By: Josh Broome, Owner CrossFit Pathway within ClubWorx

Effective, lifelong fat loss is easy with the right food choices. I recommend the majority of your meals look something like this:

• 4-8 oz of protein such as chicken, beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.

• Then add several servings of multicolored vegetables, either raw, steamed or lightly cooked.

• Finally, round out the meal with good fats from Avocado, olive oil or a handful of un- salted nuts such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts.

Make sure to have 3-4 meals like this each day. Give it 30 days and then let me know how quickly and easily it is to lose unwanted body fat, all without hunger and cravings. Until you reach your desired level of leanness I recommend you keep your fruit intake to 1-2 servings per day and make these choices mainly from LOW glycemic fruits like apricots or cherries. Keep in mind, you will be eating plenty of nutritious fresh vegetables, I just want you to see the fastest, most effective results you can. This is why I limit your fruit in the beginning to help you change your metabolic engines to a mode of “fat burning”.

Paleo For Athletes

The needs of athletes vary greatly depending upon one’s sport and level of activity. The needs of a marathon runner are quite different from those of boxer or Olympic Weightlifter. Despite these different needs all athletes share a few things:

• Means of optimizing performance
• Methods for improving recovery

The Paleo diet is the perfect solution for both performance and recovery. Protein sources such as chicken, beef, turkey, pork loin and sea food are ergogenic (perfor- mance enhancing) because of the large amount of Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) which have been proven to be crucial in rapid recovery after hard training, both for strength and endurance athletes. So all of your meals will start with 4-8 oz of lean proteins. The next piece of customization is dependent upon the nature of your sport.

High-intensity aerobic or anaerobic sports such as soccer, boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts or sprint interval training (running, biking, swimming, rowing) should take advantage of a period of time post workout when the body is primed for recov- ery. A meal of 4-8 oz of lean protein PLUS 50-100g of nutritious, Paleo friendly carbo- hydrate such as yams, sweet potatoes, squash or fruit should be consumed within 30 min post workout to optimize repair of muscle tissue and to ensure muscle glycogen is optimally replenished. The amount of carbohydrate will vary based on how large you are and the volume and intensity of your training. The larger you are or the hard- er/longer the training, the more carbohydrate you will GENERALLY need to optimize recovery. Some athletes may find they require 2 protein + carbohydrate meals to op- timize recovery from particularly grueling work or multi-session training days. Subsequent meals should be built around lean protein, multi-colored, low carbohydrate density vegetables and good fats.

Paleo For Autoimmunity

Research has made clear the link between Neolithic foods (grains, legumes and dairy) and autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Scle- rosis and a host of other less well know conditions. Many people have found signifi- cant improvements in autoimmune disease by eliminating the Neolithic foods and building a diet around nutritious Paleo options. If you suffer from an autoimmune dis- ease I highly recommend you start a Paleo diet. To give your body its best chance to heal I recommend that you initially limit the following foods:

• Eggs
• Tomatoes & eggplants
• Peppers including bell peppers and hot peppers § Spices such as curries, paprika, and chili powder. Nuts and seeds

Some of these otherwise Paleo-friendly foods have been shown to be problematic in individuals with autoimmune issues. I recommend you fully remove not only these foods but also all Neolithic foods (grains, breads, potatoes, beans and dairy) for at least a month to see if they pose a problem for you.

Sample Meal Plan:Weight Loss

Breakfast: 3-5oz Shrimp scramble with basil and steamed spinach. 1/4 cup blueber- ries. Espresso.

Lunch: 3-5oz Chicken salad with red onions, romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts and mixed bell peppers. Dressing: Lemon/Olive Oil with a hint of garlic. Green tea with lemon.

Snack: 3-5oz Grilled shrimp & veggies with a hand full of macadamias.

Dinner: 3-5oz Baked pork loin with ginger cabbage and olive oil. Dessert: shaved al- monds over 1/4 cup mixed berries.

About Josh:

Joshua’s love for coaching began in 2002 as a volunteer at The Boys and Girls Club of America in Florence, South Carolina. He went on to pursue acting after college in Los Angeles, but within months he found his purpose working in the place he loved, a gym. After working as a trainer in a few large gyms in Los Angeles he discovered CrossFit. Since 2009 he has been a full time coach and competitor. Joshua has coached several professional athletes and celebrities in addition to special needs athletes. He has completed his Level 1 and Level 2 CrossFit Trainer Certifications, and continues to add to his repertoire with Gymnastics, Mobility, Movement, Olympic Weightlifting and Strongman certifications. Joshua recognizes Bob Harper as one of his mentors and has coached under several Crossfit Seminar Staff members. Most recently Joshua has been coaching for Christmas Abbott at CrossFit Invoke. Along with living with a burning passion for life everyday, he continually spurs everyone he meets toward a pathway of health and happiness.