To say that it is rare to find good quality information regarding nutrition and performance in the mainstream media would be an understatement, add in the fact that the author is from Men’s Health, and you can usually bet that there is an agenda.  Imagine my surprise when my wife sent me this article posted on Yahoo! yesterday, written by the Editor-In-Chief of Men’s Health:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/truth-about-your-food

File this one as one more reason to go Paleo.

-Ryan

After a month of hard work and clean eating, the final votes for our Spring LEANing Paleo challenge are in, and we have winners!  Before revealing the winners, I want to tell everyone how proud of you I am.  Outside of the winners, we had multiple who lost 10 or more lbs, including Niki Vasquez, losing over 16lbs. and Martin Armstrong losing over 20lbs!  Great job everyone, I hope to see you all keeping up with your new Paleo lifestyle.  If I can be of any help in keeping you on track, let me know how to help you.

On to the big announcement:  In the Men’s category, Brian Becker has won by a landslide, and on the women’s side it came down to a tie between Lori Barolo, and Mia Buehler.  The three winners will split the grand prize money, as well as receive a free month of training here at Wine Country CrossFit.  Congratulations!

Schedule Announcement:  No Classes On Monday May 31

In celebration of Memorial day, there will be no classes held at Wine Country CrossFit on Monday, May 31.  I hope everyone has a fun filled long weekend!

-Ryan

Thank you to Stephen from the 6pm class for sending me this great Paleo chip recipe!

Need something to put your guacamole on?  Hankering for the tortilla chips you haven’t had for a few weeks?  Give these a try, I think they’re a pretty darn good replacement.

Note: when I made these this afternoon, I didn’t roll them thin enough.  The edges came out great, but the center was a bit soft.  Be sure to roll them out really thin.

Caveman Almond Crackers

Grand Opening!

Don’t forget we have our official Grand Opening this weekend.  Come on by the gym from 3-6pm for a workout, food and fun.  This grand opening is open to the general public, so please bring along any of your friends or family that might be interested in CrossFit.  Schedule of events:

• 3:15 – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony by City of Napa
• 3:30 – CrossFit Kids Workout
• 4:00 CrossFit Workout for Teens and Adults

Food and drink will be provided.  Hope to see everyone there!

-Ryan

Yet another big thanks to Beth’s good friend Dave who keeps us well stocked on great Paleo recipe’s.  Today he has sent us “Taco-less Tacos”.  So you love mexican food, but aren’t sure what to do without tortillas?  Here’s an idea:

TACO LESS TACOS

WE ARE USING ROMAIN HEART LEAVES.
VERY GOOD FOR JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF “HOLD YOUR STUFF” HAND FOOD.

INGREDIENTS-
SOME ROMAIN LEAVES..NICE AND TACO SHAPED ALREADY AND DURABLE.
COOKED MEAT BITS.
ANY GRILLED STEAK. POULTRY OR SEAFOOD. GRILLED HAS MORE CHARACTER FOR THIS. BUT ANY COOKED-IN ANY WAY ITEM IS GOOD HERE. IT CAN BE TOTAL VEGETABLE FILLED BLISS IF YOU WANT.
GREEN ONIONS-HERBS-GARLIC..FLAVOR!..ADD FLAVOR WITH ABANDON!
SOME FUN STUFF…CHERRY TOMATOES-NUTS-SEEDS.
YOUR FAVORITE CHEESE STUCK IN..we wont tell!
EGG ITEMS WORK WELL TOO.
YOU CAN EVEN HAVE EGGS AND MEAT FOR BREAKFAST IN A LEAF OF DELICIOUS ROMAINE LETTUCE.
SO YOU GET THE IDEA..TAKE THE ROMAINE LETTUCE .
I FIND IT IS A VERY SATISFACTORY REPLACEMENT FOR BREAD.

So I know you are all scrolling down to this point after skimming the top thinking “Did he really say Paleo dessert?”  Oh yeah I said Paleo dessert!  As I am hoping each of you who are participating in the Paleo Challenge are finding, eating well and eating for your best performance and weightloss doesn’t mean you have to hate what you eat. 

My wife brought home something fantastic from Whole Foods the other day: Coconut Oil.  I am still pretty new to this stuff, so I am navigating my way around what might taste good cooked in it, but I will say that everything I have tried has been fantastic.  I cooked eggs over easy in it this morning and found out that even eggs are great with a hint of coconut.  You’ll want to get the Organic, Virgin classified coconut oil (there are multiple grades of the stuff, this is the highest quality, least processed, and has a fantastic smell)

As for a very simple, very delicious dessert.  Take some of that coconut oil from above and drizzle it over fresh berries (I use strawberries, you can dip them in if you prefer).  Coconut Oil is solid in state when kept below 76 degrees farenheit, which means in Napa in your pantry right now it would be solid.  Come Summertime, it might be a different story.  One way or the other, to get it to convert to liquid, you’ll need to heat it a little bit.  I put a spoonful or two into a small pan and heated it over low for 30 seconds or so.  The coconut oil melts much quicker than butter and is completely clear.  If you pour this over very cold or frozen berries it even has a “magic shell” (the ice cream topping from back before your Paleo days) effect of returning to its solid state.

