Synergy Kettlebell Boot Camp is a super fun and results guaranteed fat loss fitness boot camp using kettlebells and training in beautiful Aurora, Illinois.
I must go on record to say that I LOVE carrot cake. If you’re like me and live a healthy lifestyle with clean eating habits you have foregone some wonderful treats such as carrot cake because of its high carb content in the likes of insulin spiking grains and sugars. Stand up BECAUSE THERE IS HOPE!
Last night Lisa made some of the absolute best carrot cake I have ever placed into my mouth AND it was 100% grain-free. Because I’m a nice guy and love to share healthy recipes with everyone I can so they too can experience the goodness of both healthy eating on a grain-free alternative.
The only disclaimer I must put on this carrot cake is that even though it is grain-free it is NOT guilt-free. It still contains ingredients which don’t make it guilt-free. We are diligently working on a guilt-free alternative just like our guilt free Raw Brownies, which by the way, are soooooooooo yummy too. If you desire the carrot cake to be just a bit more healthy and lower on the sugars simply cut down the frosting on top or cut it out altogether.
Without further ado here is our Grain-Free Bugs Bunny Carrot Cake Spectacular…
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease with coconut oil a 9×13 inch pan.
Add to the mixture:
2 cups coconut flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Fold In:
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecan
The mixture will be thick due to the coconut oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Because the temperature is lower, be prepared that it may take a long time to cook. Let cool completely before icing (Recipe below).
Icing (optional):
1/2 cup pasture butter, softened
8 ounces organic cream cheese, softened
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 cup chopped pecans
I was reading an email from a friend of mine, Jinjee, and she was saying some pretty interesting things. Here’s what she had to say: New research reported in New Scientist Magazine shows a newly found molecule called TOR, that is activated by protein, that causes aging. Page one of this article is about the benefits of the Calorie Restriction diet proven to increase lifespans, and page two gets in to how people following the Calorie Restriction diet should be careful not to eat too much protein or they will negate the anti-aging they have a accomplished. A few years ago an article was written in Pear Magazine that focuses on the benefit of a combination with the Calorie Restriction Diet and the Raw Vegetarian/Vegan Diet would not only give Calorie Restrictionists the highest nutrient density foods they generally seek, but would probably also be the ideal diet for extending our life span to where it is supposed to be, (according to scientific research: about 120 – 150 years). This article seems to support that idea: http://tinyurl.com/eatlesslivelong
Outside of nutrition comes activity and exercise. Of course you know I recommend Kettlebell Training and certainly for good reason. Check this out ===> Performing Kettlebell Snatches burn 20.2 calories per minute- which equals 600 kcals in only 30 min (not factoring the ongoing afterburn). This is compared to Spinning (cycling class): 14 kcals, Running a 7 minute mile (and that’s pretty quick too): 19 kcals, Elliptical Trainer (and we all know these are horrible for our knees, hips, & back): 9.8, and Swimming Laps: 13.6 kcals. -Men’s Health Magazine Here’s another study with very similar results: University of Wisc & American Counsel of Exercise Study
Combination of both a balanced diet of high healthy fat foods, more veggies than anything else you are eating, at least 3 no bigger than your fist size portions of fruit every day, and protein that is very easy to digest such as nuts(not legumes), seeds, beans, wild caught fish, whole pasture eggs (and eat the whole thing too), and grassfed meats you will live a longer and happier life. Notice what foods I omitted and it is for a VERY good reason. Just because you like something or that you can buy it organically does not mean it is good for you. Stick to the basics, eat less, live longer, stay close to nature in everything you consume, don’t allow yourself to eat convenient processed foods, saturate your body constantly with fresh filtered water and you will be more energetic than you ever know.
Here’s a REALLY yummy recipe for you that one of my clients found while looking for grain free dishes for her family. Thanks to the Nutty Kitchen blog for bringing this to us.
