How to color code your Food

ROD

Thursday, 15Apr10

  Tax deadline today!

Tabata Boxing

A timed 2 min of WORK at each station.  The last 30 seconds of each station everyone will do a abs exercisies called out by the trainer such as V’s, Planks, Bicycles, Leg raises, Crunches …… 

No rest between stations. …NO REST. We want 100% maximium effort from all the participants

• Log jumps
• B-A-G
• Medball Slams…..as fast as you can go (10lb)
• Umpas w/ Medball
• B-A-G
• Hit Mitt
• Mixed Push-ups  (5 reps & switch)
• B-A-G
• 1 arm DB Clean & Press  (5 reps each arm)
• Over-head Lunges  45lbs m/25lbs w

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Paleo-Challenge Begins Today April 15 through May 15 2010

Today marks day 1 of the Nxt Level Paleo Challenge. Those of you that wish to participate must login the comments and tell us that you are participating and a weekly progress report. 

The idea is behind this challenge is to encourage everyone to go strict paleo for 30 days straight, no cheats (planned or unplanned). What a “strict paleo” diet does or does not include can be debated on its subtler points (and we’re happy to answer those questions), but the basics you need to know are the following:

ENCOURAGED FOODS: meats (preferably grass-fed), poultry (preferably pastured), fresh fish & seafood (preferably wild), eggs (preferably pastured or at least omega-3 fortified), vegetables, fresh fruit (& limited dried fruit), nuts & seeds (preferably raw and unsalted). (The organic versions of these foods will allow you to avoid pesticide residue.)

FOODS TO EAT IN MODERATION: minimally processed oils & animal fats (e.g., olive, avocado, walnut, coconut, lard, beef tallow–be aware that some of these are not meant for high-heat cooking but should be used raw) black coffee, tea, wine, beer, spirits, dried fruits (no more than 2 oz./day), nuts mixed with dried & fresh fruits (no more than 4 oz. nuts & 2 oz. dried fruit).

FOODS TO AVOID: dairy (e.g., milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, whey protein powder), legumes (i.e., beans, lentils, chickpeas, soy & soy products, peanuts, green beans, peas), cereal grains & cereal grainlike seeds (e.g., corn, wheat, wheat germ, barley, oats, rye, rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth), starchy vegetables (e.g., starchy tubers, potatoes, sweet potatoes), salt-containing foods (e.g., commercial salad dressings & condiments), fatty meats, soft drinks & fruit juices, sweets (i.e., candy, honey, sugars [sucrose, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, agave nectar]), diet sodas, refined vegetable oils (especially corn, soy, & canola), foods containing artificial sweeteners, chemical food additives

OK, so the next question is, what are the rules of this challenge? Well, that’s kind of up to you. While I think you’ll get the most benefit from going strict for 30 days (you need at least that much time to notice the changes in how you look, feel, and perform), we’re not trying to exclude anyone from partaking in the challenge. So if you want to do “moo-paleo” (i.e., paleo plus dairy), we still want to hear from you. If you’re just cutting out grains, we want to know how it’s going. If you’re giving up dairy but still eating dessert, don’t be afraid to chime in. Some people thrive on a black-or-white approach, others need to baby-step their way into better eating strategies.

If you’re already paleo, what’s in this challenge for you? Plenty. When was the last time you tried a new type of meat or a new way of preparing a vegetable? Can you dial in your diet even further by shifting towards more grass-fed beef while cutting out the occasional lunch meat? Perhaps experiment with a low-carb or very-low-carb paleo approach to see if your energy levels change? Or play with your macronutrient ratios, a la the Zone and see what happens (whether weighing and measuring or simply eyeballing)? We want to hear from high-level paleo people such as yourself–you’ll serve as great inspiration to the paleo noobs, believe it or not.

So if you’re in, please declare your intentions in the comments on this post. Let us know if you’re going strict or partial, but decide what you’re going to do and stick to your guns!

Lastly, I’d like to encourage some real-world group activities during the month (and perhaps at the end of the 30 days to celebrate). I’ll leave that up to you guys to discuss in comments here and throughout the month via blog comments since so much of this challenge has been reader-driven. Thanks for being such an intelligent, curious, thoughtful community of folks.