Nutrition Blog

Our 30-day Paleo challenge starts in just 3 days!  As of yesterday, there are a total of 29 participants signed up-the most participants in a CFO challenge yet!  As the 1st fast approaches start thinking about how you'll be replacing your favorite non-paleo foods like your morning toast and yogurt parfiet. One of my favorite substitutes for tortillas are nori sheets.  You can use a nori sheet (you can buy nori sheets at Berkeley Bowl or Whole Foods) in place of a tortilla for a fast and easy breakfast burrito or a snack roll, check out this recipe from The Veggie Woman's Guide to Health:

Nori Snack Roll

Ingredients
1 Nori sheet (the kind used for sushi rolls)
1-2 Tbsp nut butter (almond, cashew, or tahini; my favorite is cashew butter)
1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3-1/4 carrot cut thinly lengthwise

Directions

1. Place the nori sheet on a cutting board and spread a thin layer of nut butter on the sheet but not all the way to the edges.
2. Sprinkle the shredded coconut across the nut butter and pat gently.
3. Layer the carrots on top of the coconut-butter layer across a 1/3 of the nori sheet. 
4. Carefully roll the nori sheet over the stuffing. Seal the roll by wetting the edge of the sheet with a little water and pressing it to itself as you roll.
5. With a serrated knife, cut the roll into bite-sized sections.

P.S. If you' don't yet have a partner for the challenge please check out the CFO forum here:  http://crossfitoakland.com/forums/member-forum/2010/08/paleo-challenge-partner-match-ups (must be a CFO member to view)

Thanks to everyone who came out to the kick-off party and Q & A tonight.  It was a great turnout and I'm really looking forward to the challenge.  We'll be keeping track of everyone's progress, as well as sharing recipes and any other pertinent information here on the blog, particularly on our members-only message board.

And let me know if you're not yet teamed up with a partner.  We can take care of that.  And don't forget to take your four "before" pictures!

Salmon Pate
1 can of salmon
2 garlic cloves
juice from 1 lemon 
1/3 of an onion
1/4 cup parsley
1 tbs sesame tahini
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Directions: Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. You can use it as a dip or spread it on lettuce leaves, red pepper slices or celery. It's also great on on top of a salad. This is an easy 5 min meal that actually tastes really good.

Please share your favorite Paleo recipe in comments (especially Melissa, with her delicious chia pudding!).

While I'm not a huge advocate of restrictive cookie cutter diets (no, 40:30:30 does not work for everyone), I think we can all benefit from tightening up our diet; for me, this is essentially what eating like a caveman is all about.  I like to think of it as a way of simplifying your diet and getting rid of the junk that might be gumming up the works.  It's sort of like throwing out those old clothes that you haven't worn in over a year.  It might be difficult at first, but you're better for it in the end. 

If you read last week's post you can see that that not everyone has had success on this diet and that's okay; it's just proof that all of this stuff is so highly individual.  Some of us can tolerate some types of foods more than others.  For example, I tend to feel good on a little grass-fed, raw butter but if it doesn't meet that criteria I get an immediate reaction. We all need to listen to and learn about our own unique nutrient needs and choose our foods based on this more solid information rather than what the "experts" are saying.  You can use this Paleo Challenge as a starting point and fine-tune your diet from there. 

With that said, let's lay down some ground rules:

Rule #1: Keep it simple

For the next 30 days you are free to consume all of the following foods:

• animal protein (“Eat meat that once had a face and a soul” -– Robb Wolf)
• eggs
• veggies (try to get the bulk from non-starchy vegetables)
• fruit
• nuts (except peanuts)
• seeds
• spices & salt
• olive oil and coconut oil for cooking

Rule #2: No naked carbs

To prevent your blood sugar from spiking, keep your meals balanced and don't eat fruit away from protein. 

Rule #3: You will team up with an accountability partner.

Everyday for the next 30 days you will keep a record of all your meals and snacks (don't worry about writing down portions).  At the end of every week you and your partner will check in with each other (i.e., share, laugh and vent). Communication can be via phone, email, text, or in person.

 Rule #4: No more than 3 alcoholic drinks per week.

