Day 4 of 21: Nutrition Plays a Big Role in Fitness

So you probably have been working out almost everyday and starving yourself in hopes that you will lose all that stubborn fat? You do your workout program customized to you by your personal trainer. It has been weeks and you see no result. How frustrating! Or maybe you are someone who is looking to gain some muscles, and no matter how heavy you lift, your muscles seem to be shrinking. And then there are this really fit people in the gym and some of them spend half the time you spend in the gym, yet they have the body that you have always wanted! "How is this possible?" you ask yourself.

Here's an answer. In fitness, exercise is just one of the many foundation of fitness. In fact you will typically spend an hour of your 24 hours in the gym, so the remaining 23 hours are spend in resting, eating, etc. Most health professionals and trainers will tell you that nutrition plays a big role in fitness. In the scenarios about, proper nutrition is missing. You are what you eat, so if you don't eat healthy, then you will be healthy.

If you are trying to lose weight, you do not really need to go for hours of gym work. You can commit into going for a 15 minute walk everyday as for exercise goals and eat properly, and see weight loss results. The challenge for many is the healthy eating habits. You may get a vegetable smoothie for your next snack but your denied cravings for sugar will set you off track.

Nutrition has plenty of factors. Some of them are the portioning macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. It is important to factor in micronutrients: vitamins and minerals. Your appetite, timing, allergies, water intake, etc are to be considered. Typically, it's the individual's responsibility to monitor the food they take. In our modern days of technology, there are many information about nutrition and these can be overwhelming. We will hear diet programs like Paleo, Keto, Intermittent Fasting and many more. It gets confusing because people have different opinions about nutrition. A nutritionist, your doctor or other qualified health professionals can help guide you into your nutritional goals.

In Canada, the food guide has been released with an emphasis on plenty of vegetable and making water as your drink of choice. This can be found on this page: Food Guide Canada.

TRIVIA: According to Dr. Mike Varshavski, the human body can survive solely with only eating Protein and Fats.