Nutrition
At Crossfit Full Circle we subsrcibe to two guiding principles when it comes to nutrition: What and How Much?
What is determined first by the ideas of Paleo diets which in essence rely on evolutionary biology to guide us in determining what is appropriate for humans to eat. The most simple explanation is; ‘If it wasn’t available to our ancestors 20,000 years ago, it is not healthy for us.’ It certainly is more sophisticated than that, and we encourage you to explore these links:
and especially: Mark’s Daily Apple and the Primal Blueprint
How Much?
This question is answered primarily by ‘the Zone’ diet, a diet created by Barry Sears for those looking to improve health and reduce body fat. To us, the Zone seems like a sensible and conservative plan of eating that anyone could follow:
40% of your calories from Carbohydrates, 30% from Fat and from Protein. At EVERY MEAL. This balance is maintained every time food is ingested, with the intent of regulating changes in digestive hormones, namely insulin. Food is often divided into ‘blocks’, the ratios amongst which are fixed to keep designing meals somewhat simpler. Ie, a three block meal may have 3 blocks of Carbohydrates, 3 blocks of protein and 3 blocks of fat. This balance and structure can often be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to first deciding what to do.
However, it is also common for more active athletes to augment the Zone by multiplying these numbers to increase Fat intake. For instance, a x2 Fat plan would have a 3 block meal as 3 blocks of carbs, 3 blocks of protein and 6 blocks of Fat. In this way more calories can be consumed, in the most hormonally neutral manner.
http://www.the-zone-diet-recipes.com/
http://journal.crossfit.com/2009/08/crossfit-nutrition-presentation.tpl
