How to Make Your Diet Work For Your Fitness 101
By Sheila Olson (info@fitsheila.com)
When you’re working out hard and trying to keep going, it’s important to make sure your diet is helping you reach your goals. Eating healthy is an aspect of self-care and is good for your emotional stability. Your diet is also one of the best ways to regulate your health by controlling the microbes that beneficially live with your body. With that in mind, here’s how you can make your diet help you reach your fitness goals.
Eat Enough Servings of Fruits and Veggies Daily
The old recommendation was five servings. It’s a good place to start, but if you’re already eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, consider this: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new recommendations which claim that more matters. In other words, don’t just stop at five — make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables every day.
Get It Delivered
Any kind of food delivery or subscription service is a good way to help you eat right. This market continues to grow as more and more millennials look for convenient home-cooked meals that are healthy. A lot of food delivery services come with fresh food that gives you the right portion size according to your personal needs, allowing you to customize what you’d like. It’s also nice if you’re a busy person who doesn’t have time to cook but still wants to eat healthily. You’ll have more options and be less likely to give into temptation.
Go for Frozen Produce
You might be familiar with this scenario: You bought a bunch of fruits and vegetables with good intentions, stored them in the bottom drawers of your refrigerator, and then completely forgot about them. The solution: frozen food. According to NPR, important studies have shown that frozen produce packs just the same nutritional value as the fresh stuff. They’re typically harvested right at the time of ripeness, which means they’re at their very best. This is a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Have Slender Shelves
Slender shelves allow you to get rid of the food that will make you feel terrible. Look at your pantry and see what you’ve got stored there. Sometimes, all it takes is looking over the nutritional information labels to get the motivation to chuck the bad stuff and leave old dietary habits behind. This also means stocking healthier options that are easier to eat
Don’t Eliminate Any Food Groups
The American Council on Science and Health emphasizes that many fad diets can cut out entire groups of nutrition, and while it will offer short-term benefits, it’s often not a healthy or sustainable way to live. A lot of diets out there will tell you to eat low-carb or eliminate specific food groups entirely. While everyone has certain dietary restrictions, a lot of these food groups give you the nutrients you need and the balance you seek. Speak to your Innate doctor about your diet specifics.
Go for the “Good Fats”
When it comes to fats, keep it simple by avoiding saturated and trans fats. Start opting for foods with relatively more unsaturated fats. Some of the “good fats” include avocados, nuts, cheese, whole eggs, dark chocolate, fish, chia seeds, and even olive oil. Good fats can help lower your cholesterol and help you with blood clots, movement, and inflammation.
Eat Enough to Give You Energy
We all know that indulging in a huge post-workout meal can negatively impact the benefits of working out, but not having enough food before you work out can also be a problem. Cutting out a lot of calories can get in the way of having effective workouts. You’ll become lethargic and won’t be able to perform at your best. If you’re looking to cut calories, do it in small increments. Always make sure you’re eating enough to help you throughout the day.
A good, solid diet will help you stay healthy and happy. You don’t need to completely give up all unhealthy things, but do try to incorporate more of the good stuff into your life and learn how to swap out the bad food for the good. It’ll make your fitness regime even better.
