Paleokits

“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.” –CrossFit.com

Paleokits are tasty zone-friendly snacks and meals packaged for on-the-go lifestyles. A delicious mix of beef jerky, raw macadamias, raw almonds, raw pecans and dried fruits, our kits are the best-tasting convenient meals on the market. Paleokits are perfect for athletes striving to improve performance and those following Paleo, Zone™, low-carb and gluten-free diets. Paleokits have a six-week shelf life and are vaccum packed for freshness, making them perfect for extreme athletes including mountain climbers, bikers, skiers, snow boarders, backpackers and cross-country runners.

Endorsed by people like Robb Wolf, these are awesome to have as a to-go paleo option. They come in a variety of sizes from a snack size to a pack that contains over 450 calories for a real convenient meal. Even better,

"Proceeds from the sales of Paleokits fund Steve’s Club, a non-profit Crossfit affiliate devoted to training youth from Camden, NJ-often touted as the most dangerous crime-infested city in the country. Steve’s Club gives inner-city kids the chance to get away from the drugs and violence that plague their neighborhoods. Paleokits were originally developed to provide the children portable on-the-go nutritious meals they could eat at school and at home. Born to fuel their bodies, Paleokits now fuel the future of many kids looking for a positive place to stay safe and get strong."

So while probably not as good as a real meal, I've yet to see any thing that can compete with these. Pick them up at www.paleokits.org

wod update

Monday's workout:
Squat 5x5 275 (This started getting really heavy, and I have to watch to make sure my knees don't come in)
Press 5x5 115 (Can't get this up, getting really annoying!)
Deadlift 5x5 355 (I'm decent at these)


Tuesday:
300:
25 pullups
50 deadlifts @ 135
50 pushups
50 box jumps
50 V ups
50 kettlebell clean and jerks 24kg
25 pullups

This burned real nice until the last set of pullups where I could do 2 at a time and just reached full muscle failure. Time was somewhere around 14 and change, forget it exactly.

My Mom's paleo challenge

So I think I may have been able to convince my mom to go paleo for 30 days... so I wrote up this plan, which is basically me stealing a bunch of info and putting it together. I didn't think she would read any of it, but actually did. She said a big issue was breakfast for her, and I can totally see that (I actually intermittent fast a lot of breakfasts) especially since she doesn't like eggs. There are still amazing amounts of paleo choices including the easiest, left overs from the night before. There is no reason you can't have grilled chicken or steak for breakfast! There is also turkey bacon and chicken sausage that are good protein choices. Add some fruit, some avacado or some nuts, and you are good to go. Now all I need to do is convince her to take fish oil, and I think well within 30 days she will be convinced of the benefits.





PALEO 30 DAY CHALLENGE

I'm going to steal a whole giant blog post from someone, then I will try and explain more of the reasons behind paleo

Change your life in thirty days (The Whole30)

In Part II of my Guide to Eating Dirty, I recommend cheating smart – indulging in those foods that aren’t going to knock you out of energy, wellness and performance commission for days on end. The concept sounds pretty easy, and it is… as long as you know how various food groups like gluten, dairy and legumes affect you. So how do you figure out what foods are okay to cheat with, and what foods will never be worth it?

I can tell you where it STARTS... strip out all the crap from your diet and let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be provoking. What, exactly, does that mean? Super strict, no cheat, by-the-book Paleo for the next 30 days. Cut all the foods that could be kicking you in the crotch without you even knowing it for the next 30 days, and see how that feels. (To be clear – this is NOT a “30 Day Challenge”. This is so much bigger than that. And it's not really even about cheating. I kind of tricked you there. I'm not sorry. Read on, please.)

Why?

First and foremost, it will change your life. I cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact. This. Will. Change. Your. Life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. I know this because I did it, and it changed my life, and it changed the way I eat on a very permanent basis.

I promised you some cheat-tips, so here's how this ties in. The only way you are going to know if something is having a negative effect on how you look, feel or perform is to take it out for a while, then try it again with a fresh perspective. Think of it this way – if you’re allergic to pollen, and you are exposed to pollen every day, that means every day your nose is a little stuffy and your head is a little achy. You probably don’t even realize how crappy you feel, because a stuffy nose and achy head is just normal. Now, take a vacation somewhere pollen-free. Allow your body to experience a month without that irritant. Then… come home. Imagine how aware you would be of your allergy then. Your first few days back, you would be miserably in tune with how your allergy is affecting your everyday life.

