CrossFit and the Paleo Diet Provide the Ideal Fitness Combination

CrossFit and the Paleo Diet complement one another. CrossFit is an intense type of fitness training that is designed to improve your overall fitness. The Paleo Diet is focused on quality, non-processed food to ensure you're as healthy as you can be. As such, the pairing of this training and food lifestyle is the ideal fitness combination.

CrossFit and the Paleo Diet
CrossFit originally promoted the Zone Diet which is based on precise measurements of carbs, proteins and fats. However this diet is very difficult to adhere to because of the need for specific measurements.

In contrast, the Paleo Diet does not require you to measure your food intake, and is focused on the consumption of quality food. Also known as the Caveman Diet, it eliminates the frustration that comes with trying to measure out food portions.

The Rules of the Paleo Diet
In simple terms, the approach is:

• Do not eat processed food


• Consume only quality food


• There's no limit on the amount of food that can be eaten

The approach is based on the philosophy of only eating foods that people ate in the Paleolithic era. That means there are no processed foods which eliminates all fast foods, sweets and anything unnatural from your diet.

However there are a number of benefits to this diet. For example, there is no limit to the amount of seafood or lean meats that you can consume. The same €no limit€ rule also applies to fruits and vegetables.

The focus is on eating quality, natural foods which means that processed foods, cereals and grains, dairy products and legumes are not part of this diet.

The belief is that humans survived the Paleolithic era eating foods that were not processed and it contributed to the long-term survival and evolution of humans. This type of eating has several aspects that must be followed for it to provide the health (and weight loss) benefits that are attributed to those who follow it.

The Seven Key Components of the Paleo Diet

1. You can eat large portions of animal meat (protein) without hesitation, as long as it's unprocessed.
2. Obtain your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, and not the alternative sources such as pasta.
3. Acquire necessary fiber from non-starchy fruits and vegetables. Again, there is no limit to the amount that can be eaten.
4. Include some mono-saturated fats such as avocados, Brazilian nuts and canola oil, as well as polyunsaturated fats such as salmon and oil, and equal amounts of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats.
5. Eat foods that have low sodium, and elevated potassium levels. Salt is not something that is part of this diet but foods such as bananas provide a great snack for CrossFit participants.
6. You should have an alkaline loaded diet which means that approximately one-third of your diet should be vegetables.
7. Consume foods with elevated levels of plant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Foods such as broccoli and lettuce are essential components to meeting the food requirements of the Paleo Diet.

These seven rules will put you in a position to achieve superior health, reduce the risk of lifelong illness and lose a large amount of weight.

When you combine CrossFit and Paleo it provides you with the opportunity to maximize your training and health which leads to exceptional results, and reduced WOD times.

CrossFit participants find they are able to workout longer with greater focus and intensity. And they don't feel hungry as their bodies are fueled with quality, unprocessed food.

The Paleo Diet is the best nutrition for anyone participating in CrossFit.

Source Simon Wood / My Crossfit WOD