Here is the attachment – Dropped from the previous email.
To Food!
Mike.
31 March 2011
Nutrition - 31 March 2011 - Case Study Week 2 and a Recipe!
Happy Thirst…I mean, Thursday, Team!
Are you thirsty yet for a taste of that victory drink? Only one more week to go and we are at week 12 – the final weigh-in – of your 2011 Biggest Loser Challenge! And more importantly, the very first day in which you no longer have a contest to be doing this for. Has it become your habit? Are you still on our wagon because you want to be? Now is the time to decide. Now is when you find out if you were hoping for a quick fix. Now is the time to realize that diets fail because people expect a short-term fix to last long term. Do you remember Bonnie’s tirade about “diets?” Let us all remember – everything is a diet. Your choice to take this journey is about so much more than just the nutrients you are receiving from these wonderful whole-foods you are eating. It’s about your whole life health. How many of you have sat down recently (maybe thanks to other recent posts) and thought about what you have gained, lost, changed, learned? And if you had to make a 10 item list of positive changes – what percentage would have to do with food alone? I’d reckon a guess at oh…25%. Tops. Let’s try mine on for size:
1. I sleep better.
2. I have more level amounts of energy throughout the day.
3. The little things…are little things – and they don’t bother me near as much as before.
4. I find enjoyment in quiet time. No radio, no cell phone, no chatter. Even in hectic places – like rush hour traffic.
5. My food tastes better. (Okay – that’s 1!)
6. I like what I see in the mirror.
7. I no longer panic if I miss a meal. (There’s 2!)
8. My thoughts are clearer – more distinct – better organized.
9. I feel happier and smile more and more easily.
10. I no longer wonder what to buy at the supermarket. Now I know and it’s easy. (Drat! 3! Well with only a 10 item list out of the 100 or so I could put down – I guess that’s an easy stat to break.)
Give it a try and share your list with us! Hit reply all or comment to share!
Last week, we introduced you to Jane Doe. A non-fictional character who is actively using our methods to gain control over her health and well being. An obsessive note-taker, she has provided us with an excellent excel workbook (complete with pictures!) and write-up of her activities, meals, and thoughts. I am simply going to cut and paste it here – my comments, where appropriate, are italicized. As this is lengthy it follows the end of today’s post. Be sure to take some time to read through it and look at the attachment. There is a lot of very good movement here and many helpful habits you may not have used in a while! And as always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Workout of the Day:
Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 – Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Push-ups, Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat
Work-out: 20 Minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) – 5 Burpees w/tuck jump, 15 walking lunge steps
A burpee is fast movement. From standing, squat down, kick back to a push-up (knees okay!), lower to floor, push-up, jump back to squat then explode into a jump clapping hands above your head. In this case you will forego the hand-clap and pull your knees to your chest, wrapping your arms around them briefly before putting your feet down to land. It takes some practice so do a few tuck jumps in your warm-up. They are tough! So don’t be discouraged and as always – HAVE FUN! Oh yeah, if it hurts – stop and only do what parts of it you can.
Recipe of the Day: (courtesy of Following My Nose)
Assemble Ahead & Bake Later Mahi Mahi
This dish can be easily tailored to your own personal tastes and nutritional requirements, and can be assembled ahead of time.
This is what I used, but this is a great dish to use up any veggies hanging around:
8 ounces Fish, dolphinfish, cooked, dry heat
2 tbsp Butter, salted
2 tbsps coconut oil
0.5 tsp Spices, paprika
1 ounce white cheddar
1/4 cup Peppers, sweet, red, raw
1 small stalk Celery, raw
1/2 cup, chopped Collards, raw
1thin slice Onions, raw
Directions:
Add coconut oil to bottom of baking dish.
Place fish in the center of the dish.
Season with salt and pepper if you like.
Surround the fish with assorted chopped veggies.
Add slivers of butter on top of fish.
Top with cheese.
Sprinkle with paprika...
If you are making more than about a 1/2 hour ahead of time, cover and place in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge and allow to approach room temp while the oven is preheating.
Bake until fish is done.
I hate when a recipe says that, but it really is true with fish because of the thickness. In an oven preheated to 375 degrees, I start checking after about 15 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork...best to check the thickest part.
****************************************
Back to our regularly scheduled program…
“Never do anything that your wouldn’t want to explain to the paramedics.” –Anon
“Never act in a way you wouldn’t want written in the newspaper.” – Anon
“Never do something around your kids that you don’t want written down or drawn up and displayed in the hall for parent-teacher night!” – Anon
Never say Never?
To Never. And all that it implies.
Mike.
<Jane Doe’s Diary>
Sunday, March 20th, 2011- Started Paleo, weighed in at 168LBs.
Sunday, March 27th, 2011- 1 week on Paleo, weighed in at 165LBs.
----->3 pounds lost in just 1 week!
When I first started, I thought it was going to be super hard and difficult to do Paleo. With your help and reading up on tons of material, it helped me understand that Paleo is not all that difficult to sustain nor complex to understand...It was quite simple and after a week of doing Paleo- I can honestly say that I feel better than I ever did before. Especially since I’m now losing weight and actually seeing a difference puts a huge smile on my face because it took some effort but wasn’t an overkill!
March 20th, 2011 was the first day of my Paleo diet. I attached my food journal for my first week for your review of how much change I had compared to the week before. I've been doing a better job of being more concise on portions, as well as limiting the carbs and dairy intake. Never thought you can enjoy a salad in more than one way---Love it! It's about all I eat now more than anything else, and it's quite a satisfying meal to say the least. Just one thing I noticed today- As much as I love purple onions and green onions on my salad….not such a good thing to open up at work especially in the work area..! Last night, I prepared all the fixings for my salad for the week except for the protein part which I will typically decide the night before work. Well I had a small container of purple onions and green onions that I opened and poured a little into my salad, and boy did that smell migrate it’s way a few aisles over….I had someone say, “what are you cooking over there”, smells good, LOL!.....So yeah I guess I’ll be opening those 2 containers for when I get to the café to eat!
