Nutrition in the Whole Life Challenge
Happy Wednesday! We’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled program (Kitchen Adventures) to bring you some information on the Nutrition portion of the Whole Life Challenge. If you missed our post last week about the Fall 2019 Challenge, you can check out the details and register through this post [CLICK HERE] – Don’t forget to join Team CrossFit Austin once you’ve signed up!
THE WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE is made up of 7 daily habits including nutrition, exercise, mobilization, hydration, sleep, daily reflection, and a lifestyle challenge that changes weekly. While the others are all very important, nutrition is the largest component of this challenge. While nutrition can be a very confusing topic, the WLC has made it quite simple for the purposes of the game. The most important part of setting yourself up for success with this challenge is choosing the nutrition level that is right for you.
WLC outlines 3 levels
KICKSTART || If you are new to making changes in your diet, this is a great starting point. Kickstart eliminates things like breads, beer & sodas, and desserts. It’s a great way to begin eliminating some of the things that may be keeping you from seeing the changes you want in your body composition.
LIFESTYLE || This level cleans things up quite a bit. If you already eat pretty clean (not a lot of processed foods, mainly whole sourced proteins, fresh produce, healthy fats…) this level will help you recognize the hidden ingredients in things that may be holding you back. Have you checked the labels on your favorite chicken broth? How about that “healthy” frozen smoothie pack? Lifestyle level really brings your attention to the details.
PERFORMANCE || Hardcore cleaning things up! If you’re looking to make some major changes in your diet, this is the level for you. This level eliminates many of the food sources that have been known to cause inflammation or digestive issues in many people. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of items you can eat, but this level will source you to all whole, unprocessed foods!
In addition to the omnivore lists, there are food lists for vegetarians as well so you can eat in alignment with whatever you follow!
If you’re currently eating fast food every week and haven’t quite kicked the sodas, we wouldn’t suggest jumping straight to Performance. The same goes to say, if you already eat quite clean, don’t sell yourself short and go too easy. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you” -Zig Ziglar
We encourage you to take a look through these lists prior to choosing your level. Don’t let them be intimidating! You are already looking to make a change so choose a level that is challenging for you, but doable. Feel free to let me know if you have questions! I hope you’ll join us for this challenge!