The CrossFit Central Nutrition Blueprint:
10 Principles to Eat By

You are what you eat.

Eat dead, processed foods (like Dorito’s, high fructose corn syrup sweetened yogurt or greasy pizza and tacos) every day, and chances are you’ll feel like Dorito’s, high fructose corn syrup or greasy pizza and tacos—sluggish, blood sugar imbalances and greasy. Eat real food (think: pasture-raised meats, organic fresh green and colorful things, and anti-inflammatory fatty acids, like olive oil, avocados or wild caught salmon) and chances are you’ll feel like these foods as well—alive, energized, refreshed, and vibrant.

Here at CrossFit Central, we recognize this, which is why nutrition is a core pillar of everything we are about. What you consume has the power to positively—and negatively—shift your energy, emotions, and mental clarity. It is so important that in 2019 we created LIFTOFF Nutrition, our community’s resource for all things nutrition.

In other words, what you eat matters more than how much or what type of fitness you do. You’re already showing up to do the work at your workouts, so why not maximize both the time, money and dedication you put Ito it, by ensuring your kitchen is aligned?

Consider the LIFTOFF Nutrition Blueprint as your “road map” or guide to 10-xing your results, starting now with these 10 Principles to Eat By.

10 Principles to Eat By (LIFTOFF Nutrition Style)

Principle 1: Keep it 80/20

Eighty percent of the time eat real, whole foods your body was meant to thrive upon, 20 percent of the time, let life (and birthday cake and Via 313 pizza happen).

Principle 2: Calories Don’t Count if You Don’t Count Them

Calories equal energy—something many can actually use more of! If you find yourself feeling fatigued (despite sleeping) or hitting plateaus in your fitness and strength “gains,” you actually may not be eating enough. Additionally, the type of foods we eat matter more than the calories of foods we eat. One hundred calories of Skittles is 110% different than 100 calories of roasted carrots drizzled with olive oil; just like 500 calories of salmon, sweet potato and broccoli and 110% different than the 313 calories of a McDonald’s cheeseburger. Count nutrients. Not calories.

Principle 3: Check All the Boxes: Protein, Fat & Carb

When you look at your plate, is it balanced? Aim for an organic, quality protein, something green and/or something colorful (veggie) and one to two servings of healthy fat. As for serving sizes, use your hands as your guide!

Protein equals the size of the palm of your hand
Veggie portions are the size of a closed fist
A portion of carbs, like sweet potatoes, is the size of your cupped hand
A portion of healthy fats is the size of your thumb

Principle 4: Taste the Rainbow

Only 1 in 10 Americans eat the recommended number of vegetables each day (at least 2 to 3 cups!). Is this you? If not, let’s change that. To build a healthy gut microbiome (the gateway to total health), that number of veggies actually jumps to 6 to 10. Veggies are power packed with fiber, essential for cultivating healthy gut bugs and helping digestion humming along. We like to recommend reaching for at least 3 servings of something green, along with one to two additional colors (or extra greens) at each meal. As for fruits, they definitely have a time and a place; however, due to the tendency for folks to OD on sugar and sweet things (even natural sugars), we recommend sticking to 1 to 3 servings of fruit.

Principle 5: Clean Sweep the Pantry

Speaking of sugar, it doesn’t belong as a regular staple in the house. Most people eat approximately 3 pounds of sugar each week—that’s 150 pounds of sugar each year. To put that in context that is more than three times the average amount of sugar that Americans consumed in 1915. And, by sugar, we are not just talking about Hershey’s candy bars. We’re also talking about the high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, glucose, dextrose, fruit juice concentrates, xylitol, stevia, agave nectar, erythritol, molasses, caramel, syrups and organic cane syrup found in yogurts, protein shakes and bars, fat free ice cream, salad dressings, barbecue sauces and more.

In addition to sugar, also be wary of industrial seed oils—what nutritionists today are calling the sugar crisis of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Industrial seed oils are cheap hydrogenated, trans-fatty oils and fats (read: artery clogging and inflammation inducing) that help preserve the shelf life of processed foods as well as bathe the majority of restaurant-made foods. Toss out foods that contain canola oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, margarine and any other nut or seed oil that is highly unstable (ie. Goes rancid easily)—at least if you want to mitigate inflammation.

