Food Before Exercise

Everyone knows that the main way to stay healthy and to feel great is by eating right and exercise. Not everyone knows that there is an even better way to help you obtain the most beneficial work out. One of the main ways is by planning out when you eat. Exercising on a full stomach is not a good idea. Exercising on a full stomach may cause you to have an upset stomach and/or cause you to have cramping. The best thing to do is to allow yourself to fully digest a meal before your work out and that way you can have enough energy and at the same time not be uncomfortable. For your body to fully digest it takes from 1 hour to 4 hours, this depends on how much you have to eat. Another thing that you have to take into consideration is, what time during the day are you working out. If you are working out early in the morning you should get up before your work out and have a meal. If you are not in the mood for a meal you might want to drink something that can easily be digested. If you are cutting it close to the time you are supposed to go and work out you should choose a "liquid meal" instead of a "solid meal" because your stomach can digest it quicker.

Another way to help you benefit your work out to the fullest is by becoming aware of what foods are GOOD and what foods are not so good. The preferred and one of the main energy sources is glucose, so if you are looking for a good, healthy pre-exercise meal try to include foods that are high in carbs but are also easy to digest. Some good examples of these foods are, pasta, fruit, bread, energy bars, and protein drinks. Try not to just focus on the carbs though, try to keep the protein in your diet. Your body will need the protein to both build more muscles, and it will be stored for the long-term energy your body needs. Foods that you should try to steer clear of are, any foods that contain a lot of fat. These foods are very slow to digest and may cause you to be uncomfortable.

By following these tips you should be able to obtain your BEST work out because you will have received the nutrition that your body needs. Remembering to not just eat carbs, but to also keep the protein in your body will help you create the healthy, lean look you want. Focus on the fact that yes, you should eat SOMETHING before you work out but you should not OVER eat. Over eating will cause you to become uncomfortable and might cause you to get cramps or you might become nauseous. If you remember and bring these tips into your daily/weekly work out plan, you should be able to not only LOOK healthy but also FEEL healthy.