WHEN

Wednesday, Feb 3rd – Wednesday, March 2nd

WHY

Nutrition, it’s the foundation of your fitness journey. Whether you’re seeking to increase energy, decrease bodyweight or body fat, improve sleep, decrease digestive issues, decrease allergies or asthma, or a combination of it all… NUTRITION (when coupled with a good dose of CrossFit) is the answer!

WHAT

 Greg Glassman (founder of CrossFit) succinctly summarized fitness in a single sentence – that you’ll also see adorned on our lounge banner: “Eat lean meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Some fruit, little starch and no sugar. And keep intake to support exercise and not body fat.” Simply, eat quality foods in the right quantity. You’re built on what you put in your body and it’s the foundation of how your body operates and functions.

While not everyone will respond in the same way to every diet, there IS a way to eat well no matter what your budget, lifestyle or family/work demands.

So, where do you start?

QUALITY

Whole Foods – found on the perimeter of grocery store in fridges, non-processed, very few ingredients (or those that can be pronounced and are recognizable as food), no label at all, looks like it did in nature.

Easiest way to make sure you’re buying Whole Foods?

  • Start in produce –> Go to meats/seafoods –> Go to eggs –> Get Out!
  • Limit your time in the aisles where you’ll find canned, processed, shelf-stable goods… but don’t forget your coffee

Processing – what’s the big deal?

  • Nutrients are removed then synthetically added again
  • May be the cause of auto-immune disorders, allergies, rashes, asthma, etc

THE BASICS: What should we eat?

  • Carbohydrates
    • PRIMARILY VEGETABLES! – All types of leafy greens (romaine, kale, spinach, bok choy, swiss chard, etc) peppers, snap peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, brussel sprouts, carrots, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, etc.
    • Starches – Squash (buttuernut, spaghetti, acorn, turnip), Potatoes (red, sweet, white, yellow, purple, etc)
    • Fruit – Minimize dried fruit., especially with added sugar
    • Whole grains/rice
  • Proteins
    • Eggs and egg whites – cage free, organic. Local (farmer’s market)
    • Beef and steak – grass-fed, local (Walden meats)
    • Pork – local, organic
    • Chicken, turkey, duck – free range, organic (Backyard Birds)
    • Fish – tuna, salmon, haddock, cod, snapper, swordfish (Captain Mardens or Quarterdeck) – wild caught
    • Shellfish – shrimp, lobster, scallops, crab
  • Fats
    • Oils – coconut, olive, avocado, – no canola
    • Avocado
    • Coconut and coconut butter
    • Nuts and Seeds and their butters
  • Combinations
    • Dairy (protein+fat) – yogurt, cheese, milk, cream
    • Beans (carb + protein + fat)
    • Quinoa (protein + carb)

So what’s next?

QUANTITY

  • Balance ratios of carbs, protein and fat throughout the day. Every meal should have ALL three macronutrients
  • Eat 3 meals a day. NOT including Post WOD nutrition
  • What about snacks?
    • Try not to. Becomes a habit. Creates false sensation of being hungry
    • Meat more at meals
  • The chart below is an easy way to “eyeball” portions:

Screen Shot 2016-01-27 at 4.51.39 PM

THE CHALLENGE

You will identify FOUR (4) changes that need to be made to your current nutrition habits. Each week you will introduce a new change while maintaining the prior weeks. Plus there will be physical challenges each week for which you’ll receive bonus points for completing at the end of each week.

This is an INDIVIDUAL challenge. You will get points each day for adherence to your changes. Each participant will record a score on the back whiteboard. Each week your potential for points increases.

Week 1: 1st change + Row cumulative 10K
Scoring: 1 point each day plus a bonus point on last day of the week for completing row
Week 2: 2nd change (+ maintain 1st) + 350 cumulative burpees
Scoring: 2 points/day. Plus 1 for completing burpees
Week 3: 3rd change (+ maintain 1st & 2nd) + 500 cumulative sit ups
Scoring: 3 points/day. Plus 1 for completing sit ups
Week 4: 4th change (maintain 1st, 2nd & 3rd) + 100 cumulative plate pushes (25 lb plate for 1 length of turf)
Scoring: 4 points/day. Plus 1 for completing plate pushes

AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD, YET BALANCED NUTRITION “CHANGES”
Week 1 – 2 Meals include vegetables
Week 2 – Keep veggies add 60oz water/day
Week 3 – Keep veggies, water, add no sugar
Week 4 – Keep veggies, water, no sugar and add no wine except Fri OR Sat

 

RESOURCES

Online Recipes
www.PaleOMG.com
www.contemporarycavegirl.wordpress.com
www.runonveg.com – Vegetarian
www.nomnompaleo.com
www.balancedbites.com – (don’t agree with their food pyramid. Veggies should be base)
www.wellfed.com

Books
Against All Grain
It Starts With Food
Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook
The Paleo Kitchen
In Defense of Food

Other Resources
http://whole30.com/blog/ – shopping lists, eyeball portion chart, recipes
www.thepaleodiet.com – everything you need to know about paleo
www.paleoleap.com – brief overview of paleo/healthy eating including recipes
http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf – Quantity Meal Plans
www.journal.crossfit.com – Categories: Nutrition
In Defense of Food – iTunes PBS documentary