ATHLETIC TRAINING & RAW FOOD DIET

“Hi Frederic!

“I have a question regarding athletic training and raw foods. I run and lift weights as my main form of exercise. Should an athlete who is consuming all raw foods simply eat more of what they're eating? Or should they add different types of food to their diet such as more seeds or greens?

“Sometimes I wake up around 2:00am with hunger pangs. My guess is that I’m not getting enough calories, especially on my workout days. My thoughts are that I should just add more quantity of the same foods that I'm already eating. Would more leafy greens and fruits be the way to go? (Twice a day in the form of salad or raw soup is my favorite way to consume greens.) What types of fruits are best?

“There is hardly any information available online for people who exercise or train for sports and who want to eat raw foods. Thank you for all of your advice!! I'm currently reading The Raw Secrets and I feel very lucky to have that information about raw food.

“Sincerely, Tina”

ANSWER: What an athlete needs more of is calories coming from carbohydrates. Increasing your intake of greens will not work for you — as they do not contain enough calories (energy). What you need more of right now is fruit. Of course, getting enough vegetable matter is important overall, but in your case you are apparently underconsuming carbohydrates — which leads to hunger and cravings.

I suggest that you read "Nutrition & Athletic Performance", from Dr. Graham, a raw-food athlete, available from www.foodnsport.com.. In fact, all of your questions will be answered in that book.

Yours, Frederic