One thing that helped me with keeping track on my daily food log was to take pictures of my larger meals with my cellphone throughout the day so then I would remember what I had and can record it at any time and not forget what I ate. Oh...the food scale is awesome….it’s helping me become more aware of how much I’m consuming….! Food scales are one of the first things I recommend for everyone – that and a decent set of measuring cups. Taking pictures is also a really good way of helping to be cognizant of what you are consuming. A photo food log posted on the internet and shared with everyone you know will not only make your journaling easier to keep up with but it also will keep you on track while possibly motivating others! Blogs at Blogger and Posterous are the easiest to do this with. They both accept email entries so all you do is take a picture and email it to your blog for an instant posting! That’s how we post these emails to our blog.
I attached photos of before and after of my fridge/drawer food items at my desk at work. Let's just say that I look back at it and can't believe I had all that "POISON" in my desk....!!! I took all that poison and put it on a table by the coffee machine and put a post it note and said “FREE”. Amazing how many people scooped them up in such a short period of time that it was sitting there….I know, shame on me for putting poison out there- but I didn’t want it to go to waste! ;) That is always the conflict within ourselves. Especially those of us who design and test COMBINES for a living. But as I’ve said before – it’s not for us to decide what others eat. It is for us to be ambassadors for others who want to be healthy. Maybe next time your “Free” sign should include the words poison and a set of skull and crossbones. That always worked in our house growing up to keep Dad from eating our left-overs!
In addition to changing my diet, I've been doing a better job of eating 5 meals a day as opposed to 1 or 2 and then a lot of snacking. I still have my moments where I'm not entirely that hungry so I marked my journal as a "Fast- not hungry"...I've decreased the amount of water that I drink because I'm not as thirsty as I was before due to the other food items I've been eating- so that's great! It’s a pretty cool thing to see how you really get most of what you need for hydration through the foods you eat when those foods are naturally full of water. Grains and legumes (dried beans) have very little water – thus increasing our need for it.
I am putting this in bold and in a different paragraph to emphasize what I am about to say. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO JUST SKIP A MEAL AT THIS POINT IN YOUR JOURNEY. Many people have stalled or not seen any changes because they are choosing not to eat or NOT EATING ENOUGH! It is a very hard thing to understand and even more difficult to explain so just go with me on this. You must eat. Every single meal and snack that you are supposed to. Especially if you are following the ZONE block prescription. When you choose to with-hold nutrition your body goes into a shock state and holds on to everything it can – fat and sugar-wise. Instead, it will convert your precious muscles for energy. Muy bad. And I don’t even speak spanish! You are allowed to do two things right now – you can have one “open” meal per week if you so choose and you can skip ONE meal in an entire week. Your journal shows 12 skipped snacks and 2 skipped meals – that’s the equivalent of TOO MUCH! You must eat. Period. Just do it. Nike. Swoosh. Down the pipe. In the hole. Nothing but net. Get the picture? Yes, I skip meals – only eating when I’m hungry. But then again, I am at homeostasis – my body knows exactly what it needs and when. I also no longer require portion control and there are days when I eat 7 HUGE meals just because my body says to. Please listen – I am at stage 36.4 – you are at stage 0.7. This goes for most of our group too. Ladies and Gents – if you are plateauing or haven’t seen much change in the first place – check your eating habits. Intermittant fasting is not the same as caloric restriction. And none of you should be doing IF just yet. If you are skipping meals randomly (again, something I never recommended) then you are sabotaging your own efforts. Let’s get you back on track by eating well and often. Three meals – two snacks, daily. Lean proteins, vegetables, some fruit, little starch, no sugar, nuts/seeds/oils.
I increased my workout activity as well which contributed a lot to my 3lb weight loss in 1 week! I can't be any happier with the results. I'm going to continue doing 20 minutes cardio workouts with my hula hoop and then 30 minutes to 50 minutes of high intensity workouts. It’s great to hear that you have changed your workout habits and are seeing results! Let me stop you though before you get too far… While I’m not a proponent of chronic cardio – the 20 minutes of Hula Hoop versus the 50 you were doing is an improvement. But DO NOT, under any circumstances do your HH then go and do 30 to 50 minutes of high-intensity exercise. That’s too much for even an advanced athlete! Keep your workout under 30 minutes total each day. Do the daily posted workout then HH for the rest of the 30 minutes. So – if today’s workout takes you 20 minutes, you get 10 minutes to HH. If it takes you 6 minutes, you get 24 minutes to HH. Doing too much will kick your body into conservation mode and it will stall your weight loss effort. Similar to why I could run for 50 miles yet still carried 18 percent body fat.
To summarize the above in a few bullets- see below:
· Adapted meal plans to be Paleo friendly
· Increased intense workout routines
· More conscience about what I’m eating now
· Take time night before work to prepare meals an snacks
· Took pictures first week I began Paleo to track my progress- created a collage J
· I only weigh myself once a week- every Sunday to track progress for now and then will do monthly once I get to a desired weight level
· Bought a food scale to ensure I’m measuring everything that I take in
· I’m more energized than I ever was before!
· I wake up every day at the same time (6:00AM) in the morning with no alarm clock!
I noticed that my weight has been to a steady 165 every morning since Sunday and I haven’t really lost anything since Sunday. Is that normal? And should I not worry about it and just continue to weigh in on Sundays as I started doing? Let me know your thoughts. Egad! Take your scale and donate it to the Salvation Army. Then once a MONTH go to the store and use it to weigh yourself. I know that as a whole, women have a need to have this concrete number they can track and get a gold star for. (guys too – sometimes) However, you will cause yourself much more stress and heartache than you need when it doesn’t change much and then you are bathing yourself in cortisol which we know only hinders all your other great intentions. The scale moving down and stalling or even moving back up is normal. Your weight fluctuates many pounds each day. You will not see any major movements except if you just get off of it and only check periodically. After a while, you will almost need to set an Outlook reminder to get on it. So – just relax a bit and don’t stress. Let the scale go and don’t bother with it until April 20th.
Will continue this journey and am so very appreciative of your support and guidance! We are very happy to be on your journey with you! Congratulations on taking the first steps towards a healthier you!
To a new beginning of a healthy lifestyle,
Jane Doe
30 March 2011
Nutrition - 30 March 2011 - Reasons NOT to eat Paleo? And a guest post!
Good Morning, Team!
Today is a travel day for me. Leaving 40 degree (for the high!) PA for 80 degree Arizona. Bright sun forecasted for the next…month! Yes, I'm excited. And okay, okay – yes, I'm bragging. But know that while you are wiling away dutifully in your gardens this weekend I will be performing work tasks that will most likely have me swearing rather than smiling. So enjoy and place a plant for me!
No other musings from me today as I move aside to let Bonnie continue her gardening posts. Before class begins however – how about a little Paleo humor?
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011
10 Reasons NOT to eat Paleo<http://theurbancave.blogspot.com/2011/03/10-reasons-not-to-eat-paleo.html>
Eating Paleo really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Here are 10 reasons NOT to eat paleo:
1. You're significant other can't keep their hands off your butt.
2. It's near impossible to hit on Dr. Sexypants because you're never sick anymore.
3. You're Mom will say "you're too skinny" every time she sees you.
4. The internal debate whether it's more ethical to give away your toaster, or simply just throw it in the trash feels impossible to resolve. Why waste a perfectly good appliance? Then again, why enable someone else's bad habits? Ugh! What to do?
5. You have too much energy for sitting and watching your brand new flat screen.
6. You're spice rack isn't big enough, and will overflow with new spices.
7. It seems like everyone on Craigslist is seeking a BBW!
8. Now when you drink coffee you feel like you can take on a bus (not safe).
9. Your subscription to Women's Health Magazine feels like a waste of money.
10. You will have to buy all new clothes and will likely have to cut extra holes in your belts.
He he he…
Workout of the Day:
Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15, Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Push-ups, Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat
Work-out: 3 rounds for time of Run 800 meters, 25 Dips, 100 Bicycle Crunches
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
To Fun. And Sun!
Mike.
*****
Good Day Loyal Listeners (or should I say readers)!
By now you have started picking out containers, drawn plans for square foot gardens, decided on desirable veggies, and mapped out all garden centers in a 20 mile radius, right?!? Good! Now that you have an idea for what you want to grow let's review how to start the little guys!
There are two main ways to start plants in your garden.
1. Buy live plants from your garden center. They are sold in little pack that hold about 4-6 cells, each cell holding one plant. If you are only planning on growing a few plants of a certain variety, I suggest going this route.
2. Plant seeds in seed trays or directly into the garden. Seed packets are sold darn near everywhere these days, from garden centers to supermarkets to pharmacies. If you plan on growing quite a few plants of a certain variety, this is definitely the most cost effective, and fun, way to go! Bonus- whatever seeds you don't use this year, store and use next year!
Buying live plants is pretty straight forward. Head on down to the store, pick a few varieties that sound tasty, and plant in your garden AFTER threat of frost, preferably when soil temperature is consistently above 60°. Remove the plant from the cell and plant with the soil level to the ground. Water immediately. Watch them grow!
Planting seeds requires a tid bit more planning. First, decide if you are going to start the seeds indoors or direct sow (aka plant right into the ground in the garden). If you start indoors, the seed packet will tell you when to plant; usually 4-6 weeks before last threat of frost. If you are going to direct sow, again directions will be on the packet for planting time, depth, and spacing.
I am going to assume that everyone can read a seed packet and follow instructions for direct sow, so let's focus on starting seeds indoors.
PRODUCTS NEEDED
Plant tray with lid
Planting cells (optional)
Seed starting soil (important! Not just regular potting or garden soil)
Watering can with rosette
Seeds (duh!)
UV light if 6-8 hours sunlight is not available
TO PLANT
1. Fill tray to top with seed starting soil. This is where you'd use the cells if you'd like. They are not necessary, but they do make transplanting a bit easier. Both tray and cells can be purchased at garden centers.
2. Level the soil and uniformly compress the soil gently.
3. Water the tray with the watering can, sweeping the can across the tray 4-5 times.
4. Plant 1-3 seeds every one to two inches. As a general rule, for bigger seeds plant one per two inch and for super small seeds plant 3 every inch.
5. Cover the seeds with soil at the depth stated on the seed packet.
6. Press the soil down again for good seed to soil contact. Be careful not to pack the soil, but gently compress.
7. Water in a sweeping motion 1-2 times. Don't soak as you don't want to drown the seeds.
8. **It is a good idea to label your tray! Write down the variety, date planted, quantity planted, and expected transplant date.
9. Cover tray with lid and place in a warm area.
10. Keep an eye on the tray until seeds start to sprout, 5-14 days. Because you have a lid on the tray it will act like a greenhouse and condensation will keep it wet. However, check to make sure soil hasn't dried out.
11. Remove lid and move under UV light or into direct sunlight for a minimum of 6 hours. Up to 12 hours is preferable. Keep soil moist, but not soaked.
12. Once most plants are 2-3 inches tall they will be ready for transplanting into your garden!
To yet again stress this point, never fear going to your garden center for help and advice! They really are the best people for the job, and always happy to help.
To Pleasant Plantings,
Bonnie.
29 March 2011
Nutrition - 29 March 2011 - That Quiet Place and Paleo in the News
Welcome, All, to a brilliant Tuesday!
The daffodils in my yard and clear bright mornings tell me that spring has sprung – even though the thermometer continues to chase me back inside for a heavier coat. Over the winter, many people are well known to experience the doldrums and a relatively new affliction – Seasonal Affective Disorder. According to the National Institute of Health, “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) refers to episodes of depression that occur every year during fall or winter. Symptoms improve in spring and summer.” Affecting women more often than men, SAD disturbs our sleep, energy, and weight among other things. So, what is the underlying issue? No-one is entirely sure but there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the decreasing levels of serotonin (a feel-good hormone, produced by the body in response to natural sunlight) in the late-fall and winter months is one of the major contributors. As these levels drop – the body uses a mechanism to combat this “detox.” It causes you to crave carbs. Do you recall our conversations in which we talked about how carbs affect the brain specifically. When they reach the brain, the sugars act directly on the opiate receptors producing a quick and intense “high.” This fix is very easy to obtain and your body becomes addicted to it. As Robb Wolf says, “It’s easier to get a crack-head off his rock” than it is to get a housewife off her bread.
In the attached article on a recent “Weight Loss Discovery” called paleo that was printed in the 4 April, 2011 edition of First for Women magazine (graciously provided to us by one of our loyal members) the author gives us hope for the spring! “Studies conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge indicate that you won’t miss those foods as much now as you might have a few weeks ago. That’s because low levels of Serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical that dips during the winter’s dark and dreary months, are a driving force behind women’s appetite for carbs. But serotonin levels climb as winter gives way to spring, so carb cravings fade. What’s more, grocery stores are now brimming with fresh produce at great prices, so sticking to the plan is easier.” For those of you who have continued to have small issue with cutting down on the starchy carbs and grains now may be your best opportunity to make that final leap!
Lately, the blogosphere has been all abuzz about the power of spring and how this time gives us all a great opportunity to take pause to reflect, recognize new challenges, and charge forth. Yesterday Jeremiah brought us a call to arms. Today I will flood you with the calming, healing effects of solitude and meditation. Many weeks ago I came across an article on Don Matesz’s blog on “Ten Reasons to Practice Mindfulness Meditation” that I wanted to share. Many topics have come up between now and then and it kept being pushed back. Well, last week HealthFitness sent out two daily tips on the subject and Mark Sisson hit us up as well. Here is what they have shared with us:
Don Matesz - “Ten Reasons to Practice Mindfulness Meditation”
1. Mindfulness meditation can help you eat better and lose weight.
2. Mindfulness training can help you stop binge eating.
3. Mindfulness training can improve your awareness of the physical effects of stress. .
4. Mindfulness training changes neuronal connections in regions of the brain.
5. Mindfulness training changes grey matter density in regions of the brain.
6. Mindfulness practice improves mood.
7. Mindfulness training can also make you smarter.
8. Mindfulness training can help you manage pain.
9. Mindfulness practice can reduce useless or harmful repetitive mental activity.
10. Finally, mindfulness practice might help you live longer.
These are the bullet points. Each one has a write-up on the post that provides more information about it.
HealthFitness Tip of the Day – 3/24/2011
*** Today's Tip: MEDITATION CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
Studies show that a particular type of meditation—Transcendental Meditation (TM)—can lower blood pressure. TM involves the repetition of a word or phrase, known as a mantra, for about 20 minutes while seated in a comfortable position with the eyes closed. Learning TM is not difficult, but it is best to have a qualified instructor teach you. There are many forms of meditation, but this technique has been the most widely studied form and the benefits can extend far beyond lowering blood pressure. Other benefits include: improved sleep, less tension and stress, sharper memory, more self-confidence and inner calm.
Source: American Journal of Hypertension.
HealthFitness Tip of the Day – 3/26/2011
*** Today's Tip: A MEETING TO KEEP
Have you ever considered a regularly scheduled meeting with yourself?
A quiet hour each week can help clear your mind, so that you continue to deliver your best at work and at home. Consider using this time to reflect on your goals, recent achievements or even areas of conflict.
This can help you ensure that you have a healthy balance, which is critical for overall good health.
Source: Harvard Business Review
Marks Daily Apple – The Power of Solitude: Why You Should Spend More Time Alone
I consider myself a pretty social person, but I’ll admit I need my “cave” time – those periodic hours away from everyone and most everything. After a long and compact business trip, a joint vacation with extended family or friends, the ruckus of the holidays, or a week of house guests, I hit my threshold – beyond which I slip into an irritable, irascible version of myself. Usually my wife catches it before I do and gently reminds me to retreat for a time until I’m fit for society again. After a brief self-imposed seclusion (usually a day of hiking), I’m as good as new. In short, a bit of regular solitude keeps me civilized.
Do you practice solitude, meditation or yoga? Is daily journaling or playing an instrument a daily part of your day? Hit reply all or comment and tell us about it!
