Nut r it ion
Frustrated by the preponderance of fad diet books on the market, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, founder of the Ottawa-based non-surgical Bariatric Medical Institute, wrote The Diet Fix, a book that explains how to have a good diet without going on a diet. For runners, Freedhoff has a simple message: don’t shoot for perfection.
“The world of nutrition is awash in minutia,” Freedhoff says. “The media, diet book gurus, health professionals, friends and family all seem to be pushing the message that our diets must be perfect, and that the eating grade we should be aiming for is an A+. When it comes to healthful living, I think an A+ is an awful grade. Just as with school, the effort required to get an A+ is orders of magnitude more than what’s required to get a solid B, and frankly, as far as the evidence goes, it’s unclear, especially when it comes to folks who are already regularly physically active, that the A+ will translate to tangible life-extending or improving benefit over that B.”
It’s a mistake to approach food solely as fuel, or you’ll deny yourself the joys of food as a comfort or celebration, instead turning it into something to be tolerated, says Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, whose popular blog, Weighty Matters, dispels myths about obesity. “When it comes to food,” Freedhoff argues, “merely tolerable, for most of us, isn’t good enough, and consequently doesn’t last.” So stick to the basics and cook most of your meals from fresh, whole ingredients, and try to eat those meals with your family around a table. “Remember that the simple fact it’s Friday doesn’t warrant an automated meal out, don’t drink any calories you don’t love, and aim for the smallest amount of dietary vices and indulgences you need to like your life.”
It may sound counterintuitive coming from a fitness model and personal trainer, but Aric Sudicky, a top personal trainer who is also a medical student at the University of Calgary, says runners who want to improve their fitness and health should spend less time in the gym and more time in the kitchen. “Obesity has surpassed smoking as the biggest cause of premature and preventable death and is linked to 25 to 30 per cent of cancers,” Sudicky says. “When I meet with a new client or patient who is strapped for time, the first step is to help them develop new eating habits.”
Research has shown that exercise can help you maintain your weight, but is not as effective as dietary changes when it comes to weight loss. “You cannot out-exercise poor nutrition,” Sudicky says. “If faced with an exercise- or prepare-food-dilemma on a busy day, head into the kitchen and prepare five or six lunches for your upcoming work week.”