CrossFit Dundas Coaches Blog

Advice on going paleo

So you have been thinking about it, and you are ready to try or have begun to try and go through with the Paleo diet.
Congrats, this is perhaps the most beneficial decision to you and your family's health you may ever do.
Aside from the awesome aesthetic effect this will have on your body, you will begin to sleep better, work mroe effeciently, be more active, and more outgoing due to the new found health and activity.

Unfortunately, going Paleo is not that easy. Or I should say it is easy to fail.
We must take step we must retrain ourselves. Rid ourselves of bad habits.
We are essentially quitting substance. With quitting a substance comes withdrawl, temptation and mood swings. These next few point will help.


1. Stock Up!

Before ever going Paleo, stock the hell out of your fridge and freezer. One of the hardest transitions for people in our society is avoiding eating out and the temptations literally on every street corner.
If we have a stocked pantry and fridge, we know there is food at home and we wont starve by going home to eat after work or school.
* check out the paleo shopping list on the Facebook page for help.

2. Plan Ahead.


Find time in your week (best if we can figure his out before starting paleo) To cook large amounts of food. Typically for myself this is meats and hearty stews and chili's that reheat great but typically take a while to cook. It is not that hard to do this. We often cook anyways, just cook extra and freeze or leave some in the fridge. This is an art and will be developed over time. You will learn to cook and how much. It makes you save some pennies too,

3. Have Support

I am fortunate to have my spouse to eat the way I do. If you are as lucky as I, then it will make your life easier. But if your family/ friends can not be talked into, merely be honest with them. Let them know this is something you seriously wish to do, but only can with their help and assistance. You will be surprised in the support you get. Maybe not all the time, but they will evetually begin to ask questions when you are feeling great and looking sexy as hell.

3b. Have Support- research

It helps a lot to finds others doing the same. Support yourself by educating yourself and seeking out others with similar interests. Be active in looking into recipes, forums, even talk about it at the gym. It becomes fun and inspirational in a crowd. If we try and go alone we will think it is the hardest thing ever. If you tackle this with others, you will be able to relate and assist one another.

4. Be Patient!


The first two weeks are the hardest. Get through them and you will be free.
Remember, it's not a "cheat" day if it happens every week. It becomes how you eat, it becomes habit.
It takes a couple weeks for you to stabilize, it is normal to feel off. Trust me on this one.

5. EAT, EAT diverse foods, EAT


Eat and eat a lot. the caloric intake of many paleo foods is less that what you typically have. It may seem as though you are eating more. To the eye, you probably are, to the stomach you are not.
Please remember, life is good in moderation. Although some foods are paleo, many can be awful for you in large consumption.
check out www.robbwolf.com for information on paleo for auto-immune, performance and weight loss.

I hope all this helps.

Remember, fear makes the wolf seem bigger.

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Why Resolutions Are a Good Thing

Red Pepper Sauce

Alright paleoites.

Here is a simple and easy Red Pepper Sauce.

Ingredients:
8-10 dried red peppers (i use California)- you can also go fresh here
garlic
Red onion
Apple Cider Vinegar
water
S&P
Chili Flakes
Smoked Paprika


Directions
1. Heat a pan or wide pot with some olive oil.

2. Add garlic, 1/2 a chopped red onion, Peppers (tops removed)


3. Cook for a min or until garlic and onions browned.


4. Add 1 cup of water- cook on high until almost evaporated.


5. Add an additional cup of water just before evaporation occurs.


6. Take and puree while adding with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and some chicken stock.


7. Add paprika, S & P and Chili flakes.

8. Blend until smooth



Goes great with Schredded Chicken, chicken wings, pulled pork.

I often use it and place in a crock pot or stove top pot on low for a couple hours with the chicken and blend the flavours. Serve with a nice coleslaw or fruit salad.

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Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

Yellow Curry Marsala

Why Resolutions Are a Good Thing

Well,

It is that time of year again. Gym time, resolution time. Time for change.
Some scoff at the idea of a resolution. Particularly a New years resolution.
There is value in establishing one. A resolution can be the first step in the right direction of the rest of your life. The latest installment of CFD coaches blog will examine how to make a resolution an achievement. We will do so by providing insight as to why we must create such a resolution in the first place.

First, let's take a step back to mid to late-November.
The days are beginning to turn to night earlier. The clothing we wear is beggining to become baggier. All normal procedures for this time of year. Some, many, of us begin to also take extra time to commute to and from work. Our bodies begin to slowly get into hibernation mode.
These occurances are often the first step into a unhealthy next couple months.

