I consider myself quite active. I bike commute to work every day, I do daily yoga, and on weekends I’m on hiking excursions. Being this activity requires a lot for my body and that includes watching what I eat. Food habits also consider an important part to stay healthy and hydrated. It’s not easy staying active and choosing the right food really helps maintain that lifestyle. Below are a couple of diet tips for people who lead an active lifestyle or want to start being active.
Table of Contents
Some Regular Food Habits to stay Hydrated
1. Increase vegetables and fruits in your diet
We’ve been told since we were little to always eat our greens. We tend to ignore that advice only to revert back to it in our later years.
Fruits and vegetables are by far some of the best sources of minerals, vitamins, and natural fiber, all important for a healthy and active lifestyle. The term “eat the rainbow” promotes the idea of choosing fruits and veggies with different colors, flavors, and textures to get the most out of their nutrition.
2. More protein for meals and snacks
A growing and developing body needs protein. It is needed to grow, maintain, and repair tissues. For someone who follows an active lifestyle, effective and healthy food habits are especially important for muscle growth and recovery after workouts.
Protein is also an excellent source of energy when carbs are unavailable. Adults need about 0.8 grams of protein for every kilo of body weight, more for those who are active and are of older age.
3. Choosing the right carbohydrates
A lot of people paint carbohydrates as the enemy in their efforts to become more healthy and active. They follow low carb diets or even cut it out entirely. But carbs are the body’s main source of energy and it should comprise the majority of one’s daily caloric intake, especially for people who exercise.
However, it’s important to choose the right kind of food habits like carbs to consume. Focus more on including complex carbs such as those found in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.
4. Don’t skip breakfast
Whether you get it at home or a local restaurant near your place of work, you should always eat breakfast. It can be a great way to replenish your energy storage you will need for the rest of the day.
Breakfast is especially important for someone who leads an active life as they need all the energy they can get to power through their day. Breakfast meals should be high in fiber and protein to stave off hunger and provide the needed energy requirement.
5. Go for healthy fats
The same with carbohydrates, fats have been painted as the culprit for many diseases for many years, not realizing that humans, for thousands of years, have been consuming fats as part of their regular diet.
Fats are the primary fuel for the body during aerobic exercises and because of these food habits, the body is designed to store it for longer workouts. Choosing healthy fats, also called unsaturated fats, that provide the body with the essential fatty acids and the needed calories to keep you fueled up.
6. Fueling up for workouts
If you’re like me and tend to forgo eating a meal or snack before a workout, then we have a lot of thinking to do. Experts now recommend preparing for a workout by balancing food habits. Food habits like eating a banana or berries to fuel up for the activity. Nuts, grapes, oranges are also highly recommended.
You don’t need a full meal before a workout but a few bite-size snacks can provide the body with the needed minerals, vitamins, and fluids to sustain your workout.
7. Hit the balance
As someone who leads quite an active life, I abide by the saying, “everything in moderation.” We don’t have to cut down too much on calories since the body needs it to sustain our day. At the same time, we can try to avoid overconsumption of any one food group. So eat that piece of cake or slice of pizza. Give yourself some little rewards for having pushed yourself to work out but don’t overdo it and stay focused on your goal. Also, consider your food habits.
Related Posts:
Niacinamide: How It Helps Your Skin?
9 Foods To Avoid Menstrual Cramps
