HLife | Healthy Living Redefined

Photo via berkhamstedhalfmarathon.co.uk

Dear HLife: What Should I Eat When Training for a Marathon?

Dear HLifer:

As we always say here at HLife, we don’t processed-sugarcoat ANYTHING.  The answer, straight up and simple, is: A whole food plant-based diet is the best nutrition all around for the human machine, especially when you are training for a race. Just check out my two fave athletes, amazing guys, and whole food, plant-based diet enthusiasts: Running Raw’s Tim Van Orden and professional Ironman triathlete Branden Brazier. Those guys are a great example of dramatically enhancing athletic performance by going raw and vegan. Now, if what you follow now is a Western diet, don’t freak out and attempt to switch over in one sweep to vegan or raw (or both) with no knowledge of what you are doing (I know you want to!) Make the change gradually by increasing the whole food, plant-based portion of your meals and decreasing your animal food intake. The more you increase your plant-based foods, the more your body will naturally start to reject acidic and hard-to-digest animal foods. But it would be to your greater health benefit if you were to eliminate processed/junk foods, refined sugars, and alcohol from your diet.  If the point of nutrition is to give your body quality nutrients to then turn into energy (and by the word “quality” I mean easy to digest, absorb and assimilate) then whole plant-based foods is where quality meets nutrient density.  In order to break down foods, your body needs to produce enzymes to digest them. That requires energy and since your body is already energy-depleted from the workout and runs (yes, exercise is a stressor on the body,) you need to help your body out, give it a break for recovery, and nourish it with easily digestible foods that contain a variety and a load of nutrients to replenish and create more energy. And the best way to get this: The Vegetable Kingdom! For tips and suggestions on how to begin your journey towards health and longevity through the vegetable kingdom, read our post on how to transition into a plant-based diet.

When we are training for a marathon and stressing out the body by working it harder then usual we create lots of free radicals and deplete our mineral/electrolyte count. Free radicals are uncharged molecules with unpaired electrons that are out to damage your cells. Antioxidants (which are only found in plant-based foods) act as “free radical scavengers”, preventing and repairing damage done by these free radicals. Minerals are essential for the optimal health and balance of life. Any sort of stress on the body and mind will deplete them, so we must replenish our minerals and electrolyte count in order to maintain homeostasis (balance) in the body. People who are depressed, or experiencing imbalances both mentally or physically, are mostly mineral-deficient, in other words, they are malnourished. A great way to nourish your body with loads of minerals, antioxidants and replenish your electrolytes is by making an organic, easily digestible, nutrient-dense, post-workout, raw-vegan smoothie. In this video below you will see an example of Running Raw athlete (who currently runs 70 miles a week and is coming in at the top 3 in snow races at 40 years old) Tim Van Orden’s post-workout smoothie, which is pretty similar to what I have every morning. (I add a couple of things for my lifestyle and chemistry, such as spirulina, bee pollen, raspberries and strawberries – all brain foods.)

Tim’s Post Work Out Smoothie:

Now all of us plant-eaters get the same questions asked 50 million times, “But where do we get protein? Don’t we need protein to build muscle? No, you build muscle by tearing muscle down and then allowing the body to grow the muscle through repair. The protein the body needs is not as much as we think – we need more complex carbs and plenty of good fats – and you can get high-quality protein in the Vegetable Kingdom.  An example of a protein-rich plant would be Chlorella, a green algae that has the highest content of quality protein and the most abundant source of chlorophyll on the planet, already broken down into amino acid form. If amino acids (the building blocks of protein, the stuff our bodies actually use) is what you want why go straight to the source and eat foods rich in amino acids (broken down protein) already! Chlorella, spirulina, bee pollen, and quinoa are some examples of high quality protein in amino acid form, containing a complete variety of amino acids. Vegan triathlete and author Brendan Brazier says: “Dark leafy greens are also high in protein, because of the amino acids in chlorophyll. You have to eat more, but it’s much better quality, and you don’t have to do as much work to break down the proteins during digestion. It’s an ‘energy conserving’ versus an ‘energy consuming’ food type. I eat a big green salad every day.” Brendan is the author of Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness.  In the video below, Brendan explains his experience with food as an athlete and provides us with some info about protein, calcium and more.

Elite endurance athlete Brendan Brazier talks about his  plant-based whole food diet and perspectives on optimal performance:

Also, drink plenty of pure water and get plenty of rest. H2o people, it is so important for the balance of the body. Water has hydrogen and oxygen, elements that go right into your cells. Oxygen is vital for fortifying our metabolism, mental functioning, cell regeneration, vitality, and anti-aging. Hydrogen is extremely important for the process of digestion, assimilation, elimination and also carrying nutrients across cell membranes. This is extremely important for everyone, but especially for athletes, because when you work out your body produces additional residual by-products that it must get rid of. We’re not talking about “sports drinks” when we talk about quality fluids. When it comes to health, a good example of a great natural drink is organic coconut water, an amazing electrolyte drink. But if it’s not organic coconut water, or a fresh organic juice, be sure to always choose pure water over any other refined sugar and who-knows-what-else-is-in-there drink. Combining pure water with rest is another great component to add as a habit to regenerate your body and be ready for the race – and ready for life. Cell regeneration (body repair mode) takes place when we sleep. With great quality, plant-based nutrition, mineral/antioxidant/electrolyte replenishment, plenty of rest and pure water, you are not just embarking on a top-notch athletic performance and body maintenance, but on a lifestyle of optimal health.

I’ll leave you with a great video by both Tim and Brendan who are the walking examples of top athletes who live and thrive with plant-based nutrition. To your optimal health, safe training, and conscious life. Enjoy!

Brendan Brazier and Tim Van Orden after a 2 hour run: