Let the questions begin!
Yes, I am sure there are some grey areas not covered. Please use your best judgement. If you’re trying to find some loop hole to eat something you love, more than likely it should be left out. 🙂
Eat Real Food Nutrition Challenge
What does eating real food consist of? Lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds(all potatoes allowed). It excludes all processed foods- dairy, grains, refined sugars, etc. The basic concept is that these foods are the foods that we are genetically adapted to – after all, our diets have evolved and “modernized,” our bodies haven’t.
There are many benefits to eating this way, including a naturally lean body, acne-free skin, improved athletic performance and recovery, and relief from numerous metabolic-related and autoimmune diseases.
The goal of this is to learn how food affects your body by cutting out everything processed, eliminating all inflammation inducing foods to help you find what will work best for you long term. The other thing is we want everyone to start being cautious of the quality of foods you eat. I do not like buzz words so I do not like the term paleo because it is not reflective of the world we live in. Eat real food, things not produced in a lab by scientists full of chemicals.
Macro nutrient ratios matter but for the sake of this challenge we will only be tracking our food not our portions.
SUMMARY
General rules:
• You can eat all lean meat, fish, seafood & eggs
• You can eat all seasonal vegetables
• Plenty of seasonal fruit
• Moderate healthy fats
• Moderate nuts and seeds
• No grains or cereals at all
• No legumes
• No dairy products (eggs are not dairy)-Grassfed butter is allowed.
• No processed foods – make it yourself!
• No sugars. Agave, organic honey, molasses, pure spun golden sunshine….it doesn’t matter. They are all out.
• No artificial sweeteners. These are not food! They are out too.
2oz red wine a day will be allowed
Post Workout protein shakes will be allowed
Protein
Protein should be the first thing making up your meal or snack. Depending on your individual needs, this can range between 3-9 ounces, but when all else fails, you can follow the general rule of having a serving of protein the size of your palm. When it comes to what kind of protein you should eat, remember that free range animals are healthier than commercially raised animals. Keeping that in mind, here are the general rules to follow: buy what your budget allows. Try not to split hairs when deciding on protein sources.
• Buy your meat local, grass-fed and USDA organic • Buy eggs from free roaming chickens
•Buy your fish wild
•Wild game (buffalo, venison.. etc.) is always a good option
Carbs: Veggies
You want to focus most of your meal with non-starchy carbs. Make sure you get variation, and eat alot of them! Here are some things to keep in mind with vegetables:
•Buy local, in season, organic veggies
•Avoid legumes (i.e. peanuts, beans, peas, soybeans etc.)
Carbs: Fruit
Fruit is good for you in moderation. There is a hierarchy of fruit based on the fruits nutrient value and glycemic load. You should also consider how the fruit was grown. Think about the following in regards to fruit:
•Try to grow your own if possible
•Buy local, seasonal, organic fruit
•Avoid genetically modified organism fruit
•Avoid fruit juices
•Make sure to wash any fruit thoroughly to minimize pesticides
Fats
Despite what modern society has taught us to believe, fats are good for you. It is important to have the right balance of fats and the right kind of fats in your diet. On the paleo diet, your body is trained to burn fat instead of carbs for energy (this will make your energy levels more stable), so don’t skip the fat in your meals!
•Buy oils (coconut, olive) organic and cold pressed so they remain chemically unchanged
•Buy organic and local avocados
•Buy coconut in all forms
•Nuts are good in moderation (walnuts, pecans and macadamia nuts are your best choice). Buy them raw and unsalted, and be wary of the packaging
•Avoid canola (the oil is genetically modified, partially hydrogenated and highly refined), peanut, cottonseed, soybean, and wheat germ oils
•Avoid trans fats (fats damaged by heat – can be made at home) and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
Hydrating: Water
Drink water, coffee, and tea. If you drink coffee, drink it black or with unsweetened almond milk.
2oz of red wine daily
Rules of the Game
Duration:
The challenge will take place between Sept 1st – Sept 30
How to Enter:
All participants must:
$10 initial buy-in for members
$30 for non-members
$1 dollar payment for everyday you cheat on your diet or do not log your food. Weigh-in at the beginning and end of the challenge between designated dates Take before and after photos on designated dates ( frontal and side for coaches eyes only)
Log all food for 30 days (see “Journaling” below)
*MUST come to the gym to weigh in and fill out info card
COACHES WILL COLLECT CHEAT MONEY ON FRIDAYS
Date of Weigh-Ins:
“Before” weigh-ins and photos must be taken by August 30th. ( we will not accept anyone after the 31st.
“After” weigh-ins and photos must be submitted by 10/1
Journaling:
Keeping a good log keeps you accountable. It also helps you correlate what you are putting in your body and how you feel throughout the day and during workouts. It will help you hone in on the foods your body responds best to. It also allows us to be able to watch your diet and help you fix any initial glitches you might be experiencing with the diet. For the challenge, we require you to:
Log all your food on the WodTogether. This includes
•What you ate
•How much
•What time of day
We know you don’t live attached to a computer – you do not need to log everyday, but
you need to have a log for every day.
Who Wins:
One week from the end of the Eat Real food challenge final weigh-ins, the coaches will announce the three finalists, and the winner will be decided by you!
