For Your Consumption: Eating Your Way To Better Health

When it comes to staying in shape, what you put in your body matters; not just the workouts you put it through. To keep your body in tip-top shape and get your best workout possible, fueling your body properly can make all the difference.

Rise and shine

By morning, most of the energy from your dinner the night before has been burned away. Without breakfast, morning exercisers are running on an empty tank, meaning they can’t perform their best and won’t burn as many calories or build as
much muscle.

Give yourself a healthy boost in the morning with light foods like granola, fruit or whole grain cereal to keep energy up without causing cramping or upsetting your stomach.

Even if you’re not an early riser, make breakfast part of your routine. Eating breakfast leads to higher and more stable energy levels throughout the day — meaning it helps you be your best for your workout no matter what time of day you choose to hit the gym.

Drink up

Hydration is another key to treating your body right. Water is ideal, but if you don’t like water, the Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness recommends finding something you do enjoy so that you’ll stick with it. Flavored waters or individual mix-in packets like Crystal Light can be a great healthy substitute.

It’s best to sip on your beverage throughout the day, so always have one with you — in your bag, at your desk, in your car — to keep yourself fully hydrated. Eating more fruits and vegetables, which naturally carry water in them, will help you stay hydrated, too. Water prevents toxins from settling in your system and carries nutrients to your cells. Even mild dehydration can cause reduced energy levels.

Beat the munchies

What you eat after and between workouts matters too. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can reward yourself with more treats because you exercised; this will put you in danger of completely counteracting the benefits of your workout.

When cravings hit, be ready to fight back. By being prepared with healthy alternatives to your most commonly craved guilty pleasures, you can keep yourself on track while still satisfying your body’s hunger. For example, escape a close call on a giant slice of gooey chocolate cake by indulging in a fun size chocolate bar.

There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself sweet treats from time to time. Simple sugars found in sweets can help give you a boost of short-term energy when you need it fast, but it will be followed by an even lower energy level later when you crash.

For more consistent energy levels, complex sugars like fruits, provide a healthy way to get your boost while offering other health benefits, too.