One of my Week 5 positive affirmations is “I always respect
and talk a good care of my body.”. Whenever I read out the affirmation, a piece
of mind keeps asking myself if I am really looking after my body well. Really? Well… So I started googling around in order to find
something good for my body and I have found something quite interesting, '19 of
the best fitness foods for women’. http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/womens-health/nutrition/galleries/photo/-/6218114/19-of-the-best-fitness-foods-for-women/6218123/
Frankly, I am a gym junkie. I do exercise regularly and
sometimes (my husband would say ‘very often’) I do more than enough. Frankly again,
I am a bad cook. I am very lazy to cook and find a new menu so our meal options
are very limited. I am aware of that I need to have a balanced diet for keeping
my body healthy but my lack of commitment has not been very helpful. However, ‘later’
is better than ‘never’ so, I have decided to put more efforts to learn healthy
diet options from now on.
The main reason this list of 19 best fitness foods caught my
attention is there is no cooking required so it would be quite handy for
someone who is not into cooking but still interested in healthy foods (just
like me). I haven’t tried to change anything as the additional information for
each food is simple and also useful to know. I have only summarized the website so you can
see all the 19 foods on one page. So, enjoy the 19 best fitness foods with colourful
pictures and try to put them into your healthy diet plan. Printing out the list
and putting it on your fridge to remind you would not be a bad idea.
Don’t forget that healthy body creates healthy mind and
healthy sprit so look after.
19 of the best fitness foods for women
Avocados
The
cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat in these green health bombs can help
keep your body strong and pain-free. Researchers from the University of
Buffalo, US, found that competitive women runners who ate less than 20 per cent
fat were more likely to suffer injuries than those who ate at least 31 per
cent.
Dr Peter J Horvath, an associate professor of nutrition at the university, speculates that the problem is linked to extreme low-fat diets, which weaken muscles and joints.
“[Eating] a few slices of avocado a day is a great way to boost fat for women who are fat shy,” says dietician Leslie Bonci.
Dr Peter J Horvath, an associate professor of nutrition at the university, speculates that the problem is linked to extreme low-fat diets, which weaken muscles and joints.
“[Eating] a few slices of avocado a day is a great way to boost fat for women who are fat shy,” says dietician Leslie Bonci.
Eggs
Don’t skip the yolk. One egg a day supplies about 215mg of
cholesterol – not enough to push you over the 300mg daily cholesterol limit
recommended by the National Heart Foundation. Plus, the yolk is a good source
of iron, and it’s loaded with lecithin, which is critical for brain health,
Kleiner says. What does brain power have to do with exercise? Try doing a sun
salutation without it, people.
Flaxseed (ground)
Flaxseed is full of fibres called lignans that promote gut
health, as they contain both soluble and insoluble fibre (let’s face it, constipation
is not an exerciser’s friend). “Flaxseed is also a great source of the plant
type omega-3 fats needed for heart health and healthy cell membrances,” Natoli
says. A daily dose of 1 to 2 tbs of ground flaxseed tossed in your cereal nets
you fibre without fuss.
Hummus
Complex carbs, protein and unsaturated fats – all the right
elements to fuel activity – meet in one healthy little 295kJ, 3-tbs package.
Plus, hummus is usually made with olive oil, which contains oleic acid – a fat
that helps cripple the gene responsible for 20 to 30 per cent of breast
cancers, according to researchers from Northwestern University in the US.
Oranges
“They’re portable. They’re a fruit you can get year-round.
And they’re a rich source of vitamin C, which helps repair muscle tissue,” says
Bonci. One orange has all the vit C a woman needs each day – almost 75mg. Vitamin
C is also key for making collagen, a tissue that helps keep bones strong.
Potatoes (baked)
Do you sweat like a pig when you work out? Four shakes of
salt (about 1100mg of sodium) and a small baked potato is the perfect recipe
for electrolyte replacement. “The electrolytes, sodium and potassium help
maintain fluid balance in and around cells and make sure muscles contract as
they need to,” Bonci says.
Salmon
Great for heart health, and for warding off depression and the cognitive decline that comes with age, says Natoli. And now there’s an added twist: new studies are suggesting that monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fats might help lessen abdominal fat. It’s too soon to understand the link, but “this could be particularly good for those women working to tone their core”, Kleiner suggests.
Whey protein
“Whey protein contains the ideal assortment of essential amino acids to repair and build muscle,” Kleiner says. Plus, it’s digested fast, so it gets to your muscles quickly. Stir a scoop into a smoothie for a delicious boost before or after your next workout.
