Workout of the Day:
Complete for time rounds of 15, 12 and 9 repetitions of:
225 lb. Back Squat
Handstand Push-Ups
A Month With No Dairy, Part 1
Written by Mark Riebel
As you may remember, I wrote a blog post in January extolling the benefits of milk and other dairy products, followed by a well-written rebuttal from Calvin. While I had done a good deal of reading about the role of dairy in diet, I had no personal experience with a dairy-free diet. I had consumed dairy regularly since I was a child, so I didn’t know what it was like to go dairy-free and felt that made me a bit one-sided. If I recommend personal experimentation to clients and members, I have to do the same. With that, I decided that for the month of February I would consume no dairy products.
I tend to eat a pretty similar day-to-day diet, and this dropped me from an average of 8 to 10 servings of dairy a day to zero. I went strict Paleo/Zone at 25 blocks and 5X fat, kept my vitamin intake the same with the exception of a daily vitamin D supplement (as per Cordain’s suggestion), and my training was typical CF hard work. For the whole month I ate dairy only twice—once at a restaurant on an omelet that I ordered with no cheese (I was half way done before I noticed), and once with a serving of Michele’s creamsicle dip (it was worth it). I took notes on how I felt and had some blood work done to try and get an objective look at it rather than just my opinion.
I’ll start with the objective numbers. My body weight stayed exactly the same. I’m pretty much 200±2 pounds like clockwork, but that’s to be expected when you’re eating the same number of blocks every day. My performance was about the same, with a little improvement. Thinking back now, I should’ve performed a specific benchmark WOD before and after, but hindsight is always 20/20. The cost of food did go up a little, but only because of my use of egg protein powder in my smoothies vice whey. If you do the numbers, just buying meat and eggs is actually a bit cheaper than milk and other dairy. Time in the kitchen did go up quite a bit, as I had to prepare more meat, sweet potatoes, and yams instead of just grabbing some milk. Here are my blood results:
Zone Paleo/Zone
Blood marker 22-Oct-09 26-Feb-09 Change
Glucose 82 41 -41
Triglyceride 23 42 19
Cholesterol 147 127 -20
HDL 57 57 0
LDL 86 62 -24
My fasting glucose went down by half. I think this is explained by my upping my fats slightly, which shifted me over to lipids as the bulk of my body’s fuel. I believe this also explains the increased trigylcerides. The cholesterol numbers are a bit more along what I would expect from a lower saturated fat intake, and may represent the most significant measurable change that I experienced. I’m not a blood specialist, so these assessments may not be as simple as I’ve made them.
In part two, I’ll discuss my subjective, or less measurable, results as well as my conclusions.
Very interesting experiment. For the lay person what is the significance of the lower glucose and increased triglyeride levels? Was it coincidence that you chose February…. shortest month you know!
I follow your blog / website, because you have some very good and interesting articals. My own opinion is that dairy is not bad for you – I think that if you / anyone likes milk, cheese, etc, then they should have it (in moderation). I find that trying to eat perfect makes me unsatisfied, as I believe we should enjoy ourselves while we are here. Eat well, eat healthy, eat correct portions, eat what you like (in moderation), enjoy your food (so many countries place a premium on enjoying good food – and they are way healthier – Italy, France, Asian countries). I think if we work our asses off during exercise, we are allowed a few discretions.
Just my 2 cents.
Keep up the great work.
Mark, great article! I can’t wait to read your follow up post.
I have a diet question realated to the Paleo, but not dairy related. Can someone explain to me why corn tortillas would not be considered Paleo. Mission brand corn tortillas are gluten-free, made from basically ground corn, salt, lime, and two “freshness” preservatives. Is it corn that is not Paleo because it contains more starch than other veggies? If that is the case, sweet potatoes/yams contain more starch than corn and we still subscribe to eating those. Or, are corn tortillas a “no-no” because some brands do include wheat flour in them? As long as the tortilla does not include gluten/wheat product, why can’t we eat them on the Paleo diet? I know that from a Paleo-Zone perspective, corn tortillas would not be considered favorable, but they still seem to fit the Paleo bill based on what I have read so far. I just read an article on a Celiac disease website, http://www.celiac.com, and the site condones eating corn for Celiac patients. If people with gluten-intolerance can eat it, why is it not Paleo?
