![]() Are you training for a marathon, 5 or 10k? To achieve maximum performance, you’ll need to go beyond the 3 meals a day approach. Active people need fuel throughout the entire day: plan small meals and snacks roughly every 2-3 hours, ideally timed around your training sessions. Quality over convenience Before you reach for the chocolate bar or fast food, remember this period of increased energy density is not an excuse for empty calories and junk food. Between meal snacks can supply up to 30% of daily energy intake and therefore should be of good nutritional quality (containing carbohydrate, fat, protein, micronutrients and antioxidants). Try plain organic yoghurt with nuts, seeds and berries, oatcakes with hummus or nut butter. Well-planned, frequent-eating occasions of nutritious foods and fluids must be prioritised in order for you to achieve maximum results. This approach manages your blood sugar levels so you don’t fall into energy dips and spikes during the day, promoting good mood, concentration, balanced weight and fuel for your muscles. Stellar Health's top tips:
Remember, when everything else is equal, nutrition can make the difference between winning and losing.
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![]() Much information exists about whether carbohydrate is fattening. The reality is: Eating too much food is fattening. Eating sugary foods and highly processed foods, plus consuming carbohydrate alone (without protein and fat) is what promotes fat gain. In contrast, the right kinds of carbohydrate, meaning natural, unprocessed carbohydrate (for example, brown rice, wholegrain pasta, quinoa, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, root vegetables), will help boost your nutrient intake (B vitamins especially) and help you stay in shape. Why wholefoods? Whole foods are superior to processed foods because they have a high fibre content and contain many nutrients lost in processed foods. Fibre is the part of the plant that remains undigested by the body. It is what keeps your bowel movements regular and has been proven to reduce cholesterol levels and fight fat. The right type of carbohydrate can help you control your weight. The healthiest diet for weight loss, disease prevention and physical performance is usually one that combines some carbohydrate with protein and fat. So the problem of weight gain does not lie in carbohydrate rich foods; the problem is poor selection of carbohydrate, and food in general. Find out more about diet and weight management >> In response to todays news headline on saturated fat I created this simple chart to help distinguish between good and less healthy fats and oils.
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