When I started this blog, I think I put pressure on myself to have answers for people. I suppose I was projecting my OWN desire for answers, rules, guidance.
Paleo for runners seemed to be sort of a big deal, and I guess I bought into it. HOW do you run and eat paleo at the same time?
Anything that’s different from what we’ve always done is scary. It can also hold more weight than it really deserves. Paleo isn’t wrong, right, better, or worse. I get many questions from runners interested in paleo and paleo eaters interested in running, and it seems like there’s a lot of confusion about how paleo and running can exist together.
I show you what I eat every week, and each “What I Ate” post that I write up feels silly in a way, because at this point it’s very clear to me that running and eating paleo is simply not rocket science at all.
I am not talking about the scientific mechanisms of nutrition in the body – these are complex and I’m not qualified to discuss them – but rather practical application in daily life.
Eating, in general, is not supposed to be complicated. I know we’re hit with messages from all angles and it makes us question ourselves and our instincts. There is no need for this though, once we tune into our bodies honestly and forget the “rules” that we’ve heard from sources outside ourselves.
If you’re a runner, or anyone really, interested in paleo eating because you think it holds the secrets to the universe (or your personal path to enlightenment) you will be disappointed. Eating to meet your nutritional needs will only do just that, nothing more. Sometimes it seems like our society wants us to believe that finding the “right diet” will simply erase all of our problems and bring us happiness.
I’m not meaning to mock or judge anyone who looks for big answers in a diet.
Admittedly, I wanted Paleo to be more for me when I went into it. I wanted it to make me a faster (and uninjured) runner, I wanted it to make my stomach never, ever hurt. I wanted it to clear up my skin, stabilize my mood, tone up my body and sing me to sleep at night. I think I wanted Paleo to help me love myself more. Ouch, that sounds ridiculous, I know!
What has it actually done for me? It’s helped my stomach feel much better (not perfect), nourished my body, stabilized my energy levels, and kept me honest about my health. It’s helped me put on weight in a healthy way. Ironically, it’s helped me think about food less than I ever have. It’s also made me realize that food is not rocket science and keeping myself and my family well nourished is not too difficult.
So here is my not-so-complicated day of food! Thanks to Jenn for the WIAW link-up!
This was Sunday, the day I threw off my schedule by running at 10am due to crazy weather. Since I knew I was running I went light(er) on my breakfast that usual. Sweet plantains and two eggs fried in coconut oil at about 8am. Normally I like some meat in the morning too, but sabotaging my run with a stomach ache was not in the plan. I still felt sort of full on my run but not at all in a terrible way. The rare days I run later in the morning begin with something that looks like this.
I hate that I can’t drink coffee before running. But oh well, just another reason to get it done as early as possible! Anyway, I finally had my coffee with coconut milk at 11:45 after my run. It’s just not the same as in the morning though.
For lunch I tossed some already chopped butternut squash in my new cast iron pan with coconut oil and sea salt and sauteed, adding Aidell’s chicken apple sausage at the last minute. I put it over chopped baby spinach and an avocado with a little EVOO and extra salt on top. I wasn’t particularly hungry yet but figured I really needed the fuel after that run. Darn 10am run really messed me up!
It did not mess me up so much that I would think about skipping kombucha though! Although this filled me up so much that I wasn’t at all hungry for my typical afternoon snack.
Dinner was a burger – half lamb half beef, with organic ketchup, purple sweet potato fries, spinach, tomatoes and kalamata olives. My kids think it’s really funny when I eat ketchup for some reason. As if it was their “thing” and not for mommies 🙂
My bedtime snack was a bowl of fruit – a clementine plus sliced strawberries and banana, and some of my favorite dark chocolate. I think I made it to 10pm watching the Oscars before I went to bed. I don’t know how people stay up for the entire show! Not just because of the time, but, it just seems to drag for me.
Hopefully I also drank some water on Sunday too, but just didn’t take a picture. Hopefully is the key word. I’m not all that great at remembering water.
Do you think we make food and our diets more complicated than necessary?
Have you ever wanted “answers” from a new nutrition approach? What do you expect from your food?
Do you think we ask too much of our food, or possibly not enough? Both?
I love how honest you are with yourself. You’ve done a great job finding a healthy balance; I can feel it in your posts! The purple sweet potatoes look so pretty.
