I Wanna be a Caveman...

By Leeny Hoffmann - Senior Cavewoman

The 2014 Crossfit StL Paleo Challenge is underway.  Twenty five eager participants have committed to the 6-week paleo journey that started January 13th and will finish on Friday February 21st. We kicked off our challenge with a nutrition seminar and paleo expo featuring some of the amazing services offered by local vendors who make living a paleo lifestyle a little easier.  Pre pictures and measurements were taken and the book "It Starts With Food" by Dallas and Mellisa Hartwig was handed out to all participants for required reading.  Honestly, if you don't understand WHY we do what we do, and it doesn't make sense to you, you will struggle.  Knowledge is power and making informed choices about our food is empowering.

We have a unique cross section of challengers this time presenting with different goals and circumstances.   While some people would like to lean out, get stronger, and perform better, others want to improve symptoms of IBS, arthritis, skin issues, and improve fertility.  We will use the paleo, evolutionary template in an attempt to meet the variety of needs of our athletes.  While it may not be a panacea for everything, it is the logical place to start.  People are often shocked to find out that making dietary changes was the answer to long standing health issues they've been enduring for years with little luck from medications and other treatments.  It seems that the diet that prevents disease is the same one that cures disease!

We will celebrate our accomplishments with a Paleo Potluck party at Leeny's Cave on Feb 21.   I am so proud of the commitment and energy the paleo challengers put into learning about this lifestyle and assure them that there are no downsides to trying it out...except, of course, the fact that we cut out alcohol for 30 days...but it's all a powerful positive step in the right direction!  We can do anything for 30 days, right?  

Join us on Wednesday nights at 6:00 at The Hot Pot on Manchester road, just west of Geyer.  The CrossFit St. Louis Pot Heads meet there to eat good food, talk paleo, share tips and ideas and just chill out with like minded folks.  If you wanna be part of the cool cats, you will meet us!  All are welcome.

For a great article on what our dietary guidelins SHOULD be (spoiler alert:  it looks like paleo), check out this great article from Breaking Muscle.   

Also, if you are looking for a FABULOUS cookbook, I've found the best paleo cookbook out there.  (And I have a LOT).  It's called Nom Nom Paleo by Amy Tam and is written by the wonderful lady behind the Nom Nom Paleo Blog.  If you need a go to cookbook that turns out amazing recipes every time, you need to order this today.

 

Deprived?  I don't think so!!  Just good, quality food.