The cave girl has left the building. Well, for now anyway. Inspired by my recent reading into all things 'paleo', I've been avoiding sugar and grains for six weeks or so now, trying to find out whether it makes me feel better. It doesn't. Okay, I may have had a few lapses during that time. The race weekend was a big one. But on the whole I've done well to stay off bread, pasta and sugary things (even cake). It has been hard work! I'd planned to stick it out through October, but I feel even more tired than I did before, and I think it's now time to agree it's not for me.
I can't call it a true 'paleo' experiment because I've slipped up so many times. The tiredness has probably been caused by the sheer exhaustion of looking for something I'm allowed to eat. I've always disagreed with the idea of cutting out whole food groups unnecessarily, but I wanted to give this a chance. It turns out that 'Paleo' and vegetarianism really don't mix. It's been almost impossible to find things to eat, and I've ended up eating far too much cheese, potatoes and nuts. I tried eating more fish but the truth is, I don't like it. I think the only way to do 'paleo' and stay healthy is to eat lean meat and fish. But I'm not ready to give up being vegetarian, even for a short while.
Brian did do really well in the couple of races he took part in soon after we altered our eating pattern. So there are certain elements that I think we will keep up. Gone is the never-ending supply of supermarket bread. And the evening snacks of chocolate and cereal. But I still believe there isn't anything wrong with the occasional cake. So I think the way forward is to think less about what not to eat and more about what to eat. The extra veggies, soups, eggs, nuts and, oh okay, a little bit of fish will stay.
I love nutrition. The more you read into any nutrition topic, the more you learn that nothing is black and white. Paleo diet advocates will tell you that grains are bad for you and should be eliminated. Carb-lovers will tell you that saturated fat is the work of the devil. I think there's good and bad in most things. Take quinoa as an example. If I believed everything in 'The Paleo Solution' I'd never touch it again, on account of the fact that it contains saponins, which apparently punch holes in your gut. Nice. Just reading about it made me feel like I'd been punched in the stomach. But these aren't just found in quinoa, they're also present in onions, spinach, peppers, tomato seed and asparagus, all of which are okay in the 'paleo' world. A review in the British Journal of Nutrition explains that saponins have a range of positive and negative effects. Although, in test tube conditions, they have been shown to increase the permeability of gut mucosal cells, they also boost the immune system (not necessarily a good thing if you have an autoimmune condition), lower cholesterol and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Food is supposed to be pleasurable, and I don't want to spend my life miserable, eating things I hate and obsessing over what harm one food may do to me. A varied diet should balance out the pros and cons of individual foods.
I'm not saying that 'paleo' isn't the perfect way to eat. It may well be for many people, and I would support anyone who wanted to give it a try. But the perfect diet is only the perfect diet if it's something you can stick to.
Showing posts with label the paleo diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the paleo diet. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Primal scream. Or... are nutritionists stupid?
I consider myself to be a very open-minded person. I base my views on what I read, what I see, and my general experiences of the world around me. And I’m always happy to be proved wrong.
In my role as a public health nutritionist, I’m bound by a professional code of ethics that essentially requires me to base what I do on up-to-date scientific evidence and prevents me from giving unsubstantiated advice. That doesn’t stop me from reading up on some of the more ‘out-there’ dietary theories. In fact, I really enjoy leaning things that challenge my own views and those of ‘conventional wisdom’. I always want to delve deeper, learn what the theories are based on, and what people’s experiences of following them are.
As mentioned in previous posts, at the moment I’m really interested in Paleo/Primal diets and have been experimenting with unleashing my inner cave-girl. I wouldn’t describe these diets as a fad, and think that there’s a lot of merit in following a simpler, more natural way of eating than the processed-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life stuff we tend to find all around us these days.
I’ve been really enjoying reading Robb Wolf’s new book, The Paleo Solution. Wolf is a former research biochemist, so the book is well-referenced, but it’s also funny, to-the-point and easy to read. So I was a bit disappointed when I discovered that Wolf, along with, it appears, many of his Primal/Paleo friends, is so vehemently anti-nutritionist. I’m aware that people who follow the Paleo lifestyle are often evangelical about it. But surely that doesn’t necessitate intolerance of others who may not share their views.
