I am so pumped to be joining you again for Workout to Conquer Cancer!! Last year, it felt like a a major commitment because I was definitely not in a workout space at the time. But I am proud to say that after doing the challenge, I have maintained a regular workout routine for the last year! Of course, I don’t work out every day…so May will take a bit of extra commitment and I will be working out right alongside you.
One of the most common questions we are asked is how to eat to fuel workouts. And the answer depends on how intensely you’ll be moving. You may be surprised to learn that working out doesn’t burn a ton of calories…and that isn’t its main benefit!
Working out helps to relieve mental stress, support immune health and fight chronic inflammation. Regular exercise also sends powerful information to your cells that alters your metabolism; in doing so, it helps improve your energy levels, your sleeping habits and supports you in maintaining a healthy weight for life.
So if you are just wading into daily movement, and doing light to moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day, you probably don’t want to add any additional calories to your routine. However, embracing a more anti-inflammatory approach may help ease the aches and pains associated with new fitness routines. The easiest way to do this? Try to eat more fruits and veggies at every single meal and snack. It works with every type of eating plan, and fruits and vegetables deliver key anti-inflammatory nutrients that support optimal health.
Wonder how you can get there? Here’s a list of amazingly simple ways you can do this…no soggy baby carrots in sight.
Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She runs a nutrition consulting practice with a focus on inflammation, digestion and plant-centred diets. Desiree is the author of a book on anti-inflammatory nutrition called Un-Junk Your Diet: How to shop, cook and eat to fight inflammation and feel better, forever and her new cookbook, Eat More Plants: 100 Anti-inflammatory Plant-centred Recipes for Vibrant Living is slated for release August 2019 with Penguin Canada. She is also the host of The Urban Vegetarian on Gusto TV and co-founder of My Healthy Gut, an innovative and research-backed iOS app for digestive health.