Workout of the Day:
Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 – Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Push-ups (5 reps), Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat (hold bottom 15 secs)
Work-out: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 reps for time – Push-ups, Overhead Squat w/broomstick
Each time you have to stop the push-ups, start back up with a different type (i.e. diamond, wide, narrow, tricep, feet elevated, clapping, weighted, handstand, etc…)
Substitute Air-Squats if you cannot do an overhead squat properly
Comment of the Day: This lifestyle will always be with me and I’ll never go back to the way I was before. J As for the comment on making goals and acting on it, that’s something I began doing this past weekend actually. By creating SMART goals, it gives me something to try to attain and makes me feel better about myself!
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be “happy.” I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all, to matter and to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.” – Leo C. Rosten
We are going through a time in which people half a world away are finally standing up – to matter, to make a difference. Take some time for yourself today. Reflect, be calm, listen. Then act.
To making a difference. And knowing.
Mike.
28 March 2011
Nutrition - 28 Mar 2011 - Find Your Reason and Bacon!
Hello, All!
Happy Monday to you! If you’ve got a case of the Monday’s I’ve got the cure for you. Take a few moments today on your lunch hour to get outside (yes, it’s chilly) and log a couple thousand brisk steps for your Walk the Way challenge. The activity, crisp clean air, and the bright noonday sun will most certainly give the rest of your day a much needed boost! Give it a try and let us know how you feel.
A super huge THANK YOU to everyone who came last Friday for the meeting. While I was a bit saddened by the priority that work took over our time together I was touched and cheered by the words and generosity of those who came by. I look forward to continuing to support your journey’s from afar so please continue to send in your thoughts, comments, and questions!
Workout of the Day:
Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15, Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Samson Stretch, Push-ups, Walking Lunge, Squat
Work-out: 3 rounds for time of: 50 sit-ups, 25 burpees, 250 meter run
For the run, do 1 minute if you cannot estimate distance (running in place is okay too). Remember – a burpee is a fluid movement to the ground and back to your feet, explosively jump and clap your hands above your head. It is not a rep if your feet don’t leave the ground… Be honest with yourself.
Recipe of the Day: Remember, you can always find a new recipe every day (weekends too!) on our website at cnhnutrition.blogspot.com. If that’s not enough for you… How do you make meatloaf better? Wrap it in Bacon! Venison Meatloaf Wrapped in Bacon – with a side of goal setting. Courtesy of The Naked Kitchen.
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more confident and more and more successful” – Mark Victor Hansen
This quote comes to mind after reading the following letter sent to the athletes of CFC this morning. Today it becomes our Nutrition Tip of the Day (Find Your Reason) and I’m sharing with it with you here. It motivates me! How does it make you feel?
To all CrossFitters who have thrown it down in our box; To all those who just "get it":
This is an open letter to all of you. Some of you I see every day. I know for some, we have not had much communication. Yet, I do know each and every one of you personally, and have seen you push yourself very hard in a single day, and over the course of a month, year, and more. So, take this as a billboard sign that reminds you of those things you really wanted for yourself, but never wrote them down, or told somebody, or maybe didn't even act on....yet.
Remember thinking how cool it would be if you could do that gymnastic move you saw on TV? Run that race they always have downtown? Play with your kids the way they play? Just to feel healthy and fit? Try a new sport each month?
I write this to spark up that ONE REASON and sharpen the point of your motivation. There are millions of excuses that sweep us away from accomplishments. Some of these are legit responsibilities. Some excuses use responsibilities as excuses. They're responsibilities, not excuses. So, we have to work around them, not against them. Get rid of the excuses, not the good things. Personally, I sometimes wonder if I traded my life to be a cow. I follow the same paths, do the same routines, and get the same results. It's maddening!! Who's in charge here?!
My #1 excuse is, "I'm too tired." Yep. How did I get that way? What do I need in order to take a step forward toward my goals? Sleep? Do it. Then take a step!
You may need to argue with yourself. It's guaranteed, you will need to dig deep, stay committed, and make sacrifices. What you gain is an ever-broadening quality of life. What you lose went away with all the excuses.
With all the excuses to not think about goals, and worse, to not act on them, WE ONLY NEED ONE REASON TO TAKE A STEP TOWARD OUR GOALS. What's that ONE REASON for you? Write it down. Tell your family. Put it on your phone's background. If we let go of that reason, then the excuses will start dulling our focus, and diluting that great satisfaction from each step forward.
I write as one who struggles with motivation just as much as any of you. I own a gym. I'm in good shape. I even have time each day. I can afford decent groceries. I can read. Yet, with all that going for me, I forget my goals, and slowly I lose speed, get distracted by indulgence, and dismiss the need to constantly grow.
Here's the practical:
-Grab a planner/calendar and write down one thing each day you did to accomplish that goal
-Brag about it! Tell people. It's not lame to take a step forward. People will be jealous.
-Stop saying "CAN'T", or any other negative comment to yourself...and others.
CrossFit Collective is a place to meet people, like myself, who are completely ordinary, but with the help of fun accountability, are capable of the extraordinary! Here's the Mirror. Take a good look past the body, into the recesses of inner drive. What do you want to accomplish this coming month? This year? Let's both go after it. Let's go after it, 5 or 10 of us at a time! Let's groan, shout, and sweat until we stop embracing excuses.
Your comments, chides, reasons, and goals are desired and most appreciated!!
To Taking That Step Up,
Mike.
25 March 2011
Nutrition - 25 March 2011 - Questions and Pizza.
Good Morning, All!
