Confessions of a Paleo Runner

I know some of you have been waiting for the post about my in-race fueling.  WHAT DO I EAT DURING A RUN?  It's a question asked by every beginner endurance runner.  And for those of you who have come looking for Paleo solutions to that question, I have a confession.  *stage whisper*  I don't stay Paleo during my races!

Before you close your browser tab in a huff, please consider this:  Dr Cordain supports using non-paleo  foods during an endurance event in his book The Paleo Diet for Athletes.

"Serious athletes, however, when it comes to immediately before, during, and directly 

after workouts,  need  to bend the rules  of  the Paleo Diet  a  bit  since we're  placing 

demands on the body that were not normal for our Stone Age ancestors. Hour after

hour of sustained high energy output and the need for quick recovery are the serious 

athlete’s unique demands. This requires some latitude to use non­optimal foods on a 

limited basis."

If you are participating in training or a race that's longer than 1.5 hours, you will need to supplement with high-glycemic index carbs.  You COULD carry a candy bar with you, but if you're trying to be as paleo as possible, sports drinks are a better option.  I prefer CYTOMAX brand sports performance drink.  It's a bit lower in sugar than Gatorade.  Rob Wolff also prefers CYTOMAX for endurance events.  

  

You will need 200-400 calories of some sort of carb replacement for every hour that you're performing.  This is of course based on your body size.  Smaller people need less than those big burly guys.  I sip on one serving of cytomax the first hour, then I use a GU with caffeine at the beginning of the second hour  and if I'm nowhere near the finish line, I'll use another GU without caffeine at the beginning of the third hour.  That's a total of 300 calories over 2 hours for me.  I feel great using this combo, and only occasionally have had GI distress after a race.  

If you are determined to stay paleo, I would recommend carrying 1/4 cup of raisins in place of gu and you can make your own electrolyte drink.  The raisins are an EXCELLENT source of carbs.  I found this electrolyte replacement drink at Mark's Daily Apple:

1. Slightly heat some coconut water on the stove. Don’t let it get anywhere near simmering. Just let it get warm enough to melt the next three ingredients easily.
2. Add a few dashes of sea salt, preferably one with high mineral content. Sea salt provides sodium, an important electrolyte, plus trace minerals. You’re going to be burning through a lot of it during the race.
3. Add honey, preferably raw and from a local farm (remember, many store bought honey isn’t actually honey anymore).
4. Add blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses comes after the third boiling of sugar cane. It contains less sugar than either white sugar, brown sugar, regular molasses, or dark molasses, but far more minerals and electrolytes. See, sugar cane is a plant with roots that stretch deep into the soil to extract nutrients (some research suggests sugar cane roots may go down as far as six meters). Very few of those nutrients make it into white or brown sugar, and regular and dark molasses contain some, but it’s blackstrap molasses which gets the bulk of the minerals. So, when you add just a couple tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to your energy drink, you’re getting more than twice the potassium than a banana, more calcium than a cup of raw spinach, and almost 100 mg of magnesium.
5. Mix it all together until everything melts and it’s a dark brown murky viscous fluid. I didn’t include specific amounts, but start with a couple tablespoons of each sweetener and the juice from one coconut (or one carton of coconut water). You’ll be cruising for the first bit of the race, thanks to your effective pre-race training and fueling, but when you really start dipping into your glycogen stores, having a banana or two and a bottle of high-potency Primal energy drink will prove useful.


Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-fuel-a-marathon/#ixzz2920LHavY

Your Thyroid on Paleo

Hey guys!  I'm spending the weekend traveling to San Jose to run the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon with my mommy and some of her crazy runner friends.  I couldn't leave those of you who enjoy my blog without something to read, so I've scheduled a few updates while I'm gone.  If you're interested in tracking my race, you can choose to use Runner Tracking at Competitor.com.  Just search for me, Juri Peterson.  I look forward to sharing my 5th half marathon and first Paleo race experience with you all!

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Thyroid health is a subject near and dear to my heart.  For you see, I don't have a thyroid.  I was diagnosed with goiters on my thyroid in Late 2009.  A surgery in early 2010 revealed that I had Thyroid Cancer and my entire thyroid and 2 lymph nodes in my neck were removed.  The process of learning to live on synthetic thyroid hormone has lead to a healthier and more active lifestyle.  Paleo is a new addition to this lifestyle, one that has brought changes that I didn't think were possible.  

My Paleo friends who do have a functioning thyroid should know that the Paleo Lifestyle does put them at risk of hypothyroidism.  As Sebastien from A Paleo Diet Lifestyle writes: "Iodine is a mineral that is really important for proper thyroid functioning and most people today have very low levels of iodine. You’re at risk of being even more iodine deficient on a paleo diet if you eliminated conventional salt from your diet. In fact, salt started to be iodized because goiters in North-America were a major health problem and most people were deficient in iodine because the soils are now almost universally deficient in iodine. Chronic low levels of iodine lead to the enlargement of the thyroid that we call goiter. Seaweeds are a great source of iodine." 

From my experience with hypothyroidism, you feel lethargic, have short term memory problems, weight gain, bloating, joint pain, hair loss, mood swings and depression.  I had all of those during a 30 day period before I started my synthetic thyroid hormone.  

It seems the iodine and the need to supplement is still debated in Paleo circles.  The folks over at Paleo Plan asked the question "Do you need to Supplement Iodine?".  Their article is inconclusive, but does state that "The recommended intake of iodine per day is 100-150 mcg."  They also link to a website that lists foods high in iodine.  

PALEO FRIENDLY FOODS HIGH IN IODINE 

Measurement is based on a 100 g or 3/4 cup portion

• 1 cup seaweed (hijiki) - 47000 micrograms
• 1/4 lb sea fish - up to 350 micrograms
• 1 cup Basil - 42 micrograms
• 1 cup watermelon seeds - 24 micrograms
• 1 cup Parsley - 22 micrograms
• 1 cup daikon radish - 19 micrograms
• 3 eggs - 15 micrograms

While most people following the Paleo diet do eat eggs regularly, you can see that good sources of iodine that fit into our lifestyle are few.  To get the iodine you need, you'd have to eat large amounts of certain herbs OR you can eat fish a few times a week.  Another option is to use iodized salt in your cooking.  Keeping your thyroid working properly is essential for you to be successful on the Paleo Diet.  You'll feel all the benefits of being healthier and stronger.

RAQ: Recently Asked Questions

Although I'm not the creator of the Paleo diet, or a Professional Marathon Trainer, many friends look to me for help when they join me in my journey as a Paleo Runner.  I think this is the highest complement paid, when someone trusts my advice.  I do try to do as much research as possible, and I'm never afraid to ask those that I consider to be experts.  I also suspect my friends like me to be the Guinea Pig, trying these new fangled ideas of "running" and "not eating processed foods" first.  Give it to Juri, She'll Try it!!

What follows are some of the more recent questions I've been asked.  I'm proud to have helped these friends with some of their questions.

Q: Why do my feet hurt after a 3 mile run?

A: Provided that there's no injury there's a good chance you're wearing the wrong kind of socks.  A burning sensation at the end of a 30 minute run is a sign of friction.  Wearing athletic socks designed for running will help your feet breath, reducing moisture and will help with friction.  If you're already wearing appropriate socks, then you can try using GLIDE or any similar friction-reducing product on the bottoms of your feet.  I glide my feet before every race (no matter the distance) and before every long training run.

Q: What was the Biggest change to your diet when you started Paleo?

