Healthy Eating Habits to Pursue for a Lifetime

No matter which part of the world you reside in, there are certain eating habits you must inculcate if you want to remain healthy for your lifetime. These timeless practices will ensure your well-being for a long period of time.

People have their ways, and when it comes to eating, most of us become somewhat choosy. We like something crazily, and we detest something greatly. We also construct our own rules depending upon what we recollect from the abound information flourishing on the web. We listen to the tips of our friends; we abide by the advice of our doctors. We also tend to follow the diet charts of prominent dieticians. Why then, most of us fail to get results? Why then, the result we get is only momentary? If you carry all these questions in your head, you will get the answers right here.

‘Eating healthy’ is something that depends upon a combination of factors like your health condition, surrounding environment, and your fitness goals put together. What is miraculous for one chap, may not be as suitable to his friend. It is this reason why a diet plan that works wonders for one person fails miserably for another, and this is why every person needs a focused dietary attention tailor made for him. But there are some rules that apply on every fitness routine irrespective of their origin or goal. If you are a fluffy young women trying to get ripped - you follow it. If you are a wiry gentleman struggling to put on some body mass - you follow it. No matter which body ailment you are aiming to get rid of, there are some rubrics of this game that cannot be avoided. Let’s have a look at them in detail.

When to eat to get a first-rate outcome?

Only when you feel hungry

The golden rule is “Eat when you are hungry.” This is one of the metrics even doctors are not sure about. But lately there is a lot of consensus on this issue. People have begun to realize that it is the body that best judges when it wants to load on. If you experience indigestion and gas, the body will inform you that it is unwilling to swallow any bit of food. If you have intense loss of energy your body will relish a square meal. People in the ancient era relied on their primary instinct of hunger, and they were really in fine fettle. Yes, there are concerns relating to sugar and salt cravings, and will talk about them later. But for now, follow this one basic advice.

As per your timings, morning is the best time to treat yourself. Just after you get up, and refresh yourself, have a combo of carb and protein rich breakfast which is not enormously heavy neither very easily digestible. Keep a gap of 4 to 5 hours and have an enriching lunch. According to Ayurveda, this should be the heaviest of your daily meals. Stuff as much roughage as you can to have a sound bowel movement. Have a light evening snacks as per the demand of your everyday regime, and finish your day with a light pleasing dinner on the platter. Remember to finish your dinner at least 3 hours before you go to sleep to experience a refreshing morning.

Always do care to maintain a break of at least 3 hours before opting for another repast. As far as children are concerned, they can have more number of meals with smaller intervals depending upon their energy points. The adults can also adjust this frequency according to their activity levels, but with less freedom. If you cannot have your lunch or breakfast separately for any reason, go for a brunch followed by healthy evening snacks and a usual dinner.

What to eat for a good health?

Eat good carbs, good fat, good protein and some fruit and veggies

Eating less carbohydrates consistently goes a long way in losing weight, but you should always include decent amount of carbs to assist your body metabolism. Best options in carbohydrates are brown rice, wheat, whole grains and fresh fruits. Some fruits like apple, pear, musk melon, grapes and papaya are best when taken on an empty stomach. Make sure they are ripe. Less ripe fruits can be taken with salad or included in afternoon snacks. Carbohydrates found in tubers like mishrind or potato are also suggested but use them in moderation.

Proteins are the building blocks of body. They are found in abundance in pulses, beans, peas, grams, nuts and milk products if you are a vegetarian. For non-vegies lean meat or eggs form the best options. Too much eggs for a long period of time is said to increase your blood cholesterol levels, so keep this thing in mind. Fishes are also excellent meat options also loaded with omega fatty-3 oils. Probiotics like curd and buttermilk are recommended for everyone who desires to flaunt a healthy stature.

Choose a cooking oil that is natural and contains unsaturated fats. Some of them are mustard, peanut, olive, coconut, sesame and groundnuts. Sunflower, rice bran or soya are generally hydrogenated oils – so avoid them if you can. Groundnuts, peanuts, walnuts and fish oil are also healthy sources of omega fatty oils. Butter or ghee are beneficial for the ones who use them cautiously.

