Sleep…

Read it over the summer. Immediately bought new drapes, ditched the alarm clock in favor of using cell phones for an alarm, and within 2 days felt better; more focused at work, less edgy at home, and fewer occurances of waking in the night. I love my new cave!

Jen-
What type of drapes did you go with? We have blinds in our room but they suck…it may require an epic intervention to get to “cave” status for me

Hey Robb,

I am starting to work on a 4 block prescription and have worked myself into a state of confusion. I think I found the answer in CFJ 21 but just want some clarification. A hand full of peanuts.. I know they fall under the fat block area (on the chart), what about the protein content? Do I need to count that towards my Protein block or do I strictly use them (or whatever food) for what category they fall under and ignore the protein/carbohydrates.

Thanks
Jason

Nuts and seeds are FAT ONLY!

Hey Robb,

I searched your blog and didn’t see my question anywhere so here it is:

I was in a hurry this morning and missed some protein and fat blocks for breakfast. When this happens, do you try to make up those blocks throughout the day, or do you ignore what happened and eat the rest of your meals as normal?

Thank you in advance

Brandon-
In general you will make those up at a later meal, or by puffing up the content of your remaining meals.

Robb – I just want to give you a heads up that your site has not been loading properly in Internet Explorer. Firefox and Chrome both work fine.

Thanks Bill…this seems to be troubling a few people, checking into this.

hey Rob,
im having the same trouble loading the last three posts! exactly the same as the comment above, header but no text! my browser and settings have not changed.
my computer is a dinosaur though…

Still trying to figure this out…

Robb,

I am using the latest IE.

I still only see the header and no actual info under the Sleep or Eating posts – weird!
Don

Ok, you are the third person who has said IE…what operating system are you using?

Hey Robb,

In response to your comment above “Nuts and seeds are FAT ONLY!” I bought unsalted almonds at Safeway tonight and the packaging says there is 7 grams of protein per serving, what’s going on there? Isn’t that basically an extra protein block?

No sir, it’s bound in the fiber and elicits no glucagon response. It’s a 3rd world protein.

Hey Robb,

When it comes to sleep, I find that I am able to fall asleep faster AND sleep more soundly when I take a sleep “supplement” such as a melatonin pill or lately I’ve been using Unisom (which, if you are unfamiliar with is 25mg of diphenhydramine) tablets.

Does something such as this effect the quality of sleep and/or the amount of GH released during sleep?

Andrew-
I’ve used 5-HTP with good success. It’s been ages since using any kind of melatonin. Diphenhydramine however BLOCKS growth hormone production…hGH requires histamine production and diphenhydramine (AKA Benadryl) shuts that stuff down. I like the 5-htp/ZMA cocktail. Anthony Bainbridge added PharmaGaba to that mix and it was like a stun gun…possibly worth a shot.

Hey Robb,

I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to get a hold of you forever, I guess this will have to do!

What is your personal rule on protein shakes?

I eat 2×8 blocks a day, first 4 meals = Muscle Milk + blueberries + almonds, last 4 = ground beef/turkey + broccoli.

I really can’t think of anything else decent for protein shakes. I’m assuming they aren’t permitted on the paleo diet, but what is your take on them?

Thanks in advance,
J

J-
Shakes just do nto seem to stick with people well nor do they optimize body-comp. They are super easy to slug down and thus elicit a pretty large insulin response…even as a post WO aid I do nto find many people doing better on shakes vs real food. Experiment and see what works for you.

Hey Robb,

I have been experimenting with night-time snacks before bed. Is it a zone faut pas if I don’t eat a pre-bed time snack?

I have crew practice in the afternoon and eat a 6-8 carb and 4-5 protien block dinner right after practice. Do I need to get some fat in my system before bed to regulate my insulin? Also, is a snack that is just fat, i.e nuts o.k as a pre-bed snack?

Thanks for all of your help with my other questions. I am eating 16-18 blocks of protein a day, 6-10 blocks of carbs, and lots of fat everyday. I just had my body fat measured during my preseason check up and I was 7% bf. I am amazed by how great I feel and how well I have performed on such a small amount of carbs. Keep the Feeding the Machine posts coming. I love those posts.