A:  As a runner the biggest change was the removal of all processed grains and sugars from my diet.  The Paleo Diet adheres to the idea that we were not meant to eat the foods developed through agriculture.  These foods may have been found in the wild, but have been altered by our need for bigger, faster plants to feed our growing populations.  These were not foods our bodies were designed to digest, and they can have drastic effects like bloating, gas, weight gain and even cause damage for those especially sensitive.  Giving up those processed grains and sugars meant giving up the "tried and true" source of energy for runners.  Pasta parties and pre-race carb loading have been an accepted part of endurance racing for many years now.  I've had to replace my carb loading pastas and breads with sweet potatoes and fruits.  A positive change to my diet was the emphasis of the Paleo Diet on proteins.  Getting a high level of proteins means that my muscles recover faster from long training runs.  My muscles develop faster for this reason, giving me more power and eventually I hope this translates into more speed.  This is something I plan to track as I run my next few half marathons.

Q:  Why am I so tired?  Isn't Paleo supposed to make me have more energy?

A: If you're past the normal 1-2 weeks of sugar detox that happens when you start a Paleo diet, then low energy can be caused by several things.  First, make sure you're drinking a lot of water.  Protein absorption does tend to make you slightly dehydrated.  Also, make sure you're getting enough sleep.  6-8 hours is ideal.  For those who are trying Paleo to lose weight, don't make the mistake of not eating ENOUGH calories.  You're shooting for enough calories to support your BMI, with 50% of them coming from fat.  Check out my article on losing weight on the Paleo diet here. If none of those apply to you, I'd check with your personal physician to make sure that you don't have any underlying problems that could be affecting your energy levels.

Q:  What do you mean by "Tapering"?

A: Tapering is the week to two weeks before a runner's Goal Race.  This is the race that we signed up for MONTHS AGO and have been logging hundreds of miles to prepare for.  For the two weeks before the race, runners will slowly reduce the number of miles they are running to help with the build up of glycogen in muscles (to fuel them during the race) and to prevent injuring themselves.  The lack of running may make them grumpy, and they'll complain of feeling fat and lazy.  Beware of the tapering runner and give them wide berth and consideration as they prepare to take on their next challenge.

If you have any questions that you think I could answer, feel free to send them my way!

Dining Out Paleo: The Counter

                                                 

The Counter
695 6th Ave
San Diego, CA 92040
http://www.thecounterburger.com







Our family supports the Autism Society of America San Diego Chapter because, well, we live with autism.  Our son is 11 years old and was diagnosed with high functioning autism/Asperger's syndrome at age 3.  The ASA in San Diego has a WONDERFUL Parent Education Series on Autism Through the LifeSpan.  Its a free series and I encourage attendance to ANYONE who wants to learn more about helping those in the spectrum grow and thrive.





The Counter is a new family-style, build-your-own-burger restaurant in the Downtown area of San Diego.  In an area that is drowning in hipster themed whisky bars and charcuteries, it's a much needed addition.  The restaurant owners partnered with the ASA to donate 100% of their proceeds on their "Soft Opening" to the ASA's programs.  Getting to go to a new restaurant before anyone else?  Good.  Supporting ASA's programs?  Better.  FINDING OUT THAT THEY HAVE PALEO OPTIONS????  AMAZING.





The Menu and it's dietary information can be found on their website.  Our very chipper and attentive waitress Amber, informed us that their entire staff had been trained on different dietary needs, including Paleo, "because there are so many people into CrossFit".  At that moment, I was ready to commit to coming to The Counter at least once a week.  And I hadn't tried the food yet.  The ordering process is fun, you go down a checklist, marking what items you want on your burger.  With options like "Burger in a Bowl"($1.00 extra), organic greens and grass-fed beef it's a pretty safe place to eat paleo.

Our waitress was especially attentive to our son, after tactfully                 finding out that he was in the spectrum.  He has an affinity for Shirley Temples, and while the restaurant doesn't have cherry flavoring to put in Sprite, she suggested using Grenadine (from the bar) and ended up making his favorite Shirley Temple of all time.









