Healthy soil never really becomes “saturated” with carbon. For all intents and purposes, it’s an infinite sink—which is why regenerative animal-involved agriculture is so important.
Nuts have gotten a surprising amount of flack as of late. Many nuts have a fairly high PUFA content, and most of that PUFA is omega-6 linoleic acid, the same one we try to avoid by avoiding seed oils. Linoleic acid is easily oxidized, accumulates in our tissues and determines our inflammatory response, is highly unstable for cooking, usually rancid on the shelf, and, thanks to government farm subsidies and public hysteria over animal fat, it’s in absolutely everything nowadays. We Primal types generally avoid it for good reason, and that tends to influence how we perceive the O6 content of nuts.
Is there a place for nuts in the Primal Blueprint diet? Should we worry about nuts and omega-6 fats? Let’s take a closer look.
How Much Omega-6 Do Nuts Contain?
In a typical serving of each:
Walnuts – 9.5 g
Almonds – 4.36 g
Cashews – 2.6 g
Macadamias – 0.5 g
Brazil nuts – 7.2 g
Hazelnuts – 2.7 g
Pistachio – 4.1 g
Pine nuts – 11.6 g
Pecans – 5.8 g
A diet high in most nuts, then, would presumably skew the vaunted tissue omega-6 to omega-3 ratio toward pro-inflammatory bodily processes… right? I mean, if you were to eat food fried in high-O6 vegetable oil at some restaurant, that would be pro-inflammatory. If you were to eat cheap Chinese food stir-fried in cheap, high-O6 soybean oil every day for lunch, you’d expect a good amount of oxidized LDL at your next lipid test. And if you were to supplement your diet with a few daily tablespoons of unheated corn oil, there would be markedly negative effects (besides gagging and/or vomiting) on your body. How are nuts any different?
Nuts are Whole Foods
For one, nuts aren’t just “bags of linoleic acid.” A nut is a pretty complete nutritional source. After all, it’s the seed of a tree, a sort of arboreal egg. Contained within is everything that tree needs to start growing from scratch—fats, carbohydrates, even protein, plus natural antioxidants like Vitamin E and plenty of minerals.
Consider 160 calories worth of raw almonds, which has 3.5 grams of omega-6 linoleic acid. What else do you get along with those PUFAs?
76 mg of calcium
76 mg of magnesium
207 mg of potassium
0.3 mg of copper (a third of your RDI)
0.9 mg of zinc
25% of your daily riboflavin
45% of your daily vitamin E
Prebiotic fiber to feed your gut
Not bad, right? Nuts aren’t just defined by their omega-6 content.
Compare that to 160 calories worth of soybean oil, which has almost 10 grams of linoleic acid. What else do you get along with those PUFAs?
Nothing
Nothing
Still nothing
You don’t get any vitamins or minerals to contribute toward your micronutrient status. You don’t get any vitamin E to protect the fragile omega-6 fats from breaking down. You get absolutely nothing.
Even if the omega-6 fats in nuts are bad taken in isolation, the positives of the nut seem to outweigh them. Whole nut intake seems to reduce markers of systemic inflammation, and inflammation is linked with a wide range of ailments and afflictions (obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, excess cortisol, etc.).1 To isolate and praise or malign a single component of nuts is wrong without considering them as complex food matrices containing diverse nutrients and other chemical constituents. In other words, nuts are food, not single nutrients.
Pick a nut, any nut, and you’ll find research showing benefits from its consumption.
Nutritional Value of Nuts
If the high omega-6 content of nuts was such an issue, you’d probably see an indication in the literature. Instead, the vast majority of studies find only benefits to nut consumption.
Pistachios attenuate the glucose response to carb-rich meals.3
Pecans acutely increase antioxidant capacity and lower LDL oxidation.4
Hazelnuts reduce the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation.5
Brazil nuts improve selenium status, glutathione activity, and lower inflammation.6
When the Omega-6 in Nuts Can be Too Much
Problems arise with steady year-round access to foods whose historical availability was seasonal and intermittent. If you were a hunter-gatherer, you probably weren’t gathering bushels of nuts on a daily basis – at least, you weren’t finding enough nuts in the wild to eat eight ounces a day. Nuts are seasonal in the wild. Perhaps the best example of a traditional hunter-gatherer population eating significant amounts of nuts are the Hadza of Tanzania, who eat large amounts of mongongo nuts only when they’re in season. They can’t go down to the corner store for a sack of out-of-season nuts, and nor could any human for most of our history.
Model your nut consumption after biologically-appropriate, evolutionarily-congruent availability patterns and you will be fine.
Eating a handful of almonds and Brazil nuts won’t give you too many omega-6 fats.
Eating half a bag of almonds and Brazil nuts will.
It’s all about the quantity.
Nuts should never comprise the bulk of your diet, anyway. A quarter cup as a snack every now and then isn’t going to kill you. It’s not even going to compromise your progress. I mean, they’re nuts. They aren’t meals, and they’re not meant to be. They’re snacks, basic supplements to an already nutritious diet replete in animal fat, protein, and vegetables. And in a diet like the Primal Blueprint that provides plenty of omega-3s through seafood to balance out the omega-6, nuts definitely have a place.
Just make sure you treat your nuts as delicious treats, rather than staple cornerstones of a meal. Don’t burn your nuts, and don’t cook with the oil. The safest bet is to buy them raw and soak or roast them yourself. That way, you control the heat and you can mediate the oxidation.
Overanalyzing your food intake is a good way to stress yourself out and make every little dietary choice an internal struggle. Avoid falling into this trap. Be vigilant of your food choices, but pick your battles wisely. Making sure you ask the waiter to cook your omelet in butter rather than vegetable oil is worth the trouble; stressing over the Omega-6 content of the twenty walnuts in front of you is decidedly not.
Care to weigh in with your thoughts on nuts? I know a lot of forum members have reservations about them, so I’d love to hear in the comments section.
One of the core pillars of health is eating the best quality food possible. Realistically, though, few of us can fill our shopping carts with nothing but local, organic, pesticide-free, grass-fed, pasture-raised, wild-caught, non-GMO food. Top-tier options may not be available year-round where you live, and even if they are, they might not fit your budget.
