Jeani Mackenzie instructs students at her Davenport School of Yoga.

In Week #7 of your 2020 “8 Weeks to a NewYou” fitness challenge, LMQC bloggers Jeni Tackett and Cody Lichthardt, Rock Valley Physical Therapy, suggest important ways to keep your body – and mind – nourished and healthy.

Give your body what it needs, when it needs it.

Jeni pulls a “sometimes food” and an “always food” from her refrigerator.

Jeni Tackett: Your body needs good, nutritious food to feel and perform at its best. Here are a few quick tips to ensure that happens for you.

Spreading food out throughout the day – and before and after workouts – can reduce fatigue and hunger.

Timing your meals has an impact, too, beginning with breakfast.

Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast each day with carbohydrate (oatmeal, fruit, whole grain) and protein (eggs, peanut butter, lean meat) to fuel your mind and your body throughout the morning. Then schedule meals and snacks at least every 4-5 hours.

Timing can help you get the most out of your workouts. If you have a workout at 5 pm, and you have not eaten since noon, then you will not get the most out of your workout.

Having a combination of carbohydrate and protein (for example, a Greek yogurt or carrots with hummus) will fill your glycogen stores (carbohydrate stored in your muscles), and help you get the most out of your workout.

After a vigorous workout, take in a combination of carbohydrate and protein within 30 minutes to an hour. Often it is mealtime after workouts, so go ahead and have your meal. If your meal is a ways off, have a snack (for example, a smoothie made with frozen fruit and milk).

Cody Lichthardt: Don’t forget the importance of sleep, water and rest for recharging your battery and giving you the necessary energy to crush your workout!

Aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep at the same time each night. Also, try to avoid napping for longer than 20 minutes, and try not to consume caffeine past noon.

Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, aim to drink 100 ounces of water per day. It is best if you spread your water consumption out over the course of the day, and shoot to get half of your daily requirement as pure water.

Finally, rest days are essential to allow your body to recover from the previous workout and prepare for the next.

A rest day doesn’t have to mean being sedentary. If you are someone who likes to do something every day, make your rest day an active rest day with low intensity yoga, foam rolling, mobility work, stretching, and/or activities like hiking with your family.

Add a positive attitude!

Jeni: Your mindset can help you succeed. Having a positive attitude about the changes you are making is the first step.

You need to view your diet changes as fueling your body more efficiently rather than depriving your body of what you want.

No foods need to be off limits. However, having unhealthy foods as the bulk of your diet will not get you the results you want.

The base of your diet should be healthy foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean meats, low fat dairy products, nuts, and seeds).

Do not label non-nutritious foods that you like as “bad.” Instead, label them as “sometimes foods.”

Taking away the bad label can reduce feelings of failure and deprivation. Well-loved “sometimes foods” include ice cream, bacon, and cake. You can include these foods in a healthy diet, but not in large amounts or on a regular basis.

Balance your eating but change your mindset about splurge foods! 

Cody reminds you to do something you enjoy!

Cody: I agree with Jeni that a positive attitude is a good place to start!

Some things you can do to maintain a positive attitude towards your workout include not working at 100% for every workout, but balancing mind and body days.

Also, do forms of exercise you enjoy.

It’s not necessary to work out for hours a day at a super high intensity. Not only will this not yield the best results, but also you will quickly become mentally burned out.

If you are someone who tends to over-train, try adding a yoga class once or twice a week, to give your mind and body a break.

Finally, do things that make you healthier, perform better, and look better.

Your confidence will increase and you will feel alive!

Meet Jeni Tackett, Let’s Move Quad Cities Nutrition Blogger. Jeni is a registered and licensed dietitian for Rock Valley Health. Jeni counsels her clients on weight loss and nutrition. You can read Jeni’s bio and other blog posts by clicking here.

Aryn Lloyd and Cody Lichthardt are personal trainers at Rock Valley Health. You can read their bios and other blog posts by clicking here.