Paleo In a Nutshell

This video does a really great job of boiling the paleo diet to it's roots. Pretty straight forward and simple.



Post thoughts to comments.

WOD:
For time:
5 Rounds
15 Burpees
15 Box Jumps
15 Pullups

Wake Up on the Right Side of the Bed

Something that alot of people neglect is sleep. Sleep is important, right up there with diet and exercise. A terrible nights sleep can cause a domino effect that lasts all day. Too avoid this and have an awesome day, you can follow a few simple rules.

1.A Good day starts the night before. Make sure your sleeping environment is free for social distractions (cell phone, computer, TV etc). Try to make the room useful for one, well, two purposes. The darker the better. Don't eat a large meal right before bed either. Make sure you get approximately 7-9 hours of sleep, 8 being ideal. This may vary for some people, experiment to find your perfect time.

2. Wake up on time, do not hit the snooze button. That 15 minutes of extra sleep can throw your day off completely. That's 15 minutes you dont have to make a quality breakfast, thats 15 minutes you have to make up for in traffic. Thats 15 minutes you are late for work. See what I mean, the classic snowball effect.

3. When you wake up, start your day off with something invigorating. A warm or cold shower can really get the blood flowing. A nice little workout can release endorphins and get your heart rate up. Follow that up with a nice stretch and your good to go.

4. EAT BREAKFAST. I cannot stress this enough. Eating a good high quality breakfast can do alot of things for you. It keeps you from grabbing those pop-tarts at the gas station, it keeps you full until lunch and eat actually can help you lose weight. Studies suggest that when people skip breakfast, they tend to eat more calories in the day. Start out with some bacon, eggs, an avocado and half a grapefruit. What about cholesterol? Well life is too damn shirt to not eat bacon. So enjoy.

5. Appreciate the day. Go outside, take in a deep breath of fresh air. Sip your coffee, realize how amazing life is.

6. Don't start the day with news. Write down any ideas you have while your mind is fresh and fully recharged. Starting out with the news of some earthquake in some third world country is depressing, and that may carry with you all day.

And Finally, number 7. Attack the day. Don't just sit around and wait for things to happen. You have to set out with the goal to obtain something of value from each and every one of your days. Be a motivation for others.

Following these guidelines for the rest of your life will improve your outlook just about as much as diet and exercise.

WOD:

Rest Day

Pick Your Paleo Poison

We're young. Its 2011 baby! We party. For someone on a diet or a strict workout program a night out made up of heavy drinking and shitty eating can completely throw you off. What should you do? Drinking is a HUGE part of socializing and networking. I don't expect anyone to COMPLETELY cut out drinking, although, you should know that you will never get 100 percent optimum results. What should you do? How do you go about drinking while on paleo?

I gave up my saturday night to faithfully fulfill my duties to the 8 people following the blog and try a "paleo friendly" drink. The NorCal Margarita.

It's a simple drink consisting of 2 shots of tequila, the juice from 1 lime(about two table spoons) and a splash of club soda. You can experiment all you want to make the drink accommodate your personal taste. I personally add more club soda.

Robb Wolf, a trainer at CrossFit Norcal, created this deceptively intoxicating drink with some science in mind. The tequila (preferably gold) is just about as close as you can get to paleo. The lime blunts the insulin response of the tequila, and the club soda enhances the absorption rate of the alcohol (a good way to picture it is the bubbles grab the alcohol and increase the rate of absorption in the bloodstream).

It's better drinking through chemistry.

My verdict: After drinking mainly beer, Sailor Jerry's with coke, and various wines, I find the taste a little too plain and way too tart, but I kept going. I had a total of 6-8 shots total (lost count) and felt really good. As it goes with drinking, the more you drink the less you actually taste what your consuming, so I was throwing them back like they were PBR's. Actually, Im drinking one now as I type this. I know what you must be thinking. "What a loser!" Ladies and gentlemen, this is for science. (Definitely 8 shots now....I think) I certainly don't feel full or bloated like beer would do.

It's now 1:45 am, and I am going to bed....with the help of my girlfriend. My advice is to not conduct scientific research with alcohol while alone. You will need help in some way or another. Update on hangover to come...Cheers!

