Whole30_chi Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I've been digging through the forums today and there seems to be a lot of fruit hating. I'm on Day 11 and am a marathon runner that is using fruit during long runs in addition to at meal time. I thoroughly enjoy fruit when it is in season and do not see the issue with eating it on this plan. I'm not using it to compensate for a lack of sugar, I just like it and feel it adds value to my nutrition. Could someone explain to me why fruit is so bad for you? I don't understand why a lot of people give it up when they are on this plan. Second question, why can't I include fruit in a pre or post workout meal? Prior to the whole30 I would consume carbs before a long run but on this plan it suggests protein and fat. Why not carbs? Last weekend I had a sweet potato before my long run; my body reacted fine and the world didn't end so I'm not sure what I am missing here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 It's not that fruit is being demonized: fruit is optional on a Whole30. Vegetables are generally more nutritious than fruit, so we don't want fruit to push vegetables off your plate. Also part of the Whole30 is transitioning from sugar burning to fat burning, so having fruit (or any carb) for pre workout doesn't help you there.Fruit can also be used as a crutch for some to feed a sugar craving, or eating it earlier in the day can prompt sugar cravings for other folks later in the day. The idea is to use the Whole30 to break those habits. This is why some choose to drop fruit altogether while on a Whole30, if for them, they discover it's not serving them in their desire to avoid sugar cravings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 16, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 16, 2015 The thought process behind not giving your body easy to burn carbs prior to a long run is because you want your body to access your fat stores for energy. If you give your body fruit or sweet potato, it burns that...but when that runs out you have to eat more or bonk. Fruit replenishes your liver glycogen over the muscle glycogen which is another reason we don't recommend fruit as a post workout food. In addition to what Chris said about fruit, you may also see us "hating" on nuts around the forum lately. Unfortunately with the huge influx of interest in the Whole30 due to the new book and all the media, a lot of people come to us not really understanding the program and crack out on nuts (a definite no-no on most regular "diets" but fully permitted on Whole30 so some go a little.....nuts) and assuaging their sweet tooth with fruit. It's not that nuts or fruits are bad, they aren't, they are reasonable choices from time to time....but they aren't meant to be used like they typically are either. Hope that helps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted July 16, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 16, 2015 Every piece of fruit is a nutritional weakling in comparison to veggies. Seriously, on the ANDI scale of nutrition, the best fruit - raspberries I think - reaches about 200. All veggies are higher. Kale, collards, chard are rated at 1000. So you get enormously more nutrition when you eat veggies and seriously less when you eat fruit. Fruit is really tasty raw. It is also really convenient. And almost everyone talks about fruit in the same breath with veggies as super healthy. But when you look at their respective nutritional profiles, you should not be letting fruit push veggies off your plate. Veggies need to be cooked properly to taste good. That is not as convenient, but the end result is absolutely better for you. And know this... there is not one nutrient, vitamin, etc. that you get from fruit that you cannot get even more of from veggies. Eating fruit or sweet potato (starchy veggie) before a workout puts fiber in your stomach. Adding fiber before a workout sets you up to have stomach problems. You might be sturdy enough in the gut department to sail through regardless, but it is a bad practice. Fruit, unlike starchy veggies, replenishes liver glycogen preferentially over muscle glycogen. The purpose of a post-workout meal is to feed your muscles. Fruit feeds your stomach and then your liver. It does not help your muscles in a timely fashion like lean protein and starchy veggies do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30_chi Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 The thought process behind not giving your body easy to burn carbs prior to a long run is because you want your body to access your fat stores for energy. If you give your body fruit or sweet potato, it burns that...but when that runs out you have to eat more or bonk. If I fed my body 200 calories in eggs, wouldn't that burn off too? Fruit is really tasty raw. It is also really convenient. And almost everyone talks about fruit in the same breath with veggies as super healthy. But when you look at their respective nutritional profiles, you should not be letting fruit push veggies off your plate. Veggies need to be cooked properly to taste good. That is not as convenient, but the end result is absolutely better for you. And know this... there is not one nutrient, vitamin, etc. that you get from fruit that you cannot get even more of from veggies. Eating fruit or sweet potato (starchy veggie) before a workout puts fiber in your stomach. Adding fiber before a workout sets you up to have stomach problems. You might be sturdy enough in the gut department to sail through regardless, but it is a bad practice. Fruit, unlike starchy veggies, replenishes liver glycogen preferentially over muscle glycogen. The purpose of a post-workout meal is to feed your muscles. Fruit feeds your stomach and then your liver. It does not help your muscles in a timely fashion like lean protein and starchy veggies do. I don't let fruit push veggies off of my plate. I eat a ton of vegetables so the fruit is always in addition. You mention that fruit feeds your stomach first which is what I feel like I need right after a long run. After 15 miles, I'm pretty hungry so I grab a piece of fruit to munch on while I cook up some eggs and veggies. Is this not okay? It's not that I'm not willing to give it up, I just want to understand the science behind it. Thanks to all of you for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 You mention that fruit feeds your stomach first which is what I feel like I need right after a long run. When Tom says that fruit replenishes the stomach and liver first, it means that your body is providing the liver with glycogen instead of providing glycogen to the muscles which need it for recovery. Your very best choice for post-workout is lean protein and starchy vegetables. The fat in eggs slows digestion, which also delays support to your muscles. To best meet the recommendations, have some lean protein prepared before you start working out, and try to eat it within 1/2 hour after your workout is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted July 17, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 17, 2015 You might find this article about what to eat post-workout helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Melissa @Whole9 says 18 January, 2014 at 5:57 pm While the process of becoming fat-adapted starts in just a few days of your Whole30 Day 1, the “conversion” can take 6-8 weeks, depending on your context. It sounds like you’re a serious sugar-burner, so I’m not surprised that you’re still finding you have to eat every few hours. Stick with it, as I suspect that as your days go on, that will get better, and you’ll be able to go longer between meals without “bonking.” It may take you more than 30 days, however–again, how you came into the program has far more influence on your results than what you do in these 30 days. Melissa - See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/#sthash.GE0YrVWL.dpuf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30_chi Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 You might find this article about what to eat post-workout helpful. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30_chi Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Just to clarify. I'm not bonking and I don't feel like I need to eat every few hours. What is happening and has happened my entire life (I've been running for over 20 years) is that I am pretty hungry after a 15 + mile run, which is completely normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted July 17, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 17, 2015 Whole30_chi, I am a runner too. One of the MOST incredible things I discovered while doing the Whole30 was the amazing recovery post long run. I always made sure to eat the lean protein and high carb veggies, but stayed away from fruit after workouts. Just hours after mountain runs where I used to be stiff and sore -- I almost forgot that I had run. Hope you find that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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