You've read about foods that offer more than just the energy you need to get through a training session; some foods even have protective health benefits. Foods with
phytochemicals are high on the list of foods that offer health benefits. Are they likely to enhance your performance? Probably not, but they could help you stay healthy and lower your risk of disease — and that helps your performance in life.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals, pronounced "fight-o-chemicals," occur naturally in plant foods. They are nonnutritive plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing compounds. You can find phytochemicals in all sorts of plant foods, from garlic to berries to everything in between. These "extra" food components found in your fruits and vegetables offer antioxidant benefits, as well as other disease-protecting qualities that make them essential to your diet. Research has consistently shown that diets high in fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic ailments that affect so many people. Not only do fruits and veggies offer phytochemicals,such as antioxidants, they also provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. And their great taste, high nutrition, easy portability, and refreshing qualities make them perfect for the active individual.
Tips to increase your phytochemical intake (a.k.a fruits and vegetables):
- Add them to your grocery list and make them part of your routine. It's tough to eat them if you don’t have them!
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Keep whole fruit in your work area
- Have canned fruit as a snack
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Start every meal with a piece of fresh fruit
- Make it easy on yourself: Buy vegetables and fruit pre-cut, or do it yourself and store them in containers in your fridge for an easy-to-grab snack
- See how many fruits and vegetables you can sneak into a meal. Sit down for a chicken breast and challenge yourself to see how many veggies you can enjoy with it
- Add them to all your recipes; for example, soups demand vegetables, so add all sorts.
- Top your pizza with vegetables
- Add green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and spinach to a bagel with cheese
- Start the day with a veggie omelet of asparagus, onions, tomatoes, spinach, and feta
- Stuff anything: Mix brown rice with your favorite veggies and stuff them into a green pepper, cabbage roll, or a tomato
- Create an easy vegetable pot pie
- Grill vegetables for a barbecue
- Toss a hefty salad
- Mac and cheese: macaroni, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, and cheese
- Puree a red pepper and carrot soup
- Have a frozen fruit smoothie any time of day
- Add frozen berries and peaches to frozen yogurt
- Add mangoes or pineapple to your pizza
- Slice apples or add cranberries to your chicken salad
- Add sliced fruit to cereal
- Add frozen berries and peaches to yogurt for a yogurt parfait
- Add pineapples to a stir-fry
- Top a spinach salad with fresh fruit
Topics:
Research, Nutrition advice
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