Thank you! They are pretty, and really light and crispy too 🙂
Ketchup is for all people, and in my world, the more the better 🙂 I feel my happiest when I’m not really thinking about my food much, and it sounds like paleo has worked for you in that way. Yay for figuring out what fits for you 🙂
Ketchup is for moms too 🙂 And I agree, as much as I like food it’s really just not fun to obsess over!
I definitely think they we have been led to believe that there is some secret answer to nutrition…probably because every diet in the world promises some sort of “cure all” while none of them can actually offer that. I think the concept behind paleo is the best one I have learned. I feel like I also think less about what I eat because I know if I am eating natural foods and getting a decent balance of everything that Im doing ok. I feel like there is room for “other stuff” but I stay satisfied enough that i don’t rely on junk as much as I used to. I think its helped me running too, although the pre-run meal is still a bit tricky for me!
Right, I think for people like us who want to do the “right” thing, just knowing you’re getting nutrients in takes pressure off and so there’s less to think about. It’s definitely helped my running in that I don’t worry about my stomach turning on me. I think pre-run was always an issue though, paleo or not.
Once I learned that food was more than calories and good taste, I did expect “something” from what I was eating. I learned by accident that what I ate did affect my health – menstrual cycle, allergies, eczema, inflammation that I didn’t know I had and did affect my running – more carbs, run better, less carbs, can’t run very well at all…That said, once I figured it out, I just try to eat what I want and what I know works really well for me without overthinking it to keep things as free from complication as possible. I love fruit and chocolate at night!
Yes, I think there’s only so much to learn before you get to the point you’re at, where you’re in a rhythm and don’t need to overthink. Fruit and chocolate, so yum 🙂
Have you tried the Synergy Gingerade?! SO good! It’s really refreshing too. Jenn isn’t doing the link up right now, but I’m hosting a WIAW party each week! Come join us, the link up is on my WIAW post for today 🙂
Yes that is a good one! And thank you for providing a link up 🙂
Everyone over complicates the diet thing. I think for those trying to lose weight, they’re simply looking for the magic key to lose weight and unfortunately there is not one. I get so many readers asking me why I eat certain things and not others. I always remind them what works for me may not be the answer for them. Eating is self discovery and self confidence. Once you achieve that, it falls in place. At leat that’s my opinion anyway.
I can imagine you get overwhelmed with questions from readers! You are spot on with self discovery and confidence. Learning to trust yourself and your body, I completely agree 🙂
I think it is the very nature of humans to over complicate and undercomplicate. Look at how we dress for events vs everyday life!
Lately my fashion has been undercomplicated, kind of like my food! I wear the same outfit days in a row, oops!
I agree eating should definitely not be that complicated at all! We just seem to always overcomplicate everything. Your eats look fantastic as always!
Agreed, and thank you 🙂
Very timely post with the present state of food/diet conscious times we live in. I hope each reader really takes the time to apply it to their own feelings and relationship with food. There are no magic answers to health and wellness. It is a delicate balance between the emotional and the physical. We can actually drive ourselves crazy when the emotional is allowed to over take us. I see it happening now to a beautiful woman in yoga who has alway been heavy and now thin since being on the low glycemic diet(doctor has her eating quite a bit of LG grains), but it worked she lost sixty pounds. However, it consumes her now. It’s all she talks about and focuses on. I know for me I found the FODMAP Diet is really my main issue. I MUST follow it strictly. Obviously the Paleo Diet works well with it. I have been intensely sick for the past week beyond words so I did something wrong, somewhere. Can’t seem to get back on track. With all of our busy lives, overthinking food is just a burden we don’t need. Food should be anenjoyable, relaxing time whether eaten alone or with someone, but shouldn’t consume us. When it does we need to step back objectively figure it out or seek help. Hopefully will be ready to speak with u in the spring if this protocol works. Have a great day! You are a great person!
Really agree with all you say. It’s tough to see someone become obsessed with a way of eating simply because it helped in the beginning, you know they can’t be happy that way even if they appear to be okay. Sorry to hear you’re having a rough time this week! We do the best we can to take care of ourselves but there is a lot not within our control. Hope you start feeling better 🙂
I couldnt have coffee or meat before a run either… running earlier in the day is definitely way easier on my stomach! (definitely cant skip the kombucha though-good call!)
