2012 Paleo Challenge: Strong As Nature Intended

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Starts: MONDAY, FEB 20^th, 2012

Ends: SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2012

Welcome to the beginning of the new you. This Paleo Challenge is more than just a diet or new way of eating. It is a lifestyle transformation to help you to fulfill your greatest potential. Regardless of your current fitness level, this 5 week journey will help you feel better, live stronger and increase performance while fueling your body with clean, real food.

Eating and living a Paleolithic lifestyle in a modern world is challenging, but certainly doable and extremely rewarding. This venture will challenge you to rethink everything you think you know about food: How foods are prepared? Is it processed? Is it removed from its natural state? How did nature intend them to be eaten? What foods are healthy? What happens to healthy food when we cook it? How should it be cooked? (See Resources section for links.)

Simply put, we are attempting to mimic in every fashion, the way our ancestors – the hunter/gathers – ate and lived thousands of years ago. We will be eating from 3 main categories of food:

Lean proteins: grass-fed meats, free-range fowl and eggs, and wild caught fish and seafood. This promotes muscle growth and recovery, healthy bones and optimal immune function. Protein also makes you feel satisfied between meals.
Carbohydrates, aka fruits and vegetables (preferred seasonally harvested, locally grown).
Healthy fats: (such as walnut, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hazel nuts, brazil nuts, avocados, olive oil, fish oil, coconut oil, and fat in grass-fed meat.

Competition Criteria

Blind Performance Testing. The performance testing criteria will be selected from the WODs dated 2/13/2012 to 2/24/2012. The final week of the challenge will include these workouts. If you miss a WOD, please contact a coach to perform a makeup no later than 2/25/2012.
Before and after pictures. All competitors should take a before photo on Monday 2/20/2012. These should be taken in the same place, with reasonably little clothing to show changes (shorts for gents, shorts and sports bra for ladies).
3. Body circumference measurements and weight should be taken before and after. * Body weight will not be factored into scoring but is for statistical purposes only.
4. Points Journal Required and Submitted Weekly. See Paleo Challenge Point System.
$20 buy in. Paid no later than 2/22/2012.

Prizes

Undying fame, respect, braggin’ rights and the envy of your peers.
Front Row Parking for 1 Month – roll like a true playa
CrossFit HARDNOX T-shirt
1 month Free Membership
Cash from the Buy In

Paleo Challenge Point System

You will start every week with 100 points (Monday-Sunday). Deductions and additional points to be calculated by participants. This is an honor system.

You must keep a daily log of your food intake. Every week you start with 100 points. For every cheat that you have during the week you need to subtract 5 points per serving.

Early Extinction: Minus 7 points per serving

All Dairy (except clarified butter or ghee)
Grains- Rice, bread, pasta, cake, cookies, cereal etc.
Legumes- Peanuts, soy beans, lima beans, kidney beans, etc.
Raw Honey, molasses, maple syrup
Alcohol
80% or less dark chocolate
Packaged/processed food
Fast food (this is 30 points for a “Meal Deal, sandwich, fries, and drink are 10 each). If you do this please consult a coach privately.)
Using artificial sweetener
Soft drinks and juices
Added refined sugar
Less than 5 hours of sleep per night
You are NOT following the Paleo diet if you are NOT consuming any fruits or vegetables. Each day that you eat less than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables.
Each day you skip breakfast, lunch or dinner. Black coffee isn’t a breakfast.
Fail to drink less than 64 oz of water daily. Must drink plain water.

Primal Power: Add 3 points each for:

Each day that you take 2.5grams of fish oil. You want high-quality fish-oil. Store brand isn’t going to cut it.
Each day that you CrossFit. You do not get double points for double workouts
Home or travel workouts performed outside of CF HARDNOX. (walking, the elliptical, and bicep curls DO NOT COUNT!) You know what is worth doing at this point, don’t cheat!
If you take a rest day, but you still dedicate 20+ minutes to foam rolling, stretching, and/or trigger point work add 3 points. **If you stretch and roll for an hour it is still 3 points. The mobility points are only for time spent outside of CrossFit on your “rest” day.
Getting 7 hours of sleep

Paleo Challenge Basics

Encouraged Foods

Eat real food. Fresh meats and fish, nuts and seeds, vegetables, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Except for meats, eat raw or lightly cooked foods to maximize nutritional value.
1. Lean Meats – Chicken, Fish, seafood, buffalo, lean cuts of pork and beef, and venison.
2. Vegetables -vary the type of veggies

i. Leafy green vegetables provide energy. Eat them raw as a snack.

ii. Use sweet potatoes minimally for fat loss or leaning goals.

