The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing

All fresh fruits are allowed with the exception of those that are high glycemic: large bananas, watermelon, pineapple, and all dried fruit should be avoided.

Whole grains, and products made from them, are more healthful than their refined counterparts, containing more of the nutrients and fiber from the original grain. For instance, whole oat groats are better than the common processed oatmeal cereals, especially the “quick” oats. Long-grain brown rice is better than short-grain white rice. Wild rice, w

In addition, avoid all powders that have been isolated, caseinated, or hydrolyzed. These products are touted as being highest in protein—which is true, but at the expense of being highly processed and containing MSG. Those marked “concentrated” are the least processed of the powders and are an acceptable part of a healthy diet. Egg-white powder is

Wheat may be the most unhealthy food staple of the Western diet next to sugar and contributes significantly to ill health and disease. We all know how bad sugar is for health due to its high-glycemic nature—but wheat and wheat products can actually be worse due to an even higher glycemic index.

Because of the presence of both protein and fiber, the glycemic index of red beans and other legumes remains relatively low for a carbohydrate food. In addition, other legumes may have even lower glycemic effects. Overall, because of their composition, most beans, including lentils, have a moderate glycemic effect, and are a good alternative to ref

Some vegetables, however, contain moderate to high amounts of carbohydrates and therefore warrant discussion here. Among the higher-carbohydrate vegetables are corn and potatoes, which should be eaten sparingly, if at all.

Wheat is a common cause of intestinal problems, allergies and asthma, and skin problems; it can prevent absorption of various nutrients, contribute to weight gain, and occasionally causes death.

But whether whole or processed, grains are starches and more difficult to digest than most foods, and many people, often unknowingly, are intolerant to wheat of any kind. Wheat is such a common problem for many people that I devoted the section below to it.

At the top of the list of unprocessed carbohydrates is fruit. In addition to containing vitamins and minerals, fruit includes important phytonutrients. Though fruit is a carbohydrate food, the glycemic index of most fruit is low to moderate because fruit has substantial amounts of fiber, and because fruit sugar, or fructose, possesses the lowest gl