Here are the top foods that Damian and I personally eat:
1. Goji berries are a superfood high in nutrients and one of the world’s highest sources of antioxidants. Goji berries are also an adaptogen that improves stamina and increases energy.
2. Chia seeds are high in omega-3’s which reduce inflammation naturally. Also, just 2 tbsp of chia seeds give you the following RDA’s: 13% calcium, 41% iron, 19% magnesium and 20% selenium.
3. Quinoa is a staple in our diets. Just 1 cup of quinoa provides 39% B6, 22% folate, 75% iron, 47% magnesium and 27% zinc for your RDA and is only 222 calories. That is nutrient dense!
4. Maca is another superfood and adaptogen. We put 1-2 tbsp in our smoothies everyday for added performance, stamina and energy.
5. Sweet potatoes are another staple in our diet. The Okinawan’s, some of the longest living people’s on the planet, diet consisted of about 67% sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are nutrient dense and super tasty.
Damian’s favorite smoothie recipe:
2 bananas
2 T chia seeds
1 cup mixed berries
1 cup mixed greens
12 oz water
handful of goji berries
1 T Maca
-Lindsey Hintz, M.S. in Holistic Nutrition and certified in Plant-based Nutrition from the T. Colin Cambell Center for Nutritional Studies at Cornell, the founder of Wholicious Living and an elite runner
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I’m known for saying, “there is always a solution”. Because from my own personal experience as well as coaching hundreds of athletes, no matter the issue there is always a solution. The trick is finding the right solution for each individual and my job as a running coach is exactly that. Sometimes I have to find the solution to a chronic injury or figure out how an athlete can perform their best and reach their full potential. Sure it’s my job but more accurately it’s my passion… with a fair amount of obsession.
A tool that can help many runners is Correct Toes. They are incredibly effective and easy to use. I am very skeptical of most products and hesitant to recommend any. In fact, I rarely if ever recommend a specific product. But seeing what Correct Toes have done for some of my athletes, it’s hard not to recommend them. Check out the video below to learn more about Correct Toes and get free shipping when you use the code: WR2014 on their website.
I currently have only 2 online coaching openings. I’m giving away a free pair of Correct Toes ($65 value) to two runners who sign up for either 3 or 6 months of coaching. Sign upHERE
The Run the Rann 100 miler in Dholavira, India proved to be the most unique and challenging ultra race I have ever done. The combination of GPS orienteering, desert heat, course terrain (including cliffs, 3″ thorns and salt flats) as well as the runners I befriended made for a one of a kind experience that I will never forget.
We ran off trail, up and down cliffs, through never ending thorns. Photo courtesy Uphill EMG.
The base area for the race was spectacular. I met runners from all around the world and the day before the race we explored ancient ruins which were awesome.
Dholavira is a very remote village, home to one of the largest, most advanced metropolises of the 5000-year old Indus Valley Civilization.We stayed in a tent village that proved to be comfortable and relaxing. I loved chatting with runners from around the world. Photo courtesy Uphill EMG.
The food prepared by the race was absolutely fantastic. It was some of the best food I’ve eaten in my life and I had to hold back and not eat too much new food before the race. I’d wait till after the race to pig out (and I did).
Naan made in a traditional tandoor clay oven.We ran through and explored extremely remote villages in the area.
Race morning started out with temperatures in the 60’s. After less than 10 miles when 100 milers separated from the other race distances, we had to start using our GPS units to navigate the race course. This proved to be very tricky and slowed us down a lot. I ran with several other 100 milers for a while as we learned just how difficult orienteering in this desert terrain was going to be for the next day or two. We got lost a lot, had to backtrack and we all got very frustrated with having to run, walk and crawl through thickets with 2-3″ thorns.
Running through 2-3″ thorns is mentally and physically brutalWinner Dan Lawson is an ultra phenom. He holds the world record for running 521 miles on a treadmill in 7 days.
I ran with Dan Lawson up until about mile 30. We had run over 3 hours without water (aid station 5 was non-existent, a terrible mistake that led to several runners not finishing) and I become very dehydrated with temperatures approaching 100 degrees. We made it to aid station #6 and I was 100% convinced I was going to quit. Dan continued on and I waited over an hour before other runners came in. Finally, Linda Doke motivated me to continue going and we ran the rest of the race together.
Running at night on the bright white salt flats was my favorite part of the race. Linda and I chatted underneath a nearly full moon and even turned off our headlamps several times and ran under just the moonlight. We were running so fast (or so it seemed).
Super star ultra runner Linda Doke and I ran much of the race together and finished together.
Linda and I continued to run into the next day and watched the sunrise over the desert. After crawling through thorns, running through salt flats, scrambling up and down cliffs, we finally finished the 100 miles tied for 2nd place in over 32 hours with no sleep and very little stopping. I was incredibly happy to finish to say the least. The race was my most mentally challenging race to date. I’m grateful to Linda for helping me push on and finish together.
Restocking at our drop bag with food, water and other goodies. Photo courtesy Uphill EMG.
After finishing, I almost immediately headed to the dining area and ate at least a couple thousand calories of amazing India food. I then took a cold shower and chatted with other runners about their races. I finally fell asleep later that night exhausted.
Over two weeks since finishing the Run the Rann 100 miler and I do not feel like I have yet processed the race. It was a very surreal experience and I have many vivid memories of the painful, challenging, exhausting yet wildly exciting race. I highly suggest this race if you are a person who seeks extreme challenges, adventure and does not mind a lot of pain. This is not your ordinary ultra marathon. It involves navigation, painful thorns, desert heat and never ending adventure and excitement.
