Uh Oh, Paleo...

Yes, it's finally that time. Time to buckle down on nutrition and challenge ourselves with the paleo diet. However, I hate the word "diet" because it has such a negative connotation, so let's just call it a lifestyle change. I've talked about paleo for quite some time with my clients, family, friends and even had a poor attempt at it (2 days. Okay, 1 day) a few months back. As I ramp up my clients' training intensity, as well as my own, it's only fitting that we start to focus on nutrition as well. After all, how do we expect our bodies to perform at a higher level when we're not fueling them properly?

Paleo is definitely a huge challenge to undertake and shouldn't be taken lightly. It takes planning and serious will-power to change your eating habits. The paleo lifestyle requires that people eat meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and natural oils. Notice what it does NOT include? All grains, dairy, sugars, legumes, most alcohol and basically anything processed. Yikes! The idea of no bread really bums me out, while the thought of no cheese had some of my clients in a serious uproar. Everyone definitely had their concerns about the foods not included in paleo. However, if you look at the list of foods you can eat, there are many different options, you just have to be a little creative.

Picture taken from here.

While I'm a little nervous about starting the paleo lifestyle, I'm also very excited to see how it makes me feel while working out and in my daily life. Mainly, I am looking forward to seeing the positive results that our dedicated clients will have. With that said, throw out all the processed junk in your house and make a commitment to work just as hard on your nutrition as you do in the gym. You're never going to see the fruits of all your hard work in the gym if you keep eating badly. Remeber, a six pack is made in the kitchen folks!

A picture of my abs post-paleo and serious
spray-tanning/photoshop. Just kidding, but
I'm sure she's done paleo!

***Check out the CrossFit Turlock website for more information on the paleo lifestyle.