Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Chicken and turkey are popular for being high in protein and low in saturated fats making a mealtime staple for athletes as well as in many healthy eating households. Falling back on the same old recipes starts to become mundane and a little too routine.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
What do you think of when someone talks about flexibility? Is it the ability to bend over and touch your toes? Or maybe it conjures up images of ballet dancers and yogis, easily dropping into the splits.
What happens when you think of mobility? Does your image change? Perhaps you think of someone sitting into a deep squat, or the BJJ person moving easily across the floor on his knees.
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Civilization has given us great gifts. Infectious diseases rarely kill us anymore. We have hot running water that’s safe to drink (usually). We can go down to the market and buy a thousand different foods. Things are, for the most part, safe and comfortable. Of course, many of the benefits of civilization have been solutions to problems it introduced. That we rarely die from infectious disease is significant because the high population densities of early civilizations created such high infectious disease burdens; nomadic hunter gatherers didn’t have that issue. But there are benefits.
Civilization has also harmed us. There’s the usual laundry list of maladies, like industrialized diets, sedentary lifestyles, dysfunctional circadian rhythms, skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, and cancer that we discuss on here all the time.
But there’s also our wildness. For a civil society to function, it must tamp down excessive wildness among its citizenry. Someone’s got to maintain the roads, fix the plumbing, drive the buses, and get up and go to work on time. Yet, the call of the wild persists….
Humans have always represented the intersection of wildness and order. We have animal urges and instincts, and we have reason and logic. We’re subject to the natural world, and we mold and shape it. We’re civil, but with an edge. It’s that precarious balance between chaos and order that helps us do incredible things. The crazy vision of stepping foot on the moon and the discipline necessary to get us there safely. When we become “too civilized,” we lose that edge. On the balance, I’ll take the civilization, but we can do it better by reintroducing wildness into our personal lives.
“Wild” isn’t “crazy” or “savage” or “violent.” It can include ebullience, but it’s mostly about loosening the shackles of what civilization expects you to be and do.
Besides the obvious and dependable ways to become less civilized, like taking wilderness skill classes, flouting conventional dietary wisdom, camping, and hiking, what are some other suggestions?
To consume is to be passive, comfortable, civilized. Civilization needs consumption. It’s necessary. But civilization and the humans who populate it also need creation, and that’s a bit more wild. It’s pushing the boundary, riding the edge. This isn’t an either-or situation. Everyone consumes. Everyone should create, too. How’s your ratio?
You don’t have to start a blog or write books. You don’t have to become an oil painter or sculptor. Although those are all great options for cultivating wildness via tweaking the create:consume ratio, they’re not the only way.
Creation can be almost anything as long as it introduces something new to the world. It can be minor or monumental. If you’re reading a blog and a thought comes to you, write a comment. If you’re scrolling through a Twitter conversation and have something to contribute, do so. Participate. You could be dungeon master for a Dungeons and Dragons group—that’s creating a narrative for others to inhabit. You could convince your buddies to start training with you—that’s creating good, healthy habits in people who didn’t have them. Direct your energy outward, rather than be a passive recipient of exogenous energy.
There’s a real human predilection toward violence that, if ignored or repressed, often explodes into tragedy. Martial arts can be a good outlet for that. Now, I don’t know this first-hand. As a kid, I got into my fair share of mostly-friendly scrapes and rough and tumble play, and it was great. Every kid should do that (few do these days). But I don’t have any real experience with martial arts. Not learning one is actually one of my major regrets in life. In recent months, however, I have done some very easy grappling drills with an acquaintance who’s been training for most of his life. It’s been awesome. Nothing too serious or intense. But I get a real sense of how I’d respond in a violent situation.
Don’t do what I did. Learn a martial art. There’s an element of wildness—you’re learning how to do and avoid violence, how to face another human being in simulated mortal conditions—tempered with control and the boundaries of civilization—no one’s going to die or get seriously hurt. From my limited experience, I’d say try a grappling art like Brazilian jiu-jitsu or wrestling.
Humans have a sense of tribalism encoded in us, a desire for allegiance toward and acceptance from a group. For some, that manifests as ethnic or religious hatred. There are obvious problems with those manifestations. Could there be a positive outlet for our tribalism? Research shows that diehard sports fans see physiological benefits when their teams compete, such as boosts to testosterone and increased empathy. Sports fans even have a higher-than-average sense of meaning in their lives, something many modern humans lack.
