Life is unpredictable. Nobody would believe this, but I was a banker before I became a gym instructor. Back at that time in my life, I hadn’t a slightest clue that I’d be a gym instructor in the next 3 years. And the funny part is that I was not even a gym freak kinda person in fact, I used to run away from gyms and workouts. But thanks to the extremely stressful bank job, I found myself hitting the gym every evening to vent out the depression and frustration and from there, it all started. I absolutely fell in love with the gym lifestyle, and in just 2 years, I got all the certifications and started working as a full time fitness instructor.
In my experience, both as a fitness fan and as a fitness instructor, gym is not a recreational activity but is a lifestyle. Gym-ing is a 24/7 thing as it involves the time that you spend both in the gym and out of the gym and in order to get the best results you must equally focus on the both units.
The most important factor that has a massive influence on your overall gym activity is your diet. Food or your diet is like fuel to your body and when the body gets right kind of fuel at the right time, you get the best results for all the hard work you put in the gym.
A lot of gym enthusiasts often undermine the importance of diet especially the pre work out foods. Its important that you carefully consume the food before you hit the gym because mindlessly pre-gym eating can have bad impact on the workout. In this article I have mentioned 5 prior work superfoods that work the best and have widely been recommended by fitness experts all over the world.
- Chia Seeds
Our body drains water during the workout and chia seeds helps the body to prevent dehydration. Chia seeds contains almost five times the calcium of milk and two times the potassium of bananas, which is why it is an essential part of diet of professional athletes.
Chia seeds contain large contents of omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. Thanks to the generous amounts of potassium and fibers, Chia seeds makes workout more comfortable by combating bloating. Chia is a healthy fuel for your muscles, heart, brain and overall nervous system. Add a few chia seeds along with a few drops of black cumin seed to your pre and post workout smoothie and reap its benefits.
- Eggs
Eggs are a great source of muscle building portions. Hard boiled eggs make a perfect pre-workout snacks and it is recommended to eat just the white of the egg as opposed to whole of it. Take a couple of hardboiled eggs before the workout and you can also take them as a post-workout recovery snack.
Eggs are a good source of phosphorus, zinc, vitamins A, D, E and B and contains all those essential amino acids crucial in muscle and bone cell growth and regeneration. You can even try full fried eggs if you like it that way. In order to reap maximum benefits, use an organic oil for cooking preferably pure black cumin seed oil as it offers enormous benefits.
- Sweet Potato
We all love potatoes particularly when they come in the form of French fries. However, you cannot be eating fries before the gym, instead you have to take boiled raw sweet potatoes before the workout. Potatoes particularly sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index which prevents blood sugar spikes and also stimulates weight loss. Potassium is essential if you work out properly and Sweet potatoes are the best of potassium delivering about 14% of your daily value in one cup. Add 2 -3 hard boiled sweet potatoes in your pre-gyms diet.
- Bananas
Bananas are loaded with vitamins and minerals. The potassium in bananas stimulate electrical impulses, ensure smooth muscle recovery and also help us stay hydrated. Bananas are easily digestible and good energy source and it recommended to eat 4-5 bananas as a pre workout snack ideally 30 to 40 minutes before the exercise. However, experts also recommend to skip bananas after 3-4 days to avoid stimulating a potential sensitivity.
- Salmon (Post Workout)
Fish is a complete protein and can be easily used by our body which is why it is an excellent food for muscle growth. Salmon fish is recommended for pre-workout as it contains omega – 3s that suppresses inflammation and keeps the joints lubricated. Incorporate salmon into your diet three hours after the workout.