A Paleo Diet Primer Paleolithic or Paleo diet is an effort to get back to foods we evolved on as a species. The basic deal is that we spent about 2,000,000 years of our evolution eating meat, vegetables and fruits and very little else. In contrast, the foods of agriculture – grains and dairy – only showed up about 10,000 years ago.
If you do the math, we have been exposed to agri-foods for all of 0.5% of our evolution. Essentially, we’ve had NO time to adapt and evolve with these new foods. Further, within the last 100 years pesticides and chemicals have entered our food supply in high proportions and food has become highly processed. An average diet in America contains virtually NOTHING our bodies would actually recognize as food from our evolution. This is one reason we’re hearing more and more about chronic inflammation and auto-immune diseases.
So, the basic premise is that feeding your body a whole food-based, organic diet like it was programmed by evolution to eat is going to result in the highest health and performance possible. Our bodies are not going to run best on grains and poorly raised meats.
If I’m getting too much into theory here it’s only because Paleo is more of a movement and a lifestyle than it is a “diet.” It involves sleeping and eating patterns that attempt to recreate the patterns we evolved on. This fits very nicely with brief, intense and infrequent anaerobic exercise because that is the pattern of activity we would have had during evolution. Things like sprinting away from a predator, chasing prey, carrying heavy things and fighting. CrossFit anyone?
As a side note, “Paleolithic Diet” is the catchall term. The Paleo Diet is the book by Loren Cordain. Most of the time, we shorten Paleolithic to Paleo and don’t worry about the trademark or the fact that there are different variations of these diets and some of Cordain’s stuff from the original book has fallen a bit out of favor in some circles. But I digress… Paleo Diet Foods
Meat – free-range, organic and fed its appropriate diet (cows fed grass not grain for example)
Fish - Wild caught
Vegetables – as much as you can eat, organic and a high percentage raw
Fruit - organic and often in limited quantities (I don’t limit my fruit and eat a “high” volume compared to a Paleo purist)
Nuts and Seeds – Some are big on these, but guys like Robb Wolf and others have come out against them recently due to high omega-6 fats and some inflammatory factors. If you eat nuts and seeds eat them raw as opposed to roasted in vegetable oil. Also, Peanuts are a legume like beans and are excluded from the diet.
Potatoes – White potatoes are out because they are a “new” food. Some guys like Robb Wolf and CrossFit Endurance (CF with an endurance slant) are into Yams and Sweet Potatoes, particularly after workouts due to the high GI carbs.
Grains – All grains are out with Paleo. This includes wheat, rice, corn, quinoa, etc.
Dairy – This is a grey area. Some strictly oppose it’s inclusion and others are huge advocates of Raw dairy from grassfed cows (Weston A Price and his camp most notably). There are also others that recommend goat dairy rather than cow due to its less allergenic proteins. Jordan Rubin (The Maker’s Diet) is a major advocate. Personally, I eat goat yogurt and kefir daily and do very well on it. In general, cultured dairy (yogurt, kefir) is more digestible and less allergenic than the plain milk product. Obviously, stuff like whey protein is out on two counts: 1) it’s from milk 2) it’s highly processed.
Supplements – Most Paleo guys aren’t big on supplements. I’m in this camp for the most part but I am cool with GOOD supplements that serve a real purpose. The reasoning is that our bodies are hugely powerful and intelligent when given good food, low stress, sleep and a proper lifestyle. A BIG supplement in Paleo is Fish Oil. Robb Wolf recommends 20-30g of EPA/DHA total. I do about 6 Tbsp daily of fish oil and an additional Tbsp or two of Cod Liver Oil. There is a difference because of Vitamins A, D and K which are higher in Cod Liver. Robb did a great post about the difference and the Vit A, D and K thing.
I think that’s about it for the nuts and bolts of Paleo. What I’d like to throw out there is some mention of digestive problems and food allergies or intolerance. I’ve had more than my share of both (that’s how I came to this diet in the first place) and have found that the non-Paleo foods are the offenders. Milk and gluten allergies are the most prevalent in the world and I’d respectfully challenge anyone reading this to take a HARD look at what they’re eating and how they’re feeling in relation to when and how they eat and see if they can find patterns of not feeling well after grains, sugar, conventional dairy, processed food, etc. The rabbit hole goes deep…
Paleo also includes what’s called “Intermittent Fasting.” This will be hard for bodybuilder/powerlifting types to get into mentally. It was for me at the beginning due to the “never be hungry” thinking. But short fasts are very healthy and have some really good metabolic effects. Ori Hofmekler’s Warrior Diet goes into this extensively.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
When you see one of our military, remember their sacrifice for you!
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The 30 American service members –most of them elite Navy SEALs –who died when their helicopter was shot down had rushed to help Army Rangers who had come under fire, two U.S. officials said Sunday.
The heavy loss shows that covert tactics carry huge risks despite the huge success of the SEAL mission that killed Osama bin Laden more than three months ago. Some of the SEALs who died Saturday were from the same unit that killed bin Laden, although none of the men took part in that mission.