A very happy Friday to you! Yesterday’s email generated a lot of discussion and we will get to that in just a moment. First, I wanted to admit to you all that I gave in yesterday. Here’s the story: We had required training over the lunch hour. As they always do, lunch was provided. Well – a form of nourishment was anyway. I can’t call it food nor was it very nourishing, but it was there and it was free. Anyone want to guess? Yup – pizza. That buttery crust denizen in a brown box. Oh the tragedy that was about to occur. You see, Mike has no problem fasting. Even less after he had an amazing morning meal of sweet potato lasagna at about 9:30. But it was there, it smelled delicious, and he had not experienced a carb and grain overload in a while so let’s experiment – no? Well, it wasn’t good. Two pieces turned into four. Later a couple more. Then the extra came back to the shop and even more was consumed. No matter how many pieces were eaten – it wasn’t enough. I was on a carb hunt. Extreme sugar meltdown. Reminds me of this post from Health Habits. But I digress…
Here’s what I felt: within minutes of eating it I was tired – but we can blame the training for that, then I was hungry. My heart was beating heavily and I began to feel anxious. I was high with energy but had no power. And I needed to keep eating. Driving home after work I started to feel pain through my forearms – a muscle stiffness that was not normal. During my workout I was blah. Nothing worked well and my drive was diminished even with the sugar energy available. My digestion started to get all wonky and I will spare you the details but ended up in the washroom several times over the next few hours. Ick. When I finally found myself in bed I was awake and jittery. My mind would not shut down and my body was just humming. This is not normal. A tab of melatonin did not help and after several hours I finally drifted off. Waking up I felt two things – muscle soreness, stiff joints, and a ravishing hunger. Okay – that’s three, but who is counting? None of it was my normal state of affairs and it all sucked in my book.
So what did I do? Remind myself that I made the choice and I have to pay for it. I sucked down some water and found some good quality protein for the morning. And I’ll have more restraint next time.
Question of the Week! “A friend shared your email with me and I was wondering why you don’t [think] yogurt is a good food to eat? Do you believe dairy is bad all together?” One of our members shared yesterday’s email with a friend (thank you!) and this is a question I received from them yesterday. It appears that there is still some confusion on where I stand personally on the dairy issue. While I had thought that I had stated that fact in my introduction to it yesterday it appears that my answer was lost in the mass of words I used. So here was my response: Your question appears to be a similar question that was our topic of the day – save for the yogurt in place of cheese. My statement in today’s email was “Restricting your consumption to heavy cream (non-pasteurized), yogurt, and hard cheeses is best for everyone.” This would read otherwise that no, I do not believe that dairy is bad all together. Nor do I think that people should not eat or drink dairy products. I do believe (from both personal and client experience, plus research) that if you are going to take in bovine dairy products that you are best served to take in the fermented forms such as yogurt, hard cheeses, heavy cream, and kefir. As always – fresh, raw dairy is best and absolutely stay away from the pasteurized dairy in the store as the process changes many of the chemical properties of the dairy and that causes other digestive issues.
If you are overweight, obese, have metabolic syndrome, or insulin resistance pulling dairy out of your eating plan for now is best to achieve a healthy functioning digestive system and to keep excessive carbohydrate (from fluid milk) out of your system thus keeping your insulin load down. If you have other major health issues to include poor digestion or skin ailments (acne, rashes, etc.) then you are strongly encouraged to pull dairy out of your diet for 30 days to see if the symptoms get better. We do this with all of our foods when trying to determine what issues you may be experiencing from them. After the 30 days you can reintroduce them one a week so you can see what effects you have. It’s not an exact science, but it works.
A little more on the subject may help you understand my position. I have worked in the dairy industry. Milking cows and taking care of the facilities twice a day starting at 3:45 AM. I drank the fluid milk out of the bulk tank and my mother used to comment about how quickly we went through a gallon of milk when I was a kid. I love the stuff and for the most part have no issues with dairy. My digestion is fine and I get quite the energy kick from fluid milk. However, all my adult life I was plagued with cystic acne on my back and shoulders. These are deep, swollen, and painful. Just sitting in the Jeep can hurt if any are present. Last year I relied very heavily on cottage cheese as part of my breakfast. I also used fluid milk as a recovery drink and snack (1 block each protein and carb per 8 oz!). When I had left for the field – my dairy consumption was cut almost completely out. A few months down the road and I noticed that while I was traveling, the acne went away and my back cleared up. When I came back and the dairy was put back into my diet, it returned. So I decided to try and stop using it voluntarily and see what happened. I haven’t had a deep cyst since. I do eat hard cheese and yogurt still – they are fermented varieties so the lactose and casein are mostly gone. But the soft cheeses and fluid milk are a very rare treat. If this effect had not been experienced firsthand then I wouldn’t even have an opinion on it.
I did receive a response back from the person who asked the question and it appears that they are satisfied. I hope you are too. If you still have questions please let me know. I will do my utmost to find some ground in which we all can come to a full understanding of the topic. Also – if you are using milk to gain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D and calcium – you would be better served getting them from exposure to sunlight (vitamin D) and leafy greens such as spinach and chard (calcium). Most of these are not easily extracted from the milk (which is a problem with supplementation as well) and with the other digestive issues you may have with dairy consumption, the veggies may be a better choice. If you need more suggestions of foods to eat instead let me know and I’ll put together a list for you.
At this point, I’m going to put a cap on it. I promised you the third in Bonnie’s series on gardening but with length as a concern let’s hold that off until Monday.
Workout of the Day: 5 rounds for time of: 30 Double Unders, 30 Walking Lunges
Sub 75 singles for the doubles or 60 jumping jacks
Reminder: Today is the last official meeting for the time being. I will be off-site for field testing over the next few weeks and will be supporting you from a distance. Please make an effort to attend today so that I may say thank you and help answer any lingering questions you may have.
“The first step is to penetrate the clouds of deceit and distortion and learn the truth about the world, then to organize and act to change it. That’s never been impossible and never been easy.” Norm Chomsky
To Action,
Mike.
24 March 2011
Nutrition - 24 March 2011 - Dairy and an Announcement
Happy Thursday, Team!