Most people have to decide where it’s worthwhile to invest in organic and where it’s okay to choose less-than-perfect-but-still-perfectly-good conventional options. I’ve previously covered the top 10 foods you should strive to buy organic. Today, I’ll try to make things a little easier by providing a list of the foods which are fine in their conventional form.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t buy these items organic if you can access and afford them. Some would argue that even if the following conventional foods are relatively safe, you should still buy organic in order to support organic growers and protect the environment from exposure to agricultural chemicals. That’s totally valid and part of the reason why I try to buy organic, but it’s also a topic for another time. The goal today is to help you prioritize where to spend your hard-earned money while maximizing your and your family’s health.
So, what everyday Primal staples can you buy conventional?
Coconut and Coconut Products
Primal folks love our coconut. We sauté with coconut oil and slather it onto vegetables, sweet potatoes, hair, skin, and armpits. We make smoothies and curries with coconut milk and cream. We obsess over coconut butter, paying tribute to its glory with a greasy spoon. And when we’ve been running or training particularly hard, coconut water provides much-needed electrolytes.
Luckily for us, it doesn’t look like organic versus conventional coconut makes a big difference. Several studies have looked for pesticide residues in coconut products and come up virtually empty-handed. There’s this 2010 study, which was unable to detect any pesticide residues in crude coconut oil.1 Poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, which are generated during the coconut flesh quick drying process and are carcinogenic, were detected in crude coconut oil but were removed in the refining process. Virgin unrefined coconut oil may still contain these hydrocarbons unless it’s wet-milled and processed without quick-drying the flesh. However, that goes for both organic and conventional coconut oil.
Other studies have found low or undetectable levels of pesticides in coconut pulp,2 crude and refined coconut oil,3 and coconut water.45
Coconut milk is also going to be as free from pesticides as any other coconut product. Since it comes from fresh flesh, not the dried, heat-treated stuff, coconut milk should also be free of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons.
Onions Don’t Need to Be Organic
Onions don’t just make you cry for cutting them, they make pests weep at the thought of eating them. Onions are naturally resistant to pests, so there’s no need to douse them with tons of pesticides. Big Agra may cut corners and prioritize profit over quality or consumer health, but that just means they won’t fork out the money for chemicals if they don’t have to. They’re not comic book villains, dumping drums of noxious endocrine disruptors and carcinogens onto their crops to punish us.
Onions are consistently near the top of the EWG’s Clean 15 list.6 Most of the 333 chemicals the USDA tests as part of their Pesticide Data Program (PDP) are undetectable on onions year after year.7 The small minority that do show up on tests all come in well under EPA Tolerance Levels.
There is also very little, if any, advantage to organic onions from a health perspective. Unlike many other fruits and vegetables, conventionally grown onions have the same level of polyphenols as organically grown onions.8 So, feel free to go wild with conventional onions.
Avocados
Avocados are another safe food that ends up with some of the lowest pesticide residues around. Maybe it’s the scaly skin and the way they just kinda “lurk” there up in tree tricking pests into thinking they’re up against alligators. Maybe it’s the fact that a bug got burned one too many times with a beautiful-looking avocado that turned out to be stringy and brown on the inside. Maybe pests just hate waiting for an avocado to ripen (who doesn’t?) and give up.
Actually, even though growers sometimes apply a significant amount of chemicals on avocado orchards, they don’t make it into the fatty, delicious flesh we crave and consume. Much like our friend the coconut, the hard outer shell offers pretty good defense. However, avocado farmers, both organic and conventional, do use extensive amounts of copper as a fungicide.9 Copper is an essential nutrient, but too much can be harmful. A single Florida avocado contains 0.9 mg, which is about 100% of the RDI, so don’t go around eating several a day.
Can Honey Even Be Organic?
The idea of organic honey is fantastic. Who wouldn’t want to eat honey produced by bees who dined exclusively on organic, wild, untouched, pure flowers? I sure would.
But the reality is that bees will be bees. They’re going to buzz around freely, and they’re not going to distinguish between organic and conventionally-grown plants. I suppose you could surround your hives with only organic plant life, but considering bees have an average range of five kilometers (and twice that when food is scarce), you’d have to control a lot of land to do it. Plus, you know how bees have those cute furry bodies? Yeah, that fur picks up all sorts of stuff from the air. Not only do you have to worry about non-organic pollen, you also have to contend with every non-organic airborne particle in the area.
Buy local honey. Buy raw honey. Buy honey from someone who raised the bees and (at least kinda sorta) knows where they spend their time. But don’t shell out extra money for organic honey unless you happen to really like that particular honey. Those first two characteristics—”local” and “raw”—should come before organic.
Is Organic Asparagus Worth the Price?
I love asparagus, but even I balk at the astronomical price of organic asparagus. I once saw organic asparagus for sale at my local grocery store for $17.99 per pound!
Luckily, asparagus is one of the cleanest vegetables around. Checking in once again with the USDA (PDP) database, the vast majority of samples test free of residue.10 Organic might eliminate the small probability of pesticides showing up on your asparagus, but I don’t think it’s worth the price tag. Conventional should be just fine. If you’re really worried, domestic conventional (referring to the United States) is far better than imported conventional.
Sweet Potatoes
Low-carb is cool, but the athletes, lifters, highly active folks among us sometimes need a bit of dietary starch to fuel their efforts. Conventional sweet potatoes are a fine choice. Their leaves sometimes get eaten by bugs, but since that rarely affects the viability of the underground tubers that people actually eat, farmers generally don’t feel the need to protect the leaves with agrochemicals.
However, sweet potatoes do sometimes have a problem with fungal growth after harvesting. To deter this, processors sometimes dunk the tubers in a dicloran bath before packing and shipping. Dicloran (a fungicide not to be confused with the flame retardant known as dichloran) is the only chemical to show up consistently in conventional sweet potatoes. Though dicloran is sometimes listed as a possible carcinogen, the European Food Safety Authority has concluded that “Dicloran has no genotoxic or carcinogenic potential relevant to humans.”11 Still, if you’re concerned, peel your sweet potatoes.
I’ve mentioned this before in a previous post on farmed seafood, but farmed bivalves are essentially “wild.” They’re not kept in ponds, nor are they given pesticide-rich soy and corn topped off with unsustainable fishmeal. Instead, they hang out attached to their moorings in actual ocean water acting like the filter-feeders they are. For all intents and purposes, the farmed bivalves you eat are identical to wild ones. As such, there would be little point to eating “organic” shellfish.