Give this a try and let me know what you think.

-Ryan

After the spring LEANing lecture, a few people were asking me more about fish oil, and which one to get.  I took a picture of the bottle that I get from Costco.  Before taking fish oil, I did quite a bit of research into the qualities of fish oil as well as how different brands handled those properties (toxins, purity, etc.) along with that I looked at price (you can spend a small fortune on this stuff once you start taking it in high dose).  As you may recall, in a recent blog post I linked to whole 9 life at their site, you will find a calculator for fish oil.  Don’t be surprised when you see that their recommendation is 8-10x higher than the recommended dose on the bottle.  We want to be sure we get plenty of fish oil to boost the omega 3 fatty acids in our body to balance out all of the omega 6s that we invariably eat.  Along with that, you will find that high dose fish oil will reduce inflammation, reduce your soreness from workouts, and speed your weight loss.  For me, I take 8 of those Kirkland capsules a day.  I have experimented with it quite a bit, and for me, any higher and my blood gets to be a bit too thin (I notice that I cut myself shaving more often, and it bled for longer).  Give it a try and see how your body responds.  As always, if you are on any medications, please check with your doctor before starting any kind of diet supplementation.

If you have any questions about fish oil or want to learn more before starting, please don’t hesitate to talk to any of the coaches.  We are all fish oil addicts.

Finally, we will be holding one final Spring LEANing lecture this coming Thursday at 10am.  If you have not come to a lecture yet, and even have the slightest curiosity about what this Paleo thing is all about, please come on down.  This will be an abbreviated session.  We will try to keep it to 1/2 an hour or so.  Anyone who has already attended a lecture is more than welcome to join in for more info as well.

-Ryan

ryan@wccrossfit.com

In a previous post, I added a link to a blog called Everyday Paleo.  I am excited to announce that thanks to her transformation based on CrossFit and the Paleo Diet, Sarah Fragoso the author, will be appearing on the cover of the April 26th issue of Woman’s World magazine.  In the issue, they will be covering the Paleo diet and the waves it is making in the health and fitness world.  On top of this announcement, in the same post you will find a great breakfast alternative magazine.  Check it out:

Little ‘ol Me In Woman’s World Magazine

Shoot, it’s almost like this stuff works!

While you guys are there, check out Sarah’s Egg Cupcake Recipe.  I make them a little differently, but this goes to show that you can throw in all of your favorites, mix and match as you like.

A big congratulations to Sarah after all of her hard work!

For the Saturday crew, you have been practicing the Paleo diet for a couple of days now.  How is it going?  Post your thoughts to the comments.

Don’t Forget Spring LEANing Seminar Monday Night at 7pm

If you didn’t make it to our informational seminar on the Paleo diet on Saturday, don’t worry, you have another chance!  Come on down to the box at 7pm tonight (Monday).  Even if you did make the Saturday meeting, if you have more questions, or need more clarification, please feel free to join us again.  If you have time, come early and join in on the 6pm class while you are there.  We look forward to seeing everyone there.

As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me: ryan@wccrossfit.com.

-Ryan

Hey Guys,

Our Paleo “Spring Leaning” Challenge is less than a week away!  With that in mind Lauren Pesch from the 6pm class came up with a great idea that we can share some of our favorite Paleo recipes here on the blog.  I have quite a few Paleo recipes that I really like, but I will need your help with this.  If you have a Paleo recipe that you are willing to share with the group, please email it to me: ryan@wccrossfit.com, and I will get it up here so that everyone else can give it a try.  If you have a picture of the finished dish, all the better.

Lauren said she would kick us off with a great Zucchini soup recipe that she just made, so here you go:

Zucchini Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 bacon strips, minced (I used pancetta)
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium zucchini, diced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons tarragon or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until the fat is released and the bacon bits are crisp (6-8 minutes).  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook stirring frequently, until the onions are a light golden brown (8-10 minutes).  Add the zucchini, cover the pot, and cook until the zucchini starts to become translucent (5 minutes).   Add the broth, tomatoes, tomato puree, and vinegar.  Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender and the soup has developed a good flavor (15-20 minutes).  Add the basil to the soup and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

A big thanks to Lauren for the great idea and first recipe!  I can’t wait to try it.

If you are still a bit apprehensive about the Spring Leaning Paleo challenge, don’t get too worried over it.  Remember, we have a 1 hour informational kickoff lecture this coming Saturday at 10am.  All of your questions will be answered there.  In the meantime, our friends at CrossFit Santa Clara have a fantastic blog devoted to their Paleo challenge.  I would highly recommend that you check this out post by post, beginning to end.

