Great natural foods to fuel your runs

In this post I will write about some great foods that I use to fuel my runs from a short one to long runs of hours and more.
These are all raw and natural foods, because I believe the more the foods are close to their natural state, the better they will be for your health (with some exceptions).

Nuts

Almond, cashews and walnuts are great to carry on long runs as it is a great mix of fat, complex carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, potassium and even some vitamins. I sometimes like it salty in hot weather to help me ingest water more efficiently.
These constitute a natural source of electrolytes to keep muscle efficiency in your long runs and the fat can be used as fuel after an extended time running (depends on people's metabolism).

Banana

A ripe banana is a great food choice for a quick run but also in longer runs. It is a great source of potassium and high in fructose, a natural sugar found in fruits that is better used by the body than artificial sugar such as maltodextrin.

Dried figs

I like to use dried figs as fuel for any type of run as it is practical to carry, has a fairly high amount of potassium and fructose. If you are sensible while getting too much sugar at once while using energy gels, try dried figs, it feels way smoother.

dried dates

They are similar to figs for potassium but the fructose amount is about 75% which can easily replace industrial energy gels for quick and intense runs!

Watermelon

I really enjoy watermelon in warm weather because it hydrates well, is rich in vitamins C and A, and has a fairly good amount of fructose. But it isn't possible to carry so I would recommend it at the end of a run as recovery food or at aid stations during a race.

Kiwi

I wanted do add an original one in this post. Kiwis are actually easy to carry with running backpacks and if you wash it, is is possible to it the skin! The fruit is a good source of potassium and fructose but the high amount of vitamin C is its real advantage.

And if you wonder who I am to give training and nutrition advice, this post will answer the question: https://steemit.com/health/@life2dot0/my-running-history-backgroung-for-future-training-talks