The U.S.-led coalition plans to rely more on special operations missions as it reduces the overall number of combat troops by the end of 2014.
This weekend, the rescue team had subdued attackers who had pinned down the Rangers and were departing in their Chinook helicopter when the aircraft was apparently hit, one of the officials said.
Thirty Americans and eight Afghans were killed in the crash, making it the deadliest single loss for U.S. forces in the decade-long war in Afghanistan. The Rangers, special operations forces who work regularly with the SEALs, secured the crash site in the Tangi Joy Zarin area of Wardak province, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Kabul, the other official said.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the event, as the investigation is still ongoing. The SEAL mission was first reported by CNN.
NATO was recovering the remains of the twin rotor Chinook helicopter. A current and a former U.S. official said the Americans included 22 SEALs, three Air Force combat controllers and a dog handler and his dog. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because military officials were still notifying the families of the dead.
Eight Taliban fighters were also killed in the battle, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.
Afghanistan has more U.S. special operations troops, about 10,000, than any other theater of war. The forces, often joined by Afghan troops, are among the most effective weapons in the coalition's arsenal, conducting surveillance, infiltration and capture missions and night raids.
From April to July this year, 2,832 special operations raids captured 2,941 insurgents and killed 834, twice as many as during the same time period last year, according to NATO.
SEALs, Rangers, and other special operations troops are expected to be the vanguard of the American military effort in Afghanistan as international military forces start pulling out. By the time combat troops plan to have left the country, the coalition will have handed control of security to the Afghan forces they have spent tens of billions of dollars arming and training.
Special operations troops are expected to remain in the country after 2014 for counterterrorism missions and advisory support. Just how many will remain has not yet been negotiated with the Afghan government, but the United States is considering from 5,000 to 20,000, far fewer than the 100,000 U.S. troops there now.
Special forces are frequently used to target insurgent commanders as part of an effort to force the Taliban's leadership to agree to a negotiated peace. The operations, mostly in the form of night raids, are often carried out by Afghan and coalition special operations forces.
Night raids have drawn criticism from human rights activists and infuriated Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who says they anger and alienate the Afghan population.
But NATO commanders have said the raids are safer for civilians than relatively imprecise airstrikes.
As U.S. forces removed the wreckage Sunday, nearby Afghan and NATO forces battled insurgents as they carried out clearing operations in the areas around the crash site, a region that is just a stone's throw from the capital. The province, which borders Kabul, has increasingly come under Taliban control in recent months – even as the U.S.-led coalition has begun handing over security for parts of Afghanistan over to the government of President Hamid Karzai.
"There have been a small number of limited engagements in the same district" as Saturday's helicopter crash, NATO said in a statement. "However those clashes have not been in the direct vicinity of the crash site. As of now, we have no reporting to indicate any coalition casualties resulting from these engagements."
___
Associated Press Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier contributed to this story from Washington
The heavy loss shows that covert tactics carry huge risks despite the huge success of the SEAL mission that killed Osama bin Laden more than three months ago. Some of the SEALs who died Saturday were from the same unit that killed bin Laden, although none of the men took part in that mission.
The U.S.-led coalition plans to rely more on special operations missions as it reduces the overall number of combat troops by the end of 2014.
This weekend, the rescue team had subdued attackers who had pinned down the Rangers and were departing in their Chinook helicopter when the aircraft was apparently hit, one of the officials said.
Thirty Americans and eight Afghans were killed in the crash, making it the deadliest single loss for U.S. forces in the decade-long war in Afghanistan. The Rangers, special operations forces who work regularly with the SEALs, secured the crash site in the Tangi Joy Zarin area of Wardak province, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Kabul, the other official said.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the event, as the investigation is still ongoing. The SEAL mission was first reported by CNN.
NATO was recovering the remains of the twin rotor Chinook helicopter. A current and a former U.S. official said the Americans included 22 SEALs, three Air Force combat controllers and a dog handler and his dog. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because military officials were still notifying the families of the dead.
Eight Taliban fighters were also killed in the battle, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.
Afghanistan has more U.S. special operations troops, about 10,000, than any other theater of war. The forces, often joined by Afghan troops, are among the most effective weapons in the coalition's arsenal, conducting surveillance, infiltration and capture missions and night raids.
From April to July this year, 2,832 special operations raids captured 2,941 insurgents and killed 834, twice as many as during the same time period last year, according to NATO.
SEALs, Rangers, and other special operations troops are expected to be the vanguard of the American military effort in Afghanistan as international military forces start pulling out. By the time combat troops plan to have left the country, the coalition will have handed control of security to the Afghan forces they have spent tens of billions of dollars arming and training.
Special operations troops are expected to remain in the country after 2014 for counterterrorism missions and advisory support. Just how many will remain has not yet been negotiated with the Afghan government, but the United States is considering from 5,000 to 20,000, far fewer than the 100,000 U.S. troops there now.
