Prior to going paleo just over 2 months ago, if had you asked me if I suffered from any sort of GI distress or digestive problems, I would have said no. I was always regular, maybe a little too regular sometimes. Certainly 6 movements a day was not unheard of! Far from being an issue, I saw this as a sign of a healthy constitution.
After going paleo, I noticed that my movements were less frequent but other than that I didn't really give it too much thought. Last night we celebrated my mother-in-law's 68th birthday. Naturally, we had some champagne and a few glasses of red wine. The meal was paleo (homemade lamb tagine) save for 2 spoonful's of couscous but I did follow it up with a slice of pecan roulade and a slice of tarte aux citron (both of which were shop bought).
Fast forward to this morning and did I feel rough?! As I mentioned above, I had a couple of drinks but nothing close to making me feel that bad. My stomach was lurching and I had to take an emergency pit stop halfway through my run! Then I realised, prior to going paleo, I used to feel like this most mornings. I was a big proponent of Tony Audenshaw's "2 poo strategy" (listeners to Marathon Talk will know what I mean). In fact, mine was often a 3 poo strategy.
I appreciate that this is not the most pleasant of topics to write about (or indeed have to read!) but I wanted to highlight the fact that in my pre-paleo days, I felt that my GI health was good and perfectly normal. It is only now that I have made these nutritional changes that I am able to look back and see that what I experienced this morning was anything but normal!
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Friday, 13 June 2014
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
A quick update on my quest to become a fat burning beast!
So, I have been eating a paleo / primal diet for just over 2 months now.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have found the transition to a low carb diet really easy and I am someone who has always eaten a lot of carbs and sugary snacks.
Mark Sisson says that a good way to test if you have become a fat burner (also known as fat adapted), it whether you can skip a meal without feeling feint, ratty or any other symptoms you would usually associate with missing a meal. Previously, I would have struggled going even a few hours without a meal or a snack and my wife could always tell when I was heading for a sugar low because I would become really short and snappy! I am now at a point where I can comfortably go for 6 hours without feeling the need to eat. Often, that window will have included some exercise.
When I adopted this way of living I felt that the challenge was always going to come when I wanted to teach my body to burn fat (rather than carbs / sugar) during my long runs. I feel I am well on my way to becoming fat adapted and I have been able to run for over an hour and a half without any fuel (and even in a fasted state). This is running at my sub-aerobic threshold of less than 135 BPM (or 75% of my max heat rate). The trouble is, currently this equates to roughly 9:30 minute miles. My target mile pace for Chester Marathon is 8:00 minutes per mile. As you can see, I have some work to do in order to be at 75% of my max HR whilst running at 8:00 minute pace!
Having run an easy 10k on Saturday, I tried for a fasted 9 mile effort at marathon pace on Sunday. I don't mind admitting that I found this harder than expected and simply wasn't able to hold the pace in the final few miles. It is all well and good being able to go for 6 hours without needing to eat but I need to ensure that I have enough fuel for my runs, so this was a good lesson in this regard.
I have faith in my training plan (which starts on 17th June). I used the same plan for Berlin last year and I remember how my fitness improved on those longer, marathon paced efforts. Of course, I was a sugar burner last year, so it will be interesting to see how my body copes with those longer training runs this time around. Watch this space!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have found the transition to a low carb diet really easy and I am someone who has always eaten a lot of carbs and sugary snacks.
Mark Sisson says that a good way to test if you have become a fat burner (also known as fat adapted), it whether you can skip a meal without feeling feint, ratty or any other symptoms you would usually associate with missing a meal. Previously, I would have struggled going even a few hours without a meal or a snack and my wife could always tell when I was heading for a sugar low because I would become really short and snappy! I am now at a point where I can comfortably go for 6 hours without feeling the need to eat. Often, that window will have included some exercise.
When I adopted this way of living I felt that the challenge was always going to come when I wanted to teach my body to burn fat (rather than carbs / sugar) during my long runs. I feel I am well on my way to becoming fat adapted and I have been able to run for over an hour and a half without any fuel (and even in a fasted state). This is running at my sub-aerobic threshold of less than 135 BPM (or 75% of my max heat rate). The trouble is, currently this equates to roughly 9:30 minute miles. My target mile pace for Chester Marathon is 8:00 minutes per mile. As you can see, I have some work to do in order to be at 75% of my max HR whilst running at 8:00 minute pace!
