Food Is Fuel
Hey Kettlebell Fam!
Ever felt like you’re doing everything right, crushing your workouts, staying crazy consistent, but you still don't feel like you're seeing the progress you expected? Well if so one thing that might not be dialed in is your FOOD. You may not know this but when it comes to achieving fitness goals your diet is one of the most important factors that can contribute to your progress (or lack of). And guess what? The right foods can help you not just reach those goals you've set but also help you feel better day to day and help to regulate hormone levels that will have you performing your best. So this one we dig into nutrition and what foods I recommend to optimize your overall health!
Food is Fuel:
When it comes to fitness one thing I like to tell my clients, and myself, is that “food is fuel”. The way you eat effects so many aspects of not just your training but how you feel on a day to day basis. If you've ever eaten a greasy meal that you know isn't healthy and then felt the repercussions of it later by feeling lethargic or just downright awful, you know what I'm talking about. But oddly enough for the majority of people they do this on a daily basis and still wonder why they feel bad or can't seem to reach those physique goals they've set. Not just that but the food you eat does a lot more than you think, from hormone regulation, to energy, to stress levels, the way you eat can play a major role on your health.
Hormones are like messengers that tell your body what to do. They regulate everything from metabolism and energy levels to muscle growth and fat storage. When they’re out of whack, it can be harder to lose fat, gain muscle, and feel like you have any energy (which will keep you form pushing yourself in the gym, or even going most times). A healthy diet supports hormone production and regulation, which also helps you optimize your workouts and recovery.
These are some of my top foods for hormone regulation and a little bit about what each does…
1. Healthy Fats: avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish (like salmon and tuna). Hormones like testosterone and estrogen are made from cholesterol and other fats. Including healthy fats in your diet ensures your body has the building blocks it needs.
2. Greens & Veggies: asparagus, spinach, broccoli, peppers. These greens are rich in magnesium and antioxidants, which supports cortisol (your stress hormone) regulation and insulin sensitivity, key for keeping energy levels stable.These veggies help detox excess estrogen from the body, promoting a healthy hormonal balance.
3. Protein Foods (my favorite): eggs, beef, chicken, fish, legumes. Eating enough protein supports the production of peptide hormones, which control everything from growth to appetite regulation. The more protein you eat the more full you normally feel, and the help with muscle growth and maintenance, so don't skimp on PROTEIN (I aim for 1lb per lb of bodyweight daily).
4. Whole Grains: quinoa, oats, rice. The fiber in whole grains helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, which is great for insulin balance. I try not to get an abundance of these but instead focus on things like potatoes or fruit, but don't get me wrong, I love me some rice!
5. Fermented Foods: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi. A healthy gut microbiome plays a major role in hormone metabolism. Fermented foods help improve gut health, aiding in hormone regulation. To be honest I don't love fermented foods, with the exception of yogurt, pick what you can tolerate out of this one.
6. Berries (probably my favorite snack or sweet treat): blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries. These antioxidant rich fruits help combat inflammation, and they can be a great source of quick and healthy carbs pre or post workout. I have one of them pretty much every breakfast or with my shake pre-workout.
Just like the above foods can support hormone balance, and help your promote your health and metabolism, others can throw it off. Try to limit things like processed sugars and carbs, they can spike insulin levels and lead to that crash feeling after. Trans fats, found in processed snacks and fried foods, can negatively affect insulin sensitivity, and promote arterial diseases. Alcohol (my least favorite on the list) can mess with cortisol and estrogen levels, ruin your sleep, and honestly play a negative role on your mental health, as much as people like to use it as an escape, it just delays the inevitable confrontation of your problems while wrecking your overall health in the process.
A healthy diet doesn’t just help you feel better, it directly impacts your fitness goals. The better you eat the better you perform: better energy levels for more intense workouts, faster recovery after training sessions, improved muscle growth, more effective fat loss, and less brain fog/more focus.
Fitness is about more than just showing up to the gym. It’s also about fueling your body with what it needs to perform like the machine you are! Include the foods listed above in your diet, keep the junk and processed food to a minimum, and you'll be surprised how much more motivation for training, and life you have. You don't have to do it all at once, set an attainable goal, start with something realistic, and focus on eating REAL FOODS. And if you need help with any of it, reach out anytime, that's what I'm here for!!!!
