19 of the best fitness foods for women

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.

 

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.