Nutrition 101

Tips for muscle, endurance and general health

What you eat is every bit as important to your tness journey as what you do when you work out. e good news is that sound nutrition doesn’t need to be complicated. To reach your goals you just need to be as organised in the kitchen as you are in the weights room. Follow these food guidelines to make healthy eating a force of habit.

AVOID INFLAMMATORY FOODS

“Try to reduce sugar, gluten, red meat and arti cial sweeteners,” says Simone Laubscher, founder of Rejuv Wellness and formulator of WelleCo’s e Super Elixir supplement. “ese foods can increase in ammation, creating extra acidity in the tissues and increasing pain, leading to mood disorders and the risk of disease. Nonorganic meats are also loaded with female hormone, reducing lean muscle gain.”

PORTION OUT PROTEIN

“Evenly distribute your protein intake through the day,” says Dr Mike Molloy, founder of M2 Performance Nutrition. “A 2020 study showed that having an even distribution of protein across three meals per day led to 1.75 more pounds of muscle growth than back-loading protein into the second half of the day. For a 180lb man, that would mean eating four meals of 45g of protein per day.”

KEEP IT COLOURFUL

“If your diet is restricted to a limited number of foods,” says Rebecca Williams, nutrition manager at Huel, “you’re going to be missing out on a number of essential nutrients.

If you habitually opt for a dinner of chicken, rice and broccoli, for example, you may be getting a good intake of protein, vitamins B6 and C, but you’re going to be lacking in omega-3s, vitamin D and magnesium. A colourful plate is the best way to get the full range of vitamins and minerals your body requires.”

GO WILD

“Research shows men can be low in amino acids – the building blocks of muscle – which is often due to poor absorption, rather than not eating enough protein,” says Laubscher. “Eating heavy, farm-raised protein can be hard to digest, so try opting for small, wild, linecaught sh, or wholefoods such as lentils and nuts.

at way you also get the added essential fatty acids (EFAs) that help to keep your brain and joints happy.”