NUTRITION

NUTRITION CHALLENGE - Day 1 of Phase 1

Congratulations to all those who have made the choice to make change in their lives, supporting the fitness you are developing through your CrossFit training!

I'd say good luck, but there's no LUCK about it!  Make great choices and feel better, look better, and perform better!  It's in your hands and we are here to help!

Phase 1 entails re-setting your body - your blood sugar, your gut health, diminishing inflammation you may not even know you had, and starting at a baseline we can then test and tweak from down the road.  Eat real, whole foods.  That's it.  No weighing or measuring involved. 

Food Should Make You Healthy

Meat, seafood and eggs; vegetables and fruit; and healthy fat sources like coconut, avocado and olive oil are all foods that make you healthier.

Sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and dairy are all food groups that have significant down sides, and do not contribute positively to your health.

The more you eliminate these “less healthy” foods from your everyday diet, the healthier you will be.

However, you don’t have to eat perfect 100% of the time to have and maintain excellent health.

Helping you find the right balance - and maintain that balance long-term – is our goal for you.

Finding your own individual balance starts with eating real food.

What CAN I eat???

It's often discouraging to hear about all the things you can't eat when making better choices and behavior changes.  These lists will help you know what you CAN eat and we'll continue to post articles and recipes and ideas here on the Nutrition blog of our website, so keep checking back there for further updates and helps.

Meal Plan Ideas

Food Matrix

What's In YOUR Cooler?

 

Each day, make a choice to support all the hard work you're doing in the gym!  Each day, choose fuel that is appropriate fuel for a race car.  You're building a race car, are you fueling it properly?

ZERO POINTS AT THE END OF 4 SHORT WEEKS IS YOUR SHORT TERM GOAL!  Is that piece of cheese or tortilla or cracker or cookie really worth that point?  Is it worth setting your progress backwards just for 4 measly weeks in your life?  The choice is yours.  We are here to help.

Food On the Go

What’s in YOUR cooler?

derived from Whole30.com

We’ve UPDATED our famous “pack a cooler” for those gearing up for their summer vacation plans. The post originated last summer, when Dallas and I spent three months (and drove 15,000 miles) across the US and Canada, while completing the Whole30. We faced plenty of challenges staying Whole30-compliant while on the road – the same challenges our readers face when life requires lots of travel, socializing or just a super-hectic schedule.  

So today, we’ve updated the contents of our theoretical Whole9 cooler – what’s in it, what’s in the travel bag next to it, and how we put things together to make delicious, Whole30-approved meals and snacks while traveling. We’ll break it down by food groups, and hope by passing these along to our readers, you’ll have an easier time Eating Good Food under any circumstance, whether at home or on the road.

What’s in the Whole9 Cooler

Protein

• Deli turkey/chicken/roast beef.  Look for versions where the only ingredients are organic meat, water and salt.
• Canned or foil packs of Albacore tuna.  Brands that contain only tuna and water – no soy!
• Hard boiled eggs.  We always have a dozen of these on hand.
• Smoked, canned, or foil packed salmon.  Wild-caught Alaskan (never farm raised).
• Shrimp. Buy pre-cooked wild-caught shrimp (or cook and peel them yourself) – portable and delicious served cold.
• Your local market’s brand of pre-cooked “simple” chicken breast or salmon, where the only ingredients are chicken/salmon, salt and pepper.
• Jerky, Primal Pacs, or Steve’s Club Paleo Kits makes Whole30-approved jerky snacks. Buy the whole snack kit, or just the protein.

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Sugar snap peas and snow peas
• Pepper slices (red, green, yellow and orange)
• Tomatoes (usually the small grape variety)
• Sprouts (sunflower, alfalfa, radish, broccoli, sweet pea shoots)
• Baby spinach, arugula or other leafy green (for on-the-road salads)
• Jicama  (peel, slice into thin strips and munch)
• Kale chips – we like Kaia Foods. Again, read your ingredients.
• Sea Snax (or some other form of seaweed snack). Read your ingredients – no soy!
• Fresh salsa.  Whole Foods and other stores sell fresh salsa with 100% approved ingredients.
• Canned sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut squash (where the only ingredient is the vegetable)
• Baby food! Sweet potato, butternut squash or other vegetable varieties in squeeze packs (where the only ingredient is the vegetable) – perfect for post-workout!