In 2002, Greenpeace did an exhaustive survey of all the chemicals used in aquaculture to find out whether consumers eating the end product had anything to worry about.12 While they found extensive usage of parasiticides, anesthetics, spawning hormones, oxidants, disinfectants, and herbicides in fish and shrimp farming, there was only one instance of chemical usage in bivalve farming: Northwest U.S. oyster farming sometimes used carbaryl, an organophosphate that inhibits acetylcholine esterase and increases the levels of acetylcholine in the brain (which kills parasites but can actually enhance human brain function, provided you eat or make enough choline).
Long story short, tegular old farmed bivalves are perfectly fine—and I recommend you eat them regularly.
How to Choose Between Organic and Conventional Produce
These are my top suggestions for foods that are fine to buy conventional, but what about when you’re standing in the supermarket and have to make a decision on the fly? Here are some guidelines to follow:
Check out the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists, which they update annually (though they stay pretty consistent). Whenever possible, get organic for the Dirty Dozen. Otherwise, get what’s available.
Prioritize organic for leafy greens and produce with thin, edible skins. Anything you peel will take most of the residue into the compost pile with the food scraps.
When shopping at a local farmer’s market, ask the growers about their farming methods. Many small farms can’t afford the organic certification but nevertheless avoid inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. You can feel great about eating what they grow.
Finally, remember that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. If you can’t find what you want in the produce section, check the freezer.
That’s what I’ve got, folks. I hope some of you are pleasantly surprised and feel a little more empowered to make educated decisions on whether to buy organic or not. Remember: you have to eat something, and conventional fruits, vegetables, and animals are way better than not eating fruits, vegetables, and animals at all.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know if I missed any foods in the comment section!
Once fall hits, grocery stores and farmer’s markets turn into a harvest festival, and we’re always looking into new ways to use the gorgeous root vegetables and squashes that line the produce aisle. Here, we’re making a one-pot braised pork roast with butternut squash and root vegetables that takes comfort food to the next level. Enjoy a hearty meal that warms your bones, then wrap up in a blanket and enjoy an evening of autumn bliss.
4+ cups of your favorite root vegetables, cut into 1” cubes
Directions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rub your pork with a tablespoon of avocado oil. In a small bowl, combine the spicy mustard, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, sage, rosemary, thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
Rub the mustard mixture all over the pork.
Make slits all over the pork with a knife and place the whole garlic cloves in the slits.
Pour ½ tablespoon of avocado oil in a round dutch oven or braising pan and place the pork in the center.
If the pork has a side with more fat on it, place that side facing up. Cut the apple and onion in quarters and place it around the pork.
Place the pork in the oven uncovered at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Take the dutch oven out of the oven and flip the pork over.
Add the chicken broth and cover the dutch oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Allow the pork to cook for around 2 hours, depending on the size and shape of the cut of meat. Ideally, use a meat thermometer and cook until the pork is around 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the meat after an hour or so and remove any remaining apple and onion pieces that haven’t broken down. At this time you can add additional broth if you notice too much is evaporating.
Remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Toss your chopped vegetables in the remaining avocado oil and sprinkle them with salt. Arrange them around the pork in your dutch oven and toss them gently in any of the juices in the pot.
Cover the pot and place it back in the oven for ~40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the pork has an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees. If the vegetables are tender but the pork is still not tender, you can remove the vegetables and place the pork back in the oven.
Slice or shred your pork and serve with the vegetables and pan juices.
4+ cups of your favorite root vegetables, cut into 1” cubes
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub your pork with a tablespoon of avocado oil. In a small bowl, combine the spicy mustard, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, sage, rosemary, thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Rub the mustard mixture all over the pork.
Make slits all over the pork with a knife and place the whole garlic cloves in the slits. Pour ½ tablespoon of avocado oil in a round dutch oven or braising pan and place the pork in it. If the pork has a side with more fat on it, place that side facing up. Cut the apple and onion in quarters and place it around the pork.
Place the pork in the oven uncovered at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Take the dutch oven out of the oven and flip the pork over. Add the chicken broth and cover the dutch oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Allow the pork to cook for around 2 hours, depending on the size and shape of the cut of meat. Ideally, use a meat thermometer and cook until the pork is around 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the meat after an hour or so and remove any remaining apple and onion pieces that haven’t broken down. At this time you can add additional broth if you notice too much is evaporating.
Remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Toss your chopped vegetables in the remaining avocado oil and sprinkle them with salt. Arrange them around the pork in your dutch oven and toss them gently in any of the juices in the pot.
Cover the pot and place it back in the oven for ~40 minutes minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the pork has an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees. If the vegetables are tender but the pork is still not tender, you can remove the vegetables and place the pork back in the oven.
Slice or shred your pork and serve with the vegetables and pan juices.
Notes
Use your favorite root vegetables for this dish. We used turnips, butternut squash and a few baby potatoes, but other options like carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, radishes and sweet potatoes can also be used. Cut them in 1” cubes. If the vegetables are soft prior to the pork being tender, you can remove the vegetables and set them aside.
Braise time will depend on the size and thickness of your cut of pork. Using a meat thermometer with a probe is the best way to ensure that your pork is cooking to the proper temperature.
Nutrition
Serving Size:1/6 of recipe
Calories:455
Sugar:0
Fat:30 g
Carbohydrates:6 g
Protein:38 g
Net Carbs:5 g
Keywords: braised pork, how to braise pork, ways to use butternut squash, braised pork with root vegetables
The case for having your vaccine administered by registered nurses rather than volunteers in parking lots: In mouse models, IV injection of mRNA vaccine induces heart damage. This could explain a lot.
“Mark, I’ve been reading this site for 10 years now and do believe this is a treasure trove. However, the idea that any type of ‘mandate’ would ever be a good idea, let alone coincide with the general ideals of personal choice touted on this blog, is patently absurd. No matter if exercise is a good thing. Everyone has the right to self determination. If that means a ‘sedentary life style’ (due to any conceivable situation, such as working 3 jobs to pay the bills), then so be it. In a time when busy-bodies seek to micromanage those around them rather than remove the splinters from their own eyes, I’m dismayed to see that and ‘exercise mandate’ would even enter this blogs forum.”
-I agree with you on mandates. I was just curious to see what other people thought.
Let me start by saying that if you’ve mastered the art of not caring what people think, congratulations. It’s a skill most people work on their whole lives. And some don’t even realize they’re side-stepping their dreams or apologetically defending their primal lifestyle until someone points it out.
Caring what other people think of us is normal. It’s a natural human response, kind of like salivating when you see a thick ribeye sizzling on the grill. We all want to be accepted (and not rejected) by our peers and loved ones, so of course we care what they think of us.
