How to Maintain your Energy Levels

Posts Tagged ‘energy’

Monday, July 4th, 2011

The best way to eat if you want to banish tiredness is to have a healthy, balanced diet that contains foods from four main food groups in the right proportions.

The four food groups are:

potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
fruit and vegetables
milk and dairy foods
meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

Eat at regular intervals.
Start the day well with breakfast.
Aim for 5 a day with fruit and vegetables.
Say no to sugar.
Watch your intake of alcohol.
Eat enough for your activity level.

Tags: 5 a day, activity, alcohol, calories, carlow, diet, energy, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts, sugar, vegetables
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Runner’s Diet

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Whether you have taken up running to lose weight, to improve fitness or to relieve stress, you will find that there are many benefits. When it comes to running, it is important to fill your body with a good quality diet that can help sustain your energy levels. It is important to eat a balanced diet that includes carbohydrate, protein and fat.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate foods help you maintain your energy during a run and they should be eaten both before and after. The highest quality carbohydrates are rich in fibre which helps to keep you feeling full. Carbohydrates to choose from include whole wheat pasta, potatoes, wholegrain rice and bread.

Protein

Protein is essential for muscle and satisfies hunger by providing a feeling of fullness. Quality sources of protein include skinless turkey and chicken, fish fillet, egg whites, low fat cheese, low fat yoghurt and skimmed/semi-skimmed milk.

Fat

While most runners are looking to cut out fat, it is important to remember that you need to include some fat in your diet. However, the fat should be of the healthy variety such as olive oil, unsalted nuts, avocados, sunflower seeds, light mayonnaise and fat-free salad dressings are good fat sources for runners.

In terms of an eating routine, it is better to eat smaller portions more often than larger portions three times a day. Also, remember to drink water regularly. Even if work or taking care of the kids makes breakfast a difficult time to sit down and eat, don’t go hungry. At the very least, eat some fruit on the move.

Tags: 5 a day, activity, balanced diet, carbohydrate, carlow, diet, energy, fat, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, lose weight, nutrition, nutritional concepts, protein, running, Sport
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Why bother with breakfast?

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Breakfast means “breaking the fast”. After a nights rest, eating gives you energy to spark the body into life again.

Breakfast also cuts down on mid morning ‘snack attacks’.

No time for breakfast?

Set the alarm 5 minutes earlier.
Make the sandwich the night before, pop it in the fridge, and eat it when you get to school / work with a carton of orange juice.
A glass of milk and a banana are very quick and easy to eat.
Fruit can be eaten on the way to school / work. Try bananas, apples, pears, peaches, etc.

Cereal and Milk

Healthy choices – Shredded Wheat, Weetabix, Shreddies, Puffed Wheat, Fruit ‘n’ fibre, Porridge, Ready Brek, Rice Krispies, Cornflakes.
Try not to add sugar, have sliced banana or sprinkle raisins instead. If you can’t do without, sprinkle less sugar or try an artificial sweetener instead.
Sugar coated cereals may damage your teeth, so have these only as an occasional treat.

Toast, bread or muffins

Choose wholegrain, high fibre white or malted grain varieties.
Try peanut butter, sliced banana or just a thin scrape of jam or marmalade.
Easy to eat on the move or on the way to school / work.
Use only a thin scraping of butter, margarine or a low fat spread.

Cooked breakfast

Can be healthy, but choose wisely.
Try grilled tomatoes and mushrooms or baked beans on toast.
Don’t fry your breakfast – try grilling bacon or low fat sausages and scrambling the egg.

Tags: breakfast, carlow, energy, fruit, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts, portion, snack, sugar
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Good Sources of Energy for Sport

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Carbohydrate is the most important fuel for energy, so you should eat lots of foods that are rich in starchy carbohydrates.

Many different foods contain carbohydrate. The richest sources of carbohydrate are bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes, but other foods also contain useful amounts, such as: fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, yoghurt and milk.

Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, and if you get tired during your sport or activity, this might be because your glycogen stores are running low.

The more you exercise, the more carbohydrate you need. The actual amount you need depends upon the type of exercise you’re doing, the intensity, duration and frequency of the exercise, and your fitness level.

The bigger the glycogen stores in your muscles, the longer you can perform. So this is particularly important if you do an endurance sport such as marathon running or long distance cycling.

After exercise, your muscles can refuel their glycogen stores twice as fast as normal, so it’s important to eat foods containing carbohydrate soon after you have finished exercising.

Tags: activity, carbohydrate, carlow, energy, glycogen, healthy eating, kilkenny, nutrition, nutritional concepts, Sport, starchy
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Posts Tagged ‘energy’