Fruit

• Whatever is fresh, local, in-season and not too expensive
• Unsweetened applesauce (we like Santa Cruz Organic brand, or make your own)
• Larabars (a dried fruit/nut combination, used only in food emergencies)

Fat

• Olives, where the only ingredients are olives, water and sea salt.
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil).  We bring a bottle everywhere, and pour over veggies, salads, meat, whatever.
• Avocado
• Fresh guacamole.  Whole Foods and other stores sell fresh guac with 100% approved ingredients.
• Coconut milk (full fat, in the can)
• Shredded coconut, unsweetened.
• Coconut butter (sometimes called “creamed coconut”)
• Coconut oil (sold at CrossFit Flagstaff)
• Macadamia, almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts (no peanuts)
• Other nuts and seeds (to be eaten in moderation)
• Sunflower seed sbutter or other nut butters (to be eaten in moderation)
• Stronger Faster Healthier or Barleans fish oil (both are sold at CrossFit Flagstaff)

Herbs/Spices

• Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice (for sweet potato, pumpkin, etc.)
• Salt, pepper
• Fresh chopped basil and cilantro

Kitchen Tools

• Sharp paring knife
• Flexible cutting board
• Can opener
• Portable silverware and dishes
• One glass container, for microwaving on the go

Tips, tricks and adding variety to your Road Trip Food

• Protein is going to be the hardest to get in good amounts.  Plan ahead and stock up – cook chicken or salmon the night before you travel, boil a dozen eggs, find deli meat and tuna packets that meet criteria.
• Smoked salmon is often overlooked, but the wild caught stuff is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and protein.  Slice, roll around chunks of honeydew melon or mango, secure with a toothpick and go.
• Fruit is way too easy to overdo when traveling, so swap some of that fruit for portable vegetable sources.  The flexible cutting board, sharp knife and plastic silverware help you branch out from just carrots and celery.
• Fresh salsa and guacamole are life-savers.  Roll deli turkey around pepper slices, secure with toothpick and top with salsa and guac – delicious and totally portable.
• Frozen root veggies may also be a good idea, especially if you’re training on the go.  Sweet potato and squash varieties from the can or jar are just as good hot or cold.
• Nuts are also easy to crack out on when traveling.  Try olives instead!  They’re portable, don’t need refrigeration and you can eat an awful lot for the same amount of fat as an ounce of nuts.
• Spices and herbs are an easy way to add flavor and variety to your meals, and don’t take up a lot of room in your bag/cooler.
• Planning and preparation are key!  Take time to purchase, prepare and pack your cooler before a trip and you’ll have good, Whole30-approved meals and snacks at the ready.

We hope this peek inside our cooler (and, below, our hotel fridge!) helps to give you fresh ideas and inspiration for your own travels.  Got a road-trip-worthy snack, meal or food idea?  Post to comments!

A peek inside our hotel fridge. (We stick the fish oil in the door.)

 

A peek inside our hotel fridge. (We stick the fish oil in the door.)

Nutrition Challenge Approved Wraps!

Coconut Wraps

Ingredients

Curry: Coconut Meat, Coconut Water, Himalayan Salt, Organic Curry Powder

Original: Coconut Meat, Coconut Water, Himalayan Salt

Product Information

Size: 1.98oz / 56g / 0.2lb

Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Alkaline

Improv’eat avoids using many popular procedures and/or ingredients (which include major food allergens) that could subtract from the health of our customers.

For nutritional and safety reasons, we do not use the following:

- Artificial sweeteners or refined sugar including NutraSweet® (Aspartame), Sweet N Low® (Saccharin), Splenda® (Sucralose) or High Fructose Corn Syrup among others
- Trans-fatty acids (Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils)
- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
- Canola, Soybean, Cottonseed, Corn, Peanut or Synthetic Oils
- MSG or MSG-like substances, preservatives, artificial colors or "natural flavors"
- Wheat, rye, barley or other gluten containing derivatives
- Unfermented soy or any pasteurized food
- Microwaves or other detrimental heating procedures

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

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These cabbage wedges taste great alongside roasted beef or pork.

• Yield Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 more tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Place 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds, in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds. Roast until cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes.
2. Other options to flavor: squeeze juice from 1/2 a lemon, paprika, chopped garlic, sliced onions and chili peppers in addition to the fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Sausages cooked on top and turned 1/2 way through are also an easy bonus.

What's the Deal with Flax Seed?

Plant sources of omega 3 fatty acids contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) almost exclusively. The omega 3 fatty acids that you really need are EPA and DHA. The body can transform ALA into EPA and DHA, but the process is really inefficient. And during that process, the excess ALA spills over into pathways that synthesize bad hormones. Clinical studies have shown that too much flax seed supplementation causes cancer (amongst other problems).

A little more explanation on this from World's Healthiest Foods:

Is it true that flax seeds are not a good source of omega 3s for some people?