Although we live in a day in age where there are “healthy” options of processed foods (like cassava flour tortillas, paleo protein bars and keto oatmeal), we still recommend the 80/20 rule—reach for those (1-ingredient) real whole foods as much as possible and use natural herbs, spices, coconut aminos and healthy fatty acids (like ghee, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, fatty wild caught fish, etc.).

Principle 6: Be a Food (Quality) Snob

You wouldn’t put cheap gas into a Ferrari. You feed that baby premium fuel. Well, your body is a Ferrari. What you put into your health savings account today (ie. Quality foods) will yield dividends throughout your life. It’s all about the little things. On the food front, without becoming obsessive or stumbling down the path of orthorexia, simply aim to include the best quality fuel you can afford and learn how to ‘cut corners’ to make it happen if needed.

Some examples include:

No quality negotiations on meat. We eat what our animals eat and what they are given (hormones, antibiotics, cheap processed foods). Look for pasture-raised, wild-caught, organic and grass-fed meats, poultry and fish. Buy fattier cuts or frozen cuts to save; or buy in bulk from a local rancher or farmer.
Shop local. Shopping at a farmer’s market may seem like it’s more expensive; however, the experience may actually yield more mindful purchases and help you eat in-season foods that actually can last longer than some cheaper produce that’s been shipped on a truck from Mexico to your local HEB.
Buy the ‘dirty dozen’ in organic. If going “all organic” is not in the cards, at the very least, check out the EWG’s annual ‘dirty dozen’ list and buy those in organic.

Principle 7: Experiment with Meal Timing That Works for Your Body & Schedule

Intermittent fasting is so hot right now, but if you’re up at 4:30 a.m. to crush your 5:15 am workout before hitting the ground running in back to back meetings at work until noon, your body may actually need more fuel compared to the 30-something tech bro who can sleep until 8 a.m., wake up and make his morning butter coffee then log in to work at 10 a.m. after his morning routine of meditation, breath work and gratitudes. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all to the perfect meal timing or diet. For optimal blood sugar balance and energy, the most important consideration is consistency and energy expenditure. If you have a lot to give in a day, then more (not less) fuel and solid meals are only going to help—not hurt.

As for snacking, we first recommend making sure you are eating enough at your three balanced meals per day. If you feel hangry or tend towards binging or grazing (especially later on in the day), chances are you are not eating enough. Ideally, when we have balanced blood sugar (for consistent energy) and optimal digestion, we should be able to go 4 to 6 hours between meals and feel energetic with appropriate hunger cues (not hangry cues) when it’s time for the next meal.

If this is not you, consider working with a nutritionist or our LIFTOFF Nutrition team to align a customized plan and eating schedule that works with your body (not against it).

Principle 8: Know Your Ancestors

Are you of Asian descent? Chances are you can tolerate rice better than the ketogenic diet influencers claim any human can. Northern European? You may be a “meat and potatoes” kinda gal or guy, whereas the Spanish cultures thrive upon the Mediterranean way of eating, and Italians can do the real pasta and made-from-scratch breads. Africans and Indian cultures have more lactose tolerance than those of Jewish, African, Asian or Mediterranean descent… and on and on. While genetics are only responsible for 5 to 10 percent of health outcomes, our food and digestive genetics actually can work in our favor when we align with the foods and eating styles most innate to our DNA.

Principle 9: Focus on One Thing at a Time

What is ONE diet or health hack you can do this week? Just one. Do that.

Principle 10: Ditch Fad Diets for the Long Game

Did you know that the original word “diet” (“dieta”) actually means a “way of life” in Latin? Not “low carb” or “vegan” or “carnivore” or “keto.” Do that real life thing.

Summary

Eating ‘proper’ fuel is not rocket science. When in doubt, look to the manifesto of eating real food—in 100 words:

Eat real food—as close to its natural state as possible. If it didn’t grow on the land, roam the earth, or swim in the sea, it’s not real food.

Meat and fish. Healthy fats. Veggies. Fruits. Some starch. No added sugar. Lots of water. Support local, responsible producers.

Food is not about perfection. Keep an 80/20 balance—with food and life. Let life happen.

When in Rome, eat pasta. Enjoy your birthday cake.

Don’t let fear (of food) keep you from all that life has to offer. Above all, ditch the obsessive diet mentality and question conventional wisdom.