From the appetizer menu we ordered a 50/50 plate of french fries and                    sweet potato fries (sweet potatoes ARE paleo, however these fries do contain soy which is a no-no). The fries were delicately cut and extremely good.  They came with a horseradish aioli.  We also ordered the Grilled Veggies.  They were very good, thinly cut and grilled only to the point to bring out a sweetness.  This appetizer is Paleo Friendly IF you ignore the corn.







To illustrate the fact that I am a solo-Grok in this family, my son made a "burger" from his pretzel bun and french fries.  I commend those families living with autism who have gone gluten-free.  That is something I just couldn't imagine doing, as processed carbs are 90% of what my son eats.








I ordered a "Burger-in-a-Bowl" with a 1 lb grass fed patty, cooked medium rare.  Their burger patty sizes are post-cook weight.  So when you order 1lb of meat, you get a FULL 16oz.  I added tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, pickles and a fried egg to my burger.  I also chose the garlic aioli, although the "burger-in-a-bowl" had so much flavor that I ended up forgetting about it.  It was really well put together, the meat was cooked perfectly.  When I pushed through the yolk and runny gold ran out into my salad, I was definitely a happy paleo girl.





I couldn't order milkshakes like the hubby and daughter, but I COULD order a "Skinny Margarita".  A drink that is already offered on their menu, it's Patron Silver, agave nectar, and fresh lime juice.  Imagine my delight that my Paleo drink of choice was something the bartender already knew how to make.  The milkshakes were reported to be good.





The Counter definitely has my vote as one of the most Paleo-friendly eateries.  The price point of the menu items are definitely competitive for the Downtown area.  For 2 appetizers, 4 meals, 2 milkshakes and 1 alcoholic beverage, our tab was $85.  That's a huge meal for us, but 100% of the proceeds were going to the ASA, so we let our hair down.  Being able to eat without worrying about ruining my carefully planned diet, knowing that they support families with autism, and the level of customer service and quality of the food definitely adds up to a return visit.  Besides, hubby can't wait to try the Oversized Chocolate Chip Cookie, which is reported to be larger than our daughter's face.

Ok, I'm Paleo, now how do I lose weight?

As of this posting, I've lose 11.5 pounds in 52 days.  Some people go Paleo to improve their health or for allergy reasons.  I started the Paleo Diet to lose the weight that I was holding me back from being the best runner I can be.  If you're interested in losing weight on the Paleo Diet, this posting is for you.

HOW DO I START THE PALEO DIET?

The Basic guidelines for Paleo are as follows:

• No Processed grains (breads, pastas, cereals, etc)
• No processed sugar, No starchy vegetables (corn or white potatoes)
• No processed oils (no vegetable oil, corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, canola oil), 
• No legumes (peanuts, beans, chickpeas, etc)
• No Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter)

But you can say YES to:

• meat (grass-fed and nitrate free if possible)
• vegetables (with exception of corn and potatoes.  sweet potatoes and yams are ok!)
• fruits
• non-processed oils (olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil)
• fat (lard and renderings from meats)
• Tree nuts (no peanuts)

For most people, the first 2 weeks of paleo are both exciting and terrifying.  You're fine the first 2 or three days, enjoying eating bacon and meat while watching your waist shrink.  Then the sugar cravings hit.

I HEARD THAT YOU FEEL SICK WHEN YOU START THE PALEO DIET....

For a week, sometimes two, you will go through sugar and carb withdrawal.  I think its important to supplement with any high carb veggies (like sweet potatoes and carrots) and fruits.  It'll help stabilize your blood sugars and improve your moods.  There are lots of ways to ease into Paleo, but I think going cold turkey but not following any calorie or carb guidelines worked the best for me.

Once you notice that the midday headaches, sugar cravings and mood swings have slowed down, then its time to focus on your nutrition.  I aim for a balance of 50% calories from fat, 25% calories from protein, and 25% calories from natural carb sources.   This is based on 1600 calories allotted per day.  You can find YOUR allotted daily calories using this calculator.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS EASIER?  

