Are you getting the Most out of your WOD's?

Lately I have been asked by a couple of people about post workout nutrition so I thought that I would share what I think. Most of the science that I go by is based on Loren Cordain, who is the author of The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes, as well as Rob Wolf who is a strength and conditioning coach and was a former research biochemist. I also rely upon trial and error with my own body because after all, we are all different and what works for one person does not necessarily work for all.

According to this article by Wolf, there are different approaches based on what kind of outcome you are looking for:

1. Low or No Carb Post Workout: Good for long term health benefits because it focuses on muscle recovery while limiting the effects of insulin. This is also good for someone who is trying to lean out and for the strength athlete. Although this is a good choice for strength training and most workouts, it is not as beneficial to use after long met-con WOD's when your glycogen, which gives you the GO, needs to be restored.

2. High Carb Post Workout: This is suggested to be used every 5-7 days or especially after a crazy taxing/long WOD. For you zone/paleoers he says use 1/4 of your daily protein blocks and 1/2 of your daily carb blocks post WOD. OPT says that he decides his post workout meal based on how much work he did and body fat.

In my opinion I think that you need to assess your own body, your diet, your goals and what kind of WOD you did. My favorite post workout fuel is Advocare's Muscle Gain, which has 25g protein, 6g carbs and 2g fat and I add a little extra fat. If I do a gruelling WOD I throw in some Post-Workout Recovery which has 12g protein, 38g carbs and 3g fat. They are fast, easy and taste damn good! Another major thing to point out for maximizing your workouts is getting adequate sleep, eating clean and drinking lots of water! If you are not feeling like you are getting the results you want take all of this into consideration and tweak your habits here and there. My bro Jeremy and CrossFit bad-ass swears by eating more FAT! You can also ask me or one of our many well informed crossfit coaches!

PRObiotics are my friends!

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: "Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host".^[1] Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.




Probiotics, in my opinion, are one of those things that more is better. I try to consume as many foods with these healthy little immune boosting organisms as possible. Some ways that I get probiotics are through:

• Advocare's Probiotic Restore
• Kombucha tea
• Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw
• I haven't tried this yet, but you can make your own!
  

Probiotics are good for everyone to take young and old, but have been shown to help things like irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, diarrhea and Crohn's disease. Most importantly though, gut-dwelling bacteria keep pathogens (harmful microorganisms) in check, aid digestion and nutrient absorption, and contribute to immune function. Researched from here!

Advocare

This past weekend a team of Crossfit Central coaches attended Advocare Success School in Ft. Worth. As many of you know we at Crossfit Central endorse, share, and use Advocare supplements. Not only is Advocare used to enhance your athletic performance in a safe and natural way but it is an essential way to get the minerals and vitamins your body needs. Over time our foods have lost the vital minerals and vitamins we need to live a long and healthy life because they have been depleted from our soil and bred out.

"It's a fact. Our soils are depleted and depleted soils do not produce healthy, nutrient-rich plants." Straight out of the mouth of Dr. Richard Drucker, PhD. The answer "If our soils and crops are lacking essential minerals, it's necessary to supplement our diets if we are to achieve true wellness." This is where Advocare steps in. I'm not saying it is the only supplements you should be taking, but Advocare is high quality and I have actually met the men and women who formulate the supplements. I'm also not saying you can eat what ever your little heart desires and take Advocare and all is good, but with a well maintained diet and exercise along with Advocare you will be ahead of the pack.


(Carey Kepler, Tommy Hackenbruck, Lindsay Smith, Jeremy Thiel)

This pic was taken this past weekend of some of the top Crossfit athletes in the world. 2009 women's third place finisher Carey Kepler and fifth place finisher Lindsay Smith. 2009 men's second place finisher Tommy Hackenbruck and sixteenth place finisher Jeremy Thiel. All of these athletes use and believe in Advocare and what it does for there performance. Not only can it enhance your athletic performance, above all else, it can improve your overall health and wellness. I strongly suggest you do your research on the benefits of nutritional supplementation along with a healthy diet.

If you have any questions about Advocare and what it can do for you please contact me www.zacharythiel@crossfitcentral.com. If you are ready to dive right in and get started go to www.advocare.com/04011094.

Eat Whole Foods, Paleo and Additive FREE!

How many of you skip breakfast, eat whatever because you are on the run, buy all of your food from the grocery store???








































1. It is essential for you to start your day off with a good breakfast to refuel your body after your "sleep fast" and to get your brain working for the day. I usually eat eggs with any combo of peppers, onions, sausage, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms. Cooked in organic virgin coconut oil, of course.

2. Make an effort to cook and store protein, fruit/vegg and fats that are easy to assemble for snacks and meals. Especially if you are a busy person. See how Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan gets ready for the upcoming week of paleo eating here!

