Good energy on every day during a year does not happen by chance. Each day, the active person replenishes energy stores. Calories taken in have to match the calories burned. Count on a careful plan to meet daily needs.
Steps
1. Set good goals for calorie intakes, activity level and sleep. Use a weekly journal to plan each day’s food and beverages. Put an activity or exercise in a time slot that is a time there is enough energy to expend calories. Block in hours for sleep each night.
2. Eat a full diet with enough calories to supply the energy everyone needs. For energy stores to remain at the right level all year, take in a full balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Each is vital to energy.
After spending energy in an active endeavor, eat high carbohydrate foods to supply the blood with glucose and restore the glycogen in the muscles. Oats, pasta and sweet potatoes are reliable sources for carbohydrates. Give the body enough protein to rebuild muscle by putting lean meats, beans and nuts in the diet for the meals and snacks that follow exercise. When a person always feeds their body the protein it needs, the body does not use up energy stores. They prevent muscle loss. It is wise to think of fats as an important nutrient. Regularly partaking in the natural fats in foods stocks the reserves used for long term energy.
3. Exercise regularly to keep the body fully awake. Eating enough calories without the activity you planned results in sluggishness and excessive fat stores. Simple walking for 20 to 45 minutes 2 to 3 times a week arouses the body. Jogging and biking keeps the blood flowing stronger and the muscles stimulated. With a commitment to activity every week, anyone can look forward to consistent high energy levels. Dropping off the activity for days or weeks will leave a person lethargic until they return to their routine.
4. Drink plenty of fluids so the hydration level stays in balance. When pounds are sweated off, replace the water. Imbibe cups of water after each time weight gets worked off. The body uses the fluid to supply all the tissue in the body with the carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals it needs.
5. Get a good night’s sleep every night. Take advantage of at least eight hours rest. The hours give an active person enough time to restore carbohydrates lost and build the muscle fit for an active life.
Tip
Read the labels on food to know the grams of carbohydrates, protein and fat in each serving. With the information, anyone can plan the gram counts for a day.
Sources:
American Dietetic Association, Position Paper on Nutrition and Athletic Training (March 2009).