Along with the smaller amount of light and larger clothing comes "Holiday Season"
Unfortunately it seems as though said holiday season tends to begin earlier and earlier each year.
Accompanied with said holiday season are holiday parties and get togethers.
Holiday parties and get togethers have many large implications on our health, some not as obvious as you think.
There is a clear understanding that when we drink and eat poorly or "cheat" more often we feel physically awful because of it. There is a greater effect on our bodies than just the gluttony of doing those two things. When we eat and drink poorly and to excess, we tend to spend additional amounts of money. When we drink and eat to excess we also begin to sleep worse due to insulin levels bouncing around like your children or relatives on an inflatable castle.

Let's take a quick moment to review what is exactly what is happening right now.

Alcohol Consumption= Stress
Poor Food Consumption= Stress
Less Sleep=   Stress
Less money= Stress

add this with the things we may have already touched on

Less Sunlight
Less time due to a communte
Less incentive (i.e. clothing and appearance)
More obligations.

It is no wonder that we often call this very same season "flu season" or that we become ill right around now.
Unbenounced to many of you, December sees a large decrese of memberships in most gyms.
People also spend less time taking care of wha really matters. Theirselves.

Let's go now to December 30th, where we have spent the past month and a half eating too much, drinking, not working out, sleep deprived and exhausted. We know how we got here and we are clearly seeing the need for a change. A resolution if you may. What marks the importance and need for a resolution is not the changing of a number on a calender, but rather the months that led up to it.
Unfortunatly we see the changing of a year as the causation of a resolution and avoid the factors that created the need for one to begin with.

We may now move on to the resolution itself now that we have a better understanding of why so many people feel the need to create a health related one in the first place.
If we approach a resoltion like we do many other goals, we will set ourself up for a more positive outcome. Our goals should require steps. We should have an ultimate goals (living a healthy life) while having many small goals or challenges along the way to keep us honest and reinforce our efforts.
The issue is many of us do not understand why we need to make these goals in the first place. What lead us to wanting to set a resolution. Thankfully we have covoured that.
You see the key to succeeding and following through with a healthy resolution is not as hard as it seems. It is merely just not making the mistake twice. It is learning from our past experiences instead of suppresing them .
When making this years resolution of getting back in better shape or getting a six pack or whatever your goal may be. Take the time to figure out what has kept you from doing so in the past.
Examine the process that you went through to not achieve such a goal.
Our answers to what causes this will all be quite similar.
We now just have to set up the appropriate amount or reinforcements along the way to give ourselves the greatest chance of avoiding these mistakes again.

    The use of a resolution can be a very powerful thing. A resolution is in fact goal setting. Nobody discounts setting goals in our society, but many think resolutions are a silly thing.
What is not thought through is a goal without a plan. A ultimate goal without steps to keep us honest, positivly reinforced and motivated along the way.
This year when you/we are establishing a resolution. Take a pen and pad and create a resolution that is deeper than just the end game. Examine how we reached the need for said resolution and make sure to remind yourself of said mistakes when we are struggling. Write down short term goals that we may document and observe along the way to keep us motivated. Some of these goals may even be real simple. Documenting them is a step in the write direction, this is positivly reinforcing your behaviour. Create more challenging ones too. You may "fail" at some of them, but that does not mean you should not have created it or your long term goal is a failure. It just means we have to re-exaimne our effort levels or the timeline in which we created. The failure itself , or the recognization of it, can be used as a goal. Where before we may have failed and given up, now we may fail to reach a goal and strive on. A huge step in the right direction.

    In conclusion, do not feign from making a new years resolution for the same reasons we should not avoid seting goals. Ensure you have a gameplan instead. Develop a better understanding of the how we got to a place where we need such a drastic change. Once established, create a process and set yourself challenging, yet often attainable steps along the way that may help you reach or maintain your resolution. Do not be afraid to fail, just fear making failure routine. Learn and grow from you failures to avoid making the same mistakes a habit.

My new years resolution- To eat a Paleo diet for all of 2013 with the exception to rice when I frequent sushi restaurants, my wedding day and events surrounding. It will be tough, I will fail.
But I have already established my first goal of holding myself accountable to someone more than just myself. Now I must go cook.

Happy and healthy 2013 all.

Yellow Curry Marsala

This was nice to come home to. As with any Marsala, play around with the combination here for desired taste.

Ingredients

1.5-2 pounds grass fed stewing beef
-1 red bell pepper
- 2-3 small tomatoes
- 1/5 of a cucumber
- 1 whole onion
- 2-4 cloves of garlic
- 3-5 bay leaves
- 3/4 can of coconut milk
- 2tbsp yellow curry spice (you choose how hot)
- 2 tsp tumeric
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
-1 tbsn honey
- chili flakes to taste
- S & P



Directions.

