Making good resolutions is easy yet implementing them is difficult, right? Not with PowerBar! A few small changes to your diet can achieve great results. Call it nutrition advice made easy.
remains impressive, how many good resolutions there are for the year to come looking at our eating habits. Fewer sweets, no alcohol, reducing body fat, eating healthy… who has not heard of them? However, implementing them is often too much or rather too tedious. Who likes to constantly check nutrition tables of groceries or meticulously stick to a nutrition plan? The consequence: In the end none of it is rightly implemented. What remains is nothing but frustration. Do it completely different in this year: keep it simple! Eat varied and healthy. If you follow some easy steps on a daily basis, your health will profit. Often it is the small things that help achieve the big goals. It is worth it!
Make It Colorful!
What is true for life, is true for food: eat as colorful as possible. Pimp your meals daily with fruits and vegetables, as colorful as a rainbow: This is because the variety of colours are so healthy, as they provide the body with different and important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and also secondary plant compounds. “Red” e.g. = tomatoes, “green” e.g. = lamb’s lettuce and French beans, “blue” e.g. = blueberries, “orange” e.g. = carrots, “yellow” e.g. = corn, “white” e.g. = onions. Enjoy at least three portions of vegetables per day (e.g. one portion for lunch and one for dinner plus a bowl of side salad) as well as two portions of fruit.
Stay Hydrated!
Apart from the energy we get from food, we also need sufficient fluid in order to feel good and stay healthy. This is true not only for hot summer days. If there is a lack of fluid in our organism, concentration and performance can decrease, both in our everyday life and during sports. Particularly when you do sports, you should make sure to drink sufficiently to avoid starting your training or competition with a fluid deficit. To highlight a fluid deficit, it is worthwhile to check your urine. The colour can be a good indicator of your fluid balance. If it is pale yellow, there usually is no need to be concerned. If it is dark and equals the color of beer or apple juice, it might on the other hand be an indication of a deficit. If this is the case, try to drink more frequently throughout the day or work out an individual hydration strategy.
Nothing beats plain 'ole water for hydration. Admittedly soft drinks are tasty, but these sugary drinks - and even beer - are empty calorie bombs. Those who struggle to straight water and need a flavor kick can easily concoct flavorful, calorie-free options: Try water with a refreshing dash of lemon juice, fresh ginger, a slice of cucumber, or mint leaves. The same goes for unsweetened fruit and herbal teas. Even coffee, in moderation of course, can be part of one's daily fluid intake. Those engaged in strenuous physical work or exercise can supplement their fluid intake and carbohydrate needs with freshly squeezed juices or smoothies.
Eat Protein Throughout the Day
There should never be a lack of sufficient protein in your nutrition plan. Why? Protein is crucial for our immune system, a healthy organism, and supports muscle growth and maintenance. Chicken, beefsteak, salmon, eggs, and curd cheese - all of these contain a ton of protein. Bonus! Protein supports the feeling of satiety.
Therefore, we should ideally eat this nutritional building block in regular intervals throughout the day. So, what does a protein-packed nutrition plan look like? Here is an example: Cottage cheese for breakfast, grilled salmon filet for lunch, scrambled eggs for dinner, and a protein shake (such as PowerBar RecoveryMax powder) after strength training.
Carbohydrates – Enjoy Intelligently
Every athlete and person looking to get fit needs carbohydrates to power their workouts and training. The key to better health and physical performance comes from the type of carbs consumed and how much and at what time they are eaten. Follow the mantra: Eat as naturally as possible; Eat carbohydrate-rich foods that are minimally processed and gently cooked whenever possible. Favor steamed potatoes over fries, and when it comes to pasta and bread, opt for the whole grain variety over common white flour products.
If you go all-out during sports, your body needs carbohydrates to replace the energy your body burns. Immediately before, during, and after exercise or competitions easy digestible and readily available carbohydrates such as PowerBar's lineup of energy bars, gels, chews, and drinks absolutely make dietary sense.
When not exercising or training, you can reduce the portions of pasta, bread, potatoes, and rice on your plate while keeping up the portions of protein and vegetables and fruits mentioned above. Something that should not be found on your plate too often are so-called empty carbohydrate foods such as white bread and sugary cereals like cornflakes. They are poor in nutrients and dietary fiber and in the worst cases unnecessary added sugar.
Good to know: immediately before, during and after exercise or competitions easy digestible and readily available carbohydrates can absolutely make sense.
Put Your Meal Together Smartly
Eat healthy and tasty. The PowerBar plate model supports you to put together your ideal main meal.
So, what are you waiting for? You already made the good resolutions: start with us into a healthy and sporty year!