1. Drink more water
Water is an essential nutrient for life and is the ideal drink to quench thirst and ensure hydration. The current recommendation of fluid intake is eight glasses of water a day. However, it is difficult to decide on an exact recommendation that will suit everyone. If you’re exercising, you’ll need more. The weather can also affect the body’s fluid requirements.
HOW?
- Start by increasing your intake by taking frequent small sips of water.
- Always keep a bottle of water with you. Have a bottle of water in the car and carry a bottle with you.
- Have a water jug in full view. Make it your aim to empty it by the end of the day. Aim for a fairly even intake over the whole day.
- Start each meal with a glass of water.
- Have a full glass of water when you take medicines or vitamins – not just a sip.
- Drink a glass of water with each meal and after every loo stop.
ON THE BIKE
Drinking enough on the bike is a skill you learn, so practise drinking frequently even on short rides. Cyclists should be well hydrated before exercise and drink enough fluid during and after exercise to balance fluid loss.
The 2009 joint position statement of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), Dietitians of Canada (DC), and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggest to consume at least five to 7ml of fluid per kilogram of bodyweight, four hours before exercise. The Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine also suggests no more than 400 to 800ml of fluid per hour during cycling.
Sports beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes may be consumed before, during and after exercise to help maintain blood glucose concentration, provide fuel for muscles, and decrease risk of dehydration and unhealthy low-sodium levels occurring in the blood.
WHY?
Scientific studies link adequate fluid intake to productivity in the workplace. Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA) report that loss of fluid equal to 2% of body weight is sufficient to cause a detectable decrease in both mental and physical performance (that’s a 1.4 kg loss in a 70 kg cyclist). Dehydration increases the risk of symptoms such as fatigue, loss of concentration and memory.
2. Choose your food
Improving your food choices will only work if you have the right foods at home to help you follow your meal plan, try a new healthy recipe or start bringing your lunch to work. Planning ahead includes making sure that you are kitted out and ready for the next cycle race – drinks, gels and bars.
HOW?
- Place a pad of Post-Its in your kitchen and everyday jot down some healthy staples and snacks for your weekly shopping list.
- Commit to shopping from a list and you’ll soon find that you’re more organised, can do better planning and you’ll have the right snack foods available to encourage healthier eating.
- Stock up on healthy snacks in the fridge (yoghurt, hummus, raw veggies, fresh fruit) or cupboard (whole-wheat crackers, peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, tin of tuna) that you can munch on when you get ravenous.
- Make up your lunch the night before. If you’re going out, take a fruit and a whole-wheat sandwich with you so you don’t have to buy fast food.
WHY?
Not only will you be eating healthier, saving time at the store and during the week, but you will be less likely to buy unnecessary food items – making it a great cost saver!
3. Eat more slowly
If there’s one time to curb the frenetic pace of your day, it’s mealtime. So eat more slowly and you’ll eat less.
HOW?
For slowdown success, start by trying to eat at least some of your meals in peace: no watching TV, reading emails, surfing the internet or answering your cell phone.
If you can’t do it all the time, start by committing to just one distraction-free meal every other day.
WHY?
We tend to ignore the sensory aspects of food – the smell of it, the look of it, and the taste – and just shovel it in without paying attention. Of course, paying attention to your food is tough if you’re distracted.
Eating too fast and while distracted undermines healthy digestion and encourages overeating. Moreover, it precludes enjoyment.
4. Eat for energy
When you exercise your body needs to be fuelled. Here’s how to maximise your power foods.
HOW?
- Eat between five to six meals a day. By eating smaller portions of food, more often, you will feel less hungry between meals and not deprived. Tip: use your cell’s alarm to remind when next to eat.
- Include the following lower glycemic index (GI) options on your shopping list: legumes, oat bran, pasta made from durum wheat, low GI bread, seed loaf, basmati rice, baby potatoes, rye breads, most fruits and vegetables, milk and yoghurts.
WHY?
If you only eat – let’s say, two large meals a day – your body goes into a starvation mode and tries to hold onto kilojoules. Irregular eating or missed meals and snacks can also create a feeling of intense hunger, which gets us craving more high-fat, high-sugar foods. By eating every three to four hours you keep your body from storing as many kilojoules (as fat) because your body has a steady supply of food to use for energy.
A steady intake of nutritious fuel at regular intervals keeps your metabolism steady and elevated, your blood glucose stable, and your body operating at maximum efficiency.
5. Add variety
Research shows that we eat 15 to 18 foods a week. It is suggested that we try to up that to at least 20 or more varieties of food each week. Eating a variety of foods from all the food groups helps ensure we get the nutrients our body needs.
HOW?
Check your shopping list to include a variety of foods. Include four or five foods in a meal and two or three foods as part of a snack. Keep an eye on portion size!
WHY?
The October 2009 edition of the Journal of Nutrition shows that consuming a diverse diet rich in a variety of foods can help reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases and overall mortality.