I have tried the vegetarian way. I'm not good at that though, because... BACON. But really, the couple of times in my life that I have tried to follow plant-based raw regimens, I have experienced some of the worst side-effects in my life, even after what should be the initial shock-your-system detox or whatever. It seems that when I rely on plant based protein, I feel hungry all the time, I feel like I am going to black out when I stand up or bend down to pick something up, and in general I just feel weak.
Conversely, as my diet over the last few years has improved considerably but included mostly protein, I started to worry as I also experienced fatigue that I wasn't including enough good-source carbs. I notice very easily when I am lacking protein- I get shaky and feel headachy and irritable. It only seemed like carbs came in to play the longer my runs got- I started drinking BCAA and eating more bananas but began to think that I wasn't eating enough carbs for the amount of running I was doing.
It seems there are plenty of people who function highly as athlete and never eat anything with a face. I don't have any political or ecological reasons for being interested in vegatarianism- I believe that animals are on the food chain and we are at the top, and God meant it that way. Sorry. Just makes more sense to me. And, BACON.
So years ago I subscribed to the Maffetone Method, it made sense- for a long time now I've been pretty processed-sugar-free. I hadn't really thought much more about this philosophy until I read Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougal. I actually remembered why I eat the way I do and had an a-ha moment when I realized that the heart rate training my coach is doing with me originated here too. Maffetone's research says that we react poorly to carbs, which is the same science behind Atkins, Paleo and Bulletproof coffee. Interestingly, McDougal recounts in his book, in between scenes about the greatest wartime kidnapping shenanigans to ever take place, how he met with not only Maffetone, and tried the method himself, but he also caught up with Dr. Timothy Noakes. Noakes wrote the running bible back in the 80's that seemed to fuel the big-corporation intervention of sugary electrolyte drinks into the endurance sports, touting carbs as the magic ingredient all athletes couldn't live without. But he changed his tune, and now supports Banting which is pretty much protein and fat rich, low carb living.
So, what's a girl to do?
I may be the textbook study on this. Flashback about three years ago. I got really good at high protein, good fat, low carb. Then I moved. (Cortisol levels through the roof maybe?). I felt tired, lethargic almost. I blamed my new environment on my lack of energy. I drank more than I had been, and ate more fried food (bad fat?). I had a year of adjustment. During the adjustment, I crash dieted, because that's my default mode when I feel like life is controlling me instead of me, it.
Now I am here. Clear headed, and with a running coach. I got back on track with my diet with Amanda, who put me on macro tracking and refilled what had previously been an empty furnace- if metabolism is akin to a fire stove oven, then all I had left four months ago were ashes and absolutely no fuel and definitely no fire. I trusted her advice and began to feel stronger, more energetic, alive and able. We gave the furnace something burn, and now it's time to relight the fire. Now, I am just looking for the optimal fuel for my life to keep that fire burning as long and as hot as possible.
I have decided to try Maffetone's 14 day test, starting Tuesday, July 5. It isn't about dieting, it's about finding out how different foods affect my performance. After all, I am obsessed with the idea of finding out what my brain and body's version of Elite is. Wish me luck!
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