28 Day Paleo Challenge
Why Paleo?
 Hunter/Gatherer Lifestyle:
 Simple and effective way to lose fat
 Makes sense
 Prevents or potentially reverses a number of degenerative
diseases
 Uses healthiest and nutritious foods such as:
 Lean proteins that support strong muscles, healthy bones, and
optimal immune function. Also helps to feel satisfied between
meals
 Fruits & Vegetables rich and antioxidants, vitamins, and
minerals
 Healthy Fats
Foods to Eat and Avoid
Foods that are OK
Foods to Avoid
Meats
Veggies
Nuts & Seeds
Sugar
Dairy
Grain
Some Fruit
Little Starch
Legumes
Other Essential Elements
 Changing to a healthier way of eating:
 A “diet” vs. changing how we approach eating
 Sleep
 Robb Wolf (www.robbwolf.com) suggests getting between 8-
9.5 hours of sleep each night with ZERO light coming in the
room. (Ask for more about sleep and health/ fat loss if
interested.)
 Stress
 Exercise: BE CONSISTENT!! You’ve found CrossFit, so
maximize the benefit of it. Schedule in WODS on a regular
basis, fill out your log books every single day. Make it a habit,
have fun, and it WILL work for you!
Getting Started
We aren’t starting the challenge yet. Here is what you need to do in
the meantime, before getting started:
 Clean out the pantry
 Sugar is addictive. Do yourself a favor and get it out of the house!
 Guidelines (if “yes,” throw away)
 Does it look like a cracker or a cookie?
 Did it come from a grain?
 Is it a dairy product?
 Is it a processed food?
 Does it have ingredients you can’t pronounce?
 Does it have ingredients you don’t recognize?
 Is it a sugary food?
 Is it a bean or lentil?
Prepare a Menu
 Plan at least a week’s worth of meals at a time (see me for
resources)
1) Shop your pantry first
2) Buy local
 Grass-fed and organic is best, but DO NOT let those be
limiting factors (see dirty dozen)
 Shop Farmer’s Markets
 Buy seasonal items
3) Look for sales/ shop weekly ads
The Challenge
 CrossFit is measurable, and we love scoring ourselves, so we will
be doing a challenge with a “points system.”
 You will need to keep a daily log of your food intake.You must
keep track of everything. Unfortunately, that means that we need
to supplement (but still use) our log books for this challenge. I
will provide a template, and you can make copies, if desired.
 You will start each week with 105 points automatically. If you do
not log one day, it will be -15 points for that day. Logging each day
for 7 days = 105 points.
 Every day that you do not submit a log entry, you are missing out
on 15 free points!
The Challenge, cont.
 For every cheat that you have during the week, subtract 5
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points per serving
Each day you take 2.5 g of fish oil, add 1 point
Each day you join a WOD, add 3 points
If you add at least 15 minutes of activity on an active rest day,
add 2 points
If you add at least 15 minutes of mobility outside of the gym,
add 2 points
If you get 7+ hrs of sleep in a given night, add 2 points
Any day that you eat less than 3 servings of fruits and veggies
(combined), subtract 10 points
Point System
 Total the number of points earned per day
 Total the number of points earned in a given week. Add your
points to the chart by Wednesday for the previous week,
having a trainer check your journal.
Food List
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Lean Meats
Eggs
Fish
Shellfish
Fruit (see tips for fat loss)
Vegetables
Nuts and Seeds
Oils
Whey Protein powder (if needed)
Tofu
Seltzer water
Coconut Water
Tips for Fat Loss
 Cut out starchy carbs (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, winter
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squash)
Limit fruit to no more than 2 servings/ day, and choose
berries and melons
Be sure to get enough sleep (try blackout curtains)
Reduce intake of high fats such as bacon
Reduce amount of nuts, seeds, avocado, and coconut
consumption
Cheats
The following items are “cheats” and you should take off -5 points/
serving of these foods:
 Dairy:
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All processed foods made with dairy
Butter
Cheese
Cream
Dairy spreads
Frozen yogurt
Ice cream
Milk
Nonfat dairy creamer
Yogurt (only deduct 3 points for plain non-fat greek yogurt)
Cheats, cont.
 Cereal Grains:
 Barley
 Corn
 Millet
 Oats
 Rice
 Rye
 Wheat
 Wild rice
Cheats, cont.
 Legumes:
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All beans
Black-eyed peas
Chickpeas
Lentils
Peas
Miso
Peanut Butter
Peanuts
Snowpeas
Sugar snap peas
Soybeans and all soybean products
Cheats, cont.
 Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices:
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All sugary soft drinks and diet beverages
Gatorade
Vitamin water
All juice (except fresh-squeezed)
 Alcohol:
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White wine
Vodka
Gin
Rum
Beer
 All Artificial Sweeteners (subtract 2 points per packet when using
Sweet and Low, Splenda, or Equal)
Cheats, cont.
 Condiments:
 Processed salad dressings
 BBQ sauce
 Ketchup
 Mustard (unless just mustard seeds and vinegar; check labels)
 Miracle whip
 Anything made with soybean oil
 Anything made with high fructose corn syrup
 Anything made with added sugar
FAQ’s
 When I research “Paleo” online, I see other exclusions that aren’t listed
here. Why?
While we are seeking to eat healthier, we also want to be realistic and make this
doable for everyone. In CrossFit, we do things “paleo-ish,” otherwise the list
would be very long and frankly, wouldn’t make as much sense.
 Can I eat deli meat?
Deli meat contains loads of salt and some are processed, so they are not
preferred. However, those meats are quick and easy, and will give you
some protein, so they will not be counted against you.
 What about protein powder?
It is suggested that we take in about 1 gram of protein per pound of
body fat. This is a lot of protein. Although not technically paleo, protein
powder can really help as a decent source of protein, especially after a
workout.
FAQ’s cont.
 What about sweeteners? Can I use any?
Honey, maple syrup, or agave can be used sparingly. If you
are most concerned with fat loss, these should be limited or
eliminated altogether.
 Alcohol?
If you’re going to drink, have red wine or tequila in small amounts
 Etc… what questions do you have?
 What is a serving size for fruits, veggies, etc?
 Check item for serving size first
 One small apple, banana, fruit = one serving
 Meats, veggies, fruits- one fist = about one serving
Fish Oil
* Look for fish oil with omega-3s called EPA and DHA.
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Quality fish oil will have about 600 mg/ capsule.
Above that is sometimes considered “pharmaceutical grade.”
Don’t buy if it doesn’t list EPA and DHA content.
Low-quality causes more “fish burps” than high quality
* Fish Oil is anti-inflammatory• Hundreds of studies suggest that omega-3s may provide some
benefits to a wide range of diseases: cancer, asthma, depression,
cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases, such
as rheumatoid arthritis. (Ref. www.webmd.com)
• Decreases inflammatory response to intense exercise: less
muscle-swelling, less soreness
Fish Oil, cont
 Helps lose body fat
 Allows for better insulin sensitivity
 Increases protein synthesis… helps enhance muscle building
Fish Oil, faq’s
Q: How much fish oil should I take?
A: Our general recommendations are to aim for around 2-4 grams of EPA/DHA per day. However, if you eat lots of wildcaught salmon, grass-fed beef and other natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and generally avoid sources of omega-6 (like
vegetable oils, factory-farmed meat, nuts and seeds), you may not need any fish oil supplementation at all.
Q: What happens if I take too much fish oil?
A: Your digestive tract will tell you – and things will “move along” far too quickly for comfort. We can’t imagine the moderate
doses we recommend (no more than 4 grams of EPA/DHA per day) would cause digestive upset, however… unless your
fish oil was of poor quality, with a low concentration of EPA/DHA. (Yet another reason to stick with a high quality, highly
concentrated brand.)
Q: What else should I look for in a fish oil brand?
A: First and most importantly, squeaky clean ingredients. This means your fish oil should be free of soy (including lecithin),
dairy, wheat, rice, sweeteners or other artificial ingredients.
Then, look at the EPA and DHA amounts per serving – that’s far more important than the “total fish oil” amount. A
concentrated source means you have to take fewer pills or teaspoons a day – it’s more efficient, and makes it more likely
that you’ll actually take your recommended dose each day.
** The above dosage recommendations are considered low to moderate at best by many people. These figures are from the
below website and Robb Wolf, who is an expert in food/ nutrition. It might be best to start at the above recommendations
and then further evaluate the amount after awhile.
** If you are taking blood-thinners, check with your doctor before deciding on the proper dosage, as fish oil can also thin blood.
See: http://whole9life.com/fish-oil-faq/ for more info
Paleo Challenge Points System:
105 Points per week
- 15 pts. for any day journal isn’t completed
- 5 pts. per serving of a cheat
- 10 pts. for less than 3 servings of fruits/ veggies in a day
+ 1 pt. for 2.5 g of fish oil
+ 3 pts. for a WOD
+ 2 pts. for 15 minutes of activity (sustained) on an active rest day
+ 2 pts. for mobility done outside of the gym/ per day
+ 2 pts. for 7+ hours of sleep in a night
* Total the number of points earned each day
* Add points earned from previous week on the chart by
Wednesday, and show journal to trainer.