Playin' the Blame Game: Obesity

This is probably a topic that has been beat to death, but It still bothers me. In this world of finger pointing, who the hell do we blame for obesity? The question brings people to screaming, jumping to the defensive position and hiring lawyers, yet the problem, in my mind has yet to be resolved. Fixing school lunches isn't going to make america skinny again just like Drew Carey isn't going to make "The Price is Right" cool again.

I feel that we have honestly entered a well established way of doing thing and have backed ourselves into a corner. Fast food is a revenue generating, job supplying and economy stimulating powerhouse, to close the thousands of fast food joints would surely mean economical collapse. Like a stone in a pond the ripple effect will be far reaching, effecting the meat, farming, construction and many other industries. So that's out the window.

Culture. As time goes one, we become less apt to make real meals with real foods. Instead we substitute the meats and veggies with preservative laced bi-products that are ready in 4-7 minutes. Thats the conveniance factor! We live fast paced lives, there is NO time to make a full meal, wash the kids, take the dog out, do laundry AND clean the dishes. So the moms of today cook frozen dinners and eat fast food, the daughters grow up and do the same thing to their kids and so on and so forth. You can see where this leads. Another way to look at the culture aspect is the fact that everything is Instant. People know what they want and they want it now, completely forgetting what it feels like to work for something. Then there's video games and computers. I refuse to own a video game system because I have seen the worst it can do. Pale, obese people that are completly removed from the real world. So instead of going outside and enjoying life, they live vicariously through a whimsical character in a fantasy realm.

Fat has also become socially acceptable is some ways. Reuters recently did a story on the fact that as our population gets bigger and heavier, the "normal" weight for average people will also increase. It's scary shit.

The government could also be one of the guilty parties. I pose this question. Have they done enough to inform our society of what an actual healthy diet is? Or have they established false nutritional guidelines to garner the most profit? Money runs the world right?

Genetics? This is a bullshit excuse. Obesity is a modern day problem caused by modern day behavior.

How about looking in the mirror? I mean, we are the ones putting the food in our mouths, we are the ones choosing to stay at home instead of hitting the gym. Well, with about 40 million people in the US living below the poverty line, it's much cheaper to purchase a burger and fries instead of steak and broccoli. It does take motivation to follow a diet and workout program, but there are so many out there that it can be hard to know where to begin. As americans, we tend to give up when the results are anything short of instantaneous so Id say a good percentage of the total reason why we are obese lies here. Self control and self motivation.

So the question remains, who is responsible? The answer is D. all of the above. We cannot pin point it on one certain factor, but must combine alittle bit of everything. Now, A new question arises. How can we fix it?

WOD:

Weighted Pullups

5-5-5-3-3-3

What Do I Do For (Insert Stubborn Body Fat Area)

This is a simple one. One that I all hear a lot. How do I get rid of my love handles? How do I get my abs to show? Any tips for making my thighs slimmer? Well, the answer to all those questions can be answered in a word: Sprint.
Body fat CAN NOT be targeted, it just doesn't work like that. In order to lose fat in certain areas, your body must burn off fat as a whole. So, doing 1000 crunches a day WILL NOT remove the love handles and doing countless squats WILL NOT make your legs super firm.
The best thing would be to combine sprinting some body weight exercises like squats, pushups, pull ups and dips.
Picture it this way, you see marathon runners on TV, those gauntly guys that seem malnourished and frail. Then you see world champion sprinters in the Olympics, they are long, lean and muscular specimens, some with legs the size of tree trunks.

Another thing to remember, crap food in, crapppy results out. A poor diet will completely cock block any performance gains you hope to see. So, eat clean and sprint.

WOD: 8 rounds
Sprint 50 Meters
Rest 45 sec-1 minute

Paleo: So Easy A Caveman Did It.

Ok, so maybe Paleo isn't that easy, especially with all the refined "food" product advertisements that are thrown in our faces day after day after day. It takes a strong person to commit to any diet, especially the Paleo, or Caveman diet.
The biggest and most difficult part of going paleo is the removal of grains from our diet. Why? Its crap, absolute rubbish. A good point to be made is that grains and soy are not edible until they are processed, broken down and
refined, so its safe to assume that we haven't eaten them for millions of years. Keep in mind, we only started eating grains about 10,000 years ago, which, in the timeline of evolution is a miniscule amount of time. We have been evolving for millions of years, that's millions of years without grains. And look at us, we turned out fine.

