How to Eat Well to Maintain an Active Lifestyle

Eating well and staying properly hydrated can help to support you and allow you to perform at your best, whether you are competing in a marathon or triathlon, or attempting to lose weight at the gym. If you lead an active lifestyle it is important to get the correct fuel into your body so you can have enough energy and also receive the right nutrients for a healthy body. Here are some pointers on what to eat and drink to keep active and energetic.

While all athletes and people leading an active lifestyle can benefit from basic sports nutrition solutions, athletes come in all shapes and sizes and what is best for a marathon runner will not be perfect for a weekend weight trainer. But creating a nutritious diet is the first step you need to take if you want to have the energy you need for your activities. You should be eating this nutritious diet most of the time, and it should sustain you – not leave you hungry. By eating well over a long period of time your body builds up the stores of nutrients and energy it needs for you to work out, train, or play sport. A good balanced diet for an active lifestyle includes all the nutrients you need for optimum health, and is a balance of food groups. The diet should be something you can eat for months – not just the few days before an event or competition.

It is important to time your meals and snacks so you can gain optimum benefit from your nutritious diet. For example, you need to top up your stores right before you exercise. It is best if you eat healthy protein snacks or a small, healthy meal around two to four hours before you train. The food you eat will not be fully digested at this stage so it will provide fuel for your activities. A simple snack like a protein-based snack from www.striptsnacks.com is a good idea if you do not have the time or the opportunity to prepare a meal before you train. Pre-training and pre-event healthy snacks combine carbohydrates and lean protein without adding any sugar. You should choose low fat, high protein snacks to sustain your workouts, and avoid snacks and meals with added salt as this can cause problems with hydration. A simple healthy meal for the time period before your workout could be cereal with low fat milk and some fruit, a whole grain muffin or bagel with peanut butter and a banana, or a lean meat snack with a slice of wholemeal bread.

You will lose plenty of water through sweat and breathing when you are active, so you need to replace the water lost by drinking while you are exercising. If you wait until the end of the session to replace lost water you will already be dehydrated and your health and performance may suffer. Drink up to three litres a day when you are training and active.

Louise Carr writes about food for a variety of online news sources. Find out more about healthy nutrition for sports and active lifestyles at www.striptsnacks.com.

Louise Carr writes for home and garden blogs and websites, including articles about services like http://bbsplumbandheat.com. She is a freelance writer based in Buenos Aires.