She Runs Eats Performs

Understanding Body Composition

Body composition is an area most runners focus on but maybe for different reasons. 

For some it may be about losing body fat to reach an appropriate weight, for others it may be to lose body fat to alleviate or prevent certain health concerns….and for others still it may be more about optimising lean body mass to support run training and performance in races/competition. 

So, to help you understand the importance of APPROPRIATE body composition depending on your goals we will address the following 3 questions:

1. What is BODY COMPOSITION and how is it measured?
2. Why is it important for health and running?
3. Which foods/nutrition could support appropriate/optimal body composition?

SHOW NOTES

(06:57)

Defining Body Composition as determined by the Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science and Medicine before moving on to highlight different approaches to measuring Body Composition  

(11:34)

Outlining factors to consider when deciding which method of measuring Body Composition to use. For example; cost and accessibility then moving on to discuss the most popular method i.e. Body Mass Index (BMI)

(15:19)

Moving on to discuss the advantages and drawbacks of two other popular methods of measuring Body Composition. They are: Skinfold Assessment and Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

(25:25)

Delving into the WHY of appropriate body composition for general health and running performance with a focus on the importance of adequate body fat levels for energy production and hormonal function amongst other roles. But also outlining the detrimental effects of excessive fat mass.   

(32:51)

Body composition is dynamic and everchanging so here we look at factors that may influence the degree of fat mass for any given individual

(35:31)

FEMALE FACTORS

1. Weight gain appears to be more significant in women compared to men as they age
2. Due to human physiology, women have a higher value of fat mass than men, BUT, in general it is thought that more men are overweight and obese besides women
3. With age women tend to show a gradual increase in Fat Mass with a simultaneous decrease in Free Fat Mass and Total Body Water. There is a theory that in the post menopause phase when the production of oestrogen from the ovaries declines that fat cells manufacture small amounts of oestrogen and this may be a reason women have increased fat mass at this time of life
4. Men, on the other hand tend to significantly decrease in Fat Mass after 40 years of age with a simultaneous increase in FFM and TBW. This is thought to be due to the fact that in men, the peak of body weight increase with age occurs much earlier followed by a normalisation or decrease in body weight

Note: Fat accumulation in both sexes will proceed with different intensity, depending on their:

• Nutrition
• Physical activity undertaken
• Lifestyle

(40:13)

Nutrition to support appropriate Body Composition: Focusing on Carbohydrate and its influence on circulating insulin levels and the impact of that. 

(47:16)

Nutrition to support appropriate Body Composition: Focusing on Protein and its influence on muscle protein synthesis and lean muscle mass

(52:28)

Nutrition to support appropriate Body Composition: Focusing on the different types of Fat and their influence on body fat mass 

(57:48)

RELATED TOPICS:

Eating Enough to Run

Blood Sugar Balance for Female Runners

Resistant Weight Loss for Runners

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Appropriate Body Composition is important for general health as well as running performance and it will be different for everyone depending on their goals
2. There are many ways of measuring body composition, some of which are more accurate than others. BUT which approach is used will depend principally on accessibility and budget
3. Optimal body composition does not mean reducing body fat to as little as possible because SOME body fat is essential for general health and running performance
4. Optimal body composition is more about getting the balance between lean body mass and fat mass, with a limited amount of visceral fat (the fat around the organs, which is metabolically active)
5. Remember body composition is dynamic and ever changing and there are lots of factors to be considered when determining an individual’s Body Composition. For example: Lifestyle, Age, Gender, Level of physical activity
6. Carbohydrate, protein and fat are the principal nutrients influencing body composition therefore WHAT FOODS containing each and HOW MUCH of each is consumed needs to be considered

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded female runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

if this is your first time your show and you’d like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact us at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Please DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EBOOK TO ACCOMPANY THIS EPISODE.

Today we are covering Part 2 of Finding time for Food Planning for Runners. You may remember that in E92 we discussed the first 3 steps of “how to find time to fit in food planning” and we also talked about why food planning is so important for runners.

The FIVE STEPS are:

1. STEP 1 Discover your FOODIE planning personality (I’m always intrigued to find out what peoples planning personalities are!)

