I’m starting a series on our media pages about what fitness is according to the founder of CrossFit. I’m breaking it down, piece by piece, so we can further discuss what it means. Fitness and health do not have to be difficult or feel unattainable. It’s as simple as you allow it to be.
“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.”
What does this mean?
Eat food in its most natural form.
Processed foods taste amazing and satisfy the soul sometimes. But they’re made to be easily consumable and highly addictive. They’re not good for you and should be kept to a minimum.
The majority of your diet should be whole foods to optimize your health.
Go to the meat department and pick up your favorite meats. If you prefer lighter cuts, great! But don’t be afraid to add in some red or a little fattier every once in a while. If you like that fattier, redder meats, fantastic! But don’t be afraid to experiment with lighter meats to allow for other fats in your diet.
Fruits and vegetables are over in produce and typically come without an expiration date. Sure, some are packaged in bags for ease of transport and distribution, and those have dates. But you can look at whole fruit and vegetables and have a pretty good idea when they’re still fresh. Stock up on the ones you like and grab a few new ones to try. Try to eat the rainbow here, something of every color.
Nuts and seeds are great, natural fat sources. If you’re allergic, obviously avoid them. You can have them whole or a little processed as butters and oils. This gives a little flavor and life to those whole foods.
Fruit are your sources of sugar and carbs. Something like watermelon is a great post workout snack as it’s high in water and typically cold. Bananas and apples are great pre-workout snacks to give you a carb boost to make it through workouts.
“Little starch.” Potatoes, rice, pasta, bread. These are big carb sources relatively cheap, filling, and give you energy. They should not be the bulk of your meal but don’t avoid them.
“No sugar.” That’s a tough one, especially for me, the baker. Sugar is addictive and found in so many processed foods. At NIKA, we don’t believe in “all or nothing.” If you love baked goods, okay. But look at your health. How do you feel when you eat too much? Are your health markers going in the right direction? Are you having trouble losing weight even though you’ve tried for years, you’re eating all the right foods, and exercising like crazy? Take a look at your sugar intake and make adjustments. You can cut back without eliminating.
“Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” Food is fuel. It’s meant to support your lifestyle, your exercise routine. That doesn’t mean it has to suck and be boring. And everyone has body fat. Unless you’re competing in a bodybuilding competition, you need some body fat (it keeps us warm) and some workouts need fat for fuel. But excess body fat leads to health issues; cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers. The conditions can cause premature death and substantial disability if they’re not dealt with, not to mention the cost of medical care for them.
This has been a long talk about food, and it’s only part one of Fitness in 100 words. Do you need help figuring out the food aspect of your health and fitness? It doesn’t have to be difficult. The first step is simply to click HERE to schedule your consultation. Click it, you deserve it.