Earlier this week Aaron and I were talking about baby food and how he makes everything that he feeds his 1 year old, Josie.  We found it strange that people think babies can only eat food that comes in those little jars labeled as baby food, or snack items such as crackers.  What did babies eat before there was Gerber?  Similarly are kid foods, things like chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and tater tots.  Long ago, before these items were even invented, I can only imagine kids, all of which rely ENTIRELY on their parents to supply them with food, ate the same thing their parents ate.  These days it’s much harder when kids are bombarded with television commercials that advertise fun “kid foods”, not to mention the majority of other kids at school that will likely have these kid foods in their lunch box.  However, I feel that if you start your kids early on a diverse diet of real foods, they will develop a more sophisticated palette and not become one of those adults who would pass on some fresh fish, deliciously grilled, because the say “…I don’t eat fish!”, but will eat fried shrimp and fried fish sticks.  The pictures above are from a dinner Helen made earlier this week, sauteed kale and squash, topped with some olive oil, feta cheese, and fresh tomatoes.  Served with a side of yogurt, some grilled chicken, and baked sweet potato fries seasoned with rosemary and thyme.  Giana, age 4, ate the exact same thing we did.  On this particular evening, the kale was her favorite.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

7 Rounds

2:30 minutes to complete:
200m Run
7 Hang Power Clean (165/105)
Max Reps Pullups and/or Burpees

REST 1 minute between rounds

results:

Second to power-washing his backyard fence, one of Nabil’s favorite hobbies is whipping up a healthy meal.

You just pulled into Whole Foods. You stroll several laps around the perimeter of the store in search of the perfect healthy meal. When you find the ones you want, you catch a spurt of excitement, so much so that you shout out loud each food that you put your hands on: “Kale! Squash! Carrots! Spinach! Grass-fed Beef! Pastered Eggs! All Organic! Yes!” At the check out counter, you give a double-fist pump in excitement that you are going to eat healthy today. You roll your cart to the car with your chest held high and a little strut in your step. 10 minutes later you get home, still a little excited as you unload your groceries and put all of them perfectly organized in the fridge and pantry. When it’s time to make dinner, you open the fridge. A bit more uneasy you give a long glance and sigh….. 5 minutes later, your on your way to Buckhorn Grill.

For some of us, this story is all too familiar. Keeping a healthy diet can be challenging at times simply because we don’t cook or know what to do with the food we buy. For all you chefs and avid cooks out there, please save us by sharing some of your favorite EASY healthy recipes. Post or link your deliciousness in the comments section.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

5 Sets

As many rounds as possible in 3 minutes per set of:

results:

Always opt for grass-fed meat whenever possible.  Thanks to Joel & Cassie for this pic during their roadtrip to South Dakota

Mark Sisson’s take on meat:

Folks can’t help but vilify meat. I mean, it has large amounts of animal fat, especially saturated fat. It requires the death of cute, fuzzy animals. It tastes good, almost offensively so. It’s “immodest” and “indulgent.” Oh, and even the good stuff – pasture-raised meat – displaces the local corn and soy populations and comes from animals that have the audacity to fart (enough, apparently, to bring about a global climate catastrophe). At least it gives people a nice opportunity to be smugly satisfied with themselves while displaying modest levels of indignation. Plus, it gives them a chance to talk about that Jonathan Safran Foer book. That’s always a good move at parties.

Read full post here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squat
5-5-5-5-5

B.) 400m Run
15 Burpees
Sandbag or Overhead DB Carry – 100 feet
5m Sprint
Sandbag or Overhead DB Carry – 100 feet
15 Burpees
400m Run

results:

I recently watched the movie, Fat, Sick & Saved by Juice, about the power of fruits and vegetables.  And although I’m not planning on going on a liquid only diet, it definitely reinforced what I already know to be true about healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, and how the two can transform lives.  It’s a pretty inspiring movie that is also entertaining to watch, I definitely recommend it.  Thanks to Josh for giving me a heads up about the movie a few weeks back.

