A Newbie’s Guide
What is the Paleo Diet?
 Based upon everyday, modern foods that mimic the food groups of
our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors
 Paleolithic era
 Time period from 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the
agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago
 Supported by both randomized controlled human trials and
real-life success stories
Why do crossfitters eat paleo?
 CrossFit headquarters originally pushed the Zone diet in the
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nutrition certification course taught by Robb Wolf
Wolf began covering the Paleo Diet in his classes
Paleo popularity spread like wildfire
Wolf had a falling out with CrossFit headquarters over his
adamant stance on the superiority of Paleo over Zone
Paleo emerged as the de facto among the CrossFit
community
Seven fundamental characteristics:
 Higher protein intake
 Goal: between 19-35% of calories
 Lower carbohydrate intake and lower glycemic index
 Ancient ancestors- carbohydrates accounted for 22-40% of the daily calories
 Higher fiber intake
 Fruits average almost twice as much fiber as whole grains.
 Non-starchy vegetables have eight times more fiber compared to whole grains.
Characteristics Cont’d
 Moderate to higher fat intake dominated by
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with balanced
Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats
 Recent large population studies known as meta analyses show that saturated fats have
little or no adverse effects upon cardiovascular disease risk
 Omega 6 to 3 ratio: Walnuts 4.2
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When in doubt, go for walnuts!
Characteristics Cont’d
 Higher potassium and lower sodium intake
 Meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds- contain about five to ten times more
potassium than sodium
 If you only eat fresh, unprocessed foods, it’s impossible to eat more sodium than
potassium
 Net dietary alkaline load that balances dietary acid
 Fruits and vegetables are base-producing
 Grains, meats, fish, cheese and salted processed foods are acid-producing
 Higher intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant
phytochemicals
 Whole grains are not a good substitute for grass produced or free ranging meats,
fruits, and veggies, as they contain no Vitamin C, A, or B12.
Foods included:
 Fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef,
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pork, poultry, and game meat)
Fish
Seafood
Fresh fruits
Vegetables
Seeds
Nuts (excluding peanuts)
Healthful oils
 Olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut, and flaxseed
Foods NOT included:
 Diary Foods
 Cereal grains
 Legumes (beans, peanuts, lentils, peas)
 Refined sugars
 Processed foods
When adapting the diet you may:
 Reduce your risk of heart disease and/or type 2 diabetes
 Lose weight if you are overweight
 Improve your athletic performance
 Slow or reverse progression of an autoimmune disease
 Improve or eliminate acne
 Sleep better and have more energy
 Enjoy an increased libido
 Improve your mental outlook and clarity
 Enjoy a longer, healthier, more active life
Sample Meal:
A few tips:
 For breakfast, make an easy omelet. Sauté onion, peppers, mushrooms,
and broccoli in olive oil; add omega-3-enriched or free-range eggs and
diced turkey or chicken breast. Pair this with 1 cup of berries and
you’re set!
 Paleo lunches are easy. At the beginning of the week, make a huge
salad. A good starting point can be mixed greens, spinach, radishes,
bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, avocadoes, walnuts, almonds and
sliced apples or pears. Each morning prepare a single serving from the
large batch and then mix in meat (ground beef, beef slices, chicken,
turkey, ground bison, pork chunks, etc.) or seafood of choice (salmon,
shrimp, tuna, etc). Toss with olive oil and lemon juice.
Tips cont’d
 For dinner, try spaghetti squash as a substitute for any pasta recipe.
Top with pesto, marinara and meatballs.
 Roasted beets and their greens make a great side dish for pork.
Asparagus, broccoli, and spinach can be steamed quickly. Salmon,
halibut, or other fresh fish filets grill well with accompanying foil
packs full of cut veggies with olive oil and garlic.
 Berries and other succulent fruits make a great dessert. Pre-cut
carrot and celery sticks, sliced fruit, and pre-portioned raw
nut/dried fruit mixes are easy snacks.
ISH
A Slightly More Realistic Guide
Paleo perfectionism is a personal standard,
attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection
while following a Paleo diet and rejects anything
less. Paleo perfectionism has kept many people
from experiencing the health benefits of a Paleo
diet by creating an elite-level of standards that are
unnecessarily enforced on those whose means
may not be able to support said standards.
What is this “ish” business?
 After trying strict paleo for a period of time (30 days or
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more), many people find “paleo-ish” to be more realistic
“ish” simply means you’ve adapted it to fit your lifestyle
Not as strict
Do what works for you and makes you happy
Sustainable and realistic
Foods included:
 Meats (all)
 Fish; seafood
 Fresh fruits
 Vegetables
 Seeds
 Nuts
 Legumes; peanut butter
 Potatoes (yes, white!)
