After the holidays were over (and the excuses for gorging on cookies evaporated), I felt sluggish and… ugh. I needed a nutritional reset. I wanted to jump start the year so I would be ready for all of the awesome trail running adventures I have planned in the future. So Adam and I decided to do our second ever Whole30 during January. Of course, since most of the country is collectively “on a diet” with New Year’s resolutions running rampant, it was a great time to do it (i.e. less tempting treats in the office.)
Not familiar with Whole30? Basically, for 30 days you follow these guidelines:
- No dairy
- No added sugar (real or artificial)
- No legumes
- No grains
- No alcohol
It’s not about losing weight (although that can be a benefit), but it’s more about resetting your health, habits, and relationship with food. For example: stopping that afternoon candy bowl raid at the office that causes you to ride a wave of emotions and vow to “be better” while the wrappers are still in your hands. Been there. Whole30 can also be helpful if you suspect you have negative reactions to certain food groups and you’d like to figure it out with an elimination diet. (There’s a reintroduction period at the end of the 30 days if you’d like to pinpoint those negative reactions.)
So, what can you eat?
- Meat
- Vegetables (no peas or corn)
- Fruits
- Nuts (no peanuts)
- Some oils (olive, canola, avocado)
Here is a super helpful shopping list from the Whole30 website with more details. Also, please know that there is no limit on volume of food. You’re supposed eat full meals and avoid mindless snacking (who couldn’t use improvement on this?) This is not a cleanse or “diet” in the traditional sense. You won’t blow away in the wind with a lone piece of lettuce in your hand acting like a kite. The goal is to strip away the crap and nourish your body with real food!
I can already hear you saying, “but wait, what about yogurt/chickpeas/oatmeal/quinoa/other healthy food??” Whole30 is not saying that those are foods are inherently bad or unhealthy. I’m not qualified to explain the science and reasoning behind temporarily eliminating those foods, However, it relates to the impact that some of these foods can have on your hormones, nutrient digestion, and inflammatory response. Of course, not everyone has issues with these food groups, but Whole30 is a way to figure that out. Just remember, it’s only 30 days. Your healthy, non-compliant foods will be there when it’s all over. (I’m psyched about eating oatmeal again, trust me.) 🙂
If you’d like more granular detail about the Whole30 program, I’d recommend going to the Whole30 website. There’s a lot of great information there if you’d like to learn more. Or please feel free to ask me questions in the comments below!
Of course, January is when I restarted my ultramarathon training with my fabulous coach, Jess Mullen. Generally, it’s not recommended that you do Whole30 when training for a big event. However, it’s early in my training cycle so it’s really an ideal time for me. This meant I needed to have a strategy for mid-run fueling because that delicious beef stew with veggies wasn’t exactly Salomon pack portable. I didn’t have any huge mileage or big races during this month (I didn’t go beyond 13 miles), so I can’t speak to how this would work with longer distances (yet).
So, that all sounds fine and well, but let’s talk what I actually ate while on Whole30.
Pre-Run Fueling
I love making a hot breakfast every morning, and this worked out well for me during Whole30. However, I know not everyone has time for this! Here are just a few pre-run meal ideas:
- Fried eggs with roasted vegetables and potatoes (my personal favorite breakfast)
- Make-ahead egg muffins (with vegetables and potatoes baked in) – it’s a very easy on-the-go snack
- Sweet potato “toast” with your favorite toppings (avocado, compliant almond butter/banana/cinnamon, etc.)
- Apple slices with compliant almond butter
- Banana (if all else fails and you can’t handle a big breakfast before a run!)
Mid-Run Fueling
I’m not one of those cliché ultrarunners who lives off Coke, pizza, and beer, so some of my standard trail snacks still worked for me while on Whole30. However, my precious Glutinos clearly did not! <sob> Here are my favorite whole food options:
- Boiled potatoes with salt
- Roasted sweet potato with salt, pepper, and curry powder
- Dates
- Oranges/clementines
- Bananas
No time to boil/roast up some potatoes? There are packaged items that could easily be consumed mid-run. Some fine examples:
- Larabars – check the labels. Not all are compliant, but they are an easy trail snack. You could also make your own – there are loads of recipes online.
- Compliant baby food with apple, sweet potato, carrot, etc (I like Happy Family Organics and Peter Rabbit Organics – read the labels)
- RXbars – again, check the labels. Not all are compliant, but many are. I personally did not enjoy the texture of these, but Adam loves them, so try them out if you’re curious. (Remember, we’re all an experiment of one!)
- Homemade trail mix of nuts and compliant dried fruit – nuts are hard for me to digest on a run, but they’re a favorite of Adam’s out on the trail.
Something to keep in mind if you’re new to eating “real food” out on a run or snacks of this nature – pay attention to your water intake. It’s important that your stomach gets enough water to digest solid food. It’s easy to not drink enough water during cooler winter runs, so consider this a friendly reminder.
Beverages
A quick note for all of your folks who can’t live without your caffeine – coffee and tea is allowed! Just not creamer and sugar. For post-run, obviously Gatorade is a no-go, as well as most standard electrolyte drinks. Coconut water (without added sugar) is allowed as long as it’s used in an athletic context and doesn’t replace water as your standard beverage. Also, smoothies and juices are generally discouraged (since they’re a big hit of fruit sugars that you can gulp down and not chew). However, if you really want to make a fruit smoothie with compliant ingredients to replenish yourself post-run, they’re technically allowed. You do you.
With our second Whole30 completed, I can safely say that I am very pleased with my results!
- My sleep improved. I fell asleep quicker and experienced a more restful sleep. That’s a big deal for me.
- My energy was better. I didn’t feel groggy in the morning and I had consistent energy throughout the day. This was also noticeable during my runs. Stable blood sugar meant no energy dips for me while out on the trail.
- My mind felt sharper. No foggy afternoon brain.
- My body composition changed. Your body becomes more adept at burning fat, so in turn, I leaned out a little bit. Always a plus.
- I felt more in touch with my body. I noticed this especially on runs. I felt more aware and connected to my muscles as they worked. I realize this sounds a little hippy-dippy, but hey, it was my experience.
- And yes, I did lose a little weight. Holiday cookies be gone! This wasn’t my primary goal in all of this, but I had hoped to get down to a better racing weight. I was successful. 🙂
To conclude, I found Whole30 to be very useful at the beginning of a training cycle. It was a great way to give a little boost to my athletic performance and help me feel strong at the start of the season. Whole30 does require a bit more meal planning and food preparation, but since I wasn’t yet doing 50+ miles a week, I had the time to dedicate to it.
Of course, I hope to maintain some of the eating habits I acquired during the 30 days since I felt so GOOD during the month. Sometimes, though, a girl just needs a cookie…or a dram of delicious whisky. And that’s okay! I just want to do my best to nourish this body of mine since I ask so much of it out on the trails.
I hope you found this brief primer in Whole30 helpful, whether or not you’re a runner. Please let me know if you have any questions – I’d love to connect with you!