Now, due to the dilemma of contradiction law, two people can be completely at odds over the value of grains. Im on the side of grains are killing us, not just grains, but refined sugars, large amounts of hormone packed dairy milk, and copious amounts of salt. You may be saying to yourself, "Cameron, my doctor says grains are good, and he has a Ph. d, what do you have?" Well, I admit, I am no scientific authority on the matter, but hundreds of people
who are have clearly stated time and time again that grains are the enemy. Loren Cordain, a professor out of Colorado State University is the leading man in the paleo movement with published research that grains, refined sugars, and dairy can cause acne, diabetes, obesity, depression, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, the list goes on and on. He also has published two books, The Paleo Diet, and The Paleo Diet for Athletes.

Now, what about the boatloads of research that shows grains are good for you, and the food guide pyramid that says we should have grains as the bulk of our diet? Oh, you must be talking about all the company backed research
where the results, if unfavorable to the company backing the research, could cause said company to fail? Or you must mean the food guide pyramid, which was created by the USDA, a government agency with a profit driven agenda? Right? Companies like the USDA, Corn Refiners Association and the Food and Agricultural Organization pay big bucks to have the researchers discover only the good about grains. Sadly, this is a case where the bad outweighs the good. People who actually care about the welfare of Americans and don't have an agenda, back research that shows grains, refined sugars etc are bad for humans.

Your next question may be, "Well, what the hell can I eat now?" My answer: Keep it simple. Caveman simple. Lean meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds should be your diet. How boring right? Wrong. Spices are
your best friend. Thyme, garlic, onions, chili powder, oregano, basil and other spices should be used every day in your meals. The right amount of these spices can enhance your meal more than you may think. Google "paleo
diet recipes" and you'll get an idea of what I mean.

The first three to five days on this diet are rough, especially if you have a partner who doesn't want to join you on this crazy quest to find your inner caveman. It takes a lot of self control and willpower to turn down bread, cereal, milk, yogurt, cheese, sugar etc. Stick it out, you'll feel better after 5 days. What can you expect to feel? More energy, no more being tired after lunch, better skin quality, increased state of well being, and decrease in digestive issues that may have arose from eating grains.

One question a lot of people have is, "where does the energy to live come from?" Well, fact is, we don't need carbs in the way we think of them to live and perform. A shocker I know, but face the facts, Cavemen did not carbo-load the evening before a big hunt, they did not binge on pasta and garlic bread before trekking 20 plus miles to take down their prey. They worked with what they had, performed and lived. We can credit humanity's survival to this. Your new energy source will come from an increase it fats. But whoa, hold the phone, fats will make us FAT! With 9 calories per gram, fat does pack a huge does of energy in a small source. I'm talking about the healthy fats. The fats found in almonds, walnuts, olives, olive oil, avocados, fish and coconut oil. These fats should make up about 28-47 % of your daily intake of calories. Less if you want to lose weight, more if you want increased performance. Carbs should be about 22-40% and 19-35% should be protein. Over time, your body will re-wire itself to perform optimally with the given foods, and the cravings for luxury foods like breads and sugars will diminish. Over time, you'll see a decrease in body fat percentage and an increase in lean muscle mass. That's the thing though folks, it takes TIME. Something not a lot of people have in our society. Women need to be ready for their sister's wedding in 2 weeks and men need to
get a six pack in a month. Fact is, this shit doesn't happen overnight. It's a SAFE and EFFECTIVE progression that will be noticed in about three to six months. With ample dedication and willpower, it can happen.

One thing I hear from a lot of people is, "I eat grains all the time, I was an All-star (insert sport here) player in high school." Good for you, your body has adapted, but I guarantee an increase in performance levels once you
switch to the paleo diet. Plain and simple, it's the way we were meant to eat.

What about vices? Alcohol, Captain crunch, candy? Can I have these ever again? Yes, you can, but very rarely. As much as I hate what the agricultural industry is doing to humanity, I do indulge in the occasional beer, grilled cheese or reese's peanut butter cup. Call me a hypocrite, that's fine, but I don't expect anyone to follow this regimen with 100
percent accuracy, ever. It's crazy to think that anyone could in today's world. I'll warn you though, as time goes on, you'll realize you cheat less and less because your body will literally punish your indulgent behavior. Either with a sense of depression or an upset stomach.

