Nutrition
Base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar.
“You Can’t Out-Train a Bad Diet!” In CrossFit we talk about the Theoretical Hierarchy of Development of an athlete. A “pyramid model” is used to explain the components that are responsible for this development and their importance. The base of the pyramid, representing the foundation and support of this athletic development is nutrition. The foods we eat have a direct impact on the hormonal balance in our bodies, affecting our ability to perform whether it’s in the classroom, at work, at the gym, or anywhere else for that matter. With this pyramid model it is important to note that if there is any deficiency at any level of “the pyramid” all other components above will suffer. With nutrition being the base of the pyramid in which all other great skills will be built upon, it is important for our nutrition to support us along our fitness/health journey.
What is the Paleo Diet? The Paleo diet is based on eating foods that were available during Paleolithic times (Would a Caveman have had the opportunity to eat it?) This style of eating consists of consuming foods that have not been processed. This means eating lean meats, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy fat sources. This diet eliminates processed foods that in today’s society have managed to find a way into every meal! In the CrossFit community, this way of eating makes sense. Literature shows that Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity and many other chronic diseases have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrate. In order to achieve health and reach our maximal level of performance, a clean diet is a must.
What is the Zone Diet? The Zone was developed by Dr. Barry Sears. Dr. Sears describes the Zone diet as a blueprint of how you should compose your plate to get the right hormonal response at every time you consume food. The Zone works by monitoring and balancing our consumption of the three macronutrients; protein, carbohydrate, & fat at each meal. This balancing allows us to construct a powerful drug that will keep our hormones in the zone and control inflammation throughout our bodies. The Zone diet is built upon a block system. Based on several components, a block prescription is derived for each individual indicating the amount of food that is to be consumed at each meal. The block method makes it simple to measure the proper amount of food that is consumed at each meal. * A number of widespread and devastating chronic diseases have a pathophysiologically important inflammatory component.
What is the best diet for me? Ideally, a combination of both the Zone and Paleo diet is recommended. Paleo is a great way to be healthier without measuring. We recommend that you use the Paleo method to ensure you are eating quality foods and the Zone diet to ensure you are eating the proper quantities of these good foods. This combination is “ideal nutrition”. We understand that both of these recommended nutrition styles may be very different than your current way of eating and any change bringing you closer to a Paleo or Zone diet is better than the typical American diet and a great place to start. Inquire to learn more about our Zone Paleo Challenges!