Food RX Blog

We believe nutrition is the foundation of any good fitness program, and the gateway to good health.

Improvements in everything from athletic performance to injury rehabilitation to body composition can be best realized through good nutrition. In other words, you can train hard, sleep well, practice active recovery techniques and eliminate stress, but if you’re not incorporating good nutritional practices into your daily life, you will always fall short of your health and fitness potential. 

 

You’ve come here to change your body, change your outlook, change your life.

You’re willing to work hard, to challenge yourself mentally and physically, because you are ready to make those changes. But what you do here in the gym is only a small part of the picture. It’s what you do outside of the gym – the other 23 hours a day – that will make the biggest difference. You have the capacity to undermine all of the potential benefits of your exercise program by making poor food choices. On the other hand, if you work hard in here, and work hard out there by consistently making healthy food choices, you will increase your rate of improvement exponentially. 

Good nutritional practices, combined with a well-designed high intensity exercise program like CrossFit, means you’ll start to see measurable, meaningful results within the first 30 days. But you can’t hold us to that unless you do your part. We know the food you put in your mouth plays a critical role in achieving your goals – at least as large a role as the training you’ll do with us. And we think it’s important enough that we’ve asked Whole9 to design this Nutrition Implementation Guide for our athletes. Our belief is that a good nutritional program should be centered around eating real food. 

We know that fad diets, crash diets, miracle pills and “meal replacements” are not part of a balanced, sustainable path towards improved health and fitness. Instead, we encourage you to eat high quality meat, fish and eggs, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and healthy sources of dietary fats. You don’t have to count calories, and you don’t have to weigh or measure - in fact, that’s actually discouraged. You won’t find any built-in points or penalties, either - no arbitrary systems that disconnect the food choices you make from their actual physical consequences. You just eat good food, put your meals together in a way that is simple, balanced and (most importantly) sustainable, and experience all of the real, tangible benefits that come from a nutritional plan designed to optimize your metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation and have you looking, feeling and performing your best.' We know this probably looks a whole lot different than what you’re currently eating, and perhaps even what you’ve been told you should eat. But CrossFit is different than any exercise plan you’ve ever tried – and you’re here because you believe our methods are the best way to optimal health and fitness. 

As you trust us with your physical fitness and training, we also ask that you trust us with your nutrition. Because of how critical your nutrition is to your health and performance, we have partnered with the Whole9 organization to bring you the very best in nutrition coaching, information, and accountability. They use cutting edge research (you), combined with a thorough knowledge and extensive experience to give you an extremely basic what to eat and not to eat plan. 

All of your coaches have put their advice to the test and have been amazed with the results. Not only have we seen drastic improvements in body composition and health, but we have seen incredible testimony after testimony come out of athletes willing to put in the effort and do a Whole30.

  • Feb. 29, 2012

    Good afternoon Victorious Ones, it is the time of season when the weather is going to start changing to "warm" or should I say "hot." If you are anything like me I begin to really watch what I eat so I can shed that winter weight so that bikini I bought will look good at the pool, lake, or ocean. I decided that a reminder on what our plates should look like would be a good post for today considering its pretty warm outside and is suppose to be for the rest of week. I hoping to get some outside time this week. Looking through the Whole9's Nutrition Guide it is a great reference tool to keep your plate in line with healthy eating.

    First and foremost eat during the day, and eat meals not just snacks. Your body needs fuel for the day so feed it.

    Protein- base your meal around your protein. I use my hand as a measuring tool for my protein, carbohydrates, and fat to ensure I'm consuming the right amounts of food in my meals. Your protein portion should be the size of your palm, for deli meat fold individual slices and stack them to about the thickness of your palm, and for oddly shaped proteins simply do your best to estimate a palm size portion.

    Carbohydrates- vegetables should be your greatest source of carbohydrates. Eat raw, steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, grilled or sauteed to give variety. A good rule of thumb is choose two vegetables for your plate to vary the taste. Whether you choose fresh or frozen vegetables is up to you. Do what is convenient, but don't replace fruit for your vegetables. My vegetable serving size is the rest of my plate.

    Fruit- Fruit is a carbohydrate. It is not bad for you but should not be the bulk of your carbohydrate portion of your diet. The serving size of fruit should be the size of a closed fist, and you shouldn't eat more than two servings a day. I keep my fruit for my early afternoon snack and late evening snack.