Ben-
No worries with ratios..P/C post WO is perfect, nuts as pre-bed snack, fine. The zone is best utilized as an accounting method. Keep track of what your eating, keep the quality good, partition macros at smart times. Let performance and how you feel drive your decisons and you are set!
Keep me posted.

Robb,
Long time no chat. The new box is doing well and clients are rolling in. I got a good question from one of my clients about coffee. I had mentioned that I drink Espresso and that i had a discussion with you about types of coffee. I promised i’d get back to her with the potential benefits of Espresso over regular coffee (if any).
Thoughts?
Jeremy (crossfit hampton roads)

Jeremy-
congrats on the success! Espresso has more antioxidants, more flavor and less caffeine…also drip coffee (or french press) extracts some organic acids that make for a wicked withdrawal headache and irritated prostate for some. Not so with the espresso.

Robb, just a quick update on our bedtime goodies.

I dropped the 5htp since the pharmaGABA + ZMA did more than enough to knock me out. It’s been a few weeks and there are no changes in tolerance (good) and no dependencies (also good).

Jodi is doing really well with 5htp + ZMA. The pharmaGABA didn’t do anything for her. Again, no change in tolerance or dependency.

We’ve also been limiting electronics an hour before bed (Jodi does better at this than I do).

Our room is fairly dark, but I definitely want to improve it. We’ve tried the blackout sheets, but they are a PAIN IN THE ASS to put up and take down every day. I’m thinking about framing the blackout sheet in wood so it slides in snug and then store it under the bed during the day. If anyone has a better idea, let us know!

Anthony-
Sounds good. I’ve done something similar to the framming using cork board cut to fit right in the window. I could take it up or down pretty easily. Unfortunately the new house is riddled with windows and the shape of the frames makes it neigh impossible to do this again.

Hi Robb,
I love your site–your posts and the ensuing storm of comments are food for my brain everyday! Ever since I attended your cert in chilly San Francisco, I have been Paleo, and I definitely feel so much better. I had been Zoning previously, but I was addicted to oatmeal and yogurt, so getting rid of them helped me immensely.

However, it seems I have to get back to stricter zoning on Paleo to lean up again because I haven’t lost any weight or perceptible body fat just by going Paleo and rough Zone. I don’t feel like I am overeating, but perhaps I need to be more strict. I am just worried that if I cut carbs more, I will be taking a chunk out of the micronutrients I need to make Paleo healthy. Do you find it necessary to take a multivitamin while doing Paleo-Zone to keep everything in check? I know you mentioned absorption being increased when not dulled by grains, so maybe it works regardless…

Anyway, question number two: how many protein blocks do you suggest in the post WOD meal? Right now, I have been partitioning half of my carb blocks (a whooping 5 of them–yippee!), but since I commute 45min to Crossfit, I wait until I get home to have the 3 remaining protein blocks for the day–which is usually around 9-10 at night after the 7pm class. Is this mucking up my post WOD recovery?

Finally, I was wondering about herbal teas–why does the Paleo book say to have them in moderation and another source said to not have them at night? I enjoy a hot cup of tea (no milk or sugar–just straight) to flavor the water I drink. What is the science behind the restriction?

Thank you again for helping all of us lost souls with our dietary questions!

Best wishes,
Kristy

Kristy-
You might need to tighten up to a weighed/measured zone to get the leanness you desire. This is definitely the main benefit I get from weighing/measuring.

Herbal tea-Many contain phytoestrogens…just a good idea to mix that up and not go overboard.

