Heart Healthy Nutrients for Athletes
A healthy heart is important for everyone. Nowadays, we know that cardiac arrest is the number one killer among women. That is a scary statistic. While heart health is important for everyone, there are some groups that need to be more aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle – including diet and exercise.
An athlete will burn up more calories and put more stress on his or her heart and should therefore be aware of what to put into their body in order to receive the maximum out of it.
For quite some time, many individuals including athletes looked toward vitamin supplements to aid them in their quest for a healthy heart. However, looking to whole foods and things found courtesy of Mother Nature still remains the best way to go.
Whole Grains
Grains that are rich in fiber and are unprocessed are your best source for heart healthy fiber. By starting out your morning with unrefined whole grains, you start out your day full of energy, as well as feeling full. Whole grains come in many varieties.
* Quinoa
* Steel-cut oatmeal
* Cereals, breads, and muffins
Whole grains also offer many benefits:
* Keep you fuller, longer
* Lower your cholesterol
* Keep your heart healthy
* Give you lots of energy
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids, also known as essential fatty acids, are important to an athlete because these fatty acids will give an athlete a strong healthy heart. These omega 3s offer benefits such as:
* Lower bad cholesterol
* Keep joints flexible and moving
* Lower risk of heart attack
Some types of foods that contain essential fatty acids and omega 3 are:
* Flaxseed
* Olive oil
* Salmon
* Nuts
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables are important to everyoneâs overall health and wellbeing; however, they are even more important to the active athlete. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the opportunity to lower an athleteâs bad cholesterol. This, in turn, helps prevent stroke. When an athlete is in the midst of training or performing, the last thing he or she needs to worry about is having a stroke due to high blood pressure.
Since fresh fruits and vegetables come is such variety, it is so easy to include them in your daily routine. If you are not used to the taste of oatmeal, adding fresh strawberries or blueberries and a little honey will give it the added flavor along with the benefits of that fresh fruit. Vegetables that are raw are best as snacks.
Incorporating healthy grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and fiber into an athleteâs daily regimen is a smart choice. While you are busy training your body on the outside, it is essential to pay attention to what you put on the inside as well.