Hello, CFC Warriors and CNH Nutritionites!
It has been several months since our last post. Did you miss us? ;-)
Many thanks are in order for our members over the past weeks that have kept in touch and asked great questions while putting forth many ideas and suggestions of their own. Time in the blogosphere crawled to a stall with the injection of superior amounts of horsepower marching along the plains chewing up the crops and taking money from the babies. As you may know, putting together even just a single small post can take several hours to compose and when going head to head with the corporate machine I had to retire one for a short time.
This, however, was a superior time for you to test your strong nutrition and fitness habits that we had cultured since February. In a minute, we’ll take a few moments to assess our progress. But first…
Just who the heck are the CFC Warriors? They are a team of local people, like you and me, who are dedicated to achieving their best fitness through the coaching and community of CrossFit Collective in Lancaster. By challenge of Jeremiah (long-time member here and owner/coach at CFC) the Warriors – who have the fitness aspect of healthy living down pat – are now taking on their health with the 30 Day CrossFit Collective Nutrition Challenge! For 30 days these athletes are taking the first steps to achieving their best possible health through nutrition. They will be logging their food intake every day, tracking their body measurements, and performing the standard workouts. Each member has had the opportunity to decide how deeply into the principles of Paleo-style nutrition they would like to go: grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, bean-free, etc… Much like the Biggest Loser competition held here at CNH for 12 weeks – these individuals will be all pushing for the big prize at the end; and the best prize of all – better health. Let us welcome (in mostly alphabetical order) Abby, Amanda, Andy, Angela, Ann, Austin, Beryl, Bill, Chris P., Charles, Chris S, Crissy, Dave, Dawn, Dianne, Eric, Erika (already a member here!), Heather, James, Jessica, Jon, Josh, Josh, Katie, Lee, Leslie, Lou, Lynn, Mary, Mike L, Mike J, Mindy, Kim, Nancy, Noah, Pat, Rebekah, Sandi, Scott, Sharon, Tamalyn, Tamara, Tom, Tricia, and Tyrel (a new CNH employee)!
This post will be mostly a review for the veteran’s and should be a short introduction for the noobs. Here’s what to expect: This post/blog is mainly a clearinghouse for nutrition information that is readily available on the web. Each week I attempt to collect a large quantity of the best posts in the “paleosphere” (paleo-related blogs) for your perusal. Also, if specific questions come in or if someone asks for more information on a specific topic I will find and disseminate them as such. Further information you will find are recipes (send in your favorites!) and a week’s worth of offsite WOD’s.
To get you started, check out the previous posts at the blog page: http://cnhnutrition.blogspot.com On that page you will find all of the previous emails – The first two months worth have very specific topics addressed in each.
If you are wondering what types of meal you can make on this new eating plan – check out member Bonnie’s website at: http://www.thenakedkitchen.net
Also, sites like everydaypaleo.com, health-bent.com, primalpalate.com, and thefoodee.com can all help you along your journey. If you picked up the Paleo Solution shopping list that was at the box then you might be confused as to where the quantities come from. Never fear! I’ve got your back. Attached to this email is the 30 day meal plan and recipes that corresponds to these lists. Check it out! There are a lot of good, simple recipes for you to try. And many of them will make 4 meals so take that into account when you plan out your week.
The group email that is floating around the Warrior pack has had a lot of great feedback in it. Let’s get everyone (re)started on a good page. Nutritionites this is where you come in!
If you haven’t already, or haven’t in a while, NOW is the best time to get started. First – take your measurements. You will need: weight, height (it does change!), chest, bust (ladies), waist (at the belly button), hips (at the widest point), soft tissue at bend in your wrist of the dominant hand, and thigh (at the tip of your thumb on a relaxed arm). Second – TAKE PICTURES! You will want these later. As little clothing as possible. Always wear the same type of clothes and take the pictures in a similar location. Take a front, back and side views of the full body. Take a profile and front view of the face. The body shots you will take every month. The face pictures should be every week.
Here comes the hard part. Put them all away – including the scale. If you find that hard read this: http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/06/12/attention-scale-addicts/ and this: http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/06/22/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/. If you need more motivation watch this: http://youtu.be/15xwbwMXTYU
Decide how deep you want to go, find a friend to do it with you, commit yourself, and then TELL EVERYONE! Scott recently said that a bunch of people at his work are interested in doing something similar – sounds like he’s been talking it up. The more people you tell > the more people will ask you how you are doing > the more you will want to become successful.
And listen, go easy on yourself. Commit to eating well and exercising at a high intensity. The details are not that important. Forget the scale – the weight will come off, trust us. Don’t worry about that extra light beer, just do better next time. The more you stress the more cortisol your body produces the more it shuts down your digestion, screws up sleep, and increases muscle tension. Nobody is going to flail you. Enjoy the ride. This is a LIFESTYLE change; something that will be with you forever – not a diet, that has a definite end-goal.
