No. I can’t. You all ask me this frequently. Once you start learning about ways to change your eating and especially learning about Paleo and Zone you want a book that will tell you what to do and how to do it. I LOVE BOOKS. I love learning about all of this stuff. I spend innumerable hours each week reading, researching, compiling information and making sense of it. There is a boatload of information out there and if you love this stuff like I do then by all means start reading. However, at this point I do not have any one resource I would want my people to use as the “thing-to-follow”. Great to read The Paleo Diet by Dr. Cordain. Great to read one of the zillions of versions of The Zone by Dr. Sears (except the entire book he published claiming you should use soy as protein to stay in the Zone!!). The free CrossFit Journal #21 is also a great resource for learning how to Zone. But, I hope you don’t just start following their instructions as if it is a total, complete package. Neither of those resources is a complete package. I don’t want you to use any nutrition or diet book like that (except of course when I write my own, or maybe when Robb Wolf publishes his). They are all great stepping stones to figuring out what you should do with your own food, but each of you is a unique biochemical individual with a whole lifetime of unique food, sleep, movement, emotion, chemical load, and genetic code that is different from everyone else. What you eat and when you eat it and how much of it you eat depends on who you are. There are some basic guidelines that we can take on which with 99% positivity will be beneficial, like cutting out grains. But there is plenty amiss in the leading books for many of you. The low fat mantra that Dr. Cordain follows for example would put some of you into serious meltdown. His thoughts on salt intake are also questionable as he forgets that the gross, uncivilized Cave Person did things like drink the blood of the animals they killed. Cave Grrrl Jane may not have been following the CrossFit Endurance program here in the Sonoran Desert. Guess what? If she had she would have needed some additional salt. Dr. Sears, who is, certainly a genius and a giant in the world of getting people healthier, has a whole slew of suggestions that make me cringe. His new focus on fish oil and Omega-3 fats is great, but there are plenty of incredible researchers and writers out there who were drawing attention to the need for more careful attention to Omega-6:Omega-3 ratios when Dr. Sears was writing a book about how to stay in the Soy Zone and taking a decidedly Weight Watchers-type approach to eating which goes something like, “bologna, Wonder Bread and Corn Oil can be fine as long as you eat the correct amounts of them”.
So, apologies if I frustrate you all by not giving you “a book”. I’ve accumulated too much seemingly unrelated nutrition information, that when it has been rearranged in my head is pretty damn enlightening, to give you one resource as “it”.
A huge thank you to Daniel and John W. for helping Carl paint this afternoon. It should be obvious that having Daniel around would make painting more enjoyable and we wish John W. was closer and could be here more anyway. And-in an odd twist of fate, John W. and Matt T. did “Helen” today in separate AZ cities. Matt T. finished in just under 10min and John W. in 10:01!
On a completely unrelated note. I’m looking for some fellow CrossFitters to join me at 5:00 this Friday to do “Angie”. If you have a desire to do 100 of your 4 favorite body weight exercises, post to the comments. I need to start right at 5:00pm. Be prepared to listen to Sarah’s Old School Hip Hop Playlist until I am finished!!
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I want to add Chauncey to the list of Thank Yous! Without him staying late on Friday night and coming in early on Saturday morning to tape, float and texture the walls, there would have been few walls for me, Daniel and John to paint!
Thanks Chauncey!
Also, more thanks to Kate, Jenny, Bryon, Robbie and Janice who all played a part in getting the new Record Boards going and to Erik for helping to hang the beams for our Rings to hang from!
Everyday the gym looks a little better because of the great clients who pitch in to help!
And finally, a REALLY BIG “Thank You” to our Supreme Blogger, Jennifer Higgins for todays excellent post, which also marks CrossFit Works “100th Blog Post”. Great work Jen! Keep it up!
Thanks again everyone!
Carl
“Angie” would have been fun, but I’ll be in Phx! I think I would have finally been able to do it as rxd.
10:01 but sadly not observed by a trainer or recorded to digital media. Maybe if the stars align and my sacrifice is acceptable, I’ll get it again on Friday.
Jen, here is a specific question about nutrition and research. What about the eggs? Cave grrl was not eating so many, Barry Sears favors the whites over the yokes (although he says to infrequently eat the yoke), Andrew Weil puts eggs way up on his food pyramid (and both he and Sears like oats in the morning – which seem to be the antithesis of eggs), and doctors at large warn against excessive cholesterol intake, etc… These folks are basing their recommendations on a lot of research that they document in their books and literature. Why do you promote 3 whole eggs each morning? I generally feel good about the diet we have been following for the past month, but the eggs are starting to freak me out.
