February 28, 2008

flexitarian

hi readers. i'm commissioning your help, please.
i'm a flexitarian...or a semi vegetarian. this means, i do eat meat, but not very often. cooking for only myself, i tend to take the easy route, often noodles and tomatoes or something simple. this does not provide the nutritional necessities that my body needs. i try to eat a variety of foods, but know that i am not getting everything i should be. mainly, i'm pretty sure i'm lacking in iron and protein. although i am not anemic, i did just discover that my lower iron levels could be holding me back athletically. a lack of iron can cut endurance dramatically. i should have known this, it's logical, i just never thought about it. (now i feel slightly better about my meager running performances.) i want to fix this. i want to be able to run a 10k race. so, i ask you -
  1. nutritionally, what does my body need to perform well, endurance-wise?
  2. what are good sources of the things my body needs (non-meat, please)?
  3. how can i improve my running stamina?
  4. any training or eating tricks anyone wants to offer?
i'm getting frustrated with my distance abilities in running. i'm hoping that a more well-balance diet will help dramatically. otherwise, i just don't know what to do.
any thoughts, input, advice, etc you guys have is very welcome.
Thanks, kind readers!

2 comments:

the kilipino said...

eat soy!! eat soy!! holy balls, i actually have recipes to share with you!!

Anonymous said...

So I just saw the link to your blog, started reading last to first, and stopped at this one.

I'm no expert on diet, but I do know that low iron is one of the biggest nutritional problems women runners face. I've attached a few links at the bottom relating to iron and diet. If you google "runner's diet" you'll get a million results. I picked this link because it has the basics. It will tell you a few things you're aware of, but will also tell you the appropriate food-type percentages. I've always thought a nutrionist would be worth the money, but have never actually taken the steps to hire one.

As for your running, I think I'll type that up in a separate email.

Anyway, it's tough eating a balanced diet, especially when cooking for one. I have never been able to do it, but women are typically better about that than men, so I have confidence that you can. Good luck!

http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/dietary_sources_iron.html

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/162.shtml