A couple of weeks ago, Nathalia left the following question in the comments of my post:

I’ve begun reading / following a few of the main ancestral health proponents but I must say the more I get into it the more I’m getting confused about paleo vs. primal vs. Whole30 vs. I don’t know what. Would be interested to hear your take on it…. as long as you tell me I can still eat cheese

You might not like the answer, at least where it comes to the cheese. (Fair warning!)

I’ll start off with Primal, and if you’re going to do it properly, you should head over to Mark’s Daily Apple, as Mark Sisson is pretty much the source for the Primal methodology via his book, The Primal Blueprint.  I’ve noticed that some people gravitate towards Primal since it is a bit more liberal with certain things, particularly dairy. Ruth broke down some of the differences back in her post from 2010, although there are likely some updates to that topic in the almost four years since it was written. At it’s core, Primal encourages basing your meals around a protein source, lots of vegetables, good fats and adding some fruit and nuts to top things off. It also is based around eliminating grains and sugars.

Paleo has many definitions, depending on who you ask. This is largely why I refrain from using the term, as people have gone too far afield with how they interpret its meaning. At the core, Paleo is based upon the theory that our ancestors did not exhibit many of the modern diseases we now see. From there, it was hypothesized that emulating the eating patterns of our ancestors may alleviate those illnesses. Now you’ve probably heard this before, but this has actually worked for a number of people as anecdotal evidence. There have been some studies to look at various factors of the Paleo diet, such as eliminating gluten, but very few, if any, have focused on having people strictly on a Paleo diet. Boiling it down to the basics, it will sound familiar. Paleo encourages eliminating all grains, dairy and sugars, basing your meals around lean protein sources, lots of vegetables, good fats and adding some fruit and nuts. They also encourage avoiding legumes, which includes beans and peanuts, due to the potentially inflammatory lectins contained within.

There are a few areas where people tend to go wrong with Paleo. One is when they think they need to dress as a caveman, eat their meat raw, or shun utensils. If you think this, please stop. You’re being ridiculous. Another misstep is when people use the argument that anything available to a caveman is therefore fine to eat in unlimited quantity. Keep in mind the avoidance of sugars and quit with the arguments that honey or maple syrup are okay because they’re “natural”! Lastly, and somewhat related, is when they focus on converting desserts and snacks to “Paleo-friendly” recipes. Whole9 had a recent post on their Facebook page to this topic:

…we’re not the only ones who think the widespread focus on Paleo treats does the ancestral health community overall a disservice. People don’t need help making more desserts – they need help making consistent, sweeping changes to their lifestyle that fosters success with their goals, vibrant health and surprising amounts of happiness. If you write a blog or share recipes, we challenge you to write more everyday recipes, publish more tips for shopping or saving food dollars or finding quality animal products in your neighborhood. If there was never another Paleo recipe ever published, there would already be more than you could ever eat in your (healthy) lifetime.

I’ll close by talking about Whole9 and their Whole30 program. Almost a year ago, we at Intrepid decided to become a Whole9 Nutrition Partner. This is because of all the various sources available, Whole9 makes the entire approach to food very comprehensible and easy to implement. We like the Nutrition Guide they put together and we are proud to distribute it to new Intrepids when they have nutrition questions. Last year prior to the Nutrition Challenge, I put on a seminar and we handed out the guide to all attendees. If you’re an Intrepid regular who didn’t get a copy and want one, please let one of the trainers know!

Whole9′s criteria for food is based on whether it meets their 4 Good Food Standards. I’m going to sound like a broken record, but this ends up being based around protein, lots of vegetables, good fats and occasional fruit and nuts. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?

During the Nutrition Challenge, when people told me they were going to follow the Whole30, then transition to Paleo, I wondered if they knew what they were talking about. As you can see, the two should be identical, but maybe they were thinking of a definition of Paleo where honey and maple syrup were allowed?

Speaking of Nutrition Challenges, mark your calendars now. The 2014 Nutrition Challenge will be starting in January 2014. More details to come…

WOD 12.4.13

HSPU 3-3-3-3-3
Max Height Box Jump

Partner WOD
3 rounds
10 Thrusters (95/65)
10 Hang Power Cleans (95/65)
50m Partner Carry

Athlete does thrusters while partner does hang power cleans. Both will run out to street, perform partner carry 50m, switch and return.