One more thing. I find it interesting that Sears and Weil both focus their nutrition recommendations on anti-inflammatory diets. What do you think of ‘painless inflammation’? Also, I appreciate that you are recommending the opposite of what many others promote and are a freethinker. I strongly believe that most of the time doing the opposite of others is the right thing to do – although it conflicts with the cult mentality of CF at large. OK, I’m done.
I eat 6 eggs every morning except for a few days where I will eat 4 and make the other 2 protein blocks up with lean ham or other meat. I’ve been eating this many for about the last 6 months and, at age 43, have been making more performance and strength gains than any time in the last 20 years. Eggs are my most steady source of protein. I alternate between the cheap eggs and the expensive (supposedly cage free, natural) ones. I can’t wait to get some chickens here and feed them all the fruit cores, rinds, and cuttings that we throw down the disposal as well as garden trimmings and get them eating bugs and such. I expect those eggs to be like miracle-grow for humans.
The anti-egg people tend to be anti-fat and that seems to be why some studies say that the yokes aren’t good for you. I’ve only heard good things about the quality of protein in egg whites. Regarding fat- I’m also taking extra fish oil (2 tablespoons of cod liver oil a day) and have not had the inflamation problems that I was having 2 years ago.
There are so many studies and thoughts out there regarding nutrition, it’s hard to know what to believe. Zone/paleo is a great way to start personalizing your own diet (not that I’m any kind of expert here). After several years of experimenting with zone/paleo, I try to tweak something every 3 months and see how it feels. That tells me more than any study can.
Chauncey, thanks for the anecdotal evidence. However, I would like to see where a lot of Jen’s recommendations are coming from. I certainly am starting to believe in many aspects of the Paleo diet (from my recent experience), but, as a science guy, I need to be able to understand the basis for the recommendations. Are they coming from 1 study or 100? One book or 10? Peer reviewed journals? Are they hypotheses, proven research, or anecdotal? For example, if you say Celiac disease is “highly under-reported” you should probably mention on what basis you are making that claim although it sounds correct. Perhaps the newsletters could list some more references, links, or citations so that we know where the information is rooted.
Your personal improvements may be due to working out harder, fine tuning your schedule, rest, paint fumes, working out with with Dave’s crew, or ?? Perhaps the improvements have no correlation to eggs. Have you tried no eggs? I think you need controlled studies to display meaningful correlations. What if the amount of eggs you eat is giving you a power surge now and will result in an increased risk of a heart attack at age 50? Are you willing to make that trade off? In addition, placebo effects are effects just the same. We want to believe in something.
Erik, I’m going to leave all the egg business to Jen, but “doing the opposite of others is the right thing to do” definitely does not conflict with CF. The CF methodology is fundamentally opposed to what the majority of the population does to train fitness.
Erik,
Please make sure that I have actually said what you attribute to me. I have never told anyone to eat 3 eggs every morning. In fact I have suggested to vary your meals as much as possible. If you would like me to write you an article with footnotes and references I’d be happy to, but not for free which is how I do the newsletter. The newsletters are nothing more than my offerings to you all based on my years of research. They are my way of having a conversation with many people at once. You might believe I should approach my work differently, and if you were one of my nutrition clients and you asked for peer reviewed journal articles I’d be happy to provide you some. As you know, you and I have the same science degree, so I’m sure our approach to learning has some similarities. In addition, you might want to look more carefully at the research that all those Drs. cite. I have looked at quite a lot of it and do not find it particularly impressive in terms of its science. You may equate “free thinker” with simply being contrary, but I do not. I do not advocate any particular nutrition position to be oppositional. I advocate what I have learned through years of research on food and health. Each week, there is a different resource cited on the whiteboard in the gym. You can start with those if you are looking for references. From my perspective, I find Dr. Sears’ suggestion to only eat egg whites to be as terrible as his book about staying in the Soy Zone. I find much of what Dr. Weil says to be helpful and much of it is not convincing to me. However, if you experience fear regarding a certain food then it can’t be nourishing for you, so if you freak about eggs then don’t eat them. I have discussed many times with people that Paleo people ate seasonally, so the logical conclusion is that many foods would have been available only seasonally. The fear that has infiltrated you and the majority of mainstream nutrition researchers regarding eggs is based on the fear of cholesterol. There is a plethora of research that debunks the concerns about dietary cholesterol. I gave you some resources in the first newsletter that will help you understand more about cholesterol. I would draw your attention especially to Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. Dr. Sears and Dr. Weil are simply advocating a diet that is very different from the one we’ve been eating since the 1940s. Since WW II our intake of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats has been drastically altered. A diet high in Omega-6 fats is pro-inflammatory. Dr. Sears and Dr. Weil are promoting a return to a pre-modern diet. Unfortunately, they haven’t done their homework regarding chickens and eggs. Eggs are high in anti-inflammatory fats and low in cholesterol if they have been raised in Chauncey’s backyard. If you would like to look at lab analyses of eggs you can find a database at Mother Earth News. Dr. Sears and Dr. Weil also are propagating an approach to food that got us into trouble in the first place-eating stuff that isn’t whole food, like partial eggs and Canola Oil. I do not drive a bandwagon. I don’t ask people to jump on it. I hope everyone thinks critically and objectively about all suggestions regarding their health and wellness. I think you should have more confidence in your fellow CrossFit Works members-my experience of them is that they do not do things because they “want to believe in something” as you say, but because they are working diligently, thoughtfully and consciously to find paths to wellness so that their enjoyment of life increases. I have the utmost respect for everyone who has studied food with me. It is scary to have your status quo beliefs challenged, and it is an honor for me to be included in anyone’s process of improving their wellness.
