Paleo’s Corner

The Paleo Challenge is over halfway through!! Hope everyone is starting to feel the benefits of this awesome lifestyle and are starting to see personal performance gains!

To keep things rolling and exciting, we are going to throw in a little incentive…

Whoever is in the Paleo Challenge and signed up for sectionals, we are offering a free months membership to the top male and female performers after the five weeks is over! 1st overall male and female from the Paleo Challenge group!

It’s time to start getting dialed, focused, and see why paleo works!!!

Let’s make this year’s Sectional’s bigger and more fun than last year! The food was awesome last year and we got to try some tasty recipes and had great social fun.

This year as part of the Sectionals and Paleo Challenge, let’s try to bring in some wicked potluck paleo dishes every Friday night! It would be greatly appreciated by the judges, athletes, and individuals watching. Plus, it will make the experience that much more awesome!

Everyone will be silently judging  the best paleo dish and the winner will receive an incentive for their hard and grateful work on prepping their meal, snack, appetizer, etc.

Its long…

Its scientific…

Its fact…

Metabolic and Physiologic Improvements from Consuming a Paleo Diet

What is Paleo Eating?

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

Why Should I Do It??

• Here’s a great slideshow on what you can expect. Thanks to Potomac CrossFit.
• Got Questions?  Check out Robb Wolf’s FAQ’s and download his Quick Start Guides.
• Need more convincing?  Read these testimonials from RCFP members!  Also ask them in person at the gym.

Need Help??   Here’s More Resources:

Paleo Food Chart

The Paleo Diet

Helpful ideas to ease food prep:

• Slow cooker. Plug it in and leave it. Can make plenty of leftovers.

• Buy airtight containers & make a week’s worth of raw veggies. Quick and easy in a pinch.

• Make your food and recipes in bulk! You can freeze them and thaw them out when needed. Tastes just as good!

• Have a paleo cooking night with family/friends once a week where you each take turns making a dish. Fun and interactive.

• Share ideas, recipes, and food! Use the Forum!

Dining Out/Ordering In:

• Simply order chicken, fish or steak with veggies (no beans, starch, or sauce). Have all the spices and herbs you want!

• Fajita without the wrap and sour cream. Ask for extra vegetables and guacamole.

• Any salad with chicken, fish or steak (oil & vinegar/lemon/lime only for dressing). No dried noodles, cheese, or croutons.

• Non-breaded and baked chicken wings with no sauce. Or dry BBQ ribs with no sauce.

In a pinch:   Keep an emergency stash of jerky in your car & nuts. Larabars are also a quick and easy option.

Special Notes:

• Bacon and sausage: eat but in moderation i.e. 3x per week.

• Sweet potatoes are allowed.

• Eat fruit in moderation (1-2 servings per day depending on your goals).

Sneaky non-paleo foods:

Corn (it’s a grain), popcorn, potatoes, all dairy (milk, any type of yogurt, cheese), all legumes (peanuts and all beans), any soy/wheat based products.

Sample Day:

Paleo Breakfasts Options:

1. Veggie omelet

2. Fruit and nuts

3. Steak and salsa

4. Left over dinner

Paleo Snacks:

1. Almond butter on anything!

2. Nuts

3. Fruit

4. Left over dinner

5. Paleo bars

6. Jerky – watch the ingredients, most have soy or wheat

7. Deli meat (try to get low sodium and sulphite free)

Paleo Lunch:

1. Salad with meat (watch the dressing, peanuts, noodles, croutons, etc.)

2. Steak and guacamole

3. Grilled chicken with mixed veggies (steamed or grilled veggies with no butter)

Paleo Dinner:

1. Fish, steak or chicken with veggie

2.  Same as your lunch

Customized Meal Plan:

Want a customized meal plan?  Book with Daniel (Paleo). Everything is customized according to your goal(s), body type, and activity level with a ton of easy and tasty paleo recipes! Only $140

Paleo’s Corner & Recipes:

Check out Daniel’s (Paleo’s) blog, Paleo’s Corner, for nutrition/Paleo articles, information, and tips. Also check out our Recipe section for awesome weekly Paleo recipes.

RCFP’s 60-Day Paleo Challenge: January 16 to March 16

It’s here again! RCFP’s 60-Day Paleo Challenge! Get on the Paleo wagon and see for yourself what all the hype is about. Expect to feel great, get stronger, loose weight, increase energy, and sleep like a baby. This is a perfect time to start…after the holidays!  This is not a weight loss competition.  This challenge is a way to better health and a longer happier life.  Expect weight loss, performance improvement (CrossFit, boxing, and sports), energy increase (may be a roller coaster start), mental clarity, craving control, and better sleep!  For more info, contact Daniel (Paleo)  and check out his blog on our site, Paleo’s Corner, for nutrition/paleo articles, tips, and information.

*Join us for a 30 min Challenge information meeting on Sunday, January 8 at 12:00pm*

Here’s how the Paleo Challenge works…

Entry Fee: $45   Includes: 60-day participation, 150 page Paleo Challenge guide booklet, measurements, prizes, and more!  Paleo Food, fish oil and sleep bonus point system: Google Docs will be set up to track daily scores online.

• Step #1: Sign up on the main board at the gym with your first and last name.
• Step #2: Come to the 30 min meeting on Sunday, January 8 at 12:00pm.
• Step #3: Pay $45 cash to the front desk or at the meeting. Must be paid before the challenge.
• Step #4: Get your “Before” Mystery WOD and measurements (see below).
• Step #5: Bring your best Paleo game face on Monday, January 16, 2012!

