It is important, before you introduce very specific nutritional changes to your diet/nutritional plan, that its foundations are solid. Basic nutrition can be broken into 10 stages or ‘10 Nutritional Necessities for Every Day’. Without these basics, specific nutritional fine-tuning will have little effect.
10 Nutritional Necessities for Every Day
(1) Return to Nature
This means chosing foods that have undergone little or no processing when building your meals. The less processed that food is, typically the more natural it is, and the better it is for your body.
(2) Eat a Rainbow
Vitamins and minerals, which are essential to our bodies, can be found naturally in foods such as fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables, in a range of colours, will help ensure that you are getting a lot of the vitamins and minerals that you need, resulting in enhanced recovery, improved energy production and immunity. The following fruits rank in the top 20 list of the American Cancer Society: blueberries, blackberries, rasberries, strawberries, granny smith apples, sweet cherries and black plums.
(3) Less Legs are Good
Protein is an essential component of any fitness enthusiasts diet. When chosing your source of protein, typically the fewer legs the animal has, the better the source of protein. Fish, turkey and chicken are excellent sources of protein and are low in fat. You need to be more selective with dairy, red meat and pork products. Low-fat dairy, lean cuts of pork and beef, and grass-fed four-legged animals are best.
(4) Eat Fats that Give Something Back
It is recommended that 20-30% of your total calories come from fat. The best types of fats are low in cholesteral for example raw nuts, seeds, olive oil, nut butters and fatty fish.
Essential Fatty Acids or EFA’s are often neglected in peoples nutrition plan. These fats help to decrease inflammation but cannot be produced by our bodies, so must come from diet. The American Heart Association recommends to consume fish high in Omega-3, for example salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, herrings etc… 2-3 times per week.
(5) Three for Three
Combining the 3 main nutrients (1) Carbohydrates, (2) Protein and (3) Fat every 3 hours (hence the phrase ‘Three for Three’) will maintain energy levels, by creating blood glucose, keeps the body in a fed state, therefore preventing binging, and prevent moods swings.
(6) Eat Breakfast Every Day
This is ‘critical’ yet often ignored by people. Eating breakfast gives the body the fuel it needs and sets your metabolism up to function correctly throughout the day. Eating a healthy breakfast has been shown to improve weight loss when compared to eating no breakfast.
(7) Keep Hydrated
Dehydration equals decreased sporting performance. It is essential to prehydrate before you start training, or any physical exercise, to replace fluid lost during exercise whilst exercising and to continue to intake fluid after exercise. Hydration needs to be maintained throughout the day and during training.
It is recommended to drink 1/2oz to 1oz of fluid per pound of body weight. Fluids should consist primarily of water and other naturally low or non-caloric beverages, followed by 100% fruit juices. Perceived hunger pangs are often our bodies trying telling us that we are dehydrated as opposed to being actually hungry.
(8) Dont Waste the Post-Workout Window of Opportunity
Despite the vast amount of research, many people are still reluctant to consume calories after training. However, in order to optimise the benefits of training and kick start recovery, for maximum gains, it is critical to consume a post-workout recovery meal (either through food or supplements), that combines both carbohydrates and protein, within 45 minutes after training.
(9) Supplement Wisely
Supplements should compliment your diet and a mentality of food combined with supplements should be adopted. Supplements without food will not get you to where you want to be.
(10) Dust Off Your Kitchen
In a fast paced world of convenience and life-on-the-go, we often turn to restaurants, fast-food and microvable food for our nourishment. These sources of foods are inevitably heavily processed and generally high in calories. If you really want to optimise your body, hit your nutrient and calorie goals, and just eat better, home cooked food is best.
The more fresh food that you can prepare on your own, the more control you will have over the nourishment of your body.
That’s all for this newsletter. We hope you have found the information on Basic Nutrition helpful and use it to assist your Health and Fitness Goals.
If you have any questions please do contact us either by phoning 01-5213184 or by using the ‘Contact Us’ section of our website.
Kind Regards,
The FitnessSupplementsVitamins Team.
**Disclaimer**
The above newsletter consists of recommendations and is not meant to constitute medical fact. The statements made have not been evaluated. Seek the advice of a qualified nutritionist before undertaking any change to your diet. Seek the advice of a doctor before undertaking any training regime.
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