Nutrition

Our Trainers are constantly reading up on the latest nutrition info in order to help you guys reach your goals. Please use us as a resource for nutritional information, and if we can’t answer questions we can surely direct you in the right direction. We strongly believe that Nutrition is 80% of the equation when it comes to achieving world class fitness and reaching your goals. Coming to the gym and working your butt off is great, but what you do outside the gym will have an equal or greater impact on your health and fitness. For those of you who have a less than perfect diet there are supplements you can take that will help you reach those goals.

If you need some extra help with nutrition or are a committed athlete that wants to take your performance then check out our friend Terry Shanahan’s website (Click Here). Terry is an outstanding nutrition expert that can tailor meal plans to fit your goals and lifestyle, as well as give you the tools to make great meals quickly and easily so eating well doesn’t become a chore. We have asked him to do seminar’s for our clients, as well as hired him to help Tommy prepare for the 2010 CrossFit games. He works with people on an individual basis, or will meet with a group at someone’s house and teach the group how to prep and cook some great meals. Terry also works with professional athletes in the NBA and on the PGA tour.

Here’s a quick recipe from Terry to give you an idea of what he can do for you:

The 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.

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.

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