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Nutrition

Water

Drink lots of water, but also consume electrolytes to prevent cramps, headaches, and keep your body running like a well-oiled machine pre-and post work-out. I'm a heavy sweater but not a cramper, but I like adding them to my daily water consumption. I use the following:

- Nuun are flavored, effervescent tabs with electrolytes (some varieties have vitamins and even caffeine) but without all the sugar. You drop into 16oz water. I like these in non-hot weather as it just tastes like tepid gatorade if it's not cold. They're portable so I carry a tube in my purse if I go out for drinks since I get swelly hands and feet after even 1 drink. You can buy these in the grocery. I generally get these from my running store on discount because they're not the most cost-efficient option for daily consumption.

- Elete electrolytes are concentrated, unflavored liquid drops. Hella cheap and portable. They're not as broad spectrum as nuun, but I like them a lot and they last a long time. I only need 2-3 drops per 1000mL or so. Some people who are sensitive to tastes say that it has a slightly salty taste, but I've never noticed it.

- Hammer Endurolytes are my favorite, especially for long runs/races. I'll take the recommended dosage the night before or day of a long run, and then don't have to worry about anything during my run. I typically get the "extreme" version. You can get a sample pack on their website. It's like 3 or 4 capsules for $1. If you take more than your body needs, you'll just salt out the rest, and that's cool. Once I tried taking them the night before a run, and morning of and ended up looking like I rolled in sand lol.

Figure out if you're going to carry water at all for runs. Handhelds, belts, or backpacks/bladders are the most common. You can fill your bottle halfway, freeze it over night, and fill the remainder with water in the morning so it stays cold if you like cold water. You can add nuun/elete style electrolytes to them too. Race day, there will be water stands. Check their locations to see if they're frequent enough for you, or if you want to carry your own.

Gels

If you plan to use gels, experiment with them when you start 5 mile long runs. You don't want to try them day of your race and find out that they cause you GI distress or give you heart palpitations. They come in a bunch of different varieties - blocks, chews, bars, liquids, goo, jelly beans, etc. ; some are caffeinated, some have added electrolytes. I'd recommend picking up individual packets from a sports store/website before committing to a whole box.

Energy things are usually taken 30ish minutes before an activity, and consumed every 30-45 mins of activity after that. The packaging will give you an idea, but you can also play around with personal preference. You can also time it like, " I have 1/2 of a mile a mile before I need my next one, but there's a big hill coming up in 3/4 of a mile, so I'll take it now to allow the gel time to kick in"

I started off trying the Gatorade G2 chews, thought I'd like them, but then the logistics of opening a package with 6 chews while running, trying not to drop them, and then chewing and running didn't work for me. I have a guy friend who absolutely loves them! Your mileage may vary :) I use:

- Huma gels - Hands down, these are my favorite. They're made from chia seeds and fruit puree save for the chocolate ones. They're gentle on my stomach, taste delicious, easy to slurp out of the package. They're not the cheapest @ ~$2 each, but signing up for their emails they do routine sales where you can get 4-8 free and only pay shipping. They have caffeinated and electrolyte varieties as well. The packaging is larger than the typical gel.

- Hammer Gels - are my 2nd favorite because they're cheap and effective. The more you buy the cheaper they get, and they have a ton of flavors. Thicker than the Humas, but slightly more portable. If you place your first order and indicate that you're a new customer, they'll send you a huge bonus package with a variety of their other products to try out for free!

Okay, I think that should get you started. Let me know if you have any questions thus far! xx

I like the Vega One protein powder. It's plant based protein. I typically mix it with Almond Milk and it tastes better than a lot of protein powders I've used in the past. Looking at the ingredients list it looks like it does contain stevia extract though. It still may be worth the try. This Labrada powder doesn't seem to have stevia in it.

Here are the containers


Lol girl it's kind of a fluke. I was just going to try it (plant based) for a little while and just haven't eaten meat again yet😂 I'm eating a plant based pescatarian diet. So, fruits, veggies, grains, and some fish and seafood. I'm trying not to be super strict and if I want meat, I'll eat it...I just haven't wanted it yet 😞

I do make my own hummus with dried or canned beans but that's because I don't like soy oil.