Ask any personal trainer and they’ll all tell you the same thing, diet and fitness go hand in hand. You can’t attain the weight and shape you want from exercise alone and you can’t attain the fitness level you’re aspiring to by solely focusing on what you eat.
Like all the best see-saws it’s about getting the balance just right.
The best way to gain results that last is to adopt positive habits that become part of your lifestyle rather than following a short-term plan and then simply reverting back to your old ways.
With diet and exercise working hand in hand it’ll come as no surprise that we consider it vital that students who study our level 3 personal training course with us here at the Academy of Fitness Professionals learn the vital importance of nutrition, and leave their course skilled in supporting clients in this pivotal area.
One of the things we focus on is how clients can adopt lifelong nutritional habits, which we call dietary aces. For the majority acing these dietary habits will lead to an ingrained sustainable attitude to nutrition that positively influences daily food choices.
Our Top Ten Dietary Aces
1 – Eat organic, lean protein as part of every meal.
2 – If it’s artificial, be that flavours, colours or sweeteners – ditch it!
3 – Eat a rainbow of organic fruit and vegetables every day to maximise your intake of antioxidants.
4 – Prepare you own meals – Limit processed foods and ready meals to one a week, maximum.
5 – Eliminate all added sugars by becoming label savvy – if the ingredient ends in ‘ose it’s also a form of sugar.
6 – Pimp your food by sprinkling it with healthy omega rich food sources – flax, sunflower, sesame, hemp, linseed, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts.
7 – Be water wise – sip regularly throughout the day to maintain hydration levels.
8 – Keep alcohol to special occasions, where possible, or one glass of red wine a week.
9 – Choose small amounts of organic full fat dairy sources and consume with every meal.
10 – Imagine you’re a food scientist making what you’re about to eat – look at the ingredients, think about where they’re from and visualise the manufacturing process. Is it red for stop, amber for a one-off or green for go?
The Academy of Fitness Professionals are an endorsed Skills Active and REPs accredited training provider. Our personal training courses are delivered by blended learning and include fast-track options so you can study at your own pace. Practical workshops in London, Middlesex and Hertfordshire teach you the client side of the role ensuring you’re fully prepared to start your successful career as a personal trainer.
T – 0845 270 1990
E – info@aofp.co.uk
W – www.academyoffitnessprofessionals.com
