Today we have a guest post from the guys at The Christie – a leading cancer care hospital. I lost my Dad to cancer, so make sure you keep a close eye on your health. Caught early, lots of cancers can be cured.

When you’re training, the fuels you feed your body with become absolutely essential. You need to be eating the right things to help you work out for longer and get the very most from each session. But what foods should be on your list?

Drinks

Obviously, it goes without saying that you should be drinking lots of water before, during and after your workout. However, you can also get a lot of nutritional benefit from other drinks such as milk, which gives you a protein boost just when your muscles need it. If, like many people, you find yourself with cravings for something sweet after your session, why not try low-fat chocolate milk? It’ll satisfy those chocolate cravings without undoing all of your good work in the gym.

Snacks

The best way to keep your energy levels up without feeling too full is to snack before and during your workout. Dried fruit such as apricot, raisins, sultanas and mango are high in natural sugars, as well as fibre, vitamins and more. Nuts such as brazil nuts are also a good workout snack, but only in moderation as they can be quite high in calories if you have too many. If you prefer your fruit fresh, your perfect workout snack has to be blueberries, a ‘superfood’ packed full of antioxidants as well as natural sugar to keep you going and a lovely sweet taste without containing too many calories.

Meals

If you want to adjust your whole diet and gear it around your fitness regime, there are certain foods you must include if you really want to get the most from each workout. These include:

• Oily fish – the perfect post-workout meal, oily fish such as salmon contains lots of protein to help repair those muscles as well as healthy oils which are good for your heart, eyes and brain. Read the full info here.
• Sweet potatoes – if you need energy but don’t want to load up on unhealthy carbs, sweet potatoes can be a great healthy alternative as they are full of energy and also contain potassium which can help keep muscle cramps at bay
• Tomatoes – while you focus on exercise, you also need to keep a close eye on your diet. Foods such as tomatoes are good for regulating your metabolic rate and appetite, which can help you stick to a weight loss programme and eat sensible portions.

Remember that if you ever need help with your fitness or diet, there are always experts you can turn to. Just like you’d see a dermatologist if you had a skin problem or a specialist at The Christie Clinic if you found a worrying lump, you can always make an appointment with a personal trainer, nutritionist or dietician to get expert advice and support.

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HoylesFitness

Owner of www.hoylesfitness.com. Personal Trainer, Father and fitness copy writer. Working hard making the world fitter and healthier! View all posts by HoylesFitness