Garon Kettlebell Training

Saltiest Foods In America

Here some of them and I will be adding more as I come across them. Feel free to add to my list so that others may benefit from your knowledge.

Thanks

4. The saltiest side-dish: Denny's smoked ham. One slice packs 1,700 mg of salt. At 85 calories per slice, that's a lot of sodium per calorie.
3. The saltiest "healthy" food: Chili's Guiltless Grilled Chicken Platter, with 2,780 mg of salt. Don't be fooled by terms like "guiltless." The calories and fat may be lower, but salt and sugar may be added to jack up the flavor.
2. The saltiest bread: Dunkin' Donuts Salt Bagel, with 4,520 mg. This should be a heads-up for those that have never thought about salt in bread products.
1. The saltiest dish in America: Macaroni Grill Chicken Portobello, with a whopping 7,300 mg. That's three times the recommended amount for a day!

Emeril's Lentil Salad with Braised Greens and Sunny Side Up Eggs

Emeril's Lentil Salad with Braised Greens and Sunny Side Up Eggs

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

     

            

                                       

                            Leigh Beisch/Getty Images

 

2 bunches Swiss chard
1 bunch beet greens
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 pound French lentils, rinsed well and picked over
6 cups Emeril's All Natural Vegetable Stock, homemade vegetable stock, or low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
3 ears sweet corn, roasted over and open flame, kernels removed
1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
2 lemons, juiced
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 to 8 large eggs, at room temperature

Wash the Swiss chard and beet greens well. Pat dry. Cut the ribs from the leaves, chop into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Cut the leaves into 1-inch strips and reserve separately.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, Swiss chard ribs and beet ribs, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaf, and the black pepper. Toss to coat lentils then add 6 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes. Take care not to overcook or lentils will become mushy. Set lentils aside to cool to lukewarm in the cooking liquid, then strain in a colander.

Reserve the cooking liquid for braising the greens.

Place the warm lentils in a bowl and add the sweet corn, the red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, lemon juice and the extra virgin olive oil. Toss well to combine and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set-aside until ready to serve.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the chard and beet greens, in batches, stirring between additions, until the greens wilt slightly. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1cup reserved stock. Continue to cook until greens are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

When ready to serve, cook the eggs.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and gently crack 4 of the eggs in the skillet. Season lightly with pepper to taste and cook, undisturbed, until the white is set, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan and repeat with the remaining eggs.

To Serve:
Serve the lentils in shallow bowls, topped with the wilted greens. Place egg on top of greens and garnish with diced red and yellow pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Drizzle with lemon juice to taste and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

IKFF Certification from Sherman Oaks, CA in July '08

Here is a pic of Steve Cotter and myself from the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation I attended last month.  Upon completion of the weekend I earned my IKFF Certified Kettlebell Trainer official certification.  The experience I had was amazing and because of it I'm working on hosting an IKFF cert in the beginning this coming year in Jan. or Feb.  I just need 6 or 7 folks who will attend and then Ken and Steve will post it officially on the IKFF website.  General details for their certs can be found there as well.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to be a part of it please let me know and I will add your name to the roster.  Thanks and keep on setting your own standard!

Intergalactic Interdenomiational Kettlebell Challenge

Brought to us by Catherine Imes of the American Kettlebell Club-

Events:

10 Min Snatch Set (SSST) - Unlimited switches set the bell down when you like, drop to the shoulder, whatever.
Immediately followed by:
10 Min LCC&J Set (UJT) - Unlimited switches set the bell down when you like

No rest between Events.

Categories. There are no defined categories.

Date:  Weekend of 12/6/2008

Place:  This will be a Cross World Meet. Several folks have already stepped up and said they would host this challenge at their gym or location. If you cannot attend one of the listed locations, that is fine. Video in that case would be nice.

If there is not an officially sanctioned location in the Phoenix area I will host this at the Gilbert Anytime Fitness. Cross streets are Lindsay and Pecos.

Guidelines:

Elite Men 32kg
Elite women 20kg

Men 24kg
Women 16kg

Beginners
Men 20kg, 16kg
Women 12kg, or even 8kg

You can mix and match. For example, if you aren't comfortable snatching the the 32kg, but want to do LCC&J with the 32kg you can use the 24kg snatches.

