Foods That You Shouldn’t Eat As A Runner

If you’ve ever stuck to a particular diet then you are probably familiar with how easy it can be to deviate from what you should and shouldn’t eat. Though it’s tempting to eat half a leftover cake after you just ran a half marathon (all those calories burned - you deserve it, right?) or slam a massive burrito before you hit the gym, getting the right amount of quality nutrients really matters. This is the case for everyone, but especially so for runners or athletes that exercise for extended periods of time.

Keep It Healthy With The Real Runner!

In a post that’s quite the opposite of our recent post about quality nutrition for athletes, we thought our readers might be interested about what not to eat before you go run or exercise. Even if you’re doing low-impact running by using The Real Runner, it’s still crucial that you put the right things in your body before reaping the benefits that the best low-impact exercise machine on the market has to offer.

Check out more on how to use our machine to get the best low-impact cardio workout by visiting here and learning more about why The Real Runner is so incredible. From something as nutritionally-deficient as a Twinkie to other foods that might seem okay to eat before you exercise, let’s take a look at some of the things that you should avoid putting in your body.

Rice Cakes

Rice cakes are pretty great because they’re simple, easy to eat, and cheap. They’ve long held a “healthy” reputation, but the reality is that this staple diet snack is practically empty as far as real nutrients go. The low-calorie count of rice cakes is an attractive dieting prospect if you’re looking to drop some pounds, but it won’t help you keep your energy levels up in the heat of intense exercise.

Consider the glycogen content in rice cakes as well. Sending your blood sugar soaring, these seemingly-innocent snacks can have a glycemic index rating as high as 91, while pure glucose has a rating of 100. For a better source of carbohydrates, consider eating an English muffin or fruit.

White Bread

We know that Wonderbread uses some enticing packaging for their iconic white bread, but there are better sources of nutrients and fiber out there. The same goes for most white pastas, rice, and bread. Why? Refined white flour is made from stripping the fiber, wheat germ, and essential B vitamins from the original wheat kernel. So, what you’re left with is a highly processed food product. When consumed, this will raise insulin levels in the body and result in uneven levels of energy as well as potential weight gain. All things considered, sticking to whole-grain products as opposed to white flour is a good idea.

Microwave Popcorn

A go-to nutrition option for movie lovers and desperately broke college students alike, microwave popcorn is delicious and couldn’t be any easier to make. However, whether your popcorn is popped at the theater or just made at home, this snackable food isn’t going to do your body much good for those intense workouts. Microwave popcorn is fairly saturated with unhealthy fats, high levels of sodium, and in many cases, artificial chemicals and flavorings.

As a healthier alternative to this well-loved food, air popping the kernels or popping popcorn on the stove with a small amount of coconut oil are both options to enjoy this snack guilt-free. With a hearty dose of fiber and high levels of antioxidants, popcorn not made in a microwave becomes something worth eating.

Fruit Juice

We don’t mean to come across as confusing here - fruit juice is good for you because it has fruit in it, right? While fruit juice does have certain levels of vitamins and minerals, it’s also usually packed with high levels of sugar. Another major problem with fruit juice is that it lacks the skin and fibrous flesh that contains the majority of the nutrients. You’re also not chewing the fruit, and so the sugar in fruit juice (primarily fructose) is sent to the liver rather quickly, being stored as fat.

If fruit juice is your thing, try unsweetened cherry or grape juice. These fruit juices can actually help you recover after a difficult or strenuous workout by keeping your blood flowing properly, boosting your cardiovascular health, and filling your body with essential antioxidants. Just keep in mind that even unsweetened fruit juices still contain a good amount of sugar.

Instant Oatmeal

Instant oatmeal is praised because it is incredibly easy to make and sticks to the stomach really well, leaving us full for an extended period of time. The problem with instant oatmeal packets lies in how they are prepared. Instead of whole, rolled oats, what you’re typically consuming is steamed, flattened, pre-cooked pieces of dehydrated oats. Rolled whole oats aren’t dehydrated or pre-cooked, eliminating some of the processing from the equation.

But the flavoring packets are the true enemy here - they contain a lot salt and sugar. Though that’s what makes instant oatmeal taste so delicious, try opting for plain instant oatmeal and flavor it with real cinnamon or whole fruits like cherries, strawberries or blueberries.

Eat Healthy And Perform Well With The Real Runner

Eating some of these foods before using our low-impact exercise machine will only hold you back from your greatest performance levels. We want to see everyone succeed when they use our low-impact running device, so keep in mind what you’re putting in your body before you get started. Any questions? Reach out to find out more about the best low-impact cardio of your life.