C-note, off the top of my head I believe that Cordain’s issue with corn was more from a blood sugar impact issue, rather than a lectin one. Depending on the type, corn has a moderately high GI and GL, and the processing to turn it into a tortilla would likely drive that even higher. Corn also doesn’t have too great of a vitamin and mineral profile, which is why a sweet potato would be preferable, for example. Then of course the preservatives and added salt aren’t the most Paleo things either. I haven’t read the Paleo for Athlete’s yet, but I know that’s where Cordain addresses the sweet potatoes and yams.
Coryna,
Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. It falls under the same category as barley, oats, rice, rye, and wheat. Our concern is not so much with its starch content but primarily with the inflammatory response and anti-nutrients associated with its consumption. If you haven’t already, I would recommend reading “Damn Dirty Grains” by Robb Wolf.
Thanks Mark and Calveeeen. What you both said makes sense. Damn grains, you are so dirty, but so tasty. Why oh why?
Mark – Great article. I’m looking fwd to part two.
Steve- All great points brother. I can understand where you are coming from. I am one who LOVES to eat a variety of foods and figured that CrossFitting 5 days a week would negate any poor food choices. I have been CrossFitting for almost two years now and I was starting to hit some walls in terms of weight loss and WOD performance. With some encouragement from CJ, Dani, M and the other coaches, I decided to commit to a Paleo prescription. I started on 23 February and have logged my meals and WODs everyday since.
While I don’t know my blood results, I have seen some practical, positive changes in WOD performance and weight loss. I believe that most of the weight loss is fat (vice muscle), but I won’t know for sure until I get a hydrostatic BF test again in April.
As far as enjoying an occasional bite of cheese or a piece of cake, the Paleolithic prescription does allow for a 5-10% margin for “cheat” or “open” meals. Just like you said, it’s all about moderation. Eating for performance 90-95% of the time is kinda’ hard, but it seems to be worth it. Moderation in eating processed, dairy, gluten laden foods is defined at 5-10% in the Paleo world. If you’re doing 5-6 small meals a day, then roughly 3-4 of your 35-42 meals per week can be less than healthy. Nothing’s perfect, but you get the idea.
As a CF athlete, it really comes down to how we define ‘moderation’ and how committed we are to reaching our fitness goals. Although we may have to work a little harder at making performance based food choices, I think that deciding to eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruits, little starch and no sugar remains the most effective and healthy way for a CrossFitter to fuel WODs while staying healthy.
Looking forward to the Paleo Potluck on Saturday!
~BC
Great blog very informative!
To: ADAM I think that’s his name, that did like a 100 kettle bell runs, without much hesitation. That was pretty amazing yesterday!! Are you training for something? Awesome Job!
Loving the food talk!
Mark, what type/brand of egg protein powder do you get and where? Is it mixing well with your sweet potato/fruit glop you eat some mornings?
I’m with Chris. The occasional indulgence is good for you—it reminds us why we try to eat ‘clean’ most of the time. I’ve had a cookie hangover or two that makes me think twice about shoving too many of those chewy bits of heaven into my piehole. But a few here and there (and there and there and there) make me happy.
Another great website to bookmark is marksdailyapple.com, where he discusses the Primal way of living. It’s very close to Paleo, but he has some differences with Dr. Cordain’s recommendations. Here’s a link comparing Paleo and Primal:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-the-difference-between-primal-and-paleo/
The quote I like best from that post:
“Finally and most importantly, the Primal Blueprint works as a broad, holistic approach to living and not simply a list for eating.”
I think I’d classify myself more Primal than Paleo.
The potluck is gonna be AWESOME. I’m already hungry!
Chris – I agree with you – If we want the best results, we really have to push ourselves past our limits and comfort zones – and that does involve eating and food. You’re correct when you say that if we eat healthy / good choices 90% of the time, the other 10% won’t hurt so much. And when we eat healthy, our performance in the gym reflects that (and our own self-image).
I guess where I was coming from is that sometimes life gets in the way of our perfect plans or ideals. For instance, if I were single, I’d have no problem eating healthy 90-95% of the time, with a few cheat meals with family / friends thrown in there for fun. However, my girlfriend loves to go out and eat at new restaurants (she’s in the restaurant business as a recruiter) and I enjoy it too – as much as I like to eat healthy, sometimes I like to try the things that aren’t “good” for me. Really, it’s my choice – and I need to be better at portion control – not eating everything in front of me.
I also think about the people who work out that have families – maybe the wife or husband does the cooking, grocery shopping, etc and perhaps the other half doesn’t agree with the whole working out and eating well idea ( I know from family experience). I think those people would have a more difficult time eating correctly, even with encouragement and education. At least we can give them the tools and support to change, and at the same time, acknowledge that some things are out of our control, and people will ultimately do what is best for themselves (for better or worse).
