I finally found the article that Canadian Cycling Mag and Cheryl Madinger put together from an interview we did in the fall on the art of being Paleo while being an Elite Endurance Athlete. I have had several compliments from it and even a few people who were inspired to give it a try, so super job and many thanks to C.C.Mag for letting me spout off about sweet potatoes and other kooky things.
For clarity/disclosure/addendum, I avoid Gluten from all sources. I use white rice and organic corn occasionally if we are out for Mexican or sushi but mostly just to supplement carbohydrate when training load is high and 10+ sweet potatoes is too much. During rides I use maltodextrin based powders/gels for intense and/or long rides as well as BCAA and sea salt/electrolytes, the occasional ‘Jenny’s Macaroon’ finds its way into ride food as well. I consume limited
Nuts/seeds and fruit but this is not to say they are bad or to be avoided by everyone everyday. >Most people, on most days will get enough calories from a more normal paleo template (meat + veggies + fruit + good fats) . The message that you do not have to be perfect and that everyone’s ‘template’ will be different was/is my primary message and this was captured well in the article.
http://cyclingmagazine.ca/2013/02/sections/healthnutrition/nutrition-tips/going-paleopaleo-diet/
Going paleo
By Cheryl Madliger – Published February 1, 2013
If your choice for pre-race nutrition tends to be linguine or rigatoni, Peter Glassford’s nutritional approach might shock you. The Collingwood, Ont.-based cycling coach and Trek Canada Mountain Bike Race Team member uses an ancestral diet omitting grains, dairy and legumes to fuel himself and his athletes. Extreme or not, Glassford’s diet is working for him. He is the Canadian record holder at the Leadville 100 and the 2012 Ontario provincial crosscountry champion. His approach to nutrition is based on the Paleo diet. It’s something cycling coach Joe Friel often recommends. In The Paleo Diet for Athletes, Friel and co-author Loren Cordain, the original expert on the Paleo diet, explain things simply.
“The essential dietary principles of The Paleo Diet for Athletes are straightforward: you can eat as much lean meat, poultry, seafood, fresh fruit and veggies as you like,” the book says. “Foods that are not part of the modern-day Paleolithic fare include cereal grains, dairy products, high-glycemic fruits and vegetables, legumes, alcohol, salty foods, fatty meats, refined sugars, and nearly all processed foods.”
As Glassford explains it, the approach is about maximizing nutrition, which in turn maximizes performance. “The Paleo diet is basically the use of an evolutionary framework to establish an optimal diet and lifestyle for an individual, starting with the most nutrient dense and non-problematic foods. Start thinking about your food in terms of nutrient density,” he says. “What do you get for each calorie?”
Grains, dairy and legumes – which some suggest we’re not fully adapted to – are considered problematic. They’re also less nutrient dense than foods emphasized in the Paleo diet, making them less optimal choices. For example, rather than a pouring a meat sauce over bed of pasta, someone following the Paleo diet might add it to a bowl of veggies, such as spaghetti squash or zucchini.
According to Nicole Springle, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic in Toronto, the Paleo diet is growing in popularity. Springle admits, however, that without grains, legumes or dairy, meeting nutrient requirements could be challenging, but not impossible. “You can satisfy dietary requirements without these foods, but it requires careful planning and supplementation,” she says. “Most individuals don’t realize the amount of careful selection of food required to meet their dietary needs.”