2. STEP 2 Make Healthy Choices (that was where we all created a short list of healthy meal choices)

3. STEP 3 Make a Plan – we chose a 2 days to put our plan into action

4. STEP 4 Be prepared

5. STEP 5 Commit to action

The steps are a simple process to help you food plan in a quick and easy way. We also suggest that you download our FREE E-book to accompany these 2 episodes.

It’s a simple process we designed for YOU to get used to taking the steps towards having a healthy runners food plan, without it being a big deal, we know you’re busy, you probably have lots of priorities, but we also know running is a priority and so we imagine that enjoying your running and recovering well is also a priority and that is why we always end every episode by saying “don’t let nutrition be the limiting factor in your running performance”.

SHOW NOTES

(04:22)

Step 4 – being prepared.

To ensure that you are prepared, you'll need to shop for the essential ingredients for your chosen meals.

Now this step really is about creating a shopping list or checking maybe that you already have the ingredients in stock.

So look at your two day menu plan that you created in step two and write down a list of the food and ingredients that you require.

Listen for TIPS on how to create your shopping list and personalise it so it saves you time.

(10:20)

What did Karen discover when she did her shopping list?

(15:12)

Step 5 – Commit to Action!

So here we go commit to action, which really is about doing your shopping, and then actually cooking and eating your meals. So planning and timing, really, go hand in hand, you need to create time to plan, then your plan will save you time. Now creating time is what will help you be successful and reaching your goals. So on this final part of your challenge, plan your time for your food shopping and preparation.

(17:43)

How and where to shop. Karen and Aileen share their food shopping plans.

(21:54)

Planning time for Food preparation in advance or on the day. It’s important to plan time to prepare, cook and eat, it’d be a shame if you didn’t make time for the final step. If you’re short of time to prep and cook find out about our healthy fast food styles of meals.

(32:56)

Listeners Q&A

Anne loves the idea of food planning but what should she do if she fancies eating something else on the day and then risks wasting the food she’s bought. Listen to hear our feedback.

Kay batch cooks at the weekend, and finds by mid week she has run out of food so tends to eat off plan – what organisational and time saving tips do we share?

Della has a busy work life, she sometimes forgets to eat which drives her towards fast unhealthy choices – what do we suggest.

Other questions we answer:

I've got a busy family life and I find that my stop running snacks are eaten by the rest of the family. Have you got any tips?

I like the idea of our fallback menu plan, or some go to meals, what would you suggest?

I've got very repetitive diet and I’m not a good cook how can I get more variety?

Why do I have to add what type of run and when I’m runniNg on the menu planner. What is the reason and benefit?

(53:11)

Key Take Aways

Our Vision for the 5-STEPS is that once you’ve practiced them, you’ll be able to seamlessly do the STEPS – easily. You’ll have cut out any resistance and procrastination around healthy food planning and have found time to plan so that is no longer a reason or excuse for you not to have a runners nutrition plan.

Having a healthy food plan in place promotes

• ENERGY

• BODY COMPOSITION

• IMMUNE HEALTH (really crucial post covid)

• HORMONE HEALTH (key for women)

• MENTAL HEATH (we need a healthy food plan to promote our mood and mindset)

We want you to prioritise your runners food plan so that it is as important and easy as putting on your running shoes.

Finally, please if you haven’t already downloaded your ebook – please do so …here. It’s also on our website www.runnershealthhub.com

When we do the live training we usually do a FREE PRIZE DRAW at the end to win a recipe book so what we thought we’d do this time is do a draw including anyone who downloads the ebook by the end of May 2022 and we’ll make an announcement. We usually let the winner choose from a list of our favourite books and we’ll post it to you.

Related Topics:

Food Planning for Runners Part 1

Healthy Fast Food For Runners

In a Runners Kitchen

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded female runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

if this is your first time your show and you’d like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact us at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

In this episode we discuss some foods to help promote great postmenopausal health as a woman and a runner so you may enjoy running into older age and minimise the risk of health conditions associated with postmenopausal years.

We will focus on 3 groups of nutrients to support post menopause.

We will outline the nutritional properties of each and consider how they may be added as part of your meal plan with some menu ideas.

The 3 nutrient groups we’ll be discussing today are

1. Protein

2. Bone Building Nutrients

3. Phyto-oestrogens

SHOW NOTES

(00:26)

Why are we talking about post menopausal nutrition or runners?