Judging:

Snatches must be overhead. No 10'oclock snatching. If you've seen Fuglevs 270 video, that's how fixed we want them.

LCC&J or Overhead anyhow. Must fix the weight overhead and should wait for the judges count. Jerk is not required, but if you push press, the arm must still be locked out. Belts, wrist wraps, and of course, chalk is allowed.

We also ask participants to please finish the last 15 seconds of the set. Don't quit or rest on the platform until it is over!

Special Awards:

Tazzy (Paul Tucker). Tazzy will be awarded to any man going the full 20 min without setting the bell down (32kg, or 24kg)

Lopa (Lorraine Patten). Lopa will be awarded to any woman going the full 20 min without setting the bell down (20kg or 16kg).

The exception is if you are changing bells at 10 min 32kg->24kg, ect. But, you cannot rest during this change. Know in advance that you are going to switch and have the bell sitting close to you.

Any questions, let me know or visit here: http://www.catherineimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=1

Chicken Causes Cancer

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a lawsuit to make California restaurants comply with a state law requiring businesses to warn consumers when their products contain a known carcinogen.

The definition of carcinogen is: any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer.  According to the FDA all cooked foods contain carcinogens.

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, passed by voters on a ballot initiative in 1986, helps keep toxic industrial pollution out of ground water, and also protects citizens' right to know when a cancer-causing agent is present in other edibles. One of these carcinogens, PhIP, forms when animal flesh is grilled at high temperatures. The most concentrated PhIP levels are found in cooked chicken, and PCRM maintains that the law must require restaurants to post "clear and reasonable warnings" on their food. President and chief executive of the California Restaurant Association Jot Condie says enforcement of the law would cause many restaurants "to take [chicken] off the menu". (Reuters)  - found in VegNews Magazine July-August issue

Ten Reasons not to Use Your Microwave Oven

Ten Reasons not to Use Your Microwave Oven

Based on Swiss, Russian and German clinical studies

1. Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term, permanent, brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2. The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in micro-waved food.

3. Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating micro-waved foods.

4. The effects of micro-waved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5. Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all micro-waved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6. The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in a microwave oven.

7. Micro-waved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This has been a primary contributor to the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in the United States.

8. The prolonged eating of micro-waved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9. Continual ingestion of micro-waved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10. Eating micro-waved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

For more info and the full article go HERE.

I just threw out my microwave. :)

-Bob Garon II
www.bobgarontraining.com

Health Benefits of Raw Eggs

I came across a great article today by Dr. John Claydon and it looks very good on explaining the great benefits of eating raw eggs.   I do this and if you read on Mercola.com Dr. Mercola has some great advice regarding eating raw eggs as well as the quick testing methods for a healthy or unhealthy egg.  Sick eggs only come from sick chickens.  1 in 30,000 eggs contains salmonella and the chances of you eating that many in your life are very slim.  This is explained much further on those 2 websites.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The process of cooking eggs destroy the very goodness that our bodies so desperately need as the nature of proteins and fats is altered when exposed to heat.  When cooked, the egg protein changes its chemical shape; it is often this process that can be the cause of allergies.  Generally when eating raw eggs, any incidence of egg allergy will disappear.

Surprisingly, in spite of ‘bad press’ raw eggs, organic or at least from a known source of healthy free-range chickens, are an excellent health tonic. The regular consumption of raw eggs will do wonders for your overall health.  Exceptionally easy to digest, raw eggs provide a wonderful boost to the immune system, and a completely balanced nutritional package. A good immune system is one of several things the body needs to overcome cancer."

For the rest of the article please CLICK HERE.

How I eat my raw eggs is like this:

1.  4 raw eggs put into coffee mug
2.  A bit of cinnamon
3.  Blend 1/2 cup of water and 3 strawberries in a blender alongside 1 tspn of coconut oil.
4.  Pour contents from step 3 into the coffee mug containing the eggs. DO NOT blend the eggs as the protein is very fragile and will be destroyed from the blades.
5.  Gently mix contents with a fork breaking up the yolks and stirring the ingredients.
6.  Great enjoy these VERY healthy foods.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health

Soy Can Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health

by: Rick Osborn

There are certain foods and herbs that we can eat on a daily basis that will help us maintain a lean and healthy body. Unfortunately there are also certain foods or ingredients in foods that have the opposite effect - making us fat and sick. Many may think they know what these bad foods are - high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, saturated fats, etc. But one ingredient that most aren’t aware of is SOY.

