Nutrition and Hydration Week is coming up soon, running from the 11th to the 17th of March.
Not long after the new year, this is the perfect time to really take stock of your fitness goals and see if your current nutrition and hydration is supporting you in reaching them.
@NHWeek @BurdettTrust @bournemouthuni all ready for our month of training for #ASC staff to access in @NHS_NCLICB @NCLTrainingHub big thanks to #burdett for resources on their training hub! @ProudtocareNL @sturdy_deborah @DHSCgovuk @ChrisCaldwell_ @FoNScharity @MaritessMurdoch pic.twitter.com/WWJlfXvzKZ
— louise keane 💚 (@louisekeane1986) March 2, 2024
There is always more we can do to maintain our health, and incorporating healthy hydrating drinks and meals into our lives can really give us the edge on achieving new personal bests.
Here, I spoke to the experts at Fitness Superstore who revealed their top tips for how you can add to your regimen to bring an extra energy boost into your day.
Whether you enjoy cooking, making smoothies, or trying out new health innovations, we have some tips that you’ll find enjoyable.
Read on to find out how to improve your everyday diet this Nutrition and Hydration Week with some new ingredients.
Flavour your water, but keep it sugar-free
If you need to encourage yourself to drink more water throughout the day, adding some exciting flavours is the perfect way to go about this.
The NHS recommends that you drink 6–8 glasses of fluid per day; these should consist of water on its own, lower-fat milk, sugar-free drinks, or tea and coffee without sugar (NHS).
If this seems ambitious, flavouring your water can help, but it’s important to keep these flavourings free from processed sugar as sugary drinks will damage your teeth over time.
Flavourings can include: herbal tea bags, freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, frozen or raw fruit, mint leaves, or even rose water.
You can experiment throughout the day to see which flavours you enjoy most, and which encourage you to drink water and be excited about being hydrated.
Make your own health and wellness shots
If you’re intrigued by the latest trends in health and wellness, you’ve probably heard of health or wellness shots, but have you thought of making your own?
Health shots are highly concentrated blends of ingredients that can be drunk quickly to get plenty of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants into your system.
They can offer a boost of energy throughout the day, and contribute to your daily dose of fruit and vegetables.
Not only do homemade wellness shots offer great value for money, but as they are made right there and then, they also allow you to taste the freshest ingredients.
All you’ll need to make your own wellness shots is a blender and some of your favourite healthy ingredients. Try this one for example:
- 100mml pineapple juice
- 100g ginger root
- 100g turmeric root
- 100ml water
Simply throw all these ingredients into a blender and mix them up until they make a smooth liquid with the same consistency as a smoothie.
Then, pour the mixture into a glass and enjoy your highly concentrated health shot.
You can explore different recipes using your favourite flavours and use these shots as a great nutritious afternoon pick-me-up.
Increase the protein in your breakfast
Breakfast is often noted as being the most important meal of the day, and with good reason: it’s how we wake our metabolism up and start the day.
While it can be tempting to grab some carbohydrate-heavy breakfast cereal in the morning, did you know that focusing more on protein can help you feel more full and energised throughout the day?
Protein fills us up more and takes longer to be digested by the body than simple carbohydrates. It’s also a very important nutrient if you are strength training or taking part in any sports or activities, as it contributes to muscle repair and can aid your recovery from activity sessions.
So, it’s well worth upping your protein. You can add nuts and seeds to your porridge, or some sugar-free peanut butter, as other ways to bring more protein into the start of your day.
And if you have time to cook eggs in the morning, these are another fantastic source of filling protein, while yoghurt is a quicker option when you are in a hurry.
Changing up your breakfast this way can make you feel more awake and ready to take on your workday or morning workout.
Add more omega-3 to your diet
Often overlooked, omega 3 has a big impact on our mood (Global Health Journal). The NHS says that the everyday diet should include at least two portions of fish per week, including one portion of oily fish (NHS).
So, it’s well worth making more room for these recipes in your diet. Grilling and steaming your fish is healthier than frying it, but adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil can add more healthy fats to the dish as well as some great flavour.
Try to incorporate lots of types of foods rich in omega 3s, as they contribute to having a healthy immune system and hormones (British Dietary Association).
“Try to support your diet with a good routine: fitting workouts into the same timeslots each week, having regular activities, and scheduling mealtimes at the same time each day can really help with keeping to your fitness goals and following healthy nutrition plans. Make sure to drink water during your workouts as well as before and after them, as this helps to keep the body hydrated and energised throughout exercise. You should then feel more ready for the challenging parts of your workouts, and replenished afterwards. You can also add hydrating electrolytes to your water to increase the hydration factor when you’re working hard.”
Keoghan Bellew, Personal Trainer, Fitness Superstore
Have fun learning some new recipes, and if you are a vegetarian, look out for other sources of omega fats such as seaweed and algae, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts.
“Nutrition and Hydration Week is a great opportunity for taking stock of the changes we wanted to make heading into the start of 2024.
If you are looking to add that extra edge to your performance, boost your mood, or just fuel your workouts better, then it’s a fantastic time to add some extra oomph to your daily diet.