CF_fitness_pyramid

Nutrition is the foundation of the CrossFit pyramid of health.

Moving toward healthier nutrition can not only increase your performance in the gym, but it can also increase your mental focus and emotional stability outside the gym.  Proper nutrition can also increase your energy throughout the day (no more peaks and crashes).  This can result in you being more productive at work, having more energy to do things with your partner and kids, and getting to the gym more often too.

When people ask me for nutrition advice, I often point them to the following simple advice from CrossFit

“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” (CrossFit Journal, September 2002, “The Garage Gym”, “World Class Fitness in 100 Words”)

Here are a few things that I would add based on my personal experience

  1. Eggs and fish are not specified above, but they are great for you.
  2. Saturated Fat from good sources (fish and fish oil, eggs, meat, avocado, nuts, coconut and coconut  oil) are an important part of a healthy diet.  Avoid Trans fats and Polyunsaturated fats from other sources.
  3. Cutting out sugar or at least reducing your sugar consumption will go a LONG way to moving you towards better health.
  4. Avoid packaged foods.  Packaged foods almost always contain sugar, salt, and other ingredients (chemicals, preservatives) that are not good for you.
  5. The quality of the food makes a difference.  Grass-fed, pasture-raised meat, eggs, and dairy* is better for you.  Wild-caught fish is better for you.  Organic and Non-GMO are better for you.

If you can make it in to workout with us and make the above adjustments to your diet, you will be amazed at how your fitness improves, your energy levels go up, and your body transforms.  Now that you have some idea of what to eat, the next article (coming soon) will discuss how to make it happen using the 3 Ps, Plan, Prepare and Pack.

*Dairy gives some people more trouble than others.  Most people can handle some dairy.  For me, the higher the quality of the dairy the less issues I have.  Milk can be an amazing source of protein.

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