Treat your body better than your car to live more effectively, efficiently and energetically.
By Lenora Shell
PRETEND FOR A MOMENT
That you're going on a 500-mile trip. You only put $10 worth of unleaded fuel into your gas tank and didn't check the oil or water. What are the possibilities that your car could complete the trip?
Just as an automobile needs a full tank of gas, as well as oil and water to make such a trip, your body needs nutrients for everything it does - from internal organ functioning to every day tasks of thinking, blinking, sleeping and talking. Now add regular training or workouts to your schedule...you ask your body to do all these things, yet, for the most part, fail to give it what it needs to perform effectively, efficiently and energetically.
FUELING
You need to fuel your body at least three times a day. Each meal should include protein, carbohydrates and fat. When protein, carbs and fat are combined, they give your body the appropriate nutrients required to function. Protein helps you maintain good health, as well as provides the building materials needed for muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Carbohydrates provide energy for metabolism, endurance and muscular exertion. Fats prolong digestion, which keep the body feeling satisfied from meal to meal. When eaten in combination, these macro nutrients become Super-Premium Unleaded to the body machine.
OIL
When you put oil into your car, you really don't think much more about oil until it needs it again, but you're confident knowing your engine has the lubrication it needs to perform. What about the quality of your oil? Supplements like vitamins and minerals fail to meet the RDA's (recommended daily allowances) of most nutrients. When you take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, it becomes the oil to the body machine, promoting health at the cellular level.
WATER
What would happen if you didn't put any water into your car? It'd overhead and the engine would fail to keep running. Your body needs approximately 96 ounces of fluid daily. That's three quarts or three one-liter bottles of water. Water assists liver and circulatory functions. It alleviates fluid retention and converts fat into energy. It also helps rid the body of toxins and waste, and increases energy levels.
Most people probably take better care of their automobiles than they do their bodies. To live and train more effectively,efficiently and energetically, give your body the fuel, oil and water it needs.
Lenora Shell is a personal trainer and operations manager at Princeton Athletic Club
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