Robb,

Wanted to check in with a question about nutrition as it relates to sleep and performance. Some preliminary info first.
I have recently switched to a paleo-esque diet as of July. I’m 5′10″/170lbs. Keeping track of my nutrients/calories with Fitday, on a macro level I’m about 2000-2500cal/day with no hunger cravings at the lower end of that scale. In fact, it’s a conscientious effort to bump it up to the higher side. Food composition breakdown is approx 45/35/20 fat/protein/carb. The vast majority of carbs are coming from fruits/vegetables (no grains or processed foods). Protein is in the form of fish, beef, pork, and chicken. Fats are coming from primarily oils and nuts. Since the switch, I have seen a noticeable change in body composition. Weight has stayed the same, but bf% has dropped.
Haven’t noticed any degradation in my crossfit performances either, in fact my energy is through the roof. Often I’ll workout 2x/day (WOD plus weights or run/row) to burn off the excess energy.
My problem is sleep. I have had trouble falling asleep at night and am averaging 5-6hrs since about the time I changed my diet. It will take me 1hr or longer to fall asleep at night whereas I had no previous problems. Though I don’t feel lethargic during my workouts I’m sure this must be affecting my performance or at least holding me back. Would appreciate your thoughts on any correlation between the diet change and stamina/sleep issues as well as any recommendations. Thanks.

hmmm…you may need a few more carbs throughout the day. An overly low carb diet cna really raise glucagon/epinephrine etc and it can be very stimulating. Try adding a chelated magnesium in the evneing also!

what’s this about limiting electronics before going to bed?? and is it bad to sleep close to electrical outlets? i’ve heard some random things here and there about that

Dan-
Well…it seems to allow for better melatonin production, deeper sleep and all the fun that goes along with it. Not sure on the electrical stuff other than I notice I sleep like a dead man when we camp or back-pack…I think there is certainly something to it.

Robb (or anyone else with insight on this)-
After reading the post to Andrew above (9-15-08) I quit taking the sleep aid I was using that contains Diphenhydramine Hydrochl. + Sleep MD because the last thing I want to do is block any HGH production.
I switched to the cocktail you suggested, taking 2 PharmaGaba, 3 ZMA and one 100mg 5-HTP immediately prior to bed. It’s been three weeks, and the cocktail knocks me out thoroughly for about three hours, but then it’s over.
Now here’s why I need to take a sleep aid. I work graveyards four nights/week trying to sleep from 0800-1600 and then on the nights I’m off I try to sleep from 2200-0600ish.
I’m guessing I’m better off going back to my old combo in return for getting more sleep, right?
Thanks for your wisdom. It’s much appreciated!

hi robb i joined crossfit northern ireland 3 months ago things are great, gettin fitter but the thing is i want is to bulk up i’m 5″9 tall and 72 kg in weight and would like to be 80 kg and tight so any suggestions thanks mate

Would Ambien med be blocking the production of growth hormone as well? Or is it different

Rob,

A little late on this post but I couldn’t get through the book. I googled T.S. Wiley and most of the stuff I found out about her is that she is a feminist quack with really splotty writing (apologies if you really love her). Is there some stuff I can read to dig a little deeper on sleep? Thanks!

J

Hello Rob. Love all the work you put into helping everyones health. I’ll give you a little back ground and then see if you have any helpful ideas. I suffered from ulcerative collitis from March to August. Prednisone finally got me back on track but I had to deal with some pretty serious mood swings, anemia and trouble sleeping. I have been crossfitting for about 2.5 years and have been doing shift work for 12 years (firefighter). During the last month of my flare up (UC) I had to deal with strictures in the large intestine. During that time meat would cripple me as it couldn’t pass and would create lots of gas. This forced me to go vegetarian for awhile and set me on a path looking for long term health. Being a crossfitter I had heard about Paleo but had only tried zoning. Starting in December I have been doing Paleo with about 4 cheat meals per week through the holidays and have cleaned up to around 3 cheats post holidays. I feel great with digestion have good workouts but I still have bags under my eyes and randomly get stressed out. I sleep 6-8 hrs depending on the shift or what the kids do at home but it just doesn’t seem to be enough. The only supplements i take are 1 kirkland fish oil, Asocol x 12, 1x Multivitamin. Is their something I’m missing that is creating these bags under my eyes and fatigue? Thanks, Matt. cya at the Jan. nutrition seminar I’m totally psyched.