OK I know the Holiday Season can get Hectic (to say the least) and the last thing you want to think about is Food and Exercise--but wait--nothing can give you more energy than Exercise--and if you want to get maximum results you have to  FUEL YOUR WORKOUT--Here's How.

When you engage in any physical activity, your muscles use glycogen, a form of sugar. The body can't make glycogen without glucose, can't make glucose without protein and carbohydrates, and can't get either of the latter if you don't eat. Working out depletes the glycogen stored in your muscles, and it takes about a day for it to be replaced. Here are the best ways to eat to maximize your morning, midday, or evening workout and ensure that your muscles will be fully "fueled" for tomorrow, too.
 
MORNING. To counteract a low-rising, blood-sugar level, try to eat something light, such as fruit, yogurt, toast, and cereal, about half an hour before your morning workout. The first two hours after your workout is peak time for your body to resynthesize glycogen, so be sure to eat within that time.
MIDDAY. Depending on when you ate breakfast, you should snack an hour or so before your midday workout. If you don't, your blood sugar will be very low. Be sure to eat within two hours of your workout.
EVENING. Some people find that working out at night makes it difficult for them to sleep. Working out in the early evening, though, has some great advantages – diminished appetite and faster metabolism. Ideally, you should have a light snack about two hours before you exercise, then a light dinner after.

And always make sure you drink plenty of water, before, during, and after any workout.

Foods That Can Slow You Down
Rich, fatty foods, because they take longer to digest; Salty foods, because they cause your body to retain water; Carbonated beverages, because they give you a quick sugar surge and they can make you feel bloated; No-calorie snacks (such as raw vegetables), because they are hard to digest and they provide no energy; Candy (including
high-calorie "sports" bars), because they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by a sudden crash.
 

HOW CAN SPORTS DRINKS NOT BE GOOD FOR YOU?
First, sports drinks were originally formulated to meet the immediate calorie needs of athletes engaged in high-intensity activities. This is why they're high in sugar, calories, and sodium, none of which most of us really need, no matter how vigorously we work out. Some people find that the sudden sugar rush leaves them with a headache. And no sports drink is as thirst quenching as water. Before you grab a sports drink for yourself or a child, also consider this: Researchers at the University of Liverpool's School of Dentistry found that, like fruit juices and sweetened carbonated soft drinks, all of the sports drinks it analyzed had pH values low enough to cause demineralization of tooth enamel, the precursor to cavities.