The CrossFit dietary prescription is as follows:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise, but not body fat.”
-Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit. .These are the first 2 sentences of Glassman’s “World Class fitness in 100 words” because diet is of primary importance to fitness. Are you working on that first pull up, muscle-up, handstand push up? Want to improve your performance on one of the benchmark workouts like “Fran” or “Cindy”? Take a look at what you eat…How you fuel your body will effect your performance more than any other single factor.
At Kia Kaha CrossFit, we encourage you to try Greg’s recommendations, which are a elegant summary of the “Paleo diet”. The Paleo diet is based on a book by Loren Cordain which recommends that we eat whole, natural foods similar to what our hunter-gatherer ancesters ate. These foods are high in the beneficial nutrients (soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates) that promote fat loss, lean muscle gain, healthy skin, and good overall health. It is low in the damaging foods (refined sugars and grains, trans-fats, salt, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods) that can cause fat gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. The Paleo diet focuses on the quality of your food, which allows you the freedom to eat to satiety.
We acknowledge that everyone is different and will have personal nutritional needs. One size does not fit all in terms of nutrition. However, if you’re seeking optimum health and performance, you owe it to yourself to give this a try for 30 days to see if it changes the way you look, feel and perform.
What Should I Eat?
Oh, if only we could eat whatever we wanted and still get great results. But the simple and unavoidable truth is that without eating a balanced, moderate diet, you will fall far short of your potential. In fact, the first question that experienced trainers ask when people don’t see normal gains with CrossFit is, “What are you eating?”
When speaking of nutrition one must think of it as fuel, not a diet. What you put in is what you get out, and you will not get the results you deserve without addressing nutrition. Of all the things you hear about nutrition, however, the one that must remain at the forefront of your dietary decisions is the fact that you must eliminate chronically elevated insulin levels by controlling excess carbohydrate intake. Think of fuel in three macronutrient categories: protein, carbohydrates, and fat; and balance them for every meal with a ratio of 40-30-30 respectively.
In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.
Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for 30-40% of your total caloric load.
Fat should be predominantly unsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
.
The Caveman or Paleolithic Model for Nutrition
Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrate. Search “Google” for Paleolithic nutrition, or diet. The return is extensive, compelling, and fascinating. The Caveman model is perfectly consistent with the CrossFit prescription.
What Foods Should I Avoid?
Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, baking, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar.
What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet. There’s a gold mine of information pertinent to your health available there. The CrossFit prescription is a low-glycemic diet and consequently severely blunts the insulin response.
Caloric Restriction and Longevity
Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake. “Caloric Restriction” is another fruitful area for Internet search. The CrossFit prescription is consistent with this research.
The CrossFit prescription allows a reduced caloric intake and yet still provides ample nutrition for rigorous activity.
Useful Links
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
If you would like more information about how to eat for better health, performance and body composition please come and talk to one of our trainers.
