Do nuts count as one of my five a day?

Nuts don’t count towards your 5-a-day but don’t be tempted to cut these from your diet as they offer a whole range of health benefits. Their high fat content does make them highly calorific but the fat is predominantly monounsaturated, which is good for cholesterol levels and heart health. A handful of nuts a day has also been shown to help people control their appetite and weight, as well as provide a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Each nut has something different to offer so be sure to have a good selection; Brazil nuts for example are an excellent source of the antioxidant selenium, important for helping to prevent heart disease and cancer, walnuts contain omega 3 fatty acids, almonds are a good source of vitamin E, another antioxidant, and peanuts (the unsalted version) are a good source of B vitamins.

Bread itself is not actually fattening, in fact the average slice of bread contains around 75-80 calories and only 1g of fat, it’s what we put on it and how much we eat that counts as adding butter, cheese, peanut butter, jams or honey can hike up the calories to almost double that of the bread.
Certainly eating the wholemeal version is healthier than white, but rather than having bread at every meal, try some alternative carbohydrate foods such as wholegrain breakfast cereals, pulses or couscous for lunch and skip the bread rolls at dinner. There is no need to cut out bread altogether, just try and eat less of it and choose your toppings wisely.
 

Carbohydrates form the foundation of a healthy diet and are vital for giving you enough energy to exercise. They should make up about 60 percent of your calorie intake, providing fuel in the form of glycogen.

Protein is associated with power and strength, making up part of the structure of every cell and tissue in your body. It is also needed for the growth and formation of new tissue, for tissue repair and is also used as a fuel for energy. All proteins are made from building blocks called amino acids, there are 20 in total, however, nine of these are considered to be essential because the body is unable to produce these itself. Good sources of complete protein are eggs, meat, fish, soy foods and diary.

Fat should make up 20 percent of your total calories allowance. Contrary to believe fat is an important source of energy and provides us with essential fatty acids, the fats that your body needs to live and the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. Good sources of fats include oily fish, olive oil and nuts.

Carbohydrates come in many different forms with conventional advice suggesting that we avoid simple carbohydrates.  These are the ‘sugars’ of the carbohydrate family and the ones that raise your blood sugar levels and encourage your body to store fat. Instead you should make sure that the majority of your carbs are unrefined, fall low on the glycaemic index and are high in fibre. These include wholemeal bread and pasta, oats, beans, fruits and vegetables, which release energy slowly and regulate your blood-sugar levels, ensuring you always have enough stored glycogen (carbohydrate) in your muscles to fuel a workout.

Protein rich foods like eggs, dairy produce and lean meat will ensure that you get the full range of amino acids. If you don’t eat enough of these, you could lose lean muscle, which is needed for strength and speed so always make sure you eat a variety of protein rich foods yet avoid it in the form of fatty meats and too much dairy, which can cause weight gain.

Fats come in four forms: saturates, found in meat and dairy products, monounsaturated, found in olive oil, nuts and seeds, polyunsaturated found in vegetable oils and oily fish and trans fats, which are produced by hydrogenating oils to make a solid fat in cakes, biscuits, margarine and pastries. The simple rule here is to keep saturates and trans fats to an absolute minimum, as they can increase the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease and stock up on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, especially the omega 3 and 6 varieties that our body cannot produce. Omega 3 fats, as found in oily fish such as mackerel or tuna have been proven to aid strength and endurance and protect the joints and from strains and inflammation.

Exercise that causes you to sweat depletes your body of water quickly so it goes without saying that you should replace lost fluid as quickly as possible. The trick is to make sure you are well hydrated before you start exercising and to drink plenty during and after exercise. Dehydration can have a huge impact on your performance resulting in you feeling sluggish, fatigued, light-headed and nauseous. Research suggests that it can impair your performance by 10-20%. Take a bottle out with you when exercising and drink as much as you comfortably can, you should aim for around 150-350ml every 15-20 minutes but do not glugg it down so that you cause a stitch.

Good training and competition is all about getting your diet right before and after training. Ideally, you should eat between two to four hours before, leaving enough time for your food to go down. Aim to eat a low GI meal based around wholemeal bread or wholegrain cereals, which will supply you with the sustained energy needed for exercise.

It is also vital to eat as soon as you can after your run. During the first two hours, replenishment is most rapid so eating high GI carbohydrates with a source of quality protein during this time speeds up glycogen recovery helping your body to prepare and recuperate for its next session. Try and have a white bagel filled with chicken or cottage cheese or simply a yogurt and a few fresh portions of fruit.