Yoghurt
Immune-strengthening probiotics are a fabulous feature, but
the best thing about yoghurt is that it will spike your energy levels without
making your stomach gurgle in yoga class. “It’s liquid in consistency and
because you can digest it quickly, it’s easy on the gut,” Bonci says. And if
you don’t like plain yoghurt? “Flavoured yoghurts can have a substantial amount
of added sugar,” says Dr McMillan-Price. “But this doesn’t raise GI, so while
it does increase the kilojoules you’re consuming, it won’t give you a so-called
‘sugar high’.”
Cereal (wholegrain)
Looking for a quick meal before the gym? Raid your cereal
stash. Healthy brands contain endurance-boosting complex carbs and
muscle-building protein. An hour before a workout, try this 840kJ snack: ¾ cup
of wholegrain cereal with 120ml of skim milk. “When you eat before exercising,
you have more energy, so you can work out harder and longer. And you’ll be less
likely to overeat afterwards,” Bonci says.
Peanuts
A US study showed that female soccer players kicked and
sprinted just as well in the final minutes of a game as they did at the start
when they added 55g of peanuts a day to their regular diet. The extra fat may
help improve endurance by giving muscles energy to burn up front so they can
spare muscle glycogen stores later.
Bagels (wholegrain)
Never mind Dr Atkins – carbs are the optimal workout food. “This
is a good choice before exercise as the bagel provides carbs with very little
fat that would slow digestion down,” says Dr Joanna McMillan-Price,
nutritionist and co-author of The Low GI Diet ($34.95, Hodder Australia). “With
truly wholegrain bagels you can expect a lower GI [glycaemic index], which will
deliver a steady flow of energy over time rather than one big burst.” Yes,
please.
Bananas
Thanks to bananas’ high potassium content, peeling one is a
speedy solution to that stitch in your side. While a lack of sodium is the main
culprit behind muscle cramps, studies show potassium plays a supporting role:
you need it to replace sweat losses and help with fluid absorption. One
medium-sized banana has 400mg of potassium. “Potassium is great for boosting
energy levels,” says Sharon Natoli, WH nutrition expert and director of Food
& Nutrition Australia. “Bananas are also a good source of fibre, which is
essential for a healthy digestive system.”
Berries
Just a handful of blueberries, raspberries or blackberries
are an excellent source of antioxidants, which protect muscles from free
radical damage that might be caused by your workout. “Since exercise produces
oxidative stress in the muscles, boosting your intake of antioxidants prior to
and after exercise is wise,” says Dr McMillan-Price. Shop for berries by the
shade of their skin: the deeper the colour, the healthier the fruit.
Carrots
Close your eyes and they almost taste like crunchy lollies.
Almost. Carrots are packed with complex carbohydrates that provide energy to
muscles, and potassium that controls blood pressure and muscle contractions,
Bonci says. And half a cup of sliced carrot has just 147kJ. Again, just perfect
for that pre-or post-workout snack.
Chicken thighs
Skimp on iron and zinc and your energy will flag. Cooking up
some juicy chicken thighs or turkey drumsticks is the best way to get more of
both. “Dark-meat poultry is significantly lower in fat than red meat, yet has
all the iron, zinc and B vitamins that women need in their diets,” says sports
nutritionist Dr Susan Kleiner, co-author of Power Eating ($24.95, Human
Kinetics). Dr McMillan-Price adds: “These make a great post-workout meal to
supply amino acids for muscle recovery, particularly if you’ve been strength
training.”
Chocolate milk
There’s way more to milk than just calcium. In fact, it’s a
damn near perfect food, giving you a lot of valuable energy while keeping your
kilojoule count low, Kleiner says. The chocolate kind is loaded with calcium,
vitamins, and minerals just like the plain stuff, but new studies confirm that
milk with a touch of cocoa is as powerful as commercial recovery drinks at
replenishing and repairing muscles.
Cottage cheese
Despite its frumpy look, this diet staple packs 14g of
protein per half-cup serving, along with 75mg of calcium and 5g of
carbohydrates. And protein is crucial to healing the microscopic muscle tears
that happen during exercise. For an optimal post-workout snack, eat with a
slice of wholegrain bread. “The cottage cheese supplies amino acids, while the
bread replenishes carb stores,” says Dr McMillan-Price.
Cranberries (dried)
This packable, snackable fruit delivers a generous pre- or
post-workout blast of carbs (25g per ¼ cup). Plus, cranberries contain
proanthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that help prevent and fight urinary
tract infections.