(03:37)

Trends in running, there are more female than male runners for the first time in history. In total female participation has risen from under 20% in 1986 to just above 50% in 2018.

https://racemedicine.org/the-state-of-running-2019/

(06:34)

What is the post menopausal phase of life and how do women know they are post menopausal?

(09:14)

The health risks associated with post menopause.

(12:37)

Why is protein consumption important for post menopausal runners and how much protein is required.

(17:09)

In the postmenopausal phase, runners must protect really against osteoporosis and the risk of fractures. We discuss the role of bone building nutrients.

Food sources of Calcium include: Milk, Cheese, Sardines, Dark Green Leafy Vegetables, Nuts, and Seeds.

Food sources of Vitamin D include: Oily fish, Eggs, Butter and Mushrooms.

Vitamin D is made naturally by safe sun exposure to your skin. For optimal Vitamin D status you may require to test status and perhaps take supplements.

Food sources of Magnesium include: Dark Green Leafy Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds.

Food Sources of Collagen: eating adequate protein alongside foods rich in vitamin C, zinc and copper will support collagen production.

Food Sources of Trace nutrients: eating a wide range of fruit and vegetables may help to provide these trace nutrients or alternatively consider a multi supplement.

(21:11)

Phytoestrogenic foods and their role in post menopausal nutrition.

(28:42)

Food and Menu Ideas for post menopausal nutrition.

Breakfast – Overnight Oats with Berries, Yoghurt and Milled Flaxseed OR Green Bone Building Smoothie

Lunch – Sardine pate with oatcakes and salad or Lentil and Tofu Soup

Evening Meal – Mexican Beef or Veggie Chilli with brown rice and rainbow salad OR Marinaded Ginger Sesame Seeded Chicken or Salmon or Tofu served with a stir fry of edamame beans, broccoli and cauliflower

Snacks – Hummus with Crudites, Cup of Miso Soup, Homemade Protein Bounce Ball, Dark Chocolate with a few Almonds

Other resources

Menopausal FAQ

Postmenopausal Syndrome

Post menopausal Medical News

(34:12)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Postmenopause is a life phase which starts 12 months after our last period and lasts for the rest of our life – which we hope will be long and healthy.

2. Health Risks associated with this stage of life include sarcopenia, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

3. Focussing on optimal protein consumption, bone building nutrients and phyto-oestrogenic foods will help support our overall health and running as we age.

4. As an older runner it is key to maintain lean muscle mass and protect against injury especially fractures.

5. Resistance and strength based exercise is as important as the food you eat so give both equal priority.

Ensure you eat enough! We didn’t mention this however there is a tendency for people to reduce their food intake as they get older and this may inadvertently lead to nutrient

Related Episodes:

Muscle Mass to Power Your Running

Focus on Smoothies For Runners

Bone Health Part 1

Bone Health Part 2

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded female runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

if this is your first time your show and you’d like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact us at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Healthy Mind for Happy Running

Introduction

Exercise and nutrition are known to play a role in developing and altering brain function and studies have shown that both exercise and nutrition could affect mind/mood and cognition positively and negatively. So, we:

1. Outline some mind/mood symptoms runners may experience and why
2. Discuss foods/nutrients that may induce negative or promote positive mood and mindset in runners
3. Create a one-day meal plan you may wish to consider for a healthy mind and happy running

SHOW NOTES

(06:56)

Discussing the positive endorphin effects of moderate running before moving on to outline the potential negative psychological effects of intense and/or prolonged running

(10:51)

Considering the potential drivers of detrimental mind/mood symptoms associated with endurance or intense running.  

(19:37)

FEMALE FACTORS

1) The strain of mental health (and behavioural disorders) is estimated to account for more years of lived disability than any other chronic health ailment. From data collected between 2007 to 2017 the global proportion of disability-adjusted life years caused by mental ill-health has increased from: 

• Males: 12.7% to 14% 

• Females: 13.6% to 14.4%

So, from these statistics, the years lived with mental ill health has increased for both men and women, however it would appear women are at increased risk of developing mental health issues besides men. 

2) Female *obligatory (obsessive) runners are most at risk of eating pathophysiology than their male counterparts or non-obsessive runners

3) Commitment to running can occur without addiction in female runners but not in males

NOTE: * Obligatory runners - obsessive runners who sacrifice commitments and relationships for running and suffer withdrawal symptoms if they miss a run 

(24:38)

Highlighting potential dietary lifestyles that may enhance mental wellbeing or possibly be a driver of poor mind/mood and cognition symptoms with a focus on the common Western Diet and the Traditional Mediterranean Diet. 

