Nutrition is one of the key aspects in getting fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition plays an important part in not just muscle building, but fat loss and overall health and well being. Regardless of your goals, eating clean and smart will ensure that you hit your fitness goals easily.
How many of us workout in the gym regularly, but fail to get the desired results? You would be surprised, but the number is quite high. For a natural athlete, nutrition can be the differentiating factor between failure and success.
Preparing your meals:
One of the best things you can do to get fit is by preparing your own meals or at least eating home-cooked foods. It is a wise move, as you can not only control the quality of ingredients used, but you can prepare it in a smarter manner, keeping your fitness goals in mind. Given our hectic and tiring lifestyles, it is advisable to prepare your meals over the weekend and store it in the freezer. Doing so will ensure that you do not spend a good part of your day preparing meals.
Eliminating refined foods:
Refined and processed foods such as refined flour are one of the worst things that you can put in your body. Not only are refined foods highly processed, chemically-laden and contain high levels of preservatives to increase its shelf life, which your body does not need. These foods can be responsible for damaging and killing the good bacteria in our gut, which in the long run, can cause issues such as indigestion, gas and reduced immunity. Refined foods can also cause a massive spike in one’s blood sugar levels and can bring about weight gain, along with other diseases.
Maintaining a healthy gut:
Many a time we face indigestion issues such as bloating, gas, acidity, etc. but we fail to understand why. One of the reasons for indigestion is an unhealthy gut and if you are someone who constantly suffers from indigestion, then fixing your gut should be high up on your list. Foods such as Greek yogurt are an excellent source of probiotics and is high in gut-friendly bacteria that can help restore the health of your gut, especially as more than 70% of your body’s immunity is in your gut. Fruits such a papaya and pineapple can aid in digestion and should be included in your daily nutrition.
Keeping yourself well hydrated:
The benefits of keeping your body well hydrated are widely known and accepted. A well-hydrated body helps in muscle recovery and reducing muscle soreness. A well-hydrated muscle will help reduce muscle inflammation, thus ensuring that you do not feel sore the day after your workouts.
By fine-tuning and modifying your nutrition and your lifestyle, you can see massive changes, not just inside the gym, but a positive change in your overall health and well being.
Questions?