Today is a link day. Follow the links below for some great information from some smarter people than me:
An interesting article from Mark Sisson on "Getting Primal":
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ten-ways-to-get-primal/
A commentary on Breathing and its application to lifting from Greg Everett:
http://www.performancemenu.com/shorties/index.php?show=shorty&shortyID=37
Today at North Shore Crossfit we're doing Handstand Pushups. Here's some help from a couple of the tutorials on the Beast Skills page:
Beginners: http://www.beastskills.com/Handstand%20pushup%20beginner.htm
Intermediate: http://www.beastskills.com/Handstand%20pushup%20inter.htm
I'll leave the freestanding handstand pushups and clapping hspu's for another day.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Why Organic? Part Two
Here are some benefits of going organic from www.kristensraw.com
Some of the many benefits of eating organic foods are:
Superior nutrition: Organics have up to 300% more vitamins and minerals than conventionally grown foods.
They have greater flavor. Many top chefs use only organic foods.
Reduced intake of chemicals and heavy metals.
Decreased exposure to carcinogens.
Better working conditions for farmers and workers.
No genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Much better for the environment.
Some of the many benefits of eating organic foods are:
Superior nutrition: Organics have up to 300% more vitamins and minerals than conventionally grown foods.
They have greater flavor. Many top chefs use only organic foods.
Reduced intake of chemicals and heavy metals.
Decreased exposure to carcinogens.
Better working conditions for farmers and workers.
No genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Much better for the environment.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Why Organic?
One of the first things that I tell someone looking to clean up their diet is to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables, especially raw fruits and vegetables. Many people are in the dark about whether or not they should buy organic, and whether it is worth the price tag. My answer is typically this: If you’re not eating enough fruits and vegetables now, you are better off eating more of them whether they are organic or not. However, we all have at least trace amounts of pesticides in our bodies already, and eating organic produce rather than pesticide/fungicide/herbicide-treated produce will at least keep you from taking in much more of it. If you can’t afford to go completely organic (I’m in this demographic myself), the Environmental Working Group has put together a list of the fruits and vegetables with the highest amounts, and lowest amounts of pesticides after conducting over 43,000 test on produce in the United States. My suggestion is to always buy organic at the top of the list, and don’t bother paying for the organic stuff on the bottom of the list. Here is the list from www.foodnews.org
The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies
1 Peaches 100 (highest pesticide load)
2 Apples 96
3 Sweet Bell Peppers 86
4 Celery 85
5 Nectarines 84
6 Strawberries 83
7 Cherries 75
8 Lettuce 69
9 Grapes - Imported 68
10 Pears 65
11 Spinach 60
12 Potatoes 58
13 Carrots 57
14 Green Beans 55
15 Hot Peppers 53
16 Cucumbers 52
17 Raspberries 47
18 Plums 46
19 Oranges 46
20 Grapes-Domestic 46
21 Cauliflower 39
22 Tangerine 38
23 Mushrooms 37
24 Cantaloupe 34
25 Lemon 31
26 Honeydew Melon 31
27 Grapefruit 31
28 Winter Squash 31
29 Tomatoes 30
30 Sweet Potatoes 30
31 Watermelon 25
32 Blueberries 24
33 Papaya 21
34 Eggplant 19
35 Broccoli 18
36 Cabbage 17
37 Bananas 16
38 Kiwi 14
39 Asparagus 11
40 Sweet Peas-Frozen 11
41 Mango 9
42 Pineapples 7
43 Sweet Corn-Frozen 2
44 Avocado 1
45 Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load)
The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies
1 Peaches 100 (highest pesticide load)
2 Apples 96
3 Sweet Bell Peppers 86
4 Celery 85
5 Nectarines 84
6 Strawberries 83
7 Cherries 75
8 Lettuce 69
9 Grapes - Imported 68
10 Pears 65
11 Spinach 60
12 Potatoes 58
13 Carrots 57
14 Green Beans 55
15 Hot Peppers 53
16 Cucumbers 52
17 Raspberries 47
18 Plums 46
19 Oranges 46
20 Grapes-Domestic 46
21 Cauliflower 39
22 Tangerine 38
23 Mushrooms 37
24 Cantaloupe 34
25 Lemon 31
26 Honeydew Melon 31
27 Grapefruit 31
28 Winter Squash 31
29 Tomatoes 30
30 Sweet Potatoes 30
31 Watermelon 25
32 Blueberries 24
33 Papaya 21
34 Eggplant 19
35 Broccoli 18
36 Cabbage 17
37 Bananas 16
38 Kiwi 14
39 Asparagus 11
40 Sweet Peas-Frozen 11
41 Mango 9
42 Pineapples 7
43 Sweet Corn-Frozen 2
44 Avocado 1
45 Onions 1 (lowest pesticide load)
Friday, May 2, 2008
Crossfit Kettlebell Certification
This past weekend I was at Crossfit Gulf Coast in Sarasota, FL for the Crossfit Kettlebell Certification with Jeff Martone. Jeff is the owner of http://www.tacticalathlete.com/ and is an amazing instructor. It was an honor to work with Jeff, and the experience has certainly made me a better coach.
