With this post we begin a series of contributions from specialists who provide us useful advice for martial arts practitioners, and anyone who wants to feel better.

Despite the hurdles of this pandemic, we are convinced that there are small signs of return to “normal” conditions. Body, mind and spirit need little tips to recover vitality after these months of changed habits.

Today we leave the floor to Dr. Antonio Ferrara, nutritionist biologist and food biotechnologies. His contribution is tailor made for those who are accustomed to…step on the tatami:

In these long and interminable days of confinement due to the pandemic from coronavirus , each of us has dealed with emotional, physical and psychological stress, as best he could.

Confined within the walls of our homes, many have fought anxiety, boredom and depression by eating more and often badly. Now that summer is coming and moving outdoors is still difficult, making the effort to losethe accumulated weight may appear an additional burden.

However, it is very feasible to get back in shape and in short time with a correct diet plan, to shape a toned and compact body.

Planning at least a month will be easier than trying in a week, in this way the body will have time to get accustomed to the new dietetic habits.

But let’s get straight to the point, to lose weight, tone up and get back in shape you need 2 things:

adequate diet and exercise, even more for a sport and martial practitioner.

Nutrition for those who practice sports is not very different from a balanced diet followed by a sedentary individual. The difference is mainly in the quantity of calories, i.e. the fuel that must be introduced daily to meet thegreater demand for energy determined by the increase in muscle work. 

Balanced supply means introducing a good variety of food, to guarantee a complete intake of all nutrients. Well, let’s see how to proceed …

The first step is to purify yourself, removing the sense of swelling and counteract the water retention, following a low calorie but high diet content of draining and purifying substances.

First of all, it is advisable to eliminate alcohol; instead, spin dried juices or fruit juices are recommended: grapefruit, citrus fruits in general which are detoxifying, and therefore represent a very healthy alternative for the correct hydro-saline balance, especially in the post-workout phase.

When talking about meals, although carbohydrates are essential in aerobic activity, in this phase, it is necessary to eat more proteins, which favor the building of lean musculoskeletal mass and allow you to have the required explosiveness in sport and martial practice

So green light to chicken and fish while limiting red meat, to avoid overload the liver, already engaged in the deactivation and elimination of toxins. A protein diet increases fat burning, since it increases thermogenesis, and reduces appetite due to the high satiating power of proteins.

Carbohydrates should not be eliminated, so as not to overload the kidneys and ensure the intestinal regularity, but you need to choose the right ones.

Always prefer low-glycemic and slow-digesting carbohydrates that keep insulin levels low by avoiding peaks that block the burning of fat. So green light for whole grains such as wheat, rye, rice, oats, barley and the pseudocereals such as quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, chia characterized by an excellent nutritional profile. Instead, avoid refined carbohydrates, such as (white) pasta, pizza, white bread, biscuits, crackers, rice snacks, sweets in general, rich in simple sugars, which are highly energetic and pro-inflammatory.

As dressing prefer extra virgin olive oil, but in moderation without that food sails in oil! Spices, now increasingly considered superfoods, can also prove to be extremely useful and provide a valuable contribution to the purification process. The chili pepper for example, with its capsaicin stimulates thermogenesis and helps to burn fats, while turmeric, ginger and cinnamon are antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.

Finally, a special mention for fruit and vegetables, undoubtedly the best allies of a detox diet. Rich in water and several beneficial substances, such as antioxidants, vitamins, fibers and mineral salts perform a purifying and detoxifying action like water.

Therefore, increase consumption, always choosing seasonal fruit and vegetables, the skin will soon be brighter and muscles stronger.

The original intervention of Dr. Ferrara can be downloaded at the following link

Disclaimer Photo by Diana Polekhina from Unsplash