All for One

Monday, April 9, 2012

Mobility:
Run 400m
DROM

Warmup:
3 rounds of:
10 Kettlebell swings
10 Wall Squats (video below)
10 Pushups
then,
Burgener Warmup with barbell

Workout of the Day:
Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of the following…
5 Power Snatches (95/65)
10 Toes to bar
15 Push Press (95/65)

Cool Down:
50 Evil wheels (video below)
50 Weighted Back Extensions
(the above is not for time, break up as needed)
Foam Roll back, 2 minutes
Tricep mash, 1 minute each
Sampson Stretch, 30 seconds each

Starting on Wednesday, we will be counting down 30 days until the CrossFit Games Regional Qualifying event.  Our gym will be competing as a team against 29 other CrossFit gyms from the Southern California Region.  The athletes representing our gym will be:  Joe D, McCoy, Cooney, myself, G, Suver, Martina and Lara.  As we move from the Sectional Qualifier up the ladder into Regionals, we can expect the weights to get heavier, the volume to get higher and the movements to get more technically demanding.  We are all dedicated to representing the gym to the best of our abilities by training hard and smart.  This means 30 days of eating well, working on our weaknesses, solidifying our skill work and proper recovery.

As we head into the Regional competition, we want to invite all of you to join us in our training.  I have spoken with many of you that are interested in another Nutrition Challenge and I thought this would be a great opportunity to support each other in making positive changes to our training, nutrition and daily lives!

This will not be a challenge like those in the past.  We will not have any registration or official winner, but rather an ongoing discussion and support structure for those that are looking to make positive change in their own lives and support the team heading into Regionals.  Below is as comprehensive of a list as I could make for the 30 day challenge, I have borrowed heavily from Kurt Harris, MD at archevore.com.  This is also how I eat by the way.  Enjoy.

The challenge will start Wednesday and will continue until May 11.  The goal is to kickstart a sustainable way of living that will not only help you to perform better in the gym, but also increase energy levels outside the gym, improve body composition and develop confidence and control over your health beyond these 30 days.

1. Get plenty of sleep and deal with any non- food addictions:  If you’re drinking  a 12-pack a day, or chain-smoking, diet may help but is hardly your first priority.  Sleep is essential to proper recovery and health, its not first on the list by accident!

2. Eliminate sugar and all caloric drinks:  Drink water, tea or coffee.  No sodas, sports drinks, juices,  or milk. Don’t add sugar to your food or eat things made with sugar or high fructose corn syrup.  This includes chewing gum, 0 calorie sugar substitutes and Coconut water!  (Alcohol is discussed separately in point 14 below)

3. Eliminate gluten grains and wheat flour:  No cake, cookies or pastries. No bread or pasta, whole grain or otherwise.  Notice we are not saying ALL grains.  White rice and whole meal corn products are reasonable sources of starch if tolerated, but not as nutritious as root vegetables.

4.  Eliminate seed oils (cooking oils): Eat or fry with with ghee, pastured butter, animal fats, or coconut oil. Olive oil is good served at room temperature, avoid heating.  Also, avoid temperate plant oils like corn, soy, canola, flax, walnut, etc.  Go easy on the nuts, especially soy and peanuts.

5. 2 or 3 meals a day is best. No snacking. You’re not a herbivore. Whole foods prepared at home should be the rule. Low meal frequency is a powerful tool if you have weight to lose.  This is one of the biggest pitfalls of people switching over to a Paleo style diet!  If you are starving between meals, try adding a little extra fat to your meals (avocado, coconut oil, quality animal fat, olive oil) to slow digestion and keep you satiated.  Avoid the continual consumption of nuts, fruit, coconut water and gum between meals.

6. Whole foods from animals. Eat them for the protein, the micronutrients and the fuel.  Favor grass-fed ruminants like beef and lamb for your red meat. These meats have excellent omega-3 ratios and their saturated and monounsaturated fats are a great fuel source.  Eat fish a few times a week and pastured eggs if you like them.  If possible, eat organ meats for the vitamins and choline every now and then.  Take advantage of our US Wellness wholesale discount service or visit your local farmer’s market!

7. Animal fats are an excellent dietary fuel and come with lots of fat soluble vitamins. It can work very well to simply replace your sugar and wheat calories with animal fats. If you are not diabetic and you prefer it, you can eat more starch and less animal fat.

8.  Plant storage organs like potatoes and sweet potatoes are nutrient laden and well tolerated by most people.  Bananas and plantains are convenient starchy fruits. The soluble fiber in all these starchy foods is very likely beneficial, unlike the insoluble fiber in bran.

9. Make sure you are Vitamin D replete. Get daily midday sun in season or consider supplementation if you never get outside.

10. Vegetables and fruits – Besides starchy plants for fuel and micronutrients, eat a variety of different colored plants of whatever you like and tolerate.

11. Eat reasonable quantities of fruit, don’t make it your staple.  For those looking to lose weight, this is a powerful tool.  Think once a day at the most.  Bananas and plantains rich in starch, berries and citrus fruits are preferred.

12. If you are allergic to milk protein or concerned about theoretical risks of casein, you can stick to butter and avoid milk, cream and soft cheeses.  Aged cheeses 6 months and older may not have beta-casomorphin and are good sources of K2.

13.  No counting, measuring or weighing is required, but it is important that you have an idea of proper balance.  Our eyeball method is simple:  Protein, about as much as the size and thickness of your hand; Carbs, load up the rest of your plate with as many low glycemic veggies as you want (think broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, etc.) with a moderate amount of root veggies and sometimes fruit; Fat, top off with quality fat (avocado, coconut oil, quality animal fat, olive oil), the amount will depend upon the individuals activity level and body composition.

14.  Alcohol is a great social lubricant but a poor food choice.  It sucks I know, but alcohol simply isn’t that good for us nutritionally.  Remember, this is a 30 day challenge, not the rest of your life!  I could write a whole post on this topic, but if you MUST have a drink over the next 30 days, here is some great advice from Robb Wolf’s Paleo Solution:  What you need to know is that alcohol does not just blunt growth hormone release, it just turns it off.  This is not good for your health, recovery, or body composition.  Solution?…Drink earlier.  You need to get your booze in as far away from bedtime as you can… …Much of the problem with drinking is not the booze itself but all the crap, usually sugar, that comes along with it.  Ditch your frou frou drinks with the umbrellas and go for clear liquor...Wrap up the night with some protein and fat, and you are set….Beer is generally loaded with gluten.  If you can find a gluten-free variety [or cider], give it a shot, but keep in mind it does have significant sugar content…If you go for wine, opt for dry varieties, as they have less sugar…

15.  Whole foods prepared at home should be the rule, but eating out is a given.  Click here for our Eating Out Paleo link from the Nutrition blog for a few local ideas, including some late night quality eating spots.  DO NOT be embarrassed for ordering your hamburger with no bun, asking for substitutions that fit your dietary guidelines or requesting to not have the bread or chips on your table.  Stay strong in your convictions, tip well and everyone will leave happy!

I may have missed something in there, so please feel free to ask questions in comments.  I want to stress that this is meant to be the beginning of a long term change.  This challenge is about the daily choices we are presented with and trying to make decisions based upon our health as opposed to ease, comfort or tradition.  Over time, these choices will become the easier more traditional way to eat for you.  As our mind and bodies receive this positive feedback, these choices become what we crave.  At the bare minimum, we will be posting the countdown of this challenge at the top of each blog post, but we will be encouraging posting in the comments of your daily meals and writing posts throughout the month to support this process.  I look forward to sharing my personal experiences with you and hearing your feedback!