Fruit – preferably Low Sugar fruits.

i. Fruits are limited to 1-2 servings per day

Nuts and seeds. Walnuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc
Oils. Olive, avocado, and coconut oil.

i. Extra virgin coconut oil for cooking/baking. Caution: do not exceed 300 degrees Fahrenheit as this will denature the coconut oil and reduce the health benefits.

ii. Use high quality fish oil. Increased Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the incidence and severity of obesity, inflammation, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and cognitive decline.

Drink water. Keep it plain.
1. Do not add flavorings or enhancers to water – they may contain propylene glycol, aka antifreeze, or similar additives.

Foods in Moderation or Limited Use

Processed Meat. On occasion, we are okay with organic chicken sausage (these are nitrate, dairy, gluten and casein-free), and high quality bacon, deli meat, and jerky.
Dried Fruit or Paleo Kits or Jerky. In general, be careful with the fruit. Use dried fruit and Larabars in serious moderation, and only if it doesn’t send you running for the nearest candy dish. Avoid soy sauce in jerky.
Non-”Paleo” Vegetables. We’re fine with green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas. While they’re technically a legume, they’re far more “pod” than “bean”, and we want you to eat your veggies.
Coffee and black tea. We’re okay with coffee (black, or with a little coconut milk) in moderation, and only if it doesn’t interfere with sleep. Usually, that means none after noon. If you really want to go hardcore and reset your body’s sensitivity to caffeine, skip the coffee/tea as well.
Vinegar. While it’s technically not “Paleo”, we’re fine with using it in small quantities as a salad dressing or in salsa.
Salt. While some “approved” foods like olives or bacon will have some salt in them, go easy when adding salt to your food.
Supplements: POST WOD exception
1. Protein: Only POST workout supplemental protein is allowed. Must be consumed with 60 minutes of end workout.
2. Bars: Larabars only. No other exceptions. Use Katie’s recipe.
3. Vitamins: are acceptable.
4. 16oz (men) / 12oz (women) of chocolate milk is allowable post WOD only
5. Clarified Butter or Ghee, light use for cooking purposes
6. Be aware of condiments.
  1. Read the label carefully. Sugar and sweetener will be hidden.
  2. Learn to substitute. Use salsa instead of ketchup.
  3. Some experts urge that a slightly less strict, slightly more modest form of the Paleo diet should be followed for optimal health. It is up to you as an individual to choose first if you should – and then how to – implement the Paleo diet / Paleo Challenge in your own life.

“Foods” to Avoid

No Sugar/sweeteners. Do not consume any syrups, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Sweet n Low, stevia, etc.
2. No Processed foods. Do not consume artificial, fake, frozen, canned, boxed or otherwise chemically enhanced foods or drinks. If it doesn’t spoil within a few days; don’t eat it.
No Grains. Avoid the consumption of wheat, rye, barley, oats, millet, corn, rice, quinoa, sprouted grains as well as foods made from these grains: breads, cereals, pastas,
No Legumes, Beans, Peanuts, and/or Soy. Avoid them in all forms.
No Dairy. Avoid cow, goat, or sheep’s milk and milk products like cheese, kefir, yogurt (even the Greek kind), and sour crème.
No alcohol. You CAN give up the booze for 30 days to improve your health and fitness.
White potatoes. Use sweet potatoes or yams instead.
Don’t eat from a box or can? Clean out the pantry. If it fits the following criteria, eject it from the house.
1. Does it look like a cracker or a cookie?
2. Did it come from a grain?
3. Does it have wheat in it?
4. Is it a dairy product?
5. Is it a processed food?
6. Does it have ingredients you can’t pronounce?
7. Does it have ingredients you don’t recognize?
8. Is it a sugary food?
9. Is it a bean or lentil?
10. Avoid Fake Paleo. Don’t fall into the trap of taking crappy junk food, switching a few ingredients and suddenly it’s Paleo. Sorry, doesn’t work that way. Here is a short quick list of “bullsqueeze” Paleo foods: paleo pizza, paleo pancakes, paleo fudge, paleo ice crème, etc. A hunter gather wouldn’t eat this and neither should you. Don’t be fooled or worse, try to fool yourself by inventing the “Paleo donut”. Converting junk food into caveman junk food is missing the point.
11. Read labels carefully.
12. If you have to ask, consider it a no until approved.
13. If you don’t know for sure it’s approved, it probably isn’t so don’t risk it.

Resources

This is an educational venture as much as anything else. Our goal is to guide you better health through practical applied nutritional education.

2012 Paleo Challenge: Strong As Nature Intended

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