However, there’s a big difference between caring and constantly worrying about being judged. When you worry that others are judging you for your actions and decisions, self-defeating thoughts begin to bubble up more and more. Thoughts like:
I shouldn’t have said that…
I hope they don’t mind…
I think they’re upset with me…
I hope it’s not a bother…
I’m not sure I should do this….
Sound familiar? Honestly, I deal with this kind of thing all the time with my health coaching clients. They fear their friends won’t want to hang out with them if they’re not throwing back nachos and beer every Friday. They wonder how their family will respond when they bring their own paleo side dish to holiday gatherings. And they worry what others will think of them if they decide a soul-sucking job isn’t enough for them anymore and decide to follow their passion for something more meaningful.
It’s Not Your Fault You Care So Much
In a study at Boston’s Babson College, 62% of students said their self-worth was strongly tied to what others thought.1 That means 62 out of 100 people cared more about what other people thought of them, than what they thought about themselves. Worrying about not being accepted isn’t just psychological (although research shows that rejection triggers the same neural pathways that are activated when you experience physical pain), it’s biological. It’s in your DNA.
The fear of rejection goes back to the hunter-gatherer days. If you were rejected from your tribe, you might not have the food, the warmth, or the protection needed to survive. Even though there aren’t the same dire consequences in the modern world, that worry can be extremely intrusive – especially if you’re currently stepping outside of your comfort zone or feel like you’ve done something to compromise your place in the world (i.e. losing a job, falling off the wagon, embarrassing yourself in public, or having a social mishap online).
Most of us are guilty of worrying how others will perceive our failures and shortcomings. However, studies show that we overestimate how much, and how badly people judge us in these situations.2 Researchers in this study divided participants into four groups and asked them to imagine being involved in one of four social blunders. The first group imagined experiencing an intellectual failure in public, the second and third groups were described by others in an embarrassing way, and the fourth group anticipated being judged more harshly than they actually were. Researchers found that when participants focused on their misfortunes and the feared consequences of their situations, they experience increased levels of social anxiety and became even more pessimistic regarding their expectations.
Basically, the more they thought about how bad it was, the worse they felt. But what’s really at the root of this experiment is the deeply uncomfortable feeling of shame.
What’s Shame Got to Do with It
Shame arises when you violate an expected standard or perceived moral code. It leads you to believe that you’re less worthy because you’ve made a mistake or done something you regret. And when it’s chronic, it can make you feel like you’re fundamentally flawed or “not enough.” All of which leaves you seeking external validation.
The problem is, no level of external validation can fill the void shame creates. Not only that, it puts you in a position to rely on other’s opinions of you, and keeps you doing whatever you can to keep positive reinforcement coming your way, avoiding conflict, negativity, and rejection at all costs.
5 Ways to Master the Art of Not Caring
If you feel like most of your actions and decisions are molded by how you think others will respond, it’s time to knock it off. This is my go-to plan for helping clients stop obsessing about what they assume people are thinking and start living life on their terms.
Spend Time Alone
In order to know what’s truly important to you, you have to get other people’s voices out of your head. Take time to reflect on your values, your goals, and what makes you happy. Write it down, journal it, start a meditation practice. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it.
Ask, “What’s The Worst That Could Happen?”
Armed with the knowledge that you can’t please everyone and that most people are busy worrying about themselves anyway, ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen next time you want to do, be, or say something that’s authentically you. Chances are no one’s going to call you out or think badly of you. And if they do, just know that it’s a reflection of them, not you.
Develop Internal Validation?
Allow yourself to feel what you feel, again, without judgement, or looking for someone to give you permission. Work on expressing yourself, having self-compassion, and treating yourself with kindness instead of criticism.
Know Other People Have Baggage Too
Even if you’re convinced others are thinking negative things about you, it’s likely due to their own issues. Often times, people project their own insecurities onto their friends, family members, or colleagues because they’re struggling to process their own baggage. Share some empathy for your fellow human.
Ready to Stop Worrying What People Think?
There’s a huge difference between caring about your actions and getting sidelined by how you perceive you’re being judged. Whether the feeling is keeping you from reaching your goals, following your dreams, or just being true to who you are, follow these five steps if you’re tired of making decisions based on your fear of what others are thinking:
Spend time alone
Ask, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Let go of perfectionism
Develop internal validation
Know other people have baggage too
How about you? Do you care what other people think?
We talk a lot around here about inflammation, and some of you have raised good questions (and answers) regarding what we’re really getting at. A continuing thanks for your comments and thoughtful responses.
So, what do we mean by inflammation when we harp on the evils of sugars, grains, trans fats and other nutritional fiends? Ah, the many sides of swelling: abscesses, bulges, distensions, engorgements, boils, blisters, bunions, oh my! Do swollen ankles and puffy black shiners really have anything to do with the inflammation of arterial walls? Can flossing possibly help prevent heart disease? Let’s explore.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s response to infection and injury. When your body triggers an inflammatory response, the immune system musters immune cells to the site of the injury or infection to isolate the area, remove harmful or damaged tissue, and begin the healing process.
Behind the scenes, your body deploys your immune system. For an injury, you can experience any combination of redness, pain, swelling or heat. For an infection, you may experience some of the same things, at a larger scale. Fever is an inflammation response. Stuffy nose is swelling.
Anyone who has ever, say, walked into a door knows that with injury comes inflammation (and a little humiliation). We might be horrified at the visual effects that ensue, but it’s just the body’s natural and essential response to defend itself from infection or trauma. In fact, the swelling initiates the healing process itself. Remember, the body doesn’t care what you look like as long as it can regain your good health.
Acute Inflammation vs. Chronic Inflammation
Acute Inflammation
Walking into that door is an example of “acute inflammation,” a localized response characterized by compression of the surrounding nerves (ouch!) and collection of fluid in the area that helps bolster an immune response. The microscopic trainers are busy shouting orders, notifying the brain of wounded status, calling in the clotting response and going to work to reset things and get you taped up. They take care of business, you avoid all human contact for two weeks out of embarrassment, and you come out basically no worse for the wear.
Acute inflammation circumstances tend to be pretty run of the mill: sprained ankles, cuts and scrapes, bumps on the head, etc. In certain cases, however, inflammation takes on much larger significance, such as in the case of the major trauma of a car accident, significant burns, major allergic reaction or a previously localized infection that spreads to other parts of the body. Major and/or multiple sites of trauma and infection initiate a larger, systemic response.
