Zumba has benefited hundreds of thousands of individuals in the past few years. To truly realize the effects of the fitness program, you need to incorporate a sound and sensible diet too. You will find that the advantages grow more in number and quality in the least amount of time. Here are some diet tips that will help you stay fit and lean for the long term.
Basic Diet Tips
Eat small frequent meals to rev up your metabolism. Anywhere between 5 to 8 meals per day is very good. You need to eat something every few hours to churn your digestive system, thereby upping your metabolism so you get to burn fat more while exercising and continue shedding weight off even when you’re at rest. Mix lean protein and complex carbohydrates only. Take sources from lean meat cuts, eggs, low fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice and yams.
It is also important to hydrate especially before starting your workout. Drink a gallon of water a day to help your body readily get rid of excess water and fluids. Drink 1 to 2 glasses of water before beginning your Zumba workout. Never skip meals since your body may be led to hoard fat. Your metabolism also slows down if you miss meals. It will help significantly to map out your diet or food choices for the entire week. Pack your snacks and lunch so you avoid having to eat at unhealthy places like fast food stores.
Good Alternatives
Try to eat more of natural food sources like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and fish or lean meat cuts. Stay away from processed and refined food choices, sugar and white flour. Also avoid alcohol, smoking and oily or fried foods. As much as possible, grill, boil, broil or stir fry foods only for added health benefits and faster weight loss. You can practice portion control when eating to avoid eating too much. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. Chew your food and eat slowly. Snacks should also be healthy such as almonds, a piece of fruit or a protein shake.
In the Morning
For breakfast, you can eat 1/4 cup of steel cut oats cooked in 1 cup of rice milk. Add a scoop of protein powder, some strawberries, raisins and milk for flavor. Also eat more protein such as 4 egg whites cooked with veggies or low fat cottage cheese. For your morning snack, eat low fat yogurt. For lunch, eat a 6 to 8 ounce lean steak or turkey plus vegetables. You may also have whole grain bread or brown rice. Stay away from mayonnaise and fatty dressings.
PM Menu for Zumba Dieters
In the afternoon, you can gulp down another protein shake or eat a sweet potato or piece of fruit. Some form of carbohydrate is good before you begin your Zumba workout to give you added strength and energy. For dinner, consume a 6 to 8-ounce steak or chicken breast, plus vegetables with low fat dressing like vinaigrette or balsamic. It is not usually recommended to consume any more carbohydrates after 4 in the afternoon since the body no longer has enough activity or time to burn everything off.
In the evening you can snack on low fat yogurt or 2 tablespoons of low fat peanut butter. Before bed, drink a glass of low fat milk or snack on low fat cottage cheese.