Primal Meat Sauce
Ingredients
2 large shallots, sliced
2 medium green onions, sliced
1/8 cup unrefined coconut oil
2 Serrano chilies, seeds in
1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon marjoram, ground in your palm
3 pinches Turkish cumin
1 teaspoon caraway seed(pick up at most grocery stores)
2 pinches Himalayan to taste
6 ounces tomato paste (only ingredient is tomatoes)
6 ounces water
2 lbs Grass-Fed Ground Beef
2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
2 baby Portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
and…
1 bay leaf
Instructions
1. Heat coconut oil on medium-high and add shallots and green onions – brown until glossy golden.
2. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, bay leaf and chilies.
3. Saute for about 5 minutes, and add mushrooms, marjoram, cumin, and caraway seed; continue to cook for another minute or two, stirring all ingredients well.
4. Add beef. Be sure to break up any large chunks of meat so to ensure that spices and flavors can penetrate through the beef.
5. Once the beef is slightly browned, add sea salt and stir well.
6. Now add the tomato paste and stir in water.
7. Stir well, add vinegar, stir well once more, cover, and reduce heat to the lowest possible.
8. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve with your favorite side dish. Note: Modify spices or ingredients to taste after simmer time is up.
This is great on top of zucchini and/or squash spaghetti for a real grain free dish that is guilt free, very nutritious, and health promoting for your body. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love the energy from this meal.
Today gentlemen, I am honored to coach you
More honored to be leading you onto the field of battle
But theres another honor to be bestowed upon you
And that is in the answer that comes with that question:
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Thats right, and you need to remember that all through this game
I will conquer what has not been conquered
Defeat will not be in my creed
I will believe what others have doubted
I will always endeavor to pull esteem, honor, and respect out of my team
I have trained my mind and my body will follow
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
I will acknowledge the fact that my opponent does not expect me to win
But I will never surrender
Weakness will not be in my heart
I will look to my comrades and to those who are a part of me in this world and those who have trained me
And I will draw strength from them
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
I will gladly go out into the field of battle
And I will move in everything I can do
And I will reach my field of battle by any means at my disposal
And when I get there, I will arrive violently
I will rip the heart from my enemy, and leave it bleeding on the ground
Because he cannot stop me
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
To my side I have comrades, comrades that have been with me through thick and thin
Who have sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears
Never will I let them fall, never will I let them down, and I will never leave an enemy behind
Because our opponent does not know my heart
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
No one will deny me, no one will define me
And no one will tell me who and what I am and can be
Belief will change my world
It has moved continents, it has moved countries, it has put men on the moon
And it will carry me through this battle
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Defeat, retreat: those are not in my words
I dont understand those definitions
I dont understand when things go wrong
I dont understand mistakes
But I do understand this:
I understand victory,
And I understand never surrendering
No matter how bad things go my heart and my mind will carry my body through limits and weakness
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Today will be that day
Not tomorrow, not next week, but right now, right here
In your house and in your homes
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
History will remember me
I will not let worrying affect my cause
I will define myself
I will write my own pages
And no one will tell me what I cannot be
I will never give up
Not until Ive given everything I got
Because who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
VIDEO SCRIPT/LYRICS:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure, beyond measure.
Ima show you, how great I am.
Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch, and was in the bed before the room was dark.
Ima show you, how great I am.
Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick, Im so mean I make medicine sick.
Ima show you, how great I am.
This kids gonna be the best kid in the world.
This kids gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.
Ima show you, how great I am.
I have wrastled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale, I done handcuffed lightnin, thrown thunder in jail.
Ima show you, how great I am.
All you chumps are gonna bow when I whoop him, all of you, I know you got him, I know youve got him picked, but the mans in trouble, Ima show you how great I am.
But somewhere along the line you changed, you stopped being you.
You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you youre no good, and when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know, the world aint all sunshine and rainbows, its a very mean and nasty place and I dont care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.
You, me, or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life; but it aint about how hard you hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward.
Thats how winning is done.
Cause if youre willin to go through all the battling you gotta go through to get to where you wanna get, whos got the right to stop you.
I mean maybe some of you guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do, something you never said to somebody, something.
