How a Healthy Diet Improves Your Overall Fitness Program

Since eating right doesn't come naturally to most people, it's important to revisit not only what to eat, but how eating right before and after a workout can put your goals for your overall fitness and wellness program within even closer reach.

Health experts from the Mayo Clinic, Harvard School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University and many others consistently tout the benefits of a diet rich with whole grains, protein, healthy fats and vegetables. You would be hard-pressed to consume “too much” of any of these foods, even if you're trying to lose weight. But if you keep one eye on your fitness program at all times, there are three components of a healthy diet are particularly important. 

• Healthy carbohydrates – the all-important energy booster. Three servings of whole-wheat bread and brown rice will not only fill you up, but will fill you with fiber and protein.

• Lean protein – the key to building and repairing muscle tissue. Despite some claims that a day's worth of protein is best consumed at the beginning of the day, try to eat between 15 and 25 grams during each snack or meal. Mix it up with chicken, pork, fish, beef and soy (found in soy milk, tofu, edamame and soybeans). 

• Water – the best way to stay hydrated all day and before, during and after a workout. Conventional wisdom holds that everyone should drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of water per day – “the eight and eight rule” that is easy to remember. 

Provide fuel before a workout

Eating a snack or small meal one to four hours before a workout will bolster your productivity. Keep it light and interesting throughout the week with food you can digest quickly, such as:

• Quinoa

• Turkey wraps

• Oatmeal with fruit

• Banana with peanut butter

• Greek yogurt with fruit

Refuel after a workout

You should replenish your body's need for carbohydrates and protein after a workout. Depending on your appetite, eat a small snack right after a workout and a meal two to four hours later. Filling snack ideas for the week include:

• Tuna in a whole-grain wrap

• Avocado spread on a whole-grain pita

• Greek yogurt fruit smoothie

• String cheese and an apple

• Low-fat chocolate milk

Learn how to get the most from your fitness program with the undisputed experts at the Prime Fitness program. With a network of more than 9,500 fitness locations, you can combine healthy eating with a fitness program to help you meet your wellness goals.