The Steem Running Project: Runner's Rainbow Nutrition Series--Red
Hello there runners! Welcome back for your weekly nutrition tips. I hope you are enjoying all of the content from the @runningproject so far. There have been some great articles from all of the contributors, so definitely be sure to take a look for any you might have missed. Since we have finished our basic series on food journaling and getting a handle on your current dietary habits, let us switch gears and go into some types of foods that can be great for any runner’s plate.
The next few weeks I’m going to dub the “Runner’s Rainbow” series. If you have followed my personal blog for any length of time, you know I am a fan of naturally vibrant foods of all colors. I have written quite a few little pieces about how each hue of nature’s rainbow is important for overall health and nutritional variety, and touched on it very briefly in the journaling series. However, given my current audience I will now explore in more depth how each of those different food categories is important for maintaining our strong running bodies!
Most rainbows are depicted with red as the first color, so that is where I will start out the series. It doesn’t hurt that there are so many delicious red-pigmented foods. Here are some popular ones:
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
- Red Bell Peppers
- Berries—strawberries, cherries, raspberries, cranberries
- Pink Grapefruit
- Red Onion
- Beets
Why are these so good for you? Well you have probably heard of lycopene before. Lycopene is an antioxidant that contributes to the red color of many of these fruits and vegetables. One of the biggest benefits for runners is that it can help fight UV damage from too much sun exposure. I know most of us enjoy running outside, and the benefits are tremendous for getting out in nature and soaking up some vitamin D. However, too much sun can harm your skin and contribute to anything from simple aging all to the way to skin cancer. Loading up on lycopene-rich foods (in addition to proper external sun protection) can help cancel out some of that damage.
Another benefit is that many of these foods contain a high amount of vitamin C (namely the bell peppers and grapefruit). Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant known mostly for its role in immune health. While I know we all try to be smart about overtraining, it is sometimes a fine line between pushing our bodies hard enough to improve in speed and endurance and also allowing for enough rest to allow proper recovery. Consuming enough vitamin C can help your body recover from the oxidative stress from the demands of training, as well as supporting your immune system to assist your body in fending off things like the common cold. It is never fun to try to keep up your training with a head cold, strep throat or any other illness.
One of my more recent favorites is beets! I know, a lot of people love them or hate them. However beet juice in particular has been studied quite a bit lately as an excellent way to enhance cardio-respiratory function. Beets are high in naturally occurring nitrates, which end up getting converted into nitric oxide in the body. (source: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/beets/) Anyone ever tried one of those pre-workout powders before? Most of them contain nitric oxide to improve blood flow which can enhance your endurance during a workout. Why take a powder, when you can eat real food? I loaded up on beets in my meals and smoothies around my last half marathon, and while I can’t tell you if it really helped my performance during the race I think they definitely helped my body recover very well afterwards.
These are just a few of the benefits specific to running, though you will be most likely to see even more positive changes to your overall health by including more colorful foods. Try to find the foods that are in season where you are to get the highest nutrient content. Watermelon and tomatoes are not in season right now, but I have access to red onion and loads of beets at the moment. Regularly incorporate the ones you know you enjoy, but then don’t be afraid to branch out every now and then to try something a little different. If all else fails, hide them in dishes where you can’t tell that they are there. ;)
What are your favorite red foods?
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I have been eating a lot of beetroots recently I had read that they help with endurance activities.
Yay! I'm happy to hear that. What's your favorite way to eat (or drink) them?
I used to buy them uncooked and wrap them in baking paper then in alfoil and bake for an hour or more until a fork goes in easily. But now I buy the packages of ready cooked ones and just add them to other salads and veggies. I wasn't saving any money cooking them myself. I don't make smoothies I just don't find them very satisfying I need to eat solid food.
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I am gonna have to go with Red Peppers as my favorite red veggie and watermelon as my favorite fruit. I am so thankful to be able to devote more time to our meals and prep since we are not working. Eating healthy makes all the difference in the world. Being 30 minutes away from fast food also helps me stay on track :) Now if I could just learn to like beets.
Those are excellent choices! I use red peppers all of the time in my cooking. Watermelon is one fruit I need to enjoy more when they are fresh, sweet and juicy in the summer! Do you grow either of those on the farm?
I know beets are still tough for a lot of people! Though I've known a few people who don't mind them hidden in a chocolate cake. ;) Haha!
2016 was my first garden. It was while we lived in the barn and in a 10x10 dog kennel. That kept the deer out and it was FULL of veggies. I raised much more than I should because we had no fridge (just a yeti cooler), no stove (just a wood stove) so I cooked the heck out of stuff. 2017 we were just moving in our house so I had what I referred to as my kitchen garden. It was enough to keep me busy and I canned quite a bit for my first year. I had more peppers than anything.
Red, Green, Yellow, Anaheim, Jalapeno, and cayenne. I put pepper in everything. I canned a lot of rotel and Marinara with the peppers, tomatoes and onions. This year I am planning a big girl garden and so excited. We just finished our deer proof fence so I am hopeful everything will not get eaten before I get to it. I have watermelon seeds from Baker Creek so this will be my first year with those. The mice ate my watermelon seedlings in the greenhouse last year before I could even plant them. We put a wildlife camera in there and I couldn't believe my eyes. Oh the joys AND disappointments.
Can I come be your neighbor? ;) Sounds awesome. I know contending with critters can be tricky, but can you blame them when you have such yummy stuff to tempt them?
I think we've had 2 watermelons reach maturity in our little garden, but not a lot of luck with peppers other than jalapeno peppers yet. We don't have a big space set aside, but enough to get some fresh goodies.
The pigments that contain the red fruits, help the circulation, become a great ally for blood pressure problems.
My favorite strawberries, I could spend all day consuming them.
I can't wait to go strawberry picking again this year! They are so good fresh off the plant. A healthy circulatory system is important for everyone, but especially for runners wanting to perform at their best!