I have spent many a long runs chatting with my friends about what we are going to eat afterward. Food is like the runners greatest reward. When you run an 18 mile run, you don’t feel guilty for eating anything and everything you want for the rest of the day. But that is a slippery slope. Particularly if you have weight management problems, like I do. So today I want to discuss some food issues.
The title of this post is food = fuel because I think that most of the population of America doesn’t think this way. We think of food as a luxury or as a treat. We look forward to meals and often make them the focus of our social interactions. I think that some of that culture needs to change (and don’t get me wrong, I am often guilty as well). I think that, particularly when you are in training, you need to think a great deal about what you are putting into your body and how your body is going to react to it.
Atkins and other low carb dieting has made us a nation of carb haters. First of all, let me just get this off my chest, you should never cut out a food group*. Food groups are there for a reason and if you have an aversion to one of those groups, such as carbs, you need to consider the vitamins and minerals that your body would normally receive from those groups and compensate in some other way. If you are cutting out carbs, you need to consider that your bodies energy stores are going to be lower. (Not to mention that if you are filling that void with cheese and meat then you might be ripe for a heart attack down the road. Don’t get me started!)
Our body gets glucose from carbs. Glucose is easily broken down by our body and is what gives us bursts of energy. This is why many runners eat a bagel with peanut butter before a run. The bagel provides the glucose while the protein and fat from the peanut butter help sustain our blood sugar and keep us feeling full. It doesn’t have to be a bagel with peanut butter, but, eating 30-45 minutes before you run and eating something with a good ratio of carbs to protein is a great idea.
I am very serious about my food. I do eat a lot of treats, and yes, I really enjoy baking. But my meals are very balanced and are as close to the earth as I can afford to eat. I don’t believe in packaged foods full of sodium and preservatives. I make everything from scratch that I can. I also realize that my passion for cooking isn’t something that most people share and that convenience is king.
I have an experiment that even the laziest of eaters can do. For about a week, THINK about the food you are eating before you eat it. Break down the ingredients and consider what they are doing for or against you. You may think you are being healthy getting the salad, but sit and think about it. Is there cheese? Croutons? Creamy dressing? That salad is lying to you. Try to fuel your body instead of feed it and you will notice a difference in the choices you make.
This is just the tip of the iceburg on this subject, but, I think it gives a general overview on my feelings about the subject. Feel free to share with me your eating philosophy and any tips about how you stick with that.
* Before you protest and leave me nasty notes let me clear something up. 1. Meat is not a food group. Proteins are. I am not saying you have to eat meat. 2. I realize that some people have medical issues such as diabetes that limit their bodies ability to handle some food groups, including carbs. However, even diabetics can not completely cut sugars out of their diets. They do, however, have to more careful about what sugars and how much of them they eat. Which, we should all be more careful of, by the way.