And youre told no even after you pay your dues, whos got the right to tell you that, who? Nobody.
Its your right to listen to your gut, it aint nobodys right to say no, after you earn the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do.
Now if you know what youre worth, then go out and get what youre worth.
But youve gotta be willing to take the hits.
And not pointing fingers saying you aint where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody.
Cowards do that and that aint you!
Youre better than that!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
I’m really excited for this one cause I really, really LOVE fruit! It’s summertime and fruit season baby!!! Enjoy your fruits. Live better, be healthy, and YOU FRUIT. Remember something for the next 30 days, it wouldn’t be a challenge if it didn’t make you leave your comfort zone ever day. Here’s what you’ve gotta do…
I found a quick Personality Quiz based on Fruit. I certainly wouldn’t say it beats the Myers Briggs testing, but it’s still fun to do. Check it out here: http://www.fruitquiz.co.uk/
Since I like to enjoy eating food rather than cook it I asked my wife, Lisa Garon, to write a blog post for you so that she could share a handful of her tricks of the trade.
Here’s what she had to say:
Recently I have been promoted to Culinary Manager at Red Lobster. Essentially this means many more hours than I was working for the previous eight months. To be honest, it’s been pretty challenging to say the least. I have not had the time I previously did to come up with creative recipes or dedicate myself to my kettlebell sport training. It’s been crushing to me because I don’t have the same satisfaction that I once did when everything is in balance.
Some people think that just because they are busy they don’t have away to be healthy, both for themselves or for their families. Well, I’m gonna tell you that is a myth. Here’s a few basic steps you can do now to better your lives for the future.
1. Don’t waste your time in the grocery store. I used to be the “up every aisle” girl. Then I discovered that I wasn’t purchasing anything from the aisles. Stay primarily in the produce section, and then follow around the perimeter. If you need a specific item from the aisle, say coconut milk, nuts, or almond butter, then go for that itemspecifically. To be healthy, the perimeter contains everything you need. Anything in the aisles are simply processed foods packed with sugar, salt, and overabundance of food-like substances.
Aisles to avoid altogether: frozen food, snack foods, bread and beverages. There is nothing beneficial for you here.
2. Two words: Produce Delivery OR Farmer’s Market. This is becoming more and more common across the country. This will also help you to avoid overspending at the store. We use Timber Creek Farms in Illinois, but depending on where you are you can certainly find either a home delivery service or great Farmer’s Market to get your produce. Timber Creek offers free delivery right to your doorstep and is 100% organic at prices actually cheaper than if you bought conventionally grown foods making several different store trips.
3. When you get your produce pre-wash and prepare your veggies and fruits. This may take a small portion of time today, but you will be ahead for the week. I recently invested in a really cool Tupperware container that has the 6 different compartments in it. Now I can readily prepare(chop, dice, slice, etc) mine and my family’s salads in a matter of minutes for the remainder of the week so all we have to do is toss the greens in a bowl and the accompanying toppings are all ready to go.
4. Simplicity. You remember the “Keep It Simple Silly(or Stupid, depending on who you learned it from)” old adage… Don’t spend a lot of time coming up with impressive recipes. Just throwing some coconut oil, veggies, sea salt and touch of seasonings in a casserole and letting it bake is pretty tasty enough for all the members of your family.
5. Prepare only one meal. You aren’t working for a restaurant, so there should be no need for 2 or 3 different meals every day. That’s just silly! During the day snack on nuts, fruit, and veggies. Eat a well balanced meal at night that’s packed with healthy fat, easy to digest protein, and the most important details: veggies and fruits…. more veggies than fruits though.
Just because we are busy does not equal unhealthy, for you or your loved ones.
This past weekend I had the fun experience of Kettlebell Sport competing at the Mid Michigan Kettlebell Invitational in Livonia, MI. This was only my second official competition with my first being a month prior. I’ve learned quite a bit of technique in the past couple months of training. You see I’ve been training with kettlebells for about 3 years now; however moreover in a more fitness style and not sport style training. At the beginning of March, after this year’s Arnold Sports Festival where I had a few athletes (my wife one of them), I decided it was time I through myself onto the platform. I’ve had a lingering lumbar spine disc protrusion for the past 3 years which I’ve allowed to limit me and I wasn’t gonna let that happen any longer. So I jumped into the Girevoy Sport water and decided to swim.
