KICKING IT OFF!

The Look Better Naked Challenge will kick off on Sunday, 9/12. As the week progresses leading up to the kick-off, I will post complete contest details and sign-up links. The Challenge will kick off once again with a free nutrition seminar. This time around, the seminar will be presented by Alex Cardenas. Alex is providing a little preview of the type of advice you will get with the following article. It is lengthy, but WELL WORTH THE READ. Take a few minutes to read it and post your thoughts to comments.   

ADDICTION

I was lucky enough to have a mother who loved to cook. There was not a day when she allowed us to skip breakfast and to this day I credit her with my thin frame when shipping out to the Marine Corps. Junk food was rarely an option, and was used  as a reward for good behavior, which as you should all know, was rare. There were, however, the nights in our household that somehow found pastries as a way to cap the night. Mostly, bear claws from rainbow’s and donuts from Dunkin Donuts. In fact, I still remember the trips my dad and I took in his beat up car on those cold El Paso desert nights. Tuesdays were coupon dozen for 2.99 and I’d get the penny each time. It was fun, and I can still smell the scent of coffee brewing as I entered the shop, and the taste of those freshly made, warm powder, jelly filled donuts, really did melt in my mouth. Ask any one who knows me, and they will tell you how much I love donuts. 

Do you all have a similiar story? Has there ever been a day in your life when you’ve stated, ‘this _(food)_____, makes me so happy?” 

I am willing to bet that the majority of you who answered yes to the previous question all quickly thought of some sugar based product. Many of us look to ice cream or chocolate as an anti-depressant. Which makes sense, because the main ingredient, sugar, which makes up all these sweet convections that we love so much, possesses an addictive quality.The psychological component involved in our present day diet seems to be favoring the sugar industry and it seems that the public is unaware of this. 

In 1998, Kathleen DesMaisons concluded through years of work with alcoholics that sugar abuse followed the same track outlined by the DSM IV for other drugs on abuse. After her work hit the scene, other scholars took note and grants followed. In 2008, Nicole Avena, a psychologist out of Princeton, published data that supported the argument, “sugar is addictive.” In fact, her work showed that the very same dopamine receptors in our brain, that are stimulated by recreational street drugs were also being stimulated by sugar ingestion. Much like speed, the daily use of these euphoric substances led to a tolerance in the dopamine receptor sites, thus, requiring a bigger dose of the stimulant. What was once a candy bar or hit of smack, shifted to a need for two candy bars, which turned into continuous binges and cravings. 

Many of us have participated in some sort of diet within our lifetime, and often we fail miserably. Why is it so hard to stay on course? Could it be, that we are not fighting a fair fight.? In 2005, a Chicago Tribune Investigative team reported, “internal memos showing the company (Nabisco maker of Oreo) having a history of sharing brain-research expertise with scientists from its corporate sibling, cigarette-maker (Phillip Morris).”  This means that somehow, a cookie company who is notorious for advertising was being briefed by makers of alcohol and cigarette companies. Turns out, our snack food/junk food (SUGAR) industry was hard at work strategically placing its products, well aware that its components possessed addictive qualities much like alcohol and cigarettes did.  So, no you are not fighting a fair fight. 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/chi-oreos-specialpackage

Dr Drew Pinsky, host of the famous show Loveline, is known for his treatment of addiction, and often defines it  as, “ a progressive use in the face of adverse consequence (effecting  school or work, health, finance, legal, relationships) with a component of denial present.”  Many people are quick to judge alcoholics, smokers and crackheads and somehow give the act of sugar love a pass. We are becoming more tolerant to this chronic sugar attack maybe, because we are ignorant of its existence. A complacent attitude is present in our society, and we are allowing sugar to engulf our kids, our loved ones and to many of us reading this, ourselves.

