Fruit – How Much Is Too Much?

50 grams of fructose may be too  much.

That’s what researchers from the University of Florida recommend in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article “How safe is fructose for persons with or without diabetes?”  After analyzing the results of several studies involving the consumption of fructose and its metabolic effects, these researchers concluded “…obesity and diabetes rates were low when totalfructose intake was in the range of 25–40 g/d.”

Fruit juice is even more efficient at making us fat as reported recently  in the Science Daily in Fructose-Sweetened Drinks Increase Nonfasting Triglycerides In Obese Adults.  Similar findings were also reported in  The Journal of Clinical Investigation in “Consuming Fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans”.

All of these studies confirm what we’ve already known instinctively – don’t “over-do”  fruit.   Bottom line (no pun-intended): if you’re trying to lose weight or stubborn fat around your middle, it’s a good idea to keep your fructose consumption low.   There are some who would even recommend your total fructose intake be as low as 25 to 15 grams a day! Read More

CrossFit For “Loners”

Lately, I’m amazed at the number of questions I’ve been getting in regards to “CrossFit”.  Two years ago, I knew very few people who understood “constantly varied, functional movements, executed at high intensity”.  In fact, I spent most of my time defending my unorthodox workouts to baffled onlookers in my local globo-gym.  But these days, it’s quite different.  CrossFit (CF) is everywhere and growing:  two local affiliates, numerous new CF certified trainers in town, weekly stories shared at local events of individuals doing these “crazy workouts” and getting great results.  I guess it’s for these reasons I’m now frequently asked “How do I get started?”

Guess you could say there are 3 typical ways one becomes a “CrossFitter”; the individual who prefers to workout one-on-one with a certified CF trainer: the individual who would rather exercise with others, meeting at a local CF affiliate to do the WOD (workout-of-the-day) together as a class; and last, there are folks much like me, who really want to do CF on their own in a local or home gym.  As George Thorogood says “I prefer to be by myself”.   This blog post is mainly for the CF “loners” who want to get started in CF but have no idea where to begin.

My first disclaimer before this conversation goes any further involves the responsibility inherent in choosing to “do CrossFit on your own”.  You are responsible for studying copious amounts of information in order to clearly understand the CF philosophy, concepts, and exercises.  You are equally responsible for actively searching for guidance and hands-on instruction by either training with a certified CF trainer or by participating in CF certificate courses and/or speciality seminars. You must have a clear understanding of how to execute the CF method and exercises correctly.  Why?  Because you can get hurt.  Dr. Ray of CrossFit Flagstaff, spoke at the CF Science of Exercise Certification in Texas and described the similarities between CF and prescription drugs.  You need to know what you’re ‘prescribing’: the right dose can be very beneficial; the incorrect dose can be dangerous, if not deadly (see The Truth about Rabdo).   That said…

CrossFit in 5 Easy Steps

Step One

The Crossfit Journal publishes articles and videos daily on all matters pertaining to CrossFit.  Of the thousands of articles included in this journal, I usually recommend the following two articles to newcomers interested in CF:

• The CrossFit Startup Guide:  Part 1
• The CrossFit Startup Guide:  Part 2 Read More

Paleokits & Paleo Krunch on the “A.T.”

Wanna “lean up”?  Try hikin’ the Appalachian Trail!

I recently spent a couple of days hiking the Appalachian Trail (the “AT”) with my youngest son and a few friends.  My biggest concern (in addition to the weight of my pack) was how to keep my diet clean by continuing to follow the paleo diet while on the trail.  Most experienced hikers suggested oatmeal for breakfast and ramen noodles, Knorr pasta products or even worse, dehydrated meals for dinner.   Although hikers swear by dehydrated meals claiming they are quite tasty, I was horrified to actually read the number of anti-nutrients listed on each package.  Steve – “the original journey man” resolved my desire to eat healthy and pack light by providing  “Paleokits” and “Paleo Krunch” products!

Each morning I started my day with “Paleo Krunch”, a grainless granola consisting of coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and honey.  A calorie dense product that provided much needed energy for the long hike ahead.  Breakfast literally became my favorite meal of the day!

For snacks, lunch and dinner I survived on Paleokits – small vacuum-packed portions of grass-fed beef jerky, macadamias, almonds, pecans and some dried berries.   I also supplemented this with different dried fruits each day to spice up my meals and avoid getting tired of eating the same food day in and day out.

These products are not just for the trail – I ate aPaleokit for breakfast as I typed out this blog post!  And one more added bonus?  Profits made from the purchase of these products go directly to “Steve’s Club” – a national non-profit organization bringing CrossFit to underserved or at-risk youth populations.  Check out Steve’s Club website here.

Steve’s Original Website for purchasing Paleo Friendly Products can be found by following this link.

Happy Trails!