10 rounds, each for time of:
Row 250 meters
Rest 2 minutes

PR Your Life Food Challenge: What is Paleo?

The average American consumes 70% of their diet from refined sugars, cereals, grains, refined vegetable oils, alcohol, and dairy products. Research has strongly associated the modern Western diet with the current epidemic levels of obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.

Think about your circle of family and friends and you probably know at least one person with one of the above mentioned diseases.  It’s an epidemic and it’s avoidable with food.

It is our experience at CrossFit Roots, both personally and professionally, that a Paleo style of eating is the first step in the journey to health. It yields the greatest results for athletes in a host of areas including athletic performance, physical appearance, cholesterol levels and other blood indicators, mental clarity, and inflammation-related diseases and problems. In addition, athletes find it enjoyable to eat this way. That’s right, enjoyable.

Below is information on the Paleo style of eating. We understand that food and the way people eat is a very personal thing, almost like a religion. We invite you to learn about the way many of our athletes eat. We are always willing to share our own experiences and results from eliminating certain food groups and transitioning to a Paleo diet.  

The PR Your Life Food Challenge will be a Paleo food challenge.  For more details on the challenge, read here.

What is Paleo?

The Paleo way of eating mimics the way our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic Era before the invention of agriculture. In short, this means we eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Read on for a description of what you can eat in each of these food areas.

MEAT

You can eat any protein from a source that once had a face and a soul.  Meat should be cooked with only Paleo ingredients meaning sugar, soy, or processed sweeteners should not be in your meat!  It’s more common than you think, so get in the habit of reading labels! While you are at it, learn to recognize the sneaky ways that food companies disguise sugar.

VEGETABLES

There are so many to choose from! Get creative and learn to cook a vegetable you’ve never tried. Non starchy vegetables should be a staple in your meals – even for breakfast.

FRUIT

The Paleo way of eating encourages fruit consumption; however, consider the origin of the fruit you consume – the geographic location as well as the way it was grown. Sugar, whether in a banana or a Snickers bar, is still sugar, the only difference is in the quantity of sugar in each food item. Consume fruit in moderation.

NUTS & SEEDS

For some of you, the elimination of calorically dense and nutrient deficient foods (i.e. processed foods, breads, grains, sweets) will require some level of effort to replace the calories you need to thrive. Nuts are packed with fatty acids, enzymes, antioxidants, and lots of vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and magnesium. Be aware that, while they are a great part of the Paleo equation, it is possible to over-consume them. We will talk more about this later, but for now, think “moderation”.

FATS

Fat is good for you and supports the brain! It is also a great source of fuel in the Paleo diet. Slowly, your body will make the transition from utilizing carbohydrate to utilizing fat for energy. Fat triggers our sense of being full. Fat is an essential part of many of your cellular and hormonal processes. There’s no room for fat phobia in the Paleo world!

Do you eat a Paleo Diet?  What was your experience in transitioning? Have you not yet tried this way of eating and are hesitant to do so? Post to comments.