You’ve somehow survived another high pressure, hard working week and what your body yearns for is a good workout at your favourite sport or pastime. The weekend with the kids or friends could be a few solid sets on the tennis courts, a few Ks on the pushy or a few hours pulling some awesome wave action on your favourite point break. What can ruin a great weekend is if you run out of stamina. And poor food choices can slow you down no end.
Before you start wielding a racquet, pumping those pedals or taking on the big surf, make sure you’re properly fuelled up. Foods high in carbohydrate and low in fat give you the energy to cope with the extra demands on your muscles. When carbohydrate is digested and absorbed, it turns into a sugar called glucose, which is a major source of fuel for active muscles.
Carbohydrate foods include rice, pasta, bread, cereal, mashed potato and of course, fruit. And the number one choice of fruit for anyone on the go is the banana. Apart from being really convenient, they are charged with carbohydrate to keep those muscles singing.
But of course, you don’t have to be full bore active to be eating healthy foods full of carbohydrates. And it doesn’t have to be the weekend, either. It could be you’re busy doing something more genteel like gardening, laying pavers, doing other home handyman chores or even bushwalking. You’re always going to be better off eating healthy meals and snacks as you go. Breakfast cereal with low fat milk, sandwiches, pasta salad and two or three pieces of fruit during the day and you can be assured of enjoying your activity to the fullest.
And what other fruit would you choose than bananas, especially those with a bit of brown spotting, because these have started the process where the starch is breaking down to natural sugars, making them sweeter and quicker to digest.
So you’re out there going hard at it and your muscles need a hit of fuel, make sure you keep the water consumption up because dehydration will slow you down and make your thinking suffer, too. By the way, tea and coffee are fluids that will also help with your hydration. It’s a myth that tea and coffee will dehydrate you.
Get into carbohydrates too, with foods like sandwiches, bread rolls, spaghetti for lunch, banana smoothie or just plain banana to boost your energy and get you through the day comfortably.
At the end of the day, you are likely to be low on muscle fuel and fluids. Replace lost fluids with drink and nibble on carbohydrate snacks to restock the muscles. Bananas are great for this, which is why they’re so popular with active people. A great way to recharge is with a banana smoothie. You get the proteins and carbohydrates you need.
But the banana story is much bigger than just carbohydrates. They’re a great source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C, the perfect blend of nutrients for healthy, active people. And the bonus? Bananas are totally fat free. How good is that!