For example, Wolf states (p. 34) that: “we are being held hostage by an Orwellian nutrition and health research community” while, in response to a recent report on obesity levels around the world, Dr Michael Eades recently tweeted: “Does speaking English make one fat? Or are English-speaking nutritionists just ignorant (or stupid)?” I got back to Dr Eades, asking him how nutritionists were suddenly to blame. He replied: “Nutritionists make nutritional recommendations. People follow them and get fat. Ergo, figure it out.” Sounds like a nice man!
A large proportion of the population does not base their diets on the recommendations of nutritionists. My experience working with low-income families shows me that cost, convenience and taste are often higher on their list of priorities when it comes to food choice. And cheap, processed food is all around us. It takes effort to follow a healthy diet. Recent dietary surveys show us that, while people may have followed government advice to cut down on saturated fat, they still eat too much sugar, and not enough fruit, vegetables and oily fish. In order to help people eat better, I believe that good quality, healthy food needs to be the easy choice. And what about the impact of sedentary behaviour on obesity levels? Certainly in Scotland, most of us are not active enough for health. Are nutritionists to blame for that too?
A recent article in the British Journal of Nutrition models how East African Paleolithic diets were made up; typically they contained more protein, a similar amount of saturated fat, and proportionately more omega-3 fats (e.g. fish oils) than omega-6 (e.g. vegetable oils), compared to how we eat today. Plant to animal food ratios varied considerably. The researchers call for intervention studies to be set up to investigate the effects of Paleolithic diets. I’d love to see these set up; the potential results really excite me (yes, I am a geek).
Diets in East Africa have changed considerably since the Paleolithic era. For example, research on elite Kenyan runners has shown that they excel on a diet that is very high in carbohydrate (including simple sugars) and low in fat. Overall, my opinion is that different people thrive on different diets, and nutritionists can play an important role in helping people to find out what works for them and their health. There’s no one magic menu plan that will unlock the key to everlasting health. No matter what the book cover tries to tell you.
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Can cake girl go cavegirl?
Just a short post this week, seeing as I wrote so much last time. I'm still pondering over the possible advantages of switching to a diet that is lower in refined grains and contains more of the stuff we used to eat when humans lived in caves and hunted down their dinner. It contrasts so much with the conventional diet wisdom I learnt in my nutrition degree and my natural preference to be vegetarian, but the primal lifestyle still really intrigues me. After a year of feeling burnt out and not making much progress in my training goals, I'm especially drawn to Mark Sissons' idea of combining lots of moving around slowly with short bursts of intense activity and resistance training.
Although the peer-reviewed studies on eating like a caveman still seem to be sparse, more and more research is showing us that refined carbohydrate may be a bigger health villain than saturated fat. Frank Hu, of the Harvard School of Public Health, provided a useful overview in a recent editorial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Numerous studies on obesity treatment have shown that carbohydrate-restricted diets can be effective for weight loss and can reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. While it's clear that we need plenty of carbohydrate to fuel optimal athletic performance, over reliance on post-ride cakes, sugary drinks and chewy sweets may not be doing our health any good at all. Even in vegetarians, it's looking more and more likely that a diet low in processed carbohydrate may be even more heart-healthy than standard high-carb, low fat veggie fayre.
So what does this mean for me? Do I get hypnosis to like meat, try to up my vegetarian protein intake, or simply ignore my curiosity and relax with a cup of tea and slice of cake? In the interests of science, and in the spirit of the old saying "don't knock it until you've tried it", I've decided to conduct a wee experiment in September. It's not very scientific (n=1, possibly 2 if I can rope my husband in; no control), but it should help me to work out what works best for me.
Starting tomorrow, my plan is to try following Mark's primal fitness blueprint and to minimise refined grains and sugar (what, no cake?!?). I'll keep it as simple as that to start with, then review how I feel at the end of the month, and maybe take it a step further, or maybe try something else.
