CrossFit espouses a couple specific forms of nutrition. CrossFit West Santa Cruz is no exception. We start off with the Paleo diet. First and foremost we are a Paleo gym. Then we tweak that depending on the needs of the individual.
Paleo is a diet concerned with quality. What you put into yourself is more important than how much or how often or in what combination. The Paleo diet is often called the Caveman diet. Eat and drink nothing that Paleolithic (a caveman) man could not have eaten. This is the starting point for us.
Looking to lose weight? Now we couple Paleo with the Zone. The Zone is a diet concerned with quantity, as well as quality. The Zone is 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat every meal. Furthermore, the Zone breaks a day’s worth of food into blocks, with each meal consisting of a pre-planned number of blocks. Nothing leans people out like CrossFit and the Paleo/Zone diet.
Looking to gain weight? Paleo plus dairy is the answer. After every training session drink at least a quart of milk–raw, whole, goat’s, or 2%. Go particularly heavy on the fat (the good kind, duh) and perhaps dairy throughout the day as well.
Happy with the Zone, but unable to eat the required amount of food blocks each day? Then we go with the athlete’s Zone. Bump up the protein and fat blocks, but halve the carb blocks. Some versions of the athlete’s Zone specify eating a carb heavy post workout meal.
Sometimes people have a tendency to be overly partisan. Some CrossFit boxes are hardcore Paleo, while others are hardcore Zone. CF West Santa Cruz is hardcore performance. We employ both Paleo and Zone nutrition plans, as well as variations and combinations, in our ceaseless quest for human performance and fitness.
What works best for you and why?
Thoughts? Please post to Comments.
Reminder: Paleo Challenge 2.0 mandatory meeting Sunday at 2PM.
Workout:
Rest Day
Interesting NYTimes article about the Paleo Diet and living a ‘paleo’ lifestyle. It also mentions CrossFit and the Zone diet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/fashion/10caveman.htm
Well, I haven’t quite found out what works “best” for me..but I can tell it’s not brownies. I have been starting to cancel out flours, as I am working out again and want to be my very best me
But man, I ate a brownie the other week and I had stomach pain all-day and into the night. I used to be able to call that dessert breakfast, and now I just don’t call it anymore… 
I have noticed however, that a chocolate bar doesn’t hurt at all (in my terms of course). So, what will hopefully work best for me this coming Paleo Challenge, should I decide to take the leap into the uncharted territory that is good, balanced nutrition with a brain – I will have a tall, dark, and 70% plus by my side..
Lisette, you are a girl after my own heart! What would we do without chocolate? Aside from the tall, dark 70% that I have been doing way too often lately, I will use unsweetened cocoa powder in a near-perfect Paleo smoothie I have concocted (almost like a chocolate shake!). Hope to see you at Sunday’s meeting at which point I can share more with you..