healthy diet for runners

I remember when I was 17, about the same weight and height. I didn't have to worry about what I ate, as long as I ate enough. I would throw the worst crap down my throat and not gain any weight, mainly because I was running.

Now, I'm going on 32 and learning that running alone won't keep the pounds off. About 2 years ago, I started reading about nutrition and slowly brought my diet along. While I'm not the 145 I'd like to be, my body fat is real low and my recovery is decent for my age.

It's encouraging to see someone of your age interested in improving their nutrition. I wish I had back then. I think I would have been a better runner.

My suggestion is to evolve your diet. Your strategy should be to slowly replace the worst parts of your diet with healthier alternatives. Do not attempt to radically change your diet over night. It won't stick. Too many things in your life are not in your control such as where and when you eat. So be realistic.

OK, now you're asking what to replace. Well, you're right, you do need fat. But not all fat is created equal. Saturated fats and trans fatty acids inhibit your metabolism. Look to foods with unsaturated fat. Your best sources are vegatable oils. Try making your own popcorn with canola oil. Another source is nuts, even peanuts. Maybe try avacados - guacamole.

Another suggestion. Avoid overdosing on sugars. Sugar is great before a workout - quick energy without filling up your stomach, but should not be a main stay. It'll take up precious calories you need for other nutrients like protein and more complex carbs.

There are a thousand other tips to give. Feel free to ask any questions you'd like.

What are some good, easy to prepare sources of good protein? And is normal peanut butter bad? Is there a natural kind with less saturated fats? Is red meat bad?

Devils XC-

Good questions. Let me tackle them one at a time.

What are some good, easy to prepare sources of good protein?

Your best of source of protein will always be meat. Stick with leans cuts of pork or chicken - preferably white meat. Dark meat has more fat. As for red meat, it too, is high in saturated fats. Save this as an occassional treat.

I'm a vegetarian, so I find most of my protein in beans, nuts, and whole wheat. Beans, especially soy, are all around good. They have alot of protein, fiber, and other complex carbs. It's one-stop nutritional shopping with beans :)

And is normal peanut butter bad?

I don't know as I don't like peanut butter. Look on the label. If most of its fat comes from saturated fat, then it's probably not a good choice. The best nut is fabled to be the almond. Good source of fat, protein, and more importantly vitamin E for recovery.

Is there a natural kind with less saturated fats?

Try a health food store. Most of them have a "soy" peanut butter that's suppose to be pretty good.

Is red meat bad?

My understanding is that there are some lean tenderloin cuts that aren't that bad for you. Basically, avoid your hamburgers and steak sandwiches.

Please feel free to fire off more questions.

I'd say add fish to your list- I'm pretty sure that ounce for ounce certain types of fish are the densest sources of protein, but I could be wrong. You can whip up a nice fish curry with lots of vegetables very easily; my guy friends love this sort of thing (served on rice, of course).

As the last poster said, almonds (raw, not roasted) are good, as are raw walnuts, but if you love peanut butter (as I do :-)), the best choice is to opt for the type that is 'just' peanuts. The problem with most peanut butters is that they contain lots of icing sugar and modified oils as fillers. You can even buy peanut butter made with organic peanuts if you want to go all the way with it.

The two loose rules that I stick to in eating are : 1) I avoid processed/packaged food, i.e. eat stuff that's in the outer/perimeter aisles of the grocery store. If you start reading what's actually in all that processed food you'll lose your appetite, anyways. I've lived in a number of different countries in Asia and Europe and always admired the way these people eat- even male university students buy fresh ingredients and cook from scratch each day- meal time is a special time to relax with friends- fast/pre-fab food just doesn't factor in much 2) eat a wide variety of foods; eating the same five items 7 days a week will not provide you with the range of nutrients that you need to be feeling your best. Eat dozens of items, even high-fat ones, but the latter in small quantities.

As the previous poster said, don't try to change everything overnight as you won't stick with it. Just try to add one or two new healthy habits at a time and aim for a long run goal of a diet with better range and content. I'm not saying don't ever eat fast food- I eat whatever I feel like and if I want a burger I have a burger, but once you get used to better foods you'll rarely desire the junky stuff. Best of luck!

Great advice all round, janeyc. I forgot about the fish. Fish is a good source of protein and fat. Thanks.

A great inexpensive source (often overlooked) of quality protein that's low in fat is canned tuna (I much prefer solid albacore over chunk light). Also, the fat that you do get is high in omega-3's, the so-called "good fat". All cold water fish are high in omega-3's, including salmon, mackeral, and trout (mmm, grilled trout...slobber, slobber). Walnuts contain an omega-3 precursor of sorts, alpha-linolenic acid.

I suggest that you pick up Nancy's Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (Human Kinetics). Lots of good material and the last third or so is a bunch of healthy, athlete-friendy recipes.

As far as peanut butter goes, my favorite is just fresh ground roasted peanuts with a little salt. That's not so easy to find, so in the market I buy Smucker's Natural PB (Light). The light version cuts some of the fat and replaces it with maltodextrin (long chain sugar popular in sports drinks and bars).

Eat More Pussy!!!!

mayeroff wrote:

Eat More Pussy!!!!

Kittens are actually pretty high in saturated fat. Sorry, Jason. :-) Tuna would be a better choice.

To the original poster: Adams peanut butter and Teddy peanut butter are both pure mashed peanuts. Really tasty, and they have no added partially hydrogenated oil. The ingredients lists have to include whatever they add - look for a PB that doesn't have added sugar or oil.

And remember, moderation in all things, even being healthy. :-) A burger and fries for lunch every day probably isn't the best idea, but now and then it really hits the spot. But you can make a lot of small, non-intrusive changes (like more fish and chicken, or lean cuts of red meat instead of hamburger) that'll be good for your diet. The main things I look for in my own diet are:

- carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake (you need enough of each)

- glycemic index of the carbohydrates (when not eaten near exercise, go for more complex carbohydrates)

- vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other good stuff (eat your fruits and veggies, maybe take a multivitamin, but don't go crazy - 100% of the USRDA should do the trick for anyone)

- As a runner, make sure you're getting enough iron (a normal, balanced diet should do the trick, but get your blood levels checked once a year or so)

- Shift the balance of your fat sources towards unsaturated fats (plants, fish, etc).

We eat a lot of fish, preferably baked fresh salmon and trout, but also plenty of smoked salmon, and canned salmon and tuna.

You wanna watch your intake of canned tuna, because they tend to accumulate heavy metals as they're roaming about the sea feeding on lower order animals that live and feed in close contact with contaminated sediments.

A guy I know had his blood tested a few years back before going to work at a contaminated site, and they found he had abnormally high levels of mercury. When they lookied into the cause (he hadn't been to the contaminated site yet), they determined it was because he was eating like two or three cans of tuna per day.

All good things in moderation...