The Zumba Craze!

You must be familiar with the Latin inspired dance workout craze that has been sweeping through neighborhoods, cities and countries like wildfire! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Zumba fever is still running strong and does not show even the slightest signs of dying down anytime soon. And that is a great thing because Zumba is fun, addictive, exciting and by far, the coolest thing to have ever happened to the exercise world!

Zumba is essentially a cardio workout, and makes use of rigorous interval training techniques to get your heart pumping. Such intense physical activity calls for a healthy Zumba diet which should be practiced by all Zumba followers! Eating the right foods before and after your Zumba workout will ensure that your body is receiving adequate energy and nutrients to help it cope with the weekly Zumba sessions.

The Optimal Zumba Diet Plan!

The Zumba diet is quite simple. Before you workout you can either treat yourself to a small, healthy snack consumed 30 minutes before the class, or a nutritious meal consumed 2 hours before the session.
The snack, which should ideally be between 100-200 calories, can include any of the following food items:

1. Fruit juices and smoothies.
2. Sports drinks.
3. Energy bars with minimal fat and high levels of proteins and at least 15 grams of carbohydrates.
4. Fruits such as mango, banana, apricot, pineapple and watermelon. These fruits have a high-glycemic index which implies that the body digests them rapidly.

The nutritious meal should roughly equal half the Calories that you expect to burn during the workout. For instance, if you expect to burn 700 calories you should eat at least 350 calories worth of food. A few nutritional options for a well-balanced meal include:

1. Hummus.
2. Raw vegetables or vegetable juice.
3. Yoghurt with fruit chunks.
4. Nuts, dried fruits, oatmeal and cereals.
5. Yoghurt smoothie or tomato juice.
6. Egg whites or hard boiled eggs
7. Cottage cheese
8. Energy and protein bars.

These Zumba diet options should keep you going through the session. After the Zumba workout you will feel the need to replenish your energy levels. For this post exercise meal, consider the following suggested options:

1. Egg and toast.
2. Cottage cheese and fruit
3. Nuts, dried fruits and cereal with milk.
4. Milk or yoghurt based smoothies.
5. Energy bar or shake.
6. Protein bar or shake.
7. Vegetable omelet.
8. Eggs and pancakes.
9. Roast beef, turkey, chicken, and ham sandwich.
10. Chocolate milk

If none of the above options catches your fancy, you can eat any food items in your post exercise meal as long as it has a lot of lean protein, vegetables and starch content

Conclusion

The Zumba diet stresses on minimal fat consumption, and eating considerable quantities of protein and carbohydrates. These proteins and carbohydrates keep the body energized and in fat-burning mode during and after the Zumba sessions!

References:
Zumbawithheather.com: Ditch the Workout…Join the party (Zumbawithheather.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-to-eat-after-you-work-out.html)
Zumbajen.com: Fueling up; What to eat before a Zumba workout (Zumbajen.com/1/post/2011/11/fueling-up-what-to-eat-before-a-Zumba-workout.html)
Globalrichman.com: The Zumba diet (globalrichman.com/Zumba/the-Zumba-diet.php)