by Bob Garon on April 27, 2009
Let’s think about this logically for a moment. A lot of “breakfast” & “lunch” foods and “breakfast & lunch information” is based off of what the food industry wants everyone to think. They must sell their products. Many people do not understand the power of the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry. They control a great deal of what information gets out to the population and consumers on a regular basis. Take a look at the pic above and notice all the typical “breakfast foods” and their colors. Most people’s diets consist of browns, tans, and grays. There is very little to no nutrients in foods with these colors. The nutrients, anti-oxidants, and good health comes from having a diet that is very colorful and vibrantly bright.
Anyway with that said, and if you’ve been reading the Synergy Kettlebell Training Blog long enough you will know that, I am a firm believer- out of personal trial and error experience, client experiences, the research that I read, and simply the FACT that the typical ‘grain and starch eating’ American Diet just doesn’t work- that we need to engage our Sympathetic Nervous System by practicing a daily water fast and then allowing only one insulin spike(one potential fat storage time instead of several during the day) by eating one balanced, but staggered meal in the evening.
Water Fasting is just that- NO eating during the day. It is NOT to eat as much protein as you want during the day because you believe that you cannot convert protein to fat, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In essence overeating of any and all kinds of foods, without calorie expenditure, will result in weight (fat) gain. When you eat any type of food, insulin is secreted and thus some fat is stored. When you don’t eat glucagon is secreted and fat is burned.
It is best to water fast during the day. Heck you don’t actually NEED a post workout recovery meal and continue the water fast until the evening. Then you rotate your days of high fat and high carb(aka starches and/or grains).
True exercise as we know it has only been around for about 100 years or so. It is a supplement for actual work- for labor. People used to labor all day long and be active throughout the entire day which burnt calories and kept them healthy in a physical sense. Now that we sit in cars, cubicles, couches, desks, etc we must supplement for that all day long labor. So that is where working out comes in. For most people the only activity they get is their exercise or their gym time. This might only be 3 days per week for 30 minutes. So for an entire 7 days they only have about 1.5 hours of actual work, labor, activity that is above and beyond their normal daily affairs. That doesn’t sound like much at all and in fact it is not. That is why it takes people months or even years to get healthy and in any kind of shape.
Ok long story short, the body only needs food for 2 reasons: FAT or FUEL and that is exactly what it will use it for. After a workout your body will compensate to get it back in a balance when cortisol levels elevate because it is not normal for cortisol to be high. This will happen much more efficiently the more healthy and the more in shape a person is. Food is not needed to do this. A hormonal balance can take place without food for the short period it takes between completing a workout and beginning the evening main meal.
So this leaves us again with the FAT or FUEL notion regarding how the body uses food. If you are not eating then you have no reason to have it store as fat so a post workout recovery is not necessary in that respect. An evening main meal will sufficiently provide your body with every adequate bit of fuel that it needs in the sense of ultimate necessity. That is precisely how we need to view eating- necessity rather than convenience. We have refrigerators and cupboards that provide us with ready food at any time we desire. Too many desires lead to too much fat. Break the desire and realize when you need food instead of want food. Break the desire and realize that your body only needs it in the evening based upon how it uses it when it breaks it down into digestion and absorption which is the necessity rather than the convenience.
by Bob Garon on April 24, 2009
I try to have my Kampers relying on each other as a team as often as I could. Normally they’re all wheezing in pain half way through, but this one just flew by cause of how fun it was. This was a great Kettlebell Kamp filled with a lot of fun.
These guys and gals are truly the strongest of the Kamp Warriors and Warrior-ets.
For More Fun Keep Visiting: http://BobGaronTraining.com
Through these challenging, BUT always overcoming times never lose your healthy eating habits and in fact strengthen them. This is usually the first thing most people lose or toss out the window when they either don’t workout for a time or stop working out. For whatever reason they believe that they need to workout and eat well together, when in fact yes that’s very true, but the most important is the eating which should never ever be changed.
Disclaimer: Some people don’t care if they’re working out or not, they’ll still eat lousy regardless.
So continue being healthy and eating healthy. If you slipped on that don’t fret. Today is a great day to get back on track. We like being part of a strong team so let’s do this together!
by Bob Garon on April 21, 2009
You’ve heard of GMO crops, haven’t you? GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are crops which have been substantially altered using genetic engineering. They’re unnaturally modified foods whose safety is dubious at best. (Many European countries have banned their use completely.)
And unfortunately, they’re quite pervasive here in America. 90% of the soybeans grown in the U.S. are GMOs, as is 63% of the corn. These expensive crops were sold to farmers around the world by a handful of mammoth biotech corporations with promises of radical yield increases.
According to a recent report published by the Union of Concerned Scientists, those were empty promises.
While it’s true that we’ve seen crop yield increases in the fifteen years since the use of GMOs became widespread, the report argues that other factors led to those increases. In fact, when they contrasted yields of genetically engineered soybeans to low-input, organic yields for soybeans, the low-input crop outperformed the GE crop by 13%.
Why should you care?
