A Gut Feeling; Thoughts on Nutrition

I’m going to comment on something close to our hearts—the gut. I would like us to consider the gut in both its figurative and literal sense, as the central location of our instincts and the system by which all our physiological functions depend. If the gut, our digestive organs, aren’t working properly then we are not able to absorb and assimilate the nutrients we need to live a healthy and vital life. An inhibited digestive system will directly impact our training, specifically, fueling and recovery.

If our gut becomes physiologically dysfunctional, then I would speculate we also become less aware of our natural instincts, and therefore out of touch with our inner voice that provides direction. This impairment blunts our ability to distinguish what we should and shouldn’t consume as it relates to food, the information we gather, and personal habits we gravitate toward. Our ability to determine if we are hungry, thirsty, or even sense what macro and micronutrients our body might be lacking becomes diminished. As we move further away from intuitive decision making, we fall into an autopilot state of being and become more susceptible to outside influences that may not be in our best interest.

Despite improved technology that tracks our nutritional intake and caloric output, the wellness of America is failing. According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 68% of adults in the United States are considered to be overweight or obese. Perhaps you are one of the 32% for which weight isn’t an issue. However, regardless of where you might fall in the weight classification, a good portion of the other 32% are dealing with injuries, chronic fatigue, anxiety or depression, and other stress-related ailments. Our fast-paced lifestyles of ease are slowly taking a toll on our guts, happiness, and overall wellness.

If we allow our guts to fall into a dysfunctional state, then it’s only a matter of time before our bodies and minds follow. This is where many of us find ourselves. As endurance athletes we tend to think we’re immune to the disease and dysfunction that plague the unfit population. However, being fit isn’t always being healthy. The list of high profile athletes who fall into this fit-but-not-healthy classification as a result of injury and dysfunction, seems to be growing exponentially as our desire for pushing limits outpaces our ability. While I’ll never know what it feels like to stand on a podium, I am very familiar with the repercussions of pushing my body beyond it’s limits. I am a prime example of being fit and not healthy.

I’ve always been skinny as well as active, and for most of my twenties and thirties I ate whatever I fancied, primarily because I never gained weight. I could eat an entire pizza, large plate of pasta, or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s (I still occasionally do this), because I rode 50 miles, or I planned to run 12 miles. I consumed an abundance of carbs because I wanted to adhere to the carbo loading, and the 3-to-1 carbs to protein recovery guidelines that are still a mainstay in sports nutrition today. I’m not saying those guidelines are false, but I abused food under the misguided belief that I could have my cake (and ice cream) and eat it two, three, or four times over. Looking back, it seems absurd to think eating a highly refined carb diet was healthy, but I was out of tune with my body and ignoring what my gut was telling me.

Messages in the media, supermarket aisles, and on the uniforms of our athletic heroes sway our emotions, impact our buying choices, and affect our eating habits. I’ve watched professional cyclists and triathletes shotgun cans of coke on rides, and eat bowls of pasta, stacks of pancakes, and boxes of cereal after training. I stopped thinking and feeling for myself, and attempted to emulate them. Now when I see professional athletes sponsored by one of the numerous “energy” drink companies, I wonder what they would drink if they weren’t paid to do so. A 12-ounce can of pink or green elixir averages about 35 grams of sugar. I understand athletes need to make sacrifices to make a living in order to pursue their dreams and goals. Perhaps for a high level athlete, one can of Coke on a ride is tolerable. However, most of the people buying Red Bull are not burning five-thousand calories each day while adhering to an otherwise healthy and nutrient-dense diet.

Sugar consumption is hitting epidemic proportions and we can no longer ignore the correlation between increased rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and mental illness. I’m not advocating we become rigid in our approach to nutrition, but I believe we’ve allowed big industry to dictate our eating habits. Somewhere along the way, we lost our innate awareness of the power and value of real food. The economics of nutrition is probably the single biggest factor to have negatively impacted the state of our collective health.

All is not lost. We are making changes, and it’s coming from the bottom up. Food movements gaining traction over the past decade are independent and for the most part, not attached to big industry. I believe the intentions of diets such as Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, low carb/high fat, keto and Mediterranean, are to improve the health of their adopters, as well as improve the sustainability of our food sources. I don’t subscribe to any one camp, but I believe it’s a disservice to argue which diet is better than another. In my opinion, the large food corporations are pleased that there is dissension between those with different dietary trends. Energy spent arguing about eating habits is energy that isn’t being spent combatting larger issues in the food industry.

