice if our workouts are less than an hour. For more intense workouts that go for more than 60 minutes, sports drinks are advised for hydration and good performance. Just be careful on the sugars and calories in sports drinks especially if we’re trying to shed extra pounds./PN
