Eating before and after exercise

Simply change what you eat before and after exercise to achieve your desired appearance. We take a look at what you should eat pre and post workout.

We all know that exercise contributes only 30-40% to achieving that fit, shapely body. More than half of the remaining work is all in how we eat and how well rested we are. What’s just as important is to eat nutrition-rich foods that will enhance your workouts for even better results. Let’s change our daily menus up a bit.  
 
Morning meals: Start off with eating sooner or within 30 minutes after you’ve woken up. We recommend whole wheat bread and scrambled eggs because you’ll be getting both carbohydrates and proteins. Both are great sources of energy for the body. Eating sooner is important to reducing the cortisol hormone. There’s a lot of that running about in the morning when there isn’t any food in your stomach yet. If you leave it to reach high levels, it contributes to the body collecting fat and reducing your immunity, which is something we don’t want to happen!
 
Snacking options: We all need our snacks, but sometimes, we tend to end up with options that have far too much sugar in them such as yogurt and honey. Not only do these foods make you fat, they also digest quickly and you’ll be hungry again in no time. A better option would be Greek yogurt with ripe mangoes, your favorite fruits or roasted nuts. Your body will be receiving better nutrients, be it protein, fiber or antioxidants. 

Lunch meals: Skip that greasy stir-fried noodle with runny sunny-side eggs. Instead, opt for a salad with corn, roasted pumpkin, red beans and your favorite salad dressing. A grilled chicken sandwich using whole wheat bread doesn’t sound so bad either. These two menus give you all the required nutrients—they have high fiber, keep you full and are filled with carbohydrates that increase the glycogen you’ll be
needing for your workout session later.
 
Pre-workout snacks: Grab a banana smoothie with low-fat milk 90 minutes before you start exercising. It can be any type of dairy milk, soy milk, corn milk or almond milk that is low-fat or fat-free. Using low-fat milk will help proteins absorb faster and will not obstruct the body’s digesting system. Most importantly, the protein from the milk will help the carbs from the banana to digest a tad slower as it should. This ensures energy to help you workout. Sweet drinks should be steered clear from—you may feel refreshed from the high amounts of sugar and coolness of the drink, but the sugar does not keep your stomach full. You’ll be hungry and out of energy in no time. 

Dinner meals:
Eat as soon as you can, or within 30 minutes after your workout because it’s the best timeframe that your body absorbs nutrients from your food. Go for an omelette, brown rice and orange curry with vegetables. These foods will go straight to fixing your muscles after your workout. Don’t even think of itty-bitty portions of rice with an omelette. There’s not enough nutrients in that and it won’t help refill your body’s balance—you might even end up eating more rice in the end.  
 
Once you understand and get to know more about what you eat, change your meals so it’ll help you see results faster when you exercise.