Jen, I must say how grateful I am to you. I am so appreciative of all the amazing hard work you do for us. You consistently go far and above what one would ever expect from his or her gym! You are the best.
Thanks for the response. My comments were pertaining to two things (and I believe misinterpreted). The first was eggs. I was following your earlier suggestions and started to look into other ideas about eggs. I was not looking for anecdotes about eggs but trying to understand why I was eating so many eggs and why some experts were not that into it. I am not a nutritionist so my research is rudimentary compared to an expert. I was looking for something I could believe in to support eggs. I really took the early suggestions of 9/1 to heart (especially point 2) and have been experimenting with them:
“It is time to set a new goal. Here are some suggestions:
1. If you still have processed foods or artificial foods in make it a
priority to cut those out.
2. If you are not eating protein and fat at breakfast, get that in there.
And none of you, not even the strictest Zoners should be eating less than
3 eggs for breakfast.
3. If you are eating snacks and have fat loss as a goal, cut them out.
4. Make sure you get a heap o’ vegetables twice per day (unless you are
on a mass gain program).”
The second point was to highlight that many folks are changing a lot of things at the same time (diet, excercise, lifestyle) and it is difficult to identify what things are having measurable impacts on the changes in health and fitness. Chauncey voiced his vote for eggs. I like Chauncey and value 20 years of experience, but I was highlighting the Possibility of the placebo because it is a real effect. I was not belittling myself and my fellow crossfitters, but instead suggesting that you have to believe or else why bother. I was suggesting that folks would not be at CF if they did not believe in something (not necessarily blindly). I suppose that my belief in consuming eggs was waning and was interested in knowing more about eggs. I, like many others, obviously trust you and believe in your methods of improving wellness; otherwise I would not be so interested in where your information on eggs is coming from. I looked into eggs and much of the info that was moderately easy to find ran contrary to yours. I wondered how many experts agree with your egg ideas and I was sure you had some interesting stuff to support your suggestion of egg intake. Sorry, didn’t mean to create extra work for you or to polarize through inquiry, but a big Thanks for the egg info.
If eggs are your fat and protein source for breakfast then you need at least 3, that is for a small woman. You can always use something besides eggs for your fat and protein.
Touche Nikki….and who came up with the WOD?!
…it was eggeriffic! Thanks for pushing me arse Andres!
Wow, the poor egg is taking a beating in this thread. So, I would like to add my two cents…I find the egg to be both “incredible” and “edible”! Wow, that sounds so good the egg industry should market that s%#t!
Many of you are aware that I used to compete in bodybuilding in my late teens and early 20′s. And in doing so, I, like many other meatheads of oiled-up and fake tans past (and probably even present), used to eat a ridiculous amount of the same foods, day-in and day-out. This would include hard-boiled eggs. How many you ask? Well, anywhere from two to four dozen eggs a day (dozen each sitting). I did this for over three years, and my bloodwork has NEVER (now or then) come back with elevated cholesterol levels, high LDL’s, or any other lipid abnormality. And both my parents have hypercholesterolemia. I realize that everyone is slightly different, but I thought I would come to the defense of a food that provides so much revenue for the egg-dye industry.
Erik, this is an open forum and that’s why I spoke up. If you want a response just from Jen, then email her personally or just re-read her original post (because she answered your request in her first sentence). When you start tracking down all those scientific studies you’re hungering for, you’ll be sorting through a lot of junk science to get to the useful info (many thanks to Jen for doing a lot of that for us). Part of the reason that our food supply and diet is in the state they’re in is because common sense has taken a back seat to science (check out http://www.polyfacefarms.com for much more un-scientific evidence that makes perfect sense).
