Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means that it is not stored in the body and you need to consume it every day. Eating foods rich in vitamin C is the most efficient way to get enough of this important vitamin, although you can get vitamin C from nutritional supplements, too. Citrus fruits are among the foods with the highest amounts of vitamin C, but beware of the high sugar content of many fruit juices and look for those that are 100% juice.
One of Vitamin C's top jobs is doing repair work on the body, so it is especially important for avid exercisers. Vitamin C is necessary to help the body make collagen, a protein that is a part of skin, scar tissue, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. Vitamin C also helps the body perform maintenance and repair on bones, teeth, and cartilage, and it helps wounds heal. If you don't eat enough foods rich in vitamin C, you may be less able to fight off infections and colds. You may experience dry, brittle hair and skin, as well as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, and poor quality tooth enamel.
Most health experts recommend 60 mg of vitamin C daily, which you can get easily from a single medium-sized orange (75 mg) or a cup of strawberries (85 mg). Other foods that are high in vitamin C include raspberries, blueberries, and pineapple. Although many people associate vitamin C with fruit, there's also plenty of it to be found in green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and Brussels sprouts.
If you are training for an athletic competition or embarking on a serious fitness program, or just looking to promote your overall health, you need to include adequate protein in your diet. Protein is important to build and repair muscles and to prevent iron deficiency.
Aim for 2 to 3 servings (4 to 6 ounces) of high-protein foods daily. Although bodybuilders get plenty of protein, other athletes such as runners and cyclists, may neglect protein-rich foods such as lean beef or chicken in favor of more carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta. If you don't eat much meat or you are a vegetarian, be sure to include plenty of non-meat protein sources such as nuts, beans, and peanut butter in your diet.
Some quick and easy protein choices include a lean roast beef sandwich, chicken without the skin, peanut butter on whole grain bread, and tofu added to salads, chili, or other dishes.
The average person needs 0.6 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, and serious exercisers will need more, especially those who are trying to increase muscle. You can and should get plenty of protein from your diet by eating foods such as meat, eggs, or milk. But whey is extremely high in protein, too, and your body absorbs whey protein supplements much more quickly than the protein from meat or eggs, so the protein is readily available to your hard-working muscles. If you are trying to build strength and bulk, a whey protein supplements may be helpful.
Proper hydration is an essential part of sports nutrition. But it can be confusing. How much should you drink and how often?
Despite the occasional news story about the potential dangers of over-hydration, the bottom line is that you can rarely go wrong by drinking water. Every system in the body needs water in order to function properly, and about 60 percent of your body weight consists of water. Studies on hydration have led to various recommendations for how much water is enough, or too much, but no one formula applies to everyone.
That said, you can use the
Your fluid intake need not come from water alone--sports drinks are a good way to hydrate, especially if your workout lasts longer than 60 to 90 minutes. For endurance workouts, the extra sugar and sodium in sports drinks gives you some fuel to keep going and also helps your body absorb water. But be careful if you are counting calories. Some athletes find that some sports drinks agree with them while others don't. If you are used to a certain drink during your training, make sure that you have the same drink during competitions.
When you're trying eat healthfully, you look for nutritional information on food labels, including information about fat and salt. But what are the differences among foods labeled low-fat, reduced-fat, or sodium-free? Believe it or not, there are rules for the use of these claims. Foods that are labeled "reduced fat" or "sodium-free" must meet
The criteria for fat claims are as follows:
- Fat-free: The food contains less than 0.5 grams of fat or saturated fat per serving.
- Saturated fat free: The food contains less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 0.5 grams of trans fatty acids.
- Low fat: The product contains 3 grams or less of total fat.
- Low in saturated fat: The product contains 1 gram or less of saturated fat.
- Reduced fat or Less fat: The product contains at least 25% less fat than the regular version of the same product.
Similarly, the
- Sodium free or salt free: The product contains less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.
- Very low sodium: The product contains 35 mg or less of sodium per serving.
- Low sodium: The product contains 140 mg or less of sodium per serving.
