Need energy? Healthy eating will keep you running at peak performance.
The Myth: If I starve myself I will lose weight.
Fact: It takes energy to burn energy.
What this means is that if you eat too few calories your body will start to break down muscle tissue to feed itself. The problem with this is that muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue. Our goal is to increase our muscle tissue, not burn it up.
Never run on fumes
Like a car, you never want your gas tank to be empty. We want to keep our blood sugar levels up so that our bodies have plenty of fuel to maintain muscle tissue.
In order to increase our energy we need to make sure we are eating enough calories. I mentioned in my previous blog Everything in moderation, right? that there are apps to figure out the amount of calories that you should be eating. Again, I use MyFitnessPal, but there are many others out there.
Regular vs. Premium
Also like a car, the better quality fuel you feed your body the better it will run and the longer the fuel will last. Once you know how many calories you should be eating you can start concentrating on the quality of these calories. Concentrate on complex carbohydrates, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lentils. Chicken, turkey, fish , and lean red meats are great sources of protein.
Avoid high fat food
Lastly, avoid meals high in fat. Fat stimulates the production of serotonin which may cause you to feel less energized and ready for a nap. You should divide your fats up between meals and snacks and eat healthy fats like eggs, nuts, avacodos, and cheese. Cook with olive oil, sesame oil, sunflower, or coconut oil and avoid corn and soybean oils
A combination of healthy, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats at every meal should give you the burst of energy needed to keep you running at peak performance every day.
