# Paleo rides



## jazzanova (Jun 1, 2008)

I have been on paleo diet for almost a year now.
I should say that from time to time I have some rice and other non paleo meals, but I am getting there…
I have not touched any non paleo bread for several months now.
OK. I am interested if there are any fellow paleo riders out there.
What do you usually take with you on longer rides?
What do you eat before rides, if anything?


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I just started paleo. I'm not super strict, still eating some dairy like yogurt, cottage cheese, and a little regular cheese and using whey protein. Completely cut out all carbs from grains, beans, legumes, and sugar, except fruit. I'm shooting for 85%-90% strict.

I haven't done any long rides. 15 miles about the longest so far. If I eat anything I might have a protein shake (yeah I know, not completely paleo) and a banana an hour before riding. That generally does it for me. I'm also doing intermittent fasting with the paleo and I try to ride fasting when ever I can. I'll break the fast with a post workout shake and then start eating the rest of the day.


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## jazzanova (Jun 1, 2008)

I usually bring some eggs and bacon on longer rides, nuts, fruit, even a piece of meat.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2


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## joboy (May 6, 2008)

been paleo for 2+ years. i bring larabars. onnit.com has some higher end paleo buffalo sticks and hemp protein bars.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I think that Paleo does work because it gets you to cut out all the crap we shouldn't be eating. Sugar, processed foods like pasta and bread, a lot of dairy, ect. The cool thing about Paleo is that even the experts and folks that write the books on Paleo seem to agree that if you are (the numbers vary some but generally are close to the same) at least 80% Paleo you get 90%+ of the benefits. So, unlike other much more strict diets like Atkins, Paleo you can still "indulge" a little and not screw things up. To me, that makes Paleo easier to transition from diet to life style.


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

jazzanova said:


> I have been on paleo diet for almost a year now.
> I should say that from time to time I have some rice and other non paleo meals, but I am getting there&#8230;
> I have not touched any non paleo bread for several months now.
> OK. I am interested if there are any fellow paleo riders out there.
> ...


Well keep in mind that part of the point of Paleo diet is to get you to burn more fats, so eat more fat in the earlier part of the day and you won't need to eat so much on long rides.

Keep in mind also that part of the Paleo ethos is to replicate the cave man activity level, which is long, slow walks with short sprints. You aren't supposed to do extended 80% cardio activity.

OK, well, given that you do anyway, then the Paleo Diet for Athletes book has a regiment for you. Something about eating fruit...

In my case, I just eat Clif bars like normal people. Don't want to waste my genetic ability to digest grains without gastric distress. I don't really like Lara bars coz the main ingredient is date paste, which is pretty much sugar plus trace amounts of fruit.

If the activity level is low enough, I sometimes just bring portable regular food with protein and fat. But in general, the higher the activity level, the more I would bias the food towards (simple) carbs.


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## HawkGX (May 24, 2012)

My teenage son and I have been on what we call a "modified Paleo diet" since Jan. 2013. My doctor suggested giving it a shot (family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack) to see how it impacted my relevant blood chemistry numbers. I'd been riding for about 9 months before that doctor visit and while he was impressed by the improvement in my blood chemistry, he felt my glucose should be even better than it was. He'd had a number of patients in similar situations try the Paleo with good results. My son decided to give it a go as well (bless him... I think it started out as moral support for me). I'd say we're good at about 80-85% on following general Paleo principles (can't quite afford going full organic and grass-fed only meats).

Rarely have any grains anymore, but still love peanut butter. Our family is also big on Advocare products... especially their Spark energy drinks, meal shakes and Omegaplex supplement. My son and I use a number of the Advocare performance line products as well: recovery shakes, muscle fuel, and O2 supplements like their O2 Gold and Arginine drink mix. 

So while we haven't committed to a full-on Paleo diet, our modified version seems to have had very good results for us so far. One of my biggest issues is finding Paleo-friendly, portable foods and snacks for biking. But I feel as healthy as I have in a long, long time... except for dealing with all the little injuries from mountain biking!!!


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Even the experts say eating 80% Paleo will net you 95%+ of the benefits. So if you're 80-85% like you say, you're doing good. I'm about the same. I push for 90%ish but more likely closer to 85%. I tend to eat too much fruit which isn't a terrible thing, but I need to eat a little more veggies and a little less fruit.

Look into intermittent fasting too. It's easy to do and seems to work well for me at least. I try to do it 3-4 times a week.


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## element1 (Aug 6, 2009)

I stick with mostly a paleo diet due to my stomach sensitivities. I have celiac disease and soy intolerance and IBS unfortunately. I stick with larabars, Kind bars, I mix my own trail mix with raisins and mixed nuts or dry my own dried fruit bananas, strawberries and mangos. Dry my own beef jerky too. You can make your own larabars if you have a good food processor and also Raw Brownies are delicious, I can give you the recipe if you want.

I've heard that coconut water before rides is a good idea as well so I'm gonna start doing that. I used to just eat a banana or apple but I think coconut water is better.

