All About Nutrition: The Basics
What is fat?
Fat has gotten a bad rap over the years, but it's incredibly important for health and fitness. It's a good source of energy - particularly for endurance activities - and helps us absorb vitamins and minerals. It helps keep our skin and hair healthy, protects our organs, helps our immune system, and is a big part of our sex hormones. We need fat to live.
It's important to focus on "healthy" fats and avoid the bad ones. Eating more foods like avocados, eggs, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil can be a great start. Limit things like vegetable oils and processed foods, which contain more "unhealthy" fats. You don't need to be afraid of saturated fat but don't eat unlimited quantities either. With fat, a little goes a long way.
Click here for further reading about healthy fats.
What is protein?
Protein is part of many important cells in our bodies, including muscles, enzymes, hormones, and immune cells. It is especially necessary for people who exercise regularly (like you).
Exercise - whether it's strength-focused or cardio-focused - breaks down muscle tissue. Our bodies then repair and rebuild the tissue, making it stronger and more resilient (GAINZ!). Even if you're not trying to "bulk up," you need adequate protein to keep your muscles strong and healthy.
Protein is also crucial when it comes to fat loss. It can help us feel full when eating, and it's necessary for maintaining our muscle mass when losing weight. If you're trying to lose weight, you want to maintain your lean mass to avoid dropping your metabolism too low - which makes it harder and harder to lose weight and maintain any progress you've made.
Good protein sources include animal products like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Non-animal sources include lentils, beans, legumes, soy, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fibers found in fruit, grains, vegetables, and dairy. They are typically the main source of energy for our brains and muscles.
Carbs are classified as either simple or complex. Simple carbs are found in a lot of processed foods (baked goods, candy, soda, other beverages), and are absorbed quickly by the body. They often contain little or no nutritional value and result in blood sugar spikes (which we'd like to avoid). Too many simple carbs over time can lead to insulin regulation issues like diabetes.
Complex carbs, on the other hand, are digested more slowly and provide more sustained energy. They also tend to contain more nutrients. Foods like beans, potatoes, whole grain breads and pasta, lentils, oatmeal, and legumes contain these types of carbs.
Drink your water!
More than half of our bodies are made of water. It's important for brain and muscle function, and also skin and other organ health. It's involved in nearly every process in the body. Even small levels of dehydration will lead to noticeable decreases in performance (both mental and physical).
Drinking more water throughout the day will help prevent dehydration. Eating fruit and vegetables, which contain a lot of water, will also help keep optimal hydration.
And don't forget about electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium). Whether it's through small amounts of sea salt on our food, or through an electrolyte supplement, we want to make sure we're consuming these micronutrients to help our bodies utilize the water we're drinking.
Think about optimizing your hydration before, during, and after exercise. Keep a bottle with you at your desk to serve as a constant reminder throughout the day.
Supplements
We recommend focusing on foundational habits before digging into supplements. But there are a few options that can help people work toward their goals. For example, a quality protein powder can help people hit the recommended range of 0.6g-1g of protein per pound of body weight.
You can read our article “All about Supplements” here for more information. You should always talk to your healthcare provider before adding any supplements.
For a quality option for supplements for our members, we’ve partnered with Thorne. Members receive 10% off all orders and free shipping with no minimum purchase.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions. We're here to help!
Love,
Your bStrong Team