All participants will be limited to 3 of the following alcoholic beverages per week (not all at the same time):

1) Red or white wine (4oz serving)
2) "Nor Cal Margarita": 1-2 shots of tequila, squeeze of lime, salt on the glass, soda water.

Rule #5: There are NO cheat days. Duh.

The purpose of this challenge is to give your body and your gut some time to heal by removing potential irritants such as gluten and dairy from your diet.  Just one "cheat meal" can cause a flare-up that can set you back a week or more.  If you DO cheat or "accidentally" eat a pizza, please fess up to your accountability partner or one of the trainers.  Your money will be forfeited but you can still get back in the saddle and finish off the 30 days of the challenge if you'd like.

Rule #6: You must take before and after pictures.

These pictures are for your personal records and will only be shared with the judge if you are interested in winning the prize money. 

We will need a total of 4 shots: a front view, a right side view and a left side view, and a back view. Take the picture in front of a white wall, wearing only shorts if you are a male, or shorts and a sports bra if you're female. The photographer should stand close enough to fill the frame with you.

The first set of photos must be taken by the first day of the challenge, preferably a few days before. A second set of photos must be taken at the completion of the challenge.

Rule #7: If you have you have a serious medical condition, please contact us before you sign up so we can see if the Paleo Challenge is right for you.

Cost & Signing Up: 

The cost for the Paleo Challenge is $10.  The prize money will be awarded to the best female and male "after" photo.  If you are interested in signing up for the Paleo Challenge, stop by the kick-off potluck or contact me directly.

Kick off party and other stuff: 

We're gonna kick off this Paleo Challenge off right with a Paleo-friendly potluck dinner and Q & A on Sunday August 22nd at 5pm at CFO.  We want to make   this experience fun for everyone so come by even if it's just to lend support to your fellow participants.  This will be a good time to ask questions and find your partner for the challenge. We will also have a camera handy for anyone who wants to take thier "before" photos at this time.

So, whether you want to look better naked or make some easy money, this 30-day challenge is a great opportunity to see how you do on a very basic diet of meat, veggies, nuts and seeds, and fruit.  At the end of the 30 days you'll gain a lot of insight into which foods really deserve a place at the table and which ones should get the boot.  For me, the most important take-away from this challenge will be to learn how to connect what you eat with how you feel and perform both in and outside the gym. 

30 Day Paleo Challenge begins September 1st!

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending Robb Wolf's nutrition seminar at our very own CFO.  The first time I attended the seminar was back in 2008 when Robb invited us to the very first dry run.  I was really impressed at how much it has grown and improved in just 2 years.  Robb is a great speaker and does an excellent job of keeping all the science-y stuff really simple--using Legos and all kinds of ridiculous analogies about hippies and sunburns (don't ask) to make sure that everyone understands the basic concepts.  And although Robb spends a good deal of time discussing poop and cardiovascular biomarkers, he's able to keep it lighthearted and interesting. 

I would love to hear from those of you who attended the seminar on what your take-aways were and what, if any, changes you plan to make as a result of yesterday's lecture.  And for those of you who have never heard of the Paleo diet or Robb Wolf, check out his website, which has tons of info, links, and an extensive FAQ section.  The basic premise of the Paleo diet is that the human body is wired to eat meat, fat, veggies, and a little fruit and when we deviate from that too often, we disrupt the natural hormone balance, irritate the digestive tract and cause systemic inflammation leading to a cascade of harmful health effects.  As a result, Paleo-dieter avoids foods like bread and pasta that were unavailable before the invention of agriculture.  Robb shared some remarkable stories of people whose lives have greatly (and dramatically) benefited from this way of eating.  They've seen remarkable transformations in their health and body composition.

Are you ready to take the 30-day Paleo challenge? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, affects 1 in every 3 people in the United States. 90% of hypertension is termed "essential", an odd word for "we really don't know why you have it, but you do." It is commonly referred to as "The Silent Killer" because often there are no signs and symptoms so most people aren't even aware that they have it.  Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers—the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats).  High blood pressure is a result of excessive force of blood from the heart against the walls of the blood vessels.  A person typically becomes diagnosed with hypertension if they have a persistent blood pressure of 140/90 or greater. If left untreated, high blood pressure can damage arteries leading to atherosclerosis (plaque build-up) and can overwork the heart, causing it to enlarge and become weak.  Over time hypertension can result in cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, stroke and even heart failure.

