The Challenge
Okay, you're working out, even doing CrossFit, congratulations. But the improvements your seeking just aren't showing up like you'd like them to. You'd like to lose a little more weight, maybe feel better all of time, reduce stress and bounce back faster from those minor bouts with illnesses.
Fusion Fit and Chad Fiegler, one of our personal trainers, are offering a seven-week program we call the "Paleo Challenge". This program isn't a "diet" program. It is a nutritional life-changing program. It is based on the CrossFit endorsed-methods of nutrition.
We will teach you how to shop for the right foods, eat the right foods and how to monitor portion control. The program kicks off July 1st. We will have two hour-long seminars on nutrition, one in the morning and one in the evening (you only have to attend one). You will learn that proper nutrition is even more important than exercise! We will then do some testing and measurements to establish your baseline and then the program begins. We are limiting the program to 20 people for the first round (we will offer this again in the fall, but there will be a charge). The entry fee is $10 and all of the money will go back to the male and female winners.
Throughout the 7-week program you will be required to do a minimum of three CrossFit classes per week. You will also be required to keep a food and exercise log for the entire program. We will work with you to analyze your eating habits and adjust them to give you a healthier lifestyle.
This isn't going to be some fun "who can lose the most weight challenge". This is going to be a life-changing event for people who seriously want to get healthy. We will measure your strength at the beginning and end, along with body measurements and your weight. The winner could actually be someone who maintained their weight, but increased their strength by 15% or whatever.
So, what the hell is a "Paleo" diet?
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.
So, here is what you'll be working on during your 7-week program. We will be adapting the CrossFit Dietary formula specifically to meet your needs. Basically, the prescription is as follows:
Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load.
Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.
We will show you easy ways to determine when to eat, how much to eat and how to measure portions.
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.
So, are you ready to feel better every minute of your life? Are you finally ready to make that life-style change you've been talking about? To sign up for the Paleo Challenge either email Chad or give him a call. Or if you have questions, do the same. You can reach Chad at 970-393-2202, or chad@mountainenergyinc.com. Or just stop by Fusion Fit.
