How to Get the Best Nutrition Out of Your Meals

If you lead an active lifestyle, or you want to start leading one, you need to understand just how important good nutrition is. Just as a car isn’t going to be able to run for very long with low quality fuel in its tank, you aren’t going to be able to live to the age you expect unless you make proper nutrition a big part of your life.

What does this mean for you? It simply means that you will need to look at the types of foods you eat and see which ones offer you nutrition… and which ones you need to remove from your life. Doctors and nutritionists agree that sugars, artificial sweeteners, and white bread should be out of the picture. Add whole grains, fresh veggies and fruit, and lean protein for the best nutrition. You will find that you have much more energy.

You should also consider the times of day that you eat your foods in order to get the most nutrition from them. In the morning, you will want to have the largest meal of the day. Make sure that you add plenty of good carbohydrates in the morning, such as oatmeal, for optimal nutrition. Your lunch should be smaller than breakfast, and your dinner should be the smallest meal of the day.

Try not to eat for at least several hours before bed. Digestions slows during sleep, so your meal will be sitting in your stomach all night, fermenting and giving you gas, bloating and stomach ache while you sleep. This will interrupt your sleep as well as not digesting properly. Digestion also takes a surprising amount of energy, which will be diverted from other processes that usually take place during sleep, such as healing and the repairing of your body tissues. If you eat a heavy meal right before ed, you’ll usually wake feeling ill-rested with a sour stomach – not a great way to start the day!

Great nutrition and properly sized and timed meals will give you the energy you need for an active life. Of course, it isn’t easy to get rid of all of those comfort foods. Instead of banning them completely from your life, take one day a week and eat your favorites in moderation. Even great nutrition needs a break once in a while!