PaleoFX 2013-- I'm back!

My head is spinning after my weekend at PaleoFX 2013!

I thought this event would be a collection of CrossFit peeps talking about their protein levels and new ways to cook stuff, alternating with workouts and "new moves" to share when I returned home.  I was pleasantly surprise to find it was NOTHING like that!  Yes there were cooking demos and many of favorite paleo food bloggers were on hand to talk or pose for a picture. And yes, there were opportunities to do workouts or attend workouts. The lectures ran back-to-back and were so full of incredible information, research and science that very few people did the workouts or attended the cooking demos. Yes, the info and the speakers were THAT good!

There was zero discussion about how paleo is the best way to eat... clearly, if you're at this event you already know this. So the discussion topics were:

1. Paleo is amazing and you'll feel great--but it doesn't cure everything.

2. Paleo will make you feel much better and improve your blood screenings but not everyone shreds--when some people are their healthiest you cannot see ripped abs. That's just how it is. Eating more protein and timing your meals and doing two-a-days over extended periods of time will likely result in hormonal imbalances that give you the opposite results you're after!

3. If they talked about vegetables once, they talked about sleep twice!

4. Paleo is a great trap for those seeking bodily changes--but eating this way won't make you something you are not supposed to be. LOTS of discussion on accepting your body and not overdosing with protein and undernourishing with fats to get "ripped".

5. It's about the hormones. Insulin is the big player--but cortisol, estrogen and testosterone and just as important and when one is off----they are all off and that is when the trouble starts. At this point there is NO AMOUNT of exercise or chicken to fix you. It's time to rest and sleep.

6. You cannot exercise with intensity all the time. You cannot exercise aerobic all the time. You must access all three metabolic pathways to have the best physical conditioning and the best overall health! (This made me feel good as we do this at the Fit Pit)



I have many favorite sayings from our speakers... but I believe my favorite came from Sarah Fragusso who said:

HEALTHY BY CHOICE... HOT BY ACCIDENT
She wanted everyone (especially women) to understand that if they could just focus on making their body healthy---they would become hot. But if the focus was on six-packs and being shredded, then it is very likely the focus is on overtraining, cutting certain foods and doing MORE!  

 Another favorite quote from the event:
IT'S THE DOSE THAT MAKES THE POISON.
Every single one of us believe that when our performance drops, we need to work harder. The reality is, we need to stop and look at our load (including our family, job, and situations outside of our workouts).  Too much protein can be a poison to our digestive system... too much exercise can become a poison to our endocrine system....  you get the idea.


In the next few weeks I will be having an event at the Fit Pit for those who have attended any of the Fit Plate sessions. We will cover the hot topics more in depth and talk about how to make small adjustments for big change!