Same concept here. Dairy, gluten, lectins and alkaloids may be provoking a similar autoimmune response in your body today – and you don’t even know it. Certain sugary foods may send you running for the nearest candy bowl, while others may satisfy you with just a small amount. So take a vacation from those food groups. Give your body a break, and then, if you so choose, come back to them with a fresh perspective. You’ll be able to immediately see if – and how – they really do impact how you look, feel and perform.

There are other reasons for doing a super strict 30 day Paleo program. For one, there’s an excellent chance that this little adventure will jump start fat loss. And I’ve seen really good results, especially in women, of body shapes changing just by eliminating these foods. Does your stomach look flat in the morning and chubby by day’s end? Try cutting dairy. You’d be surprised how an irritated digestive tract can manifest into a muffin-top over those low rider jeans in just a matter of hours.

What?

So what does strict Paleo mean? You'll get a different answer depending on who you ask, but this is the plan I followed back in April.

1. Eat real food – meat*, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (like EVOO or coconut). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they're fresh and natural.


2. Do not eat dairy. This includes butter, cheese (hard and soft), yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including cream in your coffee**).


3. Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (I count corn as a grain), oatmeal, and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains. That's not real food, right?


4. Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter, kids.)


5. Do not eat sugars*** of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.


6. Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, processed bars (like Zone bars), dairy-free creamers, etc.


7. Do not drink alcohol, in any form.


8. If you have serious inflammation issues like arthritis, you may want to consider avoiding nightshades for 30 days as well.
   

*I ate organic chicken sausage during my 30 day period. They are nitrate, dairy, gluten and casein-free and all natural. I did not eat bacon, but I’d be okay with bacon if it didn’t have any nitrates or other crap in it.

**I drank coffee in moderate amounts. Since I was drinking it black, I really didn’t want that much anyway. If you really want to go hard core and reset your body’s tolerance to caffeine, skip the coffee for the 30 day period as well.

***I used reason when avoiding sugars. For example, my Sunbutter includes some cane juice, which means there are 3g of sugar in each serving. Since it’s such a fantastic fat source and the only other ingredient is sunflower seeds, I was okay with that.

How?

So now that you have the basic plan, you need to know how to implement it. I’ll help you.

Start now. Today. This minute. Count out thirty days, go immediately to your grocery store and stock up on things you can eat, and begin. Cold turkey, just start. It’s the only way to do it. Give yourself excuses, reasons to put it off, and you may never begin. Do it now.

The only way this will work is if you give it the full thirty days. Anything less and you are selling yourself, and your results, short. You may start to see and feel improvements within just a few days, but according to Robb and Matt, the healing process takes significantly longer. And... no cheating. Just ONE cheat could irritate your digestive tract, promote an inflammatory response, upend your insulin sensitivity and send you running for the nearest Dunkin Donuts. It will ruin the effect of the “reset button” you are trying to push. This isn’t me being a hard-ass, or insisting that you tough it out to prove to yourself you can do it. This is a fact – the only way this will work is if you give it the full thirty days, no cheating.

Tough Love

Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here)”. This is for you.

1. It’s not that effing hard. (Yes, I wanted to throw an f-bomb in there.) Don’t you dare tell me this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Drinking your coffee black is. Not. Hard. Substituting Sunday morning French toast in favor of a giant omelet and side of crispy bacon is not hard. Eating fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables every day is not hard. So I don’t want to hear one single complaint. You won’t get any coddling from me on this one, you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”, and you won’t get any second chances. Not in my house. It’s thirty days, and it’s for the most important cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. So shut up and do it.


2. Don’t tell me you “slipped”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of Krispy Kremes, you DID NOT SLIP. You made a choice to eat something of poor quality. It’s always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. You make a poor choice, even once, you’re out. You don’t get to re-start, you don’t get to keep posting. Commit here, 100%, for the full 30 days, or go somewhere else.


