How many people do you think planned for proper nutrition before they began an exercise program?
It’s a rhetorical question, though my guess would be not many.
The combination of seeing an extra chin in the mirror while holding the old jeans which fit only in your dreams will usually trigger an urgency to work out to get your “old” body back.
Good nutrition is an essential element of good health that can be slow to adopt as habit.
When the running urge hit, I knew little about properly fueling for training and performance.
It wasn’t until after a few workouts of feeling always depleted, I realized my eating habits needed to change.
I ate a well-balanced diet but found myself skipping meals between work and runs while my body was screaming for more fuel.
Did you know according to Active.com that you will be burning an extra 100 calories roughly for each mile that you run?
After learning this fun fact and doing more research on my poor eating patterns, I learned to adopt a healthier diet which should include these essentials: carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium. And the truth will set you free.
Once you start burning hundreds of calories daily through exercise, you’ll need proper nutrition at greater frequency than three meals a day.
Here are my top five good nutrition tips:
- Breakfast – this is the most important meal of the day as you’ve been sleeping typically for about eight hours and need fuel:
Boiled eggs, multigrain bread, oatmeal and yogurt. I will have my caffeine fix and follow it up with a glass of water to keep hydrated. Exercising should not commence until at least one hour after eating a large meal. If there is no time to eat, bring a protein bar, banana or have a smoothie.
- Lunch – I will have homemade chicken soup or a salad or tuna sandwich. For a snack before running after work, I will bring an apple or energy bar, which will sustain you until dinner.
- Water – drink plenty of water – about eight cups a day. Try to drink water throughout the day by having sips whenever you can. Find a run route with water stops along the way or bring a water bottle with you.
- Vitamins – take a multivitamin tablet each day to fight off colds, and cover yourself for lack of certain foods your body needs. Getting enough sleep to maintain an active lifestyle is another essential ingredient to good health.
- Foods That Work for your body on workout days are essential. Trying out new foods could work against you in the form of cramps. Avoid creamy sauces or spices. Making healthier food choices is the key to improving your running performance and having a quicker recovery. Your diet is even more important to overall good health than exercise.
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