Did you know that soy products can actually cause weight gain, PMS, bloating, stubborn fat, contribute to prostate enlargement, cancer and other disorders?

Many think that soy is the new dairy. It may be used as such, but what most people don’t realize is that it actually has a metabolic estrogenic effect in the body. If you’re male, you may want to think twice before consuming soy products, as soy can be feminizing. Do you want to be increasing the estrogen content in your body when excess estrogen is a known cause for gynecomastia (fatty breasts in men), prostate enlargement and cancer? Or, if you’re female, do you really want excess estrogens circulating throughout your body when estrogen dominance is a known cause for bad PMS, breast cancer and other female disorders? It’s important that we all understand the consequences of consuming soy based foods. I’ve spoken to numerous people who think they are eating “healthy” by replacing all dairy with soy. Some may initially lose weight, but at what cost? Furthermore, many can’t figure out why the stubborn fat and metabolic disorders increase or persist. The problem very likely lies in the soy. Whether it’s soy milk, soy ice cream, veggie burgers, tofu or other soy based products, all overwhelmingly contribute to an excess of estrogen in the body.

Why soy causes estrogen dominance or excess estrogen

Briefly, soy actually contains phytoestrogens. Although natural, phytoestrogens have an estrogenic effect on the body. In a world already overwhelmed by estrogenic chemicals, the last thing needed is to mistakingly consume a food or ingredients that contribute to the problem. One of the most obvious signs of excess estrogen in the body is the formation of stubborn fat, particularly in the belly in men, and more commonly in the hips and thighs of women.

In addition, here’s what the Weston A. Price Foundation lists as some of the dangers of eating soy:

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

But soy is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other particular estrogenic chemicals that we are ingesting on a regular basis that are causing us problems. I’ll write more on these later.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about soy and the estrogen issue now, you can check out the book that Rick Osborn co-wrote with Ori Hofmekler(author of The Warrior Diet) - The Anti-Estrogenic Diet: How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick, by North Atlantic Books - available at Amazon.com.

What Can Ori Do?

I am pretty active on the Warrior Diet forum and there is a pretty good thread topic that I've been following lately.  I have quoted a few of what the topic participants have said as well as my own comments at the very bottom.

This is the post that got it all started:

"I know this really makes little difference to all of us, but I'm still gonna ask because I'm curious.

What can Ori[the author of the Warrior Diet] do?

I haven't bought the dvd's for CFT or anything, and I couldn't find anything about Ori's feat on the net - ya know like best time, one rep max, etc.

...what is Ori capable of?  He writes about 'Super muscle'  so I'd expect something quite spectacular.  Has anyone trained with him or seen videos etc?" - Wolf of the Warrior Diet Forum

Here is a post commenting on the above:

"The point that wolf seemed to be making was that Ori talks about achieving "super" muscles in terms of strength, speed, power, velocity. For someone to talk about such a thing, suggests that he would have "super" muscles. If not, the person might be taken for someone who is just blowing smoke. While Ori is lean, keep in mind that he always has been lean, even when not following the WD. This is something he himself has said in an interview he did years ago." - Peter of the WD Forum

And the comment on that:

"Point well taken, Peter.  Perhaps "super" muscle is a relative term.  Maybe that type of muscle is one that can endure intense training more effectively and metabolize nutrients more efficiently.  Perhaps it a matter of an ability to resist fatigue and to set in motion the survival mode.

Ori's book called "The Super Muscle Workout" gives a very detailed explanation of where this idea comes from and how to work out to achieve it.  The "super" muscle is considered a Type IIA muscle fiber hybrid of the Type IIB and Type I muscles.  Ori explains that muscular performance depends on two critical factors: 1) muscle composition and 2) neuro-muscle efficiency.  The book goes into great detail, and I can't do it justice here.

