Archive for the ‘Recipes & Nutrition’ Category

Sugar can make you a mutant!

Monday, August 24th, 2009

sugar

Here is a summary of an article that suggests that large amounts of sugar intake can adversely affect one’s DNA.

The lead researcher, Sam El-Osta, from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, told the Australian Associated Press that these harmful genetic changes or mutations could linger in the cells, perhaps having the capability of altering natural metabolic responses to diet. He also stated that chronic “poor eating would amplify the effect, with genetic damage lasting months or years, potentially passing through bloodlines … to one’s children.”

Read more from the summary here.

Usually I’m not one that’s big on Yahoo Health, but this actually comes from Johns Hopkins University.

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We now have a new category for those looking for more of a challenge when doing pullups.  “Rx’d” will still designate doing pullups without any assistance, while getting the chin over the bar.  “C2B” will designate doing pullups without any assistance while getting the chest or clavicle to make contact with the bar.  Unlike regular pullups where a certain height (chin over bar) must be achieved, C2B pullups REQUIRE that you make contact with the bar.  It doesn’t matter if you pull to your navel, if you don’t make contact with the bar… it doesn’t count as C2B.  Enjoy!

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Friday’s WOD:

400 meter Row

then 5 Rounds of:

9 Pullups
9 Push Jerks
9 Knees to Elbow

finish with (1) 403 meter run

results:

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Saturday’s WOD:

400m Run
50 Pushups
10 Squats

300m Run
40 Pushups
20 Squats

200m Run
30 Pushups
30 Squats

200m Run
20 Pushups
40 Squats

300m Run
10 Pushups
50 Squats

400m Run

results:

‘This is why you’re fat’

Friday, August 21st, 2009

fried_burger

A triple bacon cheeseburger with deep fried patties as buns.

Sarah G. turned me on to this site about a year ago and it’s been a source of amazement ever since.  Check it out, you’ll be suprised as to what people are actually eating.

A few of my favorites:

Hot Dog and French Fry Pizza

Bacon Cinnamon Roll

There are still some of you out there that owe me food logs.  Please don’t let me see any of these foods in your daily log!

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Thursday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

5 Deadlifts
10 KB Swings
5 Pullups
10 Wall Balls

results:

Props to Jim D. for doing all the pullups on this workout as Rx’d.  All it took was Jim practicing his kip one or two times just after learning it.

Salmon salad w/ wasabi sauce and fruit salsa

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Here is a recent meal that is nutritious and one that I found delicous and suprisingly satisfying.

Wild Sockeye Salmon
Wasabi cilantro sauce
Red Bell Peppers
Jicama
Mixed greens
Strawberries
White Nectarines
Vinegaratte Dressing

Eating a meal like this will leave you satisfied, but without the bloated and stuffed feeling you get from a meal that contains grains.  When you are preparing a meal, it helps to identify each of the macro nutrients.  I always start with the protein, then build the rest of my meal around that.

Protein:  Salmon

Fat: Salmon, wasabi sauce, dressing

Carbs: Strawberries, nectarines, bell peppers, jicama, greens

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Thursday’s WOD:

4 Rounds

8 Back Squats
300m Row
15 Box Jumps
20 Pushups

results:

Food Logs

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

I’ve requested a 2-3 day food log from several Sweat Shop members.  If your name is on the whiteboard (top right corner, you’ve been selected).  Proper nutrition is even more important than exercise when it comes to transforming your body composition.  By sharing your eating habits with me, I can help shed some light on the key factors that may be keeping you from reaching your asthetic and/or performance goals.  Here is a brief outline from CrossFit.com on proper nutrition.

The CrossFit dietary prescription is as follows:
Protein
should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load.
Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.

What Should I Eat?
In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. That’s about as simple as we can get. Many have observed that keeping your grocery cart to the perimeter of the grocery store while avoiding the aisles is a great way to protect your health. Food is perishable. The stuff with long shelf life is all suspect. If you follow these simple guidelines you will benefit from nearly all that can be achieved through nutrition.

The Caveman or Paleolithic Model for Nutrition
Modern diets are ill suited for our genetic composition. Evolution has not kept pace with advances in agriculture and food processing resulting in a plague of health problems for modern man. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been scientifically linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrate. Search “Google” for Paleolithic nutrition, or diet. The return is extensive, compelling, and fascinating. The Caveman model is perfectly consistent with the CrossFit prescription.

