How to get enough carbs when you don't eat grains

monjet13

A While back my doctor put me on The Paleo diet to help with an the chronic pain of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome (sp?)
Right now I'm training for my first 10K, my running group coach has been talking about carb loading before big runs and before the race but I'm at a lose as to how to do it. If you dont eat grain how do you carbo load? Any suggestions?

Lina4Lina

Legumes? Fruit? Vegetables?

mensasu

Check out Marks Daily Apple for tips http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz25dUBuWW1

as linanil says - legumes, fruit and veggies. Sweet potatoes are great.

khrissym

I was in the same boat not too long ago and one thing that was recommended to me was quinoa. It is not a grain and provides you with more carbohydrates.

There are many different ways that you can have it.

ipag

When you are paleo, you can carbo load on white rice and sweet or white potatoes. Unless, those give you a bad reaction. Then it is strictly is fruit and veggies, no legumes.

nxd10

Fruit. Milk (is that on paleo?)

PaleoPath4Lyfe

When you are paleo, you can carbo load on white rice and sweet or white potatoes. Unless, those give you a bad reaction. Then it is strictly is fruit and veggies, no legumes.

This and add in raw milk

IceDragon72

If you are eating primal, you can drink some milk or chocolate milk. There's also sweet potatoes and white potatoes (some Paleo followers don't eat them, but they are veggies and if you don't have a bad reaction to them, go for it!), fruit of course (bananas and melons are pretty high in carbs), nuts, and seeds like quinoa. White rice is also OK to some Paleo proponents, so you could eat that, and if you don't have a bad reaction to legumes you can add those as well. I'm sure you can figure something out!

PhilyPhresh

Easiest way to carbo load on Paleo is sweet potatoes. Other than that, plenty of fruits and vegetables!

KBGirts

Potatoes - Sweet or white. (I think white is considered paleo by some)
Lara Bars - Only the coconut cream one is primal
Fruit - Lots of it

vanessairene

Potatoes - Sweet or white. (I think white is considered paleo by some)
Lara Bars - Only the coconut cream one is primal
Fruit - Lots of it

This. Exactly... and the sweet potato is paleo/primal okay.

Jester522

Legumes, fruits (careful... its all sugar. Moderation and timing.) , vegetables are NOT valid carb source, beans, starches.

Paleo is omits the use of grains and wheat as they are annual monocrops introduced as a dietary staple via agriculture and irrigation. Paleo relies on carb sources from perennial plants not containing gluten. These are your fruits for sugars and roots/legumes/beans for starch.

RaeLB

potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, beans, legumes, fruits

CakeFit21

When I was marathon training I ate a lot of squash, (butternut and spaghetti) beets, dates and sweet potatoes.

Also, quinoa and ALL legumes are not paleo.

fatty_to_fitty

I was going to say quinoa but then thought, isn't it grains?

TheVimFuego

Yup, Legumes are out if you want to go the full Paleo, they have similar issues to grains.

Sweet potato would be my choice. Not that I need to carb load for anything

wewon

Define "enough" carbs.

Rocbola

Fruit
Fruit
More fruit
Legumes
Fruit.
Potatoes.


I would put emphasis on fruit. The human is a natural frugivore.

Read "The 80/10/10 Diet" by Douglas Graham. It is a high energy diet based around fruit.

Lina4Lina

I was going to say quinoa but then thought, isn't it grains?

Quinoa is a seed.

Drunkadelic

Lara Bars - Only the coconut cream one is primal

I'm pretty sure at least the cashew cookie ones are too. The only ingredients are cashews and dates...

OP - PO-TA-TO! Cook 'em, mash 'em, put 'em in a stew.

PrimalGirl

You don't need to carb load to run distances. If you're already eating Paleo you will be getting enough fat in your diet to burn as fuel.

Carb loading are for runners who eat grains and people who buy into 'carb = energy'. As a paleo person, you shouldn't buy into that. You should already have boundless energy from eating the right foods, the foods we evolved to eat.

So don't carb load. Make sure you get a nice fatty meal the night before, a protein/mid-fat breakfast, and do your run. You should be fine. Especially if you've been training for it for a while - if so, you won't have had any problems during your 7km and 8km warm-up runs, so you won't by pushing it to the 10km mark.

Sounds like your coach is advising what he does without taking into account what you do. Someone mentioned Mark's Daily Apple, which is great. I once found an article on there where Mark Sisson admitted drinking a spoonful of olive oil before a 10km race - fat-fuel straight into the system. Personally, that would probably make me throw up, but an avocado and some bacon would probably do the same job.

PrimalGirl

shar140

A While back my doctor put me on The Paleo diet to help with an the chronic pain of fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome (sp?)
Right now I'm training for my first 10K, my running group coach has been talking about carb loading before big runs and before the race but I'm at a lose as to how to do it. If you dont eat grain how do you carbo load? Any suggestions?

As others mentioned, white rice, sweet or white potatoes, and bananas are my go-to's.

