Rob Woollen Personal Training Manchester &UK

Nutrition is an important part of your life - every day!

It is important to optimise your intake of macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins) and micronutrients (such as vitamins and minerals) to ensure that your body has everything it needs to do its job.

RWPT personal trainers are qualified nutritional advisers and as such can provide client specific advice on your eating habits. We normally ask that you give us a food diary, which shows what you have eaten for at least five days. We can then analyse this and let you know if there are areas which could be improved -  and more importantly how. As experienced trainers, we know how hard it can be to eat correctly and have devised a number of ways of overcoming the many barriers to healthy eating.

• Carbohydrate is the brain's only real source of energy. It is preferred source of fuel for the human body. Carbohydrate is stored in the body as glycogen in both the liver and the muscles. A large percentage of this store is used up during the time that we sleep. This is why we always recommend that you take on board some carbohydrate before you train in the morning. Carbohydrate is found in grains, potatoes, fruit and vegetables to name but a few. It is generally better to try to take in more of the so-called low GI foods. These are absorbed more slowly by the body and help to maintain balanced blood sugar levels. Pure sugar (glucose) has a GI of 100, and all values are related to this. Be careful to ensure that the food you eat is healthy and not just think about the GI. For example crisps and chips actually have a lower GI than simple mashed potato. This is due to the fats slowing down the absorbtion of the sugar from the digestive system. We would not recommend eating these foods in favour of the simple boiled or mashed potato though!. Using the GI system is quite complicated and it should be taken as a guide only and used alongside common sense nutritional guidance.
• Protein is the building material of the body. It is mainly used for replacement and repair of the many body tissues. In long distance endurance events, protein can come into play as a source of energy, but it is not the body's preferred choice as a general rule. A diet too heavy in protein can cause kidney difficulties and build up of ammonia in the blood which is toxic to cells (especially brain cells). Most western diets are slightly protein heavy.
• Fat is much maligned and often avoided. However it is an essential part of our diet and should make up around 25-30% of our calorie intake. Fat is necessary for transport of fat soluble vitamins, insulation and efficient communication of the nervous system amongst many other uses. A diet too low in fat is no better for you than a diet too high in fat. What is important is to try and eat the right types of fat. Try to avoid too much animal fat and also keep to a minimum your consumption of trans or hydrogenated fats which have been heated for a long time to change their chemical structure.
• Vitamins and minerals should be taken where possible from a balanced diet rather than a bottle. Some of these "micronutrients" can interfere with each others' absorbtion when taken as part of a multi-vitamin. On the other hand, nutrients found in vegetables actually aid in the absorbtion of iron from meat.