What Foods Should I Avoid?
Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly. They include rice, bread, candy, potato, sweets, sodas, and most processed carbohydrates. Processing can include bleaching, baking, grinding, and refining. Processing of carbohydrates greatly increases their glycemic index, a measure of their propensity to elevate blood sugar.

What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet. There’s a gold mine of information pertinent to your health available there. The CrossFit prescription is a low-glycemic diet and consequently severely blunts the insulin response.

**Drink Board Update**

Kristina apparently had a fun week 1 in NYC going 9 drinks over her limit!  At 25 burpees per drink over her weekly limit, that’s 225 burpees added to her balance of 45!  Let’s hope she does better this week.

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Wednesday’s WOD:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:

3 Squat Cleans
6 Pullups
9 Pushups

results:

Post workout meal

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

lauren_nathan

Lauren and Nathan enjoying their gourmet (notice the lemon zester in Nathan’s hand) breakfast a few minutes after completing a workout last week.  Their sound nutrition habits are apparently paying off.  Nathan and Lauren have been making great gains lately which include fastest men’s and women’s 500 meter row time!

The post workout meal is a critical, and often overlooked aspect of training.  After completing a workout your body needs to be re-fueled as soon as possible, most studies show eating within 45 minutes renders optimal recovery.  If possible, try to stay away from meal replacement bars and shakes.  Real food, consisting of protein, carbs and fat will almost always be a better choice than a bar.  I’ll be posting more info on the post workout meal soon.

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Sports Performance WOD:

With a running clock perform the following every 2 minutes for a total of 12 minutes:

3 Hang Squat Snatch @ 95lbs.
6 Box Jumps @ 32″
3 Figure 8 Drills

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Tuesday’s WOD:

Row 500m

then 5 Rounds of:

8 Thrusters
10 Ring Rows (or 3 Muscle Ups)
12 Medball Cleans

finish with (1) 200m Row

results:

Beat the summer sun, have some coffee.

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

coffee-beans

“A US study has found caffeine plays a protective role for damaged skin by boosting the body’s natural process called apoptosis, or synchronised cell suicide.” 

Read full article here.

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Monday’s WOD:

“Cindy”
compare to 4/13/09

Perform as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

results:

More movement on the leader board, as John M. and Helen, despite some seriously torn hands, claimed the top spots on this workout!

Hiroshi’s Catering

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

tuna

 

img_3378a

Last week Aaron (Hiroshi) made a few more items that I was fortunate enough to try.  Not only was I blown away by the taste and quality of the ingredients, but the visual presentation was simply top notch! 

Pictured above: 

1) Tuna Tartar - Fresh AAA Grade Yellow Fin Tuna and Avocado seasoned with a sesame soy sauce topped with green onions in a baked wonton cup.
2) Sesame Seared Tuna - Fresh AAA Grade Yellow Fin Tuna crusted with sesame seeds and pan seared, served with a kimchee aioli.
3) Hamachi Ceviche - Yellow Tail Amber Jack seasoned with Lime and Salt, then tossed with mango, toasted pine nuts, Japanese cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, tomato, red onion and avocado.

You can contact Aaron at hiroshiscatering@gmail.com

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Monday’s  WOD:

 100 Burpees
(start w/ burpees, every minute, on the minute you must perform 3 pullups (ranging from band assisted, to L-Pullup depending on your ability level)
workout by Mike Minium of CrossFit Oakland
 

From the Archives: Grilled Ahi w/ fruit salsa & broccolini

Friday, July 17th, 2009

ahi2

Grilled Ahi w/ Fruit Salsa and Broccolini. Served with avocado and almonds. 

