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What is "Fit Food"?

by Michael George - traineo Celebrity Trainer and Expert Motivator

When using the term quality in regards to food, I am referring to foods that have not been overly processed. Foods that are in their natural healthy state. The processing of foods essentially eliminates the life force potency contained in the various enzymes. This is the underlying reason why nutritionists recommend fresh foods and produce over canned and processed foods.

Our bodies have specific nutritional needs in terms of energy, repair and regeneration. These needs are met by different types of nutrients found in the foods we eat. Protein is needed to maintain the tissues in the body. Virtually every tissue in the body is made up of, or contains some form of protein. The body can also metabolize protein for energy in the absence of carbohydrates. Protein is the building block of muscle tissue. If our desire is to increase that muscle tissue, there must also be an increase in dietary consumption of protein.

Carbohydrates and fats are needed by the body to provide both physical and mental energy. These nutrients, along with fiber for enhanced digestion, are best obtained through eating unrefined grains and vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals, also essential to the body, are found in varying amounts and types of foods we eat. This creates a need for eating a well-rounded variety diet to ensure we fulfill the body's daily requirements. The human body is a complex marvel of creation. It is more intricate than the most sophisticated machines or computers man has invented. Would you expect a top performance race car to run at its optimum performance on regular gasoline? No! Just think how intricate and detailed our body's machinery is compared to the race car into which we would not dream of putting substandard fuel.

People go to almost any length to improve how they look on the outside, often purchasing the best clothes and cosmetics that money can buy and completely disregarding what is being put inside their body. It is what happens on the inside that best effects how we look and feel.

The best way to look and feel good is by maintaining a high quality natural food diet, as opposed to a substandard nutrition "junk food" diet. For example, you can obtain high quality, easily digested amounts of protein through eating chicken, turkey, egg whites, fish, low-fat dairy and certain lean cuts of red meat. The protein available from these sources is easy for the body to digest and use. Also, you can help to decrease the amount of fats contained in these sources simply by trimming the fat off cuts of red meat, removing the skin from poultry or removing the yolk in the egg.

On the other hand, processed meats like bologna, wieners, ham and other canned meats contain a high amount of fat. You cannot cut the fat out because it is processed throughout the bulk of the meat. These types of meats also contain high amounts of sodium and chemical preservatives, which are unhealthy.

Premium carbohydrate sources are rice, potatoes, beans, pasta, whole grain cereals, breads and a large variety of vegetables. These sources contain the unrefined carbohydrates that we need for energy. They also contain fiber, vitamins and enzymes that our body uses for proper digestion.

Refined carbohydrates such as bleached white flour products have lost much of their nutritional value and fiber through processing and bleaching. Products like pies, cakes, some breads and breakfast cereals have large amounts of refined sugars and fats. Vegetables that have been cooked and canned definitely lose some of their nutritional content, which make them less nutritious than fresh vegetables.

Avoid refined sugar products like candy, sodas, etc. Excessive refined sugars can be converted to fat easily and refined sugars raise and lower the blood sugar levels rapidly, creating uneven energy levels throughout the day. To the fitness enthusiast whose primary desire is live a fit and healthy lifestyle, a quality diet is essential, even vital!! It is easy to see how a quality diet can be beneficial in producing accelerated muscle growth.