The saying that you are what you eat isn’t far from the truth when you factor in how what we eat affects our health both mentally and physically.

Food groups and how they impact your fitness

The term you are what you eat basically references to the effect eating different kinds of food have on your body. As different food types have different effects on your body. Although too much of anything or too little of something can have negative effects on your body as well, we will be covering major food groups referred to in fitness and body building.

Protein

Protein among its various other benefits such as being a building block for muscle, skin and bone. it’s one of the most widely recommended food groups for people who have a fit and active lifestyle, whether it is body building, endurance-based or cardiovascular-based fitness . Due to the nature of protein and its satiating effects on the body, protein not only satiates you in allows your muscles to grow stronger and recover better it takes energy for your body to digest protein so your body burns calories just to digest the protein that you have consumed.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes etc have earned a bad reputation based on misinformation that is usually based on how you can gain weight if you eat carbs or that your weight on the scale increases.

Now the gained weight will not always be fat. It is usually glycogen. Glycogen is basically glucose(sugar)  molecules banded together. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. Eating carbohydrates results in this water weight  being gained which is not fat and that’s where the misconception lies.

Carbohydrates are not bad. In fact depending on your goals, can be an excellent source of energy, such as during an intense cardio session. Athletes who are in marathons and Olympics consume more carbs than anything to replenish depleted glycogen in the body  due to the intensity of their sport. Even in body building, carbs are used to gain a temporary fullness in the muscles after depriving themselves of carbohydrates for a few days.

Fats

Fats are just as important as the other two mentioned food groups. Yet people try to completely exclude it from their diets. There are misconceptions around eating fat that eating fat makes your body store it as fat. Furthermore, there has been a widely spread rumor that if you have fat in some areas of your body, i.e. if it is genetically prone to being on the heavier side and the last to lose weight from. Eating fat directly targets the area to be fat. As if fat has some sort of sentience and is an evil thing. Fats are not just important in supporting organ health. They are essential for the body, helping absorb vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E.

These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats. Eliminating fats from your diet can have adverse affects such as a weaker immune system and hair fall. That said fat  sources that aren’t processed but are healthier, such as dry fruits, should be consumed.

Fiber

There are two types of fiber, insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is undissolvable in water, while soluble, dissolves in water while both are equally important for health .

Soluble fiber keep you full for longer periods of time compared to other food groups by slowing down your digestion. Which in turn keeps your hunger hormone ghrelin at bay and this, in turn helps  you stay satiated for a longer  period of time. hence its recommended to eat soluble fiber foods like  beans, peas and ls when on a diet or trying to lose weight.

Conclusion

• Every food group is important in moderation. Overdoing anything can be harmful and cutting out a specific type of food group is just the same.
• Don’t drink you calories and if you cant stop drinking sodas get their diet versions to save calories.
• What matters is having a balanced diet based on your fitness goals. It’s always better to research something before making a decision, especially when it’s something that can have an effect on your health.
• for more information on how to not lose weight and to keep it off. Read How-not-to-regain-weight
• for more tips on how to lose weight in general. best-diet-to-lose-weight
• for a more comprehensive guide on how to better lose weight instead of spot reduction shams. Read is-spot-reduction-possible-can-you-spot-reduce-fat-in-the-body

and if you liked what you read or have a question regarding anything in the article. Let us know in the comment section below.