Before the days of George Foreman grillers and deep fryers and man-made fire, way back when humankind was incapable of processing food, we ate it raw. Raw food is defined as food not heated above 112 degrees Fahrenheit (a temperature that some experts say is the point where healthy food enzymes die). Today, processed food is beyond plentiful. In many places, fresh foods are all but impossible to find among the mounds of packaged food products. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, only 33 percent of American adults eat enough fruit each day and only 27 percent eat the recommended amount of vegetables. Those numbers are even lower for high school students.

*Bike ride this Wednesday at 5:30pm*
2 hr. ride for bikers of all levels
Meet at Joe & Valerie’s house in Walnut Creek
Contact me for details if you are interested  – nabil[AT]crossfitsweatshop.com

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) 1 Mile Run

B.) Front Squat
3-3-3-3-3

C.) 2 Rounds
1 minute of each exercise, Max REPS
Pullups
Pushups
Box Jumps

results:

The grill on Memorial Day…so velvety!

Hopefully by now everyone knows how horrible it is to skip breakfast.  But a recent study also shows the positive effects that a breakfast high in protein has.

“Incorporating a healthy breakfast containing protein-rich foods can be a simple strategy for people to stay satisfied longer, and therefore, be less prone to snacking,” Leidy said. “People reach for convenient snack foods to satisfy their hunger between meals, but these foods are almost always high in sugar and fat and add a substantial amount of calories to the diet. These findings suggest that a protein-rich breakfast might be an effective strategy to improve appetite control and prevent overeating in young people.”

Thanks to Mike from CrossFit Oakland for the heads up on the article.

Read full article here.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 400m Row
10 Dumbbell Man-Makers (53/35)
15 Pullups
20 Box Jumps

results:

Helen competing at this year’s Fittest of the Sierras in South Lake Tahoe

John Kiefer, author of The Carb Nite Solution, recently did an interview with Juggernaut Training Systems.  Although many of his views are controversial, and I can’t confirm all of his claims, Kiefer does make some interesting points.

Excerpt from post:

The whole idea that if you are an endurance athlete you don’t have to worry about your calories and carbohydrates as much. That’s just not the case. You actually pointed out in your article on EliteFTS.com, that it’s well documented that women burn fat when they work out but, don’t burn a lot of carbs. When women feed themselves with carbs that’s not really the most efficient fuel for them. Many female athletes will start first thing in the morning until they go to bed, worrying if they have eaten enough carbs. The result of doing this is actually the reverse of what they need. Carbohydrates only make fat cells more efficient at storing fat. For female athletes, ironically, this excess fat is often stored in their hips and thighs. For women it almost all boils down to misconceptions surrounding carbs.

Read full post here.

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Saturday’s WOD:

9am

“Abbate”

1 Mile Run
21 Clean & Jerk
800m Run
21 Clean & Jerk
1 Mile Run

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10am

A.) Overhead Squat
1-1-1-1-1
*Must be done with Behind the Neck Jerk.*

B.) 200m Run
10, 9, 8, 7, 6 of:
Pushups
KB Swings
—————
200m Run
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of:
Toes to Bar
Burpees
—————
200m Run

results:

Here’s an excerpt of a post from the informative blog Fight Obesity Now

Most people who haven’t been exposed to the paleo diet don’t know what legumes are, let alone that they might not be very healthy!

They are a great example of why the current system of nutritional labeling often isn’t enough.  Not all fat/protein/carbohydrates are created equal.

Legumes include peanuts, dried beans, clover, alfalfa, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, peas, peanuts, cashews, soybeans, and seeds such as navy, broad, butter, northern, pinto, red, and black beans.

Described simply, legumes all share a common characteristic – they can’t be eaten (by humans) raw.  Our bodies simply can’t process and/or extract nutritive value from them.  While this alone isn’t a problem (per se), it is indicative of the nature of the problem with them.

