Eating for wellness; the crossfit prescription
“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.” -Greg Glassman
No matter how long you’ve been a part of the CrossFit world, you’ve likely heard at least parts of Greg Glassman’s famous “World-Class Fitness in 100 Words.” There’s a lot to unpack in those 100 words so, for this week, we’re going to focus on that first sentence.
There’s a reason that this definition of fitness starts with nutrition; it’s the foundation. Without proper nutrition, we can’t move the needle on health, wellness, or performance. Nutrition is a tricky subject these days because, all too often, people are reluctant to look at their own habits and make sustainable changes to move things in the right direction. And there’s so much information out there today (much of it misleading and down right false), as well as people selling gimmicks and quick fixes, it’s hard to know what to believe or where to start.
But, here’s the thing…if you can tune out that noise, you begin to realize that nutrition doesn’t actually need to be complicated. The nutrition prescription above is a roadmap for clean eating and eating for wellness. So, let’s break it down.
“Eat meat and vegetables.” This means eat real meat (so those chicken nuggets or fish sticks, etc. are not what we’re aiming for here). You should also aim for mostly lean sources of protein (key word - mostly). If it has an ingredient list that’s more than one word, it’s not the cleanest option. What about veggies? If you’re getting your veggies from juice and vegetable oils this isn’t really what we’re going for here. When you choose things from the produce section there are no ingredient lists because a carrot is a carrot, broccoli is broccoli, etc. Eat real foods.
“Nuts and seeds.” The holidays are coming up and there’s a seemingly endless array of nut-based snacks at those holiday gatherings: chocolate or yogurt covered, among other things…this is candy, my friends. Again, look at the ingredients - it should just list the types of nuts or seeds present, maybe some salt, and whether it’s raw or roasted.
“Some fruit.” This one is relative and the concept of “some fruit” will be different for almost everyone. The main idea here is to try and aim for those with a lower glycemic load (or sugar content) and just be mindful. When you think about all the foods you eat in a day, treat fruit more like the opening act rather than the headliner. And, again, get your fruit from the produce section; if it comes in a box labeled ‘fruit snacks’ this is not real fruit.
“Little starch and NO sugar.” Little starch might be another relative term and will vary based on the individual. Maybe just don’t eat it with every meal and make sure it’s not the main event of your plate. And get it from the produce section - think potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, beets, carrots (yup, cooking carrots turns them into a starch🤯). You can still enjoy some of those inner-aisle items like wild rice, quinoa, lentils, etc. but use these more sparingly. “No sugar” can feel limiting but we’re talking about added sugar here. Be mindful of this ingredient that’s hidden in almost everything; read your labels, and stick mainly to the perimeter of the grocery store.
“Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” This part can get a smidge tricky and will vary for everyone. Be mindful of how you feel after eating and listen to your body (it will tell you when you’ve had enough, or not enough, and whether it enjoys what you’re feeding it). But really dialing in on how much we should be eating, and paying close attention to those food labels, can feel overwhelming. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone because the DeNovo nutrition and wellness coaches are here to help. We would love to be by your side when you’re ready to start this journey.💪
Get started here: https://denovocrossfitappointments.as.me/
