Runner's World Essential Guides: Barefoot Running and Minimalism : Everything You Need to Know to Make the Healthy Transition to Minimalist Shoes and Barefoot Running

What should I eat? The question dogs all of us on a daily basis, but it's perhaps most vexing for runners, who rely on food to fuel their workouts and feel good. Most runners take in lots of calories and nutrients in the form of energy bars, nutrient-enhanced drinks, and fortified packaged foods. The problem is, "real" foodsfruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meatsare better for you than fortified products. That's because there's more to a carrot or a sweet potato than just vitamin A. Within the body, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients work together with literally thousands of other compounds, such as color components in fruits and vegetables, special starches and fibers in whole grains, and unique fats in seeds, nuts, and dairy. And it's the whole package that promotes good health and peak athletic performance. Of course, protein bars and calcium-fortified juices seem like a convenient way to take in all of the nutrients every runner needs daily. But getting themand morefrom real food is preferable, and it's easy. Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel shows you exactly how. The foremost authorities on running on the planet have collected the best information, tips, and advice about eating on the run. This indispensable guide covers everything from eating for optimum energy, to cooking simple, healthy meals to snacking smart, and shopping for the best of the best foods to store in your pantry and fridge. The Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel contains everything you need to know about eating right to feel better, run stronger, and recover faster The basic rationale for running barefoot or in minimalist models goes something like this: Humans evolved to cover long distances by foot. By introducing a thick layer of cushioning and an elevated heel between the foot and the ground, modern running shoes alter natural running form. But modern running shoes alter form in ways that lead to injury. Therefore, getting back to a more natural running gait by running in little-to-no shoe will lead to improved form, which should lower injury rates. A key reason to run barefoot or in minimalist shoes is to allow your feet to work more naturally, free from the confines and controls of overly engineered running shoes. Unfortunately, too many runners, eager to run more naturally, have gone too far, too fast, from one extreme to the other. The realities of modern life have weakened our feet, ankles, and lower legs, and our bodies have adapted to the shoes we have worn for most of our lives; if we suddenly start running in little-to-no shoe, our bodies are not prepared for the new stresses. Runner's World Essential Guides: Barefoot Running and Minimalism provides historical context, thoughts, advice, and tips on making a healthy transition. The foremost authorities on running on the planet show you how to ease into a transition from conventional running shoes to barefoot running or minimalist shoes, starting with some simple at-home tests to see if your feet already have the strength they need to handle little-to-no shoe. You'll learn a step-by-step process for safely moving away from doing all your running in big, bulky shoes, including guidelines on how to introduce barefoot running into your regimen. Whether you want to learn more about the barefoot craze that's swept the nation or you want to introduce barefoot running into your training plan, this indispensable guide contains everything you need to get started! The miles you log are great for keeping you fit, healthy, and happy, and they help you to maintain your weight. But weight loss is a different story. Because you run, you may think you can eat whatever you want and still drop pounds. Unfortunately, that's not true. Running is only half the equation. You have to look hard at what and how you eat, too. Conventional dieting wisdom tends to leave runners hungry, tired, and overweight. Let Runner's World Essential Guides: Weight Loss lead you through the minefield of dieting by showing you everything you need to know to shed pounds without losing steam on the run. The editors of Runner's World, the foremost authorities on running on the planet, have collected the best information about weight loss on the run, answering questions such as: • What are the 8 Golden Rules of Weight Loss? • What should you eat to boost your metabolism? • What are the best foods to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner to optimize weight loss? • Weight-loss myths are debunked. And you'll get simple ideas for pre- and post-workout snacks as well as delicious, ridiculously easy-to-make recipes like a healthy hamburger and Angel Cake so that you'll have the fuel you need to run and the knowledge you need to shed pounds and keep them off once and for all! The question What should I eat? troubles all of us on a daily basis, but it's perhaps most vexing for runners, who rely on food to fuel their workouts and feel good. Most runners take in calories and nutrients in the form of energy bars, nutrient-enhanced drinks, and fortified packaged foods. The problem is, "real" foods--fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats--are better for you than fortified products. That's because there's more to a carrot or a sweet potato than just vitamin A. Within the body, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients work together with thousands of other compounds, such as color components in fruits and vegetables, special starches and fibers in whole grains, and unique fats in seeds, nuts, and dairy. It's the whole package that promotes good health and peak athletic performance. Getting all of the nutrients every runner needs daily--and more--from real food it's easy. Runner's World Essential Guides: Fast Fuel shows you exactly how. The foremost authorities on running have collected the best information, tips, and advice about eating on the run. This indispensable guide contains everything you need to know about eating right to feel better, run stronger, and recover faster. What Every Runner Needs to Know about Getting (and Staying) Healthy In an ideal runner's world, every step of every mile would be 100 percent pain-free. No aches, no twinges, no lingering soreness from yesterday's workout. The reality is that many runners constantly deal with a slight (or not so slight) disturbance-a tender foot, a tight hamstring, a whiny knee. While these nagging issues often aren't serious enough to require a time-out, they are annoying, especially when they don't let you fully enjoy your time on the roads. Runner's World Essential Guides: Injury Prevention and Recovery is chock-full of helpful tips on how to avoid and recover from the most common injuries that plague runners. Presented in an easy to follow format and with dozens of handy sidebars, the practical information in this book will help keep runners on healthy, pain-free, and enjoying their running experience like never before.