Food is fuel. We all know that. Unfortunately many people don’t fuel their bodies correctly and are often left feeling lethargic, under perform in sports and have frequent illnesses. Instead of thinking of your body as a car (because that analogy is used all the time) start thinking of it as an aeroplane. Your body is too special to be compared to a car, you don’t want it running along the ground you want it flying high. And if you were about to jet off on your holidays you’d most certainly want to be sure the aeroplane was fuelled correctly! So why cut corners with your health? You’re putting your health at on obvious risk in the same way you would be by getting on that aeroplane. With this in mind here are my three top tips for eating for optimal energy and better overall health.
The first thing you should be doing is calculating what you need on a daily basis and making sure you aren’t under feeding your body. This is called your basal metabolic rate. I could bore you with the maths but instead there’s an easy calculator tool you can use here (BMR calculator) This is what you should be aiming for to keep your body in balance. It’s a very basic calculation in the sense that if you exercise you need to eat more and if you’re leaner you’ll also need more to feed those muscles but it works for the majority of the population. If you’re looking to lose weight, cut your daily calorie intake by 300-500 calories and this will give you more sustainable results. Again if you’re going to do this you need to take into account exercise as this uses calories. Cut your calories any lower than that and you’ll risk your energy levels dropping drastically, along with unhealthy and unsustainable weight loss that you’re likely to put back on very quickly.
Once you’ve done that start eating smaller meals more frequently. Always, always, always have breakfast! You should be aiming for three main meals a day spread out across the day with a mid morning and afternoon snack. This keeps your blood sugar levels stable which can help with cravings and make you feel fuller all day. Personally, I don’t like being hungry (I get hugely grumpy!) and I rarely have that feeling because I’m always eating throughout the day, just in smaller portions. Not only will this help with weight loss and keep you feeling fuller but your energy levels will be higher too.
Then have a look at your diet. Start eating foods that have a low GI rating. These are absorbed slowly in the body keeping your blood sugar levels stable and making you feel fuller for longer. They are the best sources of carbohydrates which we all need for energy. Poor carbs have gotten themselves a bad rep over the years but don’t demonise them altogether. What I suggest you do eat less of is the low GI foods such as white bread, white pasta and white rice and instead swap them for high GI foods such as brown rice, sweet potato and more vegetables. You can read more about high and low GI here (GI information)
Lastly, (and I didn’t include this as a tip for eating as it can be argued either way!) drink more water! This one is so important for healthy functioning of the brain and body. If you’re dehydrated you’re likely to feel very lethargic. Drinking more water can also suppress your appetite so make sure you’re getting at least 1.5-2 litres a day. Also, if you’re exercising make sure you’re rehydrating properly afterwards. A great way to know how much fluid you use is to weigh yourself before and after exercise naked (though not in public at the gym please!). For every one kg of body weight lost you should replace one litre of water.
So there you have it, some simple steps to keep that aeroplane in the sky and make sure your energy levels aren’t dropping. Small changes can make a big difference so try it for a month and see how you feel. I can guarantee you’ll feel a lot better and that will have positive implications for the rest of your life too.
For more hints and tips please follow the blog and like the Facebook page for special offers and events! If you have any questions please use the contact me section on the website. Happy weekending!
via Dilly's Personal Training http://ift.tt/1V0UkkW
No comments:
Post a Comment