Planning What to Eat Before and After Exercise

As we know exercise is very important aspect not only with weight management but also for our health and wellness.

It is hard to exercise while you are still digesting your food or if you had skipped your last meal.
It is important to be careful about what you eat both before and after exercise.

Eat too much -->> your intestine will steal blood flow from your muscles and you may end up getting a cramp.

You should not exercise for about 30 minutes after a meal, and you should avoid a heavy protein meal just before exercising. - Dr David Heber's advise in his book L A Shape Diet

What is best to eat before exercise?
A light meal of easy to digest carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables) and a small amount of protein.

A great choice is a protein shake made with berries that contain lots of antioxidants such as blue berries.

Dr Heber says "I usually exercise in the morning for 30 minutes after having my soy shake with fruit and a cup of coffee."

If you are working out in the late aftrnoon a carbohydrate snack before you start will give you some energy to get going.

** Make sure that you drink enough water to restore your fluid balance**

After Exercising : Eat a snack such as Protein Bar or Protein Drink with both protein and carbohydrates providing 100 - 200 calories within 30 minutes.

You need:
Carbs -> to restore your muscle glycogen
Protein -> to provide amino acids to help build muscle tissue
Water -> to help maintain normal circulation to the muscles

Eating colourful fruits and vegetables provides phytonutrients and antioxidants that help protect your muscle cells from excessive oxidation when you exercise.

Dr Heber mentions that in addition to eating fruits and vegetables, some antioxidant supplements, including vitamin E, have been shown to reduce excess damage to muscle fibres following exercise.