Last but not the least - vegetables – never undermine them. Enjoy a vibrant mix of veggies every day to encash a treasure trove of vitamins, minerals and fibers and complete a thoroughly balanced diet. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and red greens contain minerals in high quantity with b-complex vitamins. Other colorful veggies like carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes and cauliflowers add a combination of vitamins into your scheme. Also include spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic and so on to cleanse and replenish your system.

Some passing thoughts on healthy eating

Small useful tricks

• Do not overeat. Do not starve yourself.
• Always wash your hands before eating. (Lol, a childish rule we sometimes forget)
• Drink water at least 15 minutes before of 40 minutes after your meal.
• Try to take salty and sweet diets separately.
• Stay away from too much salt or sugar.
• Never try milk products with fruit or meat.
• Oil rich food should be taken at night.
• Roughage stuffed salad is for the day.
• Avoid mix salad. Instead opt for different item for different meals.
• Never consume beetle leaves after ripe jackal fruit.
• Never mix ghee and honey.
• Cook in Stainless steel or iron pots and avoid aluminum.
• After dinner a small slow night walk is recommended.
• Don’t eat while talking or work while eating.
• Don’t drink much water while eating. Just take small sips when required.

There is much more that surely can be added into this list. But to keep it simple and straightforward, you should strictly commit yourself to these guidelines which are the concise summary of the secrets you can find splattered here and there on the internet. Always read more and inform yourself better to equip yourself with healthy eating habits that actually have the capacity to radically transform your life. But for now, I believe these are the habits that ought to be adapted for the lifetime with a lifetime’s incentives.

What to eat after workout

What you eat after a workout has an emphatic effect on your muscle building rationale. Explore with me some obvious points on how to manage your post workout meal in an efficient and effective manner.

                                                             Courtesy: eatwell.in



If you are fed up with the fuss and gossips about post workout meals, you have finally arrived to the right place. This never implies that I am a great specialist body trainer. What I only have to say is that there is nothing really very official about it. You just have to stick to a solid healthy diet that fulfills your body needs optimally. The rest- your body will do on its own.


Going by what experts say, you have a window period of an hour after the workout which is the most important period for your post workout feeding. Some people even extend this period to about 24 hours. Don’t be confused. The sooner you have your meal, the better it will work for your body. Your body is depleted of glycogen after the catabolism during your muscles training. In addition, it needs amino acids for protein synthesis and anabolic activities. So, the best meal would be a balanced diet which is rich in protein and carbs. 


Another important aspect of post workout meal is the frequency of food intake. To provide your body with regular supply of essential nutrients, you ought to have frequent meals. Instead of taking a big heavy dose, you must prefer small or medium doses at regular intervals. Be sure, to give your body sufficient time to digest your previous stuff. Otherwise, it may turn the other way round.

What to include in your meal after workout

Protein

Whey protein powder

It is a good source of quality protein and can be taken in liquid form just few minutes after the workout. It is quick to digest and will provide your body with easy protein replenishment.

Milk

Milk contains amino acids and electrolytes in abundance to assist in protein synthesis and hydration. It also has calcium and other essential nutrients all at one place. Those people having lactase intolerance should take it along with lactase pills.

Non-veg items

Chicken, meat, eggs or fish- all are pretty rich in protein. They should obviously make it to your choice after the tedious exercise and muscle strain.

Cereals and nuts

Nuts and dried fruits also have sufficient amount of protein in them. Apart from this, legumes such as lentils, peas, beans, grams and so on provide the best vegetarian protein.

Vegetable protein

Beets, potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, mushrooms etc. have a good amount of protein in them. In addition, they have the roughage that is necessary to maintain a healthy digestive system.

Carbohydrates

The best sources of carbohydrates are fruits, but I will advice you against their use in your diet. It is because excessive presence of anti-oxidants will hamper your metabolic activities rather than do a good to you. If you have fruits, include them in small quantity or take them at least after half an hour post your meal. Instead you should rely on whole grains, brown rice, oatmeal and grains like amaranth or quinoa. These should capture a good share of your dietary plans after the exercise.

