Can runners benefit from the Cruise Control Diet?

The running population in the UK has reached a staggering 10.5 million runners with 10% of adult runners having competed in a marathon, half-marathon or triathlon in the last 12 months, according to Sports Marketing Surveys Inc. A healthy diet forms a very important part of any exercise regime, including running.??

The relationship between running and a healthy body weight is an intricate one. While being active provides great weight loss benefits, being active is a lot easier when you sport a healthy body weight. While the market is inundated with weight loss products, nothing beats losing weight naturally by following a diet consisting of ‘clean’ food and getting regular exercise.

The beauty of eating plans such as the Cruise Control Diet is that you don’t have to starve yourself or eliminate certain food groups completely. One of the main reasons people don’t stick to diets is because they are often overly complicated. What sets the Cruise Control diet apart from the competition is that is has very few guidelines to follow and there is no tedious calorie counting. A lot of the foods recommended as part of the diet also happen to be excellent food sources for runners, making it a natural lifestyle choice for runners looking to lose or maintain their weight.

What can you eat while on the Cruise Control Diet?

The diet revolves around eating whole foods that burn fat instead of making you store fat. A lot of these food sources are also of great benefit to runners and include:

• Seeds & nuts

Healthy seeds and nuts such as almonds are an excellent source of Vitamin E and are known to lower circulating cholesterol levels, decreasing your risk of heart disease. A handful of almonds will keep you feeling fuller for longer than grain-based food items while raising the protein and healthy fat levels in your diet.

• Eggs

A single egg accounts for up to 10% of your daily protein requirements and as much as 30% of your daily Vitamin K value. Whether you prefer your egg boiled or scrambled, the health benefits remain the same. They contain all the important amino acids your muscles require to aid recovery with the choline and leutin aiding memory and healthy eyes respectively.

• Fruit & vegetables

Recent studies conducted by universities in the UK found that 10 portions of fruit and veg a day is far better than the previously recommended 5. Although fruit is generally relatively high in sugar their benefits far exceed this single downside. Berries are known to be full of antioxidants and oranges are packed with Vitamin C and will reduce the amount of muscle soreness you experience after strenuous workouts such as downhill running. Include a lot of leafy green vegetables in your meals and keep the starchy ones such as potatoes to a minimum.

Other food to include in your pro-running diet include healthy lean protein sources such as salmon, chicken and turkey, healthy legumes and grains which include lentils and rye as well as a variety of  nourishing herbs and spices.

If a diet is packed with delicious yet nutritious food and you are not harshly limited to what you can eat, you will have few problems sticking to it. Balance is key at the end of the day: there are countless permitted whole-food sources you can utilise to whip up mouthwatering meals for yourself and your family – keep it interesting and you will remain interested in it!