It’s been a fun past couple months and my technique and strength continue to improve. By exposing myself to these Kettlebell Sport competition experiences I rub shoulders with some of the best lifters the U.S. has to offer. Some of them have been privileged to have training opportunity with top level Russian lifters and coaches. That being said, they have passed some of their invaluable knowledge onto me and exposed both my weaknesses as well as gaps in my technique. By correcting my mistakes, from what I’ve learned in one weekend experience alone just being around these amazing athletes, it has made me a much better lifter and coach.
In hopes that you too will learn from my own technique mistakes I have included pics of what they look like and what to look/feel for when you are training.
Mistake 1. Use Proper Equipment: Get lifting shoes from the start. Get your own here: Rogue Fitness “Do-Wins”
Mistake 2. Have Proper Body Alignment: Always keep your elbows in front when resting in the rack. Never lean to one side or the other as you see me mistakenly do in the pictures below.
Mistake 3.Proper Lockout: When the bells are locked out overhead count “one one-thousand” before bringing them down. This will ensure a good lockout. My picture directly below is NOT a good lockout and was the last one I performed in my set before setting down my bells. I received a “No Count” for it and rightly so.
Definition of a proper overhead kettlebell lockout: By AKC Coach Mike Stefano The feet are flat on the floor, knees, hips straight and strong. Back is arched, and gaze forward. The lockout arm extends straight up over the head with the bicep near the ear. The elbow is locked and shoulder is seated. The kettlebell hangs off the heal of the hand (hip of the palm) behind the head, wrist is relaxed. Ears, shoulders, hips, and knees line up vertically creating a skeletal stack to accept the majority of the resting load. The palm is angled slightly towards the face, not rotated out where the kettlebell spins out overhead. The kettlebell is completely still or fixated. From the side view the upper arm appears to be perpendicular to the floor as it rises up out of the shoulder joint. The elbow joint is fully extended (not hyperextended) and completely locked. This may result in a gentle backward curve in the arm. Don’t confuse this with the elbow being bent. The arm should never be in front of the face from the side view, as this will require much greater muscle contraction to stabilize the shoulder joint. How far back the arm will go depends upon the flexibility of the shoulder joint. Many people have a tight anterior, rounding the shoulders, thus preventing the arm from getting to that parallel-to-ear position while overhead, preventing a stable rest position.
Mistake 4.Fixation: Fixation in a nutshell means being in control of the kettlebell. Fixate the bells overhead prior to lowering them back to the rack in the case of Jerks and Long Cycle or before tossing back into the swing in the case of the Snatch. Fixation means no overhead movement of any kind as well as no unstable footing. To have good fixation both your elbows will be locked, both your knees will be locked, and there will be full bodily control over the bell. You will not have any momentum or movement going anywhere. By ensuring fixation overhead you will have all the stabilizer muscles working and ultimately become stronger. Once you have fixation you are ready to return the bell whence it came whether that was the rack position or to re-snatch it.
These are the things I am working directly on and my encouragement to you is to do the same no matter if you’re working with one bell or two in your own training sessions. Even if you have no desire to compete in Kettlebell Sport you are going to benefit from proper overhead lockout, fixation, and focusing on body stability in all of your movements. Valery Fedorenko told me that fixation in the lockout is the key to kettlebell lifting whether for sport or fitness so that your body becomes strong, stable, and ensures chance of injury is greatly diminished. Having fixation means having control over the kettlebells. If you have control then you are able to better focus and succeed in your kettlebell training goals.
I must go on record to say that I LOVE carrot cake. If you’re like me and live a healthy lifestyle with clean eating habits you have foregone some wonderful treats such as carrot cake because of its high carb content in the likes of insulin spiking grains and sugars. Stand up BECAUSE THERE IS HOPE!