Read full post here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.) Clean
1-1-1-1-1

B.) 12 minute limit:
1 mile Run then,
MAX REPS
Clean & Jerk (135/95)
Pullups or Muscle Ups (Advanced)

results:

Another great post from local nutrition educator Diane Sanfilippo.

However, if you look at the LARGEST section of the Pyramid, which now that they’ve turned the slices sideways is a bit tougher to discern, it’s asking us to get the most servings per day of a food group that’s not only largely subsidized in this country, but one that requires THE MOST PROCESSING TO MAKE IT EDIBLE. We’ll talk more about the notion that “whole grains are healthy” in another post, but for now let’s just keep it to the basics of whole foods versus processed foods. The USDA even recommends that we eat fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Really? Come on, are they trying to tell us that milk that comes straight from the cow isn’t recommended but milk that’s been processed and something has been removed from it is actually healthier? Is the government smarter than mother nature?! Just THINK about it.

Read full post here.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

B.) 2 Rounds
MAX REPS 1 minute of each exercise
Wall Balls
Pullups
Burpees

results:

Bear Grylls endulging in a bite of sake sashimi, prepared Man v.s. Wild style.

Nothing beats wild seafood. One of my favorite things to grill at home is a delicate, buttery Alaskan salmon with a touch of lemon, garlic, and soy sauce. Molto delizioso! However, at the same time of this deliciousness entering my stomach, I give quite the “stress-face” knowing that I just spent 30 dollars for a piece of salmon. Since most of us are not built like Bear Grylls who can go out and catch fish with his bare hands, nor have the luxery to pay for wild fish every day, check out this article from Mark’s Daily Apple which gives some safer options when having to choose from farm-raised seafood.

From the article:

Learning about the various types of aquaculture setups is interesting and useful, but we’re ultimately interested in whether they can produce safe, nutritious, affordable seafood. Wild seafood can be pricey, unavailable, and of questionable merit or sustainability. Certain wild species are definitely worth pursuing – Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, to name a few – but there are environmental (overfishing, collateral damage to other important species, structural damage to the marine environment) and health (accumulation of heavy metals like lead and mercury, polychlorinated biphenyl/PCB, dioxin) issues that the conscious fish eater must stay abreast of. Healthy and safe farmed seafood, then, would be a welcome alternative, if it’s out there. Shellfish, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and American Crayfish are some options.

Read full list of safe farm-raised options in the article here.

*Aaron, our Sweat Shop’s own personal sushi chef has now relocated to Ki Sushi in San Francisco which only serves sustainable fish. If you’re in the city pay him a visit! Be sure to ask for the special “Hiroshi’s Savory Shoyu Sauce”.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

B.) Half Alternating Tabata
* 4 Sets of each exercise:

Knees to Elbows
Box Jumps
Situps
Burpees

*20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest*

results:

Recently, I cut out yogurt from my diet and replaced it by eating eggs, and since yogurt was what I ate for breakfast every morning, I’m now eating a lot of eggs.  For quite a while now I’ve been purchasing free range, organic eggs, but this post, along with recommendations from Nathan, has convinced me to seek out pastured eggs.  Pastured eggs may be difficult to find in most stores, but Whole Foods in Walnut Creek does carry pastured eggs from Shelly’s Farm, a local Brentwood farm.  Thanks to the guys at Diablo CrossFit for the heads up on this post.

Excerpt:

I knew supermarket eggs were bad. The chickens are crowded in cages. They don’t even have room to move or turn around. They’re pumped with antibiotics and fed genetically modified feed. They’re sick and very unhealthy — which is why it’s so common to find salmonella with factory farm chickens and eggs.

