grey runner

Nutrition

Your Body

Your body is like an engine and the food you eat is your fuel. If you walk on a car lot you’ll see lot’s of different cars. You’ll see high end sports cars designed to do amazing things along with the average 4 door family cars. There is another section off in the back, usually hidden from the rest. There you’ll see some clunkers that have been abused and mistreated.

God designed you to be the high end sports car created to do amazing things. The problem is we abuse our bodies/engines with the food we eat and a sedentary lifestyle. The nutrition plan we suggest here is not a caloric restrictive diet. It is not a high protein, low carb diet. In fact it is not a “diet” at all as most consider the term diet. Rather you’ll find the paleo nutrition plan a lifestyle that is very balanced and sustainable over the rest of your life!

Paleo Nutrition is a lifestyle, a way of eating that Trinity Fitness highly endorses and recommends. Here are the basics:

What is Paleo Nutrition?

(adapted from United Barbell Paleo Challenge)

Paleo nutrition is based on the quality of foods you eat. It mimics the diets of our hunter/gatherer ancestors – consisting of lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. It excludes foods that came from agriculture or processing – dairy, grains, legumes and refined sugars, etc.

The basic concept is that these are the foods that we are genetically adapted to eat. There are many benefits to eating Paleo, including a naturally lean body ie weight loss, acne-free skin, improved athletic performance and recovery, mental clarity, emotional stability, and relief from numerous metabolic-related and autoimmune diseases.

Quick Summary of Foods:

  • You can eat all lean meat, fish, seafood & eggs
  • You can eat all non-starchy seasonal vegetables
  • Seasonal fruit
  • Moderate healthy fats
  • Moderate nuts and seeds
  • No grains or cereals at all
  • No legumes
  • No dairy products (eggs are not dairy)
  • No processed foods – make it yourself!
  • No sugars.
  • No artificial sweeteners. These are not food!

A Little Deeper

PROTEIN:

Protein should be the staple of your meal or snack. Depending on your individual needs, this can range between 3-9 ounces, but when all else fails, you can follow the general rule of having a serving of protein the size of your palm.

*At this point don’t get hung up on grass fed beef or free range eggs. Yes, they are healthier and we recommend them, but if you can focus on lean meat, lot’s of veggies, some fruit, nuts and seeds and no sugar…you’ll be way ahead of the game! Take a look at our “Lean Meats to Eat” chart and “Protein to Fat Ratio” chart to eat good paleo meats. In addition, please view this handout on foods to avoid:

CARBOHYDRATES:

On the typical American diet carbohydrate sources are derived from grains ie. breads, cereals, rice, wheat products, pasta, oat meal, granola etc. Non of these carb sources are acceptable in paleo nutrition. In Paleo nutrition your carbohydrate source will be vegetables and fruits. More vegetables than fruit and if your goal is weight loss limit your fruit at first.

With vegetables, make sure you get a variation and eat a lot of them! Here are some things to keep in mind with vegetables:

  • Dark, leafy green and colorful veggies are great.
  • Buy local, in season, organic veggies. Avoid starchy vegetables (i.e. potatoes).
  • Avoid legumes (i.e. peanuts, beans, peas, soybeans etc.)
  • Fruit is good for you in moderation. Try to buy local, seasonal, organic fruit if possible.
  • Avoid fruit juices. Make sure to wash any fruit thoroughly to minimize pesticides.

FATS:

Despite what modern society has taught us to believe, fats are good for you! It is important to have the right balance of fats and the right kind of fats in your diet. On the paleo diet, your body is trained to burn fat instead of carbs for energy (this will make your energy levels more stable), so don’t skip the fat in your meals!

  • Buy oils (coconut, olive) organic and cold pressed so they remain chemically unchanged.
  • Buy organic and local avocados. Buy coconut in all forms.
  • Nuts are good in moderation (walnuts, pecans and macadamia nuts are your best choice). Buy them raw and unsalted.
  • Avoid canola (the oil is genetically modified, partially hydrogenated and highly refined), peanut, cottonseed, soybean, and wheat germ oils.
  • Avoid trans fats (fats damaged by heat – can be made at home) and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

HYDRATING

Drink water, coffee, and tea. If you drink coffee, drink it black or with unsweetened almond milk.

PALEO SEMINARS

Trinity Fitness periodically hosts paleo nutrition seminars free for the community. Check our website, “like” us on facebook, keep a watch for the next one. Our next Paleo Seminar will be Saturday, April 14th, 6:oopm at Trinity Fitness.