I'd also suggest the book "Paleo Diet for Athletes" by Dr. Loren Cordain. He explains what you're asking. Side note to others, this book is for endurance (aerobic) athletes, not mixed sports (aerobic & anaerobic, so most team sports). His rule of thumb is you don't really need to carb load if the event is less than an hour. He also gives some guidelines for how much carb.

Also, I don't know what carb level you have been eating at, but if it's somewhat moderate to low, I would try to carb load over a few days (less carbs but more often), not all at once the night before so you don't risk stomach upset from a huge load of carbs at once.

shar140

You don't need to carb load to run distances. If you're already eating Paleo you will be getting enough fat in your diet to burn as fuel.

Carb loading are for runners who eat grains and people who buy into 'carb = energy'. As a paleo person, you shouldn't buy into that. You should already have boundless energy from eating the right foods, the foods we evolved to eat.

So don't carb load. Make sure you get a nice fatty meal the night before, a protein/mid-fat breakfast, and do your run. You should be fine. Especially if you've been training for it for a while - if so, you won't have had any problems during your 7km and 8km warm-up runs, so you won't by pushing it to the 10km mark.

Sounds like your coach is advising what he does without taking into account what you do. Someone mentioned Mark's Daily Apple, which is great. I once found an article on there where Mark Sisson admitted drinking a spoonful of olive oil before a 10km race - fat-fuel straight into the system. Personally, that would probably make me throw up, but an avocado and some bacon would probably do the same job.

PrimalGirl

Assuming she's a fat burner and not a sugar (carb) burner, this should work fine. Though I might go coconut oil instead of olive, for the MCT's. But I agree, that would probably make me throw up too so I'd go with bacon and eggs like every day.

Dr. Peter Attia did an interesting self-experiment you can read about here:
http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-interplay-of-exercise-and-ketosis-part-i

vytamindi

OP - PO-TA-TO! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.

FTFY :glasses:

ETA: If you're a fat burner and you plan on adding a ton of carbs, do it slowly to avoid negative tummy feels!

myofibril

The point of carb loading is to to ensure your glycogen stores are full for race day. Your body will look to glycogen (carb) stores first when you are running and when depleted will draw from other fuel sources (and you will probably hit "the wall" as well...)

Now, your body's capacity to store glycogen is limited (so there's no need to go nuts with the carbs - pardon the pun) and is generally sufficient for about 90 minutes running or so. If your run will exceed that time you will need to think about supplementing during it. If it's less, then three or four days prior to your race just eat more carbs per day to the extent that you feel comfortable with the foodstuff you generally like and know you can handle and a carb rich meal the evening before. Trying new stuff maybe counter productive if it doesn't agree with you.

In reality, if it's a non competitive fun run gig then all of the above maybe completely unnecessary. Just eat sensibly and enjoy it...

StarryEyed500

Assuming she's a fat burner and not a sugar (carb) burner, this should work fine.

How do you know which you are?

PercivalHackworth

everybody has the same pathways; the metabolic pathway depends on the intensity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_systems

PercivalHackworth

The point of carb loading is to to ensure your glycogen stores are full for race day. Your body will look to glycogen (carb) stores first when you are running and when depleted will draw from other fuel sources (and you will probably hit "the wall" as well...)

Now, your body's capacity to store glycogen is limited (so there's no need to go nuts with the carbs - pardon the pun) and is generally sufficient for about 90 minutes running or so. If your run will exceed that time you will need to think about supplementing during it. If it's less, then three or four days prior to your race just eat more carbs per day to the extent that you feel comfortable with the foodstuff you generally like and know you can handle and a carb rich meal the evening before. Trying new stuff maybe counter productive if it doesn't agree with you.

In reality, if it's a non competitive fun run gig then all of the above maybe completely unnecessary. Just eat sensibly and enjoy it...

As usual, great answers. An interesting study compared two athletes with roughly the same level. Their intensity and duration on effort has been measured between they both "hit the wall". The first one had an omega3/6 supplementation while the second didn't. The first have been able to run an extra time before "hitting the wall". Ingesting lipids next to a proper CHO storing ensures better performances for such

myofibril

As usual, great answers. An interesting study compared two athletes with roughly the same level. Their intensity and duration on effort has been measured between they both "hit the wall". The first one had an omega3/6 supplementation while the second didn't. The first have been able to run an extra time before "hitting the wall". Ingesting lipids next to a proper CHO storing ensures better performances for such

That's pretty cool. So supplementing with certain fats as well may add an advantage in performance? Presumably their carb levels were held constant.

I will give that go. Thanks for the heads up my friend.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Potatoes - Sweet or white. (I think white is considered paleo by some)
Lara Bars - Only the coconut cream one is primal
Fruit - Lots of it

Most of the Kind bars are Primal / Paleo (honey, dried fruit and nuts)

PhilyPhresh

:huh: Does anyone on here even know what IS Paleo and what IS NOT Paleo...?