I know, you're probably already sweating because of all the math involved.  A Paleo dieter's right-hand man will be their food diary.  You can do it the old fashioned way, with a calorie counter book and a notepad.  I prefer to utilize all the technological advancements of modern times and use the LoseIt! app on my iphone.  Loseit! is also available on the web, and the app and website can talk to each other and will back up your logs.  ANY food tracker/calorie counting app or website will be valuable.  Find one that fits your needs and preferences.  I will suggest that you use one that allows you to put in your calories burned from exercised.  Those negative calories count!!  You are burning calories when you exercise, which means you're allowed to put them back in, with food, like bacon.

An example of my Daily Food Journal

An Example of my balance of calories

CAN I EXERCISE ON THE PALEO DIET??

It seems to be widely accepted that you shouldn't exercise during the first week, but as a runner I couldn't put my training on hold.  I say that as long as you feel you can handle the exercise and you are replenishing your calories that you burn, feel free to do your favorite workouts.  I don't suggest starting any new regimen while you're going through sugar withdrawal.  You're already going to feel awful, why make it worse with sore muscles?

ANY OTHER TIPS?

Another guideline I try to follow is limiting myself to 100 g of carbs a day.  That's it.  On a good day, I'll hit it after dinner.  On a bad day, I'll hit it at lunch and then it's only meats, nuts, nonstarchy veggies and fats for the rest of the day.

Low carb doesn't mean low taste

I tackled the Paleo Numbers game aggressively once my Sugar withdrawal was over.  I also started Paleo to lose weight.  If you are eating Paleo to be healthier, to eat the way your body is designed to eat, then don't worry about the numbers.  If you are happy with the weight loss your seeing WITHOUT working the numbers, then by all means, don't worry about them.  But if you ever hit a plateau, or aren't seeing the loss that you think you SHOULD be seeing, I'd recommend trying the above techniques.


I welcome any questions about losing weight on the Paleo Diet!  You can also feel free to share YOUR techniques about weight loss during Paleo.

My Favorite Paleo Recipes: Lemon Garlic Herb Pork Chops

Strictly Paleo....ish! is a lacto-paleo blog.  Lacto-Paleos can and DO eat dairy products.  For those of us who are strictly paleo for reasons of lactose sensitivity or because we feel we aren't meant to ingest animal milk, we don't eat dairy.  (As a personal admission, it gives me terrible GI side effects.  Not the best thing for a runner, you know?)  Lucky for us, the blogger at Strictly Paleo....ish! does include the occasional dairy-free recipe offering since his flavor combos are excellent.  Another interesting side note about this blogger: He lives in Sweden.  There seems to be quite a growing community of Groks living in that part of the world.  

I originally found this recipe on Fast Paleo, one of my favorite Paleo recipe sources.  And in case you wondered, I served it with riced cauliflower on the side.  

Lemon Garlic Herb Pork Chops

Prep time: 2 hours  Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients 

• 4 Pork Chops, boneless (about 1-inch thick)
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil.
• Zest from one Lemon.
• Juice from one Lemon.
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced.
• 1 tbsp dried Thyme.
• 1 tbsp dried Basil.
• 1/2 tbsp crushed Black Pepper.
• 1 tsp Sea Salt, flakes.

Cooking Steps

Make 3-4 cuts through the fat cap of each pork chop, and put them in a large plastic bag.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, and then pour it in the bag with the pork chops.

Try to get the air out of the bag and seal it close to the opening, leaving it with as little air as possible but still space for the pork chops to move around a bit.

Start “massaging” the bag, until the pork chops are evenly rubbed and covered with the marinade.

Place in the fridge for at least a few hours before grilling them over direct heat.

(Take them out of the fridge when you light the grill, so they are room temperatured when you start to grill them.)

