Complete as many rounds as possible in seven minutes of:
315 pound Deadlift, 7 reps
20 meter Sprint
14 One legged squats
21 Double-unders
20 meter Sprint
NO SUGAR
Yesterday we discussed why Roots is not concerned with calories (also known at our shop as the “C” word). We left you with CrossFit’s definition of world class fitness in 100 words. The opening line states, “eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Let’s work backwards through that recommendation.
No sugar.
What is sugar?
Wikipedia defines sugar as: an informal term for a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose characterized by a sweet flavor.
Why no sugar?
Sugar depresses the immune system which opens the door to a host of diseases. It does this by disrupting your insulin response which leads to a well-known condition called silent inflammation.
What is inflammation?
When a foreign object invades the body, or the body performs a heavy lift (for example), the immune system releases hormones to either fight the infection or alleviate the stress of the event. Afterward, the body returns to its hormonally balanced state. This is a normal process but the addition of large quantities of sugar (and carbohydrates) to a person’s diet causes this hormonal response to get out of balance. An excess of pro-inflammation hormones create a state of hyperinsulinemia, an ongoing state of inflammation. Inflammation is now also used to describe a type of nonspecific immune response. Hyperinsulinemia leads to a host of diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, depression, and Alzheimers (aka Type III diabetes).
What are the obvious sources of sugar?
Whipped cream, ice cream, ClifBars, sugar packets, lemonade, and Gatorade
What are the hidden sources of sugar?
Latte flavoring, some bacons and sausages, deli meat (especially ham), white bread, fruit juices, yogurt, beef jerky, and dried fruits
And these count as sugars too:
Agave nectar, honey, alcohol, maple syrup
And don’t discount fake sugars which have been proven to cause a similar, if not worse insulin response than real sugar:
Diet soda, gum, yogurt, Azriona Green Tea, Maxalt Miraine medicine, sour cream, and nut butters
SO, HOW MUCH SUGAR DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR FUELING PROCESS?
How much sugar is in my diet? Less and less all the time. It’s a process. Most of us have been offered sugar (of one variety or another) at every turn since we were children. Sweet tastes good, and gives you a little lift before it makes you feel like shit.
Question: What is it called when you ingest something over and over again even though it makes you feel bad? Answer: addiction. Keep in mind, for most people, giving up sugar is hard. I suggest preparing yourself (and those you live with) for some pretty intense cravings, then go for it. You might want to soften the landing by using sugar substitutes. Understandable, but keep in mind you need to let your taste buds adjust away from sweet & using sugar subs will delay this beneficial process.
With all the wonderful fresh produce now in abundance, this is a delicious time of year to eat paleo! Treat yourself!
Is that Ryan on the mat? Can’t be.
Hank makes a good point. Sugar detox is no pretty or easy process. I had a four day headache and thought something was seriously wrong. A-ddic-tion.
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