There are many diet gurus offering too many diets. Every day, another genius declares another food the latest ‘superfood’.
In this article, we will have a look at a few basics that should apply to everybody who wants to eat well – regardless of what we are trying to achieve.

Why should I care about what I eat?

Human body is like a machine. It needs fuel in order to function property. Give it the right fuel and you will have the energy to exercise hard, and the raw materials to build lean muscles. All the gym training is useless unless it’s backed by proper nutrition.
By eating well, you will feel happier and more alert.

Calories in vs calories out

There are many reasons why your body gets fatter and thinner or more muscular, but the main reason is calories intake. If you eat more of them than  you burn off through activity, you put on weight. Eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight – it’s that simple. Look to this before you start blaming your metabolism and underactive thyroid.

How many calories do I need?

Even at rest your body is constantly burning calories  to keep your blood  pumping, your brain sharp and your lungs breathing, so you need to take enough food in to keep you body functioning well in everyday life.

The exact number of calories  each person needs  depends  on their size, lifestyle and genetic makeup.

Roughly,  an average man with a sedentary job, who weighs around 75kg and does 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day,  needs around 2500 calories a day.

Go as natural as possible

If people weren’t eating it 1000 years ago, then avoid it, now.  Cook you meal from scratch rather than from a packet and opt for fresh meat, fish and vegetables.  Processed foods such as cakes, pies and ready meals  tend to be high on calories, full of salt and additives, and low on nutrients.  They contain transfats, which  the body cannot digest property, leading to high cholesterol and clogged arteries.

Get plenty of variety

Your body  requires a huge number of vitamins and minerals  to stay healthy. If you eat a limited diet, you risk being too tired to train or becoming ill. That’s why you need  to eat as wide as a range of foods as possible – especially when  it comes to fruit and vegetables.  Some researches suggest eating more than five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to  ensure we  get enough of cancer-fighting antioxidants, gut-satisfying fibre and the vitamins and minerals needed to keep the body fit and healthy.

Drink enough water

Humans can survive several weeks without food but  only few days without water. Your body can’t store water  in the same way it can food, so you need  a constant supply to replenish the fluid you lose through sweating and toilet stops. The average person loses around one litre of fluid for every hour of exercise, and that can have detrimental effect on your health and performance.

Try to drink at least six to eight glasses of water every day, but more if you are exercising or when it’s hot. A good indicator of how much water  you need is to  weight yourself before and after exercise.  For every 1kg lost drink 1.5 litre to replenish fluids. You should also get in the habit of sipping water throughout the day. If you feel thirsty then you’re probably already dehydrated.