To suggest that Ori does not possess "super" muscles is a bit presumptuous because it causes us to be judgmental.  Based on his current performance on what I hear comes out of his training camps, he must be on to something." -Parisrose of the Warrior Diet Forum


My thoughts and comments on all the posts:

Very well said.

I want to coorelate this topic to MMA.  When the UFC was capturing the training and hype of when Matt Hughes was getting ready to fight Royce Gracie last year something Royce said rang VERY true.

If anyone doesn't know who Royce Gracie is I suggest Googling him, but to tell it in short he and his family are the pioneers to the UFC and MMA as we know it.  Sure MMA type styles have been around much longer, but it was the Gracie form of ju jitsu that really put MMA on the map back in the mid- 90's.

Also Matt Hughes is, ok well WAS, probably the best pound for pound welterweight MMA fighter/champion to date and the 2 of them fought last year.

Anyway what I am referring to in relation to the Ori situation here is simple.  Royce Gracie was being debated from Hughes and his camp regarding who will win, how Matt will win, and that the Gracie style is outdated.  Royce commented in a very wonderful and pleasant manner.  He said:  "If I win it will be a great victory because you[Hughes] are a great champion, but if you win I still win." 
A perplexed Matt Hughes came right back to ask how that would happen. 
Gracie then said it was because it was due to his family's MMA foundations that led Matt to want to train and know how and what to train.  Gracie Ju Jitsu is the foundation and the style by which Hughes trains is evolved from what Royce pioneered.

Does that make sense?

So in the case of Ori- he is the WD pioneer.  Just like Royce he may not be at his peak anymore, but he still practices what he preaches and is as good as he can be for himself currently in his life.  I believe the exact same holds true for Ori.  Ultimately it does not matter what he can and can't do.  What matters is that he delivers.  He provides us with the foundations to evolve ourselves into something great and potentially even great than he.

Matt Hughes did win against Royce Gracie and did so on the ground... beating the pioneer at his own game.  So Gracie did still win because he had a great student.  A master is not a master until his student declare him of such.  A master is only a master because of his students.  Gracie proved that.  I believe Ori does in his own relative manner as well.

Let's be great students and give to others the gift of health and superior physicality because of what Ori has given, and still gives, us.


For the full Warrior Diet Forum thread please CLICK HERE.  I encourage you to comment as well.  Have a great day!

Kettlebell Essentials Class- August 16th(Saturday)- Gilbert, AZ

Kettlebell Essentials Workshop

Experience the best in Russian Kettlebell training with IKFF certified Kettlebell trainer Bob Garon.

What will be covered?

The five basic Kettlebell exercises will be taught. They are the swing, cleans, presses, squats, Turkish get ups and several variations of each. You can also expect to learn great combination drills to maximize strength, power, fat burning and ultimate conditioning.

What is a Kettlebell?

Kettlebells are solid cast iron or steel weights that look like a cannon ball with a handle attached. They come in all sizes from 9lbs to 125lbs. They have been used in Russia since the 1700's and have found their way into America in recent years. They are now being used by Pro football teams, the Secret Service, Mixed martial artist, Fire fighters, Power lifters, Weightlifters and everyday people just like you.

Why use Kettlebells?

The Kettlebell uses all your core muscles which are absolutely essential for maintaining good health. Unlike any other standard weight training or fitness programs, Kettlebells reduce the risk of injury because the movements are based on functional movements. A typical Kettlebell routine builds functional muscular strength by mimicking movements in your everyday life. A single routine will use all ranges of motion so joints and muscles are strengthened from all angles.

I will teach you the most efficient methods of Kettlebell Training as well as specific workout designing and breathing techniques.

What are you waiting for?

When: Saturday, August 16th, 2008

Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Cost: $75- payment can be made at class

Location: 3133 S. Lindsay Rd., Suite 103
Gilbert, AZ 85296
(Intersection: Lindsay & Pecos)

Certified Kettlebell Instructor Bob Garon, IKFF

For Information Call: 480-634-3250 or Email: bgaron@gymday.com

I look forward to hearing from you to reserve your spot. If you have any questions please contact me.  Thanks