Let’s review the basics of modern Paleo style nutrition: http://www.modernpaleo.com/principles.html (click here and check out all of them including the extra links – only a few are listed here)
1. Eat real foods, prepared well. Prepare your own food as much as you can. Beware the junk ubiquitous in convenience and restaurant foods.
2. Don't eat wheat, corn, rice, or other grains. If you choose to eat some grains, eat them sparingly and prepare them to minimize toxins, such as by sprouting and soaking. Wheat seems to be the worst of all the grains, while rice seems to be the most benign. Whole grains are not better than refined grains.
3. Don't eat sweets: avoid sugar, corn syrup, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, and artificial sweeteners. If you must have some sweetener for a dish, you might try a bit of stevia. With time, your tastes will adjust: ordinary sweets will taste cloying, but formerly bland vegetables will seem delightfully sweet.
4. Don't eat modern oils derived from grains and seeds -- such as canola oil, corn oil, or soy oil. Make your own mayonnaise and salad dressing. Don't eat fried foods in restaurants: rancid vegetable oils are standard for frying. Avoid all hydrogenated fats; they contain damaging artificial transfats. Instead, use liberal amounts of animal fats -- like butter, ghee, lard, and tallow -- as well as unrefined coconut oil and olive oil. (Reserve your bacon grease: it's delicious rendered lard!) Do not fear saturated fat: it's healthy, including for your heart.
5. Don't eat soy. Some fermented soy might be okay, if tolerated. However, all soy is goitrogenic and contains estrogen-mimicking hormones.
6. Don't eat beans and other legumes. If you choose to eat some legumes, eat them sparingly and prepare them to minimize toxins, such as by soaking them.
7. Eat plenty of high-quality meat, preferably from pastured animals. Grass-fed meats have a better ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fats than grain-fed meats. Avoid meats treated with antibiotics and hormones, if feasible: the animals are likely treated better, and they taste better. Enjoy plenty of red meat. Try uncured bacon and other breakfast meats. They might not be any healthier, but they taste so much better!
8. Eat eggs, preferably from pastured chickens. Eggs enriched with omega-3s are a good option too. Prefer nutrient-dense egg yolks to nutrient-poor egg whites.
9. Eat fish and shellfish periodically, preferably caught wild rather than farm-raised.
10. For workouts, ditch the standard "cardio" sessions. Try short, high-intensity workouts instead: you should be able to kick your own ass in ten minutes or less. Try weight training, sprinting, and barefoot running. For more structured programs, try CrossFit or Body by Science. Also, move around a lot. Ladies, don't be afraid to weightlift: you will not turn into Ahnold overnight.
And here’s how to get your pantry ready to go! 10 Steps to “Primalize” Your Pantry
The freezer has ice cream and frozen pizzas, but it’s the pantry that harbors the usual carb suspects – chips, cookies, crackers, pasta, cereal and bread galore. If you’re not careful this cool and dark space could derail your best efforts to eat Primally. So follow these 10 easy steps and you’ll be well on your way to having a truly Primal pantry.
1. Junk Food Extermination
The first step toward Primalizing your pantry is purging it of the wrong foods. Toss your processed foods and prepackaged meals. No more baked beans, bland soups, or loaves of bread collecting mold alongside dry pastas. Get rid of the cookies, crackers, and chips standing in your way. No holds barred, people.
2. Donate
When I say toss out, I mean “toss out of the pantry and in the general direction of a plastic bin or paper bag perfect for delivering to a food bank.”
3. Nuts/Seeds/Nut Flour
Pantries are the perfect spots for instant snacks. It’s just that most snacks aren’t all that Primal – except for nuts and seeds.
4. Healthy Fats
Keep your pantry well-stocked with olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, and various nut oils – all healthy.
5. Sweet Tooth Suppression
Honey is good to have on hand, as is semi-sweet dark chocolate (go for a good quality, mostly-cacao chocolate bar, which isn’t all that high in sugar and is decidedly more Primal than, say, a Hershey’s bar).
6. Tea Time
We should limit our caffeine intake, but teas are excellent members of any healthy Primal pantry.
7. The Spice of Primal Life
If you can spare it, devote a shelf in your pantry to your spice collection.
8. Jerky
Again, the key to avoiding temptation is stocking your pantry with instant Primal foods. Keep some jerky on hand.
9. Dried Fruits
We’ve told you to take caution when eating dried fruits before (on account of the high sugar content), but they can’t be ignored when stocking your pantry.
10. Canned Goods
You’ve ditched the canned beans and cherry pie filling, but don’t eschew the can altogether.
One last link for this week – here’s the most recent version of the Paleo Rodeo: http://blog.modernpaleo.com/2011/08/paleo-rodeo-074.html
If you have questions or comments be sure to send them this way! I will do my best to address them as we go along.
Great work in week #1 Warriors!
To food,
Mike.
