Nutrition

Exercise on its own is not enough. Good nutrition is equally important for a healthy life. This week, try adding more fruit and veg to your diet, and include ones you don't normally eat. One of the best vegetables for your health is broccoli. Eat it on the day you buy it, so it's as fresh as possible.

Eating healthily will help you achieve whatever physical goals you set yourself. If you want to lose excess body fat, good nutrition is vital. If you want to build muscle, good nutrition will help you achieve a more muscular physique. See the pages on building muscle, and weight loss.

What is good nutrition? It's a combination of things:

What you eat: natural wholesome foods that include complex carbs, low-fat protein, good fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated), plenty of fruit & veg, and water. A great way to boost your nutritional intake is to make nuts and seeds a regular part of your diet. I get mine from Holland & Barrett - nuts and seeds make a healthy snack between meals.

What you avoid: refined and processed foods, ready-meals, takeaways, sweets and cakes and biscuits, foods high in saturated fat, refined carbs, salt, excess alcohol.

How much you eat: we tend to over-eat or under-eat, few people get the balance right. Always have breakfast, and eat moderate portions through the day. If your goal is weight loss, reduce your portions until you are losing between 1-2lbs per week. If your goal is weight gain, increase your portions slightly until you are gaining weight at a rate of 1-2lbs per week. Make sure exercise goes hand-in-hand with weight gain, so that you are gaining muscle not fat. And to lose weight, you want to just lose excess body fat, not lean muscle.

When and how you eat: Eat moderate portions every 3-4 hours. Always have breakfast, but don't eat just before bed. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and sit still for 10 minutes after you've finished eating.

Nutrition FAQ's:

"Is coffee bad for you?" In excess yes. Try to stick to 2 a day at most, and even better drink herbal or fruit teas instead. And if you really like coffee, switch to decaf.

"Is Red Bull bad for you?" I'm not going to comment on specific brands, but suffice to say, I recommend plain water over all fizzy drinks or drinks that contain stimulants.

"Should I drink Red Bull before a workout?" I recommend some fresh orange juice mixed half and half with water just before a workout.

"What's the healthiest cheese?" Some cheeses are lower in fat than others. Try low fat cottage cheese. Or reduced fat mozzarella.

"Is cheese a good source of calcium?" Yes, but so is skimmed milk, and sardines with the bones is an even better source.

"What's the best source of calcium?" Skimmed milk, sardines with bones (go on, chew up the bones thoroughly, they're really thin and soft. Have the sardines on toast, it makes a great snack)

"Does bread make you fat?" Any excess carbohydrates will turn to fat, so yes, bread in excess can make you fat. Always choose brown/wholemeal over white bread. Don't eat more than 4 slices bread a day. And avoid croissants!

"Is it safe to drink tap water?" In the UK you're safe with tap water, yes. Is bottled water or mineral water healthier than tap water? Yes, but this is a small refinement to the improvement to your diet, rather than a major consideration. Some people get things totally out of proportion, by drinking mineral water because they think tap water is full of pollutants, then they go outside for a cigarette, or guzzle a fizzy drink. Is filtered water better than tap water? The same answer applies.

"What's the best water filter?" This is something I'm currently researching....