by Kate Guilmette, Nutritionist – Malchar Wellness Center
The phrase “taste the rainbow” is a lot more accurate than we think; when it comes to fruit and vegetables that is. We want to make sure, especially as runners, that we are eating the proper amount (if not a bit more) each and every day. The essential vitamins and nutrients in these foods are necessary for us to keep training to our maximum ability and to recover quickly and efficiently. This means at least 1-2 servings with each meal plus including some fruits and veggies as our daily snacks. It is important to consume the rainbow because these fruits and vegetables are able to provide us with iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and magnesium. Darker fruits and veggies, like blueberries, tart cherry’s, blackberries, spinach, and kale are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they help promote fast recovery and can help decrease stress. When doing long runs or hard sprint workouts we put a lot of stress on our body. It is important to make sure we are providing our body with the foods it needs to recover after these grueling workouts. Carrots, oranges, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mangos and other red/orange fruits and veggies contain carotenoids. Carotenoids have been known to not only reduce the risk of eye disease but also some forms of cancer.