Jake, a dedicated fitness enthusiast, always carefully plans his pre-workout nutrition. He learned the hard way that what he consumed before exercising made a big difference. After experimenting with different beverages, he found that coconut water and beetroot juice significantly boosted his performance and recovery. Now, he blends his pre-workout routine with a balanced meal, ensuring he's hydrated and fueled for every session.

Starting your workout well-hydrated is essential for peak performance. Adequate hydration supports blood flow, regulates body temperature, and helps your body recover more efficiently post-exercise. Hydration also plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of injuries and improving recovery.

For optimal hydration, aim to drink 16-20 ounces of water about four hours before exercising. During your workout, it’s recommended to consume 8-12 ounces of water every 15 minutes, and replenish 16-24 ounces for every pound lost during exercise. Maintaining these hydration levels helps prevent fatigue, dehydration, and heat-related issues, which can impact your performance.

Drink to have Before Workout

While water is fundamental, various other beverages can offer additional benefits before your workout. Here’s a closer look at some popular pre-workout drinks:

1. Coconut Water

Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, and sodium, which are crucial for maintaining fluid balance and muscle function. Studies suggest that coconut water can be as effective as sports drinks for hydration during moderate exercise. It also contains antioxidants that may help combat oxidative stress. However, for intense and prolonged workouts, consider pairing it with a salty snack to boost sodium levels.

2. Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are designed to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat and provide a quick source of carbohydrates. They can be particularly useful during extended or high-intensity workouts. These drinks often contain sugars, which aid in maintaining blood sugar levels and sustaining energy. For optimal performance, choose a sports drink with a balanced electrolyte profile and moderate sugar content.

3. Coffee

Coffee, rich in caffeine, can enhance mental alertness and athletic performance. Caffeine is known to improve reaction time, power output, and aerobic performance. A typical recommendation is to consume 2-4 cups of coffee about one hour before exercise. Be mindful of your sensitivity to caffeine and adjust the amount accordingly to avoid potential negative effects such as increased anxiety.

4. Green Tea

Green tea is packed with antioxidants, particularly polyphenols, which can reduce oxidative stress and improve cardiovascular health. Consuming green tea before a workout may enhance mental focus and support fat oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise. It’s a great option if you prefer a lower caffeine alternative to coffee.

5. Beetroot Juice

Beetroot juice is well-regarded for its ability to increase nitric oxide levels, which enhances blood flow and exercise endurance. It can improve cardio performance and delay fatigue during high-intensity workouts. For the best results, consume beetroot juice 90 minutes before exercise.

6. Pomegranate Juice

Rich in antioxidants, pomegranate juice may help reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress and improve recovery. It has been shown to enhance exercise performance and reduce muscle soreness. While more research is needed, incorporating pomegranate juice into your pre-workout routine could offer additional benefits.

7. Ginger Shots

Ginger shots are gaining popularity for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Consuming ginger before exercise can reduce muscle soreness and inflammation. Studies suggest that 2 grams of dried ginger powder taken pre-workout may improve recovery and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Nutritional Strategies for Optimal Performance

In addition to hydration, pre-workout nutrition is crucial. The right balance of macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—can significantly impact your exercise performance and recovery.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for high-intensity workouts. They are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Consuming carbs before exercise helps replenish glycogen stores and sustain energy levels. For optimal performance, focus on carbohydrate-rich foods 2-3 hours before exercise, or opt for simpler carbs if you’re eating closer to workout time.

Protein

Protein intake before exercise aids in muscle protein synthesis, enhancing muscle growth and repair. Consuming protein, either alone or with carbs, can improve muscle recovery and performance. Aim for a pre-workout meal with 20-25 grams of protein, such as whey protein, to maximize muscle benefits.

Fats

While fats are a slower source of energy, including a small amount of healthy fats in your pre-workout meal can provide sustained energy. However, avoid high-fat meals immediately before exercise as they can cause digestive discomfort.

Timing Your Pre-Workout Nutrition

Timing is key to maximizing your workout benefits. A complete meal containing carbs, protein, and fats should be consumed 2-3 hours before exercise. If you have less time, a smaller, easily digestible snack with primarily carbs and some protein can be effective. Eating 45-60 minutes before your workout can still provide the necessary energy without causing discomfort.