I’m guessing this may apply to more “nerdy” allegiances, like Star Wars vs Star Trek, Marvel vs DC, or Playstation vs XBox, though I have to draw the line at adult My Little Pony fans. Sorry.
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t let these tribal allegiances consume your life. Don’t spend every waking moment following sports, politics, or pop culture. That’d be like engaging in perpetual warfare with a rival tribe—no good.
In fact, I think some of these “open-ended” tribal conflicts are the most dangerous. In sports, as on the battlefield, there’s a definitive, objective conclusion to the conflict: Your team either wins or loses. Everyone accepts the outcome, because the outcome is undeniable. In politics or pop culture, the battle never ends. It drags on, and drags you down with it.
When chaos envelopes us at home—dirty dishes in the kitchen, clothes strewn around, papers everywhere, bills unpaid, responsibilities mounting—we devote most of our creative energy to blocking it out, to ignoring it, leaving us little energy left over to embody our true, wilder selves. Don’t do this.
Instead, deal with the issues directly. Clean the place up. Address all the energy suckers. You’ll probably find that most of them resolve rather quickly, and you have far more time and energy left over to create, learn, play, and indulge the call of the wild.
And, yes, I think there’s an argument to made for minimalism here.
Civilization has created neat, linear environments with walkways and paths and boundaries. Normally, we stay between the lines, stay off the grass, and generally follow the rules. Try not doing that.
Be a weirdo, not a jerk. You shouldn’t walk through wilderness protection zones or trample someone’s garden. Don’t trespass.
I’m curious how you foster de-civilization in your life? Any comments, reactions, responses? I’d especially love to hear about martial arts more experienced folks can recommend.
As we wrap up this kickoff month of 2018, the question becomes: how do you take your intention to the next level? Today I offered up some ideas for those often neglected but still essential “other” foundations of a healthy and fulfilling Primal life.
And I want to offer one random commenter on today’s post something to help in that regard—a copy of The Primal Connection and a $50 gift certificate to PrimalBlueprint.com to apply to other books (or anything on the site) that might support his/her next steps.
Just tell me some thought inspired by today’s post—or something you’d like to see me cover about these “extra” essentials of Primal living: play, sun, sleep, nature, barefooting, etc.
Be sure to comment on today’s post by midnight tonight (1/31/18 PST) to be eligible.
Take care, everyone. Be well!
The post 5 Suggestions for Becoming Less Civilized (and a Giveaway) appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
If you are following a workout program right now, that’s great. Whether the goal of your program is fat loss, hypertrophy, or strength, you have a goal and you have a plan to accomplish it. Any well rounded program keeps at least one to two of these goals at the heart of its progression.
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Everyone here knows how much I love my Big Ass Salads. So, the day we come out with a new dressing is a very good day in my mind. And this one might just be my new favorite…. I’m happy to introduce the new PRIMAL KITCHEN® Italian, and I think you’re going to love it.
It’s a light, perfectly seasoned dressing, dip and marinade for all of your Mediterranean inspired dishes that’s filled with organic ingredients including thyme, oregano, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and sea salt. High in healthy monounsaturated fats, it’s Keto, Whole30 and Paleo/Primal Approved as well as Non-GMO Project Verified.
And let me share one of the ways I’m enjoying our new Italian: Antipasto Skewers. There’s no exact science to follow here—just your own Antipasto favorites like nitrate-free shaved meats, mozzarella, basil leaves, and artichoke folded together and dipped (or doused, if you’re me) in PRIMAL KITCHEN Italian Dressing.
I know what I’m having for lunch. Thanks for reading this morning, everyone. I’ve got a post—and a giveaway—coming up, so be sure to stop back.
The post Primal Cooking Point: Italian Dressing, Anyone? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.
https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/
Boxing is an incredible sport that can offer surprising benefits — depending of course on what you’re prepared to put into it! As an enthusiast, competitor, and now coach, I’ve frequently seen the transformative power of boxing, particularly with women.