- Reduced sodium or less sodium: The product contains at least 25% less sodium than the regular version.
Some examples: Reduced sodium crackers must have at least 25% less sodium than the regular version of the same crackers, and low-sodium soup must contain 140 mg or less of sodium in each serving of soup (remember that there may be more than one serving per can).
Whole foods such as whole grains are a healthier choice for carbohydrates than foods made with processed white flour because foods made with whole grain include the entire grain, which contains three parts:
- Bran: The bran part of a grain provides fiber and B vitamins, which give whole grain products their texture.
- Germ: The germ part of a grain provides minerals, protein, vitamins B and E, and healthy oils, which contribute most of the flavor to whole grain foods.
- Endosperm: The endosperm is the outer layer of the grain, which provides some protein but consists mostly of starch. White bread and pasta are made from this layer only, so you miss out on much of the fiber and nutrients in the grain.
When you shop for whole grain foods, look for word "whole" before the word "grain" or "wheat." Choose foods with nutrition labels that read "whole wheat," or "whole bran," rather than those that read "100% wheat" or "stone ground wheat" or "multi-grain." And don't be fooled by color. Brown bread may not be made from whole grain. Some types of wheat breads made from processed grain include molasses to make them look "wheatier." So be sure the label says whole wheat.
Some easy ways to add whole wheat to your diet include making your favorite pasta recipes with whole wheat pasta, eating oatmeal for breakfast or adding it to baked good such as muffins, and using a combination of whole wheat and white flour when baking muffins or even pizza dough. Using only whole wheat flour can result in a gummy texture for some baked goods, but adding some whole wheat flour increases the nutritional value of the food.
Developing a healthy eating plan doesn't have to be difficult. If you want to eat more healthfully, you don't have to give up all your favorite foods or eliminate entire food groups. And you shouldn't--although specific diets vary in the proportion of certain food groups they recommend, most healthy eating plans emphasize the benefits of eating a variety of foods, especially fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
But try to keep processed foods to a minimum. The Internet is great resource to help you find and prepare nutritious recipes. You can even find desserts that can be made quickly with fresh, wholesome ingredients.
Following nutritious recipes as part of a healthy lifestyle can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, and it can help prevent illness and disease. Also, don't underestimate the importance of healthy eating for an improved appearance. Your hair, skin, and teeth will benefit from a healthy diet, and you will have more energy.
It's not always easy to eat healthfully, but a little planning goes a long way. Plan time to shop for a week's worth of healthy food so you need not find yourself facing an empty refrigerator. Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh ones, so choose your favorite nutrient-rich veggies, such as frozen broccoli or spinach, and you can thaw them quickly in the microwave to enhance any meal. Chicken breasts and lean meats freeze well, too, and so do whole-grain breads. And try to keep a supply of whole-grain pasta and tomato sauces on hand for quick, healthy meals.
You've heard many times how breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but when you consider diet and nutrition as part of a fitness regimen, breakfast is especially important. Many competitive athletes and recreational fitness fiends do their main workouts first thing in the morning.
If you are an early a.m. exerciser, you may not work out on a completely empty stomach. Try a banana, piece of toast, or an energy bar or gel, anything small and easy to digest. When you first wake up, your body won't have had any food for many hours, so a little fuel can make a big difference in how your workout goes.
But whether you eat before your morning workout or not, a post-workout breakfast replenishes your body and gets you ready for your next workout. If you do two workouts a day and you don't have much of an appetite early in the morning, try eating a substantial snack at 10 or 11 a.m. You'll have plenty of time to digest the larger meal before your late-day workout.
Also, research has shown that skipping breakfast makes you more likely to choose unhealthy snacks later in the day, and you may have difficulty concentrating because you are hungry. So, what's the breakfast of champions? Cereal is a healthy and tasty breakfast choice, but it's not the only option. If you don't like cereal, or if you need to grab your breakfast to go, never fear. Any healthy food that you eat in the morning counts as breakfast, whether it is a whole wheat bagel, a yogurt smoothie, or a piece of pizza.
