YOU CLIMB WHAT YOU EAT

A BUDDING FITNESS GURU/CLIMBER WEIGHS IN ON DIET //

Nate Warren of Boone, North Carolina, is your typical obsessed climber: he selected a university (Appalachian State) based on proximity to rock; he bemoans the fact that school gets in the way of his climbing; and he stays fit so he can climb his hardest. But it’s Warren’s obsession with diet (in a healthy way . . . maybe) that sets him apart.

Last summer, Warren, a 19-year-old food and nutrition science major, started a blog called Trutrition Facts: The Truth About Food (trutritionfacts.com), where he composes such articles as “Sugar: the Bitter Truth,” “Why Vegetarianism Isn’t the Answer,” and “Think Neanderthal” — mostly items that challenge conventional beliefs about what it means to eat healthy.

“My aunt gave me the idea for the blog this past summer . . . she had a lot of questions about what I was doing and why,” says Warren. “It started as a way for me to explain myself to my friends and family, who already knew I ate a little funny.”

So how does this link to climbing?

“Athletes (and everyone for that matter) perform better when they eat right,” says Warren.

Warren acknowledges that his sophomore standing in college doesn’t make him an expert, however much time he spends studying nutrition. He recommends checking out such specialists as Loren Cordain (The Paleo Diet) or Michael Pollan. Nevertheless, Warren is willing to drop some knowledge:

“Conventional wisdom says that fat makes you fat,” Warren says. “More and more studies are showing that sugar (and the sugar in the form of starch in grain products) is what’s increasingly making our waistlines expand — not fat.”

You say you don’t eat grains (wheat, rice), legumes (beans), or dairy. How does this affect your everyday eating?
I don’t even think about it anymore, honestly. It’s just become my normal, you know?

So then, what do you eat?
For breakfast, I eat three or four eggs and some fruit, and usually have some kind of protein — fresh sausage typically a salad with chicken, fruit, and nuts on it. Dinner is probably the least difficult. I just avoid pasta and rice. My favorite dinner is a nice steak and a sweet potato.

You want to study diabetes, obesity, food subsidies, and how they all link together. What do you mean?
The United States gives money in the form of subsidies to farmers who grow lots of corn, wheat, and soybeans. We have so many of these crops that we don’t know what to do with them anymore. We end up feeding them to the animals we eat and coming up with new food products that’re extremely high in carbohydrates and extremely low in nutrients. Without getting too scientific, these foods are the ones causing obesity and diabetes.

It’s kind of a big push to try to convince people that grain products may not be as healthy as they think, especially with all the “multi-grain” and “whole wheat” crazes going on right now. . . .
We grow a lot of wheat in this country, and so we have a lot people we have to convince to eat it. The food industry can come up with a study to prove just about anything. . . . Wheat isn’t especially unhealthy. It just isn’t the best choice we could be making to base our whole diet around. I know it’s crazy to think everyone one day will eat like me, and I don’t expect that to ever happen. I just want to see Americans be more aware of the effects of this food, so they can make better choices.

How do you think your muscle compares to that of climbers who are as active, but enjoy some pizza every once in a while?
I’m stronger. I’m not bragging at all — it’s the truth. I can do more pull-ups and push-ups. I can deadlift and backsquat more. I just perform better. There’re definitely people out there seeing great results eating a traditional Western diet, but I don’t have to work quite as hard as they do.

What’s your favorite spot to climb?
I really love all the local areas in Boone. It’s like the East Coast’s hidden bouldering treasure. I also always have a lot of fun at Horse Pens 40.

What’s your favorite climbing snack?
Pistachios. They’re great for protein and healthy fat, to keep you going all day.

Do you think you’ll ever eat a slice of pizza? [Laughs] I’m sure I will at some point. I usually give myself a cheat meal once a month or so.

How do your parents react to your methods of eating when you go home to see them?
My parents are slowly becoming more accepting. The more I’m able to explain to them about it, the more open they are to trying to make better decisions about food.

Do you find your lifestyle difficult to uphold sometimes?
Oh, definitely. It’s just something I’m extremely passionate about, so I always make time for it.