CrossFit Zone Diet: What You Need to Know

Hey CrossFit enthusiasts! Picture this: stuffing your face with **meats and veggies**, grabbing handfuls of **nuts and seeds**, savoring some fruit, and giving a big thumbs down to heaps of carbs and sugar. That’s your secret recipe. It’s the perfect way to power through those tough workouts and shed any unwanted fluff. Stick around, and we’ll spill the beans on the smart eating habits that will pump up your CrossFit game. Why stick with us? Because there’s a nutrition jackpot out there ready to blast your fitness into the stratosphere!

The Zone Diet, which was devised over 30 years ago by Barry Sears, a biochemist and author of The Zone, provides the basis for more precise CrossFit dietary recommendations.

The CrossFit diet is designed to lower blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation, which may aid weight loss and lower your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Reducing inflammation may help you recover faster from your workouts.

Divide your plate into thirds and fill it with the following to create a Zone Diet friendly meal:

• 1/3 lean protein: skinless chicken breast, fish, lean beef, and low-fat dairy are all good choices.
• 2/3 good carbs: Focus on colorful, non-starchy, low-glycemic-index veggies and fruits (GI).
• A modest amount of beneficial monounsaturated fat: such as olive oil, avocados, or almonds.

The Zone Diet should be tried for four weeks and then tweaked based on your needs, according to the CrossFit website.

Notably, not all CrossFit coaches recommend the same diet. Some people swear by the paleo diet, which eliminates all dairy, wheat, and legumes.

You can also mix the two by following a paleo-style Zone Diet. You can also change your eating habits to fit a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Guidelines

The CrossFit Zone Diet recommends that you consume 40% of your calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 30% from fat – however exceptional athletes may require more fat.

Food is divided into blocks of protein, carbohydrates, or fat to simplify the diet and guarantee you get the necessary macronutrient ratio. These blocks also help to keep meals and snacks balanced in terms of nutrients.

What exactly is a block?

A block is a unit of measurement for protein, carbohydrates, and fat:

• 1 carbohydrate block = 9 grams of carbs (excluding fiber)
• 1 protein block = 7 grams of protein
• 1 fat block = 1.5 grams of fat

The fat block indicates the moderate quantity of healthy fat you add to your meals, such as salad dressing.

You can use an internet chart or books on the Zone Diet to figure out how much of a given food qualifies as a block.

How many blocks will you require?

The number of blocks you require every day is determined on your gender, body size, and amount of activity.

A woman of typical size needs 11 blocks of each macronutrient category — carbohydrate, protein, and fat — per day, but a guy of average size requires 14 blocks.

To help you count your blocks, Zone Diet provides a food chart. For a more precise calculation, you can use the Zone’s body fat calculator.

Once you’ve figured out how many blocks you have, divide them evenly into meals and snacks to guarantee a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat.

At meals, an average-sized woman requires 3 blocks of each macronutrient, whereas an average-sized male requires 4 blocks per macronutrient. Snacks consist of an additional 1–2 blocks of each macronutrient.

Examples of a block

You’ll need three blocks of protein, carbs, and fat to make a three-block meal.

According to a block chart, 1/3 cup of cooked oats equals one carb block. You could eat 1 cup of cooked oats to earn 3 blocks.

In the same way, 1/4 cup of cottage cheese equals 1 protein block. Eat 3/4 cup cottage cheese to get 3 blocks.

Finally, three almonds equal one fat block. As a result, consuming 9 almonds will provide you with 3 blocks.

You can check some Zone Diet recipes for more tips.

Weighing and measuring foods

The Zone Diet allows you to estimate protein and appropriate carb quantities using the hand-eye approach.

That means choosing proteins the size and thickness of the palm of your hand (3–4 cooked ounces), with vegetables and a modest amount of fruit making up roughly two-thirds of your plate.

To improve your eye for judging meal quantities, you should weigh and measure your dishes for at least one week.

Food is divided into blocks of the three macronutrients protein, carbs, and fat in the CrossFit-recommended Zone Diet. A woman of typical size needs 11 blocks of each macronutrient per day, while a male of average size requires 14

Foods to consume

Foods that have a low GI and are low in saturated fat and omega-6 fat are considered optimal choices in the Zone Diet. Foods with higher levels of these indicators are regarded to be more inflammatory, and are so graded as good or bad options.

People are also urged to take an omega-3 supplement to help with inflammation reduction.

To reduce blood sugar and inflammation, experts recommend CrossFit diet. It is rich in non-starchy vegetables, a modest amount of low-glycemic fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats.