In cases of severe trauma, the body elicits a massive inflammatory response. The immune system kicks into high gear, and white blood cells, among others, migrate to the injured areas. Receptors that sense the sweeping call to inflammatory action get in on the action. The blood supply to major organs, such as the lungs, is compromised. If left unchecked, organs failure can ensue.
Chronic Inflammation
Ongoing health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and autoimmune disorders can instigate what’s known as chronic, low-grade inflammation. This kind of inflammation doesn’t result in the immediate, sweeping response of trauma, but it keeps the body in a constant state of repair response. Immune cells (macrophages, monocytes, and lymphocytes) take charge, and a recurring, destructive process of tissue destruction and repair effort develops and continues until the source of the chronic inflammation is removed.
And there are serious consequences to this unchecked, ongoing inflammation. Neutrophils, one of the cells involved in inflammatory response, attack what they perceive as outside damage or invaders with the massive production of free radicals. They and other cells will keep pumping and spreading these free radicals throughout the body as long as they sense the inflammation. As you know by now, free radicals also destroy healthy cell walls and DNA, so there is collateral damage, too. The body’s general immune response (the ability to deal with daily exposure to bacteria, virus and fungus) is compromised because the system is kept busy tending to the incessant, active inflammation. Long-term effects of chronic inflammation can influence the development of many other conditions from Chrohn’s disease to cancer. And, of course, countless studies have connected chronic inflammation with the development of atherosclerosis (and, increasingly, insulin resistance). Remember we spoke recently about the devastation caused when arterial walls are inflamed and the body responds with a “cholesterol band-aid“? Yep, chronic systemic inflammation is a big factor there, too. Even to the extent that chronically inflamed gums1 might be a tangential cause of heart disease – and if not a cause, at the very least an accompanying symptom of systemic inflammation.
Frightening scenario, eh? The good news is that a CRP or C-reactive protein test can offer you and your doctor a better sense of your inflammation picture. Another test called hs-CRP may offer a detailed picture of inflammation as it relates to heart disease risk. If you get these tests, be sure to do so when you don’t have a recent injury or illness, since CRP can linger from the acute response, too.
Inflammation FAQs
How can you reduce inflammation?
You can reduce inflammation by going for walks, spending time in nature, eliminating seed oils high in omega-6 fats, eating more seafood or taking fish oil, losing excess body fat, exercising regularly, getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and eating plenty of protein.
What foods cause inflammation?
Whether a food is inflammatory depends on many factors, such as a person’s genetics, health status, exercise and sleep habits, gut health, and underlying baseline nutrient status. Foods that cause inflammation in almost everyone are refined grains, refined sugar, and refined seed and vegetable oils.
Other people may have issues with specific foods or food categories, like nightshades. It’s highly individual, though.
What causes inflammation?
Any insult or injury. Every cut, every bug bite, every scrape and scratch, every broken bone or sprained ankle causes inflammation. Every time you eat food you’re intolerant of or allergic to causes inflammation. If you breathe in pollen and you have seasonal allergies, that causes inflammation.
How to reduce inflammation in the body fast?
To reduce inflammation quickly, high dose fish oil can help. Turmeric with black pepper can reduce inflammation quickly as well. Black seed oil is another good option for reducing body inflammation fast.
Do tomatoes cause inflammation?
Some individuals are intolerant of nightshades, which include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. Common symptoms of nightshade or tomato intolerance include joint pain, stomach upset, nighttime tremors, and other reactions typical of allergy.
We’ll say what we’ll always say. (Systemic) inflammation sucks. Get rid of simple carbs. Eliminate stress. Get some exercise (but not too much). Embrace a Primal anti-inflammatory diet. Check ’em out in the archives, and share your comments.
Fasten your seatbelt, because today we’re going to highlight a truly amazing nerd in the Rebellion.
Meet Megan, a member of Nerd Fitness Coaching who is currently celebrating losing over 200 pounds!
(That’s not a typo.)
Megan’s journey is so amazing that the Today Show recently spotlighted her!
My favorite part of Megan’s story?
She decided to stop letting the scale define her!
Megan actually went and smashed her scale in one of those rage rooms:
Epic.
Instead of stressing about the scale, Megan now focuses her goals on athletic performance, like doing chin-ups and running 5Ks.
How cool is that!?!
So without further ado, let’s dig into Megan’s jaw-dropping transformation.
The 6 Keys to Megan’s Success
#1) Megan Found Her “Big Why”
When you ask Megan why she began her most recent weight loss attempt, she responds quickly with “my children.”
“Being a parent at 350 pounds, there’s so much that I couldn’t do:
Climbing stairs.
Going for a walk.
Taking a trip to the amusement park.
I knew I wanted to make changes so I could be a part of their life. When I have days where motivation is tricky, I think of them.”
Takeaway: Here in the Rebellion, we often recommended the first step of any fitness journey be “determine your Big Why.”
We should ask ourselves, why am I doing this?
Knowing the answer will help when our journey gets difficult (and inevitable it will).
On these challenging days, we can remind ourselves:
I’m doing this to lower my blood pressure.
I’m doing this so I can hike with my friends.
I’m doing this so I can spend time with my children.
Once we have our Big Why, it’s important to write it down. Then we should try and place it somewhere we’ll see often, like a desk or bathroom mirror.
The “Why am I doing this?” reminder can be helpful for the journey ahead.
#2) Megan Started Making “Small Changes”
This wasn’t Megan’s first attempt to get in shape (“I had tried for YEARS!”).
So after many frustrating starts, she decided to switch things up.
“I had made the typical New Year’s resolution to lose weight, but this time I knew I had to approach it differently because nothing had worked in the past.
So I said, I don’t care how long it’s going to take, I’m going to go slow. I’ll make one small change at a time and not burn myself out.
When thinking about what to prioritize, I had read that losing weight is 80% about nutrition, so I made that 100% of my focus.
I didn’t try to add exercise right away. I knew that every time I tried to do too many changes at once, it was too much to sustain long-term.
But one small change (like switching from orange juice to water in the morning, or eating pasta as a meal to eating pasta as a side dish) led to others. Once I started to see results, I was addicted!
Adding small changes over time created a snowball effect. The steady momentum had been missing every other time I attempted to lose weight.”
Takeaway: We always advise Rebels who want to get in shape to start small.
Time and time again, we’ve found this is the pace that prevents burnout.
