The key to feeling healthy, living longer, and resisting disease is staying in shape. Exercise is the best way to take off and keep off unwanted pounds. Be aware of what you eat; exercise burns up calories, protein, and carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want.
Exercise burns calories, protein, and carbohydrates; you should eat enough to fuel your body. Activity also uses more vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Without the right vitamins and minerals, you are more likely to cramp up and suffer aches and pains.
Start your day with whole grain bagels. Complex carbohydrates provide the best energy and a source of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. Complex carbohydrates break down more slowly than the simple carbohydrates in sugars and highly processed grains. Choose foods that have these ingredients: whole wheat, whole rye, oatmeal, and brown rice. Labels that say wheat flour, enriched flour, or 7-grain bread are not whole grain.
I can remember the days when I ate pork and beans right out of the can. They are tasty, easy to make, and pep you up after a day of hiking or other activity. One cup of pork and beans has a full day’s supply of iron and more than a day’s supply of zinc. Iron is necessary for hemoglobin and myoglobin, two compounds that carry oxygen throughout your blood. Without enough iron, you feel weak and listless. Zinc stimulates activity in many enzymes.
Drink a spoonful of honey in water before you exercise or when you need an extra boost of strength. Honey has a great supply of natural carbohydrates, the best source of energy. Also take honey after you exercise. It helps the muscles recuperate.
Your body burns protein when you exercise. An easy way to replace it is to eat a handful of unsalted peanuts. Most protein sources, especially meat, are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Peanuts have monounsaturated fat, the best kind to have. Peanuts also provide fiber and help you feel full.
Energy bars are all the rage these days. They come in a wide variety of brands and flavors and claim to be healthy. Indeed, they can be. After a hard workout, which burns a lot of energy, these bars, loaded with calories, carbohydrates, fats, and protein, can replace that energy. Be sure to read the labels carefully to make sure the bar has what you need.
Eating lean meat after you exercise is a good way to get leucine, a protein building block that repairs damaged muscles. This amino acid helps your muscles heal and rebuild faster. Leucine also supports metabolism and helps maintain blood sugar after exercise.
Bananas are cheap, sweet, and nutritious. They are loaded with complex carbohydrates and potassium. Potassium is one of the minerals you lose when you sweat; complex carbs are a great source of energy.
Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, which can help with muscle cramps. They work as well as quinine, with fewer side effects. You can find them already shelled.
Dehydration is a common cause of cramps when you exercise. Drink plenty of water every day and especially when you exercise. Water gets to your tissues faster than beverages that have to be digested. Keep a water bottle handy while you exercise and sip on it during your workout.
Almonds are one of the tastiest nuts, and they can replenish the minerals you lose when you are dehydrated. A handful of almonds provides large amounts of magnesium, potassium, and calcium, minerals needed to prevent cramps. Almonds are also rich in antioxidants and vitamin E, another cramp-fighting nutrient. An ounce of almonds has 6 grams of protein.
To heal sore muscles, drink juice squeezed from an orange. The vitamin C in oranges eases aches, pains, and swelling from a workout. Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein that builds and repairs cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and bones. One orange gives you 70 mg of vitamin C.
An old folk remedy to relieve cramps is pickle juice. I have tried this when I had cramps; it works quickly. Take a 2-ounce shot one hour before your workout to prevent cramping. Another is to take a tsp. of mustard; it works! I tried that one too.
Start your day with whole-grain bread or a bagel to fuel your workout. Stay hydrated, especially during your workout. Eat a handful of almonds to prevent cramps, and orange juice from an orange to ease aches and pains,
But, if you do catch a cramp, I suggest both of the old folk remedies!
Until next time,
Peace, Love, and Blessings ❤️
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