I have been on Paleo for about 6 months heavy, I have seen fat loss, increased performance, happier demeanor, and increase in skin quality. I rarely cheat, maybe once a month I go all out and get a burger. The results don't lie, as thousands of people have seen the same results.

Where do you start? Start small or big, depending on your personality. Can you quit cold turkey, or do you have slowly cut them out and transition more vegetables into your diet. Whatever works for you, execute the plan. Go at
it with 100 percent willingness to make a change for the better in your health and lifestyle. If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns please post in comments or on my facebook page. If not, now is the right
time to "go against the grain" and go paleo.

WOD:

Rest

Stay Hungry: An Introduction to Intermittent Fasting

You eat 4-6 meals a day, count calories, cut out sugar AND tried the diet pills, but you can't seem to lose that stubborn belly fat. Bummer, because beach season is right around the corner.

One tool you can use to kick start your metabolism and fat loss is Intermittent Fasting or IF. A recent study

(http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/86/1/7) shows that calorie restriction without malnutrition can increase life span and reduce metabolic risk factors for chronic diseases. It makes sense. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors often went days without food and their bodies had to adjust by tapping into fat stores for fuel. I doubt the cavemen were worried about looking good in their loincloth, but in todays culture, a few pounds is the difference between a one piece and a two piece.

Intermittent fasting must be done intelligently to receive optimal benefits. Several different way to fast are:

Skip a meal: After eating planned meals at planned times day after day, you may be eating when you're not even hungry. Listen to your body, and if you're not hungry, miss a meal. Try to keep this unplanned and

natural.

16-24 Hour Fast: A personal choice. It tends to be easier for me to eat dinner on a Tuesday night, and then not eat again until Wednesday afternoon. Keep yourself feeling full with water and coffee. If you eat a healthy diet, fasting this way should not take a serious toll on energy levels. A weekly basis will work well, but I recommend monthly for those people just starting out.

Rise and Fall: Simple enough, balance nutrients between two meals, one early in the morning, another at night. Try to properly balance nutrients between both meals.

Condensed eating window: All your eating is done in a certain time frame. Let's say from 9am-2pm. It goes without saying that you should not binge eat. Eat your normal meals. In this example, you'd have a late breakfast, lunch, and maybe a snack. The fast occurs between the 2pm meal, and breakfast the next day. This is probably the most appealing method for beginners.

There are a few different other ways to do this, and each can be tweaked to better suit your needs. As with any drastic diet change, you should do more research and do it carefully. For more of the benefits of Intermittent Fasting check out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting. See ya at the beach!

WOD

4 rounds

50 Double Unders

30 Situps

Ehh, What's UP D.o.C: The Dilemma of Contradiction and its Effect on Health

Sounds fancy, huh? Well, I made it up, but there is a growing problem in
America today. It's the abundance of information and the lack of clarity.
We (and by "we" I mean me) at Coalition Fitness are here to sift through
that B.S. The theory basically states: No method is a solid method, each
method can be criticized, improved and negated. In other words, there are a
thousand ways to do one given task, and a thousand different people that
will say their way is better. For example: Deadlifts are the most
important exercise ever. No! Squats engage more muscles! A vegetarian
lifestyle is the best way to live. Wrong! You need meat to properly build
muscle. Burpees suck...well that's just common knowledge and the one
exception to this Law. Think about it. We as Americans spend about 40
billion dollars on diet and weight loss products and services, yet we are
still one of the fattest countries in the world and spend roughly 140
billion on obesity related afflictions. There is something wrong there, and
it's definitely not the lack of information. Everywhere you turn there's
another product or diet that promises incredible results, and FAST! And we
buy into it, like sheep to the flock. The problem is TOO MUCH information.
This blog addresses all the methods that I have seen work in practical
implementations. These are not fads, these are lifestyle changes. This
blog is not a "6 weeks to a beach body" plan, it's a "Obtaining a healthy
and fit LIFEstyle", for good.

So, drop the latest health magazine, put away the ab-roller and log
onto the this blog each and every day. Here, youll find all the information
you need, and the way to avoid the Dilemma of Contradiction is to log onto
to ONLY this website. Simple as that. Problem solved, now join me in a
lifestyle of fitness!

WOD:

Rest Day