The Winner

At the end of the challenge the top 3 individuals with a combined score of the following:

1. Measurement Improvements: weight, waist and body fat.
2. Performance gains: Mystery WOD
3. Scoring: Points from daily GoogleDocs online nutrition log.     

 *No separate category for men and women.*

Prizes:

• Cash prizes for top 3 winners
• Bi-weekly draws for various supplementary prizes – you gotta be in it to win it!
• Team competition: each participant will be assigned a team of approx 3 to maintain accountability.  Get creative on how to best stay on track.  Top team of cumulative individual scores will win a month of FREE membership!  All members must remain in the challenge for full 60 days to win the prize.

SPECIAL PALEO CHALLENGE EVENTS:

• RCFP Community Kitchen Paleo Cooking Class: Sunday January 15th, 1pm to 5pm. $135.00/spot. Limited to 6 tables (may be couples).  You prepare 3 different Paleo meals and pack them up into servings and take them home for the week or your freezer.

‎ cooking table (may participate in couples). 
You portion out and take home the 3 meals you prepare, 
feeding 4-6 people. 
Everything freezes well. 
Bring your own favourite slicing and dicing knives.
 All groceries/ingredients are provided for you.
 *chicken chili – 2 different chicken textures with many vegs
*meat sauce & meatball spaghetti squash with vegs
*pulled pork lasagna
• Movie Night: “Food Matters – A Documentary”: Friday January 27th. 6pm to 7:30pm.  In a collection of interviews with leading Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Scientists, M.D.’s and Medical Journalists you will discover scientifically verifiable solutions for overcoming illness naturally. See the trailer at http://www.foodmatters.tv
• Mid-Way Celebration Day: Wednesday February 15.  Pick something fun to do to celebrate the sleeker you!
• CrossFit Games Sectionals Paleo Pot-Lucks: Friday nights Feb 24th to March 23rd.

Before and After Benchmarks:

Measurements: Body weight, waist circumference, and body fat. See Daniel (Paleo) between Monday, January 9-Friday January 13. Please bring in a before  profile picture if you have one. You must get your measurements taken to be eligible for prizes.

Performance: Mystery WOD on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. You must participate in the ‘Mystery WOD’ to be eligible for prizes.

Scoring:

You will be required to keep track of your eating on our GoogleDocs online nutrition log.  From this log you will give yourself a score of 0-4 based on your compliance with the Paleo Diet.

Four Points: You are a hunter-gatherer.  You eat nothing but meat, fish, vegetables, some fruit, nuts/seeds, healthy fats (olive/coconut/avocado/walnut oil, avocado, coconut, etc.)

Three Points: One time during the day, you had a little something that wasn’t paleo, but wasn’t horrible.  Examples: Most Condiments (bbq sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, un-natural mayo, salad dressing), small dark chocolate square, peanuts, whey protein, hummus, cream/milk in your coffee, baking powder/soda, etc.

Two Points: You slipped…but didn’t get hurt.  You had a small amount of “not real food”.  Maybe it was a fully Paleo day, but you couldn’t resist a small something.  Examples:  1 beer/glass of wine, a bite of bread or dinner roll, a handful of fries/chips, a forkful of paste/rice, etc.

One Point: Most of your day was Paleo, but there was one full meal that you fell off the wagon.  Examples: small bowl of pasta/rice, slice of pizza, slice of bread, more than one soda/juice/alcoholic beverage, bag of popcorn/chips, etc.

Zero Points: You had a BAD day and made more than one solid mistake.  Examples: You had a couple slices of pizza and beer, a pound or more of wings with beer, tub of ice cream with peanuts and chocolate/candy, bowl of pasta/rice with pie for dessert, etc.

BONUS POINTS:

1. You get one extra bonus point for everyday you participate in a CrossFit or Boxing  workout at RCFP. We believe rewarding people for being at RCFP will serve two purposes. First the more you are at RCFP the more support and exposure you will have during the Paleo Challenge. Being around others that are going through the same experiences you are will enhance your chances of success. Second, the benefits of Paleo are magnified when combines with training program that combines constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements. Train Hard. Eat Clean. Live Life.
2. You can get an additional bonus point for every night you sleep 8+ hours. Proper sleep has been associated with everything from faster recovery, better mental focus, to more HGH production. We believe this is one of the greatest factors in improved health and want to reward those that are getting their zzzz’s.
3. And yet another bonus point for taking at least 3 grams of fish oil per day. Fish oil is a significant source of the Omega-3 fatty acids  DHA and EPA. These fatty acids improve blood flow and reduce inflammation. This enables an athlete to train harder and recover faster.  *See or contact Andrea Savard or Daniel(Paleo) for more info on fish oil and other supplements and to place an order.*

Special Considerations:

PROGENEX protein powder will be allowed without a penalty. The essential branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) leucine, isoleucine, and valine are of special importance for athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. This helps with adequate lean muscle growth, strength, energy, and recovery. You must obtain BCAA’s through food and supplements. PROGENEX has 20% more BCAA’s than any other protein on the market. We have it at RCFP. Contact Daniel (Paleo) if you would like more info and check out the two links below.

PROGENEX

Why take PROGENEX?

Paleo is Expensive!!! Well, not really. For people who use the excuse that buying paleo foods is expensive and they can’t afford it, here are some tips and facts by Robb Wolf about buying paleo foods on a budget. It’s cheaper than you may think.

Paleo on a budget