It’s the new year’s time again, and like every year, you all must have set certain goals for the upcoming year. The topmost resolutions of the people generally are to lose weight, to lose fat, and to build a lean body. To summarize, everyone wants to be healthy in the new year.
There are many benefits to being healthy. It increases your stamina, strength, and makes you a more cheerful person. Being healthy can even help you financially regarding discounts on insurance premiums.
For instance, insurance firms such as Apollo Munich have medical insurance plans that offer discounts on premiums if the insured person is healthy and active. Also, health insurance plans are cheaper if you do not suffer from any pre-existing condition.
But, if you want to achieve your goal to be healthy and fit this year, then you need to focus on what you eat, especially the breakup of calories, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that you consume as well as incorporate some workout in your daily routine.
If you are exercising to lose weight, then it becomes crucial that you watch out for the food that you eat before and after your workout. The food we eat before exercising affects the performance, and the food after the workout helps in recovering the muscles quickly.
Many insurance companies also pitch a healthy lifestyle in most of their campaigns, and their products are a big reflection of their thought process – insurance is an asset in the healthiest way possible.
Here are the few pointers that you should keep in mind while choosing the food that you eat before or after a workout:
Before Workout Meal
The before workout meal should consist of those food items that shall give you the energy to perform your best. It’s like fuelling the body with healthy food so that you do not get tired quickly and perform an intense workout. Also, the timing of the pre-workout meal is equally important so that the food is properly digested before exercising and does not cause an upset stomach.
Ideally, the pre-workout meal should be a healthy mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat that can give sufficient fuel to the body for the intense workout. The major portion should be healthy carbs with little proteins and healthy fats. It can be oatmeal, banana, smoothies, sprouts, etc. Anything eaten before three hours of the workout should be enough to have enough strength and energy for the workout.
But, if you work out early in the morning, you might not have three hours to fully digest the meal. In such a case, it is better to eat easy to digest carbs with some protein at least half an hour before the workout.
Hard-boiled eggs, whole grain bread, Greek yogurt with fruit, etc. will be a good option in this case. Any food that is high in fiber and fats should be avoided right before the workout, as it may make you feel heavy.
After Workout
The post-workout meal should be the healthiest filling and important meal of the day. It helps the body to recover from the workout. It should be consumed within 30 to 60 minutes of the workout. That is the prime time when the muscles readily accept the carbs and proteins that you eat and break them down quickly to store energy for recovery of the body.
And, in case you do not eat within that 30 to 60 minutes period, it is likely that you will run out of energy in your next workout session.
The ideal post-workout meal should be a mix of carbohydrates and proteins. But protein should form the major portion of your meal. It is advised that consuming 1 to 1.2 grams of carbs per kilograms of the bodyweight with 12 to 25 grams of protein within the first hour of a high-intensity workout will support protein synthesis of muscles ideally and replenish the muscle glycogen stores.
The best way to refuel the body after the workout is by carrying your recovery meal with you to the gym and consuming it as soon as you finish your workout. It can be your protein drink or a peanut butter sandwich or anything else that is healthy.
Hydrating Your Body
Keeping your body hydrated before, during, and after the workout is as important as your pre-and post-workout meal. Especially when you are trying to lose weight, water being calorie-free plays an important role in keeping your metabolism working efficiently and keeping you full for a longer time.
Try having 20 ounces of water 3 to 4 hours before the workout and at least 8 ounces of water 30 minutes before the workout. Another 8 ounces of water should be consumed after the workout to rehydrate the body again.
Exercising is not only the key to being healthy and fitter, rather changing your eating habits is equally important to experience positive results. You will see better results from your workout if you eat healthily and take account of your diet. Always remember 70% of the abs are made in the kitchen and only 30% in the gym.
Image source: GlistenFit.com
