Nutrition

What to eat?

Nutrition

CrossFit dietary prescription is as follows:
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 about 40% of your total caloric load.
Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.

Food
What Should I Eat?

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.

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.
-taken directly from CrossFit’s Nutrition page

Simplified, nutrition should be approached from two perspectives, one of quality and one of quantity. Our quality is Paleo: meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, a little starch and zero sugar. Our quantity is Dr. Barry Sears’ Zone prescription. Quality is the most important for health and longevity, quantity becomes increasingly important as one’s emphasis on performance increases.

Paleo Friendly Restaurants
Topz
Chipotle
Zumba

*Paleo eating is possible anywhere; if you have questions about a certain restaurant, post it to comments and we will research the menu and find good options for you.

The NO list

Grains (including breads, cereals, oatmeal, rice, pasta and anything else with gluten, flour tortillas, etc.)
Legumes (peanuts, beans of any sort, chick peas, etc.)
Sugar
Dairy (unless your goal is weight gain, and then grassfed sources)

Cheat Days/Meals

New Species promotes the 80/20 rule, eat clean and healthy 80% of the time, give yourself a break 20% of the time.

Links and other Resources

Robb Wolf
CrossFit Football
The Paleo Diet
CrossFit Balboa, Paleo and Performance

Nutrition Coaching is available for individuals, groups and for trainers/coaches.