I don't know about you but I have trouble with my muscles feeling like the weigh a ton in the beginnings of rides and it takes forever for my body to catch up to my brain that I'm working out here! I'll always be a slow climber. I wonder if its the diet sometimes.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Raw brownies sound interesting.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

element1 said:


> I don't know about you but I have trouble with my muscles feeling like the weigh a ton in the beginnings of rides and it takes forever for my body to catch up to my brain that I'm working out here! I'll always be a slow climber. I wonder if its the diet sometimes.


I kinda have the same problem, but it's always been like that, not just since starting Paleo. I'm reading Paleo for Athletes now. I'm interested to see if some better timing of certain foods prior to riding might actually help without having to stray from the Paleo way of eating.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Nubster said:


> Raw brownies sound interesting.


This a good one, just need a good food processor:

Raw brownie recipe | The Rawtarian


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## beanbag (Nov 20, 2005)

Nubster said:


> I kinda have the same problem, but it's always been like that, not just since starting Paleo. I'm reading Paleo for Athletes now. I'm interested to see if some better timing of certain foods prior to riding might actually help without having to stray from the Paleo way of eating.


Rice + coffee a few hrs before, and I set a personal best on a certain hill climb.

Rice is considered the least bad grain for paleo since it is relatively innocuous.

Paleo diet for athletes book also has you increasing the carbs before a ride, usually in the form of fruit. But IMHO rice has a higher carb density.


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## element1 (Aug 6, 2009)

I have a raw brownie recipe that actually uses avocado and dates equally, you can email me on here and I'll email it to you, its a print out, not on the computer. I'd have to scan it.

Rice doesn't sit well with me either...I had an acupuncturist tell me once that I was allergic to my stomach. 

Once my legs are warmed up, I can ride for hours and hours on end...that first start out though is always rough!


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## jazzanova (Jun 1, 2008)

Could you please send me the recipe as well? Or you can just posted in here...

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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

element1 said:


> I have a raw brownie recipe that actually uses avocado and dates equally, you can email me on here and I'll email it to you, its a print out, not on the computer. I'd have to scan it.
> 
> Rice doesn't sit well with me either...I had an acupuncturist tell me once that I was allergic to my stomach.
> 
> Once my legs are warmed up, I can ride for hours and hours on end...that first start out though is always rough!


Can you post it please?


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## element1 (Aug 6, 2009)

jazzanova said:


> Could you please send me the recipe as well? Or you can just posted in here...
> 
> Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2


Here is the Raw Brownie Recipe:

Base:
2 c walnuts or pecans
13 ounces pitted baking dates
1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/8 tsp. orange zest
2tsp. vanilla extract
1 avocado pitted and peeled
1/2 c raw cocoa powder

Frosting:
2-3 avocados
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 c raw cocoa powder
1/2 c raw agave nectar

In a food processor, mix all base ingredients, then pat down in an 8" square baking pan. Puree all frosting ingredients in a food processor and spread on base. Cover and freeze at least 3 hours. Cut into 2" squares and serve cold.
Makes 16 brownies.

These are really rich, I only use 2 avocados for frosting and go light on the agave but they are TASTY!! Don't leave them out for too long, they will get sticky and gooey and messy.

ENJOY! Sorry it took so long to post this.


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## michaelscott (May 23, 2011)

I've been paleo for a little over 3 years. In the first couple of years I cheated a bunch (mostly with beer and a weekly cheat day) but the last year I have been very strict. No beer and no cheat days. I normally don't eat before a ride and bring nothing to snack on- just water. I love living Paleo. My wife and feel amazing and we think it helped some of the infertility problems we had before our first child (we now have a 21 month old). My wife used to have chronic allergies but hasn't had an attack since we started the diet. At any rate- we are both a little zealous with our Paleo religion and read Mark's Daily Apple all the time. We totally annoy our friends and family.

Yesterday morning I had a really terrible ride. I was sore every where, felt gassed, and walked on a bunch of stuff I normally clear (I ride SS). The rest of the day I felt super sore also. Felt like I did a ride 4 times as long- yet this was my "easy day" of riding and had taken a day off on Monday.

A lot of Paleo people don't eat dairy or nightshades. My wife doesn't do dairy but I do and we both eat nightshades and haven't noticed that adverse of a effect- but the night before this terrible ride we kind of went crazy with nightshades. We had Zucchini spaghetti with TONS of home made tomato sauce and we must have each eaten 3 eggplants that we cut up like french fries and breaded with coconut flour- we dipped these eggplant fries into even more home made spicy marinara sauce. We also had a grass fed steak that was covered with a wine/tomato reduction. So yeah... nightshade city and I'm guessing that is why I felt so terrible yesterday. I've never had a ride that bad since the first time I jumped on my single speed and got my butt kicked. I'm going to cut back on nightshades a bunch going forward.


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## jazzanova (Jun 1, 2008)

Thanks. Good info.
I also try to stay away from nightshades and dairy, but need to get more strict about it. Mark's Daily apple is great, also his books.


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