If you haven’t read any of the numerous reports, there are some very scary side effects from statins. I previously related my own experience with my former doctor, who wrote statin prescriptions at the drop of a hat. This again is a reason we encourage all of you to educate yourselves so you can have an informed discussion with your healthcare provider, rather than allowing them to make decisions for you as if they were your parent.

This need for skepticism when it comes to conventional wisdom becomes more apparent when you read a follow-up story on those cholesterol guidelines. Less than a week after the new guidelines were announced, the New York Times found that the risk calculation was critically flawed. Per their article, “the calculator overpredicted risk by 75 to 150 percent”. That amount is nothing to laugh at, and considering the life-changing implications of being put on statins, these guidelines should be scrutinized ever more closely.

A happy birthday today to one of Intrepid’s very first members, Michael H.! When he isn’t outing people on Facebook while getting frozen yogurt, he’s throwing his bodyweight around in CrossFit competitions (above) or running insane amounts of miles (Ragnar Relay). As testament to how well known Mike is, you can look back on his birthday posts from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. You’ll learn plenty of fun facts about the birthday boy and see how far he’s come since his first workout with us at Rec Park. Happy birthday Mike!

WOD 11.20.13

Clean & Jerk 3×2
Deadlift 1×5

We’ve posted before on how misguided the conventional wisdom is regarding saturated fat, and it’s been disappointing to see low- or non-fat items still so heavily promoted. Of course, in between ads for highly refined foods are commercials talking about statins.

Perhaps that is why I found it so refreshing to see an article in which a cardiologist had written for a medical journal, speaking out against the status quo. If you follow our nutrition posts, this is probably going to sound familiar:

Butter, cheese and even red meat are not as bad for the heart as has been maintained, a cardiologist has said in a leading medical journal, adding that it is time to “bust the myth” of saturated fat.

Aseem Malhotra, interventional cardiology specialist registrar at Croydon University hospital, London, also argues that statins have been over-prescribed because of the government’s obsession with lowering cholesterol in an attempt to reduce heart disease – and that the side-effects outweigh the benefits for millions of people who take them every day.

Trans-fats found in many fast foods, bakery goods and margarine are indeed a problem. But saturated fats in milk, cheese and meat are another matter.

He goes on to observe that the advice that has been doled out over the years has in fact increased the risk of heart disease. Malhotra comments that saturated fat can in fact be protective, and many of the common sources of saturated fat contain other beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous. Instead, “people have wrongly embraced low-fat products thinking they are better for their health or will help them lose weight, when many are full of sugar”.

It may still be some time before we see the average doctor realize that the infamous Ancel Keys study was highly flawed. However, it’s a good thing to see more in the medical profession starting to question what so many accept as fact.

WOD 11.13.13

Back Squat 3×5

I recently listened to a podcast on the bulletproof executive blog on cholesterol. The topic of cholesterol has been covered a couple of times on the Intrepid blog, but we can all use a refresher from time to time. I learned a lot from the podcast which you can listen to here, and in the near future I’ll summarize what I learned in a future post (or two, there was a lot of info).

One of the major takeaways from the podcast for me was that most people aren’t getting enough fat into their diet. Fats play such a crucial role in so many processes in your body, and there are great scientific explanations for how it’s involved in those processes, but that’s not the purpose of this post. The goal here is just to get you all thinking about fat and its role in your diet, so I decided to keep it simple. I did a Google search of the “role of fat in the body,” and it turns out that while most nutrition and health websites still get the diet stuff wrong, they can’t ignore the fact that fat is an essential part of your diet. While some of the information was a little off, I was still able to collect a decent sized list of high level processes in the body that fat is involved in:

- Anti-inflammatory
- Vitamin absorption
- Vision
- Kidney function
- Reproductive function
- Cellular development: brain, nervous system, thyroid, skin care/hair/nails, bone growth & repair

While it was easy to find information about what processes in the body fat is involved in, finding good information about good sources of fat is hard to come by. Also, finding convenient ways to sneak it in to your daily routine can be challenging. We have a lot of foodies in the gym, and a lot of us are pretty conscious about what we eat. Let’s see if we can all help each other out, what are the ways you get extra fat into your diet? I’ll go first, here’s what I’ve tried to increase my daily fat intake:

