By: Ronald Abvajee

Nutrition has a major impact on heart health and physical fitness. Your body needs food for fuel. Like a car, your body won’t work well if you don’t have a well-balanced mix of fuel.

 

Here are some recommendations for healthy persons that apply whether you’re active or not.

 Nutrition Zone Dietary recommendations

1.  Total fat intake should be no more than 30 percent of calories.

2.  Saturated fatty acid intake should be less than 10 percent of calories. Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in animal fats, but also in palm, palm kernel and coconut oil.

3.  Polyunsaturated fatty acid intake should be up to 10 percent of calories. Corn, soybean and sunflower oil are examples of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

4.  Monounsaturated fatty acids make up the rest of total fat intake, about 10 to 15 percent of total calories. Canola and olive oil are examples of monounsaturated oils.

5.  Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams per day. Cholesterol is found in foods from animals: beef, mutton, poultry, fish, dairy products, egg yolks.

6.  Limit sodium intake to no more than 2400 mg a day. To cut down on salt, use herbs and spices. Read food labels to find compounds that contains salt.

Other tips

These tips may also help you as an active person:

1.  Make sure you meet your vitamin and mineral needs. Eat a well-balanced diet that includes all kinds of foods.

2.  Adjust your calorie intake to keep your ideal weight. Physical activity is key to helping you achieve this goal.

3.  You need energy to exercise. So eat a diet fairly high in carbohydrates. Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and other carbohydrates that you eat. Complex types such as whole-grain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes are especially good.

4.  Drink fluids before, during and after a workout that lasts 30 minutes or more, especially in warm weather. While working out vigorously for 30-60 minutes or longer, drink 6-8 ounces of fluid every 10-15 minutes.

5.  Avoid salt tablets. Too much salt puts an extra burden on the kidneys. You can replace sodium lost during exercise with the food you eat.

6.  Keep a daily weight chart in the hot summer months to check for hydration. If you’re 2-3 pounds (or more) lighter in the morning than your usual weight, you probably need more fluid.

7.  Avoid eating lots of sugar before you exercise. It may cause dehydration, stomach discomfort and (depending on the time period) low blood sugar.

Eating large portions of high-fat foods can delay digestion. So before you work out, eat carbohydrates such as bread, cereal and pasta. They are high-energy foods that will provide you with the energy to complete a good workout.

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