Workout of the Day

'Kalsu"
100 Thrusters for time. Begin with 5 burpees every minute.
As Rx'd 135lbs... scale appropriately.

Gray areas of Paleolithic nutrition:

Paleolithic nutrition can sometimes be difficult to comprehend. With so many foods having “natural roots”, it is sometimes hard to tell what is considered paleo and what is not. These are what I call “the gray areas of Paleolithic nutrition”. The most common foods that fall into this category are:

Eggs

Dairy

Deli Meats

Fatty/processed meats

Peanuts

Eggs

Good or bad? We have heard this argument over and over again. One day they are the staple of our breakfast and the next day we must avoid it like the plague. Well here is the “411” on our beloved eggs. If you are consuming a low carbohydrate diet (i.e. Paleo) the cholesterol in eggs will not raise bad cholesterol levels (LDLs). However, if you consume a high carbohydrate diet, the opposite is true.

Dairy

Why is dairy non-paleo in the first place? Isn’t whole milk bad for you? Milk is non-paleo because it came about during the agricultural revolution (10,000-20,000 years ago). Believe it or not, cavemen were not sucking off the teet of a cow. I wonder whoever came up with the idea of sucking on the teet of a cow anyway?! Although milk is non-paleo, it is very nutrient dense. Providing the body with calcium, vitamin D, protein, and fat. As mentioned, fat is our friend. Fat is energy. Milk provides athletes with proper nourishment, is great for bulking and getting stronger. However, milk is not perfect. Lactose sugar causes a rise in our insulin levels. It can also cause acne and digestive problems for some people. I recommend dairy to any athlete looking for some size; otherwise you can do without it.

Deli Meats

Meat is perfectly Paleo. Deli meat is a very gray area subject because the processing is somewhat “unknown”. Deli meats are generally EXTREMELY high in sodium. Water follows sodium, so your body will retain some extra water weight. On a positive note: it is quick, convenient, and high in protein.

Fatty and processed meats

Bacon, sausage, hot dogs, ground beef, etc. Let me start off with saying that I could have made fatty and processed meats into two separate categories. Now for the nitty gritty. Sausage, hot dogs, and processed meats should not be staples of paleo nutrition. Concentrate on finding quality sausages, bacon, and other processed meats. Normally these processed meats have all types of meats blended in along with toxic chemicals. Although not as processed, fatty meats like bacon and most ground beef are believed to “set us up for a heart attack” because of the high amount of saturated fatty acids. If you are a relatively healthy human being, eat a low carb paleo diet, and exercise every now and then you should be fine. If you eat the typical American diet, based on the food pyramid, which promotes excessive carbohydrate consumption, you are setting yourself up for a world of disaster! (Pretty much the same reason as eggs).

Peanuts

I love peanut butter. Though non-paleo, peanuts are a good source of energy for the athlete. Lots of monounsaturated fats and some protein, not to mention Skippy’s natural crunchy peanut butter is crack. Now the downside is that peanuts contain that pesky thing called Lectin. As discussed in the beginning of this program, Lectin is not our friend. It causes all sorts of autoimmune disorders and gut irritation. Lets not get started on peanut oil. Loraine Cordaine, author of the paleo diet for athlete’s, has a good write up about peanuts and peanut oil: www.thepaleodiet.com