If you want to see changes in your health and physical appearance, you should understand that nutrition plays a leading role in this desired change. Even if you are at the gym for 12 hours a day (which is extremely ridiculous unless you work there) if you’re eating all the wrong foods, your efforts are totally in vain. You can’t run on the treadmill for an hour, lift weights for another hour and then go have 2 large cheeseburgers with cheese-fries and sodas, and then get depressed when your body doesn’t mirror all your hard work at the gym.
I always hear “but I am training so hard and I can’t see a difference”; that’s simply because what you eat and when you eat it is what makes the difference you want to see.
So let’s get right down to it. There are many culprits hindering your success, and here are some simple changes that will make a world of difference:
-Replace sodas and sugary drinks with plain or flavored water or fizzy water. It will hydrate you and keep the sugar out of your system.
-For all you “white food” lovers, replace your donuts, white pastas, white rice and white breads with oat bites, oat breads and wheat pastas.
-Just because you’re cutting down on sugar, doesn’t mean you have to cut out fruits: focus on fruits with low glycemic indexes, like pears, apples, strawberries, peaches, grapes. Do your research, and pick a fruit you like.
-Replace all the bad fats with good ones; trans and saturated fats that are usually present in highly processed foods such as chips, cookies, margarine, deep fried foods, highly processed cheeses and so much more. So try swapping deep frying with baking, broiling or steaming. Use olive oil or vegetable oil instead of butter and focus on avocados and raw nuts like cashews, almonds.
-Water is essential for your body. I usually have a cup as soon as I wake up to get my body out of its dehydrated state. Water is also with me for the rest of the day, as I drink at least 2-2.5 liters a day.
-Once you’ve had your water, head to the kitchen to prepare a nutritious breakfast, the perfect fuel to jumpstart your day. An example would be a bowl of natural oats with skimmed milk, a dab of honey and some berries.
-Make sure you refuel 3-4 times a day with healthy and balanced meals and snacks.
-Don’t drink any liquids or water with your meals for better digestion.
-Have a light dinner with a minimum amount of carbs. Keep your focus on proteins and healthy fats, like a piece of fish, with veggies and half an avocado.
-Make sure your last meal is consumed at least 3 hours before bedtime.
-Sleep! Sleep! Sleep! Believe it or not, sleep is as important as the food you eat; it’s responsible for so much that goes on in our bodies, and it is one of the only ways our muscles can recover after all those workouts. It also helps you focus and reduces stress, which allows you to achieve your health goals.
These are just some tips that may help you make small changes. There is a whole world out of eating habits, healthy lifestyles and training regimens out there, which means there’s something for everyone. Knowledge is power, so take control of your life and your results and go do your own research based on this article to see what works for you.
That said, please keep in mind that everyone’s body is different, so before you make any changes, always consult with your doctor.
Stay healthy!
Ohan Shidanian for Transform-U