Having run an easy 10k on Saturday, I tried for a fasted 9 mile effort at marathon pace on Sunday. I don't mind admitting that I found this harder than expected and simply wasn't able to hold the pace in the final few miles. It is all well and good being able to go for 6 hours without needing to eat but I need to ensure that I have enough fuel for my runs, so this was a good lesson in this regard.
I have faith in my training plan (which starts on 17th June). I used the same plan for Berlin last year and I remember how my fitness improved on those longer, marathon paced efforts. Of course, I was a sugar burner last year, so it will be interesting to see how my body copes with those longer training runs this time around. Watch this space!
Friday, 30 May 2014
Getting started on the Paleo Diet
As someone who is new to this lifestyle and way of eating, I thought it might be useful to tell you about some of the resources I have found useful.
In my last blog on going paleo and becoming fat adapted, I referenced Mark Sission's Daily Apple website. I strongly recommend signing up to his free newsletter as the information provided will give you a basic understanding and blueprint for going primal.
The other resource I have found really useful are the Run Paleo podcasts, hosted by Aaron Olsen. I have been listening to these from the very beginning and have learned a huge amount about nutrition and the paleo lifestyle. He has some excellent guests that provide a broad range of ideas, theories and information from you to draw on.
I also follow Professor Tim Noakes on Twitter. He regularly posts interesting (and some might say, slightly controversial) articles. He is well worth a follow.
Finally, I have been using the Paleo Primer cookbook for the majority of my meal ideas. The book provides you with an easy to understand introduction to going primal, the basic framework and the theory behind it. Most importantly, the book contains 100's of fantastic recipe's, many of which can be prepared and cooked in less than 20 - 30 mins. This is essential for me because if an evening meal (or breakfast) is going to take hours to prepare and cook, then its just not going to be practical for me and I am unlikely to be able to stick to it. The book was originally released as 'Fitter Food - A lifelong recipe for Health and Fat Loss', before being rebranded as the 'Paleo Primer', I think largely to target an American Audience.
In my last blog on going paleo and becoming fat adapted, I referenced Mark Sission's Daily Apple website. I strongly recommend signing up to his free newsletter as the information provided will give you a basic understanding and blueprint for going primal.
The other resource I have found really useful are the Run Paleo podcasts, hosted by Aaron Olsen. I have been listening to these from the very beginning and have learned a huge amount about nutrition and the paleo lifestyle. He has some excellent guests that provide a broad range of ideas, theories and information from you to draw on.
I also follow Professor Tim Noakes on Twitter. He regularly posts interesting (and some might say, slightly controversial) articles. He is well worth a follow.
Finally, I have been using the Paleo Primer cookbook for the majority of my meal ideas. The book provides you with an easy to understand introduction to going primal, the basic framework and the theory behind it. Most importantly, the book contains 100's of fantastic recipe's, many of which can be prepared and cooked in less than 20 - 30 mins. This is essential for me because if an evening meal (or breakfast) is going to take hours to prepare and cook, then its just not going to be practical for me and I am unlikely to be able to stick to it. The book was originally released as 'Fitter Food - A lifelong recipe for Health and Fat Loss', before being rebranded as the 'Paleo Primer', I think largely to target an American Audience.
The team behind the book are called Fitter London. You can visit their website, which has some great recipes and to find out more about the book here.
Anyway, these are the main resources I have found helpful in adopting a paleo / primal way of eating and hopefully they can help you to. Of course, you are welcome to drop me a line on the blog if you have any queries.
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
My quest to become a 'fat adapted' runner
Disclaimer: The following is purely a personal account of my experience of trying to become fat adapted. Please do not take any of the following as nutritional or exercise recommendations.
I have been aware of the paleo or primal diet for some time now. I didn't give it much attention as I believed that, as an endurance athlete (in the loosest sense of the term!), I required a lot of carbs to fuel my training and races. This is a common understanding/misconception. I didn't really see any reason to change and, let's face it, I like cake!
