Print Article for : Fitness And Nutrition Software

Your Online Guide » Sports » Fitness And Wellness

[F363]Fitness And Nutrition Software

by Michelle Bery, Mic

In the age which we live there is an unprecedented focus on getting and staying healthy. As more and more research points to the effect of fitness and nutrition on our overall health, the findings become more difficult to ignore. There is no doubt that the food that we eat and the physical activity that we perform significantly impact our weight and our body's overall health and longevity.

When you look at fitness and nutrition and the consequences of ignoring their importance, it is not difficult to see how large a role they play in our health. First and foremost, it is important to understand how powerfully diet can affect us. Natural, whole foods - such as fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins - give our bodies the vitamins that it needs to function effectively. We have energy when we eat right. And when we have energy we burn fat. Eating properly allows us to maintain a healthy weight and keep undue stress off of our hearts; it also allows us to keep our blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the healthy range. Most importantly, good nutrition keeps our bodies stocked with antioxidants that fight off a range of illnesses including cancer.

But nutrition does go it alone; fitness and nutrition go hand in hand for achieving good health. When we keep our bodies active through a consistent exercise program, we are adding to our body's ability to metabolize food and keep weight down. Further, good fitness means strong and limber muscles and a strong cardiovascular system. Exercise also lowers blood pressure and reduces stress levels.

Learning how to pair fitness and nutrition for optimum health means a commitment to a particular lifestyle. It is essential that you revamp your diet to eliminate fatty, high-sodium, and processed food and replace it with fresh, natural - and even organic - choices. But remember, fitness and nutrition work best as a team. Implement a consistent regime of physical activity into your daily schedule including cardiovascular work, stretching, weight training, and even yoga or Pilates.

When you truly understand the importance of fitness and nutrition in your life, you will understand how crucial these lifestyle changes are in order to live a long and healthy life.

Counting the calories you eat is useful, but tracking where those calories come from can give you another handle on your diet.

Whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or gain weight, the relative amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat can make a difference. Protein, carbohydrates, and fat are referred to as macronutrients. A nutrition software program can help calculate the macronutrient ratios in your diet.

A recent study at the University Of Washington School of Medicine found that a high protein diet reduced hunger levels more than a lower protein diet and helped achieve weight loss in a group of 19 healthy adults. In this study the carbohydrate intake was held the same at 50% of total calories in each diet, and protein was either 15% or 30% of total calories. The remainder of the total calories in each diet was supplied by fat.

So the macronutrient ratios of the diets were as follows:

?High protein diet: 30% of calories from protein, 50% from Carbohydrates, and 20% from fat.

?Lower protein diet: 15% of calories from protein, 50% from Carbohydrates, and 35% from fat.

Subjects were allowed to eat as much as they wanted of the high protein diet. They chose to eat about 400 less calories than they did on a 15% protein diet, and they lost an average of 11 pounds over 12 weeks.

Some people might like to try a similar diet. There is considerable debate among experts about what is the best ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The nice thing is that you can try out diets of different macronutrient ratios for yourself. You can see if one diet or another helps you achieve your weight goals more easily. You can see if you feel better on one diet or the other.

Selecting the foods and doing the calorie calculations by hand can take quite a while. Nutrition software can make things easier. With a nutrition software program you can select foods that you normally eat and adjust the portion sizes of foods in different food groups to arrive at meals with the desired macronutrient ratios.

Most nutrition software programs come with a database of thousands of foods. You can select the foods you eat with a mouse click and then adjust portion size. You can enter all the foods you would eat in a meal. The software will calculate the total calories as well as the amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. Food labels now report the Percent Daily Values of key nutrients contained in one serving. Daily Values are guidelines suggested by the FDA for most nutrients. Most Daily Values are based on the earlier "Recommended Daily Allowances" or RDA's. Some nutrition software programs will also calculate the Percent Daily Values of nutrients in the meals you eat.

A good nutrition software program will allow you to record the meals you eat and then report on the nutritional value of those meals over any time period you choose.

Article Source : workout routine guide

About Author

Both Michelle Bery & Madan Singh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Michelle Bery has sinced written about articles on various topics from Asthma, Home Security and Abdominal. For easy to understand, in depth information about fitness and nutrition visit our ezGuide 2 .. Michelle Bery's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.

Madan Singh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cooking Tips, Fitness and Web Development.