Food tips to aid fitness

1. Start with cereal or cornflakes  If you don’t have enough to eat before you exercise, you may not have enough gas in the tank. You might burn fewer calories, too. Try a bowl of cereal with milk or wheat bread. Don’t add butter or cheese,  because saturated fats take longer to digest and can […]

1. Start with cereal or cornflakes 

If you don’t have enough to eat before you exercise, you may not have enough gas in the tank. You might burn fewer calories, too. Try a bowl of cereal with milk or wheat bread. Don’t add butter or cheese,  because saturated fats take longer to digest and can affect the amount of oxygen your blood delivers to your muscles.

2. Grab a fruit

You might not have much time before you head to the gym? Eat an apple or a banana 5 or 10 minutes before your workout for some quick, natural energy.

Your body easily digests these carbohydrates and turns them into the energy you need for exercise. Also, fruit is packed with helpful nutrients.

3. Have chicken at lunch

When you exercise regularly, you need more protein than people who don’t, especially after a workout. Your body uses it to repair muscles, to make blood cells, and for many other purposes. For lunch or dinner, serve a chicken or turkey in small slices, instead of something heavy.

4. A bowl of berries

After a workout, go for these instead of a bottle of juice. A lot of the fiber in whole fruits is lost as they become juice.

Blueberries, in particular, have been shown to reduce muscle soreness from strenuous exercise. Cherries are another good option. But any berry will likely help. Strawberries is also ideal.

5. Veggies 

When you exercise regularly, it’s all too easy to overestimate how many calories you’ve burned. An intense, hour-long bike ride could burn 590 calories, but a more leisurely one might only use 290.

While you might feel like you’ve earned a cookie, it’s better to snack on fruits and vegetables. After you work out, pair your produce with protein to help you feel more full and replenish muscles. Try vegetables with fruit or yogurt.

6. Peanut butter

While you train for a big event, revisit your childhood with a sandwich made with 2 slices of bread and 4 tablespoons of peanut butter. Of course, now that you’re an adult, you can substitute with butter. Or try two or three cooked eggs for protein with a half wheat bread.

7. Water or a sports drink

Hydration is a must when you exercise. Often, water is all you need. But it depends on what you are doing. If your activity is less than 60 minutes, sip small amounts of water often to replace lost fluids. But when your workout is intense and lasts longer than an hour, a sports drink could help your hydration and your performance. Just keep an eye on the calories and sugar, like with any other drink, especially if you want to lose weight.

Called from webmd.com