Top 10 Practical Tips/Tricks to Healthful Eating

CrossFit King of Prussia is commencing a clean eating challenge starting April 1 and lasting the entire month. Some people will choose to eat paleo, primal, Whole30, or a combination of any of these, but the main point is to be more conscious of eating healthful foods instead of unhealthful. What is going to get you not only feeling better throughout the day, but also performing better in the gym and at work? What is going to help you maintain energy levels and be able to play with the kids when you get home? What is going to prevent those midmorning or afternoon slumps where you feel like you could just take a nap at your desk? Besides the basic things like cutting out grains, sugar, starch, and eating more meat, vegetables, and some fruit, there are some other tips and tricks I've learned along the way that can help you get on track. Here are just some I thought of off the top of my head. If you have any, feel free to post to comments!

High Fructose Corn Syrup - When Sweeter is Worse

Edited for request of: Do you have a list of fruits and their levels of fructose?

A study that just came out of Princeton (abstract) found out that high fructose corn syrup is worse than sugar. Now, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I think this is important news to hit even mainstream media.  There are people who probably know HFCS is bad, but they might also think it's equivalent to sugar. Not so. 

How the 80/20 Rule Applies to Cheat Days and Appearance

 Note: The box to the right is an anonymous way of asking for certain topics to be covered here. This is a post in response to someone's request. 

Ice cream. I find it hard to believe that there's even one person out there that doesn't enjoy ice cream. Personally, I love it, but it's always surprising to co-workers and family when they hear I eat ice cream. "I thought you always ate healthy!" "Aren't you the meat man?" (Yes, I have literally been called the "meat man" by more than one person) "But Chris, aren't you being a hypocrite by telling people about healthy eating and then you go ahead and eat ice cream?" Controversial dairy issue aside, no I don't think I'm being a hypocrite because my mantra has always been "Everyone's needs are different." And that brings up the 80/20 rule.

2010 CrossFit Games: PA/MD/DE Sectionals

Edit: Updated with my results below each WOD

So in case you are not engrossed in the community that is CrossFit, the PA/MD/DE sectionals are Saturday, March 13, 2010 at our very own CrossFit King of Prussia. Over 120 men and over 30 women are registered; only top 20 men and top 20 women move on to Regionals which will be held in Ohio in May. Below are descriptions of the workouts and links to the official Games pages. 

Proof is in the Numbers

Whenever I mention that I eat lots of meat and eggs, people always ask, "But what about your cholesterol??" Well, if you've been paying attention, you should know that consuming good fats will help joint mobility, brain function, mood, and many other facets of life. While there's a LOT of science behind it, I also think proof is in the numbers. 

Healthful Eating Tip #942

It's Taco Night, but you've read the Grain Manifesto and you are refraining from hard shells and tortillas. What do you do?

Grain Manifesto by Whole9

Melissa and Dallas of Whole9 put together a succinct and easy to read explanation for why grains should not be in your diet. Yes, even "whole grains" and things like quinoa. It might go against everything you've heard/read, but there is science backing this info, so check it out. 

The Grain Manifesto