On the benefits of running and how to eat healthy

                                                                     

 

As mentioned in the previous posts, food and physical exercise are strictly intertwined. Therefore, in order to improve our physical and mental health we have to improve the way we eat (and exercise)!

A few questions then arise: What do you eat before running, a light or a hearty breakfast? What do you eat for lunch while recovering from the exercise? 

Firstly, it should be pointed out that it is always recommended to run early in the morning: it will help you start your day in a good mood and lose weight. In fact it jump starts your metabolism early in the morning and helps your body burn calories at a faster rate throughout the day. Therefore, the ideal breakfast would be a portion of sugar-free yogurt (the best variety is the greek yogurt) with some fresh fruits sliced in it. It is important to include bananas since they are high in potassium and it maintains normal blood pressure and reduces cramps. 

Once you've finished the running sessions it is likely that you will stumble upon post-workout cravings. It is absolutely normal however, if you really want to lose weight and get the most out of your exercising you need to control them! How to do it? Well, you only need to make a light, tasty and fulfilling lunch based on carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables. An ideal recipe is penne with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese: this will prevent you from weighting down. 

Before going into further details about the benefits of running it is important to point something out. It is not necessary to eat before running, if it's for under about 45 minutes as our body contains enormous quantities of energy and it will only burn fat reserves. On the contrary, if you run for more than an hour, it is recommended to eat something. In that case fruits, cereals and white meat are ought to be eaten as they will prevent you from drying out by sweating. 

Having taken into account all that, now it is important to underline the benefits arising from running:

• It burns fats
• It improves mental and physical health
• It helps prevent the formation of cancer
• It reduces stress
• It strenghtens articulations
• It enhances selfesteem
• It slows the aging process
• It helps sleep better