“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 Nutrition 

This blurb about nutrition is short and easy to remember, however, it”s brevity leaves much to be explored.  So, just like our exercise methodology, we are going to break down this nutritional prescription in order to better understand why eating in such a way will improve health, longevity, as well as increase the likelihood that this holiday feeding frenzy won”t be hanging around your waistline come June and July.  

Eat Meat

Getting enough protein is absolutely critical to health, performance, and is the first line of defense for those looking to loose weight. Protein stimulates your metabolism by the fact that your body has to expend energy to digest it.  This “thermogenic” effect can”t be said for carbohydrates or fat.  In fact, proteins thermogenic effect is nearly two times that of either carbohydrates or fat.  Eating a high protein diet also gives your body a greater sense of feeling full. The opposite effect takes place when eating a high carb, low fat, low protein diet. With this meal your blood sugar peaks then crashes leaving you cloudy headed, tired and hungry.  Protein also helps to maintain lean body mass (muscle) the amount of which also effects your metabolism, and bone density (more on this when we talk about veggies).    

One step further    

The Paleo diet is a hormone controlling diet that quickly normalizes metabolic derangement.  That means a reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, type II diabetes, and obesity.  All of these pathologies are inherent in our post agricultural and post industrial society. So how does protein tie in?    

Protein effects our “hormonal teeter totter”.  This teeter totter is made up of the hormones insulin and glucagon.  Insulin is best know for it”s work as a regulator of blood sugar, and while this is its main function in your body, it plays a part in the regulation of blood pressure, the production of cholesterol, triglycerides, and the storage of fat.  Together these disorders are most commonly known as ” Syndrome X”. However these disorders are only symptoms of the singular problem-excess insulin and insulin resistance.  

So, if insulin has a energy (fat) storing function, its counter balance glucagon has an energy burning function. Glucagon is responsible for telling your body to release fat to be used as energy. Both glucagon and insulin are constantly being manipulated by our diet, however, the dominance of one over the other determines the direction of one”s metabolism.  By far carbohydrates stimulate the most insulin because they quickly raise our blood sugar.  Back to protein.  Protein is important because protein stimulates the hormone glucagon.  Remember that teeter totter? Fat is invisible as far as the glucagon and insulin are concerned-no change in either.  
 

John, Brett, and Cari completing a tough split jerk workout

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Here is a short video 

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Great to have Pam back…the rower is set and ready for ya!!!!