CrossFit is a strength and conditioning routine that many armed forces and police academies use to get their members and trainees into shape and maintain fitness. There is an emphasis on overall fitness and the workout is the same for all abilities and levels, but the intensity may be scaled down accordingly, states the CrossFit website. Part of being healthy is your diet, and CrossFit emphasizes a specific diet plan. Prior to participating in CrossFit or starting a new diet, consult your health care professional to ensure that it is safe for you to start.
Diet Breakdown
According to CrossFit, the ideal breakdown of its diet is approximately 30 percent lean protein, 40 percent low-glycemic carbohydrates, and 30 percent mostly monounsaturated fat. To figure out your caloric needs, consume 0.7 to 1.0 g per lb. of your body weight, with 0.7 g appropriate for individuals with a moderately intense workout routine, and 1.0 g for serious athletes, says CrossFit.
Suggested Foods
The CrossFit diet has a lot in common with what is called the Paleolithic, or Paleo, diet. This diet does not include processed foods or highly refined carbohydrates, and the majority of food consumed is natural, with an emphasis on vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds. Other foods to include in your diet are eggs, fish, shellfish and fresh fruit. CrossFit adds that you should consume very little starch while on this diet, and no sugar.
Foods to Avoid
Since the CrossFit diet emphasizes unprocessed fresh food, you may have to eliminate a lot of your favorite foods from your diet. According to Creighton University Medical Center, all processed foods should be avoided on the Paleo diet, as well as dairy products, such as milk, cheese and cream; cereal grains, such as barley, rice, corn, millet and wheat; beans, including soybeans; fatty meats; and sodas, juices and candy. Talk with your doctor before going on this diet to make sure it is safe for you to do so and to make sure you will be getting the nutrients you need.
Benefits
Since the CrossFit diet excludes highly processed foods, which are linked to obesity and related health problems, following this diet has multiple benefits. According to Crossfit, individuals who follow its diet may have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and weight gain. A study published in July 2009 in "Cardiovascular Diabetology" found that even in individuals who already had diabetes, the Paleo diet helped improve glycemic control and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.
References
- CrossFit: Nutrition
- Creighton University Medical Center; Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Paleo Diet Foods; Sam Hoxie
- "Cardiovascular Diabetology"; Beneficial Effects of a Paleolithic Diet on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Cross-Over Pilot Study; T. Johnsson, et al.; July 2009
- CrossFit: What is CrossFit?