Here's a video of Jeff teaching some H2H Drills (Hand to Hand Drills) or Kettlebell Juggling, which works rotational strength, power, hand-eye coordination, etc. This is some fun stuff that Jeff touched on briefly at the seminar:
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_MartoneKBJuggling.wmv ENJOY!
In the News
Here's an old article written by one of my clients for the Gloucester Daily Times:
Camaraderie is the key to fitness.
Among the many great things at the YMCA are the friendships that get formed over fitness. I, for one, am a class hopper. My latest endeavor is the 12 week, 3 days a week, 6AM class led by Erin Grady and Danny Vadala. The early hour and increasing difficulty make it a "bootcamp" like environment. In the spirit of the class – there are many of us who have signed up together to encourage the early morning attendance – commuting pals, if you like. So, we are also being environmentally conscious!
Just in our little universe, the class is changing lives and habits of its attendees. My exercise pals are both neighbors, who face daily challenges of working full time and managing their households, children, etc. but leave it all behind to join me at 5:45 AM. The class includes several Y Board members, its Executive Director, and a collection of committed people (or soon to be committed) that could never imagine themselves in this type of routine – but for the peer pressure and passion of the instructors who take no prisoners! Rumor has it that those who miss classes even call for private lessons not to be left behind. On our off days – my exercise buddies join me for an early morning walk – to keep up the pace, so to speak.
From the time we meet at until 7:15AM –we enter either Erin's world or Danny's world at the Y. Erin kicks off with weigh-ins. Measurements, and fat analysis followed by stretching, muscle work, and anaerobic workouts in the gym. Sounds tempting? There's more! Danny pushes us to the edge on Wednesdays with imaginative drills including lugging sandbags around the Middle Street block in the dark hours of the morning. Have you seen a bunch of nuts running around the outside of the Y? That's us.
And guess what? Everyone can do it. None of us are fitness junkies. But, by pushing each other along and adding some humor, creativity, and friendship to the program, we may have found the formula for getting into shape without thinking about it. See you at 6AM!
Camaraderie is the key to fitness.
Among the many great things at the YMCA are the friendships that get formed over fitness. I, for one, am a class hopper. My latest endeavor is the 12 week, 3 days a week, 6AM class led by Erin Grady and Danny Vadala. The early hour and increasing difficulty make it a "bootcamp" like environment. In the spirit of the class – there are many of us who have signed up together to encourage the early morning attendance – commuting pals, if you like. So, we are also being environmentally conscious!
Just in our little universe, the class is changing lives and habits of its attendees. My exercise pals are both neighbors, who face daily challenges of working full time and managing their households, children, etc. but leave it all behind to join me at 5:45 AM. The class includes several Y Board members, its Executive Director, and a collection of committed people (or soon to be committed) that could never imagine themselves in this type of routine – but for the peer pressure and passion of the instructors who take no prisoners! Rumor has it that those who miss classes even call for private lessons not to be left behind. On our off days – my exercise buddies join me for an early morning walk – to keep up the pace, so to speak.
From the time we meet at until 7:15AM –we enter either Erin's world or Danny's world at the Y. Erin kicks off with weigh-ins. Measurements, and fat analysis followed by stretching, muscle work, and anaerobic workouts in the gym. Sounds tempting? There's more! Danny pushes us to the edge on Wednesdays with imaginative drills including lugging sandbags around the Middle Street block in the dark hours of the morning. Have you seen a bunch of nuts running around the outside of the Y? That's us.
And guess what? Everyone can do it. None of us are fitness junkies. But, by pushing each other along and adding some humor, creativity, and friendship to the program, we may have found the formula for getting into shape without thinking about it. See you at 6AM!
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