Well, we have now come full circle in all of the wonderful seasons of spring! Warm, cold. Wet, dry. Rain, ice. Snow? Yup! The white stuff is again coating our grass and sending our plants into temperature shock. Fortunately, we all are starting our gardens indoors this year right? If you haven’t planted yet – stay tuned for the third in Bonnie’s guest posts titled appropriately enough “Planting Seeds.”
This morning however, the white stuff brings to mind another topic that we have spoken about briefly from time to time. It is now the right time to tackle it fully. Dairy. This week I received the following question from a member: “Question, I consume a fair amount of cheese in my now normal diet. I understand that the fat content is high however it has never negatively affected my weight loss. There is almost no carbs found in cheese yet I know in the diet you recommend cheese is not something in it. Can you explain this to me?”
My answer was lost somewhere in cyberspace…so I have turned to the oracle of all, Mark Sisson, for his Definitive Guide to Dairy. His research is exhaustive and there is more than enough information here to satiate even the biggest of dairy appetites. As for my own thoughts – I’m with him on this one. It’s a gray area. If you don’t have any effects then enjoy! (Though be careful of the excessive carb load – that’s a real problem people tend to forget about) Restricting your consumption to heavy cream (non-pasteurized), yogurt, and hard cheeses is best for everyone. And using raw, full fat products are the best. To determine if you are affected by dairy you will need to cut it our completely for 30 days then do a reintroduction test.
Our reader’s comment was mainly centered around the fat content of cheese. As such, understand that we have always touted the consumption of fats (cheeses included – though more for the protein) as part of our healthy eating strategy. Without the excessive insulin in our system by restriction of sugars – the fats can do what they are intended for (provide a high energy source in a small package) and are not stored as visceral body fat. So eat cheese if you enjoy it and have no ill effects. Do so in moderation – any excessive consumption of any one food item can be detrimental. People who are overweight, obese, have various health issues, and are known to have metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance are best advised to avoid dairy until their weight and health are under control.
Read below (I’ve copied it here in its entirety) for all of the ins and outs of dairy. And choose for yourself. Share with me what your experience is with it!
Important: We will have a meeting tomorrow at noon in Building 43. With the start-up of our spring harvest season and the ebbing attendance in the meetings I am announcing that this will be the last official meeting to be held for the time being. I will continue to send out the daily emails until the end of the BL contest in which we will drop back to two or three posts per week (many members have requested fewer emails in an effort to keep up with the information). I do encourage you to continue meeting on your own with each other and enjoy sharing the community and resources we have amassed as a group. Upon my return from the field in a few weeks I would like to host a pot luck style Paleo/Primal friendly get-together with everyone who has been a part of our group over the last few months. I will send out more information on this when more details are put together. If you would like to head-up the Pot Luck, I would be grateful for the help.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about any of this please email me. I will do my best to address them all. And I humbly give my thanks for your continued support and efforts.
Workout of the Day:
Warm-up – 2 rounds of 15 - Jumping Jacks, Shoulder Mobility, Push-ups (5 reps), Walking Lunge, Samson Stretch, Squat
Work-out – AMRAP 20 mins – 20 squats, 10 push-ups, 20 leg lifts
“In each human heart are a tiger, a pig, an ass and a nightingale. Diversity of character is due to their unequal activity.” Ambrose Pierce
To being diverse and virtuosity.
Mike.
28 JAN
The Definitive Guide to Dairy
I knew going in this was going to be a tricky one, because dairy, especially raw and/or fermented full-fat dairy, resides in a Primal gray area. The literature, the evolutionary reasoning, and the anecdotal reports all unanimously point to sugar, cereal grains and legumes, processed foods, and industrial vegetable oils as being net negatives on the human metabolic spectrum, but dairy is somewhat different. The other Neolithic foodstuffs we can rule out because the science condemning them is fairly concrete and they weren’t on the menu 20,000 years ago. Heck, they weren’t just off the menu; they were basically unrecognizable as food in the raw state. Dairy, on the other hand, is a relatively recent food chronologically, but it is most assuredly and obviously a viable nutritive source in its raw form. It’s full of highly bioavailable saturated fat, protein, and carbs – in equal portions. You could conceivably survive on milk alone (I wouldn’t recommend it, but you could technically do it; try doing the same with honey or raw millet). Milk is baby fuel. It’s literally meant to spur growth and enable a growing body. Our bodies definitely recognize dairy as food, even foreign bovine dairy. But is it good nutrition?
I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone really does, in fact, which is why I place dairy firmly in Primal limbo. And so, this Definitive Guide to Dairy may come across as being a bit less than definitive, but that’s only because I’m being honest: we simply don’t know whether dairy is suitable for regular human consumption. Whether you include or exclude it from your diet, the decision must be borne from a review of the available literature (Cordain v. Weston Price, for example) with an assessment of the potential risks and benefits, followed by a personal assessment of dairy’s effect on your body (try it, then strictly eliminate it, and note the differences). If you’ve been eating dairy your entire life, your body doesn’t know anything else. In that case, you’ll want to fully drop it for at least a month to get an accurate assessment. Remember – pre-Primal, you probably “felt fine” eating grains and sugar every day. You may have to take the same approach if you really want to figure out what dairy does to you.
You could listen to Dr. Loren Cordain and other strict paleos who adamantly oppose all forms of it. They offer a number of reasons why dairy doesn’t belong in the human diet – mainly lactose intolerance and casein intolerance. Yet, the truth is, lactose (a form of sugar) and casein (a form of protein) are both found in human breast milk, so each of us – and certainly every one of our ancestors – was not only able to tolerate but to thrive for some time during infancy depending on both of these “questionable” molecules. That’s the main thing that makes eliminating dairy a little less clear cut than eliminating grains and legumes. But let’s look a little closer at the intolerance issue.