An awesome dish that is super fresh and light tasting, yet completely satisfiying at the same time!
 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
 
Ingredients:
6 oz. Ahi
5 oz. Broccolini (approx. 6 spears)
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 cup Black Berries, Blue Berries, Raspberry Mixture (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup Mangos (fresh or frozen)
1/2 Lemon
1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro (fresh)
~12 almonds
1/3 avocado
 
Combine fruit in a bowl (use frozen fruit if you are lazy, it still retains much of its nutritional value), squeeze lemon over fruit and add freshly chopped cilantro. Mix it up and let it sit while you prepare the other stuff. Drizzle olive oil over the Ahi and the broccolini, season them to your taste (lemon dill seasoning is one of my favorites for fish). I cut the bell pepper into quaters but I don’t add any seasoning b/c they have such a great flavor (especially the red, yellow, and orange ones). Heat the grill to med-high heat and throw the Ahi, broccolini and bell pepper on there. After about 3 minutes flip the broccolini and pepper. Wait about another minute and flip the fish. About 2 minutes later the veggies should be done, broccolini should still be firm, peppers should be just a tad soft. Another 2 minutes and the fish should be done too. Don’t over cook it! It should have a slight hint of pink at the center when you pull it off the grill. A few minutes later, when it finally makes it to the table the pink should be pretty much gone, if there is still a hint of pink don’t worry, it’s much better slightly underdone. With sword fish and tuna, if you over cook it just a little it starts getting pretty tough. Cut the bell peppers into smaller squares, throw it in the fruit mix, stir it up and pour it over the fish. Add almonds and 1/3 avocado on the side to give this meal some necessary and healthy fats, as well as giving the dish a complete and dynamic texture.
 
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 520
Fat: 17 grams
Protein: 50 grams
Carbs: 50 grams
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The leader board got some more action today with Sweat Shop newcomer Alex C. claiming top spot on overhead squats with 185×5     Nice!

Thursday’s WOD:

1 Cycle:

10 Pushups
15 KB Swings
10 Knees to Elbow
15 Squats
 
Complete 3 cycles, then without resting, complete (1) 403 meter run.  This is ONE Round.  Do TWO complete Rounds.
 

How’s your trainer? part 3

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

trainer1

Be cautious of trainers that sell any sort of vitamins, supplements, protein powders, or fruit juices.  Be ESPECIALLY cautious if these items can only be purchased through your trainer or by becoming a member of a particular group/organization.  Although your trainer may encourage you to take such supplements to help you reach goals, the fact is, you can get all the nutrients your body needs by eating a healthy and diverse selection of real foods.  It would be nice if we could just pop a pill to supplement any of the vitamins, minerals or nutrients we may lack in our diet, unfortunately the process of putting these items in a pill or powder form often alters them in a way that our body is not able to absorb and utilize as it would if we ingested it in food.

To add insult to injury, most trainers, especially those that are “licensed distributors” of supplements, are obviously getting a handsome kick-back from the company that produces them.

You are already paying your trainer plenty, don’t waste your cash on worthless supplements.  Save yourself some money.  Eat a wide variety of real foods including plenty of fresh produce, lean, organic meats (beef should be grass-fed), as well as a variety of nuts and seeds.

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Sports Performance WOD:

1 Modified “T” Drill
10 Thrusters
2 Modified “T” Drills
8 Thrusters
3 Modified “T” Drills
6 Thrusters

REST 2 minutes, REPEAT 4 times

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Tuesday’s WOD:

compare to 5/26/09

Row 500m

 then 4 Rounds of:
8 Hang Power Clean and Jerks
10 Pullups
15 Wall Balls
20 Situps

finish with (1) 200m run

results:

You can’t “out-train” a poor diet

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

 food

Some people say, “I workout hard so I can eat whatever I want…”  Not only does this theory not work for achieving a desireable body composition, fact of the matter is, it just isn’t healthy.  Exercise doesn’t counter all the negative effects of fueling your body with crappy food, and no matter how hard you train, if your nutrition is poor you are severely limiting the amount of progress you could be making. 

Here’s an exerpt from a post from CrossFit RVA (Richmond, VA)

“Sometimes it is easier to put out hard for 15 minutes and collapse in a sweaty heap than it is to put in the time necessary to track, plan, and execute a nutrition plan. But sadly enough, you can’t out-train a bad diet. Through diet, you can ensure that you are fueled optimally during your workouts, reduce inflammation and promote recovery, and hasten fat loss and muscle gains. If you’re stuck eating like it’s a 5 year old’s birthday party, stuffing yourself with hot dogs, ice cream and cake, you’ll eventually look on the whiteboard and see your times aren’t improving, look in the mirror and realize you don’t look any different than you did 6 months ago, and wake up in the morning and still feel the effects of that workout from three days ago.”

Read full article here.