Nutrition is an individual choice, and we should respect each other’s decisions. We are biologically diverse creatures, and our unique nutritional needs are dependent on many factors including: genetics, epigenetics, the state of our current health, and fueling and recovery needs. If adopting a nutritional program inspires you because of environmental concerns, moral or religious beliefs, or the associated lifestyle, then embrace it. Choose whichever diet you believe in, and that will likely be the one you stick with long term. If you’d rather tinker and create your own nutritional philosophy, try following some of these basic guidelines.

Basic Nutritional Guidelines

Diet

First, we need to stop lumping nutrition under the word “diet.” Perhaps we should label our effort as a nutritional program, philosophy, or protocol. “Diet” has become synonymous with short-term weight loss. We need to view nutrition as a long-term lifestyle.

Sugar

As much as possible, stay away from products that add sugar. Any nutritional program worth its weight agrees on this point. As I stated earlier, overconsumption of sugar is linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and more recently, Alzheimer’s. The World Health Organization changed its sugar recommendations in 2015, stating children and adults should reduce sugar intake to less than 10% of energy expenditure per day. They further advise 5% to be a healthier target. This calculates to about 25 - 50 grams of sugar per day from foods adding it in the form of cane sugar, glucose, fructose, and sucrose. This recommendation does not include sugar from natural foods such as fruits.

Carbs

One way to make a significant impact on improving gut and overall health might be to rename refined carbs. Calling them “faux food” would help avoid any confusion that refined carbs are a healthy alternative source of carbohydrates. Natural foods that provide healthy carbs are fruits, vegetables, and properly prepared whole grains. Refined carbs often come from natural sources, but have been processed and refined in such a way that they are no longer a viable nutritional source. Refined carbs are items such as pasta, white rice, foods made from flours, corn chips, candy, cereals, and most things packaged with more than a few ingredients listed. Unfortunately, my long time staple of tacos (or burritos) with chips and salsa turns out to be refined carbs in a refined carb with refined carbs dipped in veggies on the side.

Try to get the bulk of your carbs from fruits and vegetables. Limit the whole grains, and heavier starchy veggies like sweet potatoes, to about 15% of your caloric intake. Fruits and veggies will provide more vitamins and minerals, and are typically easier to digest.

Fat

I think we’re getting the message on fats. If you haven’t heard, fat is no longer bad for us, and it never was. We need to consume fair amounts of essential fatty acids (EFAs) to fight inflammation, build healthy cells, improve heart and brain function, and absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. As endurance athletes we should all be aware that fat is the most efficient fuel to burn for energy. To burn it, we need to consume it. Good sources of fat can be found in foods such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, nuts, nut butters, real butter, seeds, coconut and olive oils, and avocados.

Gluten

There are conflicting studies on gluten. Some support the belief that it is indigestible, others say gluten intolerance is bunk. Speaking from my own experience, gluten has a significantly negative impact on my digestion and mood. Therefore, my case study of one confirms I cannot eat it, and that is the only study that matters. Staying away from gluten isn’t difficult to do if you limit refined carbohydrate consumption. If you think you might be intolerant to gluten or any other foods, try removing them from your program for 30 days and then see how you feel.

Water

The majority of us are dehydrated. We can improve our health and vitality simply by consuming adequate amounts of water and reducing the amount of diuretics such as coffee, tea, and soda. As a rule we should drink half our body weight in ounces, plus one-and-a-half ounces for every ounce of a diuretic consumed. For example, a 160-pound individual should consume 80 ounces of water during the day, and an additional 12 ounces for every 8 ounces of coffee, tea, or soda. Add a pinch of sea salt for electrolyte and mineral balance, and be sure to make additional adjustments for water lost through sweat while training.

If we follow these general guidelines, wean ourselves off sugar and refined carbs, and embrace the fat, we can restore the digestive process and reclaim our lost health and vitality. Once our wellness matches our fitness, our gut will once again be our guide. Decisions will come more easily and with fewer regrets; not only with our food choices but also in our relationships, work, training, and life.

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