Candy and Cupcakes for Runners?
Really?
Lovely article in one of my running magazines last month, indeed, which discussed:
- Why things like candy corn are fine to eat before a run (because, and I quote, “Candy, which is mostly sugar, supplies easily digested carbs which is your muscles’ preferred fuel”, although it might behoove you to eat a meal with nutrition such as “instant oatmeal or whole wheat toast and jam”)
- That as long as someone runs and “eats right, a 300-calorie cupcake as a daily indulgence is no problem”; and goes on to suggest “Every day you should eat three cups of veggies, three pieces o fruit, six servings of whole grains, two to three servings of dairy, six to eight ounces of protein and a bit of healthy fat.”
Oh, for crying out loud. Come on! Why do we continue to buy this garbage? Yes, to the first point, our muscles do use carbohydrate as fuel, but why on earth would we intentionally source that fuel from ‘things’ (I really hesitate to call them food) that contain corn syrup and dye (candy corn, seriously) or not just oatmeal, but instant oatmeal, so it’s even more processed?
The second statement is just completely broken. But why should I be surprised? A mainstream magazine which advertises grain based products, dairy based products and whole bunch of other junk that is just… junk, wouldn’t be the neatly packaged little publication that it is, all shiny and glossy, if it dared to suggest something as extreme as not eating six servings of whole grains and three servings of dairy. Where would the benefit to the dairy board and agricultural industry be in that case?
And eight ounces of protein? In an entire day? I can only hope that was a recommendation for either a two year old or a very, very small adult.
If you read these mags because you’re an athlete and you want your body to perform, it’s not too tricky to sort it out.
Eat real food, and then you will move better. Faster, stronger and leaner.
Can’t really put it much more succinctly than that!