(35:39)

Exploring foods/meals to support positive mental wellbeing therefore enhance running performance

Foods discussed include: Eggs, legumes, fermented foods, and a variety of vegetables.  

(43:53)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Moderate running is known to be a therapeutic tool for different negative psychological conditions, such as: depression, anxiety, tension, mood changes and low self esteem 
2. However intense and/or prolonged running may lead to detrimental mind/mood symptoms in some people
3. Our diet can also affect our emotions and cognitive function in a positive or detrimental way with the common Western Diet leading to low mood/cognition and the Mediterranean diet encouraging positive emotions and mindset
4. A compromised immune system and a poor gut microbiome are thought to be the key drivers of low mood/cognition due to their influence on inflammation
5. As well as affecting us physically, inflammation is known to affect: Energy, Sleep and Motivation….amongst other things
6. Increasing intake of whole foods and following a traditional Mediterranean diet has been found to diminish many emotional/psychological symptoms such as low mood/depression/anxiety

RELATED EPISODES:

Eat Sleep Run

Food for Gut Healing

Endurance Running and the Immune System

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded female runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

if this is your first time your show and you’d like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact us at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Fuelling....Marathon Running

 Introduction:

Moving from moderate running to marathon running is a huge jump, and often runners forget to adjust their food plan accordingly. This can lead to a constant feeling of hunger, losing too much weight, getting ill or getting injured…all of which could affect performance. So, to help support YOU with your marathon running we answer the following questions:

Q1 – What is the aim/goal of nutrition for marathon running?

Q2 – How much and when do you need to eat pre and during a marathon

Q3 – What should you eat pre and during a marathon

SHOW NOTES

(05:20)

Outlining the key goals of nutrition for marathon running including:

1. Optimal Body mass and anthropometry (ie physical size, shape, form, and functional capacity)
2. The body’s capacity to use macronutrients (particularly carbohydrate) to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP – our energy currency) economically over the duration of the event
3. Maintenance of reasonable hydration status – especially in the face of sweat losses induced by exercise intensity and the environment. Remember hydration is a limiting factor in running performance!!

(10:18)

FEMALE FACTORS:

Female runners tend to possess lower VO2max values than male runners and this is thought to be due to factors including: 

• Males having Higher haemoglobin concentrations, which increases O2 delivery at the maximal cardiac output
• Males generally having lower fat mass than females

NOTE: VO2 max is the maximum or optimum rate at which the heart, lungs, and muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise.

(14:06)

Discussing a nutrition protocol in the days and hours leading up to a marathon with a focus on HOW MUCH and WHEN to eat including:

Days prior to a marathon event:

• Carbohydrate loading protocol beginning 36–48hrs prior to the event 
• Consuming carbohydrate in levels between 6-12g/Kg BW/d. This will be very individual
• Should this protocol be undertaken in conjunction with a low residue (fibre) diet?

Hours prior to a marathon event:

• Consuming a meal containing between 1–4 g/kg of Body Weight of Carbohydrate
• Consuming a carbohydrate rich meal between 1-4-hrs pre-race. 
• Should this meal be low fibre and contain limited protein and fat?

Immediately before a marathon event:

• Consuming a quick release Carbohydrate rich snack
• Consuming the snack approx. 30mins before the event 

(21:02)

Outlining WHEN and HOW MUCH to eat DURING a marathon event including: 

• Consuming quick release CHO rich foods throughout
• Carbohydrate content of food being between 30-60g  
• Consuming a snack every 45–60 mins.