3. Don’t lie to me. Don’t even try.


4. You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no. Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your Mom’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company outing does not mean you “have” to eat crappy food. It’s always a choice, and I would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.


5. This does require a bit of effort, people. If you’re cutting grains and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those calories with something. You have to make sure you’re eating enough, that your vitamins and nutrients are balanced, that you’re getting enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Don’t expect me to fill in the blanks for you. Figure it out. There are a ton of good resources out there. I’ll list some in my next post, to get you started. But take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness and performance doesn’t happen just because you’re now taking a pass on chocolate milk.

Summary

So there you have it – my thoughts on changing your life in 30 days. If just one person makes this happen – just one – this entire four page post will be well worth my time and energy. It’s that important. I believe in it that much. It changed my life, and I want it to change yours too.

Post questions to comments so I can answer them for everyone. Post your commitment, if you’re up for it. Just make sure you re-read the Tough Love portion again before you sign up. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.


- Melissa Urban




So in case your still with me....
Sound Nutrition should enable you to
1. LOOK better
2. FEEL bettter
3. PERFROM better
4. Track biomarkers of health via blood work (Probably not going to really apply, but would be very interesting to see if you want to realize how much eating this way can impact you.

For health we want good "insulin sensitivity" - that is we want the body to release the smallest amount of insulin neccessary to replace blood glucogen. Many modern pathologies are a result of insulin resistance (requiring more and more insulin to replace blood glucose levels).

4 causes of impaired tissue sensitivity to insulin
1. chronically high blood clucose levels
2. lack of sleep (2-3 days of inturrupted sleep can cause the body to act like type 2 diabetic)
3. inactivity
4. autoimmunce complications with leptin
Leptin is a hormone that tells the body it is full. Grains, legumes and dairy block this signal, so we avoid these foods!!


How else do grains etc mess with you?
They irritate the gut, allowing particles to enter the body and cause irritation, as well as allowing pathogens to enter the same way.
"Grains and legumes increase viral and bacterial adhesion to mucosal membranes, thus leading to increased rates of cold, flu, infection, and inflammation"

Dairy - high correlation with autoimmunity and hyperinsulinism


blah blah blah

7 basic tenants of paleothic nutrition (the science version, what we really care about is to eat lean meats, fruits, vegetables, good fats, no starch or sugar, grains, dairy, legumes)
1. glycemic load - how much sugar is in a food
2. fatty acid composition - omega 3 v omega 6, and saturated fat
3. macronutrient composition - carb, protein, fat
4. micronutrient density - vitamins, antioxidents for a given amount
5. acid/base balance -long term health thing, don't worry about it
6. sodium/potassium ration - dont worry
7. fiber content - suffice to say that you will get enough


Protein - Whole complete proteins that support growth, repair, and immune functions. Non-antibiotic, grass fed if possible, lean and varied 20-35% of calories
Fats - 30-60% of calories - including fish oil. We want a balanced n-3/n-6 ration. our ancestors had a 1:1 ratio. the average modern ratio is 1:20-40. We take the flish oil to bring this ration back to normality.
Carbs - 15-25% , quality more significant than quantity, although naturally quantities were rarely large.


You have a good idea of glycemic index and glycemic load so I won't go into them. They should help guide food choices towards vegetables and lean meats especially.

We are doing this mainly for health. There is significant evidence that shows that this lifestyle can help prevent cancer, ALZHEIMERS, parkinsons, depression, and more. You do a great job with the excercise of a paleo lifestyle, with the intense workouts twice a week and consistent walking for golf. You also have the basic idea of how much food to have as well.


Good links:

http://www.thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/recipes.shtml
www.paleomama.com
www.everydaypaleo.com


Recipe 1 – Paleo Diet Speedy Pancake

Ingredients:

1. Coconut oil
2. 2 Large eggs
3. ½ Cup cashew nut butter
4. ¼ Teaspoon cinnamon
5. ½ Cup sugarless apple sauce
6. ½ Teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions:

(1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl with the exception of coconut oil. Stir the mixture until they are well battered.

(2) Add a little coconut oil to a non-stick frying pan. Just enough to grease it. And then, add the batter into the frying pan and spread it properly to mould into a pancake shape.