Because if you’re an American and you consume corn and soy products that are not explicitly labeled “organic” or “GMO-free,” chances are you’re eating these foods!
Not only is that potentially hazardous for your health (for reasons we’ll be going into over the next month), it’s downright nasty for the environment. GMO crops rely heavily on pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other high-energy inputs that not only decimate the soil, but also drown farmers in a sea of debt as they struggle to pay for these costly inputs.
There are a host of reasons to avoid GMOs, and over the next month we’ll be looking at them.
Why? Because next Wednesday, April 22nd (Earth Day), the folks at Real Food Media will officially be launching a No-GMO Challenge.
Our goal? To go 30 days without consuming any GMOs!
It’s an Earth Day Challenge worth taking, and it shouldn’t be terribly difficult for any of us to do. But if we do it — and we encourage enough other people to join us — we may actually turn the tide for GMOs in this country and spell their doom.
How do I know this?
Because in the parts of the world where GMO crops are a marketing liability, they’re not used. Period. Just last week, Germany became the latest country to ban GMO crops completely. If they can do it, so can we!
Here in the U.S., our biggest problem is awareness.
Anne Marie at Cheeseslave had this to say:
According to Jeffrey Smith, leading expert on GMOs and bestselling author of Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette, GMOs or genetically modified organisms are in about 75% of the foods at the supermarket. Most processed foods contain either soybean oil or soy lecithin, or high fructose corn syrup.
According to a 2001 poll:
- 52% believe GM foods are unsafe
- 13% are unsure about them
- 93% say the government should require labels on food saying whether it’s been genetically modified
(Source)
The majority of Americans don’t trust GM foods and we want labels on our food. The sad thing is, there’s so little information about genetically modified food. Most of us are eating it every day and we don’t even know it.
That’s why we’re launching the No GMO Challenge!
We believe that if we can get just 5% of consumers to avoid purchasing GMO foods, the food industry will buckle and GMOs will effectively be purged from our food supply.
Guys, this is going to be HUGE
I could say more, but I’ll save it for our official launch date. I just wanted to whet your appetites and encourage you to get ready to join us.
This is our chance to UNITE, to fight back against the dominant food culture with every forkful of food we eat, to say NO to GMOs, and to make real and lasting change!
Original post and for more regarding the challenge visit: Food Renegade, (photo by thomas.merton)
by Bob Garon on April 14, 2009
BV = Biological Value.
It’s really the only measure of protein quality that is meaningful for athletic types. It’s an index that represents how efficiently protein is retained by the human body. When the BV system was first introduced, since all other foods scored lower than the whole egg, the whole egg was elected as the “standard to beat” ? 100%. All other foods, whose protein content was not as efficiently absorbed, earned lower percentage values. Here are some BV values that are earned by different foods (in descending order):
110-159 – Whey Protein isolates blends
104 – Whey Concentrate (lactalbumin)
100 – whole egg
91 – cow milk
88 – egg white
83 – fish
80 – beef
79 – chicken
77 – casein
74 – soy
59 – rice
54 – wheat
49 – beans
As an example of how this affects your food choices, imagine that you need 25g protein for you post workout recovery meal.
-Since each raw large egg supplies 6.25g of protein (ref: USDA). Four whole eggs would then fill the bill. Now, since whole egg has a BV of 100%, you body will get the absolute most out of its 25g of protein.
-Since raw chicken breast supplies 6.60g of protein per ounce (ref: USDA), you would need 3.79 oz of raw chicken breast to equal 25g of protein. But since chicken has a BV of 79%, the body needs more meat in order to provide an equal amount of absorbed protein (specifically, 4.80 oz).
The lower the BV for a particular food, the more you’ll need to eat to hit your protein target, BUT just keep in mind your total caloric consumption as well.
I should note that since this efficiency scale was adopted, protein sources have been created that offer higher levels of protein absorbability than whole egg. As a matter of fact some of these newer sources offer as much as 150% the protein quality that whole egg boasts (giving it a BV value of 150). Whey concentrate has a BV of about 104 (Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey only has a BV=100). Whey peptide blends start at about BV=110, and run as high as 150 or so.
by Bob Garon on April 9, 2009
Most of the bacteria in your colon is good and you need this bacteria to be and remain constantly healthy. Most people do not have the adequate amount of “friendly bacteria” and diet and medications throw the body’s good and bad bacteria out of balance. One great way to remain in balance is to eat Greek style yogurt as well as organic fruits and vegetables. I also recommend a great probiotics product from New Chapter called: Immunity. Keeping a healthy colon is essential to having a healthy body. This is not an option as it is vital.
http://www.ihealthtube.com/player/player.swf
http://www.ihealthtube.com/player/player.swf
by Bob Garon on April 8, 2009
As I posted on my FaceBook Profile a couple nights ago, and received several requests for the recipe, I now present to you my wife’s famous super yummy Chickpea Burgers.