- bulletproof coffee in the morning (except I no longer use coconut oil, I now use upgraded brain octane oil)
- adding an extra yolk to my eggs in the morning (tastes much better)
- at least half an avocado with every meal
- nuts instead of fruit for snacks
- coconut butter on everything (so tasty!)
- an extra serving of fish oil

WOD 11/07/13

Mobility:
Hamstrings
Glutes

Skill:
Axle Bar Familiarization
GHD Sit-ups

If you attended one of our Nutrition seminars or read Marcus’s “Enter Sandman“ post on tips for getting to sleep, you may have heard about the benefits of taking magnesium to help wind down for the evening and improve sleep quality. However, the benefits of magnesium go way beyond just improving your shut eye. Ask knowledgeable strength coaches around the country or do a little research and you’ll find that magnesium is typically one of the top five supplements recommended for athletes (a quick aside:  fish oil, protein powder, and vitamin D also make the list).  Research has estimated that upwards of 85% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, and those who lead an active lifestyle may be in even greater need. Magnesium deficiency is so rampant in large part due to factors such as poor dietary habits, depleted soil, and fluoridated or filtered water.

Here are a quick summary of why you should seriously consider taking a magnesium supplement:

• 60% of the magnesium in our bodies is found in our bones, in combination with calcium and phosphorus. Magnesium improves bone mineral density – and not getting enough magnesium may interfere with our ability to process calcium. (Whole 9)
• A higher intake of magnesium resulted in lower fasting blood sugar and lower fasting insulin levels. (The Journal of Nutrition)
• Magnesium supplementation increases testosterone in athletes (Biological Trace Element Research)
• Magnesium is important to athletes because it regulates heart rhythm, allows muscles to contract and relax properly, reduces blood pressure, and is necessary to produce ATP (the main source of energy in our cells) which must be bound to a magnesium ion in order to be biologically active (CrossFit Invictus)

Not all magnesium supplements are created equal however.  According to CrossFit Invictus post “Top 7 Supplements for Athletes” by Michele Vieux, look for magnesium “supplements based on amino acid chelates, such as Mg glycinate and Mg malate are much better tolerated by the digestive system and much more absorbable by the body the other (cheap) forms of magnesium such as Mg oxide or Mg carbonate. This is best taken post-workout on an empty stomach. Sedentary individuals need 600 mg a day and larger athletes in heavy training mode could do up to 2,000 mg a day.”  Take too much of a cheaper version of magnesium and run the risk of experiencing unpleasant laxative side effects…yikes.

We just stocked the Intrepid Store with Pure Pharma Mineral capsules which contain high concentrations of amino acid chelate based magnesium as well as zinc to complement the benefits mentioned above and more.  We also carry Pure Pharma Fish Oil and Vitamin D capsules, so check out the Intrepid Store next time you’re in!

WOD 10.28.13

Back Squat 3×5/Wendler

5 Rounds for Time:
1 Rep of Bear (185/123)
10 Chest to Bar Pullups
240m Run

OR

5 Rounds for Time:
6 Unbroken Thrusters (95/65)
8 Pullups
240m Run

Interestingly, there was a recent study that looked at the food products star athletes shill and compared how nutritious they were. The answer? Not very much. From a report on NBC news:

A litany of pro athletes analyzed by the authors put their big names behind 44 different food or beverage brands during 2010, with 79 percent of those food products being “energy-dense and nutrient-poor,” and with 93 percent of the drinks receiving all of their calories from added sugar — including sports drinks, the paper notes.

The promotion of those meals “by some of the world’s most physically fit and well-known athletes is an ironic combination that sends mixed messages about diet and health,” added the authors, who compared the modern players’ food peddling to the cigarette ads of bygone sports stars like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams.

Growing up, I remember a certain commercial from Charles Barkley that I think parents should keep in mind when it comes to these athlete endorsements.

The funny thing is, some players make sure their own refrigerator is stocked with healthier options. I was impressed to read on ESPN about some Lakers players getting together a cowpool:

That’s right, Chris Kaman, Robert Sacre and Lakers strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco bought a cow.

The three of them are going in together on a full cow’s worth of beef after it’s been to the butcher, or approximately 400 pounds of cuts of meat for their freezers.

DiFrancesco, who has picked up the nickname “Grass-Fed Tim” around the team because of his belief in the health benefits of eating grass-fed beef, came up with the idea after connecting with a farm that raises grass-fed cows down in San Diego.

