What to Eat?!?!

Last week, I felt like doing something spontaneous. So I decided to be crazy and sign up for a Fourth of July 5k race. Waking up at 6:30 am on a holiday/ day off does not sound like a good time. But again, I’m crazy and love waking up early, especially if it involves running. With a race being so early in the morning (early for me is like 7 am-8 am range), I NEED to eat! I know a lot of people are not big fans of breakfast. But, I absolutely LOVE breakfast. In fact, I look forward to it (as weird as that might sound). Before my last 5k, I surprised myself by being able to have my regular English muffin drenched in butter, 2 special K breakfast bars, 2 Belvita bars, and some little pastries. Not to mention, my full cup of coffee with the 7 packets of blue sugar (nutritionists worst nightmare). Surprisingly, I completed my race within the 8 min mile range and did not experience any GI problems. However, this time around I want to eat a breakfast in which I can satisfy my hunger the right way and obtain energy.

So, my Google search was on. I began researching foods I could eat before hand and found an article on the American Heart Association website. According to the American Heart Association article “Food as Fuel- Before, during, and After Workouts”, fueling up before exercise is important. For example, if I were to run my 5k race on an empty stomach, my chances of completing that race would decrease tremendously. I would not be able to run at my regular speed and diminish my chances of completing the race at a good time because I lack the fuel that my muscles and overall body needs to move at a regular pace. This advice applies for any type of work out whether it may be a race, sports event, or gym routine. It is always important to refuel. The article goes onto to provide three key suggestions for refueling:

1.)Drink water
2.)Eat healthy carbohydrates (examples that the article provides: whole grain cereals, plain whole wheat toast, low fat or fat free yogurt, whole grain pasta, brown rice, fruits and veggies)
3.)Avoid saturated fats and healthy protein (since they are slow to digest which might cause stomach ache throughout your workout).

Saturated fats: my sweet tooth morning obsessions like cookies, cakes, chocolate bars
Protein foods: unless eaten at a couple hours before the race I do not think they would affect       performance. However, based on experience, whenever I ate scrambled eggs, I always have to wait forty five to even an hour before I start my morning jog. But again, everyone is different. What I did learn is practice. Do not eat something you have never eaten before a couple hours or even an hour before the race. Always be aware of what your body is able to digest especially under race circumstances. 

 These three suggestions will help me plan out my meal plan for the morning before my race. Sadly, I do not think my sweet tooth can be satisfied the morning of my race. However, I think just by having some plain whole wheat toast, a banana with a cut up strawberries, and maybe a low fat yogurt will help satisfy my hunger for the morning. Fingers crossed, maybe I can even win the race!! :)


 Source Below:
 http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Food-as-Fuel---Before-During-and-After-Workouts_UCM_436451_Article.jsp

 The American Heart Association is a reliable source for anyone looking for information regarding proper nutrition. Also, the association offers ways to help get active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I highly recommend this site!!