Foods to stay away from

Despite the fact that no item is absolutely off-limits, the Zone Diet urges you to watch your food intake and limit or avoid certain foods, such as:

• High-glycemic fruits: Bananas, dates, figs, mangos and raisins.
• Juice: Sugar-sweetened juice and 100% juice, such as apple, orange or grape juices.
• Grain-based foods: Bread, dry cereal, crackers, muffins, pasta, pancakes and tortillas, especially if made with refined (white) flour.
• Starchy vegetables: Winter squash, corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes and legumes.
• Sweets and desserts: Doughnuts, cookies, candy, pie, cake and ice cream.
• Sugar-sweetened drinks: Soda, lemonade and energy drinks.

In a tiny serving, grains, starchy vegetables, dry fruits, and sugar-sweetened products use up your carb blocks. It’s critical to measure and limit your portion sizes if you eat any of the foods listed above.

Limit sugary, high-glycemic fruits, starchy vegetables, legumes, and grain-based meals when on the Zone Diet to enjoy satisfying quantities and gain the greatest nutrients throughout a CrossFit program. Reduce or eliminate juice and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages.

Sample Menu

Here’s an example of an 11-block menu that would be suitable for a woman of average size :

Breakfast (3 blocks of each macronutrient)

• 3 protein blocks: 3/4 cup (170 grams) of cottage cheese
• 1 carb block: 1.5 cups (270 grams) of chopped tomatoes
• 2 carb blocks: 1 cup (148 grams) of blueberries
• 3 fat blocks: 9 almonds (11 grams)

Lunch will be served (3 blocks of each macronutrient)

• 3 protein blocks: 3 ounces (84 grams) of grilled chicken breast
• 1 carb block: 1 cup (180 grams) of cooked asparagus
• 2 carb blocks: 1/2 cup (99 grams) of cooked lentils
• 3 fat blocks: 1 teaspoon (4.5 grams) of extra virgin olive oil to flavor vegetables

Afternoon Snack (1 block of each macronutrient)

• 1 protein block: 1 large hard-boiled egg (50 grams)
• 1 carb block: 2 cups (298 grams) of cherry tomatoes
• 1 fat block: 1 tablespoon of avocado (14 grams)

Dinner (3 blocks of each macronutrient)

• 3 protein blocks: 4.5 ounces (127 grams) of baked salmon with dill
• 1 carb block: 1.5 cups (234 grams) of steamed broccoli
• 1 carb block: 2 cups (380 grams) of sautéed collard greens
• 1 carb block: 1 cup (166 grams) of strawberry slices
• 3 fat blocks: 1 teaspoon (4.5 grams) of extra virgin olive oil to cook salmon and collard greens

Evening Snack (1 block of each macronutrient)

• 1 protein block: 1 ounce (28 grams) of a mozzarella cheese stick
• 1 carb block: 2 cups (184 grams) of bell pepper strips
• 1 fat block: 5 small olives (16 grams)

Some 1-block vegetable portions are substantial due to their low carb counts. If you like, you can consume a lesser portion.

Consult CrossFit’s website for more suggestions, including 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-block meals and snacks.

If you want to try the Zone Diet, which is suggested by CrossFit, but aren’t sure where to start, there are plenty of sample menus online and in books about the diet.

Advantages that could be gained

Low-glycemic carbs, like those advocated in CrossFit and the Zone Diet, have been shown to increase glucose stores (glycogen) in your muscles, which are utilized to fuel exercise.

However, whether or if a low-glycemic diet increases athletic performance is unknown.

Although Greg Glassman, the creator and CEO of CrossFit, maintains that his best athletes follow the Zone Diet, there are few published studies to back up his claim.

The Zone Diet has been tried on eight endurance athletes for one week. While the study failed to show that the diet improved performance, it was also tiny and short-term.

The Zone Diet appears to provide health benefits in non-athletes, according to a tiny amount of study.

Its carb recommendations could aid in the prevention of chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

In a six-month trial of 30 persons with type 2 diabetes who followed the Zone Diet and supplemented with 2,400 mg of omega-3s daily, average blood sugar dropped by 11%, waist size dropped by 3%, and an inflammation marker dropped by 51%.

Finally, the diet’s emphasis on eating protein with every meal and snack — particularly at breakfast and lunch — is becoming more well acknowledged as a technique to boost muscle growth and repair, especially as you become older.