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Monday’s WOD:

403 meter Run
21 Pushups
21 Single Arm Deadlifts (right side only)
15 Single Arm DB Push Press/Jerk (left side only)

403 meter Run
18 Pushups
21 Single Arm Deadlifts (left side only)
15 Single Arm DB Push Press/Jerks (right side only)

403 meter Run
15 Single Arm Deadlift (right)
9 Single Arm DB Push Press/Jerk (left)
15 Single Arm Deadlift (left)
9 Single Arm DB Push Press/Jerk (right)

*single arm deadlifts are performed with either a kettlebell, dumbbell or barbell, and are to be lifted from the side similar to lifting a suitcase.

results:

NYC Kristina

Monday, July 6th, 2009

kristina1
By now most of you are familiar with Mike’s Drink Board.  Now Kristina has her very own spot on the drink board.  Because she travels to New York City for two weeks each month for work, and the NYC “lifestyle” encourages nightly drinking, she now has 25 burpees for each drink over 9 (per week) to discourage this not so healthy pastime.  Check out this post for a quickie on some of the effects alcohol has on our muscles.

Let’s wish Kristina luck this week, she’ll be reporting her Monday thru Sunday drink total to us bright and early Monday morning via the blog!

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Today’s Sports Performance WOD:

3 Rounds

5 Push Press
(1) 25 meter shuttle
4ea. Single Arm Kettlebell Squats
8 Box Jumps

REST 2 minutes, REPEAT 3 times

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Friday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes

6 Front Squats
10 KB Swings
10 Wall Balls
10 Box Jumps

*must leave just enough time at the end to complete a 403m run without going over 20 minute time limit

results:

The Power of Coconut

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

pic-coconut-butter-1-hr

The coconut is an amazing food with a laundry list of benefits.  Aside from eating the coconut from the husk (contact Nathan for a tutorial on how to easily remove the flesh), you can get enjoy coconut in the form of coconut milk (great for smoothies and curries), coconut oil (great for cooking b/c of it’s high tolerance to heat), and coconut butter (apply to anything or just eat it plain!).  Try not to get your coconut fix by eating Almond Joy, Mounds, or even the shredded coconut that has been sweetened.

Here are a few of the benefits of coconut:

  • Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
  • Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
  • Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
  • Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
  • Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
  • Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
  • Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
  • Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
  • Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
  • Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
  • Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
  • Helps protect against osteoporosis.
  • Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
  • Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
  • Improves digestion and bowel function.
  • Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
  • Reduces inflammation.
  • Supports tissue healing and repair.
  • Supports and aids immune system function.
  • Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
  • Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
  • Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
  • Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
  • Functions as a protective antioxidant.
  • Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
  • Does not deplete the body’s antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
  • Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
  • Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
  • Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
  • Reduces epileptic seizures.
  • Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
  • Helps prevent liver disease.
  • Is lower in calories than all other fats.
  • Supports thyroid function.
  • Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
  • Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
  • Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
  • Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
  • Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
  • Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
  • Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
  • Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
  • Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation form the sun.
  • Helps control dandruff.
  • Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
  • Is completely non-toxic to humans
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Thursday’s WOD:

 

Overhead Squats

5-5-5-5-5

Pullups (depending on your strength level choose one: strict, weighted, chest to bar, L-pullup, weighted chest to bar L-pullup)

5-5-5-5-5

Eating healthy made simple

Monday, June 29th, 2009

For some, trying to eat healthy can seem complicated and overwhelming.  Try following some of these tips to improve your nutrition.  Compliments of Atomic CrossFit:

  • Enjoy eating paleo. Enjoy what you eat. If you are unhappy with what you are eating you are unlikely to continue to keep eating that way, and once the nutrition is gone, staying fit and healthy becomes much harder.
  • Pre-cook food and cook more than you need. Spend a few hours at the beginning of the week and cook big batches of food. This will allow you to minimize the amount of time that you have to spend cooking during the week.
  • Check the labels. Even it’s organic and has added probiotics, the portions of macro-nutrients are still important. Shop where fresh food is abundant; invest in a healthy future.
  • Rather than cutting yourself off from all of those foods which you enjoy that aren’t 100% paleo friendly, simply eat smaller amounts and be moderate.
  • Do not keep junk/unhealthy food that you know you shouldn’t eat, in the house. For most people, if it is in the house they will eventually eat it.
  • Do not run out of food. This is horrible; you will end up eating out or munch on cereals. Do not let it happen to you.
  • Try planning out your meals for 5 days or a week. This comes easily to type one personalities, for the rest of us it can be a nuisance. Though this has the benefit of ensuring you know what you need in the house for the week, and eliminates that time wasting period during which you try and figure out what you should cook for dinner.
  • Keep a handy meal replacement shake/can of tuna in your car/office/desk/bag for a paleo friendly snack in case plans change.
  • Learn to use spices; this will do wonders for you and will offer variety and different flavors to your meals.
  • Avoid soda, pasta and bread. Let us know how you’re doing after two weeks.
  • Eat lots of vegetables; try and eat a good variety with many different colors. .