- In a pan, heat up oil and sweat cubed onion and garlic.
- transfer to slow cooker

- In same pan add cubed tomoato and cubed pepper.
- cook for 5-7 min
- Transfer to bowl or food processor
- Add3/4 cup of cocnut milk
- add S & P
- Add curry spice
- Add tumeric
- Add chili flakes
- Add paprika
- Add Tbsp honey

- Blend until pure liquid
- pour in slow cooker

- brown beef on all sides for 2-3 min per side
- Salt

- Add beef to slow cooker (with juice)

- Add diced jalapeno and bay leaves
- Stir and let cook on low for 8-10 hours

- Serve as is or over a bed of cauliflower rice.
- Serve wih diced cucmber on the side.

-Enjoy, it is much lighted than anticipated.

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Mmm Mmm Riiiiiiibbbbbbbbbbssssss!

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Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

Pretty easy and delicious Winter Recipe.

Ingredients:

1 whole Red Bell Pepper (or a jar or roasted red pepper)
2-3 large sweet potato's
1 can coconut milk
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper
Chili Flakes
Pumpkin Spice (optional)
2 Sausages (optional)


Method

-Cube and skin sweet potato's.

-Roast and skin Pepper

- Add to slow cooker

- Add Coconut milk

-S & P to taste

- chili flakes and pumpkin spice to taste (optional)

- Add Bay leaves

- Cook on Low for 8 hours

- With a food processor or immersion blendor- blend ingredients until desired thickness.

- Add sauage and place additional chili flakes on side as well as some dried parsely if you wish

Top Mobility WOD movements that will help

So As you all know I am a big proponent of mobility work.
The following vids explain some of my fav mobility work.



1. Working the T-spine
- The reason I love this one so much is due tothe fact so many people have issues in this area.
Issues often are because of "the silent killer" known as a desk job.
Creating shity posture.



2. PSOAS
Relating back to our silent death that many of us experience. Psoas work is great for many of us.
Also, growing up in southern ontario, manyh of us played a tonne of hockey growing up along with our adult silent death. This will help rectify inadequencies and imbalances caused by both.



3. Voodoo bands
- I love the bands for elbow and patella work. A lot of us get some overuse issues that are usually the result of previous bad form or inflexibility. The Voodoo bands can help relieve some pressure.
They should not excuse you from working on the issues that caused the problem in the first place.
The vid is for patella work. Consult someone before throwing this down.

 


4. Feet
Seems so silly does it not?
I found this little video and help made the biggest difference. It is a pain in the butt to do, however, it helps with flexibility and I found myself less stiff than ever. May not be for everyone but I found great value.
A good accompanment to this is rolling your feet out with a Lax ball. or using that same ball to mash up those shins. Good for folks prone to shin splints and those ladies prone to wearing death shoes (heals)




5. Sitting/ Psoas/ Silent Death
The following video is great 411 on why sitting is in fact silent death.
A break down as to how just merely sitting up straight, is not straight at all.
Peep the vid then let's continue on.


Alright, Now here is another video that may be a bit more specific for you desk folk.
I do this one any time I have a need for hip explosivness

 


*All videos are owned by MobilityWOD, TM . For more information please go o mobilitywod.com for a wealth of information

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5 Gifts/ Reccomendations for a Person Who CrossFits

5 Gifts/ Reccomendations for a Person Who CrossFits

It is quite simple. Take care of your body, and it will take care of you.
Most everyone who is on this site is likely to be a active individual.
One who understands the need for daily exercise, as well as a proper balanced nutrition.

    However, even with those two things our body sometimes weakens.
The following list of items are products I feel that any active person should look into owning.
In no specific order.


1. Foam Roller / rumble roller
There are many different kinds on the market.
Longer ones, shorter, more stiff. Hell I use a piece of PVC pipe at home.
check out the treadmillfactory.com 

They have 2 different kinds. For information as to how you may use this product go to mobilitywod.com or just google it. For personal use I would suggest the shorter, more portable version.

2. Skipping Rope
This can be used of course for doing at home wods or travelling.
However, it can also be used to stretch out various limbs.
The other option is a large rubber band like the pullup bands.
these can be found at Roguecanada.ca

3. Heating Pad
Whether or not the effects of using a heating pad are that large, what it does do is forces us to sit and relax.
Excellent for calming sore aches and pains.

