Pre heat oven to 180c

4 Medium Sized Beetroots peeled and grated

4 Eggs separated

100g Organic Cacao powder

2 Tbsn Unprocessed honey

150gm Almond Meal

Whisk Egg yolks with honey until they go white, fold in cacao, almond meal and beetroot.

Whip egg white to soft peaks and fold in cacao mix.

Lightly brush cake tin with olive oil pour in mix and bake for 40mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Post Comments and Stay strong over the weekend!! 

Day 3: G'day Guy's, the weekend is rapidly approaching us and for most people will be their biggest test to date of will power. You will need to tough it out and whether the storms for the next few days starting with the usual Friday arvo cocktails and bevies after work.. You can do it!

Your Homework: This weekend try cooking at least 3 new and different Paleo friendly meals.
Paleo cake recipe tomorrow!

Pesto Stuffed Field Mushrooms with Roasted Truss Tomato’s

Pre Heat oven to 180c

8 Large Field mushrooms stems removed

200g Pesto

4 Sprigs of Truss Cherry Tomato

20ml Olive oil

Fill Field mushrooms with pesto, place on roasting tray with tomato’s, drizzle with oil and bake for 8-10 min

Tomato’s should lightly blister and mushrooms should release a little of their juices.

Post Comments and homework meals you plan on having a crack at over the weekend.

Day 2: Time to buckle down and wipe the slate clean! 

Lamb Kebabs served on minted Cucumber and tomato Salad

1Kg Boned Lamb Shoulder cut into 2cm cubes

Marinate

50ml Olive Oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1.5 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1 Red Chili chopped

Thread lamb onto BBQ skewers then marinate overnight

The Salad

1 Cucumber sliced thick

4 Tomato chopped rough

Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

.5 cup of chopped fresh mint

Olive Oil to dress

Pepper to taste

BBQ Lamb and serve on salad, dress with lemon juice and oil.

Substitute lamb for Chicken or Prawn

Post Comments and Cravings!

Day 1:

This week is going to be the toughest you face, stay strong and feel free to post any thought's on the nutrition blog post over the next few weeks, help each other to get through it! You can do it!

If you missed the meeting last night here's a little info for you...

Crispy Thai Chicken Breast with steamed Asian greens

Serves 4

4 Chicken breasts approx 200gm each.

2 Eggs

150ml Water

200gm Arrowroot

100gm Grated Ginger

2 Cloves Crushed Garlic

1 Red Chili Chopped Fine

300gm Shredded Coconut

1 Bunch of Bok Choy

1 Bunch Chinese Broccoli

1 Bunch Choy Sum

Whisk eggs with Water.

Mix ginger, chili, garlic and coconut together

Lightly dust chicken breast in arrowroot, place in egg mix and then crumb in coconut mix, to form a good even coating.

Set aside.

Remove stems of Chinese greens and wash to remove any sand.

Rough chop and place in a bamboo steamer, steam for 3 mins and dress with a little fresh lemon juice.

Grill chicken Breasts with a little olive oil until crisp, golden and cooked through.

Post Comments.

Well with only a few days before the paleo challenge we hope everyone is good to go. Now is the time to do a bit of your own research, check out the recipes and talk to others participating in the challenge.

You are going to find heaps of info out there and a lot of it conflicting, this is where you are going to have to make a choice for yourself and stick with it. Make your decision sooner rather than later and try not to stray too much.

There are going to be different degrees of paleo and it will have to be the choice of the athlete. In the long run all we want for you guys to get out of this is a healthier lifestyle, if you only change/take one thing from the challenge or become a paleo purist then it is a step in the right direction.

Please see one of the boys if you have any queries and don't for get about the briefing on Tuesday night @ 7.30pm.

With the support from the whole community it should be a piece of cake, mmm cake.

Southern CrossFit’s Paleo challenge is going to kick of on Wednesday 1st of September.

