Diet for Active People

A diet for active people should be selected with the object of maintaining an optimum expenditure of energy. The foods selected should include wheat meal bread, wheat meal or oatmeal porridge with wheat germ and raisins, and served with milk and honey.

Protein food, and fats also, must be included for staying power, and protein tablets can be kept ready for emergencies. A splendid protein drink can be made by mixing a desert spoon of brewers' yeast powder with two desert spoonful of skim milk in a glass of water, and sweetening with a little honey. This drink is also rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron.

'Mid-meals' should be taken, consisting of dried fruits, rich in natural sugars, which release energy. Salt is lost to the body by perspiration and must be replaced.

There is some evidence that a high intake of vitamin C minimizes muscle soreness in athletes, engaged in unusually strenuous muscular activities. It also appears to reduce foot troubles, such as swellings and pains. The high intake of vitamin C should be commenced some days or perhaps weeks before the strenuous exercise is commenced, and continued during the period of exercise. This vitamin is also required for strong, healthy bone structure and connective tissue.

Another vitamin invaluable for athletes is vitamin E, which strengthens the heart and muscles, improves the circulation and reduces the body's need for oxygen.

Athletes need vitamin B complex tablets to strengthen the nervous system, and the need is greatly increased during strenuous exercise. Vitamin A should also be taken, as it helps to build up resistance to infectious diseases such as cold and flu, etc.

Why do we need Antioxidants?

The oxidation process that metal causes to rust is also at work inside our body. Oxidation means:something has reacted with oxygen and oxygen molecules have lost an electron during their interaction with other molecules. These so called free radicals try to steal molecules from any healthy molecules they can find and in the process create more free radicals.

Every breath we take causes free radicals and damage our healthy cells, as they try to stabilize themselves. The damage of free radicals is significant. Research is showing more and more evidence that fee radical damage is the cause of many degenerative diseases, like cancer, stroke, heart - and eye disease, macular degeneration and the aging process itself.

As with extensive exercises and heavy breathing many free radicals are generated, it is sensible to eat a diet rich in antioxidants, like vit. C packed citrus fruits, broccoli, dark green vegetables, beta-carotene rich carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach. Also wheatgerm and vegetable oils, which are rich in vitamin E, to counteract the damaging effect of free radicals.

As I explained in my subject about cellular nutrition, the anti-oxidants we get out of our food are not sufficient to neutralize the effect of free radicals.