What to Eat
Protein
Eggs
(omega3 enhanced) Fish
-bass
-cod
-eel
-grouper
-halibut
-mackerel – monkfish -mullet – N. pike -orange roughy -perch – red snapper
-rockfish – salmon
-scrod
bass
-sunfish
-tuna
-walleye – any other wild fish
Lean Beef
-chuck steak -flank steak -extra -lean hamburger -lean veal
-london broil
-top sirloin
-any other lean cut Lean Pork
-lean cuts – pork chops-pork loin Lean Poultry
– bluefish – drum
– flatfish
– haddock – herring
– striped
– tilapia – turbot
-chicken breast -hen breasts -turkey breasts Organ Meat -liver (beef, lamb, pork,
chicken)
-marrow (beef, lamb, pork)
-“sweetbreads” (beef, lamb, pork)
-tongue
Other Meat
-alligator
-bison
-elk
-goat
-kangaroo – ostrich -pheasant – quail -rabbit rattlesnake -reindeer – squab -turtle – venison -wild boar – wild turkey
Shell Fish abalone -crab -lobster -oysters -shrimp
– clams
– crayfish – mussels
– scallop
– bear
– caribou – emu
– goose
Carbohydrates Vegetables
-artichoke-asp aragus
– beet greens – beets – bell pepper
– broccoli
– brussels sprouts
– cabbage – carrots
– cauliflower – celery
– collards – cucumber
– dandelion – eggplant
– endive – green onion
– kale – kohlrab – lettuce – mushroom
– mustard greens
– onions – parsley
– parsnip – peppers
– pumpkin – purslane
– radish – rutabaga
– seaweed – seaweed
– spinach – squash
– swiss chard – tomatillos
– tomato – turnips
– turnip greens – watercress Fruits
– apple – apricot
– banana – blackberry
– boysenberry -cantaloupe-ca rambola
– cassava melon
– cherimoya -cherries
– cranberry – figs
– gooseberry – grapefruit
– grapes – guava
– honeydew – kiwi
– lemon – lime
– lychee – mango
– nectarine – orange
– papaya
– passion fruit – peaches – pears
– persimmon
– pineapple- plums
– pomegranate – raspberry – rhubarb
– star fruit – star fruit
– strawberry – tangerine
– watermelon
Fats
-avocado – almonds
-brazil nuts- cashews – chestnuts- coconut – coconut oil -flaxseed oil
(refrigerated)
-macadamia nuts
-olive oil (extra virgin,cold pressed
-pecans – pine nuts -pistachios -pumpkin seeds -sesame seeds -sunflower seed
-walnuts
Foods to Avoid
DON’T EAT:
Dairy
– butter – cheese
– creamer – ice cream
– milk – yogurt
Grains
– barley – corn – maize – millet – oats – rye
– rice – sorghum
– wheat – wild rice
Grain-like Seeds
– amaranth – buckwheat – quinoa
High Glycemic Vegetables
– cassava root – manioc
– tapioca
Legumes
– all beans
– black-eyed peas
– cashews – chickpeas
– lentils – miso
– peas
– peanuts/pean ut butter
– soybean and soy
products
Sugar
– candy – fruit drinks
– honey – soft drink
What To Expect
The Hardest Part of Any Journey is the First Step. A New Diet is No Different.
Making the paleo switch comes with challenges. Depending on how heavy your diet is with grains and sugar before you switch, you will experience an adjustment period of varying degrees of intensity. You will experience a dip in your athletic performance and have times when feel lethargic, cranky. This period usually lasts about two weeks. Keep in mind that your body is going through withdrawals and there is a light at the end of the adjustment tunnel.
It’s Only 30 Days – No Cheating! If you do it will cost you a $1 per day.
People often ask about a cheat meal or a cheat day. During the 30-day challenge, stay focused and strong. Try not to cheat. Instead of going for a cookie when you are having cravings, reach for a sweet, in season apple. If you do fall off the wagon – own up to it in your food log, and no – one time off the wagon doesn’t kick you out of the challenge. But try to keep with it for all 30 days. Tell your friends your mean old coaches are making you do it.Once you have completed your 30 day challenge, the occasional cheat meal is fine. If you can let it be something that happens
organically (i.e. you are out with friends and everyone really wants pizza and margaritas) once in a while rather than a scheduled meal or day, you will probably feel the need to cheat less.
Scheduling it out can turn your mind, once open and free for thinking about other things, into an obsessive “heroin addict” cheat meal obsessed mentality. When you do have the occasional
Non-compliant moment, don’t gorge yourself either. Part of the difficulty of making change is the amount of preparation involved. Make sure you plan ahead so you aren’t stuck in a situation where you are left with no options. A lot of people like to use Sunday to prep for the week. Other people make lunch for the next day at the same time as they are making dinner, so they don’t feel like they are spending too much time in the kitchen. Find a system that works and stick to There will be places or situations where you know you have difficulty staying on diet (i.e. at the office working late, where there is an endless supply of bagels, donuts and nothing else) – make sure you have options ready available to you. Talk to your family so they know what you are doing and you don’t come home to a meal filled with food you aren’t supposed to be eating.
Resources
Robb Wolf has dedicated himself to all things Paleo. This site is an endless resource. You can also find information on his podcast here.
Loren Cordain, Ph.D.’s site on paleo. It provides links to published research and nutritional tools,
as well as addressing common paleo questions.
This site is all business. A thorough paleo database with links to blogs, books, cookbooks, media reports, dehydrators, etc. It also links to a well researched paleo recipe collection, and a “paleo food mall.”
Mark Sisson’s life according to grok (his embodiment of exemplar primitive lifestyle behaviors as they pertain to diet, exercise, sleep, stress, etc.
A website started by two people dedicated to clean paleo eating, and fitness. The website has a lot of good articles and recipes.
Books
The Paleo Solution, Robb Wolf
The Primal Blueprint, Mark Sisson
The Paleo Diet for Athletes, Loren Cordain, Ph.D. Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival, T.S. Wiley
Recipes & Food Plans
nomnompaleo.com
paleomg.com
whole30.com
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