The Importance of Nutrition
WOD: 11/27/17
Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
200 meter Run
155/105-lb. Push Presses, 10 reps
10 Toes to bar
The Importance of Nutrition
Regardless of what you eat, you are going to benefit from coming into the box. But you are working really crazy hard in here and in order to reap the benefits of all that hard work you need to think about your nutrition. What you put into your body is fundamental to your overall health and development as an athlete.
Good nutrition is important to support muscle growth and a healthy body composition (percent body fat). But for many people, a focus on eating enough protein and watching calories is not enough. And proper nutrition can have many benefits beyond supporting you in building muscle and/or losing weight. Good nutrition can also help improve your aerobic capacity, reduce your achy joints, help you recover faster from a hard workout or an injury, improve your mood and energy levels, and help you sleep better.
As a starting point, it makes sense to heed the wise words of Crossfit founder Greg Glassman:
“eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.”
Many crossfitters follow the Paleo Diet, a nutritional approach consistent with the above quote. Paleo nutrition generally includes enough protein to support muscle growth and its low carbs can support weight loss. It is also high in nutrients and anti-inflammatory. Let one of the coaches know if you would like more information about the Paleo Diet.
If you are following the Paleo Diet and it is working for you, great! However, if you find that it is hard to stick to eating Paleo then you may need to find another approach to eating healthy. If you mostly follow this nutritional approach but it doesn’t seem to be working, you may have a hormonal issue, food sensitivity, or nutrient imbalance and it may be necessary to dig a little deeper to optimize your nutrition. Just as we sometimes need to modify or scale a workout, it may be necessary to take a personalized, or bio-individual approach to nutrition.
I know you have heard that it is impossible to exercise one’s way out of a bad diet. But on the flip side, our nutritional choices are a powerful tool to help us achieve our goals in and out of the box.
If you are struggling to follow Paleo, it's not working, or you have had great results following another nutritional approach I would love to hear from you. Please send me an email or come talk to me in the box!
by Elise Elliott-Smith
Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach