It's always great to buy organic, but let's face it... It gets expensive!

My rule of thumb is 80/20.  If you can buy the Dirty Dozen - organic, 80% of the time, that's GREAT!

Here's the latest 2020 List Dirty Dozen / Clean 15 (According to the EWG - Environmental Working Group/ American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability. 

Dirty Dozen:

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Peaches

8. Cherries

9. Pears

10. Tomatoes

11. Celery

12. Potatoes

 

Clean Fifteen:

1. Avocado

2. Sweet Corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Eggplants

8. Asparagus

9. Cauliflower

10. Cantaloupes

11. Broccoli

12. Mushrooms

13. Cabbage

14. Honeydew Melon

15. Kiwi

 

Nutrition is imperative for a good run. It’s important to fuel your body in the right way so that you can have sustainable energy to run with no discomfort. There are basically three key nutrients that are key to understanding nutrition for running: carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. Carbs are the main fuel for your body’s engine. The harder you work, the more carbs you need to keep going, so definitely eat more before longer runs. In terms of carbs, complex carbs are better for sustained energy. However, the complex carbs that largely makeup our diet like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains have high fiber content and aren’t always the best choice before a run. It is suggested to eat an easily digestible form of carbohydrate to raise blood sugar and provide energy. 

Protein is our second nutrient. Protein can help to slow the rate at which carbs are released into the bloodstream, providing a long term source of energy. Because this type of energy is sustained over a long period, it means that less of it will need to be consumed during the run. 

Last but not least, healthy fats. During low to medium-intensity exercise-- that means long distance runs-- our bodies will first make energy from available fat sources. With fat used as fuel, runners usually crave less junk food and don’t need to refuel as often.

 

Some key things to remember: don’t be scared of fats! While you may feel like eating fats is going to translate directly into added body fat, that is most definitely not the case! Healthy fats are an essential part of pre and post workout fuel. The same thing goes for carbs. 

 

Another thing— know that stomach issues are still bound to happen. It’s inevitable to have an off day. Sometimes our stomachs just don’t hold up and cramps happen; sometimes it’s too hot outside and we feel lightheaded; and sometimes we are just not in the mood. All of those things are completely okay; all that matters is that you stick with it. 

 

Most important thing I've learned— stay hydrated, even when it’s not hot out. It can really be a game changer, so remember to drink a lot the whole day leading up to your run. 

 

A simple yet helpful tip is to always keep healthy snacks around. Having healthy snacks and food around you can really change your mindset and help you embrace a health diet. My favorite is just a banana with peanut butter— really easy and so fulfilling to nourish and fuel your body the right way!

Some more easy snacks:

Dates with nut butter

Dates have the ideal ratio of carbs to protein (3:1) which provide sustained energy.

Handful of nuts

Nuts are a great blend of carbs, protein, and dat which provide a lasting feeling of fullness and sustained energy.

Banana and nut butter

This is a very common snack for runners (and my personal go-to). Bananas are filled with potassium, manganese, and carbohydrates that provide energy and reduce muscle cramps. Its combination with nut butter slows the absorption of carbohydrates and creates a steady blood sugar flow for longer energy. 

Avocado toast

Kind bar

Fruit cup with yogurt

Rice cake with nut butter

 

Our pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline we are.  A pH of 0 is completely acidic
and a pH of 14 is completely alkaline.  We aim to be neutral which is a pH of 7.

Why does this matter?  Because an alkaline rich diet can reduce inflammation in the body and inflammation is the source of all disease.  Bacteria can thrive in an acidic body, and that's the opposite of being detoxed.

Alkaline foods are whole UNprocessed foods like veggies, sweet potatoes, beans, almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, avocados, bananas, watermelon and coconut.  

Acidic foods are most animal products including dairy, sugar, highly processed foods, coffee and alcohol.

If you are balanced and work to create an Alkaline Body, this increases your energy, reduces signs of inflammation and aging and keeps cancer at bay.

Trying to maintain balance is trying to maintain your health.  Let's do this and keep our bodies in check.

Probiotics have a partner to keep them alive and healthy!  In order for probiotics to live and flourish, it important to add PREbiotics.  These are the foods that keep probiotics healthy and strong giving your gut a truly healthy environment to keep your health in line.

In order for probiotics to maintain their healthy and strong environment, it's important to introduce you to prebiotics.  Oligosaccharides and inulin (soluble fiber found in grains, fruit and vegetables) and antioxidant compounds found in plants called phenols are considered prebiotics.  Boosting your intake of these foods help keep your gut healthy, thus helping to improve your immune functions.  

Foods that are considered prebiotics:  Asparagus, Artichokes, Bananas, Blueberries, Beans, Eggplant, Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Jicama, Peas, Soybeans and Yes, Red Wine (in moderation).

Considering adding one of these foods/day to keep your gut healthy and help fight off disease!

Watch next for my post of keeping your body in check!

Getting your gut on track is the utmost priority.  A healthy gut is where it all begins. That's why it's so important to make probiotics part of your daily, where you start your day.  With a daily dose, probiotics make themselves at home in  your gut, making the gut inhospitable for bad bacteria and microbes.    Your gut is home to trillions of friendly bacterial microbes that help keep your gastrointestinal tract healthy, yet the by-products of everyday living (ie. stress, anxiety, antibiotics, and highly processed foods) can throw the balance of healthy bacteria off, causing GI upset and lowering resistance to disease.

A daily dose of probiotics can change all that, making the gut an inhospitable environment for bad bacteria and microbes.  Probiotics encourage regularity, produce B vitamins as a by-product (shown to help reduce inflammation caused by stress), produce Vitamin K (which regulates proper blood clotting and boosts bone density) and help produce enzymes that aid in the metabolism.  They also provide a protective layer to guard against bad bacteria brought into the body by food, air and drinks.

Once probiotics have become a norm in the household, they should always be kept refrigerated.   For our kids, there are chewable probiotics, or 'Good Belly' probiotic drink and also Lifeway Nonfat Bio Kefir ( which is basically a milk smoothie) or can be put into a smoothie so your children can get their daily dose too! Other foods high in probiotics are cottage cheese, yogurts, kimchi, miso, tempeh, tofu, pickled ginger, sauerkraut, wine and beer too!

If opting for a supplement, a good generic is PB8, vegetarian capsule or Ultimate Flora, found in your local health food store (ie. Whole Foods).  I usually go with one of those or the Complete Probiotic from Dr. Mercola and alternate.  Whatever you do, make probiotics party of your daily routine.   A healthy gut helps boost immunity to start and that's only the beginning of all its benefits! 

Look next for my post on Prebiotics!