Inflammation in runners may cause undesired weight gain and overall generalized achiness. Our bodies naturally create inflammation to repair muscular damage which is a healthy healing response however there are also dietary factors that could be causing unnecessary inflammation.
Research has shown that there are 7 common foods that could be causing inflammation in your body. The 7 foods are dairy, gluten, corn, soy, sugar, peanuts and eggs. To uncover if your body is reacting to these foods, I suggest a 3 week diet of eliminating these foods and then gradually introducing 1 of these food groups every 2 days thereafter and monitoring your body for signs of inflammation.
Some signs of inflammation are weight gain and joint pain. In 2013, I found out I had an autoimmune disease called Hashimotos. I experienced extreme malaise, brain fog, weight gain, joint pain and declining running speed. I did some research and discovered how diet can heal autoimmune conditions (and even depression and other mental conditions). I went on the diet as described above and my life and running transformed. I lost 10 pounds of water weight (inflammation) within a week and started feeling energized again. My running speed returned and ran minutes faster in races compared to the year before. I now can consume most of those foods except for dairy and gluten.
If you are experiencing joint achiness or feel like you lost energy or are experiencing other clues that your body is not functioning optimally I suggest eliminating the 7 foods described above. Contrary to common belief, I do not believe joint achiness is related to aging. Science has revealed joint achiness and weight gain could be caused by any of those 7 foods. To reach your highest potential as a runner, I suggest eliminating those 7 foods for 3 weeks and see how much faster you may be and how much more energized you may feel.
Good luck! Please feel free to reach out with questions.
Nicole Murray (formerly Nicole Hunt)
Journey Soul Running: Science Based Holistic Coaching
~Working Together we can turn your Dream into Reality~
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