(3) Use low or medium heat to cook it and after a minute or two, flip to fry the other side.

Call your mom!!

A powerlifting take on mothers day... from Elitefts

EFS Classic: 10 Reasons to Call Your Mom

By

Jim Wendler

Published: May 7, 2010

If you are like me, you probably forgot it was Mother’s Day this weekend. It’s not that I don’t love my mother; I love and admire her. But I had to clear the space in my head to make room for important things such as band tension, the history of Slayer and porn passwords.

Now the story behind this article is pretty funny. About two weeks ago, Dave called me up with panic in his voice.

Dave: Is Mother’s Day today?

Jim: I have no idea.

I began to panic and started searching the internet. It turns out that we had some weeks to spare, but that pretty much sums up Dave and me. So we decided to do an article about Mother’s Day and hope that this reminds you to at least call your mother. And if you are searching for reasons why, here are a few to keep you grounded.

1. All mothers’ are psychic. Several years ago, I began dating a girl that was 8 years younger than me. This wouldn’t be a big deal if I was 50 years old, but seeing as she was just barely legal, this was a little strange for many people to grasp. When my parents came to visit me in Kentucky, my mom asked me if I was dating anyone. I affirmed her suspicion and left it at that. She stopped, looked at me and said, “She’s really young, isn’t she?” I swear I looked up and saw her invoking the spirits of the underworld. This is interesting because I once saw my mother conjure Lucifuge.

So don’t think you are ever pulling the wool over your mother’s eyes. She knows. She knows all of your dirty secrets. Even the one involving your trip to Tiajuana, the monkey and the grapefruit.

2. Genetics. For whatever reason, any good genetics you possess seem to come from your mother. Looks, calves (all mom’s rock serious calf development), full head of hair, intelligence; whatever positive attributes you have come from your mother. Now if you are impatient, bald and have high cholesterol you can blame your father.

3. Cooking. As soon as you reared your head from your mother’s nether region, she instantly became a good cook. Now this doesn’t mean she is a world class chef. This means she could make some of the best Mac and Cheese known to man. Other dishes of importance include: chicken noodle soup, cut up apple with peanut butter, grilled cheese, any kind of breakfast food and Thanksgiving dinner. How anyone can stomach putting their hands into a turkey’s ass is beyond me. This is what makes mom’s so special – the ability to fist poultry.

4. Ability to stomach vomit and diarrhea. I can’t count the number of times my mom has cleaned up my vomit. And I don’t mean my vomit induced from the Cocktail Flu. I’m talking about the vomit that comes that is laced with hotdogs and baby carrots. And don’t get me started on changing diapers. I’ve wretched more times than I care to admit. But your mom can handle any kind of excrement – be it soupy or corn-filled. There is something special about someone that can be elbow deep in crap and still have a smile on their face.

5. The originator of Muscle Milk. Accept it and embrace it. Your mom has cans and there is a good chance that you sucked on them. These Lactation Stations kept you from hunger and provided you with nutrients that kept you strong and healthy. It is often referred to as the perfect food and only a mother can provide this. I have tried for many years to get the same effect from numerous women. And as a man who constantly seeks the best in health, I shall continue to try. You know…for the betterment of man.

6. The Look. I’ve stared in the eyes of fearsome linebackers. I’ve seen the intensity of elite lifters. But nothing can be more devastating as the The Look. The Look often comes after you break some fine china, write with permanent marker on the walls or come home 3 hours late with whiskey on your breath. The power of The Look can stop small armies and weaken the knees of all men. In fact, The Look can even be given over the phone or a brief e-mail message. So I highly recommend calling your mother on Mother’s Day. Or be prepared to get the Eyes of Death.

7. Love. I swear that I could be in jail after a murderous rampage and my mother would still love me. She’d find some way to still find the good in me. A good example of this is Varg Vikernes and his mother. Varg (aka Count Grishnackh) was the main man behind the black metal band Burzum and one of the most influential people in that scene. Varg was sentenced to 21 years in prison after he murdered Euronymous, guitarist of the band Mayhem. Several years after his incarceration, Varg’s mother broke him out of jail. Now most sane people would see this as stupidity. But any mother would probably do the same; or at least want to do the same thing. Now I do realize that there are better examples of love, but this one involved black metal so I had to include it.

