Eat Right

Fuel your body

Green your exercise routine

Leafy veggies such as spinach, parsley and collards may help you go harder in your HIIT workouts. When exercisers consumed nitrates–chemical compounds that are highly concentrated in these greens three hours before a sprint cycling routine, they experienced a blood-flow boost to their muscles while they worked out, research in Frontiers in Psychology shows.

After five weeks of pre-sweat greens, the cyclists increased their fast-twitch muscle fibres – the ones that help you to run fast, react quickly and jump high. “The more of them you have, the easier it is to sustain short bursts of all-out effort,” says sports nutritionist Jim White.

Power up with smarter carbs

Eating healthy carbohydrate before and after your workout will help you push yourself harder and recover more quickly, says Priya Lawrence, a nutritionist and the co-founder of Tried and True Nutrition. But which to pick? These bites will net you extra energy (plus plenty of vitamins and minerals).

THIS IS WHY YOU SNACK IN THE AFTERNOON

Researchers found that in the morning, women associated unhealthy food with negative words like disease. But by the afternoon, they began to associate it with positive ones like peace or friend, perhaps because it’s more socially acceptable to indulge in the afternoon, says study author Ashleigh Haynes of the University of Liverpool.

SOURCE FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE.

SOUND BITE

“You are what you eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake.” UNKNOWN.

99 kcal

The extra amount you’ll likely consume on days you have a sandwich – not to mention the additional sodium and fat. That’s because the typical sandwich is low in produce and high in processed meats. Flip the ratio by adding plenty of fresh ingredients, and you’ll boost your health as you trim your waist.

SOURCE PUBLIC HEALTH

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