Plus, once we start to see these small changes produce results, we’ll want to make more!
This is how we gain momentum for the long haul.
#3) Megan Asked for Help
Megan started her weight loss journey all by herself (which is crazy impressive). But after a while, she knew she needed help to keep progressing.
“All the changes I had made over time had led to some very restrictive ways of eating. Eventually, I realized I had eliminated whole food groups from my diet (I was even nervous about eating bananas).
I had been dieting for what felt like forever (15 months), and I was burnt out. I was unsure what to do next to transition from a weight loss journey to a maintenance journey.
This coupled with everything I read about losing weight very quickly, and the statistics around re-gain, made me realize that it was time to get help. Over a year of dieting left me smaller yes, but also weaker and feeling trapped in a way of eating that no longer felt sustainable to my current life.
That’s when I decided to hire a coach.”
Takeaway: It’s truly insane that Megan was able to lose over 100 pounds, only using information she found on the internet.
But it’s also amazing that Megan understood that she had exhausted her solo journey – that it was time to ask for help.
This is okay!
Our fitness journeys will change.
Sometimes, it takes an expert to explain what we should do next. Occasionally, only an outside pair of eyes can see the path forward.
#4) Megan Decided to Get Strong
“My coach helped me switch away from a scale-focused mentality. Instead of thinking of body size, I started to think about what my body can do.
My coach asked, what do I want to accomplish?
So we started planning goals around:
Running a 5K (which I did with the Rebellion with the Nerd Fitness 5K!)
Completing my first Chin-up (which I also did as part of a NF Group Challenge!)
Deadlifting my entire weight
All of these things I never dreamed of when I was 350lbs…I just wanted to walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath.”
Takeaway: I’m so happy that Megan transitioned from “wanting to be small to wanting to be strong.”
This really is the secret to long-term weight loss success. Every single client we’ve had who successfully lost significant weight (and kept it off) started some type of strength training.
Yep, resistance training can actually help us stay lean!
How should we go about it?
Any way we can!
Sure, we could go to the gym and start playing with barbells.
Just remember, when in doubt, attempt to grow strong.
#5) Megan Kept Moving (Even After Her Surgery)
After losing so much weight, Megan decided to remove some excess skin with surgery.
The problem: this would mean Megan would have to stop her weight training while she recovered.
However, her doctor said she could walk instead, explaining she could stroll “as far as you can.”
“Challenge accepted,” Megan told herself.
“My friend Karen comes over and we go for walks together. It’s such a release being out in nature, plus I’m still challenging myself with nearby hills. We hold each other accountable, even on days that neither of us feels so great.
Over time, I’ve gone up to 10, 15 miles a day.”
Takeaway: Things will happen and our training will have to adapt:
Maybe we’ll have to deal with an injury and pause heavy lifting.
Maybe our gym will shut down.
Or maybe we’ll have to deal with surgeries.
When these cases arise, we should still attempt to move, whatever way our body allows.
That’s how we continue to maintain momentum.
#6) Megan Joined a Community
“When I joined NF Coaching, I knew I was getting a coach. But I didn’t know I was getting a community.”
The energy around the Group Challenges is simply contagious and it’s gotten me out of my comfort zone to try things that I may not otherwise have attempted.
The support of the community, knowing there’s an amazing group of people going through similar things as I am, has really helped on the days I’m struggling.
Takeaway: Well that just warms my heart.
Small Changes Can Lead to Incredible Feats
I asked Megan what advice she would give to somebody who had a lot of weight to lose.
She replied:
Wise and beautiful words.
I’m so proud of everything Megan has accomplished and honored that she trusted Nerd Fitness Coaching to propel her journey.
As she explained to me, “I can say with absolute certainty that I wouldn’t be in the place I am without the coaching program. I have learned so much about what my body is capable of and how to continue to challenge it through this process.”
If you think you’re in a place where NF Coaching can help you too, we’d be thrilled to talk together.
You can schedule a call to see if we’re right for each other right here:
Not interested?
No problem.
If you decide not to try coaching, I’ll still be here offering free guides and corny jokes to help you level up your life.
Remember, Megan lost over 100 pounds all from material she pulled online!
While a coach can be super helpful when you have a lot of weight to lose, don’t let the absence of one prevent you from taking your first step.
You just have to start small, like Megan did.
-Steve
PS: Megan’s “Big Why” started with her children and they’ve leveled up right alongside her!
Megan told me:
“For me, the biggest change has been a mental one.
Transitioning from wanting to be small to wanting to be strong. And it has been such a joy to see my children pick up these habits and want to be strong with me.
Sometimes when we’re on a walk together and I’m feeling tired, my 8-year-old daughter will say ‘you can do this mom, we are strong women’ and I just smile because yes, yes we are.”
OMG, that’s cool AF!
What an amazing family:
PPS: If you want to follow along with Megan’s adventures, make sure you check out her Instagram!
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
When I got an opportunity to review the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle, of course, I said yes. I had been shopping recently for an at-home option for cycling during the rainy winter months in Oregon, so trying out this cycle was an exciting prospect. Indoor exercise equipment has come a long way from when I was in my early 20’s and there are many affordable options for those who want to skip the gym occasionally or try a training program on their own.
When I got an opportunity to review the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle, of course, I said yes. I had been shopping recently for an at-home option for cycling during the rainy winter months in Oregon, so trying out this cycle was an exciting prospect. Indoor exercise equipment has come a long way from when I was in my early 20’s and there are many affordable options for those who want to skip the gym occasionally or try a training program on their own.
NordicTrack as a brand has been in the business for a very long time. In fact, my 12-year-old treadmill is a NordicTrack (and it still works perfectly). NordicTrack has a history of creating long-lasting and quality products for gyms and for home use. From those I’ve talked to, NordicTrack is a household name and is commonly recognized from the average Joes to fitness enthusiasts. Most agree, there is a place for stationary equipment in the home.
About the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle
The S22i is a fully adjustable stationary bicycle. It has a 22” adjustable touchscreen that includes two digitally amplified speakers and an auxiliary port. There is also an HDMI option to use with a TV, but you may not need to because the monitor can tilt and also rotate 360 degrees.
The bike uses wifi to connect to NordicTrack’s iFit programming, where all the workouts are housed. You can track your stats, adjust the volume, and much more via the touchscreen. The monitor also includes an AutoBreeze adjustable fan, so when you are riding the hot mountains of Chile, you can feel the wind on your face.
