"Don't pay a premium for 'not from concentrate' because you think it's a fresher product," Hamilton said. "If you're paying the premium for juice because you think it's better for you or think it's fresher, you're being misled."  Not to mention the sheer quantity of carbohydrates from various sugars!


Better choices for carbs.


This is an awesome new design for the treadmill, one that doesn't need a motor and rewards good running posture.


A funny review of The Paleo Solution from Mistress Krista, plus an interview.  

I, too, want to be a tough old broad. "In that magical, in-between space of thinking/not thinking, there is freedom. A focus that's pure. As my core tenses, my mind relaxes. And when it's really going right, I can't think about anything else, and I'm not really thinking about the barbell. I just am."  http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/2010/12/why-i-lift-heavy-things.html   More about Abbye.

Expensive pee.  "If you’re an average person in North America (and here I use the general “you”), the garbage you consume far outweighs any tiny potential benefit that a single vitamin/mineral supplement could hope to give you.  And seriously guys, vitamin water? C’mon."  Adult language.

Maybe the kids' near-Paleo diet with little grain is the reason they have not had any cavities lately.

Awesome site for old-school paleo nutrition info, from a CrossFit affiliate owner in Arizona.

This is what a quarter beef looks like!  We got it from Winsdor dairy last week.  It was 110 pounds of free-range, grass-fed, organic hippy beef at five dollars a pound.  It came with the best and cheapest steaks I've ever had.  Huge.  This is probably enough meat to feed me for about a month.   We divided it up evenly into three trays (boxes) which fit nicely into the chest freezer - some steaks, some roasts, and some ground beef in each box.  I wonder what happened to all the bones and innards?  We didn't get any of the odd things I was looking forward to - the tallow, the tongue, the liver, or the heart.  We did get a bunch of interesting roasts and some soup bones which the dog REALLY enjoyed.

A Few Notes

Why is it that we are expected to take our animals to the vet and have them put to sleep when they are sick and old, but if we do the same thing to grandma, the doctor goes to jail?  I said goodbye to my old friend today, my kitty.  She was the first animal I adopted and she was about 22.  She jumped up on the counter (silly thing) but she couldn't jump down and she hurt herself badly.  I think I took the easy way out, by not taking care of her at home through the end.  For a few days I cleaned her and held her up so she could drink water.   The children saw how sick she was and were able to say goodbye.  I could have let her die at home instead of taking her to the scary place with barking dogs.   But, I worried that she was suffering.  Now she doesn't have to wait.

CrossFit TwinFreaks at a powerlifting meet.  Plus some training vids. Plus a link to the Meet results.

We have been rowing a lot.  CoachD is racing at the local CRASH-B on Jan 29st, and it seems to be catching.  Maybe you will go, too!  I've been watching some technique videos and checking out the training advice on http://www.crossfitendurance.com/ .

It's that time of year again.  Time either to tan in a plastic tube or take vitamin D.

Some of us at TwinFreaks competed in CrossFit and at Powerlifting a few weeks ago.  I have noticed a change in the attitude at the gym.  We don't just workout, now we are training with a goal and a purpose in mind. It makes all the difference when that chocolate cake comes around or we just feel like staying in bed.
http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/competition_makes_the_world_go_round

A little bit here about the Tabata workout.

Basic self maintenance.

The case against gluten, with references.

More Links

This article on Talk to Me Johnnie is incredible.  Children can benefit from strength training to prevent injuries in sports and get a head start on their major strength gains in adolescence.  They can also use training in basic athletic skills, like coordination, kinesthetic awareness, and agility.  Girls do not have the advantage of testosterone to promote strength and thus must focus on it as they mature to avoid LOSING strength.  They must also give upper body strength extra attention - more than men!  Being weak and frail is not particularly attractive, and as long as girls keep off the steroids, they won't start to look like men. Talk to Me Johnnie


 “Appropriate strength-training programs have no apparent adverse effect on linear growth, growth plates, or the cardiovascular system.” Pediatrics


A new podcast from Robb Wolf.  Interesting if you like to geek out on the anti-inflammatory health-promoting diet that is the Paleo Solution or need to remind yourself  WHY YOU SHOULD STOP EATING CRAP THAT'S DAMAGING YOUR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE .  The basic out-of-the-box paleo diet removes the common allergens and gut irritants (and of course, gluten) while allowing you to replace those calories with calories from good fat, vegetables, and meat (eggs for vegetarians.)

Thanksgiving Day

Westside Barbell's program includes using 50% of your one-rep max on an exercise for a fast, powerful, dynamic effort.  They usually do this for 2 or 3 reps, have a brief rest, and do it again many times.  In CrossFit we ask you for maximum power output with NO REST over and over again. I know this also depends on other things, like aerobic capacity and localized muscular endurance, but work with me here. This is why I ask you to scale appropriately for the WOD.   I want to see your maximum power output.  I want to so you going as fast as you can with no standing around!  I want you to be awesome!  Intensity is your shortcut to progress.  http://www.againfaster.com/articles/zatsiorsky-scaling-and-power.html


We could play with the 20-rep squat program.  It's right up CrossFit's alley - mentally taxing and physically grueling.  http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/20_Rep_Squats

I am both proud and annoyed at this whole attempt to Paleo-ify Thanksgiving.  The family is getting on board with gluten-free.... but!   If all the pies and cakes were regular gluten-fests I could avoid all these refined carbs and just eat turkey and salad.  We're shoving our shiny new Paleo diet into the same old box with pies and sweet treats.  Maybe it's OK just for Thanksgiving, even Whole9 put up some Paleo-stuff recipes, however, they ARE pretty clean.  Their guide to "cheating."  http://whole9life.com/2010/11/eating-dirty-1/

Still reading Masterjohn's cholesterol blog.  The basics here. http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/index.html   Good stuff, even though it's taking me a while to get through it.  He went back to the 1930 studies where researchers gave rats fatty liver disease by adding a bunch of fat to their cereal diet.  They first tried it with 20% calories from casein - epic fail - no disease with any fat source.  So they reduced the casein in the diet to 5%.  Disease!  Also, cod liver oil and choline from egg yolks protect the liver.  http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/cholesterol-blog.html

We are able to keep people alive and minimally fertile with drugs and surgery = no adaptive pressure to evolve away from grain/legumes/dairy sensitivities. http://www.paleoplaybook.com/2010/10/revisiting-human-evolution-part-1.html

Cancer loves fructose and uses it to reproduce.

Lies, damned lies, and medical science

Time for me to start my own blog

This is where I am going to post up my thoughts on physical training and nutrition.  I have too many links for Facebook - I must be driving my cousins batty with all of the craziness.  

Just in time for Thanksgiving:  Say no to the Cake.  http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/1/13/smoking-candy-cigarettes.html
And from the same site, why I don't bother eating breakfast anymore.  It's called intermittent fasting - a lot of CrossFitters are into it - also comes in handy at the airport or visiting family. http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/5/18/there-are-no-essential-carbohydrates-even-for-athletes.html
Sing the praises of choline from raw egg yolks.  Very technical.  http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/cholesterol-blog.html
Paleo-people were not jerks. http://www.paleoplaybook.com/2010/10/hunted-gatherer-lucy-compassion-and.html
More awesome links everyday.  http://dccrossfit.com/

I'm in love with New York straightedge hardcore now, especially this band called H20.  I just got all of their albums and they are surprisingly melodic.  Makes me want to mosh AND sing.  My favorite is Underneath the Flames, they dedicated it to New York firemen.  Apparently they are vegans, poor uninformed souls.