Choosing the right pre-workout beverage and meal is essential for optimizing your exercise performance and recovery. Whether you prefer water, coconut water, coffee, or specialized sports drinks, understanding your hydration and nutritional needs will help you achieve your fitness goals more effectively. For personalized advice, consult a healthcare provider or a nutritionist to tailor your pre-workout nutrition to your specific needs.

In a world where food fads, “clean eating” trends, and #wellness culture dominate our social feeds, the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle can sometimes take a dangerous turn. Experts are raising concerns about the rise of orthorexia nervosa—an eating disorder that disguises itself as healthy eating but quickly spirals into obsessive and restrictive behavior. First named by Dr. Steven Bratman in 1997, orthorexia nervosa combines the Greek words “ortho” (correct) and “orexi” (appetite), and while it is not officially recognized as a separate diagnosis in the DSM-5, it is acknowledged as an unspecified feeding and eating disorder.

A Hypothetical Case: When Healthy Turns Harmful

Consider “Mr. P,” a 30-year-old man whose life once revolved around balanced nutrition and fitness. What began as a quest to feel healthy evolved into rigid dietary restrictions. He progressively eliminated entire food groups and eventually prided himself on only consuming organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and juices. He spent hours planning meals, refused to eat at restaurants, and judged others’ eating habits. Slip-ups led to shame and fasting.

Despite no alarming lab results or medical history, his mental state—marked by anxiety, guilt, and social withdrawal—indicated something deeper. He wasn’t just eating clean; he was consumed by the idea of eating “right.” This is where orthorexia differs from simply being health-conscious—it’s about control, anxiety, and moral judgment tied to food.

The Language of Clean Eating—and Its Pitfalls

The modern obsession with clean eating is more than just a wellness trend. It’s filled with rules, recipe swaps, and approved grocery lists, often seen on influencer pages or even reputable medical websites. While raising awareness about food sourcing and sustainability is valuable, the phrase “clean eating” is inherently problematic. It creates a dichotomy—foods are either “clean” or “dirty.” That moral value system fuels guilt, shame, and rigidity.

Harriet Brown, author of Brave Girl Eating, emphasizes that “language shapes the way we view the world.” Once food is tied to morality, any deviation from these rules can feel like a personal failure. Diet culture, amplified by social media and health influencers, reinforces this mindset, normalizing disordered behaviors.

Orthorexia Is Not Just a Diet Gone Too Far

While diets like clean eating might appear harmless, orthorexia is a severe mental health condition. According to experts, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses. The key difference lies in flexibility and intention. Healthy eating supports overall wellbeing and allows room for variety, spontaneity, and enjoyment. Orthorexia, on the other hand, involves rigid thinking, fear, and anxiety around food choices.

Registered dietitian Jessica Setnick highlights this distinction through her model contrasting positive and pathological nutrition. When food choices are driven by fear, shame, or rigid rules—rather than nourishing your body and lifestyle—it may signal disordered eating.

So, How Can You Tell the Difference?

Ask yourself:

• Do I feel anxious or guilty when I eat certain foods?
• Do I avoid social events because of food?
• Do I spend an excessive amount of time planning or thinking about my meals?
• Do I judge others (or myself) for eating differently?

If the answer is yes, it may be time to reflect on your relationship with food.

There’s Help—and Hope

Orthorexia, like other eating disorders, is treatable. A clinical interview with a mental health professional is key to diagnosis, often supported by input from family or friends. If you’re experiencing distress, guilt, or rigidity around food, know that you're not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it without support. Eating should nourish both your body and your life.

Everything Korean today is a trend. Among all these trends, there is a Korean diet which is going viral because it claims for a rapid weight loss, that too in just 4 weeks!

The diet came on the program called "Switch On Diet", which is created by Dr Yong-Woo Park, known for treating obesity for the last 33 years. The diet "aims to return metabolic abnormalities to normal weight through 4 weeks of practice". The diet claims to promote fat loss and muscle mass retention.

So, What Is This Switch On Diet?

This diet focuses on intermittent fasting and gut health optimization. The diet mainly comprises of protein-heavy meals and also emphasizes on hydration, notes New York Post.

Rule Of Thumb For Switch On Diet

The basic rules include:

• Drink eight glasses of water or two litres of water
• Get at least six hours of sleep
• Consume nutritional supplements
• Practise 10-14 hours of intermittent fasting
• Perform high-intensity workouts at least four times a week
• Have dinner at least 4 hours before bedtime

The program also advises against coffee intake and suggests that one must limit caffeine and alcohol consumption, along with processed food and sugar. The diet also restricts carbohydrates to allow the body to enter a state of ketosis, which is a metabolic state characterized by rapid levels of ketone bodies in the body tissues, which are pathological in conditions, such as diabetes, or the consequence of diet which is very low in carbohydrates. This is when your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.

