5 Foods That Are Ruining Your Workout

Eating healthy and mindfully with the right lifestyle choices is the secret to good health. Making a bad choice of food here and there is not going to make or break a diet or workout. However, if you are repeatedly making the wrong food choices it has an impact on the workout, meaning not getting the desired results. Now, what you eat before your workout will decide whether you go on to have a successful session or you end up giving up in the first few minutes. So, consulting with a sports nutritionist can help one make the best choices for a successful workout.

Foods that are eaten before a workout should fuel the workout. So, many foods that are good for weight loss, or health in general, may not be the best for your workout. Be sure to keep a watch on the below foods and avoid them before a workout:

1. Eggs: Eggs are great quality protein but do remember that protein is not the source of fuel during a workout. It’s the carbohydrates that are the energy source and eggs do not provide carbohydrates.
2. Fried & fatty foods: Fried and fatty foods with high amount of fat can take hours to digest. This can seriously affect the workout as all the blood would be flowing to the stomach to help with digestion instead of to the working muscles. Also, conversion of fats to energy is at a much slower rate than that from carbohydrates and protein.
3. Granola Bars: Most variants of the energy bars have lot of sugar in some form or the other thus resembling a candy bar. Although the oats, nuts, seeds in them are healthy, the added sugar, calories and artificial ingredients can be the flipside to its intake. And the sugar is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream causing a dip in the energy levels.
4. Beans: Beans and bean based foods like hummus are high in indigestible carbohydrates which may cause bloating and gas. So even though they are a healthy snacking option, you may want to avoid them as your pre workout food choice.
5. Sugary foods: Avoid anything high in refined sugars before your workout as they cause a rapid spike in your insulin levels, leaving your body screaming for more. High sugar intake can also lead to gastrointestinal distress and cramping during the workout.

Pre workout meals should be moderate carb and protein and low in fat. It is best to eat familiar foods that are well tolerated by the body. An Indian nutritionist who is well aware of the cultural preferences and a knowledge about sports can help plan suitable snacks or meals before workouts.