Think I’m wrong? Then, I challenge you to eat a chicken breast with some raw vegetables at work for a week. Bypass the soda and insist on only a cold delicious glass of water as your beverage of choice and count in your head the number of unwarranted comments you receive in that week. Why is it that someone can sit in front of you with a bowl of pasta, a piece of garlic bread, a coke and a slice of chocolate cake and think you are the fool for your dietary choices. Is the act of eating a chicken breast with vegetables that disgusting. It drives me crazy when someone goes out of their way to point out to me, just how potent they think protein is to the kidneys. They fail to understand that a normal kidney is able to tolerate very high doses of protein intake. In fact, what is senseless to me, is that the leading causes of renal failure is related to inflammation, which is caused by our westernized, sugar infested diets. The literature clearly states this, yet, people without a clue continue to support sugar over protein, and continue to ridicule my choice in high protein diet.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-failure/DS00682/DSECTION=risk%2Dfactors

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/22353/version/1

It is not your fault, America, for being lied to. I understand that each day someone else is trying to tell you something new. There is always some new claim, some new wonder drug, or some quick exercise. Even Taco Bell has a diet; http://www.drivethrudiet.com. Yes, that’s right. Taco Bell claims to have the answer to the very same disease they have made so much money on. 

It is however, your fault, America, for believing  that you are helpless, because you are not! It is your fault for thinking obesity is part of your culture. It is not! It is your fault for giving up and believing that you are not made to lose weight. A recent comment left by a faithful patron, suggested that the only reason Neil won the get better naked challenge was because he stopped drinking. It added, in closing, that she only wished it was that easy for herself. 

Assuming that the reason Neil won the challenge was not because he woke up every morning to a protein rich breakfast, and it wasn’t because he ate good healthy fats as a major fuel source with a high protein portion every three to four hours. Assuming, he won because he didn’t drink at least 2 liters of water a day, neglecting any cokes, or juices. Let’s assume the reason he won was not because he planned his meals the day before and avoided most carbohydrates except the raw vegetables. Neglecting all those and all other variables, then we can assume that the only reason he won, was because he gave up drinking. The very act of not drinking beer, if this assumption holds true and again we neglect the other variables as an observational analysis, should show that neglecting beer means a more  lean and muscular body. That would be the reason, but it wasn’t the the whole truth.

In fact, Neil and Jennifer, in the last look naked challenge, made war on sugar. They avoided the ingestion of this pathogen and they went as close to primal as they could. I know, because I had the pleasure of seeing them daily. I saw just how involved and dedicated they became. I saw the detoxification that occurred throughout the challenge.  And, I saw the cravings they both had. The reason they made such great gains was because they battled through those cravings and continued with the plan they set in the beginning. They trusted themselves. And, while this sugar addiction knocked frequently at their doors, the diligent path they took overcame the cravings and binges we are so accustomed to. 

We are known for battling through some very hard work outs. Murph, Fran, Filthy 50, Linda.... in fact, stepping through the garage door at Crossfit-One World is a guaranteed calling for misery. It is in our nature to fight through it on a daily basis. We bring misery to our souls daily and in a sick way we enjoy it, always knowing there’s another person suffering with us. So, know that when this Look Better Naked Challenge starts and you begin your journey, the very same people who support you during the work outs will be at your side in this path. We are bringing back the nutrition blog, where you can share your progress, and your downfalls. You can use the blog as a way to motivate the other members who are close to cheating, or you can ask for help as you contemplate a relapse to sugar. 

There will be a nutrition seminar on Sunday, the first blog will post Monday. 

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New post up on the One World Forty Plus blog:

http://oneworld40plus.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/input-needed/

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WORKOUT   9/7/2010

Strength:

OFF

Conditioning:

Complete the following for time:

• 10 squat cleans (M:115#/W:75#)
• 10 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 9 squat cleans
• 9 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 8 squat cleans
• 8 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 7 squat cleans
• 7 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 6 squat cleans
• 6 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 5 squat cleans
• 5 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 4 squat cleans
• 4 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 3 squat cleans
• 3 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 2 squat cleans
• 2 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 1 squat clean
• 1 pull-up
• 100m run

Comments

[Neil]

Nice write up Alex!!! A lot of good info for people to chew on.

[job news weekly everything]

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