Gym Eats - Should I, what should I and what shouldn't I eat

Should I eat before a workout?

There is a lot of debate about whether eating before the gym helps or works against your fitness goals - 'goal' is the key word here - it completely depends on your goal and what your workout is e.g. High Intensity Interval Training, Strength & Conditioning, Resistance Training, Low Intensity Steady State Cardio, Endurance etc..

If your goal is fat loss (like me) then you may prefer to do fasted cardio and do it first thing in the morning. A recent UK study published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" found that when participants did fasted cardio they burned 20% more fat than those who ate a meal before hand. I prefer to do my weights sessions later in the day and I would have eaten before this to give my body energy.

If your workout goal is to reach a new PB, eating before working out can increase your energy and allow you to work out with more intensity for longer periods of time

The "Journal of Applied Physiology," recently published a study that found that eating a meal 45 minutes before moderate-intensity exercise effectively increases exercise capability.

It is up to you to determine how and when you train however if you decide that you want to eat before your workout here are some guides to foods i find keep my muscles and tummy happy!

Pre-Gym snack ideas:

• Apple & Almond Butter - If you want something sweet try some slices of apple with some almond butter (I buy mine here)
• Smoothie - For a foolproof formula, use your favorite sliced fruit, a cup of Greek yogurt and some oats for a thicker consistency. If you're buying one make sure that its made from whey or milk-based proteins.
• Porridge with fruit & milk - slow release energy is perfect for a intense cardio workout. Add fruit for more flavour and add a drop of honey if you need to sweeten
• Eggs - Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat, I have 2 boiled eggs as a snack, or scrambled in the microwave when I'm really stuck on time

My personal routine is this:

• 6.30 am - 30 minutes of fasted cardio
• 9 am coffee and an omelette/scrambled egg/oats
• 12.30pm Lunch (fish and veg, chicken salad, soup and turkey slices)
• 3pm Afternoon Snack (fruit, nuts, greek yoghurt)
• 7pm Pre workout - BCAA amino energy
• 7.30pm Gym session - weights 
• 9pm - Dinner High protein, low carb (grilled meat/fish with asparagus, roasted green beans (with salt, garlic powder and pepper) NOM, sweet potato fries, roasted red pepper etc..)

Source: Pinterest

Some additional reading:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/best-workout-foods
http://www.livestrong.com/article/520992-good-food-to-eat-before-gym-in-the-morning/
http://greatist.com/fitness/50-awesome-pre-and-post-workout-snacks
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/is-fasted-cardio-the-best-for-burning-fat.html