{FITNESS FRIDAY} Food is Fuel

You can't talk about fitness without talking about proper nutrition.  There I said it! Talking about nutrition is almost as controversial as talking about religion + politics because there are sooooo many theories/philosophies regarding it. If you gain anything from this blog post, I want you to understand that nutrition + exercise go hand and hand.  But, also understand that your nutritional habits will have a FAR greater impact on your body composition and physique goals than any other fitness component. Food is fuel for your body. Have you ever heard the saying ,"You can't out-train a lousy diet!"? It is so true. If you are eating in access to what you are burning, then you will gain weight.  The same goes with starvation, without the proper amount of protein + nutrients, you can work out like a maniac and never get your desired results. 

There has to be a paradigm shift when it comes to food if you are looking to achieve fitness goals.  Diet is what you eat not a bandwagon you jump on to lose weight quick.  Diet is nutrition + lifestyle, it's a commitment + the way you eat on a daily basis. It's not a diet.  How many of you have tried fad diets that tell you to cut out specific food groups for x amount of days, leave you feeling hungry/tired…sure you lost weight but you immediately put the weight back on once you returned to your typical eating? That is because garbage in, equals garbage out.  Your body, the way you feel, the way you preform is a direct result of what you put in it. Everything we eat, we eat for a reason. Every food group serves a specific purpose. Does your diet consist of a massive amount of “products”? The second take away from this post is You need REAL food. 

Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies. When you exercise you damage muscle (this is a good thing) but without protein this can’t be repaired. Carbohydrates are our main source of energy. Our bodies need carbs people! It's the simple carbs like sugar, french fries, breads/pastas that are bad for us. We need the glycogen from fruits/vegetables to form ATP (andenosine triphosphate) which is then used as fuel for our muscles. If we eliminate carbs then we’ll burn out in the gym, or be forced to burn muscle for energy. The right carbs are nutrient dense jam packed with vitamins and minerals essential in improving the strength of muscles/bones + fighting illness. Fat plays a role and helps oil joints, improve brain power and utilizes the amino acids in protein with activates our metabolism. To burn fat, you need fat. Water makes up between 50-70% of an adult's total body weight. Replacing it is necessary to balance the loss of water from the body (urine and sweat). You need all of these in order to fuel your body. With the right balance of nutrition + exercise, self-discipline + commitment, you will reach your fitness goals.