Nutrition

We start with nutrition as the foundation for health and fitness. CrossFit’s nutrition recommendation is simple:

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.

Simple, right? We also typically recommend a “Paleo” or “Primal” style of eating. This is not a “diet” as much as it is an overall nutritional philosophy. Eating “Primal” consists of eating lean meats, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, and very little or no sugar. Minimizing processed foods is something that almost all nutritionists and types of diets agree on. The goal should be 80% compliance with this style of diet. That means cheat meals are allowed so we can all get our Tex-mex fix at least once per week.

Below is the “Paleo Food Pyramid” designed by Robb Wolf (www.robbwolf.com), quite a contrast to what the FDA recommends.

We recommended a balanced intake of macroutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat), or a “Zone” approach which means your consumption of calories should be approximately 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fats. Each athlete is unique, however, so if you are interested in a detailed nutrition plan, please use the resources below.

CrossFit Nutrition Resources:

  • http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf
  • http://journal.crossfit.com/2009/08/crossfit-nutrition-presentation.tpl
  • http://journal.crossfit.com/2012/11/channutritionp1.tpl

Other Nutrition Resources:

  • http://www.marksdailyapple.com
  • http://chriskresser.com
  • http://thepaleodiet.com
  • http://robbwolf.com
  • http://jensgonepaleo.blogspot.com
  • http://everydaypaleo.com
  • http://renaissanceperiodization.com