Lactose Intolerance
The widespread presence of lactose intolerants, who still make up a majority of the world’s inhabitants, is somewhat compelling evidence that maybe dairy isn’t the ideal food many assume it to be. Worldwide, we see that most people aren’t adapted to lactose consumption after age four, when many of us lose the ability to properly digest lactose (actually gene expression for the enzymes involved in lactose digestion are down-regulated). Nevertheless, it would appear that among many people, most of whom can trace ancestry back to herding cultures, some adaptation has taken place that allows them to continue to effectively digest lactose throughout their lives. I would never argue that a lactose intolerant person should drink milk; if it makes you feel like crap, don’t eat it! At the same time, though, if that same person were to complain about getting enough fat in his or her diet, and olive oil and coconut oil weren’t cutting it, I would suggest incorporating some cream, butter, or ghee. Little to (in the case of ghee) no lactose to speak of, and you’d be hard pressed to come up with a better all-purpose cooking fat. Lactose intolerance won’t kill you if you ignore it. It’s actually pretty impossible to ignore rumbling guts, explosive diarrhea, cramps, and bloating, so I doubt the truly lactose intolerant will miss it.
Casein Intolerance
Casein is the primary protein in dairy. It shares structural similarities with gluten, a highly problematic grain protein that can shred the intestinal lining and lead to severe auto-immune issues. Bad, bad stuff, and a big reason why grains are so unhealthy. (And if you’re still not convinced that grains are unhealthy read this (PDF).) Now, paleo opponents of dairy say casein wreaks similar havoc on our guts, and it’s true that gluten intolerance goes hand-in-hand with casein intolerance. But is casein a primary cause of leaky gut, or does it slip in only after gluten has opened the floodgates? Once a floodgate is opened, any protein can enter and cause issues. And after all, casein is the primary protein in human breast milk…
Cancer
Cordain thinks milk leads to cancer, citing a fairly impressive array of studies that seem to suggest a link between milk consumption and various types of the disease. He fingers betacellulin, one of milk’s epidermal growth factors, as the causal agent. In the fetus and suckling newborn, betacellulin helps with growth and tissue differentiation. It’s completely essential for growing infants. In adults, Cordain says it passes cleanly into the gut, completely intact and free to enter circulation, where it can bind to receptors and enhance cancer cell growth. What Cordain doesn’t mention is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is also found in milk fat (especially raw, grass-fed milk, which is never included in any study) and has been shown to possess anti-cancer effects by inhibiting breast cancer cell growth and reducing the activation of insulin-like growth factor receptors (the same receptors Cordain identifies as sensitive to betacellulin). The studies Cordain cites as support of the milk-cancer connection are interesting, but their messages are muddled. As Chris Masterjohn points out, milk proteins mostly appear harmful only when separated from their natural fat. Low fat and skim milk appear to have associations with certain cancers (like prostate), while whole milk appears protective (of colorectal cancer) or neutral. It would be nice to see researchers take a good, long look at full-fat, pastured dairy’s effects on cancer rates. Conventional milk consumption probably isn’t advisable, but the jury’s still out on whether raw, pastured, whole milk is also problematic. We need more data.
Insulin Response
Milk is highly insulinogenic, more than most carbohydrate sources. We’re all aware of the dangers of chronically elevated insulin levels, but that’s also what makes milk such a popular post-workout recovery drink. If you’re insulin sensitive following a tough strength training session, milk’s insulin response can be an effective way to shuttle in protein and glycogen. I don’t do it myself, because I like to fast post-workout (and I don’t like the taste of regular milk) but some people swear by it. This is just speculation, but perhaps the potentially negative effects of milk are negated by the post-workout internal environment (starved muscles, depleted glycogen, insulin-sensitive tissue). Or perhaps those powerlifters are slowly but surely eroding their gut lining. To be on the safe side, maybe limit your milk drinking to immediately post-workout if you’re going to drink it at all.
There isn’t a whole lot of consensus on the subject. People with whom I normally agree on everything regarding nutrition have completely different takes on dairy. Some MDA forum goers report no ill effects, while others complain of joint pain and clogged sinuses from consuming even a single ounce of dairy. More than any other food, dairy seems to be entirely subjective. There is no “one size fits all” approach to it. To be on the safe side and to go “full Primal,” you would technically eliminate it completely, but that may be unnecessary for a relatively large number of people.
In a strange way, this entire blog is just a detailed, science-based map of my own personal journey augmented with anecdotes and experiments from others on similar, but slightly divergent, paths. Much of what I write is founded in science but based on my experiences, and this particular post is no different. When things are gray and murky and the science is unclear and far from definitive, I generally go with anecdote and personal, n=1 experimentation. Personally (and, in a way, this entire blog is just a detailed map of my own personal journey), regular dairy doesn’t generally agree with me. I don’t buy or drink milk. Having said that, I’m a big fan of heavy cream in my coffee and butter in my eggs (and on my steaks and vegetables). I like a nice thick yogurt sauce on lamb, and occasionally either Greek yogurt or fresh whipped cream with berries for dessert. I even have a bit of artisan cheese
once in a while. It works for me. I don’t get cramps or gas, and I don’t get leaky gut symptoms from casein alone (gluten is another thing altogether). I’d say, on average, I consume at least one dairy item each day (usually butter), but that’s not a hard and fast rule.
Raw, fermented, full-fat dairy is probably best.
Organic, hormone and antibiotic-free dairy (full fat, of course).
A2 Milk versus A1 Milk
Goat
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