15 Best Foods For Runners

I'm going to try something new every week, reviewing fitness and health articles. I've recently started training for a 10K for the 4th of July and as I've been building my mileage I have been wondering if I am replenishing my body correctly. With that, today's article comes from Runner's World, The Best Food For Runners. One thing they mention, I totally agree with, "Most supermarkets stock more than 30,000 items, yet every time we race up and down the aisles of the grocery store, we toss into our carts the same 10 to 15 foods." Is this not totally true? Which isn't bad if you are getting the right items, but I think in my case I could use some diversifying of the diet. Here are the 15 Foods that they listed as must haves for runners: almonds, eggs, sweet potatoes, whole grain cereal with protein, oranges, canned black beans, mixed salad greens, salmon, whole grain bread, frozen stir-fry vegetables, whole grain pasta, chicken, frozen mixed berries, dark chocolate, low fat yogurt. Almonds: Almonds offer good source of Vitamin E, that most people supposedly do not get enough of. Eggs: Egg protein is the most complete food protein short of human breast milk! Wow, I certainly didn't know that. Sweet potatoes: Just a single 100-calorie sweet potato has over 250% of daily value of Vitamin A. They are also a good source of vitamin C. Whole grain cereal with protein: Look for cereals that offer at least 5 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. Great balance of carbs and proteins for work-outs. Oranges: Oranges supply over 100 percent of the daily value for the antioxidant vitamin C, and a recent study from the University of North Carolina Greensboro showed that taking vitamin C supplements for two weeks prior to challenging arm exercises helped alleviate muscle soreness. Canned black beans: One cup of these provides 30 percent of the daily value for protein, almost 60 percent of the daily value for fiber, and 60 percent of the daily value for folate, a B vitamin that plays a key role in heart health and circulation. Mixed Salad Greens: Each variety offers a unique blend of phytonutrients that research suggests may fend off age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Salmon: Besides being an excellent source of high-quality protein (you get about 30 grams in a four-ounce serving), salmon is one of the best food sources of omega 3-fats. Whole grain bread: Runners need at least three to six one-ounce servings of whole grains per day, and eating 100 percent whole-grain bread (as opposed to just whole-grain bread, which may contain some refined grains and flours) is an easy way to meet this requirement since one slice equals one serving. Frozen stir-fry vegetables: Most ready-to-use stir-fry veggie combos offer a potent mix of antioxidants by including red and yellow peppers, onions, bok choy, and soy beans. And frozen vegetable mixes save lots of prepping time but still provide the same nutrition as their fresh counterparts. Whole grain pasta: Pasta has long been a runner's best friend because it contains easily digestible carbs that help you restock spent glycogen (energy) stores. Whole-grain versions are a must over refined pastas because they contain more fiber to fill you up, additional B vitamins that are crucial to energy metabolism. Chicken: Just one four-ounce serving of chicken can supply about half a runner's daily protein needs. Frozen mixed berries: The colorful compounds that make blueberries blue, blackberries deep purple, and raspberries a rich shade of red are called anthocyanins--a powerful group of antioxidants that may help stave off Alzheimer's disease and some cancers. Anthocyanins may also assist with post run recovery and muscle repair. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate contains potent antioxidants called flavonols that can boost heart health. Wa-hoo! Low fat yogurt: Besides being a good source of protein and calcium (one cup provides 13 grams of protein and 40 percent of the daily value for calcium), low-fat yogurt with live cultures provides the healthy bacteria your digestive tract needs to function optimally.

I hope you enjoy this Review!!

Woke up to a simple piece of toast.
There's something about a small glass of orange juice in the morning that just feels right.
Just got some new cereal Kashi Honey Puffs.
After an afternoon nap I woke up to some crackers and Pellegrino.
Dinner was easy, breezy, beautiful; it was a Green Giant frozen meal. You stick in the skillet and it's done in about ten minutes. Do you see all those veggies? Can't go wrong with the Green Giant!
Dessert: my very own speciality;)

Work-out:
-Ran 4 miles with Gabe
I felt so strong today. It was exhilarating. Next run we are going to tack on another mile!

I hope my review was helpful. Let me know what you think. I'm afraid it was too long. Just trying to mix it up a bit!