Although the peer-reviewed studies on eating like a caveman still seem to be sparse, more and more research is showing us that refined carbohydrate may be a bigger health villain than saturated fat. Frank Hu, of the Harvard School of Public Health, provided a useful overview in a recent editorial in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Numerous studies on obesity treatment have shown that carbohydrate-restricted diets can be effective for weight loss and can reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. While it's clear that we need plenty of carbohydrate to fuel optimal athletic performance, over reliance on post-ride cakes, sugary drinks and chewy sweets may not be doing our health any good at all. Even in vegetarians, it's looking more and more likely that a diet low in processed carbohydrate may be even more heart-healthy than standard high-carb, low fat veggie fayre.
So what does this mean for me? Do I get hypnosis to like meat, try to up my vegetarian protein intake, or simply ignore my curiosity and relax with a cup of tea and slice of cake? In the interests of science, and in the spirit of the old saying "don't knock it until you've tried it", I've decided to conduct a wee experiment in September. It's not very scientific (n=1, possibly 2 if I can rope my husband in; no control), but it should help me to work out what works best for me.
Starting tomorrow, my plan is to try following Mark's primal fitness blueprint and to minimise refined grains and sugar (what, no cake?!?). I'll keep it as simple as that to start with, then review how I feel at the end of the month, and maybe take it a step further, or maybe try something else.
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Do you live in a cave?
As I mentioned in my last post, I'm slightly obsessed with reading. I can spend hours and hours researching random topics, and especially love delving into theories that challenge conventional nutrition and fitness wisdom. An ongoing fascination is low-fat versus low-carbohydrate diets. Initially popularised by the Atkins Diet, a low-carbohydrate diet can be very effective for weight loss, but the vast majority of sports nutrition advice and research concentrates on the importance of a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet for optimal performance. However, this has recently been challenged through, for example, Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet for Athletes and blogs such as Mark's Daily Apple, which advocate a 'primal' way of living.
I've been vegetarian for over 20 years now with no major health effects, but I do sometimes worry that I'm not getting enough protein, or missing out on key nutrients from meat like iron and zinc. I came across another book by Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman triathlete who is also a vegan, and decided to compare his Thrive Fitness plan to Mark Sisson's meat-heavy primal blueprint.
Interestingly, there are a lot of similarities between the two plans, once the presence or absence of animal products is set aside. These are the key principles, along with my thoughts:
Thrive Fitness
4 components of vitality:
High return exercise
Brazier seems to focus on quality of training rather than quantity, emphasizing the need to ensure that your programme is effective and that any weaknesses are addressed. He speaks about needing to strip his own swimming training right back to the basics after realising that his technique was inefficient. The book includes a fitness programme based on suspension training and free weights. So far, so sensible.
High net-gain nutrition
The nutrition advice is based on a diet high in nutrient-dense whole foods, which is music to my ears. Brazier's rationale for avoiding animal products is that they are acid-forming. He suggests that the process of buffering to balance the pH of the blood after eating acid-forming foods places undue stress on the body, which leads to inflammation. I wouldn't say that this in itself is enough of a reason to give up meat - eating a range of acid and alkaline-forming foods (vegetables) should balance things out overall. Brazier also advocates eating foods raw as much as possible. This is based on the theory that raw foods contain live enzymes, which are destroyed by cooking. My understanding is that enzymes in food are denatured by stomach acid anyway, and that our bodies can produce all the enzymes we need if we eat a balanced diet. I've hunted for research that supports or refutes the raw food enzyme theory but haven't been able to find anything in a peer-reviewed scientific journal - I would love to learn more about this if anyone has any references or links. My opinion is that the benefits of a diet high in fruit and vegetables come from the vitamins and phytonutrients (many of which can also be reduced by cooking) and their fibre content. I also think that the recipes in the book are a wee bit aspirational - I don't suppose you can get Maca, Salba or Dulse Flakes in Tesco?! Nevertheless, I'm definitely keen to give the recipe for Banana Fig Cinnamon Energy Bar a go.
Efficient sleep
I agree that this is hugely important in terms of both recovery from exercise and weight management.
