Why food is as important as fitness?

Have you ever heard, “you can’t outwork a bad diet?”

It can be hard to understand your body and what foods to eat to be healthy and reach your fitness goals. You must first create healthy eating habits in order to give your body the nutrients it needs for exercise.

Nutrients

Energy (calories) is the foundation of the repair process. Macronutrients otherwise known as “macros” are foods that are required in large amounts in the diet (e.g. carbohydrates, proteins, fats). Micronutrients are foods that are required in trace amounts in the diet, vitamins, and minerals. Both are important to stay balanced and meet your health and fitness goals. 

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for activity. During post-recovery carbohydrates are important for replenishing endogenous substrate stores and facilitating muscle damage repair and reconditioning. It is critical to replenish your muscle glycogen shortly after exercise to maximize results. Carbs also help aid in increasing your glucose levels after intense exercise, as it drops with exercise. One of the main keys to weight loss is keeping your glucose leveled throughout the day by eating frequently and a balanced diet. 

Protein consumption is key to stimulating muscle protein synthesis and facilitating repair. During exercise, muscle is broken down. In order to repair and grow that muscle, you need to consume protein.

Fats are important as an energy source, hormone production, and inflammation reduction. To reduce inflammation and enhance recovery, focus on getting fats in the diet through dark green leafy vegetables, flax/hemp seeds, grass-fed beef, white fish, nuts, and omega-3.  

Micronutrients ensure normal metabolism, growth, and physical well-being. Vitamins and minerals are found within foods and very rarely require supplementation if your diet is well balanced. 

Timing

Now that we have talked about the importance of nutrients, timing is just as important! Timing your nutrition for recovery should include pre-exercise and post-exercise meals. Pre-exercise meals fuel your activity and optimize your macronutrients to maintain glycogen stores and protein balances. Post-exercise meals should include glycogen replenishment and protein consumption to help optimize adaptations and recovery to minimize adrenal stress and catabolism. Time your meals daily to help keep you level throughout the day along with optimizing protein synthesis.

Putting it all together

It is important to understand your body and what food it requires to optimize results to reach your fitness goals. It can be hard to stay on track and get the needed nutrients our bodies need in this fast pace world we live in. Eat a variety of food combinations to get the nutrients you need without becoming bored with what you're eating. Keep healthy foods visible and in the pantry at all times. Prepare meals and snacks ahead of time. But most importantly, make sure you enjoy all foods in moderation and dine socially!