135# squats + Box assist HSPU’s – 7:54.
As I could not walk properly for two days after Monday’s return to CFI, I had to back off the weight.
Gary was awesome today with the smooth 225# like it was butter. Nice.
No matter how healthy my diet is, I will never give up Mexican food–especially living where I live. Nothing, I mean _N.O.T.H.I.N.G_ beats a [Carne Asada | Machaca] burrito at _A.N.Y.T.I.M.E_ of a 24 hour day.
Alright…I may be onboard with this Paleo challenge…I need to have a huge overhaul on my diet and a group atmosphere/misery loves company approach may help me. My diet today (which is pretty typical) consisted of:
***Caveat***
I eat like crap…I realize this. My problem is that the side effects to this point are internal (i am sure) and not external…so my delay in ACTING is a result of I can get by…but I do need help…I am just not sure how I can do it eating Ostrich wings and Antelope knuckles.
Post workout:
Two shots of espresso in a large coffee, three bags of sugar and heavy cream
Butter croissant with nutella
Mid morning
2 shots of espresso in a large coffee, three bags of sugar and heavy cream
2 scrambled eggs, ham and provolone
Lunch
salad (mostly lettuce)
panera tuna salad sandwich
2 panera chocolate chip cookies
water
Late afternoon
venti mocha with 5 shots of espresso and yes whipped cream
…no one say i have a sugar addiction!!
I would love to see how my performance could improve if I ate normal food!?!
AT
p.s. Love being at Invictus…for those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to go to many Xfit’s…Invictus is pure/raw CrossFit…and has top caliber members….blah, blah, blah…
“Yadira”
Thanks for the note. I am not training for anything other than to be better than yesterday. Without sounding too weird or too whatever…my competition/event is against me (even though guys like Justin as well as a host of others who I don’t know yet provide great motivation). From CrossFit and workouts that emulate the principles similar to CrossFit you learn a lot about yourself and your capacity for suffering, humility, and overall acceptance of where you stand in perspective to the greater scheme of things. Everyone who shows up and toes the line at a CrossFit workout are incredible and amazing. These workouts are anticipated agony..there are no surprises, we all accept that fact that we will confront our weaknesses…the difference between “the collective us” and “them” is that we do it with a nervous smile.
See you in the box.
AT
Adam,
Great posts. I pray nobody out there will try to emulate your nutrition plan with hopes of achieving your athletic accomplishments. I fall victim to the same caffeine addiction (as do many CrossFit affiliate owners and athletes), but that love of sugary goodness has to be curbed a bit. In some ways your physique and athleticism work against you because you have little indication that your body needs higher-octane fuel. Mel Siff, a super athlete and coach, fell victim to the same problems. He was a phenomenal athlete who ate horribly, and unfortunately, his poor nutrition was a likely contributor to his premature demise. Even if you don’t go both feet in with the Paleo, embracing some of the concepts can only benefit you.
Stoked you’re with us brother. Keep up the good work.
Adam, Adam, Adam – I thought we agreed no mochas and I am pretty sure that when I recommended the coffee substitue it was coffee + 2 espresso shots and a bit of steamed heavy whipping cream. I am getting old, but my memory is still pretty damn good…and I’m almost positive there was no sugar in my recipe.
Take on the challenge and clean up your diet. You will be amazed at your increased energy levels and your recovery. It is well worth the fight. Good luck – there is a team of coaches here to support you.
Welcome to CFI!
Thanks CJ for another great experience at your box. Hey AT, I see you are now dazzling CF’ers down south. I agree, everything about Invictus is top caliber. Hope to “suffer the agony” with you soon.
Christine:
You better be there Saturday at 8:30am…should be a doozie, plus Justin and I are going to be going deep into the core of existence at the end. Love to have you in attendance. Plus, let me know when you plan on doing the workouts and I will arrange my schedule to accomodate.
AT
Dani and CJ – scared sort of straight, let’s get it on…starting Saturday
In case coffee + 2 shots espresso + steamed heavy whipping cream is too much goodness, try:
double shot latte with whole milk and heavy whipping cream.
Interesting experiment, but as a paramedic I am a bit concerned about a glucose level of 41. Granted, I am not used to seeing elite athletes in my profession, but I do see people that are unconscious and unresponsive with higher levels than that, and I was wondering if your doctor commented on just how low you blood sugar was?
MB
makes sense ADAM. Thanks for the response..