Lewis G. Maharam - Running Docs Guide to Healthy Eating: The Revolutionary 4-Week Program to Boost Your Athletic Performance, Everyday Activities, and Weight Loss

Praise forRunning Docs Guide to Healthy Eating

Running Doc is back with his thoughts on nutrition and healthy eating. As one who has broken bread with him many times, I can testify he knows his way around good food. I highly recommend this book, which gives readers a simple approach to fuel their athletic performance, whether they are eating at home or on the go.

Steve Van Camp, MD, cardiologist, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine

Dr. Maharam has been advising runners on how to stay healthy for over forty years. His latest book offers nutritional advice to fuel performance and prevent injuries. It should be on every runners bookshelf.

John E. McNerney, DPM, former team podiatrist, New Jersey Nets and New York Giants

I have known the Running Doc for many years. He is a complete sports physician, taking care of sports injuries, health, and wellness conditioning. With this book, he talks to you in a simple, easy to understand manner so you can eat healthy and perform better.

Rod Dixon, four-time Olympian, Olympic medalist; two-time World Cross-Country medalist; New York City Marathon champion

Without doubt, the Running Doc has written a gem herewith simple solutions and sound advice, the book makes it easy to be healthy and vibrant again.

Douglas S. Kalman PhD, RD, adjunct professor, Sports Nutrition, Nova Southeastern University

Sports nutrition is as vital a part to a runners success as is proper training. Dr. Maharam covers all the mile markers in Running Docs Guide to Healthy Eating. A must-read for runners of all levels.

Andrea Chernus, RD, CDE, CSSD, registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports dietetics

I have known Dr. Maharam since our early days in New York City and watched as he built a thriving practice. Runners lined his waiting room because, as a primary care sports medicine doctor, he was able to help them feel better and perform better. Reading this book, you will feel as if the Running Doc is talking directly to you, guiding you to better food choices every step of the way.

Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM, sports nutritionist to pro teams, marathoners, and performing artists

Athletic performance is as much about your input as it is about your output. Dr. Maharam is to be commended for recognizing this with Running Docs Guide to Healthy Eating.

Alexis Colvin,MD, associate professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; team physician, U.S. Fed Cup team; chief medical officer, U.S. Open

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available through the Library of Congress

2020 Lewis Maharam, MD, FACSM

ISBN-13: 978-0-7573-2204-4 (Paperback)

ISBN-10: 0-7573-2204-2 (Paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-0-7573-2205-1 (ePub)

ISBN-10: 0-7573-2205-0 (ePub)

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos, and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.

1700 NW 2nd Avenue

Boca Raton, FL 33432-1653

Cover design by Larissa Hise Henoch

Interior design and formatting by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

To Welabucs

Who knew

E ven though I no longer run professionallythe 2017 New York City Marathon was my last competitive raceI still love to run, and I have stayed in a position to guide and inspire others to keep running.

I hope you use this book to become inspired to run or play your chosen sport and do your best. You are what you put in your system. This book can show you how to eat the best foods in an innovative way. As Dr. Maharam notes, during training, try different types of nutrition to see what works for you. And as he states, you need to hydrate weeks and months ahead, not just the day before a race.

This book also explains how to eat before and after a big event. Typically, before a long race, I would eat a lot more protein in the middle of the week, then as race day approached, I would eat more carbohydrates but not eliminate the protein. I love spaghetti. Or, I would eat rice or whole-wheat pasta as the main part of my dinner, with chicken or fish plus some green vegetables. You have to be careful of carbohydrate intake and not totally carbo load.

I would also eat more salads and fruits, and graze throughout the day. For example, I like to have half a bagel toasted with almond butter or peanut butter with tea before I go for a morning run. I try to have five servings of fruits throughout the day to avoid hunger.

And I would make sure to hydrate. The best way to test your hydration is through the color of your urine, as Dr. Maharam describes. You want just a little color in your urine. I normally drink a lot of water. That way I would make sure I am hydrated before the gun goes off.

The first thing I do after a race is move around. Food is not yet immediately important. Within fifteen to twenty minutes of finishing, I have a recovery drink for quick energy right away. After a hard session or race, I like to use a UCAN shake to help me recover within a thirty-minute window. Then a few hours later, protein becomes very important. I might eat an omelet or steak. You can eat whatever protein you like.

Also include some fat in your diet after a long race. You deserve it! You need to eat some fat to build back the reserves you lost. I like chicken skin with my chicken. Avocado is always in my diet because it has good fats.

I have used cottage cheese and strawberry jam on a burrito if I get hungry at night after dinner. Or I use it as my dessert if I have a long run the next day.

When I run 130 miles a week in training, I demand a lot of my body. I make sure to eat a little more, as you will learn about in the Training Plate chapter of this book. I also get therapy regularly; for example, I go for a massage even when my muscles do not hurt badly because I want to tune up my body. Prehab is better than rehab.

If you run thirty miles a week, you still have to take care of your body. You may not run as many miles as me, but you can do a lot nutritionally to meet peak performance by eating and hydrating right. To hydrate, I recommend having a water bottle at your desk and sipping it throughout the day. You always have a choice. Squeeze in a run before work or at lunch. When you are motivated, you will have the discipline to eat and drink right.

I remember when I went to college in 1997, I ate as if every meal was my last. Growing up poor in Eritrea, there was not enough food on the table, so when I got to college I just ate as much as I could. One of my college professors had us write down everything we ate and all the exercise we did. The professor told us we needed to eat right as well as get enough exercise. This turned on a light bulb for me, and my running performance improved.

My race weight ranges from 121 to 125 pounds. When Im injured, it goes up to 135 to 138 pounds, and I know I have to restrict my sugar intake to keep the weight down. Once Im back running, the mileage will help me maintain my weight.