Eat healthily: Food and exercise

If you eat wisely, you will feel you are running on rocket fuel. The wrong choices will make you feel as though you're carrying the fridge. Eating the right food at the right time will give you the boost you'll need for your active life.

Just getting physically active will make you feel and look better. You will be able to burn off excess calories and maintain your body weight. Your risk of many diseases, such as heart disease, will also be reduced. If you are healthy, there will be changes on the inside of your body that will make you feel better. There will also be outward changes that others will see: everything from your figure to your stress levels to your skin will reap the benefits. However, remember to check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme, particularly if you haven't exercised for some time. They will be able to make you aware of any issues you need to bear in mind as you change your exercise routine.

What to eat

Eating a healthy balanced diet will provide you with all the nutrients you need to take part in the Norwich Union City v City 10K. This means eating a wide variety of foods, see our Eight Steps to Healthier Eating article for more details on how to get the balance right.

Some basic tips on the best way to get the most out of it, are to:

be the right weight for your height
drink plenty of fluids
eat enough carbohydrate to keep you going during the race
eat plenty of wholegrain bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of milk, yoghurt and cheese, lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and pulses
eat enough food; if you eat too little, then you won't be able to keep up your exercise levels

Timing of meals around exercise times is just as important as what you eat, if you want to keep your energy levels up. For the first two hours after exercise, muscles can refuel their glycogen stores twice as fast as normal, so it's important to eat carbohydrate-containing foods as soon as possible after a workout or run. This will get your energy levels back up most effectively and reduce your vulnerability to infections.

Good sources of energy

Carbohydrate is the most important fuel for energy, so you should eat lots of foods that are rich in starchy carbohydrates. The richest sources of carbohydrate are bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes. Other foods which also contain useful amounts are fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, yoghurt and milk.

Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen, and if you get tired during running, this might be because your glycogen stores are getting low.

The more you train for the Norwich Union City v City 10K, the more carbohydrate you need. The actual amount you need depends upon the type of training you're doing, the intensity, duration and frequency, and your fitness level.

The bigger the glycogen stores in your muscles, the longer you can perform, which is particularly important for endurance sport such as distance running.

Protein and exercise

We need protein for our muscles to grow and repair themselves. Protein is also a source of energy. The amount of protein athletes need has been a topic of huge debate for many years, because people who are very active, especially those who train frequently, generally require more protein than those who don't. However, most people in the UK eat more protein than they need, so even top athletes should be getting enough protein to meet their needs. This means there should be no need for you to increase the amount of protein-rich foods you eat, and there is also no need to buy protein supplements.

Protein supplements might seem to be scientifically based, but don't be fooled. According to current evidence, taking protein or amino acid supplements doesn't improve performance. Looking to supplements for your protein can also mean you miss out on other important nutrients. Remember, you should be able to get all the protein you need by eating a variety of foods.

Exercise and supplements

You should be able to get all the nutrients you need from a healthy balanced diet, and remember that taking supplements won't make up for not eating well. Supplements are to be used as the name suggests - as a supplement to your regular diet. Therefore it is suitable to use them only when you can't get all your nutrients from your regular diet. But your first aim should be to get everything you need from your usual food. If you decide to take protein supplements, be careful that you're not increasing your energy intake so much that you aren't able to burn it off. If you do this, you'll put weight on; it might not be put on as muscle, but could actually be stored as fat.