Water

Water stands to be the main ingredient of your body mass. So, after you sweat it out, you need it in greater amounts and frequently. But always keep one thing in mind- it should never be anywhere around your meals. At least a gap of 15 minutes before the meal and 30-45 minutes after having the meal is the ideal time for water intake.

What to avoid in your post workout meal

Fats

Though a little amount of fat will do no harm, it will slower your digestion rate and shatter your plan of taking regular meals. On the other hand, it does no good to you either. Fats are best taken at dinner. This is the rule of thumb.

Supplements

You have many food supplements available in the market such as Dextrose or L-glutamine. They do nothing, but support your body in digestion, assimilation and anabolism. If you become dependent on them they may have adverse effect on your own body performance.

To know what to eat before a workout, see this post: What To Eat Before Workout.

What to eat before workout

Pre-workout meal is an important aspect of your exercise regime. You should be careful in deciding what to eat and what to avoid before a workout. Here is a thorough examination of preferred foods that may work wonders for you.

                                                              Courtesy: xnys



Before embarking on any exercise regime you should know that your sole aim is to gain valuable muscles and reduce body fat. For that reason you tend to avoid carbohydrates. But when it comes to eating before a workout, it is just the opposite. You need a good amount of blood sugar to assist you in the competition or you may fall prey to nausea or body cramps. Pre-workout meal is also important because skipping them may make you overeat afterwards to compensate for the loss of sugar. In addition, you may fall prey to energy deficiency and end up doing less than what you could have done normally. Not only this, be aware not to overeat. It is a lot more harmful than an empty stomach.

Foods to eat before a workout

Include carbohydrates

Oatmeal, whole grains, idli, pastry and bread- all are rich sources of carbohydrates. Take one or few of them in small quantity. Though you need carbohydrates, don’t feast on them. Our liver stores energy in the form of glycogen which is used up when you workout. It is therefore advisable to use those foods which are easily digestible by our body.

Thrive on fruits

Fruits are the instant sources of energy in the form of fructose and sucrose. They also contain essential minerals and vitamins in them. The most useful ones are listed here-

Apple- It contains a moderate level of sugar. The pectin fiber in it slows down the rate of absorption of sugar into your blood stream making you last longer in the exercise.

Banana- It is rich in carbohydrate and contains potassium that prevents cramps.

Oranges- Again rich in carbohydrates and is loaded with electrolytes that avoid cramps to occur.

You can also have fruits such as grapes, berries, pineapples and so on. They are all rich in anti-oxidants.

Whey protein

If your exercise schedule is an hour or more from now, you can try it out. It helps in fat burning and paves the way for body to construct anti-oxidants.

Water and fluids

To protect yourself from dehydration, drink proper amount of water well before you commence on your workout routine. You can have few sips though amid your workout. Fruit juices are the best way to avoid dehydration as well as aid in combating energy deficiency. Tomato juice is also a good thing to try out.

Foods to avoid before a workout

Proteins and fats

These foods take long to digest and can be a source of gastric as well. They drain the sugar off the blood stream to use it in digestion. If you have to take them, take them at least 2-3 hours prior to your workout.

Roughage

Foods that contain fiber can cause cramps to occur. Since, fibers are not digested by body, they should be avoided before a workout. What you need is the minimum load on your stomach.

Supplements

Supplements like caffeine, fat burners or ephedrine HCL all cause constriction on vascular glands. Though many people use them, I will advise you to be cautious against their use.

Timing before a pre-workout meal

What matters the most for your pre-workout meal is your timing. The larger the gap between your meal and your workout, the more stuff you can take in. You can even include some good quality protein and a little amount of fat in your diet. What time you eat at is as important as what you eat. The best gap according to me would be of an hour or less depending upon your priorities.

Exceptions

Though you are generally advised to eat as little as possible before a workout, there are always exceptions to a rule. People affected with diabetes or hypoglycemia should never workout empty stomach. These diseases tend to lower the blood stream sugar and hence they can go for a workout right after having their meal.


If you want to know what to eat after the workout, please refer this article: What To Eat After Workout