While flaxseeds are rich in a type of omega-3 fat, they may not serve as a good source of omega-3s overall for some people. Understanding some of the basic issues involved with flaxseeds-and in fact, any kind of plant food-and omega-3 nourishment can help you to optimize your nutritional intake and your overall health.

Flax oil composition

While flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fat, they only contain one basic member of the omega-3 fat family. In the case of flaxseeds, virtually all of the omega-3 fat is found in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (often abbreviated "ALA"). This specific kind of omega-3 fat makes up about 50% of the oil in flaxseeds.

The omega-3 assembly line starts with ALA

So that you can better understand how flaxseeds that feature a concentration of ALA impacts their potential ability to be an overall good source of omega-3s, let's start with a basic chemistry review of the omega-3 family of fats.

Omega-3s are a very diverse group of fats. Yet, all of the members fall into a basic pattern that can be imagined as a kind of metabolic assembly line.

Fats can be measured in length according to the number of carbon atoms that they contain. The omega-3 fatty acid ALA, featured in flaxseeds, contains 18 carbons, making it the shortest of the omega-3 fats, and hence the simplest. It retains a position at the beginning of the assembly line with our omega-3 metabolism starting with this compound as a building block.

ALA gets elongated into other omega-3 fatty acids

If another pair of carbon atoms gets added on to ALA (a process called "elongation" in biochemistry, and a process that is carried out by enzymes called elongases), it gets ready to become EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), another important member of the omega-3 family. If yet another pair of carbons are added to EPA, it in turn gets ready to become DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a third important member of the omega-3 family.

ALA gets desaturated into other omega-3 fatty acids

The reason I say that these omega-3 fats "get ready" to turn into other forms is because getting longer is not the only requirement for conversion of one omega-3 to another. A second requirement is what's called "increased desaturation." During this process, the omega-3 fat gets altered chemically so that its carbon atoms are connected together in a new way that provides more reactivity to the fat. This new kind of connection is called double-bonding. For ALA (our starting point for the omega-3 assembly line) to become EPA, two new double bonds must be added in addition to the 2-carbon atom increase in length.

The role of other nutrients in omega-3 metabolism

The process of lengthening and changing, of elongating and desaturating, the chemical bonds in omega-3 fat is complex, and many nutrients are required to bring it about. To get from ALA to EPA, for example, the required nutrients are: vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium.

Nutrient deficiencies can block omega-3 metabolism

What happens if an individual is deficient in one or more of the above nutrients? The answer is simple: that individual cannot convert linolenic acid very efficiently into the other longer-chain omega-3 fats. A person with known deficiencies in most of the above-cited nutrients (vitamins B3, B6, C, and the minerals zinc and magnesium) would not be able to get maximum benefit from flaxseeds' omega-3s because he or she would not be able to effectively convert the ALA upward into the other omega-3 fats. Being able to effectively convert ALA upward into these other omega-3 fats is very important to our health, and when we cannot effectively accomplish this task and don't compensate by eating foods that are high in EPA and DHA, we can significantly increase our risk of health problems.

In the above situation, many healthcare practitioners would ask for an increase in the omega-3 supportive nutrients (the B complex vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium) while at the same time also recommending a different source of omega-3s than flaxseeds, such as preformed EPA and DHA found in cold-water fish such as salmon and sardines, until the nutrient deficiencies were resolved. Yet, in cases where the assembly line seems to be functioning properly, many healthcare practitioners opt for flaxseeds and other ALA-rich foods since providing the body with the compound that is at the beginning of the assembly line allows the body to best decide the exact types and proportions of omega-3s it wants to create.

Our Next Nutrition Challenge!

I’m pissed.  by glenn pendlay
____________________________________

Why? Well it started in Guatemala last week. I was eating in the weightlifting chow hall with Donny Shankle and thinking about the food. The meal that day included a sort of salad. Tasted like it had some kale in it, had some green beans, some corn, lettuce, and bits of bacon. There were diced up potatoes, cooked with onions. Diced up carrots that most people seemed to be mixing up with the potatoes and onions. And chicken. Not fried chicken, just chicken. It was representative of most of the meals, mostly vegetables and meat, some potatoes or rice. Nothing fancy. I remarked to Donny that it would be hard to overeat and get fat on such food. Not that it wasn’t good, it was tasty enough, but it was nothing you would want to go on eating once your hunger had been satisfied. And it wasn’t calorie dense, mostly meat and vegetables. All in all it was pretty damn healthy food.

Then on the plane ride home I was watching TV, and noticing the commercials. At one point, all in a row, there were commercials for Mountain Dew, Kit Kat bars, pop tarts, Pepsi, and frozen pizza. Thats right, 5 commercials, all for shitty sugar filled foods all in a row.