I'm happy to announce that there are 2 brand new farmers markets that just sprouted up near CFO!  Both of these markets are tiny but offer a lot in the way of organic, local, and affordable produce and are conveniently located right in your gym's backyard.  In case you haven't noticed the florescent pink fliers in the waiting room, one is a Thursday market from 12 noon - 7 pm on Haven St adjacent to Emeryville City Hall.  You can check out the vendors by logging onto their webpage. The other is called Phat Beet Farmers Market.  It's a Saturday market located at 5715 Market St (where Market meets Adeline st) and it runs from 9am-2pm. Learn more about Phat Beets market at their website. Next time you drop in for a class, think about stopping by one of these nearby markets and support your local farmers! 

I also want to share with you a FREE produce giveaway that happens every Monday in West Berkeley.  As many of you already know, I work as a health educator at a local community health clinic that serves a predominantly uninsured, low-income, underserved population in West Berkeley.  Just a few weeks into my job I realized that if I was ever going to get anyone to eat better, I had to find a way to make fresh food accessible to them.  For free!  With the help of some amazing volunteers, last summer we kicked off a free produce giveaway at the clinic.  Every Sunday, we go to the Temescal Farmer's Market and pick up donations from the vendors.  Happy Boy and Pinnacle Farms are some of our biggest donors.  Then on Mondays, from 9-11am we give it away to our patients and anyone else who happens to be in the neighborhood.  The patients love it and the community does, too!  The clinic is located at 2031 6th Street in Berkeley.  Please pass this information along to any friends/families in need.

If you'd like to get involved with the produce giveaway either by volunteering your time or donating from your own home garden, talk to me at the gym or send me an email.  

Go to Local Harvest.org to enter your zip code and find a market near you.

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C and protect against Rheumatoid arthritis

From Mike Adams, the founder of NaturalNews.com:

Ever wonder which foods, herbs or nutrients would be most helpful for your particular health challenges? Now you can find the answers, instantly!

Over the last several months, we've been quietly working on a "secret" project to build the internet's most useful database of healing foods, herbs and nutrients. This project is now open to the public, and you can start using it right now.

Healing foods reference
http://www.HealingFoodReference.com
 
You'll find the herbs at:
http://www.HerbReference.com

And the nutrients at:
http://www.NutrientReference.com

Each of these sites allows you to explore natural medicines that are known to be helpful for various diseases and health conditions. You'll learn, for example, that green tea helps prevent breast cancer, or that Vitamin D is important for reversing osteoporosis. Over a hundred health conditions are covered in detail, plus hundreds more entries on individual foods, herbs and nutrients.

Currently, the research presented on these sites is based on 14 books and natural medicine encyclopedias. We're working on expanding that to 25 books to cover even more diseases and natural medicines, so be sure to check back from time to time and watch our online reference sites grow! In particular, we'll be expanding the herbal site to include rainforest herbs, Chinese medicine herbs and more Western herbs as well.

Created by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as a free public service to promote health freedom and empower consumers with information about the healing power of foods. See NaturalNews.com and TruthPublishing.com to learn more.

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FISH OIL UPDATE
You can now pick up your bottle of Cinnamon Tingle, Oslo Orange or Flava Free from the CFO fridge!  Please write a check out to CFO or just fork over $35 if you haven't paid yet.  Remember, EFAs are very sensitive to heat and light so refrigerate your oil asap!

Thanks for participating in CFO's first ever fish oil share!

Just to put things in perspective for you.

We're in the home stretch of our sugar challenge--only 3 days left!  Major props for those of you who made it to the very end!  Between the graduations, weddings, and summer bbqs, this challenge has truly been a test of mental fortitude. You can all thank Dawn for the timing of this one!  As our sugar-free month comes to a close, I'd like to open up some discussion about how this went for you. 

For those who stuck it out:  Did you find it easier to stay on track knowing that others were suffering with you?  Or that your money was on the line?  How did you feel about the length of the challenge? Is 30 days too long or just right? Anyone going to keep going or are you counting down the minutes?

