Running is an activity that ensures complete exercise of the body and mind. This form of activity works up all the organs of the body and is recommended for all age groups.
Running being such a holistic activity also needs a lot of preparation and the most important of it is following a proper diet plan. It has been noticed that people who are into professional running usually consume protein and calorie rich diet that, but in the form of protein shakes and bars. Although, there is nothing wrong in these, expert dieticians and fitness consultants like Heather Weber Merrill Lynch suggest that having wholesome natural produce is much more beneficial than having these ready made products.
So, here’s a diet plan that is just designed to suffice the nutrition requirements in the best possible manner.
The very first rule in this plan is eating foods that are made of and comprise a lot of seeds. Seeds have the following nutrients in plenty:
- Essential fats
- Phenolic compounds
- Ferulic acids
Consuming foods that are made of seeds helps people in maintaining a balanced body weight. These food products are such that along with giving a booster dose of energy they also help in preventing type 2 diabetes as well as many forms of cancer. In fact, consumption of seeds rich food also helps in proper regulation of a person’s cholesterol levels.
The second rule in this plan is consumption of foods of 5 different colours. As well all know, the colour that different fruits and vegetables have is owed to the different pigments that they are rich in. If you consider the complete range of foods, you will see that there are more than 400 pigments that are prominent in different food items.
So, here’s a quick list of foods that are rich in certain pigments:
- Pomegranate: The rich red colour in the fruit comes from anthocyanins that are in plenty in this fruit.
- Tomatoes: A compound called lycopene is responsible for that tomato red colour.
- Carrots and sweet potatoes: Beta carotene is responsible for the colour that these vegetables have.
Along with these, there are several other useful proteins and compounds in each of the vegetables and fruits and that is precisely why it is important to consume whole foods to get wholesome nutrition.
Plan 3 in this whole some diet plan is consuming food with the skin intact. Except a few fruits like bananas that have thick skin, fruits like apples and grapes must be consumed with the skin intact. In fact, runners and athletes must also try to consume most of the vegetables with the skin intact because the skin of fruits and vegetables are rich in fibres as well as substances that ward of microbes and other forms of toxins. In fact the fibre present in the skin of vegetables also helps in reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the blood, thereby reducing the risk of arterial blocks.
Thus, as Heather Weber Merrill Lynch suggests, having whole foods in their natural form is highly beneficial, especially for sports persons as they offer many health benefits.