Uncomplementary stress reduction
Brazier recommends that we avoid low-nutrition foods, breathing polluted air and worrying. Some of these are obviously unavoidable, but the principle does make sense.
Primal blueprint
10 rules:
Eat lots of animals, insects and plants
Hang on a minute... insects? Mind you, I think I've ingested a fair few insects myself this summer through open mouthed bike rides and runs. Glad to know they might be good for my health. Alongside a diet based around meat and fish, Sisson recommends that we eliminate grains, sugars, trans- and hydrogenated fats. On closer inspection, the diet isn't as wildly different to standard healthy eating recommendations as I initially thought. Around 1.1-2.2g of protein per kg body weight per day is similar to standard recommendations for athletes. This is attainable for most people, including vegetarians, without having to go out and hunt down a buffalo. The main difference between the two plans is the proportions of carbohydrate and fat in the diets. The primal plan is based on how our caveman ancestors ate, before processed grains were available. Naturally their diets were higher in saturated fat and vegetables, but contained much less carbohydrate overall. Sisson suggests that we should consume a maximum of around 150g carbohydrate per day, from fruit and vegetables, which is considerably lower than the approx 250g in current UK recommendations. The remainder of the diet is made up of fat, which we're used to being told to avoid. The underlying principle is that carbohydrate causes our bodies to release insulin, encouraging fat synthesis, while eating a high fat diet encourages our bodies to become more efficient at burning fat for fuel and conserving our glycogen stores. I agree that a diet high in refined and processed carbohydrates isn't optimal, but so far the balance of research suggests that high fat diets are detrimental to sports performance.
Move around a lot at a slow pace
Sisson seems to be quite anti-running and recommends that the bulk of our physical activity is low-level hiking, cycling and such like. He suggests 2-5 hours per week at a heart rate of 55-75% of our maximum. While this is more than the majority of the population currently do, it pretty much rules out spin classes and tempo runs for people like me who enjoy working hard. Hmm.
Lift heavy things
Like the Thrive plan, resistance training is an important component. This involves 2-3 circuit sessions a week, focused on body weight exercises like push ups and pull ups. I can handle that. And I definitely want to give the shoulder press push up a try.
Run really fast once in a while
A weekly session of very short sprints, e.g. 6 x 50m. This doesn't seem like very much compared to most training plans that are running or triathlon focused. According to Sisson, you can do this little training and still be ready to run a marathon at a day or two's notice. This contrasts markedly with the balance of evidence, which seems to suggest that more training is generally better, especially where distance running and cycling are concerned. But, in the interests of science, I'm willing to give it a go and see if it works.
Get lots of sleep
Again, I can't argue with that.
Play
And who doesn't like to have fun?
Get some sunlight every day
I wholeheartedly agree that getting out and about in the fresh air is vital, not just for your Vitamin D levels, but your whole sense of well-being.
Avoid trauma
I'll try.
Avoid poisonous things
Like Brazier's stresses, this includes environmental pollutants, but Sisson also includes sugar and processed foods. I wouldn't go as far as to describe them as poison, but yes they're worth cutting down on.
Use your mind
I think this can apply to learning new things, but also being conscious of your mind and body, looking after them and resting when you need to.
Overall, although I would say that I was initially sceptical of both these plans, they both contain some really useful advice and are definitely worth a read. Just follow some of the advice with a pinch of (low sodium?) salt, especially the bits where both authors plug their own expensive supplements.
My own opinion is that we can get everything we need by eating a wide range of foods - focusing on fruit, vegetables, good quality protein (whether veggie or meat) and whole grains. There's no compelling evidence that grains are bad for us and, in fact, some of them (wheat and quinoa being good examples) contain high levels of protein. My diet downfall has to be my love of sugary things, rather than the fact that I'm a vegetarian. And as for the iron, I know I can get enough from veggie sources if I plan my diet properly. So I won't be scoffing steak any time soon, but I will keep trying to go easy on the iron inhibiters. I'm still managing to avoid my favourite drink, but there have been one or two tea-lapses.
