Basic CrossFit.com Info on Nutrition
Paleo
The Paleolithic diet is based on how humans ate 10,000+ years ago prior to the development of agriculture. It consists of lean meats, wild fruits & veggies as well as nuts and berries. More info about this diet can be found here.
Click here for a good Paleo food list to help with your shopping!
Zone
The zone diet is a real food diet that is based on quantity as well as quality. Here you will find the CrossFit Journal’s Zone meal edition that gives good information and a basic block chart to assist you in preparing and measuring out blocks for meals.
Glycemic Index
Heard of the FDA’s Food Pyramid? Well, recent research suggests a diet based on large amounts of grains and starches is very poor for your health. The Glycemic index breaks down food into “high” and “low” categories based on amounts of sugar (carbs). The CrossFit Journal has a great article about this index & why high glycemic foods are detrimental to your health.
10 Steps to Changing Your Nutrition
Changing the way you eat is a very hard, & intimate ambition but one that has a very high reward. Studies show that those that greatly improve their nutrition but neglect to exercise experience the same health improvements as those that greatly improve their exercise & neglect their nutrition. What does this tell us as CrossFitters? If we only focus on WODs then we are only doing 1/2 of what we can do become truly remarkable physical beings.
1. Decide
Pick a team, whether it’s Team Paleo, Team Zone, or Team Paleo Zone, choose a direction you want to go for your new meals.
2. %
Now that you have a team to play for think about how much of the food going down the hatch is going to be elite eating, 100%, 50%, one meal a day, or just snacks, it all depends on the person.
3. Menu
Developing a family menu for the week’s breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks will help you shop for a purpose, ease the decision-making process later in the busy work week & add variety to your life. Try to add a variety of meats & meals each day or two & experiment with a few new recipes to trybout alongside your weekly staples you’ve discovered along the way.
4. Shopping
The grocery store, farmer’s market, local ranch or other places to purchase food is the first “real” step to improving your nutrition. This is the test for “I’m gonna get this” & “I’m staying away from that”, like they always say don’t go hungry & stick to your plan.
5. Prepare
Prepping for the busy American work week can be the difference between a trip through the drive-thru or a night eating a tasty, beautiful meal that you’ve created. Many CrossFitters make their meals in batches so that they have lunch for the next few days, or breakfast for the week. When you learn to cook more, you’ll learn to cook less often & spend less time in the kitchen & more with the family or in the gym!
6. Supplements
Fish oil is a CrossFit standard, the magic pill (also comes in liquid form) has many benefits including but not limited to fighting inflammation & improving blood flow. Protein powder is a good option to boosting those meals that lack the right amount of protein but BEWARE of the ingredients! The best Orion I’ve found is egg white protein powder.
7. H2O
Drink lots & lots & lots of water! Coffee & Gatorade don’t count, just pure H2O. If your lips are dry or your pee is yellow, YOU NEED MORE. I know this is new knowledge but try to get used to it.
8. WOD More
The more you workout & let fitness play a major role in your life the more you’ll crave the good stuff & detest the bad stuff.
9. Eating Out & Cheat Meals
Every stable mind needs the tasty goodness of a Krispy Kreme once in a while but if you find yourself in a Denny’s one too many times look or ask for the meal closest to real food.
10. Talk
The more people you share your dramatic improvements in your diet with, the more open & exposed your eating is, the higher likelyhood you’ll keep up with it & maybe you’ll convert a skeptic or two with your savory recipes & beautiful Facebook pics!