I am a fighter, a coach and a business owner, and I have trained in Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, and boxing — my favorite. While I became interested in boxing when I was about 15 years old, it didn’t become my main focus until I was 31, when I began to compete as an amateur.
Like most fighters, I gravitated to martial arts as they were the only spaces where I felt allowed to express myself fully, in all my angry, sad, broken glory.
I was never “too” anything for martial arts. My fury and strength were welcomed, and channeled in healthy ways. I felt powerful, and in these spaces nothing else mattered.
For me, boxing truly is “the sweet science”. It’s not about pummeling people and damaging brain cells; it’s the science of hitting without getting hit, the geometry of controlling the ring.
Good boxing clubs unite people from all walks of life with a common goal. At their best, boxing gyms are a safe, sociable and inclusive venue; a non-judgemental environment which is encouraging yet has strict rules.
OK, but what about getting hit in the face? What if someone hits me?
Well, you get to choose your adventure! You can elect to try non-contact boxing conditioning: nobody hits you, but you do however smack the snot out of focus mitts and bags — which is brilliant!
Like Rocky said, nobody and nothing is going to hit you harder than life. Compared to life, boxing is fun run in the park, followed by a visit to the local butcher shop!
Boxing is a sport that allows for whole health, as it allows you to wonderfully weave body, mind, and soul, and when those things are working together, you reclaim how powerful you are.
On a physical level, boxing provides clear evidence of the results of hard work. Week by week, students see changes in their body as they grow fitter; they get faster, more powerful, more accurate and technical.
They see how effort and hard work can directly improve their capabilities, themselves, and their lives. The commitment and courage it takes to throw yourself into new skills ultimately leads to new confidence and capability.
Mastering new skills creates success momentum, and optimism is at a high after a good boxing session!
In short, improved health, new skills, better conditioning, more confidence, and being your best self may be side effects of your boxing practice!
On a mental level, boxing training can also help improve attention, focus and concentration. When you’re boxing, you can’t think about work, your kids, death, or taxes — you just can’t. Your brain has more pressing things to worry about, like remembering combinations, keeping your hands up, and remembering to breathe.
You have to be present when you are boxing. You can’t be anywhere else.
There is no place other than the radius of your arm span, and no time other than right now. Boxing is a mental, physical, and emotional puzzle you are solving in each unfolding moment.
And it’s a damn good workout.
Beside the physical benefits, boxing helps with cognition and emotional regulation. Simply put, punching sh*t feels good!
Boxing takes you out of your comfort zone, enabling you to explore your full potential, allowing you to fail in a supportive environment without punishment (should you choose), and encouraging you to confront fear in a contained way and to overcome it.
You have to retrain every instinct you might have: the instinct to duck and cover, to avoid discomfort, to treat fear like the plague.
You won’t stop being afraid of things after you’ve trained in boxing, but fear won’t run your life anymore — there’s some fight in you now.
You’ll know you can feel uncomfortable and scared and survive. Fear might still kick your ass, but at least you’ll get a few good shots in as you go down.
Boxing is in fact a metaphor for success in life: to succeed in boxing you have to motivate yourself, exert control over your body and emotions, have discipline, delay gratification, and put in hard work in order to gain reward.
Here is how you can get started:
Boxing isn’t just about training your body; it impacts your mind, body and spirit. Try it! Bring your worst, most teeth-gnashing, stomach-clenching anxieties and life stresses. Spend an hour punching the crap out of things, and then see what happens. Something tells me you won’t regret it!
A message from GGS…
Understanding how to get more results in less time so you actually enjoy exercise and can have a life outside of the gym isn’t hard, you just have to understand the Blueprint and be willing to trust the process.
The good news? It’s simpler than you think!
The post The Transformative Power of Boxing for Women appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
Photo By Bev Childress
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
5 rounds of:
Walk starts at top of 5th rep. Drive both arms straight and above your eyeline, keep hips tucked and guts brutally tight. Weight is scaled to ability and should pose a significant challenge in each round.
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/
Amla, otherwise known as Indian gooseberry, is the edible fruit of a small tree that grows mainly in India and Myanmar. Amla oil, as you’ve probably guessed, is made from the fruits of the amla tree, but the exact mechanism behind the oil production is a little out of the ordinary. Amla oil is made […]
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