The “3 pillars of health” is a fundamental concept we teach at 101 Fitness. All is not just about exercise. To achieve optimal fitness and get healthy we need to rest and recover as well as get our nutrition right in order to get these 3 pillars, including exercise, supporting that healthy lifestyle we all strive for.
Quite often we forget that food is actually fuel for our bodies… not just tasty treats. If not used, leftover fuel turns into fat and stored in some unwanted places. We are all too familiar with these flabby un-toned bits.
A few Types of Eating include:
Boredom eating: Its cold outside and we spend a lot more time indoors. We tend to be less active and enjoy the comfort of hot food and drinks to keep the wet, winter blues away. We have to be careful of comfort food and empty calories.
Before and after exercise: The idea is all about fuelling your muscles the right way. A balance of carbohydrates and protein is always recommended. Fruit provides excellent natural carbohydrates – vitamins and minerals are perfect to give you an energy boost for your workout. Oats works well in the mornings and kumara with lunch or dinner is my personal favourite if I do my high intensity training session in the afternoon. Replenishing after a workout doesn’t always mean you get to overload on carbs, such as that doughnuts you think you have earned by now. Rewarding yourself now and then is a different topic entirely. The food you eat after your workout should help your muscles recover, repair and grow which means an appropriate dose of protein is crucial. Non-sweetened Greek yogurt, chicken, ‘clean’ whey powder, peas or quinoa are all great sources of protein but must be accompanied by a balance of other nutrition as well (and not just calories….but fuel).
Eating for weight loss: Is it true that you are not allowed to eat after 6pm? If you have been on a roll to serious dieting for weight loss, you would have heard this a few times. True, you shouldn’t go to bed with a full stomach as your body doesn’t get to use all the energy you just consumed. But if you are a late sleeper then come around 10:30pm you will be starving! It takes around ‘3hours to digest a 600 calorie meal consisting of balanced protein and carbohydrates’ say nutritionist and wellness coach Deborah Enos*. So try to have a balanced dinner approximately 2-3 hours before you hit the pillow. (*http://www.livescience.com/35842-best-time-to-stop-eating.html )
So are you eating the right food to fuel YOUR body?
Here is some food for thought: why are you eating what you eat? Are you just eating it because it is good for you? Are you enjoying your wholesome breakfast or are you getting an extra-large coffee and small pastry take away to make up for the skipped meal this morning to get to that meeting? At the same time, people focus all their energy on burning off calories and they don’t take the time to consider what they’re putting in as energy. Changing your mindset on food and realising that it is fuel for our bodies during the day will help you reach that weight goal and it will support your fitness regime getting you better results.
At 101 Fitness we like balance, so our 25 min a week workouts (once or twice a week) ensure a good balance between effective-efficient workouts and recovery times. This along with a balanced diet means optimal results and it fits into our busy lifestyles.
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