The article further goes on to state the players intend to fully take advantage of all they purchased:

Sacre and Kaman don’t want to lose any of the parts the cow has to offer. See, there’s a difference when you buy the whole cow versus just buying hundreds of pounds of steak. Sacre is looking forward to the cow tongue. Kaman wants some of the skeleton.

“I’m going to get a bunch of the bones, too, and boil them down and make some beef stock,” Kaman said. “It’s good for your joints and ligaments and tendons.”

It’s only too bad that grass-fed ranchers aren’t able to get these guys to be pitch men on their behalf!

With all this talk of grass-fed beef, be aware that tonight is the deadline to place your October order for J&J Grassfed Beef.

WOD 10.09.13

Work towards a heavy Clean single

Then, 3 rounds for time:

• 400m Run
• 15 Deadlifts (275/185)

When it comes to dining out and eating on the cleaner side it can be a little stressful to select from the menu. On top of that, asking to remove certain toppings or even asking for substitutes can probably drive your waiter or waitress crazy, I’ve seen plenty of eye rolling. Places like Chipotle, Big Wok, and The Counter can make dining out a lot easier. I happen to be a big fan of all three, but sometimes eating at the same places can get just a little too routine like. By little, I do mean a little because I love all of them. In particular, I love The Counter. Custom made burgers in a bowl are a no brainer, but sometimes dinner for two can get pricey. Last week Ashley and I were in the mood for a custom made burger and at the same time we wanted to try a new spot to eat. Through the grapevine we were told to give Stacked: Food Well Built a try.  There are a few locations around the area, but the closest one is right by the Del Amo Mall across from PF Changs.  We walked in around lunch time and we were greeted by our waitress. She sat us down and instead of taking our order for drinks she showed us how to use the iPad that takes our order.  This feature is what they are known for. After a quick 2-3 minute tutorial we were all set to give it a go. After choosing my bun less burger I had the opportunity to pour on as many toppings as my heart pleased. The selection ranged from all vegetables to pulled pork to even eggs. After about 5 minutes of stacking our burgers we sent the order through and within about 10 minutes our food was ready to eat. The quality of the meal was pretty high and inexpensive. The meal that we purchased was surprisingly under $25! Ashley and I were very happy with our experience there. We really liked how everything was done by iPad. It made our meal perfect because it was ordered and prepared correctly and they were prompt at the request of a “refill my drink” button.  There are plenty of options for those not interested in a custom made burger, but beware they are not the most clean items. For those out there who enjoy places like The Counter most definitely need to pay Stacked: Food Well Built a visit. Chances are that you will run into me there.

WOD 09.07.13

In Teams of 4 complete-

• 12 Rope Climbs
• 200 Ball Slams
• 60 Yd Wheelbarrow Walk
• 200 Box Jumps
• 100 Meter OH Walking Lunges

*1 person working at a time, except Wheelbarrow Walk

*Must complete 1 station before moving onto the next

I decided to dip into the vault today for a post I originally ran long ago, but is still a worthwhile lesson. Many people think anything with fruit automatically is healthy, and that isn’t 100% true. Likewise, smoothie joints such as Robeks and Jamba Juice are some of the worst choices. Here’s why…

Today I just have a little advice for those of you who are attempting to convert your diet over to Paleo. That advice is to make sure you eat your fruit. I’m not admonishing you to get your food pyramid number of servings of fruit, but rather to actually eat your fruit.

One of the hurdles that people often have when kicking the sugar addiction is being used to drinking empty calories. While you are to be applauded if you give up soda, don’t just replace that Coke with a glass of orange juice. Slick advertising will tell you that you’re making a “healthy” choice going to get a smoothie from Robek’s/Jamba Juice/etc., but it’s quite the contrary. Going by the nutritional info available at their sites, the smoothie with the least sugar at Jamba Juice (Peach Perfection 12oz.) packs more sugar than a 12oz. can of Coke! Now you may argue that it’s fruit and therefore healthier than the HFCS in soda, and that is partially true. However, you will still wreak havoc on your insulin levels by introducing that much sugar in a single setting. This will leave you hungrier and craving more sugar in no time at all. Compare that to if you would have actually eaten an orange, where the fiber and flesh of the fruit would cause much more satiety. This is in addition to the sheer amount of calories you can consume when they are liquid versus actually eating them.

