A recent scientific study found that eating a certain healthy diet may be just as beneficial as walking an extra 4,000 steps a day for maintaining physical fitness.
Scientists say adding “superfoods” to the diet boosts physical fitness without any real exercise, as well as improves overall health.
They believe this is because a nutritious diet improves metabolism, helping the body process calories and absorb good foods.
“Even after accounting for activity levels, healthy dietary patterns were strongly associated with physical fitness. The improvement in fitness was similar to the effect of taking an additional 4,000 steps each day,” explained study author Michael Me, from Harvard University in Boston.
“There are actually many healthy reasons to consume a high-quality diet, and we offer another reason why it relates to fitness. A Mediterranean-style diet with whole, fresh foods and minimal processed foods, red meat, and alcohol is a great way to start.”
In the study, which involved more than 2,000 participants, they jogged on a treadmill while their oxygen levels were measured by university researchers, according to the British newspaper The Sun.
People who adhered closely to a Mediterranean-style diet, consisting of plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, had the same level of fitness as people who took about 4,000 steps per day in the researchers’ previous studies.
Fruit and vegetables are high in fiber, which acts as a natural fat burner that can help boost your metabolism. It also contains a high percentage of antioxidants that protect against inflammation and other health problems.
Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to assess consumption of 126 items over the past year, and the study compared participants’ physical fitness with diet quality.
The findings indicated that there are high-quality and highly rated “superfoods” that can boost your health, including:
- vegetables.
- fruits.
- Whole grains (such as brown rice, quinoa, and oats).
- Nuts (unsalted).
- Legumes (such as beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas).
- fish.
- healthy fats
- Limit red meat and alcohol.
2023-05-15 05:29:49
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