At least we know what works for our systems! Finding that out isn’t always fun, but good to know of course 🙂
Uncomplicated is the way to go, IMHO. I guess I am fortunate in that I don’t have any “off limits” food, so I truly don’t give it much thought other than ensuring it’s nourishing and tasty. I appreciate your honesty about how you went into this. I do think our society is always looking for that magic bullet with food and that we do complicate it far beyond what it should be. Not sure what the solution is to that?
I’m not sure of the solution either, because it seems like it’s something we each have to learn in our own time and our own way, and some people keep looking for answers in food no matter how many times it’s failed them. Doesn’t help that we are constantly being sold a new diet or approach, whether as runners or just people.
i love how pretty the purple fries look 🙂 plantains and eggs sounds really good right now, i think it’s the sweet and salty combo that makes me feel excited.
geez i’ve certainly imprisoned myself with absurd and over the top food rules.. guilty! i’m SO happy i’m over that and over myself now. i used to constantly treat myself like a sick little baby kitten, so careful about what i was eating because i wanted perfect digestion and brain function… blahblahblah.
these days, after many lessons and journies, i’ve learned that i love good food, plain and simple. and good food is actually pretty good for my body, coincidentally. i tell myself that i can have anything i want, and this frees me up to just relax. i choose things that taste good and feel good, i can’t help that i want to feel good! i notice when i don’t ,but i also try not to obsess about it.
keep it simple sugar, kiss right?
morning meditation is rocking my world. in 3 days i’ve been a much nicer person to my hubby and much more relaxed with food. last night i made tuna salad last and sweet potato fries, and we ate on paper plates. no fancy salad or crazy nutritional ninja foods, just simple 5 minute stuff. he is loving this person, whoever she is 🙂
thanks for always being a great part of my day!
I love that sweet salty combo!
I relate to what you’re saying and I think we are both in similar places with food now, having been through those years of “asking” and expecting too much of it. So glad you’re enjoying your meditation. You are definitely making me want to try this, maybe one morning per week to start slowly. Always happy to hear from you as well Danielle!
It’s so sad how “complicated” food and eating how become :/ I wish we could go back to times when we just ate for nourishment, enjoyment, and love….not all that other stuff 😛
Omg…I wish I could have coffee before I run too…but it is always a perfect post-run reward I look forward too!
Agreed, and I wish we weren’t being sold different diets/nutritional approaches promising all these things! I’m guilty of buying into it.
Love what you said about food not being rocket science. It really isn’t. I feel like there’s so much pressure put on people to find the perfect diet that is never going to cause them any problems, when it really doesn’t work that way. There are SO many different factors that contribute to how we feel, and if one of those is out of whack, even the perfect diet is going to solve all our problems. Plus, our needs are constantly changing, so what worked for us a year ago might not work for us a year from now. Frustrating, but at least it keeps things interesting. Maybe 😆
Really great point about how our needs are always changing, huge reason why it’s important for our health to be open to possibilities, with diet, sleep, etc and not judge ourselves. I have recently realized that I just need more sleep than I used to, but yet I have trouble honoring that, thinking I “should” need less. Silly! And also you’re so right in that diet is just a small piece of our health puzzle, something I’m so much more aware of now than ever.
yes, it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s all about nourishment, for what works for us! i’m so glad you are feeling better mentally and physically with the paleo diet.
Thank you! For me I think paleo just allowed me to pay attention to my health and the big picture for once. I went in thinking “food” and came out with a lot more.
Totally agree with you about food not needing to be so complex. Love your meals, I just added a bunch of ideas to next week’s meal plan, so thanks 🙂
Great! Happy to inspire some meal ideas 🙂
I wanted to ask you what your stance on organic meat is. Lately I have been concerned about hormones, antibiotics, etc. in my meat and dairy, and how and if it is affecting me. I plan on doing a vegan cleanse to see if there is a great deal of difference in my skin health and energy levels. I think it is interesting that you eat quite a lot of meat, so are you very careful about where it comes from, or have you ever thought about hormone imbalances at all? By the way, I really enjoy eating meat in general, it just tastes good.
I do try to keep most, if not all, of my meat organic and all my ground meat is the grass fed variety. That is the one area I think quality and source is the most important. I haven’t noticed any hormonal issues and I have always eaten meat even before paleo, so that might factor in. I feel the best eating a good amount of meat.
Definitely isn’t rocket science. I swear the media just make it out to be much more than it is for the sake of it. How dare you use ketchup.
Ketchup is for mommys too! The media has a lot to sell us I suppose, it can be hard to pull back and not buy into it.