(25:55)

Focusing on WHAT to eat in the days and hours leading up to a marathon event, with some comments on a low vs high fibre diet at this time

Foods to eat in the days prior to a marathon event:

• Wholegrains
• Root vegetables
• Lean Protein
• Plant-based protein
• Non-root vegetables

Foods to eat on the morning of a marathon event:

If there is 2-4hrs before the race then consume 2-4g/Kg BW respectively of CHO food sources

• Wholegrain and root vegetables as carbohydrate choices at this time
• Lean protein sources
• Plant-based protein
• If there is less than 2hrs before the race quick release CHO foods are recommended e.g. white bread, white rice, polenta, white potato

Foods to eat 30mins before a marathon event:

• Medjool dates
• Raisins
• Banana
• Ella’s Kitchen pouches

(37:38)

Outlining WHAT to eat during a marathon event:

• Medjool dates
• Raisins
• Ella’s Kitchen pouches
• Natural bars or gels e.g. Honey Stinger, Veloforte, Tribe

(41:29)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. It is really important to consider your nutrition and food intake when running a marathon….especially your CHO intake 
2. The key aim of nutrition for marathon running is efficient energy production throughout the event and CHO is the principle macronutrient to achieve this
3. Remember, CHO is one of the limiting factors in exercise performance, with hydration being the other one
4. Race-day nutrition needs to begin in the few days leading up to the race as well as on the morning of…and during the event…..all of these protocol timings are equally important for peak performance
5. The guidelines suggest a low fibre protocol in the days leading up to a marathon but, although this approach may have some advantages, it also has several disadvantages including: A reduction in micronutrient density, food cravings and poor food choices
6. FINALLY…..PRACTICE during training…..practice, practice, practice is the key to success

Related Topics

Race Day Success: Nutritional Strategies

Nutrition for Half Marathon Plus

Your Marathon: Run-Refuel-Recover

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

DOWNLOAD BONUS e book to accompany this episode Too busy to make a healthy food plan?

INTRODUCTION

“Food planning” seems to be the stumbling block or barrier to having a successful runners nutrition plan”.

We know the feelings of frustration at never having enough time to shop for and prepare easy, healthy meals and snacks to fuel YOUR RUNNING. (it's been a challenge for us too) ...

Having lots to do is REAL LIFE – we all are super busy and have lots of responsibilities BUT if we don’t find time to have a healthy food plan everything suffers – ENERGY, BODY COMPOSITION, IMMUNE HEALTH (really crucial at this time), HORMONE HEALTH (key for women), MENTAL HEALTH (we need a healthy food plan to promote our mood and mindset) so that’s why we really focus on helping women find space and time to make planning HAPPEN as easily as possible. JOIN us to learn our 5 Steps to easy food planning over 2 episodes.

SHOW NOTES 

 (00:48)

The background to Food Planning for Runners and how to download our accompanying ebook.

 (04:46)

STEP 1 Discover your FOODIE PLANNING PERSONALITY – a bit of fun to give you insights into how you approach your food planning or not! Alongside some tips to help you.

(11:39)

Aileen and Karen’s FOODIE PLANNING PERSONALITIES

(16:09)

STEP 2 MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES. This step is all about coming up with a simple list of meal choices. The reason for a list is once you’ve done “the thinking” all you have to do is choose! Later , you can update your list anytime.

(17:57)

Reflect on your personality type and how you approach your food planning or not … you can ask yourself …

·      How much time do you currently set aside for food preparation and cooking?

·      Also, which foods do you currently eat that you would like to change to more healthy options?

·      Think about HOW you currently eat. Is it leaving you energised or exhausted?

·      HOW could you change your meal ideas to ensure that eating leaves you feeling satiated and healthy?

(23:31)

Where to get inspiration from when choosing meals.

(32:28)

STEP 3 – MAKE A PLAN

Choose 2 days to put your menu plan into action and then choosing meal choices from your list. DON’T OVERTHINK IT just do it. Planning can be difficult for some people so, don’t overthink it – just do it – it’s a 2-minute job to choose the 2 days and then maybe 5 minutes to pick the meal choices from your list

 (38:49)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Our Vision for the 5-STEPS is that once you’ve practiced them, you’ll be able to seamlessly and easily do the 5 STEPS. You’ll have cut out any resistance and procrastination around healthy food planning and have found time to plan, so that is no longer a reason or excuse for you not to have a runners nutrition plan.

Having a healthy food plan in place promotes

·      ENERGY

·      BODY COMPOSITION

·      IMMUNE HEALTH (crucial post covid)

·      HORMONE HEALTH (key for women)

·      MENTAL HEATH (we need a healthy food plan to promote our mood and mindset)

 We want you to prioritise your runners food plan so that it is as important and easy as putting on your running shoes.

Finally, please download your ebook – click here SHOW NOTES and join us on episode 96 for part 2 and STEPS 4 and 5 - where we help you put everything into action!

