Diet and Nutrition

Okay I need to state that the following information is not my own theories as I have no experience in Nutrition further than GCSE Biology over 15 years ago!

However if you are training, or taking part regularly in Sport you need to ensure you are taking on enough Calories to fuel your exercise. It is a matter of simple Maths, if you eat or drink too much compared to what you are burning you will put on weight and consuming less you will lose weight. Eating too little calories is also bad and you will not be efficient in your training and feel very cranky and tired and not be fun to be around!

When I say calories these need to be good calories.

A Big Mac, Large Fries and Large Coca Cola would be 1160kcal 58% of a Woman’s daily intake without exercise and 46.4% of a Man’s intake. It would be 55% of a Woman’s saturated fat intake and 62% of their Salt intake for the day.

• Fat intake

There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease. Saturated fat is found in cakes, biscuits, cream and pies (essentially all the nice things!) Try to remove these out of your diet will help and obviously when choosing meat go for leaner cuts. Most of your fat intake should come from unsaturated found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocado. Should next time you want a snack why not go for some Sunflower seeds a portion no larger than your fist.

• Salt

Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Try and reduce the amount of bread you have in your diet and replace White bread with Granary or Seeded batches. Also however rushed for time you are steer clear of Microwavable meals they are full in fat

• Sugar

Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar. Sugary foods and drinks,
including alcoholic drinks, are often high in calories, and could contribute to
weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals. Sweet abusers are more at eisk for Nutitional problems than those who have the occasional treat. Eating a little (Dark) chocolate as a fun food for dessert after a nourishing meal is slightly different than eating a packet of chocolate biscuits to replace a meal. A number one culprit is the snack bars company advertise and their cereals. Try and add natural sugars to your Cereal with chopped up Bananas and Apples to a bit of porridge.

Thanks to British Food Standards all food is now traffic lighted on packaging to help make an informed decision on what to eat. A healty diet is a balanced diet ensuring all the major food groups are met. More information on this can be found on the NHS Website change for Life

http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/healthy-eating.aspx

In Running

• Before:

When running for more than 30 minutes your hydration will aid your ability to run well. Pre run hydration should therefore be a key factor. In a normal day you should be drinking at least 1.5 litres, make sure you have taken on at least 300ml of water the hour before running and if running in the morning try to eat something at least an hour before you set off.

• During:

If you are running for less than 1hr your body will provide you with the energy you need from its stores for around 45-75 minutes. Obviously if your running for longer you wiil need to top up your glycogen levels. Bananas are a good source of energy and are high in potassium, also taking water on the run is good most races will have water stations it is worth checking the race plan before setting off. If you are training for a race it is also good to practice taking on fluids so your are used to it. Also we dont want anyone feinting!!

• Post:

You need to quickly reduce the lost elements. You have a small window of opportunity in which you should try and eat the appropriate snack/meal. You will need food within 2 hours but the first 30 minutes is really important to avoid any dips in blood sugar levels. Check out the recovery smoothie recipe posted last month

Good luck with your training/healthy eating

Another good website http://www.nutrition.org.uk/