The flywheel is inertia enhanced and offers SMR (Silent Magnetic Resistance) technology, so the spinning is very quiet. There are leveling feet installed on the base, so the bike remains stable during the workout. The frame is commercial-grade steel construction and is rated for riders up to 350lbs.
Every part of the bike is adjustable, from the saddle position to the handlebars, and it is easy to customize the ergonomics to fit a range of body types. The bike comes with regular bike pedals and straps, but can be changed to pedals of your choice.
The multi-position handlebars of the S22i start near the seat of the bike for closer hand positioning and go up to near the screen where adjustable OneTouch controls sit on the handlebars for manual resistance (24 levels) and incline adjustments from -10% to 20%. The handlebars have a non-slip grip, as well.
The saddle is adjustable vertically and horizontally to fit a range of inseams and comfort levels.
The studio cycle comes with a 1-year iFit membership, which gives you access to hundreds of rides of all types—studio, beginner, mountain bike, road bike—and includes off-the-bike training options. In addition, the S22i comes with two 3lb dumbbells that are used in some of the workouts that are guaranteed to make you thirsty, so it’s a good thing there are two places for water bottles.
The workouts include boot camp style workouts, high-energy studio sessions, trainer-led global workouts, incline cycling, yoga, and full-body options, among many others. There is just about every type of ride and difficulty level available along with varying options for length of rides, some as short as 20 minutes, others longer.
The frame of the S22i is 56.9” high, 55” long, and 21.9” wide, so it is small enough for apartment living or storage when necessary. The bike only requires a regular wall plug-in for power and can be easily moved when needed via small wheels attached to the frame. There is a 3-year parts warranty and a 1-year labor warranty included should anything come up.
NordicTrack iFit Programming
Once connected with wifi, and you are logged into your account, the user has a vast amount of programs to choose from. New workouts are uploaded daily and there are a wide variety of trainers to choose from depending on your mood, or your goals.
The programs all offer interactive training, so as the program moves along, the trainer adjusts the incline and resistance for the workouts. You can override this feature at any time during the workout, but you will most likely hit the calorie and watt goals if you are able to keep up with the cadence and allow the bike to adjust for you.
iFit programming uses Google Maps, so you are able to see parts of the world you might not normally during your training rides otherwise. With your login, your stats are tracked and will show weekly totals along with ride totals. The program is multi-user friendly, so four profiles per membership can be created so the whole family can track their statistics.
Pricing and Delivery
The S22i is $2999 (currently there a discount of $1000 applied to the cart) and includes a 1-year membership to iFit. There are financing options available, as well.
There is an option for White Glove Delivery and Installation for $249—this includes delivery, assembly, and installation. If you opt not to go with the delivery service, shipping is free and there is a 30-day return policy across the board.
So, What Did I Think?
This is one great looking bike. The quality of the frame and components are all very good. The engineering behind the design is well-researched and planned. Everything you need is within easy reach when you are spinning, so if you need to grab your weights, get a drink of water or adjust the resistance, it’s all quickly available.
I think the workouts available on iFit are truly fabulous—there really is something for everyone at every level. There is a wide variety of coaches, and some are former Olympic athletes. When you are riding, the experience is that you feel like you are there with them. All of the coaches are encouraging for the duration of each workout and all are excellent at communicating cadence and positioning during the ride so that you can get the most out of the workout.
The seat took a few sessions to get used to, as I expected. It can be easily switched with another seat type if it is not to your preference. By the third ride, I didn’t even notice the seat. My first few rides were with the pedals and straps included with the bike.
They are quality components, but for my preference, I switched those out for clip-in pedals and even though I got a lot out of the workouts, to begin with, the clip-ins made a big difference in my ability to keep up with the cadence needed on some of the workouts. If you decide to purchase an S22i, I highly recommend installing clip-in pedals—the swap was fast, just a few minutes.
The bike is stable while you are riding and does not feel flimsy or light if you stand up and sit down quickly. The handlebars provide a comfortable hold and grip whether you are standing or sitting. At first, I couldn’t get the handlebars to move up and down but realized that because the monitor is part of the handlebar assembly, it took more force to adjust. It is easy, but some pressure does have to be applied. The seat adjustment is much easier because there is no weight on the piece that slides into the frame.
The fan works well and the screen is very responsive to touch during the rides. The background music can be adjusted separately from the voice of the trainer, so you can get as little or as much of each of those as you would like during your workout.
The top of the screen tracks your stats during your ride, so you know where are you are at during the ride, and at the end of the ride your totals are calculated and displayed. There is a separate warm-up and cool-down before and after each workout at a few minutes each. Some of the workouts provide warm-up and cool-down instruction within them as well.
One thing that I did notice is that the first time the incline adjusted, the sound of it surprised me. It isn’t silent like the spinning is. It works very well and is part of the workout so after the first couple of times hearing it, I got used to the sound. Besides, I should be pedaling hard enough I can only hear the trainer’s instruction, right?
The bike can also be used manually, so if you opt not to do a workout, you can still use it as a regular stationary bike. One cool thing is that with the HDMI cable, you can play the ride on your TV. I have a separate good ol’ spin bike and my daughter sometimes hops on that and rides along beside me, and that makes it even more fun.
The Bottom Line
My opinion is that this bike is well worth the money. Along with the 30-day return policy, if you don’t like it, you really can’t go wrong. It is great fun and something that I look forward to using each time. This is an excellent purchase and I don’t see a downside to this bike. Everything works as it should and as advertised.
Two very enthusiastic thumbs-up from me.
We do not get paid to provide reviews. We may receive affiliate payments for links to Amazon for purchases. They’re not worth the price of selling your soul so, our integrity remains unsullied.
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
“If you had to choose one supplement to take for performance, what it would be?” I’m often asked this question. Amid the myriad of information and bro-science out there it is hard to grasp which supplements can offer you the most bang for your buck.
CrossFit, the Sport of Fitness, is ever evolving. Competitors are getting fitter, faster, and stronger, and the standards of competition are improving all the time. Because of this, we need a better understanding of how to maximize training potential. As training volume and intensity increase, so does our need to improve our nutrition to fuel and recover from workouts more effectively. This is where supplements play a vital role.
Nutrition for Optimal Performance
There are no truly essential supplements. They are called “supplements” for a reason – in general, they are meant as an addition your diet. They are not meant to replace meals or nutrients that you can get from whole foods or healthy sources.