DOWNLOAD BONUS e book to accompany this episode Too busy to make a healthy food plan?

Related Topics:

Healthy Fast Food For Runners

In a Runners Kitchen

Nutrient Timing For Performance

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Hormonal symptoms can be very disruptive to a female runner so anything you can do to promote hormonal balance is going to help you enjoy your running and stick to your training plan.

Today we are focusing on a major disruptor of hormonal balance which may influence PMS and Menopausal symptoms – we all know what they are don’t we?

We are going to talk about how pesticides on fruit and vegetables act as an endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC). Endocrine is another word for hormonal and these EDC’s act as fake hormones and can cause ‘disruption to natural processes’ so potentially very harmful.

We are going to discuss

·      How the Dirty Dozen Clean Fifteen list of fruit and vegetables may help you make healthy choices?

·      What vegetables support hormonal balance and where do they fit into the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen?

·      What practical things we can all do to minimise pesticides and toxins from vegetables

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SHOW NOTES

(01:41)

What are endocrine disruptors, and what are their effects on the hormonal system.

 (05:39)

Explaining the concept of toxic load.

 (09:37)

What is the Dirty Dozen Clean Fifteen concept?

 Read more at

 www.ewg.org

https://www.pan-uk.org/

 (17:20)

What vegetables support hormonal balance and where do they fit into the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen?

 (24:06)

What practical things we can all do to minimise pesticides and toxins from fruit and vegetables? What to buy and is buying organic produce best?

 (27:39)

Natural ways to clean your vegetables to minimise toxins.

 (32:57)

We’d love you to take 1 Key Action after today’s episode and that is to look up one of the websites we’ve mentioned.

Read more about the Dirty Dozen Clean 15 at: www.ewg.org or Pan UK  https://www.pan-uk.org/

This will really help your overall awareness about the potential harm pesticides may cause our health in general but especially our hormonal balance.

Related Topics:

Love Your Liver

Hormone Health in Mid-Life

Perimenopause and Performance

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

The Vegan Diet for Running

The Vegan Diet for Running……is it a suitable one? The vegan diet has certainly become very popular in recent years and many well know athletes have adopted this lifestyle choice, however is it suitable for a runner? We explore this question and:

1. Delve a little deeper into what exactly the Vegan diet is
2. Explore some of the potential advantages and disadvantages of The Vegan Diet for Running
3. Discuss some of the nutritional factors of a vegan diet that a runner would need to be consider

SHOW NOTES: 

(05:31)

Outlining the vegan diet and the various reasons why people adopt this lifestyle choice 

(08:56)

Discussing some of the potential advantages of a vegan diet for general health 

(13:25)

Looking at some of the potential advantages of a vegan diet for a runner: 

(16:21)

Outlining how a vegan diet could potentially hinder running performance 

(23:48)

FEMALE FACTORS:

1. Low energy availability is more common in female athletes than their male counterparts, especially in sports where lean body mass is required. Some athletes may adopt the vegan diet as a way of reducing body mass through low energy intake
2. It has been found that female vegans appear to have lower iron stores than female omnivores (so females who eat meat and plant-based foods) and are more prone to iron-deficiency anaemia BUT…male vegans appear to have a SIMILAR iron status to their male omnivore counterparts 
3. Also, male vegans appear to be less impacted by iron status than female vegans, which would make sense as women have their menstrual cycle, which is known to impact significantly on iron status…certainly in some females 
4. Iron deficiency (without anaemia) is known to reduce endurance capacity, increase energy expenditure and impair endurance exercise adaptations in females as we mentioned earlier. This seems to occur when iron is deficient at TISSUE level, not storage level

(30:43)

Focussing on the importance of optimal protein intake if following a vegan diet with an emphasis on the Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and anti-nutrients limiting protein absorption.  

(35:08)

Outlining some protein-rich foods suitable for the vegan diet and how to combine them to ensure “complete protein” is consumed daily. Also determining the recommended daily intake of protein when following s vegan diet 

(41:11)

Considering the importance of Vitamin B12 when following a vegan diet

(48:36)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1) The vegan diet is becoming more and more popular, certainly in the UK and across Europe….and possibly elsewhere in the Western world

2) There are several well-known athletes who follow a vegan diet, suggesting it could be an approach to eating that may support athletic performance…

3) Paying attention to key nutrients would be essential to a healthy vegan diet for a runner: Nutrients include:

• Protein
• Omega 3 FA
• Iron
• Vitamin B12
• and others

4) It must be noted that certain nutrients CANNOT be obtained from a completely plant-based diet therefore supplementation would be recommended. For example: Vitamin B12 and Omega 3. 

