What Should I Eat? In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.
The Caveman or Paleolithic Model for Nutrition Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrate. Search “Google” for Paleolithic nutrition, or diet. The return is extensive, compelling, and fascinating. The Caveman model is perfectly consistent with the CrossFit prescription.
What Foods Should I Avoid? Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, baking, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar.
What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates? The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet. There’s a gold mine of information pertinent to your health available there. The CrossFit prescription is a low-glycemic diet and consequently severely blunts the insulin response.
Caloric Restriction and Longevity Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake. “Caloric Restriction” is another fruitful area for Internet search. The CrossFit prescription is consistent with this research. The CrossFit prescription allows a reduced caloric intake and yet still provides ample nutrition for rigorous activity.
source: crossfit.com
RECIPES
Spiced Chickpeas and Chorizo
Based on Annabel Langbein’s ‘Spiced Chickpeas and Haloumi’ from Annabel Langbein Free Range in the City recipe book.
It’s quick, easy, tastes fantastic and is packed full of goodness.
400g chickpeas – rinsed and drained 3-4 chorizo type sausages cut into 1-2cm slices
1 Tbs tomato paste 400g can tomatoes in juice (plain or flavoured)
salt and ground black pepper 5-6 handfuls of thinly chopped spinach
greek yoghurt
Step One: In a sauce pan heat up the oil, brown the garlic, onion, cumin, fennel seeds and chilli sauce until fragrant.
Step Two: Add drained chickpeas, chorizo and cook for 2-3 minutes so that the spices infuse through.
Step Three: Add the tomato paste, and canned tomatoes with the juice. Season with salt and pepper and simmer very gently for another 3-5 minutes.
Step Four: Just before serving add in the spinach, cook for another 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
Serve with yoghurt.
Carrot Banana Muffins From www.paleoplan.com This recipe makes about 12 muffins, but leftovers can be frozen for quick use at another time. Serving size is 2 muffins for breakfast, or 1 muffin for a snack.
Approximate cooking and prep time: 60 minutes Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 cup dates, pitted
3 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
¾ cup walnuts (or nuts of choice), finely chopped
muffin paper liners
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil.
Add mixture from food processor to dry mixture in the large bowl and combine thoroughly.