A couple months back I wrote an article detailing the key components of exercise. But all that exercise means nothing if you do not fuel your body properly. And not the eating healthy that American food industries promote, I am talking actually eating healthy.
What Is Eating Unhealthily?
Just the other day I was watching a documentary in my Literature class called Fed Up talking about the way America has destroyed healthy eating by promoting "healthy" foods that are actually the exact opposite. There were many scenes that showed families that thought healthy food was reduced fat biscuits and sugary cereal and diet coke and we all just broke into a laughter. But we all knew deep down how serious the problem is.
Let's get out of this out of the way right now. Just because something says sugar free, fat free, low sugar, reduced sugar, low carb, does not necessarily make it healthy. Here is an excerpt from an article about healthy eating by legendary NBA trainer Tim Grover:
"I like when they slap the “Fat Free!” label on lollipops and other candy that are pure sugar. Fat free? So is a bag of nails, doesn’t mean you should eat it.
Or the "all natural" nutrition bars that use honey as a sweetener. Yep, honey is "all natural." So are the empty calories it pours into your body.
What is the common denominator with each of these foods? They all sound healthy but are hidden with the biggest poison for our bodies: Sugar. Yes, we need sugar in some forms, but it is not a smart idea to reach for a donut as a snack or Gatorade with dinner. The more sugar you consume, the more you end up craving. As we all know sugar gives us momentary energy and then we crash and feel tired the rest of the day.
What Is Healthy Eating?
Actually eating healthy means eating less sugar, smaller food portions, and eating in moderation. This is especially important if you are serious about keeping your body at a high level of physical excellence. It means balancing out food from all the major food groups and controlling what we eat and realizing the best times to eat.
How Can I Eat Healthy?
For breakfast, having something like plain oatmeal is perfect because it gives you the complex cards needed for the day. But just plain oatmeal, nothing else that turns it into a cake. Having eggs is great too because eggs keep us full. For lunch or dinner having something like pasta or salad or grilled chicken should work. Ultimately, reduce the sugar when you are making choices, and buy from farmers' market or similar places. It might be expensive, but what do you want more: more money or a healthier life where you can actually use that money? You also need fruits and vegetables, but if you are trying to cut back weight or cut sugars, be careful and watch out for low glycemic foods because they have more sugars. This means more greens because other colors have more sugar. You do not need to give up what you like but just reduce it. Combine this with a good workout regimen, and you will feel better than you have ever felt.
Bottom line: Know what you're eating, or it will destroy you. You eat to live, not the other way around. And don't tell me you can perform at your best at whatever you do and eat junk. Imagine how much better you would do on a good diet. A racecar drives just fine on regular fuel, but give it something special and it performs at an extra level.