It is going to run a little different from the ‘09 challenge. There is going to be a $20 charge to cover the new Food Diaries. Over the next few weeks we will need you to book in to see one of the trainers to get your measurements done so we can see the changes that happen over the coming months. 

On Tuesday the 31^st we are going to hold a meeting @ SXF to try and cover all the questions you have before the challenge begins. This will be in place of the usual 7.30pm O-Lifting Class.

Hazardous Fruits and Vegetables: Do You Know the Dirty Dozen?

More HERE!

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen cheat sheet, created by mom and foodie Heidi Kenney, is a the size of a business card. On it, a host of smiling and frowning fruits and veggies tell cheat sheet owners which fruits are pesticide-laden—"always buy organic"—and which are safer in moments when organic isn't available. 

Take a look around your food-hunting grounds: Finding a nice cut of bison, or even antelope, is easier than ever these days — just ask Chef James Boyce, executive chef at Cotton Row Restaurant, an elegant yet down home all-American cookery in Huntsville, Alabama, that specializes in game meat.

Read More

Here's an article by the guy's over at Whole9:

The Whole9 website is an awesome resource if your looking to further your education on nutirition.

Why We Don’t Eat Grains

A. Grains provoke an inflammatory response in the gut

Lectins are specialized proteins found in many plants and foods, but are found in high concentration in grains (particularly wheat), legumes (particularly soy), and dairy. The most commonly referenced grain lectin is called “gluten”, but there are many others which are found even in pseudo-grains like quinoa. Lectins serve many biological functions in animals, but foods with high concentrations of lectins are harmful even if consumed in moderate amounts.

Lectins are hardy proteins that do not break down easily, and are resistant to stomach acid and digestive enzymes. They migrate through your digestive tract largely intact, and disrupt the intestinal membrane, damaging cells and initiating a cascade of events leading to eventual cell death. (Translation: lectins destroy the cells that line your intestines, leading to small “microperforations” or tiny holes in your intestinal lining.) These holes allow intact or nearly intact proteins, bacteria and other foreign substances to cross into the bloodstream – where they do not belong. As the immune system notices foreign substances in the body, it responds and attacks. The immune response can manifest in an unlimited number of conditions (not just in the digestive tract!) commonly referred to as “auto-immune” in nature.

It’s important to note that these cautions are not just critical for those with a diagnosed Celiac condition. These negative downstream effects happen to everyone who eats grains, to various degrees.

B. Grains spike insulin levels

Grains pack a whopping amount of carbohydrates in a very small package. As most grains are also heavily processed (yes, even whole grains) they are broken down into blood sugar (glucose) in your body very quickly. A high amount of ingested carbohydrate broken down very fast leads to a spike in blood sugar. The body, demanding homeostasis, then releases a massive dose of a hormone called insulin to pull blood sugar levels back down. This is often referred to as an “insulin spike”.

When too much blood sugar is present in the system, your body quickly runs out of places to store it as useful energy, and will store any excess as body fat. In addition, when too much insulin is present in the system, the cells in your body become desensitized to the hormonal “message” insulin is trying to send. Since the message isn’t getting through, your pancreas is prompted to release even more insulin when your body doesn’t need it. Finally, chronically high insulin levels lead to a condition in which your body has trouble releasing the energy already stored in your cells. This is a bad place to be. If (via a diet high in carbohydrates) this pattern continues, insulin levels continue to rise, fat stores continue to grow and the body becomes completely incapable of responding to its own directions.

C. Grains have an acidifying effect on the body

A net acid-producing diet promotes bone de-mineralization (i.e. osteopenia and osteoporosis), and systemic inflammation. Grains are one of the highest acid-producing food groups. By replacing grains and grain-containing processed foods with plenty of green vegetables and fruits, the body comes back into acid/base balance (and a more positive calcium balance). Recent research out of Tufts University has also shown that a more alkaline diet preserves muscle mass. We like muscle mass.

