Eat more fruits and vegetables. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But the vast majority of Americans don't get the recommended number of servings per day. And it's a shame because these foods are the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.
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Replace snacks with fruit. Add vegetables to your breakfast or lunch (try a veggie omelette and salad). Always include vegetables with your dinner each night. The options are endless, and the benefits are huge.
Always focus on "real" food. This rule is about eating nutrient-dense foods and limiting your intake of processed foods. Real foods are minimally processed with as few ingredients as possible and include high-quality cuts of meat, vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and whole grains like wild rice and quinoa.
It's definitely recommended to purge your kitchen of processed foods. But here's your chance to have fun. Instead of throwing it away, eat it! Have one last hurrah before you focus on real food. And after that binge, you'll definitely be craving more healthy food.
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Use food strategically. Many runners seem to carbo-loading constantly, but the ideal runner's diet plan is more strategic. Do you really need two plates of pasta if you didn't even run today? Use carb-heavy meals strategically before big workouts, and eat fewer carbs if you're running less.
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If you're feeling sluggish or slightly over-trained—symptoms include fatigue, soreness, poor performance in your workouts or lethargy—recognize that you might just be under-eating. Food is fuel. Try cooking a few healthy, hearty meals and eating a little more than usual. Combined with a few good nights of sleep, you could be back on track in just a few days.
Now, a challenge for you: Instead of simply reading this article, take action and implement the steps outlined here for just two weeks. Clean out your kitchen, avoid extra sugar, commit to eating more fruits and veggies, and be a little more strategic with your carb consumption.
After a few weeks, you may be surprised with how good you feel and how well you're running.
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