Pasta, pasta and pancakes. That’s what I will be eating today, tomorrow and on the day of the Brabantse Kluis Trail. It will keep me fueled during the 32 kilometers trail run. I think.
It’s not just going to be pasta. I will add some salmon as well. And on the pancakes, race day morning, I’ll put some peanut butter and hagelslag (Dutch chocolate sprinkles). I like a balance between carbohydrates and fat. Carbs generally run out after 3 hours, so I need my fat as well. And with all the slow running I’ve been doing, I think I trained my body to run on fat by now anyway.
Ayurveda and nutrition
I’ll go into a trail running diet in more detail in the near future. Nutrition is one of the things I love to study. I’ll throw in some Ayurveda – Indian medicine – as well, as I’ve been studying that for the last couple of years.
For now, getting my intestines quiet is the most important thing. My intestines and my low back are my weak spots. They are in the same area. That probably has a reason. I know why my belly is upset at this moment. I’ve been eating vegan food for most of the week. I can’t handle that. There is a golden rule in Ayurveda; if you can digest it, you can eat it. Well, I can’t digest vegan food.
Too many vegetables
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with vegan food. It’s just not for me. My intestines can’t digest too many vegetables at the same time.
I’ve been vegetarian for a big part of my life. After my intestines got destroyed by a parasite, during one of my India journeys, I started to eat chicken again. The ortho-molecular specialist told me it was the only way to heal my intestines. Two years ago, she advised me to reintroduce some meat in my diet. I just wasn’t getting enough nutrients in.
She explained that being vegan or vegetarian just isn’t for anybody. To be fair, Ayurveda – although being mostly vegetarian – says the same thing. You have to follow a diet that’s in your DNA. In other words, eat what your parents eat and what your grandparents eat. And eat what is local.
Lentils and chickpeas
So if you don’t grow up with lentils and or chickpeas, maybe don’t use them as your main source of nutrients. And if you want to change into a vegetarian or vegan diet, don’t do it from one day to the other. Take at least a year. Or better, make it a 3 year plan.
We had Vera here for the last 2 weeks to film new yoga courses for our La Scimmia Yoga platform. Vera is vegan, that’s why I cooked vegan. But now my belly is a bit upset. Not ideal with a 30 kilometers run, coming Saturday. So I have 2 days to calm it down with food that is normal for me; pasta, pasta and pancakes.
