Build energy with foods you eat
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Spicy green bean amandine is a good side item for a heart healthy diet.
Research shows that exercise improves your health, lowers disease risk, and even boosts your energy. Why is it then that many people sometimes feel sluggish and tired right after they exercise? More than likely your body has run out of fuel – or energy, that is.
The foods we eat provide our bodies energy in the form of calories. It’s important to get the right amount of calories from a variety of healthy foods so that you have some “get up and go” about yourself, especially after a workout.
Keba Laird, health and wellness Specialist for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, says focus on eating healthy food combinations for maximum energy and performance.
“Eating adequate portions of complex carbohydrates (like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) and lean protein foods (like lean meat, eggs, and nuts) at meal and snack times will power your workouts, and supply the muscles the needed nutrients for recovery. One example of this healthy combination is a whole wheat English muffin with a scrambled egg; another is a tablespoon of natural peanut butter spread on fruit, such as an apple or banana.”
Laird also says the timing of meals is just as important as what you eat.
“When you eat six to eight small, healthy meals each day – or every 2 to 2.5 hours – it helps to increase your metabolism and controls your appetite and weight. You don’t get this benefit when you skip meals.” She adds, “Thirty minutes before your workout, enjoy a healthy snack like a small, handful of nuts with a serving of grapes. Likewise, eat a healthy meal or snack at least 30 minutes to an hour after your workout, and don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.”