5) To attain an adequate intake of the other nutrients the diet would need to be varied and attention paid to anti-nutrients that may limit absorption

6) Finally, research suggests that a well-planned and appropriately constructed vegan diet COULD be nutritionally adequate for most individuals, however there is currently very little evidence-based research supporting the vegan diet for athletes. Most evidence is still either anecdotal or clinical

Related Topics:

Iron Woman: The mineral not the event

FOCUS ON Calcium

Eating Enough to Run

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

Listener's Nutrition Clinic March 2022

This is the first episode of our LISTENERS NUTRITION CLINIC where we answer questions we have received from YOU, our listeners and followers. 

These are questions linked to YOUR nutrition for your running, performance and personal goals….so, if you have any questions you would like us to answer/discuss in this space then do get in touch with us at [email protected]. 

We will host this Listeners Clinic periodically and will choose 3 questions we have received from our listeners to discuss; giving some TIPS that will hopefully support the individual posing the question…but also give you all some hints and guidance.

The questions we answer today are:

1. How do I ensure I am eating enough to fuel the amount of activity I am doing? – posed by Liz 
2. I am struggling with urgency to go (runner’s trots), could it be linked to what I eat, I am hoping you can help me asked by Claire  
3. I have been on a low CHO diet for ages, how do I introduce them when I am scared of them? queried by Rebecca

Show Notes:

(03:10)

Giving some background information linked to Question 1: How do I ensure I am eating enough to fuel the amount of activity I am doing? posed by Liz. Looking at:

• Her training
• Her nutrition
• Her symptoms/concern

(06:05)

Our recommendations for Liz to help support her running and nutrition concerns: We discuss:

• Her food choices for breakfast, lunch and snacks
• Timing of her food intake
• How to ensure she is eating enough

(17:20)

Some general TIPS to help all runners ensure they are eating enough for their training including:

1. Don’t skip meals and don’t skimp on the meals surrounding training runs 
2. Focus on balanced meals
3. Remember to eat PRE/DURING/POST training runs where appropriate

(23:36)

Introducing Question 2: I am struggling with” urgency to go” (runner’s trots), could it be linked to what I eat, I am hoping you can help me asked by Claire. Background information includes:

• Her struggles with and thoughts about why she experiences urgency to go
• Timing of her food intake
• Examples from her detailed one-day food diary

 Some additional information on her current fibre intake is discussed  

(29:07)

Our recommendations for Claire to help resolve her “urgency to go” concerns: We discuss:

• Adjusting her fibre intake
• The use of a symptoms diary
• Observing for potential triggers including: foods, beverages, medications/supplements, anxiety

(35:37)

Some general TIPS to help all runners who may be suffering from “Urgency to go” include:

1. Consider whether there be an underlying food sensitivity/intolerance occurring? Maybe keeping a food and symptoms diary could help determine this
2. Address pre-run eating habits - think about what you eat immediately before a run, and work backwards - do you need to do a food swap e.g. if dairy yogurt is the trigger then swapping it for a coconut yogurt
3. Remember sugar prompts the body to release more water into the GI tract, which can make the stool looser – so if your diet has a high sugar content…try reducing it

(44:57)

Outlining Question 3: I have been on a low CHO diet for ages, how do I introduce them when I am scared of them? A query from Rebecca. We highlight:

• Her current weekly training plan
• Her nutrition struggles 

(46:47)

Our recommendations for Rebecca to help introduce carbohydrates strategically: We discuss:

• Introducing Carbohydrate foods slowly
• The timing of carbohydrate intake
• How much carbohydrate to eat depending on training load 

(56:07)

Our final message:

1. Remember it is not about overeating CHO, it is about eating ENOUGH of them to fuel your running and performance and recovery
2. Remember that we are all INDIVIDUAL. The recommendations suggested today may not be suitable for EVERYONE
3. If you feel you require a more personalised approach to your nutrition for your running then do get in touch with us to discuss how we could work with you 
4. You can book an introductory call with us via our website www.runnershealthhub.com Just click on the “work with us” tab on the tool bar at the top right side of the home page and complete the form