The thing that really changed my thinking on this was an interview with nutritionist Barry Murray on the Marathon Talk podcast. During the interview Barry speaks about the benefits of eating a higher fat / low carbohydrate diet and, in particular, how this way of eating can be beneficial to an endurance athlete. I won't go into the science of it here but if you are interested in the concept of the paleo way of eating and, in particular, how you can become 'fat adapted', I recommend having a listen to the podcast here.
This interview with Barry and also Tom's (one of the Marathon Talk presenters) account of his experience of becoming fat adapted and his subsequent performance at the Manchester Marathon was a complete revelation to me. The timing of this information coincided with my wife (who is not a runner) wanting to lose some weight. We both thought that 'eating paleo' seemed to make a lot of sense, if only for cutting out the processed foods and the amount of sugar we were eating. So, in early April 2014 we started eating paleo. I don't plan to go into what that involves here as there are people that are far more knowledgeable and better able to educate you on the subject. I would recommend visiting the superb Mark's Daily Apple by Mark Sisson as a great resource for everything paleo / primal.
I didn't make these changes to my diet as a means of losing weight (although I was probably a few pounds over what I believed to be a 'good weight' for me). At the beginning of April, I was pretty much bang on 11 stone and my body fat percentage was around 16%, so not exactly heavy for someone of 5' 10" and 39 years old. What appealed to me, was adopting a way of eating that would have long term health benefits and at the same time, allow my body to become more efficient at burning fat as a primary source of fuel during marathon and ultra marathon races.
Inside of 4 weeks my wife and I noticed an increase in energy levels and felt much better generally. I lost about 6 lbs, my wife (who is sedentary) almost a stone. The other thing to remark on was that I was (and still am) really enjoying what I am eating. The food is really tasty and satisfying. I have had a few 'treats' since and haven't stuck too rigidly to the paleo way of eating if I am at a function or having a meal out. I guess I am eating paleo on a 80/20 basis. Interestingly, things like a take-away curry or a chocolate dessert that I used to covert as a treat, really don't hold the same appeal to me anymore and I am someone who has always had a really sweet tooth! As such, I really don't miss the things that I thought I would struggle to give up.
In the last week or so, I have noticed that I am becoming more 'fat adapted'. I am no longer ravenous when I wake up and I am able to go 6 hours quite comfortably without eating. At the weekend, I only had 2 meals each day and I ran 8 miles each day (one run in a fasted state) and played golf once. My total weight loss, since starting in April is 10lbs (current weight: 10 stone 4 lbs) and my body fat is down to 13/14%. I am eating more fat and losing fat /weight. I wouldn't have believed it possible 2 months ago!
Now, I am not in training for any marathon's at present, although I did run the Dukeries Ultra recently. I wasn't sure about my level of fat adaptation at that stage and didn't feel confident enough to completely go low carb/no carb during the race, instead opting for a more 'natural carb' approach to my nutrition. You can read about my experience here.
I will begin training for the Chester Marathon in June. I am hoping by that stage, I will be more fat adapted and better able to tackle the longer training runs on less carbs. Watch this space to find out how I fair in my mission to become a fat burning machine!
I have been aware of the paleo or primal diet for some time now. I didn't give it much attention as I believed that, as an endurance athlete (in the loosest sense of the term!), I required a lot of carbs to fuel my training and races. This is a common understanding/misconception. I didn't really see any reason to change and, let's face it, I like cake!
The thing that really changed my thinking on this was an interview with nutritionist Barry Murray on the Marathon Talk podcast. During the interview Barry speaks about the benefits of eating a higher fat / low carbohydrate diet and, in particular, how this way of eating can be beneficial to an endurance athlete. I won't go into the science of it here but if you are interested in the concept of the paleo way of eating and, in particular, how you can become 'fat adapted', I recommend having a listen to the podcast here.
This interview with Barry and also Tom's (one of the Marathon Talk presenters) account of his experience of becoming fat adapted and his subsequent performance at the Manchester Marathon was a complete revelation to me. The timing of this information coincided with my wife (who is not a runner) wanting to lose some weight. We both thought that 'eating paleo' seemed to make a lot of sense, if only for cutting out the processed foods and the amount of sugar we were eating. So, in early April 2014 we started eating paleo. I don't plan to go into what that involves here as there are people that are far more knowledgeable and better able to educate you on the subject. I would recommend visiting the superb Mark's Daily Apple by Mark Sisson as a great resource for everything paleo / primal.
