Nutrition is also the area where most people struggle. Generally, once you get people into the gym, you can get them to commit to a well programmed exercise regime. However, whenever nutrition pops up, most people are always of the opinion, "Oh, I eat pretty well." People often find it hard to make changes to the foods they eat.
What is an effective nutrition plan. Well, any plan that improves the way that you look, feel and perform, and sends your health markers in the right direction is a good start. What's the best diet for that? Simple really, The Paleo Diet.
What is the Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet is a modern day attempt attempt to mimic the diet that was consumed by humans for most of our existence. It is the diet that we are best adapted to. It's in our genes.
What does the paleo Diet look like?
Well this is where it gets a little interesting. The basic premise of the Paleo diet is that we avoid all cereal grains, legumes and dairy. For most of human existence these foods were not readily consumed. Our diets should basically consist of; Meat, Poultry and wild caught Fish, lots of Vegetables, plenty of Fruit, and some nuts and seeds (particularly coconut) for your healthy fats.
Why avoid Grains, Legumes and Dairy?
Well for a whole host of reasons but mostly because of;
- Antinutrients
- Insulin and Leptin resistance
- Inflammation
- Gut Irritation
Now this may surprise some people, I have a problem with telling people exactly what to eat. I have no hesitation in letting people know that eating a paleo type diet is going to be the best diet for overall health and fitness. However, what that Paleo diet looks like can be different for each individual. For example, Dairy. According to strict Paleo, Dairy is a no-no. However, there are many people who handle dairy quite well. In fact if you are looking to bulk up, a little dairy can be really beneficial. Then there are the really grey areas of Coffee, Tea, and Alcohol.
Solving the Problem
So how do we find out exactly what we can eat to look feel and perform better. Well the easiest way to start is to eliminate all the foods that can be problematic. That means going STRICT paleo for at least 30 days. That's 30 days straight, no cheating. This will allow your body to become more adapted to using fat as fuel, and allow your body and particularly your GI tract to repair any damage that has been done. Following something like the Whole 30 is a great place to start.
After 30 days you will feel pretty good and will have noticed a lot of positive changes to how you look, feel and perform. Now is the time that you can start tinkering a little with your diet. Maybe you can add in some dairy, perhaps some alcohol can creep back in, maybe even a coffee a day. The trick is you can only reintroduce one food at a time!
By reintroducing one food at a time you can see how it effects you. Maybe you add in some dairy and notice that your sinuses play up, or your psoriasis comes back. Now you know that dairy is a problematic food for you so you know to avoid it. If you just throw all your old foods back in at once, you never get to see how they affect you.
By eating a paleo based diet that best fits you, you will be giving yourself the best chance of Enhancing your Capacity!
For more information on the Paleo Diet check out the following sites:
Robb Wolf
Whole 9
Loren Cordain
CrossFit Journal (Subscription only - but full of use full information on training and nutrition)
Mark Sisson
Chris Kresser
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