Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

As an athlete I know the value of eating healthy. Playing basketball and baseball I have come across many different coaches and nutritionist that have made me change the way I eat. Whether it’s to make me gain weight or make me lose weight but in both instances they said this is the healthy way to lose or gain weight. Eating a healthy, balanced diet provides nutrients to your body. These nutrients give you energy and keep your heart beating, your brain active, and your muscles working. Nutrients also help build and strengthen bones, muscles, and tendons and also regulate body processes, such as blood pressure.

Eating certain foods can get boring and redundant. There was a time that I had to gain weight and I had to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with meals. The process worked I gained the weight that I needed to, but just knowing that everyday I would have to eat that food its boring. In my mind, I’m thinking ugh, I have to eat this again. That’s why I think that you must be happy as well. In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with eating healthy is it cost more and it doesn’t make you happy all the time. Usually you have to stop eating the good stuff like ice cream and fried foods and fast foods. Although those foods make you feel good they are bad for your body.  I would recommend a mixture of both with healthy exercising. Think about this Good nutrition can lower your risk of developing a range of chronic diseases, For example, eating more fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure and may lower your risk of certain types of cancer. Here is a list of healthy foods to eat:

1.     Kale

2.     Sardines

3.     Pomegranate

4.     Oatmeal

I also want to list a few different categories of foods to get for you home:

1)    Refrigerated Items

i)      Eggs


ii)    Feta cheese,

iii)   Low fat
 milk,

iv)   Skim or low-fat soy


v)    Orange or grapefruit juice (100%) with pulp


vi)   Part-skim mozzarella cheese


vii) Yogurt with active cultures

viii)         Low fat sour cream

2)    Poultry/Fish


i)      Chicken breast halves,

ii)    Skinless and boneless
Chicken thighs,

iii)   Skinless
Deli meat,

iv)   Sliced and skinless (not processed cold cuts)
Salmon fillets, Skinless
Whole fish or fillets: trout, tilapia, snapper, or sea bass

3)    Frozen Food


i)      Blueberries and raspberries,

ii)    Frozen and unsweetened
Fruit

iii)   Sorbet
Vanilla frozen yogurt

4)    Health Foods 


i)      Chia seed


ii)    Flaxseed
Soy

iii)   Protein Powder

5)    Blue/Purple:


i)      Blueberries,

ii)    Blackberries,

iii)   Plums,

iv)   Eggplant

6)    Orange/Yellow:


i)      Carrots,

ii)    Sweet potatoes,

iii)   Squash,

iv)   Mangoes,

v)    Pineapple

7)    Red:


i)      Tomatoes,

ii)    Cherries,

iii)   Cranberries,

iv)   Red peppers,

v)    Red apples

8)    Yellow/Green:


i)      Avocados,

ii)    broccoli,

iii)   spinach,

iv)   kiwifruit,

v)    lemons,

vi)   limes

9)    White/Green:


i)      Garlic,

ii)    onions,

iii)   bananas,

iv)   mushrooms