Why do we Americans do this to ourselves? Obesity, diabetes, and just about every other health problem you can imagine that is linked to diet are all sky high and rising. Yet we continue stuffing ourselves with shitty food. Commercials show smiling kids eating toaster strudels for breakfast in front of proud mothers, pizza pockets for afternoon snacks, and grabbing whatever sugar laden drink is popular out of the fridge to cool down from playing in the yard.

And I’m pissed about it. I am pissed that my ex-wife got done with 4 years of education at a state school to become a registered dietician, and wouldn’t eat a pack of mixed nuts for a snack because of the fat, but would instead pick a pack of “Sprees” the hard candy things that are 100% sugar. I am pissed about seeing people buy “light” yogurt, which has the fat taken out of it then 30 grams of sugar added, and think they are being healthy.

I am pissed that there is not a public outrage about the smiling proud mothers on the TV commercials giving their kids pop tarts for breakfast and pizza pockets for a snack.

I am pissed that when I go to Costco on the weekend to buy groceries and eat the free sample, and the lady giving out the little “breakfast bars” that have 1 gram of protein and 30 grams of sugar per serving is telling me how healthy they are cause they are low fat.

I am just in general pissed off that our modern society is so determined to dig our own graves with our spoons and forks. I am pissed that sh**y unhealthy food is so cheap and convenient and available everywhere. I am pissed that every child grows up on a steady diet of TV commercials pitching them sh**y food that will probably eventually kill them.

So yeah, I’m just pissed.

_____________________________________________________________

So are we, for exactly the same reasons and it's time to do something about it!

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday May 22, at 7:00 p.m. we are announcing the next Nutrition Challenge to help educate properly about the fuel you are choosing to put into your body.  To change choices and behaviors through that education, and hopefully help shift the thinking of how this country behaves and eats.

Join us for a 90 minute introduction and decide afterwards whether you want to take this next step in your CrossFit action to change your life for the better and fuel the race car engine you are building with all your hard work toward elite fitness and optimal health!

Teaching Kids About Healthy Eating

Don't be fooled by the ever-increasing volume of processed gluten-free goodies on your grocery store shelf! In a world of mass manufactured food products, getting back to basics and cooking real food with and for your children is the most important thing you can do for your family's health and well-being. It can be overwhelming when thinking about where to begin, but with tasty kid-approved recipes, lunch boxes and projects that will steer your child toward meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy fats, Eat Like a Dinosaur will help you make this positive shift.

With an illustrated children's story describing the paleo diet, and colorful, mouthwatering photographs of recipes without grains, dairy, soy and refined sugar, this book is written for children. For those with food allergies, the top 8 allergens have been visually marked on each recipe for children to self-identify recipes that may contain eggs, nuts, fish, or shellfish.

Parents needn't panic! Details on the tools and products your family needs to get started have been provided, as well as an assortment of tips to help you along the way. Eat Like a Dinosaur will inspire your entire family to shop for new ingredients and get into the kitchen together. Let Matt and Stacy, the Paleo Parents, show you how to make the transformation in your family's life. With positivity, practicality and an appreciation for the fact that even the healthiest children sometimes want cupcakes and chicken nuggets—this book simply provides healthier ways to give kids the foods they love.

BOOK REVIEW RIGHT FROM THE CHILD'S MOUTH:

Eat Like a Dinosaur Review by Brooke

We want to send a HUGE thank you out to my cousin Brooke for taking the time to review another Paleo book. Brooke and I read Eat Like a Dinosaur together, and then she read it again a few times on her own. After we read the story together, we then looked at all the delicious recipes in the book, and we were both drooling over them!

Brooke really loved the story in Eat Like a Dinosaur. She immediately made a connection to the characters in the story, and understood the underlying message. Bill and I got the chance to test out one of the recipes from Eat Like a Dinosaur before the book was released. To view our review of the book and that recipe, click here.

And now, for my unbelievably precious cousin Brooke with her unrehearsed review! Thanks Brookie!! We love you!

Click here to order your copy today!

Sugar Considered a Toxin

Is sugar toxic?

If you are what you eat, then what does it mean that the average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar a year? Sanjay Gupta reports on new research showing that beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, worsening conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer. Some physicians go so far as to call sugar a toxin.

The following video is from "Sugar" which aired on April 1, 2012. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the correspondent. Denise Schrier Cetta and Sumi Aggarwal, producers.

The chances are good that sugar is a bigger part of your daily diet than you may realize which is why this is so important. New research coming out of some of America's most respected institutions is starting to find that sugar, the way many people are eating it today, is a toxin and could be a driving force behind some of this country's leading killers, including heart disease.

