Functional Training, Functional Food - What's That All About?

Functional training is purposeful movement to develop strength, speed, balance and coordination. It usually involves a movement that works more than one muscle group and the use of a medicine ball or stability ball or kettle bells. A good work out is varied and incorporates a variety of movements that would include "functional training" exercises. Therefore I've never really been on board with the idea of functional training being the new and improved form of training. To me functional training is "part of" not "in place of" a good and varied program. But that's just me. Examples of functional training are holding a ball overhead, next lunge forward with your right leg and bring the ball down while twisting to the leg that lunges forward (right leg in this example) or doing a push up with legs elevated on a stability ball. All good moves!

Functional food, now that's a different story. I get that. The definition of functional foods is "any food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients." Fast food (if it really is food) provides nutrients for sure but don't count on any health promoting or disease preventing antioxidants and phytochemicals to be included in the fast and happy little meal. The term functional food was first used in Japan in the 1980's where there is a government approval process for functional foods called Foods for Specified Health Use or FOSHU. I like that.

Go here for a comprehensive list of functional foods that you can further link onto the specific food's health benefits. We also know them as "super foods" like blueberries, salmon, walnuts, avocado, chocolate, red wine. The list is long and what most of these foods have in common is they are bright and colorful! Like orange, blue, yellow, green, and red. It's a beautiful thing.