D. Grains are “empty calories”

All grains – things like oatmeal, pasta, breads and cereals – have two things in common. They are calorically dense, and nutritionally meager. A small portion of grains packs a whopping amount of calories, almost all in the form of carbohydrates. All those calories, however, contain a miserly amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals). Compare the calories, carbohydrates and vitamin profile of two large slices of whole grain bread (100 grams) to one cup of chopped, cooked broccoli (184 grams – nearly twice the mass). (Nutritional stats from NutritionData.com)

Note that we’re not saying there is nothing good to be found in grains. They do contain vitamins and minerals in various proportions and amounts. But the serious down sides of grains far outweigh any potential health benefits. Bottom line – there is NOTHING found in grains that you can’t get from a better source with NO down sides (like vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds).

This is a small snippet of what he had to say on the matter..

What is insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance? And why is it important to your overall health? Dr. Scott Connelly sits down with CrossFit Founder Greg Glassman to discuss the impact of insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance in Part II of his series on nutrition.

PROGENEX is also the major sponsor of the 2010 CrossFit Games!

A eye opener to watch if you have time!

Why eat Grass Fed Beef vs Grain Feed Beef?

The Food Revolution on Grass Fed Beef vs Grain Fed Beef.

Still want more info?

Wikipedia info on cattle feeding systems.

Dr. Mercola - Real Beef Eat Grass Not Grains

Health benifits of Grass fed

You make the choice, keep eating grain feed beef or make the switch....?

Where to find organic grass feed beef in Perth. HERE

What's your views on Dairy?

Here's a great article from Mark Sisson and his take on the issue.

Post Comments.

from the movie Fat Head.

No-Bologna Facts:

• There’s never been a single study that proves saturated fat causes heart disease.
• As heart-disease rates were skyrocketing in the mid-1900s, consumption of animal fat was going down, not up. Consumption of vegetable oils, however, was going up dramatically.
  Half of all heart-attack victims have normal or low cholesterol. Autopsies performed on heart-attack victims routinely reveal plaque-filled arteries in people whose cholesterol was low (as low as 115 in one case).
• Asian Indians - half of whom are vegetarians - have one of the highest rates of heart disease in the entire world. Yup, that fatty meat will kill you, all right.
• When Morgan Spurlock tells you that a McDonald’s salad supplies almost a day’s allowance of fat, he’s basing that statement on the FDA’s low-fat/high-carbohydrate dietary guidelines, which in turn are based on … absolutely nothing. There’s no science behind those guidelines; they were simply made up by a congressional committee.
• Kids who were diagnosed as suffering from ADD have been successfully treated by re-introducing natural saturated fats into their diets. Your brain is made largely of fat.
• Many epileptics have reduced or eliminated seizures by adopting a diet low in sugar and starch and high in saturated animal fats.
• Despite everything you’ve heard about saturated fat being linked to cancer, that link is statistically weak. However, there is a strong link between sugar and cancer. In Europe, doctors tell patients, “Sugar feeds cancer.”
• Being fat is not, in and of itself, bad for your health. The behaviors that can make you fat - eating excess sugar and starch, not getting any exercise - can also ruin your health, and that’s why being fat is associated with bad health. But it’s entirely possible to be fat and healthy. It’s also possible to be thin while developing Type II diabetes and heart disease.
• Saturated fat and cholesterol help produce testosterone. When men limit their saturated fat, their testosterone level drops. So, regardless of what a famous vegan chef believes, saturated fat does not impair sexual performance.

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Health Benifits from Wikipedia - follow the link to wikipedia for more info!!!

