Fitness starts at home. What you eat is what you will look, just as what you sow is what you reap. Eat good food: eat fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, and don’t go for sweet and trite food.
– Rakul Preet Singh, Indian actress
Getting fit is possible when you practice discipline on eating the right food and following the exercise regimen that fits you regularly. How can you be so sure that you have the best nutrition to get fit? Psst.ph can help you achieve your fitness goals by following these nutrition tips.
Eat a heavy but balanced breakfast and light lunch or dinner. Eating low-fat snacks in between meals is highly encouraged. If you want to eat three square meals a day only, never forget to drink plenty of water the entire day to stay full and hydrated.
Be very conscious in your food’s nutritional value. Make it a habit to read labels thoroughly. Avoid products with high salt, sugar, and saturated fat content.
Avoid eating too sweet or fatty foods and substitute them with healthier alternatives like nuts, dried or fresh fruits, and vegetables. You may eat them plain or with a healthy dip.
Watch out for food products with high sweeteners like corn syrup, dextrose, glucose, maltose, molasses, and other sugar forms that can aggravate obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, and other health problems. Resort to eating natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
Baked goodies like cakes, pastries, and desserts are high in sugar and fat content. Replace them with fresh or dried fruits, raw vegetables, low-fat milk or yogurt, or unsweetened cereals.
Avoid eating canned goods and preserved meats such as hotdogs, ham, bacon, luncheon meat, and corned beef because they have high sodium content and artificial additives.
Nuts and legumes (eg. beans and peas) are excellent sources of protein without the guilt.
Eating whole-grain pasta and bread is a good source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein that can be converted into energy.
Remember that whole grain bread has less sugar content and more nutritional value than white bread.
Drink at least 12 glasses of potable water daily to keep your body hydrated, maintaining your normal core body temperature and keeping your organs especially your kidneys functioning well. You may always incorporate soups on your meals due to their liquid content.
Avoid as much as possible drinking sugary drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol. Drink fresh fruit juice, natural fruit and vegetable smoothies, or water instead. Drinking alcoholic beverages should be done in moderation due to its harmful health effects.
PREPARE MEALS PROPERLY
Use herbs and spices as substitutes for sugar or salt when adding flavor on your food. Remove salt shakers or sugar containers on the table while eating to keep yourself from being tempted in adding more salt or sugar on your food.
Always buy lean meat to cut fat intake. To cut fat and calorie intake further, replace meat with fish or poultry. If your meat has excess fat, remove it to take away more fat when you cook it. Boiling, broiling, and roasting are the best ways to cook meat to skim excess fat.
Wash your vegetables thoroughly before cooking them. Don’t remove the skin because when you do, you throw away more vitamins and minerals.
Never overcook vegetables to avoid taking away their vitamins and minerals.
Going meatless is never a bad idea. You may cook a meatless dish like pasta, soup, salad, or spread without sacrificing its flavor.
Instead of eating when too stressed or sleepy, do some stretching or exercise. Hydrate with water and eat a light protein packed meal like nuts to aid in muscle repair.