Making the commitment to exercise regularly is a terrific start to getting fit. However, without sound nutritional guidance, achieving your goals may be impossible. Tough workouts demand the right kind of fuel — and that fuel comes from the foods and beverages you consume.
In a recent study of 90,000 people, researchers found that approximately 57.9% of participants’ daily calories came from heavily refined and processed foods. These are the so-called “convenience foods” that populate the shelves of the local supermarket: canned soups, frozen meals, boxed side dishes, soda and snack foods, and so on.
Only of about 29.6% of the study’s participants ate what nutritionists call “minimally” processed foods. These are foods that our ancestors would recognize as food: fruit from the tree, vegetables pulled from the plant or ground, real meat, poultry, seafood and eggs.
If you’re serious about personal weight training and fitness, you must get serious about your diet, too. Your body is built from both the workouts you complete and the foods you eat. The foods you eat provide the macro nutrients — protein, carbohydrates and fats — that give you energy to sustain you through your workout and build stronger muscles. The vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber found within real, wholesome foods nourishes every cell in your body, providing the best fuel for your workouts.
Think of your body like a car. You could pour the cheapest gasoline into a fancy sports car and it would still run, but over time, the engine might seize from the impurities or the car could wear out faster. By pouring only the highest-quality food into your body, you’re building a body as beautiful as the sleekest sports car. It can run faster and longer, lift heavier weights and dominate the competition.
Proper fitness nutrition begins with understanding what you need to eat, when to eat, and how to maintain your eating habits for the long haul.
