Physical - Nutrition tips for Better Fitness

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 fibre, 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 fibre 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 fibre.
The recommended intake of fibre per day is 25-35 grams, but most only get 10-15 grams. If you need a good reason to eat fibre, here it is: for every gram of fibre 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, fibre is bulky and low in fat, so you will feel fuller, longer!

Good sources of fibre 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 fibre include: processed foods, fibre pills, wheat crackers. While many products imply they are high in fibre, 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 maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Choosing a diet that is low in fat, high in fibre, 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 important 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.