Fitness Tips

Let’s talk fitness. How do you become fit with what you eat? Don’t think for a moment that fitness is achieved only by exercise, the foods you eat also add to your fitness—like garbage in garbage out, remember?

Here is to unveil those foods together with lifestyles that can help you get fit. You don’t want to miss this one. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get digging!

1. Foods in their natural state.

I am sure you have heard about organic foods. You must try to eat foods closest to their natural state as possible to be able to keep fit!

Foods claiming to be natural (or organic) must be free of artificial food additives hence, processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions. So; chemical ripening, food irradiation (radioactivity, radiation, preservatives, sterilisation, flavouring, colouring, treatment, etc.), genetically modified ingredients etc. reduce the natural state of foods. Pesticides are allowed as long as they are not synthetic.

Food contents should be 95% or more certified organic- whole, fresh and in a rainbow of colours. This is the only way you can boast of active cells and organs or immune system!

2. Eat alkaline-promoting foods.

Research suggests that eating too many acidic foods can damage our lungs and kidneys. In other words, balancing out the acidic foods with foods that promote an alkaline body environment makes your system fit.

To achieve this, eat lots of root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables  like broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts, leafy greens, garlic, cayenne peppers, and lemons and limes (yes, they seem acidic but lemons and limes actually help to alkaline our bodies and balance our pH). Root vegetables are foods formed from the very first root that the seed puts out. The commonly consumed ones include: carrots, beets, garlic, turnips, potatoes, rutabaga, onions and sweet potatoes. They are called root vegetables because the part of the plant being eaten is actually the plant’s root; these are nutritional powerhouses that pack in vitamins and minerals.

3. Add protein to smoothies.

Look out for natural sources of protein with no added sugars or artificial flavours. Fruit in general isn’t known for its protein content, but there are some that are better than others when it comes to helping you round out your protein intake for the day. Example of these fruits in there succession are; Dried Apricots, Raisins, Guava, Dates, Prunes, Avocado, Kumquat, Jackfruit, Currants, Raspberries, Bananas, Pineapples, Peaches, Figs, Grapefruit and Cantaloupe. You can look these fruits up on the net to get images clear and to know more also–not too much compared to big protein foods like chicken, but when used along with other fruits and vegetables it can add up.

4. Fun exercise.

Find a form (or more) exercises you enjoy. It’s easier to do and stick with the things we enjoy. For me, I love to dance; dancing becomes my fun way of keeping fit-a 30 mins non-stop dance will do wonders in me.

5. Muscle building.

Add some muscle building activities to your weekly workouts. Free weights, resistance bands, muscle sculpt classes or using your body weight with push-ups, planks and squats all work are ways to grow your fitness level.

In all, do not skip meals. Metabolism needs “fuel” to start working every couple of hours. If you do not “fuel” your body, your metabolism will “slow” down,–this slowing down converts foods that would normally burned out during metabolism to fat, thereby storing up fats in your body. Ensure you eat smaller portions—especially when you are eating an indulgence food. And these are our fitness tips for you today. Enjoy!!!