Special forces are frequently used to target insurgent commanders as part of an effort to force the Taliban's leadership to agree to a negotiated peace. The operations, mostly in the form of night raids, are often carried out by Afghan and coalition special operations forces.
Night raids have drawn criticism from human rights activists and infuriated Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who says they anger and alienate the Afghan population.
But NATO commanders have said the raids are safer for civilians than relatively imprecise airstrikes.
As U.S. forces removed the wreckage Sunday, nearby Afghan and NATO forces battled insurgents as they carried out clearing operations in the areas around the crash site, a region that is just a stone's throw from the capital. The province, which borders Kabul, has increasingly come under Taliban control in recent months – even as the U.S.-led coalition has begun handing over security for parts of Afghanistan over to the government of President Hamid Karzai.
"There have been a small number of limited engagements in the same district" as Saturday's helicopter crash, NATO said in a statement. "However those clashes have not been in the direct vicinity of the crash site. As of now, we have no reporting to indicate any coalition casualties resulting from these engagements."
___
Associated Press Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier contributed to this story from Washington
Saturday 6, August 2011
As we say good bye to Dan, leaving for his next chapter in life - Army Special Forces, we recieve news of a tragedy beyond all other including our elite military.
Dan, I am a better person for having the opportunity to know and share even a small part of my life with you. The things I learned about you up until the day you left still intrigued and shocked me.
If I would of known a few months ago that one faithful question, and one honest answer would of resulted in your leaving the BBCF family, if even for a short while may of been different.
GOOD LUCK DAN, PLEASE PLEASE BE SAFE AND KNOW WHAT A BETTER PLACE YOU MAKE EVERY WHERE YOU GO!
Metcon:
1 mile run
21-15-9-6-3
Row for calories
Sledge hammer swings
Power cleans 45kg
Pull ups
OHS 45kg
Burpees
1 mile run
DAN I'M POSTING THE PIC TOO!!!! My phone is being stubborn.
Dan, I am a better person for having the opportunity to know and share even a small part of my life with you. The things I learned about you up until the day you left still intrigued and shocked me.
If I would of known a few months ago that one faithful question, and one honest answer would of resulted in your leaving the BBCF family, if even for a short while may of been different.
GOOD LUCK DAN, PLEASE PLEASE BE SAFE AND KNOW WHAT A BETTER PLACE YOU MAKE EVERY WHERE YOU GO!
Metcon:
1 mile run
21-15-9-6-3
Row for calories
Sledge hammer swings
Power cleans 45kg
Pull ups
OHS 45kg
Burpees
1 mile run
DAN I'M POSTING THE PIC TOO!!!! My phone is being stubborn.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Friday 5, August 2011
Friday, first weekend of August, that is crazy!
Dare I say we could be to October before we know it?!?!
Strength:
Clean and jerk
2+1 - 2+1 - 2+1 - 2+1 - 2+1
Metcon:
4x
20 overhead walking lunges right arm
20 overhead walking lunges left arm
200m waiter carry
Max rep pull ups
*heaviest dumbbell/kettlebell possible
Dare I say we could be to October before we know it?!?!
Strength:
Clean and jerk
2+1 - 2+1 - 2+1 - 2+1 - 2+1
Metcon:
4x
20 overhead walking lunges right arm
20 overhead walking lunges left arm
200m waiter carry
Max rep pull ups
*heaviest dumbbell/kettlebell possible
Thursday 4, August 2011
Strength:
Over head squats
3-3-3-3-3
Snatch
3-3-3-3-3 technique
Or
1-1-1-1-1-1-1 heavy
Metcon:
5x
7 deadlifts 142.5/120kg
21 double unders (63 singles)
Over head squats
3-3-3-3-3
Snatch
3-3-3-3-3 technique
Or
1-1-1-1-1-1-1 heavy
Metcon:
5x
7 deadlifts 142.5/120kg
21 double unders (63 singles)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday 3, August 2011
Strength:
Bench press
3-3-3-3-3
Max rep dips 3x
Metcon:
Fat Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters 60/40kg
Weighted pull ups 40/20lbs
Bench press
3-3-3-3-3
Max rep dips 3x
Metcon:
Fat Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters 60/40kg
Weighted pull ups 40/20lbs
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday 1, August 2011
It's a sad and exciting week for BBCF.
This week we loose a few family memebers in pursuit of their dreams to defend this great country for you and I's freedom.
Thank you Melany, you are an amazing woman, I love and will miss you greatly!
Strength:
Back squats
3-3-3-3-3
Strict press
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
5x
10 squats
20 push ups
30 GHD situps
400m run
This week we loose a few family memebers in pursuit of their dreams to defend this great country for you and I's freedom.
Thank you Melany, you are an amazing woman, I love and will miss you greatly!
Strength:
Back squats
3-3-3-3-3
Strict press
3-3-3-3-3
Metcon:
5x
10 squats
20 push ups
30 GHD situps
400m run
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