CrossFit Nutrition Guide

Most of us have a general understanding of what a healthy diet means. No sugars, healthy fats and plenty of fruits and veggies are the foundation of a healthy diet. However, nutrition is more complex than that, especially when you are aiming for athletic performance. As CrossFit is the most intense training program in the world, nutrition is critical for the people who practice it. In the following lines, we will discuss some important nutritional guidelines for performance, and we will also reveal some clever tricks that can help you establish some healthy eating habits.

1.      General nutrition guidelines for athletes

Food is like fuel to your body, so what you eat will directly reflect in how your body feels and looks. Make no mistake, your body is very smart, and it will find ways to sustain itself even when you are not providing it with the best nutrition, but when you aim for performance, you need to give your body exactly what it needs to reach perform according to your plan. Furthermore, keep in mind that there are no shortcuts when it comes to nutrition, so even if you may have heard some of these tips before, that doesn’t make them less valuable.

• Eat enough proteins – The mechanics of muscle growth are very simple. First, your muscles must tear, after which they rebuild themselves stronger and bigger than before. For this to happen, your body needs the precious amino acids that it gets for proteins. So, proteins must be a part of every snack and meal. The recommended amount is a palm-sized portion for women and two palm-sized portions for men. Make sure to eat quality proteins that you can get from lean meat and eggs. You can also get quality plant based proteins from beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, sprouts and bio soy products.
• Drink plenty of water – For a normal person, the recommended daily water intake is 8 cups of water. However, when you work out intensively, you need a lot more. In fact, you might even consider drinking as close to a gallon of water pay day. You might have to force yourself a little at first, but after a while you will learn to listen to your body’s hydration signals.
• Eat healthy carbs – Contrary to popular belief, carbs are not bad, as long as they are not processed. So, don’t be afraid of healthy carbs like brown rice, oats, fruit, starchy veggies or quinoa.
• Get friendly with veggies – Vegetables should be a big part of your diet, and you should include them in every meal, even breakfast. Make sure your diet includes veggies of different colors, with green vegetables as the foundation.
• Some fats are good for you – A thumb sized portion of healthy fats is essential at every meal. Add variety to your diet by alternating different fats like coconut oil, avocado, nuts, olive oil and fish oil.

2.      Create healthy eating habits

Having a good understanding of a healthy diet is one thing, but putting it into practice is a whole different story. Our advice is to consult with a nutritionist to identify your nutritional state and make a plan for improvements. You can also talk with gym trainers as they have a lot of experience and knowledge when it comes to nutrition for performance. If you live in New York, consider joining the Brick gym. It is one of the best gyms Near Grand Central Station, and at Brick you will find all the support that you will need to learn how to eat for performance.

The trick to creating healthy eating habits is not to change your lifestyle, but to find healthy habits that fit your lifestyle and are easy for you to follow. For example, if you have a very busy lifestyle, don’t follow a diet that forces you to cook sophisticated recipes. Instead, look for simple recipes that require little to no cooking and find healthy nearby restaurants.  Moreover, don’t neglects your body’s signals. If you feel the need to snack several times throughout the day, by all means do that. Just make sure to pack your fridge with healthy snacks.