We have always heard that exercising is good and you know it, even if getting into the weekly habit of doing it costs you a little more. Perhaps you have already decided that the time has come to wear and you want to add the diet or a consistent diet to that. As you know, they are the two pillars that are related when it comes to getting serious about eating and exercise routines and their good combination will make you start to notice results right away.
No. You already know that it is not miraculous and that to follow a strict diet in accordance with the exercise you are doing, you should consult a dietitian-nutritionist and, if he is specialized in sports nutrition, much better. However, there are some basic tips for your diet if you are going to start playing sports that we are going to tell you about in this article. Take note!
Basic tips for your diet or food if you are going to start playing sports
Balance and constancy
As we have told you before, exercise and diet are not something miraculous that you notice on the second day, but if you keep the word constancy in mind, you will see results very soon. This means “without haste but without pause”. We must be flexible; it does not matter that one day you choose to eat pizza with unhealthy ingredients or have a beer. However, try to eat healthy the rest of the days, avoiding industrial pastries, highly processed products rich in sugars or rich in salt, choose whole grains, nuts, legumes, introduce much more fruit and vegetables… this way you will achieve a quality, healthier diet. If you make it your routine (constancy), nothing will happen if one day you don’t eat in a healthier way, because you will have achieved a balance.
Don’t skip meals
It’s something you’ve heard many times, but is it really necessary to eat 5 meals a day? The answer is no, since many other factors intervene. But it is important not to skip meals, thus reducing daily energy, you have to eat! First, because this is how our body maintains the rate of metabolism. Second, because we manage to satiate ourselves in such a way that, when it’s time for lunch or dinner, you don’t want to devour everything that comes your way.
Be careful with light foods
Do not swell yourself to eat light foods because many times they are not what they seem, some have ingredients that leave much to be desired nutritionally. The same goes for pre-cooked and ultra-processed products, frozen or not, which won’t help you much either. As we have said before, you can sometimes “skip the norm” but, in general, try to make your food fresh and made by you.
Regarding the water…
Another thing you’ve heard is that you have to drink water. If you’re used to it, great! If not, don’t worry! You can not only drink water, prepare lemonade -type flavored water (try not to add sugar), with mint, cucumber slices, pieces of fruit… If you have any of these things nearby, it will remind you that you have to drink every so often and, of course, remember that when it comes to sports, hydration is essential!
As for fruit shakes as a way to drink water, it is not highly recommended. The ideal is to consume whole fruit than in shakes, since more than one piece is usually added and there are amounts of extra fruit. Another thing is to drink these shakes after exercise to recover.
Reinvent the recipes
Eating healthy does not have to be boring, far from it! We are sure that there are thousands of recipes that are not typical and that you will love. Look for fun ideas, experiment with culinary techniques, such as stir-fry, papillote, wok, steam… play with the spices and colors of the food. When you get the hang of it, you will end up loving every dish you make and the best part is that it will be super healthy!
Good planning is vital
Spend some time a week (or a month, as suits you best), to plan a little meal. What do you need? Do you have or do you have to buy? This way you will avoid that, when you start cooking, you realize that you do not have the necessary ingredients and end up pulling anything fast.
The body is wise, listen to it!
Learn to listen to what your body asks of you and eat when you are physiologically and emotionally hungry. By this we mean that sometimes, without realizing it, we have “whims” about certain foods either because the body needs energy, or we get the craving and urge to consume a food that can give you instant pleasure (they are usually very calorically dense foods and with very powerful flavors), as happens with emotional hunger. Sometimes our body asks us for things without realizing it and learning to listen to it (and also to educate it) and differentiating the type of hunger is essential. If hunger is emotional, maybe you should detect the emotion that drives you to eat without real hunger