September 5th, 2009, by Bill · 10 Comments
The Garth Show does the unthinkable last Friday night at Snug Harbor. Contrary to what others may tell you, Brittany's birthday dinner is NOT sufficient justification for joining the masses in their Filthy Grain Eating habits!
**Disclaimer** No grains were consumed during the taking of this photo.
September 1st, 2009, by Jennie · 14 Comments
Here's the deal; we all know that the ultimate goal of CrossFit and proper nutrition is health and longevity, right? Right. But what about the amazing beach body? What about the ripped Bill Yundt abs? What about the Severson shoulders? The Jansen Legs?
WE ALL WANT THAT STUFF TOO.
And you know what, that's ok. I'm going to come out and say that it's OK for you to come to the Fort and bust your tail because you want to look sexy. I don't care WHERE you find your motivation to keep coming, as long as I get to see your smiling faces a few times a week. Watching you succeed is my therapy. It's the best part of EVERY DAY for me. And in order to amplify my own pleasure, I am throwing out this to you guys:
The CrossFit Fire 60 Day Better Body Challenge.
This is a simple challenge. Whoever makes the most dramatic improvements to their physique by October 31st, 2009 wins. I don't care how much weight you lose...that's not what this is about. This is about looking SEXY. We will measure and take pictures of you, and pictures will be posted on the 60 day challenge contestants page for everyone to see. Men will be photographed without their shirt in a pair of gym shorts, and ladies will be photographed in shorts and a sports bra. Now, this might send you running for the hills. "I don't want people to see me in my bra". Tough beans. It's a requirement for this challenge. Plus, it's the ultimate motivation. Not too long ago I posted pictures of myself on the CrossFit discussion boards. Over 30,000 people saw me in my bikini with my bra fat hanging out, and not a SINGLE PERSON had anything negative to say. Remember that our audience is a group of CrossFitters, and we all love you. You can do this.
In order to make this a serious challenge, there has to be prizes. Anyone can participate, but if you want a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE, you're gonna have to pay to play. The entry fee will be $40 for those who want to be eligible for the prizes. Winner takes all! The total cash value of the challenge will be dictated by how many participants we have (obviously). In addition to the moolah, the winner will take home a FREE TSHIRT! Oooh....now it's getting SERIOUS!
How will the winner be decided? Easy. We're going to vote. After the final pictures have been uploaded on October 31st, the CrossFit Fire staff will determine the champion. If you'd like to write us letters and try to bribe us to choose the person you feel most worthy, please feel free.
Sounds easy, right? This is a very simple challenge, but it will be without a doubt one of the hardest things you'll have to do. We would like each contestant to blog about what they are eating, and how many days a week they're coming to the Fort. Your blog will be linked on the contestants page for all the world to see.
Who's going to be the first to sign up? In order to participate, you must be measured and photographed prior to September 8th.
August 28th, 2009, by Bill · 3 Comments
August 23rd, 2009, by Bill · 4 Comments
If you go to your doctor for an annual check-up it is more than likely that a blood sample will be drawn so that your Total Cholesterol, HDL, and Triglyceride levels can be checked. From these results, your LDL level will be calculated. This won't tell you much about your health though. As we already discussed, your lipid panel can give some insight, but additional testing will be needed to truly determine if you are at risk.
Here are a handful of tests that will tell you if your current lifestyle is healthy:
Be prepared for a fight if you request additional blood tests. Most doctors will question why you want these additional tests performed on your blood and may even refuse to do so. They like to argue that they only test when symptoms are present. I would recommend finding a new doctor as your health counts on it. It is an absolute shame that the majority of general practitioners don't take preventative medicine seriously. Having the above tests done on a regular basis (annually?) could give you a heads up long before anything becomes a life threatening problem, potentially saving the insurance companies millions of dollars down the road.
August 22nd, 2009, by Bill · Comments Off
There is research proving that the sugar we eat weakens the ability of our white blood cells to destroy bacteria. Studies have shown that if a person eats no sugar for 12 hours, each white blood cell can destroy an average of 14 bacteria. However, as sugar consumption increases, the white blood cells' effectiveness decreases. The take home message: Eat sugar and you severely compromise your body's ability to fight infection. Check out the data:
In 1973, a different study was performed to check the effects of a range of sugars on our immune system. After an overnight fast, people were fed 100 grams of a specific sugar or starch. The effectiveness of their white blood cells at destroying bacteria and other micro organisms was then tested. It was discovered that starch, as well as sugars, decreased this effectiveness by up to almost 50% and required more than 5 hours to return to normal strength. Here is a list of the sugars used and the resulting decline in effectiveness:
As you can clearly see, it is fair to say that anyone who eats carbohydrates throughout the day, could lose up to half of their immunity to disease.
August 21st, 2009, by Bill · Comments Off
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oOsLOotrRw[/youtube]
Agriculture--its foods, its civilizations--is the end of the world. There is no peace in the warfare that agriculture demands, no justice in the slavery it requires, no life in the bare, salted rock it leaves behind. And there is nowhere else to go. These are our choices, as bare as that dead rock: accept our place as animals, a place both humble and wild, or impose ourselves and our food across our living home of land and sea and sky until the planet dies.
The Vegetarian Myth
by Lierre Keith
I have not yet had the opportunity to read this book, but I have heard nothing but great things about it. Here is what Dr. Eades had to say about this book on his blog:
But I can tell you that Lierre Keith’s book is beyond fantastic. It is easily the best book I’ve read since Mistakes Were Made, maybe even better. Everyone should read this book, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. If you’re a radical feminist, you should read this book; if you’re a male chauvinist, you should read this book; if you have children, especially female children, you should read this book; if you are a young woman (or man) you should read this book; if you love animals, you should read this book; if you hate vegetarians, you should read this book; if you are contemplating the vegetarian way of life, you should definitely read this book; if you have a vegetarian friend or family member, you should this book and so should your friend. As MD said after she read it, “everyone who eats should read this book.”
My copy should arrive sometime next week and I am looking forward to reading it. Based on what I have read of it so far, I would urge the rest of you to do the same.
August 20th, 2009, by Bill · 8 Comments
Some of you have recently seen your doctor and had a basic lipid profile done. After getting your results and reading my explanation of them, some of you are now looking to improve on your already solid scores. Let's start with your HDL and see how you can go about trying to get into the triple digits:
Show us your lipids!
Submit your blood work to me so that I can share your wonderful results with everyone who reads the blog. If you have numbers from before CrossFit/Paleo feel free to include those too. Thanks!
February Ramp-Up
February 6, 2012
14th Annual Chicago Indoor Rowing Championships
February 25, 2012
March Ramp-Up
March 12, 2012
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