CFM 2014 Spring Paleo Challenge

Is every one ready for the CrossFit Macomb Paleo challenge? This is going to take extra commitment - but will be completely worth with. This is not a weight loss competition. This Challange is a way to better your health, performance, and life.

First the rules:
The CrossFit Macomb Paleo Challenge will cover the next 4 weeks (from the Monday after Easter until the Monday before Memorial Day) starting Monday, April 21st. You will receive points each day (see below) with a max of 10 points available per day. At the end of the 4 weeks, we will tally up the points and declare a winner of the challenge.  The scoring of the Paleo Challenge is based on the ground rules of CrossFit Macomb

1. Eat Well
2. Rest (Sleep)
3. CrossFit

Each day we will be posting in the Facebook event page titled Paleo Challenge: Day #. You can post your score for the day to the comments. Be sure to encourage others on the challenge. Post your own tips, recipes, and progress to the page to keep each other motivated and share new ideas.

Prizes:
The athlete with the most wins at the end of the four weeks will receive a ONE MONTH MEMBERSHIP.
The top three athletes with the most wins at the end of the four weeks will receive a new CFM shirt.


Cost:
If you want to be considered for PRIZES and included in the tally we are asking that you pay $10 to enter the Paleo Challenge.

Scoring:
Receive one (1) point per each paleo meal/snack (see What to Eat below) max seven (7) per day
Receive one (1) point per each WOD max 2 per day (can do CFM WOD and add a strength WOD or an endurance WOD)
Receive one (1) point for 7-9 hours of sleep
Total ten (10) points per day max.

Lose one (1) point for each meal/snack with a grain, legume, milk, or processed supplement portion (see What to Eat #2, #4, #5, #6, and #7 below).
Lose two (2) points for each meal/snack with a sugary sweet portion (see What to Eat #3 below).

EXTRA Credit:
Receive one (1) extra point a day for journaling what you eat during this Challenge and posting it to the Facebook event page. I would also include changes that you experience and how it is making you feel.
Receive one (1) extra point per day for posting a picture of your Paleo meal to the Facebook Page also. Look out for weekly extra credit challenges posted to the event page. :)

Again, there is a max of ten (10) points per day.


What to Eat?
Paleo meal/snack is as follows:
1. YES to meat, seafood, vegetables, some fruit, eggs, nuts, and seeds. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, seafood, tuna, salmon, shrimp. Avocado, asparagus, arugula, spinach, broccoli, celery, sweet potatoes, yams, any type of leafy green, red cabbage, artichoke. Berries, melon, pomegranate. Chicken eggs, ostrich eggs. (no Do Do eggs). Almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts. If it walks and grows you can eat it.
2. No to processed foods. Pretty much anything in the middle of the grocery store. Can't recognize it growing or running around in the wild? Don't eat it.
3. No to sugar. I don't care whether it's super natural 100% organic fair trade sugar from the honey of communitarian bees, ITS STILL SUGAR. No sweeteners, no agave nectar, honey or maple syrup.
4. No grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, cereal, oatmeal, corn and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa and sprouted grains.
5. No to legumes. Peanuts, peanut-butter, beans, peas, lentils.
6. No to dairy. Milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
7. Less alcohol. No sugary mixers, no beer or alcohols containing gluten, wine or hard liquor. Limited to one serving a day.
8. Fewer sweet fruits and starchy vegetables. Bananas, eating a bunch of apples, dried fruit, or white potatoes. (If you have serious inflammation issues like arthritis, you may want to consider avoiding all nightshades for 30 days.)
9. Cook with real fats. If you're cooking, then cook with lard or animal fat. If you don't have that, then cook with coconut oil, olive oil.

Now, if you are new to CrossFit, and new to changing your diet (not just "dieting") then I would suggest that you make this a ZONE diet. Making a change to Paleo without Zone may be very difficult and lead to failure. I really want to see people succeed at changing their diet. Again, this is going to be a lifestyle change that will not be easy and you may not want to go back (or at least make a hybrid diet that is not as restricting by just as beneficial).


For more resources on Paleo, check out http://robbwolf.com/faq/ and http://thepaleodiet.com/faq/

Both are great resources, there guidelines may differ slightly from our "rules" but you will get the gist.

Not only is the Paleo Challenge good for you but it will change your life.