Runner's Diet - The Dos and Don'ts of a Runner's Diet

Many people begin running and have the wrong concept of a runner's diet. Eating the wrong foods can cause a variety of problems. The wrong foods can sabotage your weight loss plans and they can even cause performance problems as well. It is important that you eat the right foods and avoid certain foods to get the most from your running exercise program. Here is a look at the dos and don'ts of a runner's diet.

Foods to Eat

What should you be eating when you are a runner? Here are the dos of a runner's diet to keep in mind.

• DO make sure you eat plenty of carbs. You need carbohydrates when you are running. However, you don't want to eat empty carbs. You need to stick with options like whole grain breads, pastas, and other complex carbs, which gives you the energy that you need when running.

• DO eat some amount of fat. Although you may think that fats are bad, you need some fats when you are running. About 25% of your runner's diet should be healthy fats, such as the fats found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Almonds make great snacks and they include the healthy fats that your body needs.

• DO get plenty of protein in your diet. Although you don't want to overdo the protein, protein is important for building muscle and will help rebuild and repair the muscles that you use for your running workout. About 15% of your diet should be protein. One of the best foods that include a lot of protein is eggs.

• DO add greens to your diet. Greens, such as spinach, butter leaf greens, mache, and curly endive, provide great phytonutrients that act as antioxidants. This helps you to avoid muscle damage, which can occur when you are running.

• DO indulge in dark chocolate a couple times a week. You should allow yourself a treat and dark chocolate has many great health benefits. It can help to lower cholesterol, decreases inflammation, and also can help to prevent blood clots from occurring. Antioxidants are found in dark chocolate, which are important when you are running too.

Foods to Avoid

While there are a variety of foods you need to eat, there are some foods to avoid, too. Here are a few of the don'ts to remember when you are running.

• DON'T eat foods that are high in unhealthy fats. Foods that are fried and other foods high in unhealthy fats do not digest quickly and can feel like they are just sitting in your stomach. They aren't good for you and they can slow you down when you are running.

• DON'T drink drinks that have a lot of caffeine in them. Beverages that are high in caffeine can end up causing you to have diarrhea or other stomach problems, which can be a problem when you are running.

• DON'T eat a lot of dairy right before you run. Not only can these foods increase mucus, which can be a problem, but many runners report that eating dairy before a run can cause gastrointestinal distress to occur.

Follow these dos and don'ts to your diet and you'll enjoy your running work outs more and likely improve performance as well.

Consider incorporating these power packed foods into your daily diet to not only improve your performance but to help you feel better, too.

When you're short on time but need a healthy snack consider these best energy bars to give you the fuel needed to exercise without compromising your diet.

Also incorporate these foods for energy as part of your daily diet so that you can reap the benefits of increased energy naturally.

Incorporate water into your daily diet not only for weight loss benefits but improved health.

Runner's Diet Back to Jogging101

Improve your diet with these simple, easy to follow healthy eating facts that demonstrate the importance of eating healthy and can improve your overall health.

While there are a variety of foods you need to eat on a runner's diet, there are some foods to avoid, too.