7 New Foods That Power Up Your Workout
By Janice Leong
Eating habits decide what you want to make out of your body. From earning excessive fat to shaping up your body into a healthier vessel, all of it depends upon the food you eat. Getting in shape does not mean to leave food at all. It comprises a healthy diet that includes all the wholesome ingredients which regulate your metabolism to work fast and provide with your desired results.
If you are someone who is aiming to lose weight or gain muscle mass with the help of physical activities, then you must know the prominence of food in your daily life. Starving yourself or overeating will only lead to the opposite results of what you intend to earn from your workout. As much as your body needs a religious workout session, it also demands the appropriate dosage of essential nutrients and vitamins.
To enhance your performance before a workout session or to improve the outcome of those workout sessions, all you need to have is a healthy dose of power foods! There is a variety of nourishment that you can incorporate in your daily before or after workout meal. Here are seven new foods that potentially power up your feed, which empowers you to milk the best results out of your workout session!
- Banana: Banana is undoubtedly a super healthy yet super handy ingredient that you can consume to obtain quick energy for a long run or a hectic day. Packed with the goodness of Vitamin B6, carbohydrates and potassium, it maintains healthy blood flow and helps to eradicate the chances of muscle cramps that can be extremely painful for your workout sessions. You can perceive banana as similar to the nutritional bars that you buy from the market but in a cheaper and natural form. Banana is lightly sweetened, so it also does not increases your sugar intake, making it an equally delicious and extremely potent power food.
- Leafy Veggies: There is a reason why your mother has been nagging you to eat your greens well since childhood. Although workouts provide you with a healthy physique, the excessive strain your body goes through while a workout session leads to damaging your muscles to an extent. Studies have shown the benefit of leafy greens on muscles as they repair muscle damage through nutrients such as antioxidants, beta carotene, and vitamin
E. It is also capable of enhancing muscle fibers through the high nitrate content it owns that leads your workout performance to enhance too. So munch on your favorite salad before a hardcore workout session to get the best possible results out of your labor without damaging your body.
- Apple: Nothing can be better than a quick bite before your workout that has the ability to increase your endurance and muscular strength. Apple is that power food that you can bite easily on as your workout snack. Apple is low in calories and high in nutritive values that make it a great choice for people who are working out to lose excess fat. The numerous vitamins and minerals present in the power fruit have shown noticeable improvement in enhancing metabolism, which results in an increased bout of energy. You can add apples to your pre-workout salad or quickly bite into one with its skin on to get the maximum benefits from the food.
- Oats: As much as oats are good for losing weight, they make a fantastic power food to supply an extraordinary amount of energy for your workout. Filled with the goodness of fiber and carbohydrates, the digestion of oats takes place at a slow pace, which allows the slow release of energy that keeps you energized for a long time. Consume it before an hour or two of your workout or after it to get the best results. If you are not comfortable working out with an empty stomach, then snack quickly on an oat nutrition bar and get working.
- Greek yogurt: Workouts often lead you to feel inflammation in your muscles. Consuming plain greek yogurt can soothe the inflammation through the high content of carbs and protein present in it. Research shows that the good bacteria present in the yogurt provide stability to your digestive system, while the calcium content makes your bone healthy. Who would not want a power food that provides so many impressive advantages all dedicated to your well-being? We suggest you put some fresh berries into a bowl of greek yogurt to strengthen your muscles without compromising your taste.
- Coconut juice: Dehydration is a very common problem that people face after a thorough workout session. So why don’t you have something that quenches your thirst as well as satisfy your body’s need for something healthy? Coconut water is a delightful liquid that thoroughly hydrates you and at the same time provides you with the benefits of a low amount of sodium and potassium. It is an excellent alternative for sweetened energy drinks that might provide you with nutrients but also the same amount of sugar. The best way to use its benefits is sipping on it after a heavy workout session.
- Tomato juice: Workout for sure strives our body to get into lean and healthy shape, but excessive physical exertion can also result in damaged tissues causing an imbalance in our regular body functions. Tomato is rich in antioxidants, named Lycopene. Lycopene is potent in protecting your body from the damage caused by free radicals during heavy workout sessions that often results in oxidative stress. Add tomato slices to your salad or drink a full glass of tomato juice to trigger all the potential benefits that tomato juice is capable of providing you.
Workout in itself is a fabulous power-up for your body, but at certain times, a heavy workout is not the only thing that can provide your body with the benefits it demand. These power foods will provide that much-needed benefits to your body.
This article is first seen on Janiqueel written by Janice Leong.
The article represents the sole opinion of the contributor.