Related Topics:

Eating Enough to Run

Runners Gut

Macronutrients to help Runners go Faster and Longer

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com 

As a runner one of our key health goals is to stay healthy, avoid illness and infections so we can stick to our training programme and race schedule. Optimal Vitamin C status will support overall health, but in particular a few roles of Vit C, which could support a runner include:

• Act as an anti-oxidant

• Help protect against infections by supporting the immune system

• Supports collagen production which is key for musculoskeletal health

• It is involved in the energy production cycle

• And also supports iron absorption

SHOW NOTES

(00:09)

An Overview of Vitamin C and signs of deficiency

 (04:05)

How much Vitamin C do we need?

 (06:36)

Food Sources of Vitamin C and how to optimise Vitamin C in your food plan.

(09:44)

How may Vitamin C support a runner?

 (11:23)

Vitamin C as an anti-oxidant.

 (12:57)

The role of vitamin C and the immune system.

 (14:30)

Vitamin C and Collagen production.

 (20:16)

Do I need to supplement with Vitamin C? Will it support my running performance?

 (22:45)

Can Vitamin C support collagen production and recovery from injuries?

 (25:41)

Can Vitamin C supplementation help to alleviate DOMS?

 (28:02)

Choosing a Vitamin C supplement – what to consider.

 (34:35)

 KEY TAKEAWAYS 

1.    Vitamin C is an essential water-soluble nutrient humans can’t produce it or indeed store it in our bodies, so we need to get it from our diet.

2.    It’s vital to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day to maximise our food intake of Vitamin C.

3.    Optimal Vitamin C status will support the overall health of a runner including acting as an anti-oxidant, supporting the immune system, collagen production, iron absorption and energy production.

4.    Muscle strength and function are not influenced by vitamin C supplementation. However, individuals with a poor vitamin C status may benefit most from supplementation and in turn this may support running performance.

5.    Runners may benefit from supplementation following an injury or to support recovery when following and intensive training programme (may help with energy and DOMS).

6.    Supplementing between 500mg and 2000mg may be supportive and the Tolerable Upper Level is 3000mg per day.

Further Reading

 Vitamin C FACTS

Antioxidants and Exercise Performance: With a Focus on Vitamin E and C Supplementation

Efficacy of Vitamin C Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress After Musculoskeletal Injuries

Recent Progress in Applicability of Exercise Immunology and Inflammation Research to Sports Nutrition

LISTENER OFFER

One of our favourite VITAMIN C supplements is from a company called YOUR ZOOKI – their vitamin C is in a small sachet and comes in 2 flavours – Watermelon and Citrus.

ONE Sachet delivers 1000mg of Vitamin C and there’s also some Vitamin E added which we have learned today appears to work well with Vitamin C.

We both use YOUR ZOOKI supplements and really love them …

www.yourzooki.com

If you’d like to give YOUR ZOOKI a try use our special discount code- RUNNERSHEALTHHUB20

When added at checkout, this discount code will provide you and your friends and family with 20% off the entire Zooki range, including bundles and subscriptions.

 Related Topics

Iron Woman

Vitamins and Minerals For the Female Runner

Nutrition to Solve DOMS

Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and

advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact

your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.

Aileen Smith and Karen Campbell met at as nutrition students (Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London) and became lifelong friends and nutritional buddies! Both have a love of running and a passion for nutrition, delicious food and healthy living.

Together they host RUNNERS HEALTH HUB. A place for like-minded runners who are looking for simple ways to support running performance, energy, endurance, and general great health.

We are excited to be able to share our expertise, experience and short cuts with you. We hope you'll join us again. If you'd like to know more about us and She Runs Eats Performs please check out our TRAILER.

If you're ready to make learn more about how you may introduce easy nutrition into your running and training plan join our Easy Nutrition For Healthy Runners Online Programme for short videos, recipes, downloads and LIVE training and Q&A.

As a THANK YOU to you as one of our valued listeners, we have a special offer for you use COUPON CODE POD to get 33% discount off the full price which brings the price to £199.

If you’d like help from Karen and Aileen to design a personalised sports nutrition plan for your running - please contact them at [email protected]

Happy Running!

Aileen and Karen

www.runnershealthhub.com