Regular physical activity, fitness, and exercise are critically important for the health and well being of people of all ages. Healthy eating and healthy foods is the key to maintain good health as well as improving performance. Poor diet and lack of physical inactivity, resulting in an energy imbalance (more calories consumed than expended), are the most important factors contributing to the increase in overweight and obesity. Here are some principles of healthy eating for a bodybuilders:
Eat a wide variety of foods – important for everyone, including bodybuilders, to ensure that an adequate amounts of all essential nutrients are obtained;
Eat regular meals, and try to eat similar amount of starchy carbohydrates foods from day to day; make complex carbohydrate foods the main part of each meal – regular meals are vital for the bodybuilder for optimum muscle growth; it is also important that the bodybuilder has regular amounts of carbohydrates, but the main part of each meal should the protein foods;
Eat more high fibre foods – important for a strong healthy bowel, good health and for more steady digestion and absorption of carbohydrate; high fibre foods are also useful for weight control, as fibre foods are more satisfying;
Include plenty of fruit and vegetables – 5 servings a day – a must for bodybuilders;
Limit the amount of fried or fatty foods you eat;
Reduce sugar intake – swap high sugar foods for low sugar alternatives – unless an individual is very lean who struggles to gain weight, in which case, sugar can become a useful source of energy;
Try to get to a healthy weight and stay there;
Be careful not to use too much salt;
Keep sensible alcohol limits – a keen bodybuilder will only drink very occasionally, although a small amount of alcohol can have some health benefits.
References
Ion, I., Vinturis, S. (2009) Effort – nutrition corelation. Bodybuilding Journal.