Another great source for information regarding Paleo is the book that started it all “The Paleo Diet” by Dr. Loren Cordain.  This book lays out the plan in very simple terms, with a full explanation as to why it works and the seemingly miraculous cures that a proper diet can make for folks with health problems.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me: ryan@wccrossfit.com

-Ryan

So you’ve heard Beth and I ramble on about this “Paleo” diet challenge coming up, and maybe even thought about giving it a try, but maybe you thought it would be too hard to make the change, or maybe you just couldn’t fit it into your hectic lifestyle.  I am here today to tell you that YOU CAN MAKE IT WORK.  With a little preparation, it is very simple to make the switch to eating foods that will better fuel you for your workouts, generally make you feel and function better through the day, and make any excess body fat melt off your body.  For the last year, while holding a full time job, and getting Wine Country CrossFit off the ground, I have consistently eaten Paleo, or Zone/Paleo (Paleo which is weighed and measured to precise proportions).  I am not some special case who has eaten well his whole life, I made a switch and saw enough gain to stick with it.  Sure, there have been stumbles along the way, and a few extra “cheat days” here and there, but I don’t beat myself up over that, I get up the next morning and make myself a good Paleo breakfast and get back on the horse.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Greens from Everyday Paleo

I have a few favorite websites that I would encourage everyone to take a look at for some great ideas of how Paleo works, and how to make it a part of your daily life.  I’ll be posting them one or two at a time here in the upcoming blogs, so keep an eye out for them.

The first one I will throw your way is Everyday Paleo .  This is a blog written by a great CrossFit trainer up in Chico (She is actually who trains me when I go there to visit my family from time to time) which details the Paleo meals that she prepares for her family on a day to day basis.  It is a great way to get ideas for the age old question “What is for dinner tonight?”.

Tuesday and Thursday 6am Where You At?

I know I have blogged about this before, but attendance is really weak in the Tuesday and Thursday 6am classes.  If you are looking for a way to get some more attention, or the other classes are feeling a bit crowded, please come check out the bleary eyed coaches at 6am.  We are considering canceling classes if things don’t pick up.  We don’t want that and we know you don’t either, so come keep us company in mornings!

Post your thoughts and musings to the comments!  I want to hear from you.  What do you think about this Paleo stuff?

Oh man, I almost forgot today is P.R. Thursday!  Let’s hear about your P.R.’s for the week!  How’d that CrossFit Total go?  How about Fran, Annie, or Fight Gone Bad?  We had a lot of benchmarks in the last week, I want to hear some P.R.s!

-Ryan

I’d like to introduce a concept to you guys today called the 1/23 principal.  Very simply the 1/23 principal states:  You have 1 hour a day in the gym, and 23 hours a day to make the most of, or potentially ruin the work you have done in the gym.  Let’s make sure we aren’t sabotaging ourselves over the 23 hours a day we spend outside of the gym.  How can we be sure we are doing this?  In a few very key ways:

1:  Get your diet straight!  Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little

I vote that Apple Fritters should be honorary Paleo food!

starch, and no sugar.  Sound familiar?  It should, it is the first sentence of “World Class Fitness in 100 Words” that I am always nagging you guys about at the end of class.

Nutrition will make up 60%+ of the gains that you can make toward your health and fitness goals.  Get moving toward the Paleo track and I assure you that you that you will start feeling and looking better, your WOD times will drop, and your loads lifted will increase.

2:  Drink plenty of water.  Water does so much for our bodies that it warrants its own topic.  Get at least a gallon a day.

3: SLEEP!  All of that hard work that we do in the gym breaks us down, and we need time to recover from the hard work that we are putting out.  If you are not getting 8+ hours of sleep per night, you are not allowing your body adequate rest time to recover.  I know we all get busy, but losing sleep is not the way to get more done.  Besides that, if you are sleepy and cloudy headed all day, how well are you going to work anyway?

Are you putting these steps to use on a daily basis?  Post me a reply telling me what you are doing to make the most of those other 23 hours a day when I am not seeing you.

A couple of announcements today:

Don’t forget, we will be having our first “Open House” workout this Saturday (4/3) at 10am.  Do you have trouble explaining what CrossFit is, and why it is so cool to your friends and family?  Now is your chance to bring them along and show them.  This is a free workout, open to the public, and all ability levels.

We will still have our regular 9am class on Saturday as well.  This class will have a more advanced workout than the 10am class.

Our nutritional challenge is coming up!  If you have been wondering how to make #1 from above work for you, now is the time!  We will have a kick-off lecture next Saturday (4/10) at 10am.  Here we will lay out the Paleo diet challenge for you, and give you all of the tools that you need to make your diet go to work for you, and your hectic schedule.

-Ryan

Been looking for a little more information on the Paleo diet?  A big thanks to CrossFit Santa Clara and their Nutrition Blog for turning me on to this video that summarizes Paleo and how it will work for you.  Let me know what you think of the video and post any questions you have to the comments!

As a reminder, this week marks the change in weekend class schedule.  There will no longer be a Sunday class.  We will now be holding class at 9am on Saturday.  Hope to see you all there.

New in April, we will be offering a class that is open to the public at 10am on the first Saturday of each month.  The first class will be April 3rd, so if you have  friends or family members who you think might enjoy CrossFit, gather them up and come on out for a fun, all levels and abilities workout.

-Ryan