I find it hard to pinpoint one supplement I would recommend for performance, so instead I think in terms of nutrition for optimal performance. For this, you have three key areas – pre-workout, post-workout, and intra-workout.
“[I]f you take your CrossFit performance seriously, I would strongly consider adding these three key supplements into your nutrition plan.“
Supplementing correctly at these times can have positive effects on performance including:
Increasing work capacity
Reducing recovery between rounds, intervals, or sets
Improving tolerance to volume of training
Improving recovery between sessions
I’ve put together a list of the three main supplements to take at these key times, and ranked them in terms of:
How well they work (from both personal experience and performance in studies)
How well researched they are
How cost effective they are.
As it turns out, choosing supplements really is as simple as ABC.
A – Amino Acids
This could just as easily have been “P” for protein, but then it wouldn’t have been as catchy as ABC. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and protein intake plays a huge role in both body composition and recovery from exercise.
Supplementing with protein or branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) can help prevent muscle breakdown during exercise and has been shown to improve recovery, decrease muscle soreness, and improve body composition.1,2
The most commonly supplemented amino acid is leucine (a branched chain amino acid that is prominent in whey protein powders). Leucine plays a significant role in building muscle tissue. It can be found in many food sources, but is generally found in higher concentrations in whey and dairy products, making these ideal to improve muscle growth and repair.
From a performance point of view, supplementing with whey protein or amino acids has been shown to:3,4,5
Improve muscular recovery from exercise
Improve muscle retention during weight loss
Improve muscle gains when combined with resistance exercise
Reduce muscle soreness and improved recovery
There have also been studies linked with the use of BCAAs pre-workout to improve workout intensity and lower levels of fatigue induced by exercise.2,6
“Amid the myriad marketing information and bro-science out there it is hard to grasp which supplements can offer you the most bang for your buck.“
Whey protein is often advised to be taken directly after training to improve recovery from sessions. However, whey protein could be equally advisable pre-training. As it is fast digesting, it allows amino acids to be broken down and released into the blood stream quickly, making the amino acids available for the muscles to use when needed during the session.
BCAA supplementation is equally as versatile, as BCAAs can be beneficial when used pre-training, intra-training, or post-training depending on your goals. BCAA supplementation can prevent muscle breakdown if taken intra-workout and can also prevent catabolism if taken post workout. This can be especially useful if you are on a calorie deficit to lose weight, but do not want to lose muscle mass.
B – Beta-Alanine
Beta-alanine is referred to as a lactic acid buffer and can prevent the build-up of metabolic by-products that occur at high exercise intensities. Supplementing with beta-alanine can also aid the removal of these by-products from our muscles and the bloodstream when the by-products reach thresholds that start to limit performance.
Beta-alanine works by increasing intramuscular levels of carnosine. Carnosine is released into the bloodstream when our blood levels become more acidic and helps to prevent a build-up of the hydrogen ions (which cause the acidity in the blood) that cause our muscles to burn. So higher levels of carnosine in the blood will prevent, or at least delay the onset of, that burning sensation and allow us to work harder for longer. Beta-alanine has proven to be particularly effective in improving performance and power output in bouts of exercise that last between one and four minutes.7,8
Beta-alanine is often prescribed as a pre-workout supplement. But the supplementation of beta-alanine is not time dependant, so it could be taken in dosages throughout the day. The main reason it is taken pre-workout is so it can coincide with creatine supplementation (see below) for added synergistic effects on training performance.
In terms of dosage, beta-alanine is most effective in the 2-5g per day range. Larger doses can cause tingling sensations (a harmless side effect). This can be avoided by breaking up the dosage into smaller servings.
C – Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is one of the most widely researched sports supplements and has a reputation for improving performance in high intensity exercise (especially interval training).9,10 Creatine can improve performance in any event that requires explosive bursts of power. These short bursts of energy are fueled by our creatine phosphate system, and this energy system is only effective for six to ten seconds of high intensity activity before our creatine stores are depleted. During our recovery periods our creatine stores are replenished.
Supplementing with creatine can help with this process twofold. It can top up our creatine stores, meaning it will take longer for our creatine levels to deplete in the first place, as well as replace the creatine used during the activity more quickly.
“There are no truly essential supplements. They are called ‘supplements’ for a reason – in general, they are meant as an addition your diet.“
From a performance standpoint, supplementing with creatine monohydrate translates to:11
Improved strength and power
Improved recovery between rounds and sessions
Faster sprint times
Improved hydration levels
Decreased fatigue in training
Most creatine supplementation protocols promote a loading phase that is used for quicker saturation of the cells. After this saturation period, it is common for a dosage of 5g per day to be employed. This saturation can be achieved more simply by taking a dose of between 2-5g both pre- and post-training consistently. Using this latter strategy allows for the synergistic benefits of supplementing alongside beta-alanine (pre) and whey protein (post) to improve performance and recovery further.
Benefits for Any CrossFitter
This is by no means is not a comprehensive list or what I would recommend to everyone. However, if you take your CrossFit performance seriously, I would strongly consider adding these three key supplements into your nutrition plan.
5. Andersen LL, Tufekovic G, Zebis MK, Crameri RM, Verlaan G, Kjaer M, Suetta C, Magnusson P, Aagaard P. – The effect of resistance training combined with timed ingestion of protein on muscle fiber size and muscle strength. Metabolism. 2005 Feb;54(2):151-6.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
Research of the Week
Nuts have gotten a surprising amount of flack as of late. Many nuts have a fairly high 
One of the core pillars of health is eating the best quality food possible. Realistically, though, few of us can fill our shopping carts with nothing but local, organic, pesticide-free, grass-fed, pasture-raised, wild-caught, non-GMO food. Top-tier options may not be available year-round where you live, and even if they are, they might not fit your budget.
Add the chicken broth and cover the dutch oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Allow the pork to cook for around 2 hours, depending on the size and shape of the cut of meat. Ideally, use a meat thermometer and cook until the pork is around 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the meat after an hour or so and remove any remaining apple and onion pieces that haven’t broken down. At this time you can add additional broth if you notice too much is evaporating.
Prep Time:
Let me start by saying that if you’ve mastered the art of not caring what people think, congratulations. It’s a skill most people work on their whole lives. And some don’t even realize they’re side-stepping their dreams or apologetically 
We talk a lot around here about inflammation, and some of you have raised good questions (and answers) regarding what we’re really getting at. A continuing thanks for your comments and thoughtful responses.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
Book your class NOW!
click this ==>