 

Watch the video here.

 

A Simple Solution

Nutrition - Real Food. Simple Solutions.

1. Clean out the pantry
2. Go shopping
3. Cook!
4. CrossFit!
5. Sleep.

 

1. Clean out the Pantry

We do not have self-control. PLAN AHEAD! Don’t have tempting foods in the house. Remove the bread, rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, puddings, ice cream, waffles, juice, sodas, cereals, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, yogurt, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, canned soups, apple sauce, noodles…all refined, packaged foods. Bag it all up, take it to a food bank or homeless shelter. No, the kids do NOT need crackers and Goldfish. They might actually be healthier if YOU are healthier!

2. Go shopping

Now it’s time to fill your cupboards with food worth eating. The general rule of thumb is that good, paleo-friendly foods can be found on the outer edges of the grocery store. Shelves = preservatives.

Protein.
Ideally these options are grass fed or wild caught. If you cannot find or afford grass fed and wild caught protein all the time, than save these for special occasions. You really can taste the difference. Beans and rice do NOT count.

Land: Pork, beef, lamb.
Sea: Trout, salmon, shrimp, crab. You know…fishy type stuff!
Air: Chicken, turkey, duck, ostrich. I know, ostrich is flightless don’t get cheeky.

Round things out with some good quality bacon, omega-3 enriched eggs and some items like chicken-apple sausage to help you with breakfast on busy days.

Veggies.
Ideally these are local and organic, but again, this should not be a deal breaker. Our local mega-food chain actually has the best produce outside of the farmers market, and at an amazing price. Shop with the season, which typically means what is on sale. Mix up the colors.

Fruit.
Limit fruit to 1 serving per day if fat loss is your goal. A serving is not a whole watermelon. If you want to screw things up and not make progress, eat all the fruit you want, it’s your nickel, ride the ride as you like. In order of preference: Berries, melons, citrus, apples, pears. Bananas, papayas and mangoes are great for athletes post workout but dodgy for folks who want to lose weight.

Fats.
Olive oil (extra virgin), coconut, avocado (oil and whole), macadamia (whole and oil), almonds, walnuts. If fat loss is a goal limit nuts to 1-2 oz. per day.

Odds & Ends.
Marinara sauce (read the label - avoid suger!), herbs, spices-curry powder, garlic, ginger, cilantro, garam massala, chili powder, black pepper, lemon zest, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and basil. Get at least 20 herbs and spices to keep your cooking lively. Stock up on espresso, teas and mineral water as these are your beverages of choice.

3. Cook!

The majority of your meals look something like this:
• 4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.
• Several servings of vegetables, either raw, steamed, or lightly cooked.
• Finally, round out the meal with good fats from avocado, olive oil or a handful of nuts such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts.

Keypoints:
• Eat!
• Real food
• Protein every meal
• 3-4 meals per day (eat when you are hungry)
• Limit fruit to 1 serving if fat loss is a goal
• Limit nuts to 1-2 oz. if fat loss is a goal
• Beverages are coffee, tea, minearal water. Unsweetened.  This includes stevia, honey, and agave syrup.

4. CrossFit!

We are certified coaches - let us help you! Attend at least 2 CrossFit classes each week, learning new things, stretching your body and mind into new places. Improving your fitness level will increase your desire make healthy choices.  The community at CrossFit Flagstaff will motivate you and support your healthier lifestyle.

5. Sleep.

Certain points can not and should not be argued. Your body needs sleep to recover. Quality and quantity are both inportant. Black out your room. The darker the better.  No LED lights from alarm clocks, fire alarms, TV’s etc. Do not watch TV or check email for at least 1 hour before bed. Go to bed early, get at least 8-9 hrs of sleep. You should wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed. SLEEP. PERIOD.

*** Adapted from the Quick Start Guide in Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution. A PDF version of this guide can be found on Robb's website at http://robbwolf.com/faq/.

 

Skinny Fat?

Losing weight or losing muscle? It is best to really know what you are doing because when you lose muscle, your metabolism slows down and this leads to "skinny fat". The the never ending cycle of starving, too much cardio and not enough food cycle continues. Get the right education and training based in science (not opinion) and get results.

from Bellatrix Nutrition

It is important to not fixate on weight. 5 pounds of muscle is denser and takes up less space than 5 pounds of fat.

This is SUCH an import message. We, especially woman, have been programmed to follow the scale as the all important indicator of progress. WRONG. I would much rather be heavier and more muscular while being leaner than simply LIGHTER. Wake up folks. In the final analyses, what you see in the mirror is MORE important than what the numbers on your scale are.