Sunday 3.06.11

A clip from a new show, Portlandia. Eating right doesn't have to be this difficult!

Eating right means just that.....eating the right foods for you and your individual needs.  There is no one diet that works well for every single person.  If there was, I'm sure we would have found it and the thousands of different diets out there could just go away.

If you come to The Compound, you are probably working extremely hard, beating up your body, and feeling the effects of strenuous intense workouts.  So we need to get enough protein, fat, and carbs into the body to replenish it.  How much?  I don't know, that depends on you.  Being in the fitness industry for years and trying different things, I've found the simplest solution is to start with a basic elimination of all things processed and stick with the CrossFit prescription to: "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." 

Then, make it individual to you.  If you want to lose weight, control the protein intake and eat more vegetables rather than fruit.  If you want to gain weight, up the protein levels (more than 1 gram per pound of body weight) and eat more starchy vegetables and fruit. If you feel way too fatigued during the workouts and you aren't making PR's in strength and/ or metcons, tweak the intake levels adding more fat, protein, then carbs, as you see fit.  If you eat something that disturbs your stomach, gives you a headache, or make you feel rundown an hour after eating it, eliminate that from your diet for a few weeks and see if that helps.  Add it in later and see if it has the same effect.  You are the expert at your needs.

Eat this way for at least 80% of the time you will reap the benefits.  80% of the time means 4 out of every 5 meals eating that way.  Now that's not so hard to do is it?  And you can eat that way for life, without trying too hard or having to listen to the ever changing nutrition advice from experts who can't agree on anything..... "Fat is bad. Oh no its not carbs are now. Gluten is bad.  Fish has too much mercury.  Wait you need fish for the omega-3s. Eggs will kill you. No just the yoke. Ok its cool to eat eggs now and they are healthy. Food groups. Food pyramids. Grass fed. Vegan. Organic....so tiring." 

Eating meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar most of the time is easy. cc