Okay, we're getting some great questions, and I figured instead of you all scouring the comments, I'd post some of them here:
Q. What about coconut sap as a sweetener?
A. Here's the deal: during the first 30 of your 45, sugar is sugar is sugar. We don't care if it's low on the glycemic index...what we're trying to do is break you of the need for sugar. Now there may come a time and place in the future when you wish to play with some honey, coconut sap, etc. But for the first 30, we want you really focusing on keeping added sugars (and any fake sugars, for that matter) out of your life!
Q. A lot of times, I eat until i'm mostly full, but keep the food out and spread eating out over a long period. Often times, I'll eat a meal over an hour or so period. Go back for seconds later, etc. Also, when I have nuts in with my meal, that is usually a snack part way between meals, not actually eaten with the meal. Should I separate these out?
A. Try to eat that one meal in one sitting. We still want for you to take your time to enjoy your meals, but try to get all that protein, carb and fat in at one sitting. That way, instead of potentially mindlessly snacking on nuts in between meals, we have a better sense of your satiety, if that meal completely filled you up, if maybe next time you need more protein at that meal, etc. Best approach seems to be to eat your meal until you are full (including all those macronutrients), and then see when hunger hits again. Your meals should keep you full for 4-5 hours (at least). In today's working world, this tends to work out pretty well, in that you eat your breakfast, get hungry again at lunch, then supper rolls around and you are ready to eat again.
Nutrient properties of pastured eggs vs. factory farmed eggs
Q. I'm really tired of eggs for breakfast. Any suggestions?
A. Somewhere in the history books we were told that eggs, cereal, bagels, danishes, oatmeal, are what you eat for breakfast, and that if you eat anything else you are weird. In our house, we eat food for breakfast. Sometimes our breakfast is a leftover burger with some veggies and guac. Sometimes our breakfast is salmon with some salad and olive oil drizzled over. Sometimes our breakfast is wild boar sausage from Pine Street Market sauteed with zucchini and onions with some avocado. Find some protein, some carbs (veggies) and some fat, and eat! If you are bored with eggs, no one says you have to eat only eggs at breakfast. Get a little creative...
Q. I read that we should limit the number of eggs to 6 per week. Is that true?
A. This is a great question, and one that pops up a lot from well-read folks. Back when Dr. Loren Cordain first published The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet For Athletes, he recommended limiting the number of eggs per week. His tune has since changed for the most part...however, both Cordain and Robb Wolf do have the caveat out there that if you are struggling with some autoimmune issues, you may wish to eliminate eggs for a while to see if that remedies the problems (along with some other potentially problematic foods - nightshades, nuts, etc.). You can geek out on some of his explanation (for the change in heart on eggs) here. Be sure to read the comments, too. But for what we've seen, we do not see a need to limit egg consumption. There are some posts over on PaleoHacks from some folks who eat 10+ eggs a day (eggs are a great and cheap protein source!).
Q. What is your opinion on a post-WOD recovery snack?
A. I think everyone should eat something post-WOD (within 30-60 minutes), but what that "something" is depends on a lot of things... so who was the WODer (someone who is wanting to lean out? Someone who is already lean? Someone who just finished a grueling 50-60 minute met-con? Someone who just finished lifting some heavy crap and did a short met-con?)? Each of those people would necessitate some tweaks to the post-WOD recovery snack (or meal). In Cordain's The Paleo Diet For Athletes (which we have), it seems to me that their perspective (who their audience is) tends to lean more towards the endurance athlete, and those athletes training in specific for a particular event (he mentions those training for an event that lasts 2-90 minutes - like an 800m runner prepping for a meet...then mentions those training for events that last 90 minutes to a few hours, etc.). If your regular exercise program is CrossFit training, I wouldn't get too focused on that book. Furthermore, that book was written in 2005, and Cordain has changed his perspective on a few topics as I mentioned above with the eggs (read this synopsis for statements about quite a few things that Cordain has had a change of heart about...like canola oil, artificial sweeteners, etc.). Bottom line: post workout, it is great to get some good protein in you (either as a snack or a meal), along with some carbs (veggies), and for most folks, some fat too. Robb Wolf states, "For sprinters, and other power athletes most meals should be built around lean proteins, a variety of low carbohydrate density vegetables and liberal use of good fats." Since most of our CF WODs involve some power component along with some sprinting or other aerobic work, sticking to that line of nutrition is likely best. As with anything, there are tweaks to be had depending upon your leanness level, or what your goals are. But for the most part: food post-WOD is great, and we like that food to include protein, carbs (veggies) and fat.
Q. In Cordain's book, under their modern "food to avoid" table they list all fermented foods including food containing vinegar. I often cook with vinegar and want to make sure that is alright or if I should try to avoid doing that. And what about fermented beverages like kombutcha? They have some sugar in them but assume the culture has consumed most of that and are otherwise gluten free. Is that an appropriate choice for some probiotics? What about sauerkraut?
A. On the vinegar topic, go read that synopsis above, as you'll see that Cordain's perspective on vinegar (with the exception being malt vinegar, which contains gluten) has changed. Kombucha does indeed have sugar in it, so for the first 30 days of the 45, best to keep off that. Sauerkraut is awesome. The Bubbie's brand (that we have at home) has cabbage, salt, and filtered water as ingredients. Those probiotics are great. Melissa also has recommendations in the BTB45 guide for some digestive enzymes and probiotics that might be worth trying if you're having some stomach issues.
Remember, the paleo sphere is a constantly evolving one. We can try and look back to what our caveman ancestors did or did not do, but the purpose here is not to be some historical re-enactment. We're trying to figure out what works in our modern-day lives. Even the fish oil topic is one that in the past 3 years has been revised/revisited by some of the top brass out there. No longer is it thought that we need near the dosage of fish oil as before. For more on this, go check out this post. (be forewarned: this is also where he says to really limit your linoleic acid - which is found in nuts, seeds, etc. I know for some of you right now it's hard to get fat into you...and nuts are usually the fat of choice. We'd rather you have fat than no fat...but if you can diversify...get some avocados, coconut, coconut oil, olives, etc. in there, all the better).
You guys all had a great "transition" week 1! Here's to a stellar week 2!
Fried green tomatoes with chipotle dipping sauce. Photo courtesy Mark Adams - Paleo Comfort Foods
Jules