To summarize the points from my earlier post: 1) do not be afraid of the eggs 2) there are many conflicting scientific studies on nutrition. That’s all I was trying to say.
Regarding your comment on anecdotal evidence in relation to paleo-zone & crossfit (turn off your scientific filter and turn on your common-sense filter, this is laden with opinions, personal experience, and anecdotal evidence): I don’t need scientific studies to believe in the benefits of paleo-zone nutrition combined with crossfit. I only need vision, an internet connection, and the ability to self-experiment. Vision- to see the incredibly superior (I know- such over-generalizations- where are the measurements..!!!???) athletes that crossfit is turning out in combination with this nutrition program. An internet connection- to read (my) trusted sources (Robb Wolf, Weston Price, Arthur de Vany, crossfit message board, performance menu, and our own Nutrition Goddess- Jen). I let them sort through the scientific research, and trust them because of their proven results, then I further sort their info to my heart’s desire and figure out what works for me and what doesn’t. Self-experimentation- to see and FEEL the effects of these concepts on my body and then make necessary refinements as needed.
Paleo-zone is about as measureable as you can get in terms of quality and quantity without being hooked up to a feeding tube. It is very specific, so when I tell you that I’m eating paleo-zone, that means I’m eating quality whole foods (paleo) in very specific amounts (zone- 17 blocks currently). I have had a food scale on my counter for at least 5 years and still use it. My measurements are perfect blood-work, seldom getting sick, and not having been to the Dr. in over 5 years (other than blood-work and one case of bursitis from too many pull-ups and not enough fish oil). Dave’s class has definitely helped with my gains but Dave could put me through the grinder 4-5 days a week and I wouldn’t make any gains if I wasn’t eating right. Eggs are only one source of my protein- I would be fine without them but I’m not afraid of them. Sound nutrition- no placebo here. I don’t need a study done on someone else’s body to know how GOOD I feel.
Regarding placebo effects- it sounds like that is what you wish to gain from the studies. You want to believe in something.
Jump on in- drink some Kool-Aid. Embrace the egg.
Hold on folks. I was just asking for some more info from anyone on a very specific topic, the egg, because I am no expert on nutrition. I am glad you (especially Chauncey) all spoke up. Most of the nutrition suggestions make sense to me but I was just questioning the value of the egg. I am not anti-egg, anti-CF, or certainly not anti-Jen. I am pro-question though. I understand that several of my CF cohort have been throwing back loads of eggs and they are still kicking. Hey, I ate loads of anything and everything throughout college, gulp, nearly 20 years ago, and competed at the highest level in soccer and felt great too.
I still contend that when there are so many components to the CF/Paleo experience, it is difficult to understand which ones are influential for improving wellness. Chauncey, by telling me that CF athletes are super strong and that the Paleo-zone/CF combo is great is like telling me that the Earth is round. But, asking about the benefits of one movement like the kipping pullup, or one food like the egg, is a different matter. I am a bit bewildered at the responses to my question. Read the lines of my posts, not between them. As the first line of the post says, there is no resource that answers everything, but I know that there are answers to specific questions. It is interesting that people are coming to the the defense of things that are not under attack. I suppose that shows how strong the CF community is, which is why I’m glad to be a part of it. Chauncey, I’ll hold off on the Kool-Aid for now and stick to a more thought provoking beer.
Since you seem so pedantic about the zone/paleo guidelines I would recommend cutting out that beer before worrying about eggs. With diet/fitness it’s easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees…
Dave, please stop egging me on.
Has anyone counted how many times the word egg has been used?
I think “I am the Walrus” by the Beatles should be played once daily.
Here’s an excerpt:
Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come.
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody tuesday.
Man, you been a naughty boy, you let your face grow long.
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob.
Jen, congrats on your 100th post! May we always remember this one as “The Pedantic Egg”. And to end on a lighter note:
Where can you find more info on eggs…?
In the Hen-cyclopedia..!
Ok, it’s not the best egg joke out there- feel free to post your best egg joke to make this the longest post yet.
A better one:
A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette with a satisfied smile on its face and the egg is frowning and looking a bit pissed off. The egg mutters, to no-one in particular, “Well, I guess we answered THAT question!”
HA!! Good one sweety! I laughed right out loud… (while I’m at work).
For the eggsperienced…
When trying to define the difference between involvement and commitment, think about a bacon and egg breakfast:
The hen was involved while the pig was committed.
poor pig- see what happens…?
Tony, I hear this challenge calling your name! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNyl6gXLMLQ
I could Not eggsist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNndX9qua1o
Happy day all!
Loved the cigarette one Chauncey!!