Food is what helps fuel the body. The food we ingest is changed to energy inside our bodies, keeping us alive. Many factors play into how much we need to take in, including gender, weight, body composition, and activity level. There are also a lot of different theories out there in regards to meal plans, including paleo, Whole30, ketogenic, and macros. I am not going to get into any of these factors or theories in this, only food choices in general.
2000 calories is 2000 calories, right? WRONG! The type of food you put into your body matters. I could get all my calories in the day in the form of processed sugar, high carbohydrate starches, trans fats, and poor protein choices. Or I could get all my calories from fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and good quality protein.
I would suggest for anyone to make the better food choices on a routine basis. Yes, a cheat day or cheat meal is OK, but not every day. When you are an athlete and want to perform at a high level, the better quality of food you eat the better you will find your performance and how you feel during the performance.
And, as an added bonus, the better quality of foods you eat, the more you get to eat! I eat healthier carbs and pretty much eat all day and I love it. If I chose more of the processed foods that didn’t give my body much value and were high calories, I would not be able to eat as much, which would leave me feeling hungry and low energy all day.
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or dietician, so I am not trying to give any diet or medical advice, just advice on how healthy eating affects athletic performance.
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