I've been vegetarian for over 20 years now with no major health effects, but I do sometimes worry that I'm not getting enough protein, or missing out on key nutrients from meat like iron and zinc. I came across another book by Brendan Brazier, a professional Ironman triathlete who is also a vegan, and decided to compare his Thrive Fitness plan to Mark Sisson's meat-heavy primal blueprint.
Interestingly, there are a lot of similarities between the two plans, once the presence or absence of animal products is set aside. These are the key principles, along with my thoughts:
Thrive Fitness
4 components of vitality:
High return exercise
Brazier seems to focus on quality of training rather than quantity, emphasizing the need to ensure that your programme is effective and that any weaknesses are addressed. He speaks about needing to strip his own swimming training right back to the basics after realising that his technique was inefficient. The book includes a fitness programme based on suspension training and free weights. So far, so sensible.
High net-gain nutrition
The nutrition advice is based on a diet high in nutrient-dense whole foods, which is music to my ears. Brazier's rationale for avoiding animal products is that they are acid-forming. He suggests that the process of buffering to balance the pH of the blood after eating acid-forming foods places undue stress on the body, which leads to inflammation. I wouldn't say that this in itself is enough of a reason to give up meat - eating a range of acid and alkaline-forming foods (vegetables) should balance things out overall. Brazier also advocates eating foods raw as much as possible. This is based on the theory that raw foods contain live enzymes, which are destroyed by cooking. My understanding is that enzymes in food are denatured by stomach acid anyway, and that our bodies can produce all the enzymes we need if we eat a balanced diet. I've hunted for research that supports or refutes the raw food enzyme theory but haven't been able to find anything in a peer-reviewed scientific journal - I would love to learn more about this if anyone has any references or links. My opinion is that the benefits of a diet high in fruit and vegetables come from the vitamins and phytonutrients (many of which can also be reduced by cooking) and their fibre content. I also think that the recipes in the book are a wee bit aspirational - I don't suppose you can get Maca, Salba or Dulse Flakes in Tesco?! Nevertheless, I'm definitely keen to give the recipe for Banana Fig Cinnamon Energy Bar a go.
Efficient sleep
I agree that this is hugely important in terms of both recovery from exercise and weight management.
Uncomplementary stress reduction
Brazier recommends that we avoid low-nutrition foods, breathing polluted air and worrying. Some of these are obviously unavoidable, but the principle does make sense.
Primal blueprint
10 rules:
Eat lots of animals, insects and plants
Hang on a minute... insects? Mind you, I think I've ingested a fair few insects myself this summer through open mouthed bike rides and runs. Glad to know they might be good for my health. Alongside a diet based around meat and fish, Sisson recommends that we eliminate grains, sugars, trans- and hydrogenated fats. On closer inspection, the diet isn't as wildly different to standard healthy eating recommendations as I initially thought. Around 1.1-2.2g of protein per kg body weight per day is similar to standard recommendations for athletes. This is attainable for most people, including vegetarians, without having to go out and hunt down a buffalo. The main difference between the two plans is the proportions of carbohydrate and fat in the diets. The primal plan is based on how our caveman ancestors ate, before processed grains were available. Naturally their diets were higher in saturated fat and vegetables, but contained much less carbohydrate overall. Sisson suggests that we should consume a maximum of around 150g carbohydrate per day, from fruit and vegetables, which is considerably lower than the approx 250g in current UK recommendations. The remainder of the diet is made up of fat, which we're used to being told to avoid. The underlying principle is that carbohydrate causes our bodies to release insulin, encouraging fat synthesis, while eating a high fat diet encourages our bodies to become more efficient at burning fat for fuel and conserving our glycogen stores. I agree that a diet high in refined and processed carbohydrates isn't optimal, but so far the balance of research suggests that high fat diets are detrimental to sports performance.
Move around a lot at a slow pace
Sisson seems to be quite anti-running and recommends that the bulk of our physical activity is low-level hiking, cycling and such like. He suggests 2-5 hours per week at a heart rate of 55-75% of our maximum. While this is more than the majority of the population currently do, it pretty much rules out spin classes and tempo runs for people like me who enjoy working hard. Hmm.
