5 Reasons Runners Should Eat Ice Cream
Oh, and reason #6—it's National Dessert Day!
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Isn’t every day National Ice Cream Day? Here are five reasons why every runner should enjoy a scoop on a cone:
1. Calcium. Ice cream is dairy. Dairy is calcium. Ice cream is calcium (right? RIGHT?). But seriously, hiding behind all that sugar, fat and artificial flavoring, there is some amount of the bone-strengthening supplement. Runners are constantly pounding against the ground, which takes a huge toll on your skeleton. So having a little neapolitan-flavored splurge isn’t TOO terrible every once in awhile. Although these foods should probably be your first source of Ca.
2. There’s literally a bajillion flavors. That’s a real number when it comes to the number of choices at the grocery store or at your local ice cream shop, which means there’s something for every mood. If you’re feeling peppy post-run, carve out a scoop of strawberry. If it’s a mellow day, go for the vanilla. If your run just ruined everything, chocolate is always a good go-to for a minute of emotional eating. Plus there’s all the fake flavors that keep popping up—cake batter, anyone?
3. It’s the best reward after a rigorous workout or hard race. You’ve put in the work, you’ve sacrificed a lot, you’ve turned away from the frozen aisle for the last four months. Today’s the day you get to race up the counter, peek into the cooler of carefully placed neon-colored buckets of frozen goodness and say, “I’ll take a double scoop of sherbet, please. With sprinkles.”
4. It really doesn’t have to be terribly unhealthy. There are recipes to make a less sugary, more good-for-you version of every child’s favorite treat—and yes, they still include fruits and chocolate. Here’s another one if the PB&Banana combo tickles your taste buds.
5. There’s extra calories. When you’re in the heat of marathon training, sometimes runners find themselves burning too much and eating too little. We are not suggesting you fill those voids with triple scoops twice a day, but we do grant ourselves a little leniency if the trips to Baskin Robbins double (okay, maybe triple) during those 70-mile weeks. #moderation