Every quarter for the past 21 years my university students ask me the same question – What should I eat before my workout? And every quarter my answer is essentially the same – The closer to the ground, the better.
Of course, the full answer is more nuanced.
For those interested in complex answers (and complex carbohydrates), I share information about slow and fast release carbs. Fast release carbohydrates are foods that are quickly broken down into sugars. Slow release carbs are foods that are slowly broken down into sugars.
And some like to know about the glycemic response, which refers to the body’s increase in blood glucose (a simple form of sugar. If you see the word “monosaccharide,” that is the type of sugar that is glucose) and insulin after you eat. The Glycemic Index is a standardized list of food categories. Using white bread as the reference food (GI of 100), foods that have a GI >85 are considered high, foods that are 60-85 are moderate, and foods that are <60 are low. Low Glycemic Index foods are slow release.
Some foods listed as low (<60) on the GI:
hummus peaches apples
grapefruit peanuts pears
beans oat bran bread milk (whole or nonfat or soy)
yogurt dried peas egg fettuccini
apricots bananas wheat kernels
cherries plums tomato soup
rice bran barley
For a truly complete list of over 1,300 food listed on the Glycemic Index, you can click to the International Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2002 published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
In case you don’t want to memorize the Glycemic Index list, I’ll give you a super simplified way to choose – if it’s white, you probably don’t want it (except milk). If it’s colorful, you probably do. Brightly colored children’s cereals do NOT qualify. One more way to quickly gauge – starchy = fast release; non-starchy – slow release. But I find the white/ colorful easier.
Now let’s talk about carbohydrates and protein. These sample pre-workout choices give you a good idea when you’re trying to decide:
whole-grain toast and peanut butter
orange and cottage cheese
yogurt and granola
nuts and apple
hard-boiled egg and wheat bagel
chicken breast (not a nugget) and rice
string cheese and pretzels
Notice how these foods are much closer to the ground than fruit-flavored or infused foods, and that the ingredients ARE the food, rather than a long list of mystery chemicals and additives.
In a nod to my fabulous self, my students also ask what I eat. They know that I have a lot of energy, good skin color, and am the right size for my health and build.
I got lucky. When my (now 18-year-old) son was diagnosed as a baby with a lot of food allergies, I had to learn to read labels and cook from scratch. So in order to protect his health I ended up protecting the health of my entire family.
We eat organic, non-GMO food from brands we trust. And for a while I had a fruit orchard and vegetable garden. On a side note, my skin and body care and make-up products have to be free of toxic chemicals too. What goes on your skin goes into your body. If you want to experience this for yourself, rub a clove of garlic on your bare big toe. Wait a few minutes, then check your breath. Weird, eh?
Want to make it really easy on yourself so you can avoid shopping at five different stores or growing your own food? Shop at Thrive Market. Think of the baby if Costco and Whole Foods combined to birth only their best features – low annual fee, free shipping (over $49), a focus on organic and natural products, wholesale prices, and great customer service. Plus, they donate one membership to a low-income family for every purchased membership. The founder is a young guy who grew up with a financially struggling single mom, and he wants to pay it forward so that everyone, not just the upper middle class, can access healthy food and products. Now don’t you want to hug him?
I joined their affiliate program because they reflect my values AND are super affordable. I’ll end this post with an invitation to click on this link to Thrive Market and see for yourself.
You want to eat the right food before exercise, right? And I imagine you want to eat the right food the rest of the day too, yes? Use the info and resources in this post and you’ll be just dandy. Especially if you buy organic candy.
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by Alexandra Williams, MA