Coach J's Diet and Nutrition Advice

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 I’m sure you have all heard that grass fed meat is better for you.  I, for one, have not ventured much into this arena yet, specifically because of the availability in our area (imagine that!).  However, I have been searching sites and farms to see what is available for delivery.  Surprisingly several options do exist. 

Why grass fed meats?  The main reason is the higher nutritional value of them.  Compared with feedlot meat, meat from grass-fed beef, bison, lamb and goats has less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. It also has more vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and a number of health-promoting fats, including omega-3 fatty acids and “conjugated linoleic acid,” or CLA

A growing number of ranchers have stopped sending their animals to the feedlots to be fattened on grain, soy and other supplements. Instead, they are keeping their animals home on the range where they forage on pasture, their native diet. They do not treat their livestock with hormones or feed them growth-promoting additives. As a result, the animals grow at a natural pace. For these reasons and more, grass-fed animals live low-stress lives and are so healthy there is no reason to treat them with antibiotics or other drugs.  

Raising animals on pasture requires more knowledge and skill than sending them to a feedlot. For example, in order for grass-fed beef to be succulent and tender, the cattle need to forage on high-quality grasses and legumes, especially in the months prior to slaughter. Providing this nutritious and natural diet requires healthy soil and careful pasture management so that the plants are maintained at an optimal stage of growth. Because high-quality pasture is the key to high-quality animal products, many pasture-based ranchers refer to themselves as “grassfarmers” rather than “ranchers.” They raise great grass; the animals do all the rest.

Factory Farming – A Bad Practice:

•  Animal stress and abuse
•  Air, land and water pollution
•   The unnecessary use of hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs
•  Low-paid, stressful farm work
•  The loss of small family farms

•   Food with less nutritional value. 

If you are convinced that you want to give grass fed meats a try, I have found several websites to visit.  Again, I am just trying them myself so I don’t have feedback yet on shipping/delivery, value, price, etc.  If you order from any of the sites, please share your comments with your fellow crossfitters and I will do the same.    Lis

 http://www.grasslandbeef.com

http://www.eatwild.com/

Coach J will be having a lecture of the benefits of Omega 3’s this Sunday at 5:00 pm and following that he will have a beginers nutrition seminar. 

Grocery shopping is gotten very easy for me the last 9 months because everything that I need (except cleaning supplies) is on the perimeter of Kroger or WalMart.  I start at the veggy/fruit department then seafood  and meat department, push on through to the dairy section for a little cheese, milk and eggs.  The only time that I need to walk in a aisle is to get peanut butter, olive oil, nuts, seeds and some drink mixes.  I will still hit up the organic and international section to pick up some stuff but the majority of my grocery shopping is around the perimeter of the store. 

My theory is this, the more you shop around the perimeter of a store the healthier that your eating.  What are your thoughts?  Post to comment.

Most people associated fasting with religion.  Many biblical figures fasted to allow themselves to be closer to God or as a form of meditation and cleansing of the soul.  Fasting has many health benefits including:

•  lowered blood pressure
• improved insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake
• loss of body fat
• a decrease in oxidative damage
• and even a kick start for tissue repair.

Some people choose to fast only with water, some do a juice fast.

During a water fast, more fat tissue is burned, as your body must rely exclusively on fat reserves to supply its energy needs. Your body stores the bulk of incoming toxins in your fat reserves. As these reserves are burned for energy during a fast, any stored toxins will be released into your circulation, to be eliminated through various eliminative channels like your urine and respiratory tract. This mechanism of detoxification also occurs with juice fasting, but at a slower pace.

People detoxify and heal more quickly with a water fast than with a juice fast. This is because with a water fast, your digestive passageway and organs are able to rest completely, allowing for all of your energy to be used for cleansing and repair of damaged tissues. With a juice fast or a cleansing diet of fruits and vegetables, your body must use energy to digest nutrients, leaving less available energy for detoxification and healing.

I have been considering a fast for quite a while and finally decided to do it.  I think the fear of not completing it was my main reason for not giving it a try.  So when Lent started I made the committment to fast for 24hrs once a week.  This past Monday I ate dinner around 6:30pm and that was it.  The next morning was particularly difficult as the mornings are my most hungry time of the day.  I did have coffee Tuesday morning  and then water over the rest of the day.  It was definitely “mind over matter” as we practice so much in crossfit!  What I noticed was waves of hunger and waves of energy and focus.  When 7pm Tuesday arrived I expected to be starving, but I ate dinner as usual and was full.  Over the next 2 days I was not as hungry as usual, felt energetic and had a sense of “well being”. 

I encourage you to give it a try.  You don’t have to start with 24hrs.  Try first skipping a meal. The next week, skip 2 meals and then week 3 go for it!  Final reccommendation:  If you choose to fast for 24 hours make it on a non-crossfitting day.  Share your thoughts and observations with your fellow crossfitters.     -Lis

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