What do athletes need?

Whether you are aiming for increased endurance, muscle gain or weight loss, or simply switching to healthier lifestyle, exercise, is the most important aspect of physical well-being and has positive effects on the mind. It makes you feel good and helps you live better. In fact, a short walk or an hour at the gym can have great positive effects on your mood.

But sometimes exercise is not enough. Scientists confirm: moving regularly promotes the well-being of muscles, heart and lungs. However, the secret to a truly healthy life is also a balanced diet! This is where Martino’s couscous products come in.

Benefits of a balanced diet and daily physical activity

A good combination of physical activity and nutrition will help you to stay healthy and in shape: not only they reduce stress and help fight depression, improve self-esteem, help to strengthen muscles and joints, reduce chronic disease risk and helps avoid weight gain and contribute to weight loss.
This is why, it is important to associate a correct and balanced diet to the physical effort.

It is essential to choose the right foods that can guarantee an adequate supply of all essential nutrients, which provide high amounts of energy with minimum commitment of the digestive system.

Martino introduces Al Naturale: corn, chickpea or rice couscous, organically-cultivated, highly digestible and low-fat: perfect if you are looking for a light change in your everyday life.

Why Athletes should integrate Couscous in their diet？

Couscous, contrary to what is thought, is a good ally to your overall health and fitness plan. Composed of gluten free grains like corn, chickpea or rice, it is a concentrate of proteins, fibers and few fats. In addition, it is light and low-calorie: it has about half the calories of pasta but doesn’t change the feeling of satiety. In fact, couscous alone guarantees the nourishment necessary for an entire meal because a single portion satisfies half of the daily energy requirements. Whether you’re starting the day with a vitamin-rich couscous porridge or ending it with a couscous flan – there are many ways to make healthy eating a priority in your life.

Couscous is highly digestible and is a precious source of energy. If you’re an athlete, you’ll be pleased to know that the Couscous is the ideal “fuel” for training in the gym. It contains a good amount of fiber, it is a concentrate of proteins and is rich in A and B vitamins.

Couscous is extremely versatile and it is cooked quickly before and after training

Eating before the workout improves the performance of each athlete and helps burn more calories than working out on an empty stomach. But, what does the Couscous have to do with it? Simple, it is a perfect food for those who have little time to stay behind the stove. When you are on strict training program you do not want to give up eating healthy. Cooked before or after the training couscous can be prepared in 5 minutes and supply your body with all the needed nutrients. In addition to being a balanced and fast meal, it is able to recharge your energy to face the rest of the day.

Here are three tasty and complete dishes you can prepare before or after your training:

Vegetarian and Oriental Couscous
Ovenbaked onions stuffed with whole wheat couscous
Couscous with peanuts and courgette pesto

Try a couscous recipe pre-workout and you will be surprised by the positive results. Not only it tastes amazing, but you will feel full when you get to the gym. You will end up having a great workout and feel perfectly fine afterwards. You might even feel like you could’ve worked out for another hour.

For an athlete, good nutrition management is essential. Sometimes, however, you risk being repetitive or consuming a meal away from home due to lack of time. Martino’s Organic line and Al Naturale line offers a great variety of tasty couscous and makes it impossible for you to get bored. After your workout you will need only 5 minutes to prepare a great meal. With our couscous you can even prepare meals and store them for the whole week – exactly what a busy athlete needs.

Let us know how Martino’s Couscous complements your active lifestyle and helps you better yourself physically and mentally.