    Fat-The fat serving should be a good fat. In your journals which you log your workouts in there are reference pages in the back that give you list of good fats. These fats are what we are referring to when you select the last part of your meal. Consuming one to two of these in a meal is recommended. The fat should be the length of your thumb for oils and butters and handful size of olives, nuts, and seeds.

    Using this template for your meals should help you feel good in your eating and give you plenty of fuel for your day. I hope you have fantastic WODs and happy eating.

    Coach Kelley

  • Day 30, Feb. 14, 2012

    Happy Valentines Day!!!! I hope you all have a fantastic day and enjoy eating your food today!!!  This recipe is one of my favorites or I left it till the end!! If you get the chance to make it I hope you enjoy it!

    Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers

    1 pound ground beef
    1 chopped onion
    1 can tomatoes with green chilies
    1 hand full chopped cilantro
    1/2 can black olives sliced
    4 yellow bell peppers
    2 tablespoons chili powder
    1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
    1 tablespoon cumin
    1/2 tablespoon red pepper
    1 tablespoon paprika
    1 tablespoon onion powder
    1 teaspoon oregano
    1 tub fresh salsa

    Guac:
    3 avocados
    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    Preheat oven to 350. Brown beef with the seasoning. While it is browning chop the white onion and cilantro. Add onion and cilantro to the beef and saute another 5 minutes. Half and seed the bell peppers. Take one half bell pepper and dice it. Add diced bell pepper, canned tomatoes, and olives to the meat mixture. Spray a glass pan with olive oil and place bell peppers open side up. Push the meat mixture to one side for the pan and tilt it so that any access liquid drains to the other side. Spoon out any excess liquid, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. While they are baking, mash up the avocados and garlic powder. When they are done scoop some guacamole on top and use salsa as desired.

    Last day of the challenge!!! I would just like to tell each of you how fantastic you have done with the challenge. This is truly a hard thing to do and the fact that you took the challenge is truly inspiring!!!! I hope you continue your journey....Congratulations to you all!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Day 29, Feb. 13, 2012

    I thought I would give you something a little different since tomorrow is Valentines Day and we are all still on the challenge! I have heard this is really good. Neil from the box gave me the recipe and advised his family enjoyed it!

    Chocolate Snack Cake

    10 dates (pitted)
    1 cup of unsweetened applesauce or one ripe banana
    3 eggs
    1/2 cup coconut oil
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1/2 cup coconut flower
    1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

    Place dates in a food processor and pulse until completely pureed. Add applesauce or banana and continue to pulse until pureed and combined with dates. Add pureed fruit to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and coffee and mix on low-medium speed until well combined. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low-speed, scraping down the sides, until you have a smooth batter. Grease a 8x8 glass pan with coconut oil, pour in the batter and smooth it with the back of a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. This makes 9-12 servings.

    This contains a lot of fat and should not be a meal. Remember this is only as a treat for Valentines Day! I hope you enjoy! Happy eating and wodding!! Remember essays are due today!

  • Day 28, Feb. 12, 2011

    Today is cold I thought it would be nice to put up a good hardy soup for this evening. Hopefully you will get an opportunity to try it. My kids loved it and it has a little bit of a kick to it. 

    Soup

    2 pounds of shrimp
    4 pounds of fish 
    crab boil
    shrimp bouillon
    broccoli
    salt
    1 table spoon of butter

    Mix all in a large pan and bring to a boil. Once all the shrimp and fish are cooked serve.

    The crab boil gives it a little spice which should be done to taste.

    I hope you all have had a great weekend. This challenge is almost complete....no matter who is the winner...I hope you have all gained something from the challenge!

  • Day 27 Feb 11, 2012

    3 More Days!!!!!

    Several of you have already noticed a significant difference in physique, performance and health. With all that being said take some time and look at what the Whole 9 is working on for the Whole 30 participants.

    Whole 30 photo Project

    Homework #1: Take a Picture

    First, our newest initiative. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so we’re gathering photos to document your Whole30 achievements. It’s simple:

    • Write your accomplishment(s) on a 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper (held horizontally) with a bright, bold marker.
    • Keep it short (and legible). Statements like “I lost 16 pounds,” “No more seasonal allergies!” or “I’m off my diabetes medication” work well.
    • Find an interesting background, and take a photo of you holding your sign, from the waist up. (Don’t forget to SMILE!)
    • Email your photo to us (whole30@whole9life.com).


RSS Feed