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By Melissa Tennen, HealthAtoZ writer
Sure, you're fit. You take your usual 30-minute walks every day, you bike on the weekends, you take the stairs instead of the elevator. You've taken hold of good health and claimed it as yours. Great job!
But hold on. How's that diet of yours?
It might be time to take inventory. Let's see.
Do you forsake the baby carrots for the candy bar? What about that carb-phobic diet you're on? Did you skip breakfast?
Not fueling up with the right nutrients could affect how well your body performs and your overall fitness benefits. Here are some myth-busters.
- Working out on an empty stomach. The rumbles in your belly are trying to tell you something. Without minding them, you are forcing your body to run on an empty fuel tank. Eat a light snack, such as an apple with peanut butter, before exercising.
- Relying too much on energy bars and drinks. Energy bars and drinks are fine once in a while, but they don't deliver the antioxidants you need to help prevent cancer. Fruit and veggies are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fluid and fiber.
- Skipping breakfast. Breakfast helps start the calorie-burning furnace after your body has been fasting all night. It needs fuel. Without it, you'll just be hungrier throughout the day.
- Those low-carb diets. Your body needs carbs for your muscles to have that storehouse of energy and to last for the long haul. You also need a balance of protein and carbohydrates.
- Eating whatever you want. Exercise doesn't give you an all-access pass. Everyone needs the same nutrients whether they exercise or not, as well as a diet rich in fruits and veggies that is low in saturated fat and sodium.
- Not getting enough calories. Sure, part of the reason you are active is to lose weight, but losing weight too quickly is not safe. Aim for one to two pounds a week. Make sure you are getting enough calories to keep your body running smoothly. Experiment bit-by-bit each week. If you are dropping weight too quickly, eat a little bit more.
- Skip the soda and alcohol. Water, low-fat milk or 100 percent juice is best for your active body.
- Waiting too long after exercise to eat. Your body has just burned a lot of calories and needs to recover. Eat a small snack if you don't feel hungry. Exercise can dampen your appetite.
Remember that good nutrition and exercise add up to a healthy lifestyle. One cannot exist without the other. So work out and eat right.
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External Source
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The American Council on Exercise
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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