Thursday, November 16, 2006

Warrior Dieting.

One of the things I both love and hate about doing the Warrior Diet is that I have to prepare my own food in order to eat. I have a hard and fast rule that my first meal is a vegetable,protein stir fry or salad. This means that before I get too hungry I have to start cutting vegetables. Sometimes if I've waited too long I will have some peanut butter, tahini,raw cocnut and raw honey mixed up to take the edge off as I prepare the real meal but that is key.

That I prepare it. Now I love to cut vegetables and spent many years as a cook in my days as an itinerent athlete/bum. Zen monks always placed a great deal of importance on work in the kitchen as a grounding factor and I couldnt agree more. Having to stop what I am doing and really prepare my food changes the rythym of the day and signals the end of work day and begining of rest and recovery.

It also reminds me of how not too long ago getting and preparing food was no easy task;certainly not one to be taken for granted.The tiny amount of real labor that I do is small but important as it always makes me aware of just what I am putting in my body to nourish and heal it.

After being at the forefront of the supplement edge for so many years as a bodybuilder and powerlifter I am back to my natural food only approach I took in my endurance days. I never trusted what is in the supplements anyway.

Organic,basic food is our evolutionary heritage and makes the most sense to me. Earning my food during the day also makes me appreciate it that much more as well as realize how little food we really need to thrive.

I'm not food nazi and still love my ice cream,that's why I start with the veggies and clean proteins. What comes next is dessert and that can get ugly!LOL! Good thing all those veggies really fill me up.

5 comments:

Franz Snideman said...

I must agree with you Rif on the ICE CREAM thing, it rocks! :)

In fact I had some Coldstone Ice Cream last night!

Geoff Neupert said...

You know, Rif, I've been thinking about the WD for awhile now. It makes good sense, especially that "rhythm" thing.

I've been exploring the relationship between the SNS and the PNS in training and I wonder if the reason you're so lean has to do with that very change in rhythm, the signal of the end of work and the beginning of rest, and therefore signalling the PNS that recovery has begun.

Whaddya think?

Mark Reifkind said...

Geoff,

I know there is something very unique about eating like this.Taping into the natural rythyms of circadian rythm cycles seems to be working well for me.

Ori says that you change the hormal makeup given when and how( or if) you eat and that seems to be true. Fat burning and high insulin levels do not go well together.

yet higher isulin ( and seratonin) levels at night definitely help relax the body and prepare for rest and recovery.

I definitely feel I am "fat adapted" as Dr Pasquale would say.
and not eating grains has had a definite and postive response on my overall inflammation levels.

SR said...

Rif: Is it just coffee all day before that WD feast?

Mark Reifkind said...

yes sir, coffee with some heavy cream( two cups at 4 am) then decaf teas the rest of the day.

sometimes If I am particularly hungry on my non training days I will have some almonds mid day.

205, 215, 217.5,205 x 1 x 6, 190 x 1 x 3, laterals, rear delts bw pushups

 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recen...