BASIC HEALTH FACTS

As an appearance-based athlete it is not only important to stay in a good physical shape but to work on your inner self as well. Following a healthy diet will help your body to have enough energy, to stay fit during flu season and to recover from long days in the studio.

Here is how:

1. F O O D D I V E R S I T Y No food alone contains all of the nutrients. The more varied you eat, the lower the risk of an unbalanced diet. Make a colorful selection from all food groups. This makes it easy for you to eat and drink wholesome food. Plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains and potatoes provide a lot of nutrients, fiber and secondary plant substances and at the same time few calories. Vegetable oils and nuts are high in calories, but also valuable nutrients. In order to facilitate the adequate supply of nutrients, it makes sense to supplement the plant foods with animal foods such as milk, dairy products, fish, meat and eggs.
   

2. T A K E 5 A D A Y Vegetables and fruits provide you with plenty of nutrients, fiber and secondary plant substances and contribute to satiety. Eating vegetables and fruits lowers your risk of cardiovascular and other diseases. In terms of quantity, vegetables and fruits are the largest group of foods in a wholesome diet and add a lot of color and variety to the menu. The variety and interaction of the various ingredients make up the positive health effects of vegetables and fruits. At least 400 g vegetables (approx. 3 servings) and 250 g fruit (approx. 2 servings) are recommended daily. For dried legumes such as beans, lentils or chickpeas, one portion corresponds to approx. 70 g raw or 125 g cooked. Nuts, oil seeds or dried fruits can replace one serving of fruit a day. However, the serving size is smaller because the calorie content is higher: One serving of nuts, oilseeds or dried fruits corresponds to 25 g.
   

3. C H O O S E W H O L E G R A I N Whole grain foods fill you up longer and contain more nutrients than white flour products. Dietary fiber from whole grains reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolism disorders, colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Grain products are an important part of a wholesome diet. They provide carbohydrates and, as a whole grain variant, also provide plenty of fiber and a plus in vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for humans. Whole grain cereal products are filling and have great health benefits. The DGE (German Society for Nutrition; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung) recommends consuming at least 30 g of dietary fiber from whole grain products, vegetables, legumes and fruits per day. In addition to whole grain cereal products, potatoes are also possible sources of carbohydrates. Prepared as boiled, jacket or baked potatoes, they are good choices that are low in calories.
   

4. U S E H E A L T H P R O M O T I N G F A T S Vegetable oils, like all fats, are high in calories. But they also provide essential fatty acids and vitamin E. Fats and oils that are used, for example, for cooking, frying, baking or as spreadable fat are of different nutritional-physiological quality. A targeted selection of fat sources is important so that we are well supplied with essential unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. It has a positive effect to consume less saturated fatty acids (mostly from animal foods) and instead more unsaturated fatty acids. The latter are found in vegetable oils, margarine, nuts and fatty fish. This can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. There is a large selection of oils and fats: Rapeseed oil is the oil of choice and a good all-rounder in the kitchen. Rapeseed oil has the lowest proportion of saturated fatty acids, a high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids and contains a lot of the essential unsaturated omega-3 fatty acid "alpha-linolenic acid" as well as vitamin E. The favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-3 should be emphasized. 6 fatty acids in rapeseed oil. Other recommended oils with a significant content of omega-3 fatty acids are walnut, linseed and soybean oil. Olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, is also a good choice. Olive oil, especially virgin olive oil, also contains phytochemicals.
   

5. B E S P A R I N G W I T H S U G A R A N D S A L T Food and drinks sweetened with sugar are not recommended. Avoid these if possible and use sugar sparingly. Save salt and reduce the amount of salty foods. Season creatively with herbs and spices.
   

6. D R I N K W A T E R Drink around 1.5 liters every day. Preferably water or other calorie-free drinks like unsweetened tea. Sugar-sweetened and alcoholic drinks are not recommended.
   

7. P R E P A R E G E N T L Y Gentle preparation preserves the natural taste and protects the nutrients. Burned areas contain harmful substances. Food can be exposed to heat and water during preparation. The less heat and water you use, the more nutrients are retained. Cooking methods such as steaming or stewing are ideal for preparing food in a nutritious way. At the same time, it is important that you cook all animal-based foods sufficiently. This is especially important for young children, the elderly and pregnant women to avoid food infections. Frying, grilling, baking or deep-frying at too high temperatures can cause parts of the food to burn or char. Carcinogenic substances develop in these brown-black areas. They shouldn't be eaten.