Why improve your diet?
If you are participating in regular CrossFit training you are no longer a common gym goer.
CrossFit training requires you to put your body through stress that most people avoid at all costs. We lift heavy, move quickly, and push our bodies hard to constantly improve and become stronger healthier people.
The fuel you put into your body before and after a training session will govern how well you perform and recover. It is during recovery that you make gains in your strength and the body repairs and regenerates for future sessions.
If you are serious about your results then it is time to take your nutrition more seriously.
If you are happy doing what you are doing and getting the results you currently obtain you may ignore this information. But small changes to your diet could help you reap massive gains in performance and long term health.
I know many people in our box alone could benefit from eating better and as your Coach i want to see everyone become the best they can be.
Today’s blog is my take on healthy eating, how I eat and why i believe it works and what my goals are. Because if your actions do not support your goals then you will not be motivated to follow through on them.
Ill start by saying I am not a nutritionist or dietician, but having either of those qualifications does not mean you know what your talking about either! As most nutritionists and dieticians follow the “food pyramid” and are fat and sick themselves.
I can say for my part, that through smart training and eating this way I have not been sick for 4 years. Have not required any antibiotics or spent multiple days in bed. I am 34 and in better shape than 99% of people my age and 90% of people of any age I meet on the street. The people that I have trained who followed this way of eating have had by far the best results.
If you look at the diet of the fittest athletes on this planet (and you will find them qualified for the CrossFit games in 2014) there will be a trend amongst them. Paleo eating.
Paleo Eating 90%
After reading Rob Wolfs book “the paelo solution” and having trained with some of the best CrossFit athletes in this country over the years it became clear to me that eating natural foods fueled performace like no other diet.
Paleo eating was once summed up by Greg Classman (CrossFits founder and CEO) as
Eat meat fruits and vegetables nut and seeds, little starch and no sugar. Eat enough that support exercise but not body fat.
It is still today taught in CrossFit level 1 courses around the world.
This is the way I eat 90% of the time. I say 90% because it is the closest to the truth. being as I have no digestive issues with dairy I also add to that milk, yogurt and cheese.
Preparing each meal of the day is key. But is is so easy to make a meal that has protein, vegetables and nuts or seeds in a ratio using your hand as a guide.
Protein serve: Size of your hand including the fingers touching each other. Vegetables serve: an amount you can fit in one handful. Fat serve: A portion the size of your thumb.
I say Paleo 90% also because I do not deprive myself something to eat if I really want it. If I want spaghetti at an Italian restaurant for some reason I will have it and not feel bad about it because it is such a tiny % of the greater good i put into my body. I do not believe in “cheat meals” as that represents a scheduled time to eat those foods.
Why Paleo?
The list of benefits to eating whole natural foods is huge. Please check out http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/paleo-benefits/
But mostly you get all the vitamins minerals and macro nutrients you need in their rawest form without any added preservatives, sugar or chemicals.
When your body is receiving what it needs without all of the unnecessary waste products, the machine runs like it was meant to. You recover faster from workouts, sleep better and perform better in every aspect. Moods are regulated hormones become balanced, the list of improvements goes on and on.
Eating whole natural foods will make you drop body fat faster than any bullshit detox diet. Just cutting out bread and drinks with sugar will make huge changes in body composition.
Why I eat Paleo
I love training, love feeling strong and being able to do every task in my day with ease. I want to continue to be able to stay at this level into my 90s. Guess what? That is not a fantasy it is a possible reality. Its nearly 2014 and the knowledge we have now about eating natural foods is scientific fact. Continuing to practice functional movements and eat natural foods is the best action you can take to create a long life of activity and independence. It is not out of the question now with the knowledge we have that kids could live to be 120 years old if they eat properly and move fluidly into adult hood and later into life.
My goals are also performance related. I want to finish in the top 500 in the CrossFit open in Australias region in 2014, and at 34 it aint gonna happen eating meat pies and burgers!
Whether your goals are to get the best result possible in the CrossFit open in 8 weeks time or to feel better and imporve your current performances in the gym, eating whole foods is the way to go.
