Food and Exercise

You need good quality food (Organic) if possible, and a good healthy diet. Fresh fish, good quality oils, fresh vegetables, salads all local grown, red wines etc. Combined with regular exercise to keep you fit and healthy for life!

Healthy weight loss plan

General tips

• Eat 3 meals per day, never miss breakfast

• Do not eat any red meats

• Eat exactly what is assigned, do not substitute

• No sugars in hot drinks, sweeteners only

• Reduce by 50% or do not have any crisps, cakes or chocolate until your target weight is reached

• Reduce alcoholic beverages

• Drink only reduced calorie soft drinks

• Remove skin and fat from chicken and turkey before eating

• Never overload your stomach. When you feel full - Stop eating!

• Drink plenty of water daily, to wash away daily toxins

• For snacks, eat fruit, dried fruits and toast

Breakfast - to be consumed daily

Choose one of the following:
• Cereal (No added sugar) - Semi skimmed milk • Half a melon or grapefruit - 2 slices of toast • 2 Boiled eggs with 1 slice of toast

Lunch

Choose one of the following:

• Baked potato filled with tuna, prawns or coleslaw

• Chicken, cheese or fish salad

• Soup with 1 bread roll

• Vegetable pasta dish (no red meat) with salad

• Fresh fruit salad for desert

Dinner

Choose one of the following

• Fish or chicken (any quantity) boiled or roasted with 2 veg and 1 baked potato.

• Pasta dish, with chicken or fish

• Rice, chicken and vegetable stroganoff

• 3 Egg vegetable omelette

Dessert choice

• Yogurt

• Fresh fruit salad

SUPPER - Not essential at this stage. But should you feel hungry eat only snacks of fruit, dried fruit or toast.

Carbohydrates for Energy

For you as an athlete, the most important feature of carbohydrates is that they yield instantly available calories to give you energy for both Aerobic and Anaerobic activities. Endurance athletes should have a diet higher in percentage of carbohydrates than protein or fats 60 - 70%

How important are carbohydrates to your performance?

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for all body functions and muscular exertion. When simple sugar or complex carbohydrates are eaten the process of digestion and metabolism convert the sugar units into glucose. Some of this glucose remains in the blood and used as required. Any excess is converted to glycogen (A white, mealy, amorphous carbohydrate, contained in animal tissues, principally the liver: also called animal starch) and stored within the muscle and liver as an energy store and used when the body needs more glucose - energy!

You always use glycogen every time you exercise and your bodies reserves decrease during every training session.

The important thing is to ensure that these stores are replenished between sessions!

If insufficient fuel is taken in, the next training session is started with lower than normal energy reserves. Without the necessary reserves training will be less than the desired intensity because energy cannot be produced fast enough.

Refuelling

The key to correct refuelling, which will encourage the body to recover fully between training sessions is good nutrition (60-70% Carbohydrates).

HIGH CARBOHYDRATE FOODS - COMPLEX CARBS

• Bread and Crispbreads made with Wholemeal flour

• Wholemeal Pastas, Brown Rice

• Potatoes

• Pulses, Peas, Beans

• Sweetcorn

• Breakfast cereals - Weetabix, Shredded wheat, Bran-flakes, Muesli

• Fresh fruit - Apples, Pears

• Dried fruit - Currants

• Tinned fruits in natural juice

• Nuts - Unsalted peanuts, Almonds etc.(Nuts are very high in protein and fats)

• Root vegetables

• Biscuits - Digestives - Oatmeal

• Simple Carbs

• Sugars - Syrups - Jams etc

• Sugary drinks - Colas etc

• Ice cream, Custard

• Tinned fruits in syrup

• Sugar coated cereals, Cakes

• Confectionary - Boiled sweets - Toffee etc

Proteins - Animal

• Meat - Fish - Eggs - Cheese - Chicken - Milk

Vegetable Proteins

• Pulses - Lentils - Beans - Nuts.

General recommendations for a sports diet

You are looking for a good balance of food which will supply you with the fuel for high grade performance and recovery. If possible start the day with a BREAKFAST high in complex carbohydrates.

i.e. Cereals - Toast - Fruit juices

(If you miss breakfast buy a high carbohydrate Muesli or Fruit bar)

LUNCH - TEA - SUPPER - PLAN YOUR MEALS AROUND

60% CARBOHYDRATES - 30% PROTEIN - 10% FATS

Fluid intake

Ensure you maintain a high fluid intake by drinking plenty of water and fresh fruit juice (high in minerals) as part of your normal diet as thirst is a good indicator. Drink water regularly throughout the day.