So I always bought “organic” “free range” eggs. It was about a year and a half ago that I discovered truly pastured eggs. The definition of “free range” or “cage free” is that they give the chickens “access to the outdoors”. What does that mean? Uh, nothing. Do they really go outside? No, usually not. They’re crowded into large, windowless sheds and they rarely ever go outside.

They may be “organic” and “cage free” but these are not truly healthy birds. Since they’re not given antibiotics, they are very susceptible to disease. The people who work at these “big organic” chicken farms have to wear cleanroom suits when they go in to visit the birds.

Read full post here.

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Tuesday’s WOD:

A.)Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

B.) As many rounds as possible in 9 minutes:
3 Muscle Ups
6 Burpees
12 Single Arm KB Squats

results:

Mufasa Mike has come a long way in terms of his strength, flexibility and overall fitness.  However, he has only scratched the surface of what he is truly capable of.

“If you’ve been doing CrossFit for any significant amount of time and you are stuck on something like not being able to do a pullup, always complaining about being sore, not “leaning out” or feel like you’re getting weaker…it most likely is a problem with your nutrition, alcohol intake, & sleep.”

Read full post here.

**I’ll be filling in at CrossFit Adventure on Wednesday for their 12:30pm class.  Any Sweat Shoppers who’d like to get a midday workout in come on by!  Also, we’ll be doing CrossFit Open Workout #6 at CrossFit Adventure at 1:30pm, immediately after the 12:30pm class.

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Monday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

15 Ring Dips
15 Deadlifts (225/155)
403m Run

results:

Many people who eat Paleo, find themselves consuming a lot of nuts for their fat source.  Consuming too many nuts however is not advised, not because of the total amount of fat, rather, the ratio of Omega 6 fats to Omega 3 fats.

Check out this informative post from a local nutrition educator, Diane Sanfilippo, which can be found on her great website, Balanced Bites.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

A.) Deadlift
2-2-2-2-2
*pause at the bottom of each rep

B.) 8 minute clock:
403m Run
12 Burpees
Max Reps Ground to Overhead (95/65)
403m Run

*burpee penalty for every second over 8 minutes

results:

One time Sweat Shop member, and long-time friend, Nathan “Natrone” Brammeier will be presenting a free seminar at CrossFit Adventure in Concord on Thursday April 14th from 6:30-8:00pm.  I strongly urge everyone to attend, as Nathan is a valuable resource of knowledge in regards to health and nutrition.

Mounting evidence shows that our unrelenting desire to lower cholesterol levels has only served to line the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies. It’s possible, in fact, that this campaign has been detrimental to our health by actually increasing the risks of coronary heart disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality. This is the story of cholesterol and saturated fat that they don’t want you to hear. Nathan will follow this information with a natural, cost-effective approach to reach your optimum health.

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Monday’s WOD:

A.) Overhead Squat
7-7-7-7-7

B.) 35m Overhead Walking Lunge w/ plate (45/25)
403m Run
35m Overhead Walking Lunge w/ plate
15 Burpees

results:

Anyone that has kids should definitely check out this post.  However, how the body reacts to certain foods doesn’t just pertain to kids, and it certainly doesn’t just pertain to conditions such as ADHD.  Even if you wouldn’t be classified as having ADHD, foods can most certainly affect our energy levels, mental clarity, sleep, etc.

Excerpt:

Teachers and doctors who worked with children in the study reported marked changes in behavior. “In fact, they were flabbergasted,” Pelsser says.

“After the diet, they were just normal children with normal behavior,” she says. No longer were they easily distracted or forgetful, and the temper tantrums subsided.

Some teachers said they never thought it would work, Pelsser says. “It was so strange,” she says, “that a diet would change the behavior of a child as thoroughly as they saw it. It was a miracle, a teacher said.”

Read full article here.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

“Jen”

500m Row
30 Deadlifts (135/95)
60 Double Unders
25 Power Cleans (135/95)
40 Pushups
15 Thrusters (135/95)
20 Pullups
15 Burpees

results: