Thanksgiving: The Test for Disciplined Athlete's

Becoming a better athlete is a goal that many people have, but the discipline required to be elite is elusive. Time, physical/mental exertion, and a host of various other disciplines of restraint are often what set the weekend warrior apart from the elite athlete. One of the chief areas where athletes must use restraint is in what they consume. Unlike the average Joe who is only concerned with keeping there beer belly to under three square feet, the athlete in most cases must not only eat properly to remain lean, but eat to aid there body in performance and recovery. This raises the question, "What is the perfect diet for athletes?" My answer is there isn't one. Here is a brief synopsis of a relatively new movement in athletic nutrition.

The paleo diet is derived from the word “Paleolithic” which refers to the stone age. The diet was made popular by Dr. Lauren Cordain's book entitled "The Paleo Diet." The paleo diet is essentially the diet of a Stone Age caveman. "The Paleo Diet" book sites that because the genetic make up of the human body has changed only .02% over the last 40,000 years why should our diet change? The diet preaches that all the food you consume should be in its most natural form (fish from the ocean not from a farm) and non processed fruit's, vegetables, nuts and legumes. The Paleo diet is very high in protein, due to proteins believed ability to increase insulin sensitivity which helps keep you feeling full. All of the science behind the paleo diet is pretty heavy into evolutionary biology. Dr. Cordain even says in his book that. "I didn't design the diet, nature did." This diet has recently received a lot of attention through the rise of "crossfit." It is the official diet of crossfit.

While I think some of the phyletic gradualistic evolutionary theory entangled with the Paleo Diet is pretty self refuting, I think the paleo diet is generally a pretty good way to go. How can you go wrong with all natural fruits, grains, and vegetables, for complex carbs and fiber, and naturally raised "lean meats", nut's and legumes for protein sources. No matter what your view is on the creation/evolution of the human body most everyone can agree that our bodies were not designed to consume transfats, Red dye #40, and every form high fructose corn syrup Coke can throw at us. I think the Paleo Diet is pretty sensitive to this fact, and that's why it's a healthy diet in my book.

Have a Great Thanksgiving; take it easy on the eggnog (not paleo friendly).

-Will Hawkins

Cordain, Loren. The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat. New York, NY: Wiley, 2002. Print.

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