Diet Suggestions for 75 Hard and Beyond | Fortitide
A guide to eating healthy and exercising. This post discusses the difference between the primal, paleo, Whole 30 diets as well as what food should be consumed when leveling up your wellness
First thing I am going to start of by saying is that I truly dislike the word or phase “Diet” to mean an alteration from your normal eating habits. I truly believe in consistency and a solid well designed nutrition and wellness plan that are a part of your overall life plan, to fuel your life by design. Also, these suggestions are based on own my personal experiences, 29 years in the fitness and nutrition industry, and extensive research and reading. That said, everyone is different and you will need consistency and regular check-ins to make lasting body composition changes.
We are what we eat and we evolved eating a certain way!
Primal
Our ancient ancestors survived by eating foods they could hunt and gather — a seasonal menu, if you will. And research has found that this style of diet may help lower the risk of many diseases often associated with poor diet quality.
The main focus of the primal diet is high quality whole foods that are minimally processed (if at all) and organic (when possible). The primal diet encourages eating only the foods our primal ancestors may have had access to, including:
fruit
vegetables
meat
fish
raw and fermented dairy
nuts
seeds
Processed foods are out sorry, no burgers and fries in the wild , (naked burger with avocado and air fried sweet potato fries is if you’ve earned your carbs), along with grains (like wheat and corn) and low fat dairy products. The Primal lifestyle is championed by Mark Sisson and his book The Primal Blueprint and he also has an amazing blog with tons of information and resources called Marks Daily Apple. The Primal “diet” is part of an overall system and can be found below or in his Book.
Paleo
Paleo is very similar to Primal with one major distinction, in Primal we believe that our early ancestors would have consumed the milk products of the animals they harvested so in Primal, fermented dairy is acceptable whereas in Paleo it isn’t. I have personally lived the Paleo lifestyle for a year and I lost over 50lbs, my error was that I didn’t tie it to resistance training.
Robb Wolf is one of the foremost recognized experts within the Paleo movement. He has a value packed blog and he suggests that there are many health benefits to this lifestyle. Here is a graphic
Paleo vs. Primal
Why do you avoid healthy, whole grains?
Contrary to popular belief, whole grains are not so healthy to human beings. We simply have not adapted to be able to digest grains. Grains contain toxic anti-nutrients, lectins, gluten, and phytates, and we as human beings are not wired to be able to properly digest these anti-nutrients.To quote Mark Sisson: “Lectins are bad. They bind to insulin receptors, attack the stomach lining of insects, bind to human intestinal lining, and they seemingly cause leptin resistance. And leptin resistance predicts a “worsening of the features of the metabolic syndrome independently of obesity”. Fun stuff, huh? Gluten might be even worse. Gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley, is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. Around 1% of the population are celiacs, people who are completely and utterly intolerant of any gluten. In celiacs, any gluten in the diet can be disastrous. We’re talking compromised calcium and vitamin D3 levels, hyperparathyroidism, bone defects. Really terrible stuff. And it gets worse: just because you’re not celiac doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the ravages of gluten. As Stephan highlights, one study showed that 29% of asymptomatic (read: not celiac) people nonetheless tested positive for anti-gliadin IgA in their stool. Anti-gliadin IgA is an antibody produced by the gut, and it remains there until it’s dispatched to ward off gliadin – a primary component of gluten. Basically, the only reason anti-gliadin IgA ends up in your stool is because your body sensed an impending threat – gluten. If gluten poses no threat, the anti-gliadin IgA stays in your gut. And to think, most Americans eat this stuff on a daily basis.Phytates are a problem, too, because they make minerals bio-unavailable (so much for all those healthy vitamins and minerals we need from whole grains!), thus rendering null and void the last, remaining argument for cereal grain consumption.” Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/#ixzz1nc1L5iGT
Get the BOOK and Read the BLOG
Whole 30
This is a 30 day program, to reset your genetic make up and to act as a nutritional cleanse. Its very simple, follow this program for 30 days then transition to a permanent lifestyle like Paleo or Primal, here are the rules
For 30 days do this:
Eat meat, seafood, and eggs; vegetables and fruit; natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings. Eat foods with a simple or recognizable list of ingredients, or no ingredients at all because they’re whole and unprocessed.
For 30 days DO NOT do this:
If you are interested in learning more about this or the program guidelines check out Whole 30 101
Keys to success:
Educate yourself by reading, learning, listening and discussing with others.
Listen to your body (not someone else’s mouth)
Set a SMART Goal (ask me if you don’t know)
Be consistent
Track results
Make adjustments that take you closer to your goals
Find an accountability partner or get a COACH
To have a confidential, no judgement, complimentary consultation to see if coaching is right for you, please schedule a strategy session with me, by booking a 1 hour calendar slot with me HERE
To join other like minded growth warriors, please visit us at The Fort
Disclaimer: I currently do not support the KETO diet.
