Prescription4Fitness & Health

Carbohydrates are fattening - The key here is choosing complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, whole grain or brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes. These carbohydrates are not fattening, and in fact they fuel your muscles so that they can perform intense exercise. However, carbohydrates do often invite fattening toppings such as butter, brown sugar, fat-laden sauces or cheese. Learn to stick with unrefined, complex carbohydrates and limit or eliminate the fattening toppings and you are well on your way to fueling your high performance machine the way it should be for optimum performance and energy.

Loading up on protein is the best way to build muscle - The key here is choosing complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, whole grain or brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes. These carbohydrates are not fattening, and in fact they fuel your muscles so that they can perform intense exercise. However, carbohydrates do often invite fattening toppings such as butter, brown sugar, fat-laden sauces or cheese. Learn to stick with unrefined, complex carbohydrates and limit or eliminate the fattening toppings and you are well on your way to fueling your high performance machine the way it should be for optimum performance and energy.

Eat 3 square meals a day - What is a square meal any way? Don’t we always refer to the food “pyramid”? Where does square come from? Anyway…the point is that to keep your metabolism at top speed all day long, you need to eat small meals frequently. Make sure you aren’t eating additional calories by adding a morning and afternoon snack. Take some calories from your breakfast, lunch and dinner and spread them throughout the day. Also make sure that you are combining complex carbohydrates, high quality lean protein and healthy fats when you fuel.

All fats are bad for you - Eating some fat is essential to good health. Fat plays a crucial role in cushioning our internal organs, helping with digestion and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, as well as keeping our hair and skin healthy. You should avoid trans fat and saturated fats, however, the fats found in salmon and other fatty fish as well as olive oil, all natural nut butters and avocado are great choices.

Supplements are a quick fix and enhance performance - If you are someone who works out often and you find you are tired and your performance is lacking, you may be among the masses who have considered supplements. Some of these like ginseng, ephedra, Echinacea and ma haung start to peak your curiosity. Remember, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t do much to regulate supplements for quality and purity. There is no way to know if what is on the label is what you are really getting. Ask yourself if that is what you really want to put in your high performance machine. The best bet is to fuel your body on a regular schedule (to avoid fatigue) and do it with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fat from whole foods rather than supplements.