The Crossfit L1 trainer study guide is a work of perfection. I have the hardcover copy, and pick it up every so often to refresh my memory. It is a phenomenal work of empirical knowledge and unbiased science.
Even if you don't crossfit, it is a wonderful reference for sport physiology, nutrition and hell, even the medical art of performance.
The nutrition chapter is useful, and even though this was written about a decade ago, without the benefit of rediscovered low carb approaches to reversal of metabolic syndrome, it is quite up to date.
The only mistake I have found in this study guide is in the following sentence:
"EAT A DIET OF MEAT AND VEGETABLES, NUTS AND SEEDS, SOME FRUIT, LITTLE STARCH AND NO SUGAR." (page 47, L1 Study guide, second edition)
This is a well crafted sentence. It is pithy, of clear and powerful explanatory power. It lists macronutrients in level of importance. Meat goes first, both in importance and quantity. Sugar goes last as a prohibited food item. My only complaint about this sentence is item # 3: NUTS.
Nuts are a "wonderful" food item. They are a devilish mix of fat and carbs in the right proportions to hit the human bliss spot. Nuts are what food scientist try to emulate in our present standard American diet to keep us addicted to crap food and make us fat and metabolic. Just like a potato chip, it is very hard to eat only one NUT. Cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, I don't care. I can eat the entire can in 5 min and still look for more. And I am sure my experience is hardly unique. Nuts fail to kill appetite. Nuts make human beings overeat. Nuts pack fat pounds. They are great to pack weight before winter. But not to get lean or ripped. And if we are trying to reverse metabolic syndrome, they won't help at all. At best they will be neutral, at worst, they will make matters worse.
That is the reason why I think that sentence has a mistake. I would re write it like this:
"EAT A DIET OF MEAT AND VEGETABLES, SOME SEEDS AND FRUIT, LITTLE STARCH AND NO SUGAR."
Experiment on yourselves, dieting with and without nuts. Let me know how that one goes.
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