Other than exercising and working out your body, the best thing you can do for your fitness is eating healthy. Food is important for fueling our bodies, and when we eat the correct food we can turn our bodies into a fat burning, muscle building, and lean machine with tons of energy. Food and fitness go hand and hand, they are like the dynamic duo! There is a terrible rumor that says, “Healthy food is lame.” This statement is so far from the truth, because the fact is…food can be healthy and delicious. I do have to say, if you are a vegetarian…you probably will not enjoy this article.
Here are four different foods that are great for your fitness:
Let’s start if off right!
Beef – I used to love watching those beef commercials, “Beef, its whats for dinner.” I loved it! Even though the commercials were awesome, red meat has gotten a pretty bad rap over the years, but did you know that beef is 20% leaner than it was 10 years ago. And if you eat grass-fed beef, it can actually help lower your cholesterol. There is so many benefits to eating beef. Beef highly contains amino-acids, which are great for building muscle. A 3-ounce steak provides over 10% of your daily intake for some nutrients. Including B6 and B12, protein, phosphorus, niacin, selenium, and riboflavin. Beef also includes a healthy dose of zinc and iron. But with any type of food, do not over do it. You can have a 3-ounce steak around 3-4 times a week. Look For steaks that are less in fat, like rounds steaks or top sirloin steaks, filet mignons are also low in fat and super good.
Oatmeal – Breakfast is for champions! And Oatmeal is a great breakfast. The wonderful thing about oatmeal, is that it is quick and easy to make. Plus you can add other incredible foods to it. Like blueberries, raspberries, bananas, and strawberries..the list goes on and on. Oatmeal is not only good for your heart, but it is also good for weight loss. Oatmeal is rich with soluble fiber, with helps lower you cholesterol. When picking oatmeal, make sure that you get normal oatmeal. Oatmeal packets usually have a lot of added sugars in them. Look for quick oats in the big tubs.
“100%” Whole-Wheat Bread – The reason I emphasized “100%,” is because only true whole wheat bread have 100% on it. So make sure to buy 100% whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. Whole-wheat bread is great for giving you energy, and it does not spike your energy levels like white bread does. White bread cause your body to store fat, whole-wheat bread does not. Whole-wheat bread will also help you feel full longer.
Salmon – You probably love or hate it, but it is still one of the best foods you can eat for fitness. 3-ounces of salmon provide you with 20-grams of protein! And why is protein so important? Because it helps speed up your metabolism 3-4 times faster than carbs or fat, plus it helps fill you up. Salmon is also rich in Omega-3′s, which are fatty acids that help clean your arteries. Salmon is like the superman food. It is great for muscle building and for keep your heart healthy.
The other great thing about push-ups, are that there is plenty of ways to perform them. There is the standard push up, wide push up, diamond push up, military push up, reverse push up, and shoulder push-ups. All of these push ups can be used to give you the ultimate upper body workout. Pick about three different push ups and start doing them tell you can do them anymore, then after a couple weeks start switching in some new push ups. You can get creative; do inclined push-ups; declined push-ups, or push-ups on an exercise ball. There is a whole open world of push-ups. If you have wrist issues then look into getting some push up stands, not only will they help your wrists, push-ups stands also help with a deeper range.
So what are some of the benefits that swimming provides for you? Swimming is great for your ligaments and joints, but unlike running where there is a lot of wear and tear on your joints, swimming has no impact. Swimming also has incredible health benefits for your heart and lungs. I like to hike a lot, but nothing has prepared my lungs and heart better for a hike like swimming has. The endurance that you get from swimming is amazing, thus making swimming an incredible exercise. Swimming also provides a full body workout. Your whole body is engaged in every stroke and kick, targeting every major muscle group of your body. The water provides resistance for your muscles, so you do get a great workout.
