The perfect athlete food (Page 3)

Johners - 2009-10-16 8:56 PM Whatever I can get someone else to pay for...

eliwashere - 2009-10-18 9:27 PM Although I agree completely that whole foods, or food as grown and minimally processed are generally the BEST thing to have in your diet, I think that the reality is that the convenience of ground grains is an important part of our lifestyles.
Bread, pasta, etc, can all have a place in a healthy diet, it just has to be a supporting role, not the main source of calories.
Although I love having rice and beans and scrambled eggs for breakfast, it is much easier to get a piece of whole wheat toast and peanut butter in my belly early in the morning, and probably easier to get the energy into your system, because of the processing.
What do you think?

Comet - 2009-10-18 4:12 PM To expand on this, I think many athletes here should do some research on food production, to include processed pacakged foods, meats and produce. Up until the last 100 years, even 50, there wasn't a such thing as our mega stores and endless supply of food. Our bodies aren't designed for this and it's killing us (obiesty, health problems listed above). Even "athletes" like ourselves do not need this mass produced food to be successful. Most of us on this site are not at the level we like to think we're at and can thrive on a reduced volume of real, whole foods. Our bodies can get the required carbs fir this lifestyle without having to eat junk. Hunter gatherers survived on foods from the earth and meats. 100 years ago people didn't eat cereal for breakfast. Most countries do not have the supermarkets we do. They do not have the obiesty rates we do. Some good reading to consider: The Primal Blueprint, Good Calories Bad Calories, www.marksdailyapple.comjust food for thought.

Rencor - 2009-10-19 12:27 PM

 

While I don't disagree with what your saying...Keep in mind that hunter gatherers didn't have to go to work, sit at a desk (or whatever) take your lunch/break, and leave work all at a designated time. 

Hunter gatherers spent their days hunting and gathering. Essentially all day every day.

Rencor - 2009-10-19 12:27 PM

 

While I don't disagree with what your saying...Keep in mind that hunter gatherers didn't have to go to work, sit at a desk (or whatever) take your lunch/break, and leave work all at a designated time. 

Hunter gatherers spent their days hunting and gathering. Essentially all day every day.

Rencor - 2009-10-19 12:27 PM

 

While I don't disagree with what your saying...Keep in mind that hunter gatherers didn't have to go to work, sit at a desk (or whatever) take your lunch/break, and leave work all at a designated time. 

Hunter gatherers spent their days hunting and gathering. Essentially all day every day.

raveon - 2009-10-16 6:26 PM

whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana (pretty well every day)

swishyskirt - 2009-10-19 9:47 AM



I hunt and gather peanut butter. Does that count?

wavedog - 2009-10-16 8:36 PM

rice!

dck4shrt - I think the whole idea that it's ok to use processed foods as an easy way of getting 'energy into your system' is exactly the problem that we are talking about.  You shouldn't have to get 'easy energy' into your system at any time, because this causes a spike in your blood sugar.

trix - 2009-10-19 5:15 PM not sure if anyone said:

coconut water - great for potassium

mrcurtain - 2009-10-19 5:05 PM

I simply don't understand the bias against processed foods.

Does gnawing on raw sugarcane give you any less of a spike in your blood sugar?

emmie - 2009-10-19 4:41 PM

Huh. Had no idea. Will have to look into that sometime. In the meantime, my new favorite is a whole-grain pancake peanut butter sandwich. I make small whole wheat/oat/sunflower seed/flaxseed cinnamon pancakes then spread on a layer of peanut butter or almond butter and stick a similarly-sized pancake on top. I've found that the combination of slower-release carbs, protein, and fat works better for me than anything else on IM distance rides.