How Can You Follow This Diet, Weekly?

Here's a weekly overview of how this diet could be followed:

Week 1 - Detox And Gut Cleansing

The first week focuses mainly on detoxing your body and cleansing your gut. Participants in this phase thus consume protein shake four times a day, for three days. Probiotics too play an essential role by emptying stomach. This is also followed by at least an hour of walking.

What Is Allowed: Cabbage, cucumbers, broccoli, tofu, and unsweetened yogurt. Participants can also consume fish, chicken, pork, eggs, low-fat meat. However, flour, dairy and coffee are not allowed.

Week 2 - Intermittent Fasting

During the second week, participants start fasting for one day, for a total of 24 hours. This fast is broken with a high-protein dinner.

The meal afterwards include a daily lineup of two protein shakes, low-carbs meal, which also includes rice, vegetables, and a no-carb dinner, which is high in protein.

What Is Allowed: White rice, legumes, and a cup of black coffee.

This phase mainly focuses on muscle recovery, and so high-intensity workouts are avoided during this time.

Week 3 and 4 - Fat Burn

In the last two weeks is when the diet goes in its full fledged mode. This is when the focus is solely on the fat-burning process. The week 3 is started with two non-consecutive 24-hour fasting periods. In week 4, these fasting days are up by one extra.

What Is Allowed: Two shakes a day and two low-carbs meal. You can have pumpkins, cherry tomatoes, chestnuts, and berries.

Post-exercise, carb-dense foods like sweet potatoes and bananas are encouraged.

Maintenance is the key

Even after the program is finished, it is important that people maintain their results with a 24-hour fast and a 14-hour fast window once a week.

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. On an average an American drinks about 240 milliliter of coffee in a day and a cup of it generally has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine. The relationship between caffeine intake and people with diabetes has always been up for debate. According to Mayo clinic, caffeine can affect the way your body uses insulin, which could lead to higher or lower blood sugar. While some experts say that it is safe for them to drink coffee in moderation, it depends on each person differently.

If you are a regular coffee drinker, and do not know how to get rid of the habit, this suggestion by Diabetes UK may be of use to you. As there is a common belief that the risk of a person developing type 2 diabetes is based on what kind of diet and lifestyle they follow. When you are at risk of it, you have to make some necessary changes in order to lead a relatively healthy life.

Diabetes UK suggests a surprising switch: choose tea or coffee instead of fruit juice. If you can drink these hot drinks without adding extra sugar, it could be a simple way to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

How Is Coffee Better For Type 2 Diabetes Than Fruit Juice

People with type 2 diabetes have to avoid many things including foods that are perceived to be healthy but tend to have lot of natural sugar. Fruit juices might seem healthy compared to coffee, but many popular brands have a lot of added sugar. Even juices made only from fruit can still have a lot of natural sugars. Experts on diabetes say it's better to eat whole fruits like apples, grapes, and berries instead of drinking their juice. Whole fruits have fiber, which helps your body absorb sugar slowly and stops the quick sugar rushes you get from juice.

We know that fizzy drinks and energy drinks with lots of sugar are linked to problems like type 2 diabetes. Giving up caffeine from these drinks can be hard. If plain tea or coffee doesn't appeal to you, try versions with fewer calories or no added sugar. This can help satisfy your cravings without increasing your diabetes risk. Diabetes UK also points out that even losing a small amount of weight, like 1kg, can help lower your risk.

Important Point To Keep In Mind

It's important to remember that some things that increase your risk of type 2 diabetes are out of your control. Diabetes UK explains that people with African Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian family backgrounds, as well as those who have family members with type 2 diabetes, tend to have a higher chance of developing the condition.

How you make your coffee can also be a game changer. A study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that filtering coffee, like with a paper filter, is better for your health than just boiling the ground and drinking the water. This was especially true for older adults.

However, the Harvard Health Publishing states that “the study is observational and doesn't prove that filtered coffee is healthier than unfiltered coffee, but it makes sense.”. However, it makes sense because unfiltered coffee has things called diterpenes that can raise your cholesterol.