 Rice; gluten-free cereal grains
 Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese)
 Healthful oils
Foods NOT included:
 Cereal grains (those containing gluten)
 Refined sugars
As you can see, this list is MUCH shorter!
“Cheats”
 Some people find paleoish easier to sustain with one cheat
meal/week
 If you eat an average of 21 meals a week (3 meals x 7 days),
one cheat meal can be beneficial
 Allows you to indulge in cravings
 Helps you to not feel deprived
 Good for your mental health
“Cheats” (cont’d)
 1 meal/week not enough of a cheat? Still struggling during
the week?
 Try one day on, one day off
 Then move to two days on, one day off
 Then three days on, one day off
What about alcohol?
 Beer: not paleo
 Made from wheat, barley and hops
 Wine: paleo-friendly
 Red wine in particular contains antioxidants that promote a healthy
heart
 Spirits: paleoish-friendly
 Fermentation of grains, but second process called distillation removes
most, if not all, gluten
 Hard cider: paleo-friendly
 Most are naturally gluten-free, but check your label
**general recommendations are to limit alcohol to 2 drinks/day for men, 1 drink/day for
women**
The key is to understand what foods affect YOUR
body. The Paleo diet, in essence, is an elimination
diet. Step 1 – eliminate grains, dairy, and
legumes. These are inflammatory agents. Try this
for 30 days, see how you feel. After that, if you’re
feeling adventurous and would like to “tweak” your
diet, tweak away! However, you must pay attention
to YOUR body along the way. What works for you
may not work for someone else, and what works
for someone else may not work for you. That’s
trial and error at its best, folks!
An Athlete’s Guide
Am I an “athlete”?
 If you are able to answer yes to the following statements,
then YES, the information in the next several slides applies to
YOU!
 I’ve participated in a competition in the last 12 months
 I plan to compete in an event within the next 12 months
 I train purposefully, with specific goals in mind
 My training involves high volume and cycles depending on the
time of year
Paleo for Athletes
 Need to bend the rules of the paleo diet a little
 Goal: quick recovery
 Use of non-optimal foods on a limited basis
 5 stages of daily eating relative to exercise
 Stage 1: Eating before exercise
 Stage 2: Eating during exercise (marathons/long races)
 Stage 3: Eating immediately after exercise
 Stage 4: Eating for extended recovery
 Stage 5: Eating for long-term
Stage 1: Eating Before Exercise
 Eat low to moderate glycemic index carbohydrates at least 2
hours prior to workout
 Glycemic index list: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-
eating/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods
 Can have some protein and fat in this “meal”, but not
necessary (this might be your breakfast on the day of
competition)
 Breakfast ideas:
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/paleo-breakfastfor-champions
 1 hour prior to first workout, take in 200-300 calories (i.e.
protein shake)
Stage 2: Eating During Exercise
 Only applicable to workouts/races lasting more than 1 hour
 Ingest high glycemic index carbohydrates mostly in the form
of fluids (i.e. sports drinks)
 General guideline is 200-400 calories/hour (dependent on
body size and nature of the exercise)
 Events less than an hour long – water will suffice
Stage 3: Eating Immediately After
 In the 30 minutes immediately following a high intensity
workout, consume a drink or food that has a carbprotein
ratio of 4:1 (i.e. 40g carbs and 10g protein)
 Eating within the 30 minute window is important!
 Example:
 Protein shake made with milk + 1 banana
 Peanut butter and jelly sandwich + 1 cup of berries + 1 string
cheese
Stage 4: Eating for Extended Recovery
 At the end of a competition day or a long race, continue to
focus on moderate to high glycemic index foods with the 4:1
carbprotein ratio over the next few hours
 Now is the time to incorporate suboptimal foods like bread,
pasta, and rice (if you’d like) because they contribute to the
necessary carbohydrate recovery process
 Perfect stage 4 foods are potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and
raisins
Stage 5: Eating for Long-term
 Return to a Paleo Diet focusing on optimal foods the very
next day
 Should my diet evolve as my training evolves?
 Yes!
 Athletes typically have a training “season”
 Our macronutrient requirement changes with the demands of
the training season
 Consistent protein intake year-round (typically 30% of total calories)
 Base period – increased fat (30-40%), decreased carbs (30-40%)
 Build and peak – decreased fat (20%), increased carbs (50-60%)
Recap
 Whether you’re an athlete, the average CrossFitter, or fresh
out of elements, the paleo diet is a tool that can help you
reach your health and wellness goals.
 For more information or if you’d like a one-on-one nutrition
coaching appointment, contact the dietitians at SPEC. Our
number is 876-4249. We’d be happy to sit down and chat
with you!