Am I the only one who still has flashbacks from the fat-free and low-carb eras? Recently, I was putting together a Running Nutrition Strategy Guide for a client training for a 50K, and as I entered her calorie and macro recommendations, I had a moment. Because even though I know what it takes to fuel a body for endurance training, recommending that many carbs can still feel a little daunting. That’s how deep those old food rules run.

Picture it: It’s Saturday afternoon. You knocked out your long run that morning, and you're feeling pretty good about yourself… but also ravenously hungry. You’re confused because you did have an energy gel during your run. Yet here you are, opening the pantry every five minutes like you’re hoping the snack fairy has finally shown up at your house. You keep telling yourself to “be good,” and then eventually you cave — grazing from pantry to fridge, beating yourself up with e