For everyone else: What made you give in to the sweets?  If you were to do the challenge again, what might you do differently, if at all?

Any suggestions for future food-related challenges?  A few of you have offered up the following:

• Low sodium challenge
• No wine, beer, or alcohol challenge
• Strict paleo eating challenge

Let the festivities begin!  How will you be rewarding yourself come July 1st? 

Share reflections to comments.

Trying to kick your coffee habit or looking to cut back?  If so, then this post if for you!  I don't drink coffee anymore but when I weaned myself off I sure wish I had something to make the process a little easier.  Here's a list of my top 3 caffeine-free coffee alternatives.  

#1 Dandy Blend.  To me, this stuff tastes almost identical to coffee and smells like it, too!  I know of a few hardcore coffee drinkers that have recently weaned off their coffee and are now loving the Dandy Blend. It's bitter like coffee with a slight hint of sweet.  It's made from "totally soluble extracts of roasted barley, rye, chicory root, dandelion root and beetroot."  It's a powder that you just mix with hot water so it's fast and easy to make. Dandelion and chicory root both have a lot of medicinal qualities.  They are both bitter digestive stimulants and can act as mild laxatives.  Herbalists have found them particularly useful in increasing bile flow aiding in metabolizing fat and cholesterol and detoxification.  These herbs are also highly alkalizing, which is definitely important for those drinking a lot of coffee. This stuff is amazing!!

#2 Teeccino. This is another good coffee replacement made from a blend of grains, nuts, herbs and dried fruit. Teecino is brewed like coffee and is even sold in foil bags, making it a favorite among coffee-drinkers who like the whole ritual of making that first pot of coffee and having the aroma fill your house.  

#3 INKA.  This is also an instant, caffeine-free roasted barley, rye, chicory and beet root, coffee-like beverage minus the dandelion so it doesn't have the same bitterness found in Dandy Blend or regular coffee, however it is much cheaper.

Personally, I feel that a good cup of joe is not all that bad for you as long as it's kept in moderation.  I've found that it's usually what you put in your coffee (Splenda, creamers, etc.) that's the real culprit.  And besides, according to some sources, coffee is the top source of antioxidants for Americans [J. Vinson of the University of Scranton, 2006].  If this sounds like you then by all means, drink up!

Post your favorite coffee alternatives to comments. 

Since the cow share was such a big hit and we all seem to be good at sharing, I thought why not go in on another essential food: fish oil!  Most of you are already supplementing with omega-3s and aware of its powerful health-promoting properties, so I won't bore you with another long post on why you should take fish oil.  

I recently learned of a great deal on a super high quality cod liver oil made by Green Pasture.  In my opinion, this stuff is the BEST tasting fish oil around, not to mention it has an excellent reputation for purity (I'm not being paid to say this)! If you're someone who gags at the thought of taking fish oil, like I used to, you should definitely give this stuff a try.  The difference is in the flavor.  Green Pastures has a variety of flavors but Cinnamon Tingle is by far the best.  It contains organic cinnamon oil, organic stevia leaf, and a bit of cranberry seed oil and goes down easily without the fishy aftertaste. 

Cod Liver Oil vs Fish Oil

Cod liver oil contains more than just the Omega 3 type essential fatty acids you're getting from fish oil.  Cod liver oil offers vitamins D and its partner vitamin A (they work together) to provide the support your body needs for a strong, robust immune system.

After speaking to a representative, I learned that Green Pasture's Blue Ice fermented cod liver oil is produced in small batches using ancient traditional extraction methods at very low temperatures ensuring that all the vitamins are preserved in the process.  It's regularly independently tested in small batches to international purity standards, so you can be sure that you're getting the highest quality oil. 

To learn more about this visit The Weston A Price foundation website or call (402) 858-4818 and speak to the owner of Green Pastures himself, Dave Wetzel. 

The Cost

Here's the deal: if we buy 3 to 5 bottles we get 5% off, 6 or more 10% off, 12 or more we get 20% off! The 20% discount+ shipping comes out to roughly $35 a piece (regularly $44/bottle). 

Please place your order in the comments section of this post.  Let's try to get a final count by Wednesday 6/16 so I can place the order asap.