3. Make the time to get out and shop at your closest farmer's market. We shop at the year round FM at the Triangle on Wed. from 3-7pm. They have fresh and local fruit, vegg, pastured eggs, chicken, pork, beef and all kinds of pesticide and additive free Whole Foods! They also have live music and a huge area for your kids and pets to play in the grass or in the water fountain!

Articles/Sites of Interest:

-Top 15 chemical additives in your food.
-The dirty dozen: shoppers guide to pesticides.
-FOOD INC. :A must see!

Good VS Bad Fats

As many of you may well know, Americans are discovering the truth behind the fear of fats. This fear, which has been indoctrinated into us for years, has been misleading and detrimental to the overall health of our country, much like many other things!
For years the media and even the government has supported low fat, fat free, fat substitutes, and franken-fats (trans-fats). We now know that these are the very culprits of the rise of heart disease and body fat. If you just look at the data of the decrease in consumption of traditional fats vs the rise in consumption of hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated oils, and industrially processed liquid oils, the correlation speaks for itself! My sister Carey Kepler just posted about the dangers of canola oil. Get Educated on FATS!

From: Know Your Fats Introduction

Confused About Fats?

The following nutrient-rich traditional fats have nourished healthy population groups for thousands of years:

For Cooking

* Butter
* Tallow and suet from beef and lamb
* Lard from pigs
* Chicken, goose and duck fat
* Coconut, palm and palm kernel oils

For Salads

* Extra virgin olive oil (also OK for cooking)
* Expeller-expressed sesame and peanut oils
* Expeller-expressed flax oil (in small amounts)

For Fat-Soluble Vitamins

* Fish liver oils such as cod liver oil (preferable to fish oils, which do not provide fat-soluble vitamins, can cause an overdose of unsaturated fatty acids and usually come from farmed fish.)

The following newfangled fats can cause cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, sterility, learning disabilities, growth problems and osteoporosis:

* All hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils
* Industrially processed liquid oils such as soy, corn, safflower, cottonseed and canola
* Fats and oils (especially vegetable oils) heated to very high temperatures in processing and frying.

From: The Oiling Of America

Vegetable oils are more toxic when heated. One study reported that polyunsaturates turn to varnish in the intestines. A study by a plastic surgeon found that women who consumed mostly vegetable oils had far more wrinkles than those who used traditional animal fats. A 1994 study appearing in the Lancet showed that almost three quarters of the fat in artery clogs is unsaturated. The "artery clogging" fats are not animal fats but vegetable oils.42

Benefits of Animal Fats

Foods containing trans fat sell because the American public is afraid of the alternative—saturated fats found in tallow, lard, butter, palm and coconut oil, fats traditionally used for frying and baking. Yet the scientific literature delineates a number of vital roles for dietary saturated fats—they enhance the immune system,54 are necessary for healthy bones,55 provide energy and structural integrity to the cells,56 protect the liver57 and enhance the body's use of essential fatty acids.58 Stearic acid, found in beef tallow and butter, has cholesterol lowering properties and is a preferred food for the heart.59 As saturated fats are stable, they do not become rancid easily, do not call upon the body's reserves of antioxidants, do not initiate cancer, do not irritate the artery walls.



If you want more information on all kinds of fat topics check out the many articles from Know Your Fats!

P.S. Many of you follow the paleo diet which does not support fats like butter or peanut oils. Although you may decide to skip these, my suggestion for this and all decisions, make your decision based on your own research!

Wisdom

Wisdom is a deep understanding of people, things, events or situations, empowering the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy. Wisdom is the ability to optimally (effectively and efficiently) apply perceptions and knowledge and so produce the desired results. Wisdom is comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action. Synonums include: sagacity, discernment, or insight. Wisdom often requires control of one's emotional reactions (the "passions") so that one's principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one's actions.

I don't think I'm quit there yet, but it is something I am striving for. Today I turn 32, my wife is due in six weeks or so and I am looking at growing my business to new heights. I feel like I am at a crossroad. Not because I'm turning 32, but because it's a new year, I'm about to be a dad and I have to make some choices about the growth of my business. I have great people around me to help with this growth but I need some wisdom of my own. I am focused on the task at hand and look forward to this challenge and the opportunity to gain some wisdom and hopefully have a strong influence on the people around me. When I learn to control my "passion" I can only imagine what I am capable of.

I AM CROSSFIT Team Rules!!!!!!

This very pleasant Sunday morning my awesome and willing I Am Crossfit team joined me at Crossfit Central for an early morning workout. After yesterday's kick off workout the team thought it would be a good idea to get a little more work in before the weekend was out. The pic below was post workout, and apparently they had enough energy to strike a pose for the camera. I guess I'll have to pick it up a notch the next time we come together.

Just in case you were wondering the team workout was:
3 Rounds for time
50 Wall ball shots
50 Box Jumps
400m Run
It was a long and brutal workout, but they managed to finish with a smile on their faces. I am very excited about this challenge and fully expect to win. I know the rest of the team feels the same way.