If you’re staying active with your regular boot camp workout sessions, it’s time to also make sure that you’re providing the different nutrients to your body that it’s going to need to repair and recover from those hard workout sessions.
Failing to get in good nutrition on a daily basis would really halt the overall results you see from your plan so it’s something that you should be devoting both time and energy into.
One critical aspect of your diet that you must be focusing on the most is getting enough protein into your day.
Protein is what will supply the body with the essential building blocks that are needed for building lean muscle tissue, so you can see just why this is so important for active individuals.
Let’s take a quick look at the top protein sources to focus on.
Chicken Breasts — One of the most commonly consumed protein sources in our diets today are chicken breasts. Chicken is very high in protein and contains hardly no fat at all so it’s definitely a winner when it comes to making sure you’re getting in proper nutrition. Chicken is also a very versatile food so will work well in a number of recipes helping to prevent dietary boredom on your end.
The one thing to watch with chicken however is that you are not consuming cuts with skin on them or anything other than the breast. These will be much higher in fat content and won’t support your goals of maintaining a favourable body composition.
Fish — Next, the second source of protein that you’ll want to add into your diet is fish.
Fish can either be low in fat when you’re choosing the white varieties of fish or higher in fat if you’re choose varieties such as salmon or mackerel.
The good thing with the higher fat varieties though is that it contains completely healthy fats, so it’s still a source of protein that you want to be consuming.
For best health, aim to eat fish at least twice a week which will help you reach not only your protein goals but your essential fatty acid intake as well.
Low-Fat Dairy Products — Far too many people avoid dairy products on their diet thinking it will cause weight gain but the opposite is actually the case. When chosen properly dairy products can be incredibly useful for helping you lose body fat, especially in the abdominal region.
The best low-fat dairy to consume includes skim milk, low-fat, low-sugar yogurt, as well as low-fat cottage cheese.
All of these will supply a significant source of protein and help keep you feeling satisfied for hours.
Lean Red Meat — Finally the last source of protein that you may want to consider adding to your day is lean red meat.
This for of protein does tend to have slightly higher fat contents (even the lean cuts) but as long as you keep it in moderation, it’s still fine to add.
More important is that it’s an excellent source of iron, which will be important for helping you maintain your energy levels through your workout sessions.
So keep all of these protein sources in mind and ensure that you are consuming them regularly throughout the day.
Aim to have some protein with each meal or snack you eat so that you can maintain steady energy levels and keep your hunger under control as well.
Cabel McElderry is a local personal trainer and nutrition coach. For more information on fitness and nutrition, visit the Fitness F/X website at www.oneto1fitness.com.