Running is a popular way to take off the pounds and build long-lasting health. Women run to lower stress, increase aerobic capacity, train for competition, and tone up without the hassle and expense of a gym schedule. What you eat can be as important as your splits and your mileage. A diet that aims for a healthy balance over a week is a good strategy for controlling weight and injuries.
Basic Dietary Guidelines
A baseline for creating a healthy diet, whether you are running for sport or to lose weight, is the USDA's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans." The USDA recommends eating more fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. They include some high-protein sources like meats, fish and poultry, eggs, nuts and beans. And they caution against added sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans fats. A diet that follows these guidelines can be customized for your eating style and workout intensity.
Food Choices
Advice for marathon runners stresses the kinds of food to select --- and to avoid --- when you are working to build endurance and avoid injury. Combining grains and fresh produce, like salads and raw vegetables, gives you the most nutrients. If you eat meats, then choose chicken and fish over red meats; if you don't eat meat, use wheat and soy products for protein. A weekly all-vegetable day gives your body a break and provides lean, healthy nutrition. Forget about fast foods. Get a quick burst of energy from a low-fat yogurt and an energy bar or a banana, not a donut or a candy bar.
An Ideal Weekly Diet
"Women's Running Magazine" created an ideal weekly diet based on the following formula: 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent unsaturated fats. This allows your body to switch between burning carbs and burning fat, and improves endurance for long races or runs. A day in a weekly menu might include breakfast of oatmeal and berries, or a fruit smoothie; lunch of turkey Cobb salad and vegetable soup; and dinner of grilled salmon, black beans, steamed vegetables and a green salad. Over a week, stick to complex carbohydrates for breakfast, and lean, green menus for lunches and dinners.
Wonder Foods
Exercise is one magic ingredient for improved health and performance. The grocery cart is another. Pomegranate seeds, blueberries and cherries contain anti-oxidants that decrease inflammation. Almonds have healthy fiber and fat and lower stress fractures and tendonitis. Lentils supply great fiber, iron, protein and B vitamins. Canned salmon can promote good bone density. Kale is loaded with vitamins A and C and antioxidants. Low-fat yogurt contains probiotics that may help to prevent colds, and Greek-style yogurt have twice the protein of regular yogurt.
Tips
Don't sabotage your diet success with unrealistic expectations. A healthy diet needs a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals --- and the occasional lapse into a bite of junk food. Diminish your cravings gradually and you won't be tempted to abandon healthy eating. Decrease the amount rather than the variety of foods you eat. Use smaller plates for serving meals, split a restaurant meal with a friend, or order an appetizer or first course instead of an entrée. You want to be superfit, not supersized.
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