Happy Nutrition Month 2023 runners! Let’s break some bad eating habits and let’s start to eat like a pro athlete. What’s the secret to a well-balanced diet that will keep you healthy? Obviously, these athletes need to get their hard training done every single day.
They need to fuel their bodies properly to perform 100%. Let’s eat like a pro: these are my 4 secrets for great nutrition for runners.
Never skip your breakfast
It’s not a rumor — it’s absolutely true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It prepares you for the daily craziness in our stressful lives.
People who skip breakfast tend to eat more during the day. I always have my oatmeal with berries and a scoop of protein in the morning. It fills me up until lunch without any sugar cravings.
My go-to breakfast in the past months has been CORE Bars powered by adaptogens. They are literally food for your mood. The ideal start to my day. Of course, you can also enjoy the delicious bars as a pre-workout or post-job. It helps me to destress and fuels me with fiber and protein without adding any sugar.
A very important tip for good nutrition for runners? Skipping meals is contra productive. Runners should fuel often and eat every four hours. By keeping a regular meal schedule, athletes can prevent fatigue and reduce injury risk.
During the competition, the most rapid use of fuel, regardless of intensity, occurs during the first 20 to 30 minutes. With proper nutrition as a runner, you’re preventing glycogen depletion.
You also enhance your immune function, reduce muscle damage and speed muscle recovery. So, even if you’re not a breakfast person, go for it.
Important for your diet is that you consume enough vitamins, which for me often come from The Secret Nature of Fruit Fruit-Powered Vitamin Chews – Beauty. Amazingly blended with all kinds of flavors of strawberry and pomegranate, Vitamins A & E, Biotin, and CoQ10.
Generally, fruit-powered vitamin chews harness the distilled power of real fruits and plants to deliver a delicious and natural daily boost of essential nutrients.
It doesn’t matter if you’re just running for fun or actually competing in races: Hydration is the key because you will perform better. The right nutrition for runners is important for great results. Fluid requirements vary from person to person, so the best way to stay adequately hydrated is to stick to a schedule.
Most of us only require approximately 11 to 15 cups of water daily. Choose to drink filtered water, so that many of the dangerous contaminants have been removed. You don’t really like water like that? Try Soulless Ginger Ale a cold pressed ginger base with a hint of sugar with only 6g of sugar per can! They currently have their Original Ginger Ale, Lime Ginger Ale, Blueberry Ginger Ale, and Cranberry Ginger.
I’ve heard so much about low-carb diets and how well it’s working for so many people. To me, it’s helpful to steam approximately 60 percent of my diet from “good” carbs with a mix of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and small amounts of low-fat, organic dairy.
30 percent (sometimes more depending on the season I’m in) comes from lean protein such as fish, poultry, lean meats, beans and low-fat, organic dairy.
Another 10 percent of a runner’s diet should come through quality fats, like olive and canola oils, nuts and nut butter, seeds and avocados. But this can vary. If you’re training for a marathon you’re going to eat a lot more and have a higher carb intake than if you’re training for a 5K, or not racing at all.
When looking into which carbs to consume carbs and whether you have dietary restrictions or just want to up your vegetable intake, nature’s intent cauliflower rice is for you. Their cauliflower rice is made from whole pieces of cauliflower. Every bite is white, fluffy, and delicious.