Khachenjunga, the world’s 3rd highest mountain. Viewed from the Singalila Ridge trail.
Two days after completing the Run the Rann 100 miler I headed to the Himalayas where I backpacked, camped and stayed with Nepalese families. I gazed at Everest, ate with Buddhist monks, meditated in remote monasteries and ate a lot of great food. I’m amazed I was able to hike 20+ mile days with a heavy backpack so close to a 100 miler. I will write about that adventure soon, stay tuned.
Damian Stoy is a coach, professional ultra runner, biomechanics specialist and nutritional consultant.
I’d like to share my comprehensive blood test results from the UConn FASTER study and their Human Performance Lab. They are studying elite ultra endurance athletes with varying diets. I’ve been vegan or vegetarian for 13 out of the past 14 years and the past 16 months I’ve been eating a ‘fruitarian’ high carb diet.
Bottom line: My results were about perfect. The study showed I use fuel very efficiently, my nutrient levels are where I want them to be as well as my cholesterol, protein, urea, hematocrit, hormones, triglycerides, body fat %, lipoproteins and much more that they tested.
Damian received a Certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell and offers Nutritional Coaching.
View my complete lipoprotein and cholesterol results HERE
-Damian Stoy is the founder of Wholistic Running and is a professional ultra endurance athlete. He received a certification in Nutrition from Cornell and offers Nutritional Coachingas well as Online Running Coaching.
For many years I wanted more energy, greater health and better performance. I have tried a variety of supplements and ‘diets’ including Paleo, cleanses, superfoods and the ‘Clean Diet’ and nothing worked. I then decided to experiment with a raw, fruit-based (fruitarian) diet for just one week. Instead, it turned into a 16 month life changing experience.
Almost immediately after going fruitarian, I felt my energy levels increase. After a month, I felt like a NEW person. I now feel vibrant, alive and I am absolutely thriving. My energy levels are high ALL day long, everyday. Most of the time, I feel like I am ‘bouncing of the walls’ with energy yet I do not have the energy crashes many people have (I consume no stimulants such as coffee, tea, chocolate). I’m sleeping better, have much greater mental clarity, am more focused and I’m happier. My digestion has strengthened (didn’t know mine could get better), my skin is clearer and my eyes are brighter.
I also won the Antelope Island 100k race recently with the second fastest time ever. My time at this year’s Wasatch 100 was an hour faster than last year. I also recently won the Bighorn 50 miler. Bottom line: I feel totally ALIVE, I am performing better and I am THRIVING.
My girlfriend Lindsey has experienced similar if not greater benefits. She has unlimited energy and is at her ideal weight, something she has been looking to achieve for many years.
UPDATE⇒ Three years since going fruitarian, Damian has won several ultra marathon races and Lindsey has won 5 consecutive races including the RRCA Montana State 5k Championships. We have modified how we eat because a fruitarian diet has its challenges and we found what works just as well. Our way is easier, tastier, cheaper and has all the same health benefits.This is why Lindsey (she has a M.S. in Holistic Nutrition) and I offer Nutritional Consulting. It’s so others can get just as amazing results including weight lose, increased energy, vibrant health and better performance. If you want similar or better results, our nutritional consulting is the answer. Click HEREto learn more.
I’m here to share with you an approach to running that is very effective, enjoyable and has long term benefits. The concept is to view running differently than you probably currently do. I am suggesting you set a goal for running to be easier, not harder. Do you view running as a workout or mundane, exhausting activity? Keep reading because I want you to enjoy running as a life changing, effortless, soul satisfying journey.
You may be saying, “But I don’t want running to be difficult, it just is.” I am here to say it doesn’t have to be that way!
Why do you run? Maybe it is to stay in shape, lose weight or get a workout. Do you have specific running goals? To get faster, run a specific race or run farther. Well, I’m sure you have been told and believe that in order to reach these goals and have specific results you need to run more, burn more calories, run faster, work harder and sweat more. To be a better, faster runner you need to train more, train faster. Well, this approach isn’t very effective, leads to burn out and it sure doesn’t sound fun.
There is an alternative approach that is more effective, fun and will have long term results. Running can be effortless, fluid and enjoyable.
This is what I recommend. Decide to transform running into an enjoyable experience, even a moving meditation, by changing a couple of simple things. Choose a different purpose for why you run. Maybe to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Or because you love the feeling of movement. The feeling of setting a goal and accomplishing it. Maybe you can run for a good cause, a specific goal or higher purpose. Or maybe just because you truly love to run. I also suggest focusing on your technique, breath and the feeling of how you move. This can really transform running into a moving meditation and into a practice. Instead of running being a mundane workout, it becomes a lifelong journey full of lessons, incredible benefits and pure enjoyment.
I also suggest giving up the watch, the GPS and heart rate monitors. Skip the treadmill, the workouts and instead, head into the hills, mountains, woods and abundant beauty of Earth to play.
Instead of work, transform running into play by changing your mindset. Many successful elite runners approach running this way. Sure, they run very intensely. But it is approached as a playful, challenging and rewarding gift. Not painful work that has to get done which results in burn out and boredom. Learn to love running by changing why and how you run.
Finally, I recommend finding out more about Wholistic Running and learning from a certified running instructor such as Damian. Damian can teach you to run more efficiently so it is physically easier and transforming your running into an enjoyable meditation and not a painful workout. You can learn to run more relaxed and effortlessly. Wholistic Running is easy to learn and the results are very rewarding and long lasting.
Sub-2:30 marathoner Dr. Mark Cucuzzella runs easier, not harder. Check out Natural Running Center
Wholistic Running 