http://www.fit4younutrition.com/index.htmlThis is a new website launched by Machine at CrossFit Vancouver. She is a competitive weightlifter and one of CrossFit's most knowledgeble nutrition guru's. This new site has a ton of great resources and articles and also gives you the ability to book a consultation and meal plan with Machine. I will be doing this myself and will update you on what I think of it. Below is an article on the importance of protein in your diet.
Article 4-Protein Protein is the primary fuel used to repair cells and enzymes. A meal rich in protein will encourage high adrenaline, norepinephrine levels with consequent high alertness where as a meal rich in simple sugars and low in protein usually increases brain serotonin levels leading to a very replaced or even sleepy state. To maintain your lean muscle mass you should be eating between .7 and 1.5 grams of protein for every lb of lean muscle mass. Meat-While any meat is better than no meat, grass-fed (free range) meat will always be a better choice because it is richer in Omega 3 fatty acids (
see article 8), lower in fat (like wild game/bison) and less likely to be tainted with hormones and pesticides. • If you are worried about the saturated fats in Red Meat (which there is a debate as to whether you should be or not-see
Article 8) eat: Veal steak, sirloin steak, lean flank steak, skinless turkey and chicken breast, lean tenderloin and lean pork chops and stay away from fattier cuts such as T-bone steak, ground beef, ribs, shoulder roast, wings and thighs. Try to vary it up as often as possible.• Try having red meat first thing in the morning. The androgens in red meat will wake up your receptors and prime your body for both metabolism and muscle growth. You also find that you will stay full for longer than if you were to have some of the more “traditional” breakfast options.• Freezing meets can destroy up to 50% of their content of thianin and riboflavin and 70% of their content of Pantothenic acid.• Warning about lean meats: lean meats pose more of a challenge for your body than fatty meats, although fats have an acidic affect, they leave a neutral ash (see appendix 4-the acid base balance). Lean meats on the other hand not only have an acidifying effect, they leave an acid ash making it harder for your body to digest.• 100g of animal meat=20g proteinFish-Fresh fish has virtually no smell, as soon as it starts to go bad, fish produces a chemical called tri-methylane which gives it the fishy odour. It’s a definite sign of spoilage. The first rule of buying fish is: if it smells, don’t buy it. The next rule is to avoid certain types of fish all together. Avoid sword fish (mercury & PCB Contamination), oysters, mussels & Clams (lad contamination) and yellowfin and big eye tuna (mercury contamination). Also avoid buying fish from polluted areas. Fish from Alaska, Australia and new Zealand tend to be the safest bets.• Best canned fish tends to be wild Alaskan salmon or Albacore (white Tuna). Also try Sardines packed in water as they are higher in calcium and lower in sodium than other canned varieties.Eggs-Many people are concerned about the cholesterol content in eggs but for most healthy people it is not a major concern and actually a necessary component of our diet (see section 2.3). Hard boiled eggs can be an easy to transport protein snack and omelets or poached eggs on fruit are an ideal breakfast. Egg whites can also be easily added to shakes, soups and stews for added protein (although be careful about eating egg whites alone as they can spike insulin levels-
see article 11• Modern agriculture has reduced the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in commercially available eggs. For example, organic eggs from hens allowed to feed on insects and green plants can contain omega 6 and 3 fatty acids in the beneficial ration of approximately 1:1, but commercial supermarket eggs from hens in cages fed mostly grains can contain as much as 19xs more omega 6 than 3. To help counteract this, you can get Omega 3 enriched eggs where the chickens have been fed flax seeds resulting in a much more beneficial ration than commercial eggs. o Be careful about overdoing eggs as they are a common food allergen and food sensitivities can develop overtime (
see article 14). Mix it up!o The yolk has nutrients that are denatured when cooked through so eat eggs soft boiled, sunny side up or over easy when you can.