I didn't make these changes to my diet as a means of losing weight (although I was probably a few pounds over what I believed to be a 'good weight' for me). At the beginning of April, I was pretty much bang on 11 stone and my body fat percentage was around 16%, so not exactly heavy for someone of 5' 10" and 39 years old. What appealed to me, was adopting a way of eating that would have long term health benefits and at the same time, allow my body to become more efficient at burning fat as a primary source of fuel during marathon and ultra marathon races.
Inside of 4 weeks my wife and I noticed an increase in energy levels and felt much better generally. I lost about 6 lbs, my wife (who is sedentary) almost a stone. The other thing to remark on was that I was (and still am) really enjoying what I am eating. The food is really tasty and satisfying. I have had a few 'treats' since and haven't stuck too rigidly to the paleo way of eating if I am at a function or having a meal out. I guess I am eating paleo on a 80/20 basis. Interestingly, things like a take-away curry or a chocolate dessert that I used to covert as a treat, really don't hold the same appeal to me anymore and I am someone who has always had a really sweet tooth! As such, I really don't miss the things that I thought I would struggle to give up.
In the last week or so, I have noticed that I am becoming more 'fat adapted'. I am no longer ravenous when I wake up and I am able to go 6 hours quite comfortably without eating. At the weekend, I only had 2 meals each day and I ran 8 miles each day (one run in a fasted state) and played golf once. My total weight loss, since starting in April is 10lbs (current weight: 10 stone 4 lbs) and my body fat is down to 13/14%. I am eating more fat and losing fat /weight. I wouldn't have believed it possible 2 months ago!
Now, I am not in training for any marathon's at present, although I did run the Dukeries Ultra recently. I wasn't sure about my level of fat adaptation at that stage and didn't feel confident enough to completely go low carb/no carb during the race, instead opting for a more 'natural carb' approach to my nutrition. You can read about my experience here.
I will begin training for the Chester Marathon in June. I am hoping by that stage, I will be more fat adapted and better able to tackle the longer training runs on less carbs. Watch this space to find out how I fair in my mission to become a fat burning machine!
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Review: BEET IT Sport shots
A few weeks ago Sport Pursuit were good enough to send be a couple of shots of BEET IT Sport. I had already heard about this product and the potential benefits of taking beetroot juice as a supplement for people participating in sports and had seen runners and sports teams promoting the benefits of this natural supplement. Now, I enjoy beetroot on salads but I was a bit sceptical about whether I could stomach it as a drink!
As I am currently training for the Berlin Marathon, I have been increasing my weekly mileage and a lot of my mid-week runs (which I tend to run before work) have been in excess of 10 miles. When you are pushed for time in the morning, it does present you with a bit of a challenge in terms of ensuring your nutrition is right and you have enough energy for a longer session. I wouldn't usually eat anything prior to an early morning run, sometimes opting for a banana if I feel in need of a bit of energy or have a longer session to run.
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I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the BEET IT Sport shots. The smell was sweet and the taste was better than I expected, no doubt in part to the natural lemon juice. The consistency was slightly thicker than I expected but nowhere near as thick as say a protein shake. The fact they come in 7cl shots means you can down them in one or two gulps even if you don't think you'll enjoy the taste! I can't comment as to the scientific benefits of beetroot juice but I have read enough to know that the high nitrate content in beetroot is good for you and I did feel good on those longer early morning sessions when I'd had a shot of BEET IT Sport.
If you would like to find out more about BEET IT Sport. You can read about it here: http://www.beet-it.com/sport/
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| Maybe you should just BEET IT?! |
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the BEET IT Sport shots. The smell was sweet and the taste was better than I expected, no doubt in part to the natural lemon juice. The consistency was slightly thicker than I expected but nowhere near as thick as say a protein shake. The fact they come in 7cl shots means you can down them in one or two gulps even if you don't think you'll enjoy the taste! I can't comment as to the scientific benefits of beetroot juice but I have read enough to know that the high nitrate content in beetroot is good for you and I did feel good on those longer early morning sessions when I'd had a shot of BEET IT Sport.
If you would like to find out more about BEET IT Sport. You can read about it here: http://www.beet-it.com/sport/
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