Lift heavy things
Like the Thrive plan, resistance training is an important component. This involves 2-3 circuit sessions a week, focused on body weight exercises like push ups and pull ups. I can handle that. And I definitely want to give the shoulder press push up a try.
Run really fast once in a while
A weekly session of very short sprints, e.g. 6 x 50m. This doesn't seem like very much compared to most training plans that are running or triathlon focused. According to Sisson, you can do this little training and still be ready to run a marathon at a day or two's notice. This contrasts markedly with the balance of evidence, which seems to suggest that more training is generally better, especially where distance running and cycling are concerned. But, in the interests of science, I'm willing to give it a go and see if it works.
Get lots of sleep
Again, I can't argue with that.
Play
And who doesn't like to have fun?
Get some sunlight every day
I wholeheartedly agree that getting out and about in the fresh air is vital, not just for your Vitamin D levels, but your whole sense of well-being.
Avoid trauma
I'll try.
Avoid poisonous things
Like Brazier's stresses, this includes environmental pollutants, but Sisson also includes sugar and processed foods. I wouldn't go as far as to describe them as poison, but yes they're worth cutting down on.
Use your mind
I think this can apply to learning new things, but also being conscious of your mind and body, looking after them and resting when you need to.
Overall, although I would say that I was initially sceptical of both these plans, they both contain some really useful advice and are definitely worth a read. Just follow some of the advice with a pinch of (low sodium?) salt, especially the bits where both authors plug their own expensive supplements.
My own opinion is that we can get everything we need by eating a wide range of foods - focusing on fruit, vegetables, good quality protein (whether veggie or meat) and whole grains. There's no compelling evidence that grains are bad for us and, in fact, some of them (wheat and quinoa being good examples) contain high levels of protein. My diet downfall has to be my love of sugary things, rather than the fact that I'm a vegetarian. And as for the iron, I know I can get enough from veggie sources if I plan my diet properly. So I won't be scoffing steak any time soon, but I will keep trying to go easy on the iron inhibiters. I'm still managing to avoid my favourite drink, but there have been one or two tea-lapses.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
My other addiction
Alongside tea, I have another minor obsession. My name is Sarah and I'm an Amazon addict. It is four days since my last package arrived, and already I'm hungry for more. I just cannot get enough of reading, especially shiny new books about all things healthy.
This week's delivery included Thrive Fitness, a book by vegan professional Ironman triathlete, Brendan Brazier. I've been reading a lot recently about the purported benefits of a paleo / primal lifestyle for optimum health and sports performance. A meat-based diet and 'grok' way of living certainly seems to be the trendy lifestyle choice, and blogs such as Mark's Daily Apple are hugely popular. This troubles me because it goes against most of what I learnt in my nutrition degree, and sits uncomfortably with my own veggie preferences. Luckily Thrive tells me I can, well, thrive on a meat-free diet. I hope so. And, according to the U.N., reducing our consumption of animal products might be better for the planet too.
This week I'm planning to compare the benefits of these two ways of living and see which comes out on top. It's easy to be swayed by the hype so, to keep the science foremost in my mind, I also invested in an up-to-date exercise physiology textbook. But top of my to-do list... making space on my bookshelves for my ever expanding library. Maybe I'll plan it over a nice cup of (herbal) tea.
This week's delivery included Thrive Fitness, a book by vegan professional Ironman triathlete, Brendan Brazier. I've been reading a lot recently about the purported benefits of a paleo / primal lifestyle for optimum health and sports performance. A meat-based diet and 'grok' way of living certainly seems to be the trendy lifestyle choice, and blogs such as Mark's Daily Apple are hugely popular. This troubles me because it goes against most of what I learnt in my nutrition degree, and sits uncomfortably with my own veggie preferences. Luckily Thrive tells me I can, well, thrive on a meat-free diet. I hope so. And, according to the U.N., reducing our consumption of animal products might be better for the planet too.
This week I'm planning to compare the benefits of these two ways of living and see which comes out on top. It's easy to be swayed by the hype so, to keep the science foremost in my mind, I also invested in an up-to-date exercise physiology textbook. But top of my to-do list... making space on my bookshelves for my ever expanding library. Maybe I'll plan it over a nice cup of (herbal) tea.
