Veggies Before a Run? You Got It!

The other day,  I showed up for masters sipping my usual pre workout smoothie, which contains a plethora of ingredients, including my all time favorite veggie, kale.

Aside from the fact that my drink was a lovely, bright green, it brought a lot of attention due to the fact that so many of us are vehemently opposed to the concept of “too much fiber before a workout.’

While I agree wholeheartedly with the idea and certainly wouldn’t gulp down two bowls of broccoli right before heading to the track, we need to think about this rationally.

In a smoothie meant to be consumed before I workout which I’m planning to do not in a fasted state,  I typically add three or four leaves of kale.

That’s it.  

The balance is completely in keeping with what I oft recommend to clients in terms of keeping a pre workout meal closer to the model of higher glycemic carbohydrates (like a ripe, spotty banana) in roughly a 4:1 ratio to an easily digestible protein, like cage free egg whites.   

I also add a small amount of fat, usually coconut oil, along with my arsenal of spices- ginger, turmeric, cinnamon into the liquid base of green tea or raw coconut water.

How much?

It all depends on how long I’m going to be training for, and what time of day the workout is, as well as what other workouts I may be doing that day.

The bottom line is that we all need to test and see what works, and what does not.

Someone at the pool pulled me aside and quietly asked whether or not a meal like that before a run had ever caused me any ‘issues’.  What issues, I asked?  Embarrassed, she asked if it had caused a case of ‘runner’s trots’.

No need to be shy about this; those of us who are athletes, and especially those who used to be athletes that were not Paleo, and therefore were used to being ill in many, if not all workouts, have likely experienced this unfortunate situation.

Happy to report, though, that those days are ancient history, because for me, that issue was a direct result of eating a ‘nice, ‘healthy’ pre workout breakfast of a bagel and peanut butter, or some whole wheat toast’, or some equally offensive,  gluten-filled meal.

Adding just a little kale, or some kind of leafy green to all meals, even a little, pre workout, can help ensure you’re getting enough of this valuable component of a healthy, True Paleo lifestyle.