Cancer prevention

Several studies report possible anti-cancer effects of n−3 fatty acids (particularly breast, colon and prostate cancer).^[31][32][33] Omega-3 fatty acids reduced prostate tumor growth, slowed histopathological progression, and increased survival^[34]. Among n-3 fatty acids [omega-3], neither long-chain nor short-chain forms were consistently associated with breast cancer risk. High levels of docosahexaenoic acid, however, the most abundant n-3 PUFA [omega-3] in erythrocyte membranes, were associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.^[35]. A 2009 trial found that a supplement of eicosapentaenoic acid helped cancer patients retain muscle mass.^[36]

A 2006 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that their review of literature covering cohorts from many countries with a wide variety of demographic concluded that there was no link between n−3 fatty acids and cancer.^[37] This is similar to the findings of a review by the British Medical Journal of studies up to February 2002 that failed to find clear effects of long and shorter chain n−3 fats on total mortality, combined cardiovascular events and cancer.^[38]

Cardiovascular disease prevention

In 1999, the GISSI-Prevenzione Investigators reported in the Lancet, the results of major clinical study in 11,324 patients with a recent myocardial infarction. Treatment 1 gram per day of n−3 fatty acids reduced the occurrence of death, cardiovascular death and sudden cardiac death by 20%, 30% and 45% respectively.^[39] These beneficial effects were seen already from three months onwards.^[40]

In April 2006, a team led by Lee Hooper at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK, published a review of almost 100 separate studies into n−3 fatty acids, found in abundance in oily fish. It concluded that they do not have a significant protective effect against cardiovascular disease.^[41] This meta-analysis was controversial and stands in stark contrast with two different reviews also performed in 2006 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition^[42] and a second JAMA review^[43] that both indicated decreases in total mortality and cardiovascular incidents (i.e. myocardial infarctions) associated with the regular consumption of fish and fish oil supplements.

Several studies published in 2007 have been more positive. In the March 2007 edition of the journal Atherosclerosis, 81 Japanese men with unhealthy blood sugar levels were randomly assigned to receive 1800 mg daily of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA — an n−3 essential fatty acid from fish oil) with the other half being a control group. The thickness of the carotid arteries and certain measures of blood flow were measured before and after supplementation. This went on for approximately two years. A total of 60 patients (30 in the E-EPA group and 30 in the control group) completed the study. Those given the EPA had a statistically significant decrease in the thickness of the carotid arteries along with improvement in blood flow. The authors indicated that this was the first demonstration that administration of purified EPA improves the thickness of carotid arteries along with improving blood flow in patients with unhealthy blood sugar levels.^[44]

In another study published in the American Journal of Health System Pharmacy March 2007, patients with high triglycerides and poor coronary artery health were given 4 grams a day of a combination of EPA and DHA along with some monounsaturated fatty acids. Those patients with very unhealthy triglyceride levels (above 500 mg/dl) reduced their triglycerides on average 45% and their VLDL cholesterol by more than 50%. VLDL is a bad type of cholesterol and elevated triglycerides can also be deleterious for cardiovascular health.^[45]

Another study on the benefits of EPA was published in The Lancet in March 2007. This study involved over 18,000 patients with unhealthy cholesterol levels. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1,800 mg a day of E-EPA with a statin drug or a statin drug alone. The trial went on for a total of five years. It was found at the end of the study those patients in the E-EPA group had superior cardiovascular function. Non-fatal coronary events were also significantly reduced in the E-EPA group. The authors concluded that EPA is a promising treatment for prevention of major coronary events, especially non-fatal coronary events.^[46]

Similar to those who follow a Mediterranean diet, Arctic-dwelling Inuit - who consume high amounts of n−3 fatty acids from fatty fish - also tend to have higher proportions of n−3, increased HDL cholesterol and decreased triglycerides (fatty material that circulates in the blood) and less heart disease. Eating walnuts (the ratio of n−3 to n−6 is circa 1:4 respectively^[47]) was reported to lower total cholesterol by 4% relative to controls when people also ate 27% less cholesterol.^[48]

A study carried out involving 465 women showed serum levels of eicosapentaenoic acid is inversely related to the levels of anti-oxidized-LDL antibodies. Oxidative modification of LDL is thought to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis.^[49]

Something for you to think about next time you go grocery shopping...

Food Inc.