If you are not familiar with where my Facebook Profile is and want to be my friend go here: Bob Garon’s Facebook Profile
Chickpea Burgers
2 cans drained and rinsed chick peas
2 carrots finely chopped
2 celery stalks finely chopped
1/3 onion finely chopped
Garlic powder to taste
1/4 c tahini
2 T coconut oil
2 T walnut oil
2 T water
2 T teff flour
1 T curry seasoning
Take all ingredients and blend up very fine
Place on large sheet to bake until brown on one side then flip. Top with almond cheese and sauteed onions.
*Pictured is one chickpea burger, vegetable casserole, and sauteed onions.
_______________________
And as an added bonus for being one of the best Synergy Kettlebell Boot Camp blog readers here is a great healthy soup recipe just for you.
Black Eyed Peas & Sunflower Soup
All Organic Ingredients
2 Carrots- sliced
2 Celery- sliced
Onion and garlic powder
Walnut Oil(unrefined)
Sautee the above ingredients until veggies are soft
Add 1-2 cups of raw(not dry roasted and unsalted) Sunflower Seeds and cook for about 5 minutes
Add 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, 1 cup water, and 2 cans drained and rinsed Black Eyed Peas.
Simmer until sunflower seeds are soft(about 20 min.)
by Bob Garon on April 8, 2009
The
Origins
Hemp was cultivated in China more than 6,000 years ago, from a wild plant that grew in central Asia. The Chinese recognized hemp’s amazing nutritional value, and used it as a food source long before soy foods. About a thousand years ago, hemp traveled to Europe, where peasants used the plant in several ways, one of the most popular being the making of hemp butter by grinding the tasty seeds.
A Nutritional Powerhouse
Hempseed is considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hempseed is packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and GLA. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein is comprised of 66 percent high-quality edistin protein, and that hempseed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Hemp also contains three times the vitamin E contained in flax. Unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified, and it doesn’t contain the anti-nutritional qualities commonly found in soy.
Got Your EFAs today?
Because the human body produces no Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it is important that EFAs be consumed on a regular basis. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of Americans take in too little of one of the most important EFAs–omega-3–which is found in flax, walnuts, deep-water fish, and hempseeds. EFAs are the “good fats” that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet. The quality of omega-3 is vital, and can be diminished by oxygen, heat, and light. Thus consume the freshest seeds possible and store them in a dark, cold environment such as a refrigerator. Nutiva obtains its seeds exclusively from Canada, and we date all our products. Great nutrition never tasted so good.
Q & A:
Q. What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
A. Marijuana and hemp both come from the same species of plant, Cannabis sativa L., but from different varieties. There are different varieties of Cannabis, just as Chihuahuas and St. Bernards are different breeds of dogs, Canis familiari.
Marijuana is the flowering tops and leaves of psychoactive varieties of Cannabis that are grown for their high THC content.
Hemp, also referred to as industrial hemp, are low-THC varieties of Cannabis that are grown for their seeds and fiber. Hemp is grown legally in just about every industrialized country except the USA.
Q. What is the recommended daily intake of hemp seeds?
A. Health practitioners suggest three to five tablespoons of shelled hempseed per day.
Q. What is the recommended daily intake of hemp oil?
A. Health practitioners suggest one or two tablespoons of hemp oil per day.
Q. Why is hemp so nutritious?
A. Hemp oil contains the most essential fatty acids (EFAs) of any nut or seed oil, with the omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs occurring in the nutritionally optimal 1:3 ratio.
Q. Why are essential fatty acids (EFAs) important?
A. Essential fatty acids cannot be produced by the human body; they must be obtained from your diet. As the name implies, they are essential to your health and well being. Seventy percent of adults who eat a typical Western diet do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids, and at the same time, they get too much omega-6 fatty acids. This imbalance can cause a wide range of health problems.
Q. What are the benefits of hemp vs. flax?
A. Shelled hempseed is more easily digested than ground flax seed, while whole flax seed passes through your body undigested. Hemp seed and hemp oil also contain higher-potency omega derivatives, GLA and SDA, which flax seed lacks.
Q. I would like to know more about hemp and hemp foods. What are some good sources of information?
A. To learn more about hemp food, please read the article: “Hemp and Flax Seeds and Oil in Modern Nutrition” by Gero Leson, D.Env. (PDF file 305k)
For an excellent overview of hemp and hemp foods, please read “Hemp is Hip, Hot and Happening” and the series on hemp at Innvista.
Source: http://nutiva.com/hempinfo.php
True exercise as we know it has only been around for about 100 years or so. It is a supplement for actual work- for labor. People used to labor all day long and be active throughout the entire day which burnt calories and kept them healthy in a physical sense. Now that we sit in cars, cubicles, couches, desks, etc we must supplement for that all day long labor. So that is where working out comes in. For most people the only activity they get is their exercise or their gym time. This might only be 3 days per week for 30 minutes. So for an entire 7 days they only have about 1.5 hours of actual work, labor, activity that is above and beyond their normal daily affairs. That doesn’t sound like much at all and in fact it is not. That is why it takes people months or even years to get healthy and in any kind of shape.