Although there is limited proof of the Zone Diet’s benefits in athletes, it may help to minimize chronic disease risk and maintain muscle mass as you age. Furthermore, consuming low-glycemic carbs may help your muscles store more glucose for fuel.

Potential disadvantages

Certain features of the Zone Diet’s carbohydrate, protein, and fat recommendations may be concerning.

For starters, some scientists doubt if a diet with a somewhat low carbohydrate content is sufficient for CrossFit competitors. Keep in mind that the amount of research available to assess this issue is minimal.

Those consuming an average of 1.4 grams of carbs per pound (3.13 grams per kg) of body weight performed just as many repetitions in a CrossFit workout as those eating 2.7–3.6 grams of carbs per pound (6–8 grams per kg) of body weight in a nine-day trial of 18 athletes.

As a result, the Zone Diet’s carbohydrate levels may be sufficient for CrossFit competitors – at least in the short term. It’s unclear whether it will provide athletes with adequate carbs in the long run.

Second, if you have a health condition that necessitates protein restriction, such as chronic kidney disease, the Zone Diet may be too high in protein for you.

The Zone Diet’s severe limits on saturated fats, particularly its promotion of low-fat or fat-free dairy products like nonfat cheese, are a third source of worry.

According to new research, not all saturated fats are created equal, and fat intake, especially those found in dairy products, may have a neutral or even beneficial influence on health.

Be cautious of highly processed foods sold by the Zone Diet’s makers, just as you would with any other branded diet. Many contain refined carbohydrates, sugar, and other toxic substances, even if they claim to be scientifically justified.

The Zone Diet may or may not provide adequate carbohydrates for all athletes. It contains too much protein for persons who need to limit their protein intake, and it may be excessively stringent about restricting saturated fat, especially from dairy items.

CrossFit has a long history

CrossFit is a high-intensity training program that incorporates continually varied functional motions. Greg Glassman, who started CrossFit, LLC, alongside Lauren Jenai in 2000, devised the methodology, which is now a registered trademark under the name CrossFit.

CrossFit is marketed as a fitness philosophy as well as a competitive sport, with aspects of high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, kettlebell lifting, calisthenics, strongman, and other activities incorporated. It is performed by members of thousands of linked gyms, approximately half of which are in the United States, as well as people who complete regular workouts (otherwise known as “WODs” or “Workouts of the Day”).

CrossFit has been accused of causing more injuries than other sports like traditional weightlifting, despite a study of scientific literature finding that the injury rate with CrossFit is comparable to or lower than that of other sports like Olympic weightlifting. There are also fears that its methods could lead to exertional rhabdomyolysis, a potentially fatal muscular breakdown caused by excessive exertion. CrossFit, which stands for cross-discipline fitness, was founded as a company in 1996. In the year 2000, Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai founded CrossFit, Inc.

They created a gym in Santa Cruz, California, and for their clientele, they put their workouts on the Internet; these programs were immediately embraced by members of the police, military, and firefighting services. When Glassman’s internet postings were used by people who wished to officially incorporate his routines into their training regimen in 2002, the first associated gym (known as a ‘box’) to develop was CrossFit North in Seattle, Washington. After that, Glassman began to create a curriculum to train and certify coaches and gym owners in his methods. There were 13 gyms by 2005, and in 2016 there were more than 13,000. There will be about 15,000 CrossFit affiliates around the world by 2020. Louie Simmons, John Welbourn, and Bob Harper are some of the CrossFit coaches.

Following a divorce with Jenai, Glassman acquired entire control of the company, which she tried to sell to an outside party after the divorce settlement, but Glassman bought it with a $16 million loan from Summit Partners.

Following the backlash over Glassman’s comments about George Floyd’s murder, it was revealed on June 24, 2020 that he was selling the company to Eric Roza, a Colorado-based CrossFit box (gym) owner and former CEO of Datalogix. After the sale was completed in July, Roza stated that he would take over as CEO. CrossFit announced a lease for its Boulder headquarters in late November. CrossFit became a limited liability company (LLC) by the end of 2020.

Summary

The Zone Diet, which promotes a balance of lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and low-glycemic fruit while restricting starch and refined sugar, is recommended by CrossFit.

Although this diet hasn’t been tested with CrossFit competitors, it’s a healthy diet that can help with appetite, blood sugar, and inflammation.

There are many resources available online and in books to help you stick to the diet, including meal plans and recipes. You can adjust it to meet your specific requirements.

Keep track of your results to determine if Zone meals helps you get more out of your CrossFit workouts.

References