4.  2 Lacrosse Balls
If you decide to tape hem together or keep them separate, lax balls are great for getting into the nitty gritty area of your body that a roller may roll over.
Taped together you can do some awesome work helping loosen ones back to assist in day to day life, posture or helping achieve greater OHS and press numbers.
For information as to how to use these once again check out www.mobilitywod.com

5. Shoes- proper ones
There are a variety of shoes to WOD in. We all have preferences.
One thing that is important is that we have adequate ones or be ready to lift in socks.
The days of the chunk heel are long gone. Let your foot, specifically arch sit where it wants.
My fav's are INOV-8's. For more info on them check out www. Againfaster.ca

Additional Items
6. A canteen/ reusable water bottle.

7. Voodoo Bands

 

 

8. Tape
9. Wrist Wraps
10. Ladies- Legit sports bras

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Wednesday WOD/ CSA

CrossFit- Yoga- Life- Allison L.

CrossFit- Yoga- Life- Allison L.

“Yin yang are not opposing forces (dualities), but complementary opposites that interact within a greater whole, as part of a dynamic system.” – Wikipedia

I approached yoga as part of a recovery process to a debilitating motor vehicle accident in 2007.  Since then, aspects of my physical and mental health have improved immensely. 

 

Yoga has enhanced attributes such as endurance, mental focus, strength and stability.  Although yoga has reinforced the intention of releasing oneself from self criticism and judgment, it is still present within the human genome to compete and challenge oneself to the greatest of ones ability. 

 

CrossFit delves into the louder side of life.  It utilizes the same principles as yoga in areas of linking breath with movement and body alignment to increase muscle power.   CrossFit also contributes to increases in bone density, something most important for women prone to Osteoporosis. 

 

By pairing a regime of focusing ones overall body awareness with an intense WOD, an individual can achieve goals more efficiently with less down time for injury.  An increase in bone density and muscle flexibility will translate to daily activities, making both a more powerful yoga practice and rewarding CrossFit WOD!

-Allison L.

Mmm Mmm Riiiiiiibbbbbbbbbbssssss!

Alright people. For those of you who love saucy, delicious, fall off the bone ribs ready for you to just come home and devour after a long, hard, cold day, this is for you. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Ribs Ingredients

• 4 pounds of beef or pork ribs, cut every 3-4 ribs to fit in crock pot (We used beef)
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)
• salt and pepper
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 jar of strained tomatos (as little or as much as you want for sauciness)
• 1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce (make sure it’s grain free. I think Lea and Perrins is)
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika

 

Slow Cooker Ribs Instructions

1. Dice the onion and place at the bottom of a crock pot
2. Sprinkle the garlic and chili powders, salt and pepper on the ribs an put them in the crock pot also.
3. Mix the tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, worcestershire, liquid smoke, honey and smoked paprika and then pour evenly over the ribs.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until tender.
5. Put on plate and Make sure you have a napkin ready

Training while Ill.

As the colder, damp weather apppears to be creeping up on us.
The past couple weeks I have been asked by members

"...how hard should i go if i'm sick?"
"...Should I come in if i'm not feeling well?"
"...do you mind if i secrete snot on the barbell?"

The answer I always will lean towards is to tell the members to train smart. Consider others.

The honest answer is a little less obvious.
EAT!
Eat and eat lots. Eat lots of healthy foods and eat some more.
I know it can be hard when we are sick, sore and exhausted. It will pay off. It will allow a day or two's sickness opposed to running ourselves ragged over the week or two.
It will go as far as eliminating those questions because we may need to only take our one standard rest day.

The more thorough answer would be this.
If coming in and working out is going to leave you much more fatigued an hour after working out then when you walked in, then maybe it's not the best idea.
I know after I finish a wod, in sickness or health, I typically feel energized an hour after.
It is standard to slowly come down and tire as the day goes on.
This does not mean you cannot do something, but burning yourself out, for the sake of getting a wod in may take two or three wods away from you later on in the week.
    Leading back to my first answer, if you have not been eating much, performing a strenuous wod will not be recommended. The body is working in overdrive to battle in the name of health. We need to fuel the body now more than ever. Therefore throwing down a WOD without food is not recommended. 
Post wod have a high glycemic piece of fruit ready to go. Best time to consume these fruits, healthy or otherwise, is after a wod. This spike will help.

In conclusion, I really do not have a concrete answer. Each cold is different, every person reacts different. The one thing I do know is that we must hydrate and eat a lot. If we do not do this, then we will be exhausted post wod.
You must also consider others, do not go spreading those germs everywhere. Perhaps going for a run may help more and go a ways considering others as well. If you feel good while running. Throw down some uphill sprints. The combination of a more controlled workout and the fresh outdoors may do you some good!