On The Run With Ryan: The Importance of Eating Right

By Ryan Kreigher

Something to factor into fitness and health is what you eat. When it comes to exercise, dieting can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Some diet to maintain weight, and others exercise to maintain weight, but most people must do both diet and exercise in order to lose weight. There were times where I was running upwards of 100 miles a week and if I did not eat the proper foods at the proper times, I was on track to being sick or injured. Being that we are all students, it’s really too easy to just eat whatever we can find quickly. It doesn’t have to be McDonalds or Wendy’s, but there are other healthier alternatives to eating “fast food”. Subway, although at times tastes delicious, is not the only option.

There are other choices such as Wrap Zone, Tim Hortons or for those that have acquired the taste, Sushi! The mistake individuals make in dieting is not covering their necessities. From the hype of Atkins or Bernstein, people lack the needed amount of calories, or carbohydrate and protein intakes to function properly during the day. Like training, you need to stick to a schedule that works and fits your lifestyle. Snacking is not a bad option. Fruits, vegetables or even granola bars will meet our sugar needs to function throughout the day.

As I mentioned, when I did not eat properly and covered my needs, I was on track to being injured or sick. When you deplete your system, you weaken your body and allow yourself to become more vulnerable to injury or sickness. I am a firm believer in feeding a cold and because of that, I have been able to fend off colds and get back into running faster.Not only that, but following exercise, protein is needed to rebuild the tissues in your body, the same tissues that were broken down during exercise. When we exercise, we hurt ourselves and damage our bodies, this is necessary to understand why we need to refuel our bodies following exercise.

Exercising can allow us all to be more vulnerable to injury or sickness, but proper dieting throughout the day will keep us fitter, longer. Food is our fuel, and like cars, we cannot go without our fuel. If we want the best from our body, as we do our cars, we must put in the right foods. Eat healthy, eat properly and keep on exercising.