What's a Healthy Diet For Athletes?

Before getting on to the ideal diet for athletes, let's look at a few Nos

1. Table salt

2. Protein rich food (meat, chicken, fish and oils)

3. Fat rich food (meat, chicken, fish, oils, saturated and unsaturated fats)

4. Starchy food (baked potatoes, yams, polished rice, wheat)

Anyone who is looking to be an athlete requires three strong factors in his/her favor

1. Endurance

2. Strong and lean muscles

3. Cardio health

The only way to provide all the three of the above essential is to eat an diet rich in good carbohydrates. The basic unit of energy in our body is glucose and it is obtained solely from carbohydrates.

So what is best food for athletes?

The best source of glucose, vital minerals, vitamins and essential protein is obtained from a diet which is rich in fresh fruits.

Eating whole fruits and making a meal of them is a great way to keep the body in good shape. There is no need to add any seasoning salt or spices to the fruits and that's a good thing.

There is plenty of water content in fruits (close to 80-90%). This ensures that the body is well hydrated.

People who eat fruits develop lean muscles which are an asset to any athlete. You should take up weight training while eating fruits to develop a strong and lean physique which is not only attractive but a great asset to your career as an athlete.

What else can you eat beyond fruits?

Fruits should be your primary source of nutrition. Take whole fruits for breakfast as well for dinner. You can have a lunch of steamed or raw vegetables in a salad with some brown rice if you like it. Avoid taking tomatoes along with starchy food.

For snack you can have a salad made of tomatoes and cucumbers with a dressing made of lemon juice.

Avoid salt in any form be it sea salt or table salt. If you must have salt it is better to use sea salt in minimum quantities.

Eating non-vegetarian food would be a big no, but you can have it once in a week if you can't help it. You can supplement you fruit diet with some nuts and seeds for snacks. The nuts which you can eat are

1. Almonds

2. Cashews

3. Pecans

4. Brazils

5. Peanuts

They are rich in protein so keep their intake to a minimum. You can have plenty of dry fruits if you want some variety. Eating dates and raisins is a good supplement to a fruit diet. Dates are a rich source of carbohydrate.