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Friday’s WOD:

Deadlift
3-3-3-3

rest 5 minutes, then:

5 Rounds:
5 Deadlifts
10 Burpees

results:

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Saturday’s WOD:

Row 400m

then 6 Rounds of:
8ea. Single Arm KB Squat
12 Situps
8 Pullups
8 Ring Dips

finish with (1) 403 meter Run

results:

Food, Inc.

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

food_inc1

Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

According to Nathan, this movie is a must see.

It is only playing in select theaters, fortunately one happens to be in Pleasant Hill, Century CineArts @ 2314 Monument Blvd. 

Showtimes

Trailer

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Wednesday’s WOD:

21-15-9
Shoulder Press
Knees to Elbow

Run 403m

21-15-9
KB Swings
Wall Balls

Run 403m

21-15-9
Summo-Deadlift High Pull
Box Jumps

results:

Faulkner Farms

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

faulkner_farms

By now most people understand how important all natural and organic food is.  However, people will often use cost as a reason why not to purchase organic.  Pictured above are a few items I recently received from my friend Ben, sole owner, and general manager of Faulkner Farms.  Actually, it’s not a farm in the traditional sense… Ben just has a vegetable garden at his house in Clayton, along with 2 or 3 chickens (the different breeds of chicken lay different color eggs).  My point is that if you want organic vegetables you can always just grow them yourself for a tiny fraction of the cost to purchase them in the stores.  Growing your own fruits and veggies also allows you to maintain complete control over the products used to cultivate the crops, so you can keep it as pure as you like.  And although raising chickens may be a bit more responsibility than you want, a vegetable garden is not only an easy way to produce your own food, it can also be relaxing and therapeutic…. just don’t let your crops dies, then it becomes stressful and traumatic.

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Monday’s WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:

3 Squat Cleans
6 Pullups
9 Pushups

inspired by CrossFit Football

results:

Spinach Salad

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

spinach_salad

There are a few things you can do to surely get noticed in Walnut Creek.  Driving a car that is more than 3 years old is one of them.  Presenting this salad at a summer cookout could be another one.  Although it may seem a little bizarre at first sight, this is a perfect “salad” for a summer gathering. 

Ingredients:

Frozen Chopped Spinach
Olive Oil
Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
Fresh Blueberries
Fresh Strawberries
Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

It’s pretty simple.  Saute the spinach with the olive oil (or butter), add salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat, mix in the vinaigrette dressing, cheese, and fruit.  This was a side dish to my tuna burger (which you can see in the bottom left corner of the picture), it would also go great with an herb seasoned grilled chicken breast.  As for the spinach, you could use fresh spinach leaves, but then again you could also buy a car that is way out of your price range and be upside down in 3 years.  Question the norm.

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Friday’s WOD:

Qualifier WOD:
500 meter row
30 Burpees
10 Reps Shoulder to Overhead (men 155#, women 85#)

Alternative Workout:

4×4 Repeats (400 meter row, immediately followed by 403 meter run)

(4) 4×4’s Rest exactly 3 minutes after each one

results:

I just wanted to say I am SUPER impressed by everyone who did the qualifier WOD on Friday.  Many of you who aren’t even interested in being on the team still put in a tremendous effort!  The support from others in the gym was great as well.  John and Helen even performed the workout 10lbs. heavier (which is the weight used for the NorCal Qualifiers, back in May of 2009).  Helen, who did the exact same workout at the CrossFit Qualifiers in May improved her time by nearly 2 minutes, from 7:15 to 5:24, that’s a 25% increase in power!  Both John’s super fast time of 4:17, and Helen’s time of 5:24, would have placed each of them in 11th place in all of Northern California for that workout!  Great work you guys.

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Saturday’s WOD:

Track Workout at Las Lomas

It ended up being a couples team workout consisting of weight plate thrusters (thanks to Coach Miller for letting me in the weight room), 200 meter runs, walking lunges, sand bag carries, sandbag swings, and partner carries among other things.  Sara K. and her husband Tim rolled through the exercises with ease.  Aaron and Levi got points for cutest couple.

Tuna Burger w/ raspberry chili sauce

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

raspberry_tuna

Before you say it, I know what you are thinking, “Tuna with raspberry chili sauce…. whaaaaaa??!!”  And perhaps you are right, this isn’t a dish for the mild mannered or unadventurous…. no, this is a culinary Christopher Columbus, a Neil Armstrong of Tuna preparation!

Ingredients:

Frozen Raspberries
Chili Pepper Sauce
Fresh Broccoli
Mango Chunks
Tuna Patty
1 can solid white tuna - drained
1 egg
2 Tablespoons of ground flax seed meal

Directions:

Preheat pan over medium high heat.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil.

Drain tuna.  Combine tuna patty ingredients in a small bowl, smash it and whisk it with a fork.  Add salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste.  You should be able to then form the mix it into a patty.  If it is still too flimsy, add a bit more flax seed meal.  Form a patty and throw it in the pan.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side (or as soon as it is firm enough to flip, think pancakes).  Flip it over and turn heat down a bit.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Next, add frozen raspberries to pan, no need to even defrost them.  Add a tablespoon of chili pepper sauce to berries.  Now place the patty on top of the berries while they are still in the pan.  Let it sit for 2 minutes or so, berries will defrost, heat up, and turn into a nice sauce.  Remove patty, top with sauce, serve w/ mango chunks and some broccoli.  Enjoy.  And here, all this time you thought you had discovered something amazing when you were just making tuna sandwiches.

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Monday’s WOD:

(compare to 4/20/09)

(1) 403 meter run

then 5 Rounds of:

20 Thrusters
20 Situps
15 Pushups
10 Box Jumps

then finish w/ (1) 403 meter run

results:

Not all yogurts are created equal

Friday, May 29th, 2009

yogurt

When it comes to nutrition, staying in the Zone is a key component.  Ideally, you want your meals to be as close to the Zone ratio as possible, 40% Carbs/ 30% Protein / 30% Fat.   

Yogurts come in all shapes and sizes, and most vary in nutritional content.  Depending on what you add to your yogurt, choosing the right one is important if you want to stay in the Zone.  Look for a yogurt (preferably organic) that is high in protein so that when you add fresh fruit to your yogurt it doesn’t create a meal that is too high in carbohydrate.  For comparison, I’ve also included the nutritional information for Yoplait flavored yogurt.  By itself it is already WAY out of balance, add some granola, toast, a glass of OJ, or a bagel to this and you are well on your way to an unhealthy insulin spike. 

As a side note, ALL of the yogurts listed below have roughly the same calorie count… it’s just a matter of where the calories are coming from.

Information on plain yogurt is for serving size of 1 cup (8oz.)

Mountain High: Plain (Whole Milk)
Carbs 17
Protein 11
Fat  8
Ratio = 37/24/39

Trader Joe’s European Style Plain Whole Milk
Carbs 14
Protein 12
Fat 7
Ratio = 34/29/37

Trader Joe’s Greek Style Lowfat Plain 2%
Carbs 9
Protein 24
Fat 3
Ratio = 23/60/17

Fage Total 2%
Carb 9
Protein 19
Fat 4.5
Ratio = 23/50/27

Information for Yopait yogurt is for one container (only 6oz.)

Yoplait Flavored Yogurt

Carbs 33 (sugars 27!)
Protein 5
Fat 1.5
Ratio = 80/12/8

_________________________

Thursday’s WOD:

compare to 4/6/09

4 Rounds:

15 Deadlifts
403 meter run
15 Ring Dips

results:

Props to Sarah G. who increased her deadlift weight by 20 lbs. on this workout, compared to the last time she did it, AND was still able to better her time by about 30 seconds!