Additionally, you should strive to eat a hunk of protein at each snack or meal. Most of these smoothies are devoid of any substantial amount, and the protein “add-ins” the shops offer are laughable. Also beware of the Naked Juice line of drinks as even their offerings with protein are sky high in sugars. When reviewing their nutritional info, pay close attention to the notation that each bottle is supposed to be TWO servings. It’s not very often someone drinks less than the whole bottle in a single setting. Likewise, the nutritional info most prominently given for the smoothie chains is for a 12oz. size that many locations do not even offer! The common “regular” size is a 24oz. with a larger 32oz. (or greater) also being sold. Doing the math, you can see the astronomical amount of sugars people are consuming when they get this allegedly healthy drink.

So while it can be argued that our theoretical Grok could have juiced an orange, it is highly unlikely that the Paleo man would have thrown away so much of the fruit. Keep that in mind and make sure to eat, rather than drink, your fruit. It will keep you fuller and help avoid overconsumption. In return, your insulin levels will be at a much more manageable level and help you to reap the benefits of following a Paleo diet.

Be sure to wish James S and Kiet a happy birthday today if you see them in the gym!

WOD 08.28.13

Jerk 3-3-3

AMRAP 4
3 Power Cleans (225#/143#)
30 Double Unders

Rest 1 Minute

AMRAP 4
7 Toes to Bar
7 Box Jumps (30″/24″)

Credit: tessamaes.com

Throughout your life, you have probably found that dressings can help make almost any veggie more palatable. Even the average American on the SAD will choke down a salad if they drown it in enough ranch. However, when you embark on a Whole30, most of those Hidden Canyon brand dressings are off limits to their use of poor quality oils, sugars galore and more additives than you can pronounce.

Of course, we encourage you to make your own dressing, but for some, they find that to be so. much. work. I recently became aware of a brand of dressings that not only have great ingredients, but many of their offerings are Whole9 approved! This company is called Tessamae’s and you will be impressed by the variety they have for sale. You can sort on their website by “Paleo” or “Whole30″ to find those that fit your needs.

Personally, I started with two that caught my eye — their hot wing sauce and Matty’s BBQ sauce. For a brief review, the BBQ sauce left me a little disappointed. I found it to have a very heavy balsamic vinegar taste and not much else. However, the hot wing sauce is great (I tried it with chicken).

Take a look at their site and see what might pique your interest. You are able to order on the site or there are also many varieties that are available at Whole Foods.

WOD 08.21.13

Front Squat 3×3

Partner WOD

3 Rounds:
400m Run each

AMRAP
12 Kettlebell Snatches
12 Box Jumps
1 Rope Climb

While athlete runs, partner performs AMRAP. Upon returning from run, pick up where partner left off.

Alia did mention how coconut oil can impart a slight flavor to items you cook in it –“When cooking with coconut oil, [snip] it will compliment fish and chicken very well, I would keep cooking with ghee if you pan fry heavier meats like beef and pork.”

While all that is true, there is another option for cooking that you may be overlooking — animal fat. Now before you go thinking I want you to trim the fat off a t-bone and cook with that, let me clarify that I’m talking about the process of rendering — either tallow or lard — from beef or pork fat, respectively. Much like ghee, these have a high smoke point and can be used for pan frying. In fact, lard was traditionally used in baking for many years and purist chefs often use it for better results.

The process of rendering is also much like that of making ghee, in that the key is using a very low temperature. I’ve used my oven for this in the past, but this latest time I followed this post from Robb Wolf’s site that uses the slow cooker. For the fat, I purchased some from J&J with my monthly order. They sell a 5 lb bag that rendered down to about 64 fl. oz. of tallow. Once done, you will have jars like this:

You will also be left with what are called “cracklings”. Quoted from the Robb Wolf post:

They consist of minute pieces of tissue that had previously held the pig’s fat together. This is also where the little streaks of red meat mixed with the back fat end up.

As that post says, I found them good to snack on straight out of the oven. Those left over I put in the fridge and use when sauteing my greens. For lack of a better description, they are like beefy bacon bits! In the picture below, you can see them mixed among the greens:

Speaking of which, your order for J&J is due tonight by 10pm! Get your order in and make some tallow of your own.

WOD 08.14.13

Press 3×5/Wendler

Then,
AMRAP 5

• 7 Toes to Bar
• 7 Handstand Push Up

Rest 2 Minutes

AMRAP 5

• 20 Double Unders
• 10 Ball Slams