Preheat grill to Medium and grill pork chops for 10 minutes on each side.

Nutritional info*: Calories 256.5  Fat 17.6g  Sat Fat 4.3g  Chol 51.1g  Sod 613.2g  Carb 5.1g  Fiber 2.0g  Pro 20.8g

*All nutritional info was not provided in the original recipe.  I use the Recipe Calculator at Sparkpeople.com to calculate nutritional value.

Why run Paleo?

When you tell people that you're on the Paleo Diet you inevitably get asked two questions: What is the Paleo Diet? and Why did you decide to do that?  

I've been running for 4 years.  I took up running because my Daddy (an amazing Ultra Runner) invited me to come run the Disneyland 5k.  He was running his first half marathon and my momma (an amazing trail runner) was going to run her first 5k. When someone offers to pay for your entire trip to Disneyland AND your race fee, you do it even if you have never run more than a mile in your whole life.

Surgery and radiation left me swollen
and gave me a radical scar in May 2010.

Running the Disneyland 5k
Sept 2010

I took a brief break in late 2009-early 2010 to deal with thyroid cancer.  But returned to Disneyland, this time with 2 old friends who had found a love for running as well.  I finished the 5k and thought "I'd like to try a half marathon."  

circa 2006, at 230 pounds

Ran my FIRST half marathon with my
mommy on her birthday June 2011

As you can see, my body had already gone through an amazing transformation.  I started my journey in  2006  at 230 pounds.    I used a modified South Beach diet and CURVES for Women workout, then tried Herbalife, then settled on a calorie restrictive diet (1200 calories) and working with a personal trainer. Through all those efforts I lost 85 pounds.

Four half marathons and multiple
5ks in 10 months

I ran 4 half marathons and tons of 5ks between June 2011 and April 2012.  And while my activity level continued to increase, my weight did too.  Slowly, over a year, I put twenty pounds back on.  I truly feel that RUNNING MADE ME FAT.  And it was due to the excessive amounts of carbs and sugars that my body was asking for because it wanted quick energy to replace what I was burning on my long runs.  I was starting to feel the effects of the excess weight on my body and seeing it in my pace.  I needed to do something since my calories in vs calories out approach wasn't working anymore.




A friend mentioned that they may start the Paleo Diet since they were in the same place as I was, carrying around weight that had been previously lost.  I had heard of it, and it sounded radical, a fad diet.  Intending to debunk their idea I headed to the internet.  What I found was a very divided opinion on the validity of the Paleo Diet.  But after being sent the Beginner's Guide To Paleo , I found myself standing on the side that thought it made sense.  Low Carb diets had worked for me in the past, why not try the "Whole Foods" approach as well.  It couldn't hurt to try it for 30 days.

In a recent race, running with
 my daughter

I wish I had taken before and after pictures during my first 30 days.  I dropped 10 pounds and lost a whole pants size.  My abdominal fat has always been a problem area and it immediately began to decrease.  I always notice a drop in SIZE before I lose any actual weight.  My leg muscles grew even more developed, helping my speed.  I finally started seeing some PRs again!  But even more amazing, I FELT better.  I had more energy, my environmental allergies decreased, my skin looked great.  I couldn't deny these results.  And so at the time of this post I'm on day 47 of the Paleo Diet.

When I'm asked those questions about Paleo and my choices, I answer, "Paleo is eating Whole Foods that our bodies were meant to utilize.  No processed oils, sugars, grains, legumes, soy or dairy*." And I chose to go Paleo because I wasn't living up to my full potential.  My dietary habits were in the way of success.  Check back later to hear about my techniques for carbing up before a long run.  It's a challenge on the Paleo Diet but not impossible! I've now completed 2 long training runs while Paleo and plan to stay Paleo for the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon on October 7th, 2012.

And if you have your OWN answers to people's questions about Paleo, I'd LOVE to hear them!