DIET

Diet is important for everyone not just boxers or other athletes, we need a good balanced diet to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight, sadly nearly half the nation is obese. Fad diets that charge lots of moeny don't help the problem, when looked properly you will see it is not as complecated as some make out.

Here are some very basic rules to follow when you are trying to keep or get to a healthy weight:

. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day

. Stay away from fried food

. Consume only essential fats such as that found in seafood i.e tuna

. Eat plenty of foods with a high starch and fibre content

. Don't eat sugary foods to often

. Use salt sparingly and reduce reliance on convenience foods

. Ensure adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals

. If you drink alcohol, keep within sensible limits

. Enjoy your food and don't become obsessed with your diet

. Use unprocessed carbs like oatmeal, fruit and brown bread, and don't eat bread with dinner.

. Make dinner your last meal of the day and don't have it to late.

. Do not eat any left overs and save sweets for only once a week (that includes biscuits.

The points above are simple but very effective, give it a try. As you know carbohydrates, proteins and fats are all important, and every month i will explain one in great detail and more tips.

SPORTS DIET

This is pretty much the same as the one above with only minor changes, one important fact is the need for post workout drinks even the boxer who is trying to make weight! For one you need to replenish your body following an intense workout, if this is not done it can lead to burnout, sorness and fatique.

Have'nt you ever seen a boxer who is great skill wise but in order to make weight he has nothing after training or on fight day? I have, and they normally have no energy in the fight and mistakenly blame their fitness levels when in fact it was their diet. Eating large meals is also the wrong way to go, for constant energy release to take place in the body we need around 5-6 small meals per day, this keeps your metabolism burning and you maintain good sugar levels which will prevent you from running out of energy and feeling faint. Vitamin supplements are important also as you need the extra intake as an athlete, non-athletes need only take one a day but boxers should take one with breakfast AND dinner because we constantly burn off every thing we consume so we need a steady stream of vitamins and minerals. Back to the post workout meal/drink, this month try this drink out within one hour of exercise

1 banana

1 glass of milk (semi-skimmed or skimmed)

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

if you can mix it all in a blender then great, or just put the peanut in the milk and eat the banana.

From next month I will be talking about a different aspect of our diet in detail every month, this could be anything from protein to diets for people with diabeties. I thought it was best to start with a basic over view of our diets and i will break it down from now on starting next month

thanks