Gluten-Free Breakfast

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

yogurt_fruit

Start your morning out right.  Skip the cereal, toast, bagels, or even oatmeal.  Take some plain yogurt, add some fruit, then top with some crumbled nuts to achieve the crunchy texture you would normally get from granola.  Choosing the right yogurt is key as some have very little protein.  In the coming days I’ll break down various yogurt options, but for now stick with whole milk or 2% plain yogurt.  Greek style yogurt will often have a bit more protein and fewer carbs.

Ingredients:

1 cup of 2% Fage Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup of frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup of blueberries
1/3 cup of blackberries
1/4 cup of pecans

Nutritional Information:

Calories  346
Protein  19
Carbs  27
Fat 18

Click here for more information on why grains are bad for you.

___________________

Tuesday’s WOD:

Row 500 meters

then 4 Rounds of:
8 Clean & Jerks
10 Pullups
15 Wall Balls
20 Situps

finish with (1) 200 meter run

results:img_0741

Hiroshi’s Sushi Catering

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

img_0649

img_0645

Now that Aaron is finally reclaiming some respectable numbers on his dead lift, let’s talk sushi catering.  I recently had lunch at Aaron’s house and was amazed as I watched him assemble these delicious sushi rolls.  Aaron (Hiroshi as he is called by his grandmother) is a sushi chef at Ozumo, and has even designed a roll that is featured on their menu.  Aside from being a sushi chef at arguably one of San Francisco and Oakland’s finest sushi restuarants, Aaron also does sushi catering for events of all sizes.  All the ingredients are fresh, the sauces are made by Aaron, and the fish is picked up the day of and broken down by Aaron himself. 

Aaron’s creativity and flexibility is off the charts!  I simply told him I like fresh cilantro and fresh basil, 10 minutes later we were enjoying the amazing rolls pictured above.

Picture one:
“The Zone Roll” - Cucumber Wrap

Inside: Fresh Snow Crab Leg, Maguro (Yellow Fin Tuna this day), Mango, Carrot, Daikon (Japanese Radish), Avocado, Jalapeno
   Wrapped in Nori (Toasted Sea Weed) and English Cucumber
Sauce: Spicy Garlic Ginger Soy Sauce

 

Picture two on the left side:
“Chili Tuna”
Inside: Spicy Tuna, Carrot, Daikon
Top: Maguro (Yellow Fin Tuna), Avocado, Cilantro
Sauce: Chili Aioli and Teriyaki Sauce
 
Picture two on the right side:
Basil Roll
Inside: Real Snow Crab, Avocado, Cucumber
Top: Maguro (Yellow Fin Tuna), Mango, Basil
Sauce: Creamy Teriyaki
For catering details you can contact Aaron at:
_________________________

Wednesday’s WOD:

start with (1) 403 meter run
 
then 5 Rounds of:
6 Front Squats
8 Pullups
10 Knees to Elbow
12 Box Jumps
 
finish with (1) 403 meter run

 

results:
img_0716

Good eats. No excuses.

Monday, May 18th, 2009

img_0707

 

img_0711
Here is a tasty dish that was made completely free of electricity.

Rosemary Grilled Chicken
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Mixed Greens Salad
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Red Pepper

This past weekend, while my parents were visiting from Atlanta, I was fortunate enough to experience a little of Murphy’s Law. Saturday evening, while getting ready to prepare dinner, the power in my apartment went out. Not too big of a deal, I just moved the ingredients outside, where there was more light, prepared the items and placed them on the grill to cook. About 8 minutes into the process when I went to check on the grilled items, I realized the propane had ran out. No big deal, a propane refill will only take a minute. Unfortunately the gate to my apartment complex was not operating due to the power being out. After a 10 minute wait the maintenance guy came and disassembled part of the gate. By the time I got back and finished cooking the meat it was so dark in my apartment that had to move my table outside so that we could have enough light to eat. Sure we could have just given up right away and gone out to eat, but we didn’t. The moral of the story? 1.) Healthy eating takes a little bit of work, but is well worth it. 2.) If you live in a 4,000 sq/ft home in Contra Costa County, stop running your AC 24/7 when it gets really hot… you’re causing my power to go out!

Saturday’s WOD:

I’ll list it on tomorrow’s post…. but just imagine what it would feel like to carry a 2 year old child for a mile, then try to change the toner in your laser printer while an anger badger nips at your feet, and your head feels like Blue Bomber when he malfunctions and Red Rocker gets a 46 punch combo, uncontested.

Post thoughts to comments section, or don’t.

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