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Fitness gurus and workout enthusiasts are constantly looking for new routines, exercises and methods for sculpting their bodies. While the way in which you spend your time in the gym certainly matters, there are other factors to be considered when it comes to reaching your fitness goals.
In particular, nutrition is one aspect of fitness that is all-too-often ignored. This not only includes the foods that people eat, but also the manner in which they consume it. Below is a list nutrition-related of advice for fitness enthusiasts.
Eating Schedule
While you may be eating the right types of foods to compliment your workout regimen, you may be making a mistake in the manner in which you eat them. While many people live by the typical three-meals-a-day diet, this is not conducive to weight loss or muscle growth.
Eating in large portions just a few times a day is an eating habit that encourages the body to store fat. Also, you won’t get the most out of protein-rich foods as too much protein consumption at one time will simply lead to it being processed out of the body. With this in mind, try to schedule multiple smaller-scale meals throughout the day. These snack-sized meals will digest easier, allowing for maximum nutrient absorption and reduced fat storage.
Consume “Fat Burning” Foods
Just as the timing of your meals is important, so is their content. Health.com featured an article that listed multiple foods that are great for helping to burn fat calories and amping up your metabolism.
Items that are rich in whole grains and protein were noted for the caloric demands that they place upon your body. In particular, items that contain protein prompt the digestive system to burn a quantity of calories equal to 30 percent of their protein content. Green tea, coffee and spicy foods such as hot peppers are other items that you can add to your diet that burn fat.
Eat in Predetermined Portions
Men’s Fitness published an article that discussed various fitness and exercise tips. Among them was a bit of advice regarding the preparation of your meals. Using an analogy that compared nutrition to any other sport or endeavor, they suggest that it requires careful preparation.
In terms of food prep, pre-planning your meals ahead of time and determining the portions in which you will eat them is an excellent habit to adopt. Not only will your food be readily available after your workouts and throughout the day, you will be far less likely to cheat on your diet or to skip meals. It is often the prospect of taking the time to prepare food that deters us from eating well.
In order to combat this, try cooking low-fat meals a day or two ahead of time. Grill up some low-fat steaks to munch on throughout the week, or make a giant batch of vegetable soup that’ll last you a few lunches. You may also want to check out cookware brands like Ceramcor.com, who pride themselves on selling cookware for healthy eating. Preparing meals in this fashion will allow you to divide and store your meals for the week in the fridge.
Don’t Forget to Hydrate
Ensuring that your body gets enough water is a critical compliment to any effective workout routine and nutrition plan. In order to avoid dehydration and a dip in your workout performance, Fitness Guru suggests taking your body weight and multiplying it by .08 to determine the number of cups of water that should be consumed each day.
If you keep these nutrition tips in mind and incorporate them into your life along with your workout routine, you’ll see major benefits and improvements to your overall health. Whether you can’t lose those last three pounds, or you just want to make sure you’re being as healthy as you can possibly be, you can’t go wrong by pairing a healthy diet with your exercise routine.