8. The ability to gross you out. I really take pride in being a gross son of a bitch. There is something noble about being able to make someone wretch. But your mom can turn your stomach and fill your mouth with stomach acid faster than anyone I know. All they have to do is talk openly and loudly about their sex life.

Based on extensive research, I was put on this earth one of two ways:

1. Aliens
2. Hatching from egg

I refuse to believe that I am a result of carnal lust, especially between my mother and father.

9. Ability to fold clothes. I am a reasonably clean man. I put my clothes away, wash the dishes and can vacuum like an OCD demon. But I have yet figured out how to fold clothes like my mother. There is nothing better than getting a stack of clothes back from your mother, clean and folded. First, the clothes smell like they are actually clean. When I wash them, they smell like they are NOT dirty. Big difference. But the folding thing really baffles me. I tried many times to fold shirts, shorts and underwear. But they can never compare to the crisp clean cuts that mom makes.

10. She taught you everything. Sometimes my mom drives me nuts, but this is her job. She mostly drives me nuts because I know she is right. When I weighed about 4 metric tons, she told me that I looked like shit. Sure enough, I look at pictures of me when I was Fatty McGee and I did look like shit. But moms teach you a lot of things and all of them are correct. For example, she told you to shower, eat your vegetables and fruit, and do your homework. She told you to keep your penis in your pants and think with the right head. She told you to get up early and be on time. The only thing my mom is misguided on is the Led Zeppelin vs. Black Sabbath debate. She’s on Team Page and Plant and we all know that Iommi and Co. rule. But we can agree to disagree.

So there are 10 reasons why you should call your mom this Sunday. You might be like me; probably don’t call your mom as much as you should nor do you tell her how much you appreciate her. I’m not saying this is OK, but your mom knows how you really feel. But sometimes it makes her feel good to hear the words come from your mouth. And you know that when you do, you are probably going to get a killer care package from her – including a shirt that is WAY too small. But don’t blame her. No matter what age you are, you are still her baby.

"Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character." -- Heraclitus


Todays workout during open gym: 2/3 McGhee
As many rounds as possible in 20minutes
5 275lb deadlift
13 pushups
9 box jumps

Result 12rnds plus 5 deadlifts

This workout just sucked. I felt really good going into it, but it was rediculously hard. My whole body will probably hurt for a while. I did this with my friend Mike who is an absolute beast. That is one of my favorite things about CrossFit, he came in to bench press but I said lets do this suckfest and he decided it was a great idea. Working out with someone else is the biggest boost I can personally ever have. I'm very competitive and even if I can't beat someone, I want to still try.

This is the first weekend I have nothing planned at all in quite a while (My mom went to florida for mother's day) and I'm loving it. I will have some time to play some poker and catch up on my duties of CEO for B Colin Inc. Catching up on sleep will be clutch too!

good day

Today was a good day for no particular reason, just one of those days where your in a good mood. At work we had our spanish distributor come visit, it was his first time at our current factory, so I gave him a tour right when he got there. He seemed very on top of his market and had some good opinions. Most of the main office went out to a big lunch in Newark and it was awesome. Even at a place that specializes in arroz con pollo, it was easy to eat paleo. I just got some blackened tuna over arugala and had veggies on the side. The only hard part was they have these amazing potato chip type things, but I had sooooo much food I didn't need to worry. Needless to say with a nice dinner like that, the day flew buy. I did my usual and went to the gym, and did 2 workouts today.

Nicole:
As many rounds in 20min, run 400m, as many pullups in a row.

So basically you run a quarter mile then do as many pullups as you can, and as soon as you come off the bar, do it again. Your score is the total number of pullups you can do. I scored 51 over 6 rounds which is not great overall but I was happy in a workout combining 2 things I suck at.

After that I did the crossfit.com workout of the day

Complete as many rounds in seven minutes as you can of:
95 pound Squat clean, 10 reps
20 Sit-ups

The standard for the sit-up is feet anchored, back of the hands touch the ground above your head on the bottom, and hands touch the anchor at the top. No Abmat.

I got a solid 4 rounds and then my legs were just shot.