Eat clean. Starting...... Now.

"You cannot out-train a bad diet."

Your CrossFit WODs and strength training have you well on your way to a healthier, stronger you.  But being healthy isn't only about being active and getting stronger - it also means taking time to rest and recover and eat foods that support your active lifestyle.  So then, WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT??

EAT REAL FOOD.

So much of the food in the grocery stores these days requires packaging with an ingredients listing.  You shouldn't need to read a complicated list of ingredients to know what it is you are consuming.  If you stick to real foods, the kind that don't require an ingredients list, then you will always know exactly what you are consuming.  We can't stress this enough!  If your great grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, then it isn't.... it's an "edible food-like substance".

EAT CLEAN.

As best you can, eat foods that are void of chemicals, preservatives and processing.

EAT FOODS THAT ARE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Inflammation is your body's response to being hurt. It is an immune response that can cause pain, swelling, heat and other very bad things.

Here is a list of foods that are considered PRO-inflammatory. The following will cause inflammation:
-Grains (like bread, pasta, rice...)
-Dairy (like milk, cheese, butter...)
-Sugar (refined, honey, agave, HFCS...)
-Vegetable oils
-Grain-fed beef
-Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts...)

So then, what kinds of foods are we promoting?  Here's a breakdown of the 3 macronutrients (Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats) you should be striving for and where to get them:

PROTEIN
-Meat (if possible, grass-fed, pastured, free range)
-Fish (if possible, wild caught)
-Eggs (if possible, from free range chickens)

Sometimes I go a little overboard at the farmer's market!

CARBS
-Vegetables

-Fruit

- In moderation:  

   -Dairy (milk, cheese, butter)      

   -Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts)
- In SUPER moderation:
   -Whole grains
   -Natural sugars (honey, syrup, agave)

FATS

-monosaturated oils (olive oil, avacado)

-nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts/filberts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts- ALL unsalted)

-seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)

In general, we advocate the much quoted 80/20 principle.  Don't beat yourself up - try to eat clean 80% of the time.  If you want to spend all 20% of your cheating on alcohol (Adrian!!!), then go for it.  

Here is your homework assignment for the week:  Write down everything you eat for a week.  Don't necessarily change what you eat... just notice what you are eating and how you think you might improve your diet.

We've got a nutrition/wellness challenge coming up in May, so lets get ready!  We will reveal the details of the challenge next week.  In the meantime - if you are interested in changing your diet, but need some guidance getting started, or if you've already started changing your diet and want to talk about the challenges, come chat!  Sheena, Faye, PJ and I went through the last challenge and have lots of good info and experiences to share!

OFFICE HOURS:
I'll be available to talk about anything-nutrition the following times:
Thursday 4/15 6-7
Monday 4/19 6-7
Tuesday 4/20 6-7
(6amers - if you're interested, just snag me after the workout!)

Sheena, Faye and PJ might be there too pending availability.

- Margaret