Food is Fuel

Food is FuelAfter an interesting conversation at work this morning about eating, I have been wondering why people are so fixated on THREE MEALS A DAY. My colleague was waiting for another colleague (S) to come out of a meeting so they could go swimming at lunchtime. Her dilemma was that she was really hungry but couldn’t eat anything before going swimming. In the end, S couldn’t get away from her meeting and my colleague didn’t go anyway because she wanted to eat. I had said to her beforehand that when I am dancing, I have a snack bar or something about an hour to an hour and a half before the class. But then those words came back – “I can’t because it adds to my Slimming World points” – ARGHHHH

I’m sorry, but the primary purpose of food is to fuel the body. If a diet programme is preventing you from eating when you need energy for a task, there is something wrong. It may not necessarily just be Slimming World’s fault, because really, my colleague is also quite fixated on eating at set times and must have lunch at 12 on the dot. But then again, I do blame these point-counting or calorie-counting diet empires because counting becomes the be-all and end-all and logic goes out the window.

‘Snacking’ is like a swear-word in the minds of dieters because it tends to be linked with junk food like crisps and chocolate bars. But there are so many healthy snack alternatives to give you the fuel you need before exercise:

  • Piece of fruit (e.g. banana)
  • Fruit smoothie
  • Granola bar (homemade, even better!)
  • Greek yoghurt
  • Rice cakes
  • Wholemeal toast
  • Apple slices with a nut butter

I sometimes have half a sandwich or salad an hour before my class and the other half of my lunch when I return, along with a small green smoothie.

Don’t skip your FUEL and don’t forget to HYDRATE!

 

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