Monday, 13 April 2009
Are carbs evil?
Whilst browsing B's cycling magazines, I came across an(other) article about the potential benefites of a reduced carbohydrate diet. Apparently, Team Garmin-Slipstream are following a modified version of The Zone, designed to reduce inflammation and promote recovery. This is controversial given that for years athletes have been advised to get most of their energy from carbohydrate. Brands like Lucozade and Gatorade have been built on a mountain of scientific evidence that backs the importance of carbohydrate for athletic performance.
The people at Cycling Weekly seem to have really bought into the idea that a different way of eating - focusing on protein, vegetables, fruit and nuts for most of the day whilst continuing to use sports drinks immediately before, after and during training - could be optimal for reducing inflammation and promoting recovery. I'm not convinced by Dr Loren Cordain and Joe Friel's Paleo Diet - eat like our ancestors, who foraged for seeds and berries, barbecued the occasional buffalo... then popped down to their local supplement store for a few energy gels and a jumbo tub of whey protein(?) -but I can see the potential benefit of limiting refined carbohydrates like white bread, cereals and processed sugary drinks in favour of whole-grains, lean protein, essential fats and, of course, lots of fruit and vegetables.
Surely it's all about balance. It has got me thinking though - a quick scan of our cupboards flagged up our over-reliance on carbs: bread, bagels, cereal, oat bars, potatoes, pasta and juice. I've spoken before about not eating enough protein and wonder if my carb (over)loading could be one of the reasons why my injuries seem to take so long to recover from. Could it be possible that a move away from the traditional focus on carbohydrate could be beneficial for sport? I guess the jury is still out - until now, much of the research on reduced-carbohydrate diets has focused on treating obesity.
A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that over 2 years, diets containing a range of proportions of carbohydrate versus protein were all similarly effective in reducing weight and risk factors for diabetes and heart disease - they key appeared to be limiting overall energy intake. The authors suggest that diet composition should be tailored to suit individual and cultural preferences.
I could never cut out carbohydrates completely. I couldn't even ban them after 5pm (what's that all about?). But I'm starting to think about experimenting with shifting the balance a bit. I'll certainly be watching how Team Garmin-Slipstream get on in this year's Tour de France.
The people at Cycling Weekly seem to have really bought into the idea that a different way of eating - focusing on protein, vegetables, fruit and nuts for most of the day whilst continuing to use sports drinks immediately before, after and during training - could be optimal for reducing inflammation and promoting recovery. I'm not convinced by Dr Loren Cordain and Joe Friel's Paleo Diet - eat like our ancestors, who foraged for seeds and berries, barbecued the occasional buffalo... then popped down to their local supplement store for a few energy gels and a jumbo tub of whey protein(?) -but I can see the potential benefit of limiting refined carbohydrates like white bread, cereals and processed sugary drinks in favour of whole-grains, lean protein, essential fats and, of course, lots of fruit and vegetables.
Surely it's all about balance. It has got me thinking though - a quick scan of our cupboards flagged up our over-reliance on carbs: bread, bagels, cereal, oat bars, potatoes, pasta and juice. I've spoken before about not eating enough protein and wonder if my carb (over)loading could be one of the reasons why my injuries seem to take so long to recover from. Could it be possible that a move away from the traditional focus on carbohydrate could be beneficial for sport? I guess the jury is still out - until now, much of the research on reduced-carbohydrate diets has focused on treating obesity.
A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that over 2 years, diets containing a range of proportions of carbohydrate versus protein were all similarly effective in reducing weight and risk factors for diabetes and heart disease - they key appeared to be limiting overall energy intake. The authors suggest that diet composition should be tailored to suit individual and cultural preferences.
I could never cut out carbohydrates completely. I couldn't even ban them after 5pm (what's that all about?). But I'm starting to think about experimenting with shifting the balance a bit. I'll certainly be watching how Team Garmin-Slipstream get on in this year's Tour de France.
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