Many of us spend hours at the gym working on our six packs and tightening up our buns of steel. When we get home we may sneak in a cup of ice cream or a glass of wine thinking "I earned this" or "I can eat this, I'll just do 10 extra pull-ups tomorrow". While I do not think we always need to deprive ourselves of these delectable treats,  I do believe that if we start to focus on what we put on our plates and ultimately in our bodies we can not only reach our athletic potential but we can also gain happiness and well- being.

I believe that food is medicine and that if we respect ourselves enough to spend hours working our way up the corporate ladder or at the gym hitting our PRs, then we have enough time to prepare and consume healthy and wholesome food. I have seen the end result if you do not eat healthy…it is not pretty. I would never wish chronic diseases, mental illnesses or autoimmune conditions on anyone. So when I tell you that sweet potatoes give you more benefit than white potatoes I'm not trying to be the food police, I'm trying to give you the power to reign in your health before you end up sick and miserable.  You do not have to eat "Paleo" to reach your ultimate goals but you do have to start focusing on cleaning up your diet and lifestyle if you want that job promotion or that new Clean & Jerk PR.

BACON! Just making sure I still have your attention! If you learn nothing else from me, learn to just eat real food, drink water, get some sleep and make time for play. Now put your iPhone down and get to work…and maybe grab a slice of bacon!

I'm Laura, an unconventional Registered Dietitian in a fast food world. I started eating Paleo 2+ years ago and I know that a whole food lifestyle approach tailored to each individual can help us all achieve our Crossfit PRs, our work goals and ultimately a happy rewarding life.  Look for more blog posts from me on the ACF website for my nutrition tips, tricks and thoughts.

Look for upcoming nutrition seminars at Albany Crossfit starting in the Fall.

Don't want to wait for a seminar? Want to learn more about the Paleo Diet and a whole food eating approach? Contact Laura at [email protected] to set up one-on-one consultations.

Have topics you want Laura to focus on in future blog posts? Email her at [email protected]