Seven days of the Roller Derby Workout diet down. Because I'm on two teams (a home team and A team) I have an absurd amount of practices that meet the requirements on the RDW exercise schedule. To my disappointment I have lost 6 pounds from when I started a week ago ( I was even wearing heavier clothes when I weighed myself!). The most difficult part of the whole first week? CUTTING OUT THE SUGAR. I dropped by the mall on Saturday to exchange a Christmas gift that was too small and ended up with a few extra bucks. My treat is always a Starbucks venti iced green tea sweetened. This time I got a grande unsweetened. It was way less brutal than I expected but it was also a whole different drink. I was all healthy and green, not sugary and amazing.Whatare my next steps to make this diet work (and make me grow huge muscles!)?I need to up the carbs.This RDW challenge seems to be geared more towards ladies that are trying to get into shape than it is for
Sugarless green iced tea :(
ladies who are already competing at a high level and who want to get in serious shape for derby closer to a national level. Whats the answer? One of my teammates thinks CrossFit Boston is the answer. What is CrossFit? All I know is that its brutual, its expensive and they get results, fast. CrossFit may just be my next step after the RDW challenge is over. But only week one has passed, no reason to make any big changes just yet.
Goals for week two: Eat larger portions, add more carbs, hit the gym more often.
Injuries:
Our very ownSlam Chowdah broke her collar bone on Saturday from a pile up. Man do people get seriously hurt on my league often? Mmmm... we have our fair share of broken bones, which always seem to come at the beginning of the season. Last season, 3 fractures in one week. Two ankles and one spiral fracture of the leg. Since I've been on the league we have averaged about 2.5 broken bones per season. Broken bones however are not a big deal (for real?), for real. Soft tissue damage is much harder to recover from. There isn't much you can do to repair soft tissue damage and it tends to linger as a chronic tissue. The most common injury I see are soft tissue troubles around the knee area. I myself hurt both of my knees from a series of serious of falls on pavement without knee pads. No I'm not insane, I was a roller waitress for a short time (and wearing pads in a kitchen is a health hazard). Roller waitressing is a terrible idea for a lot of reasons but mostly because it overworks your hamstrings and other tendons in your legs that aren't designed to stand on roller skates for 5-8 hours a day, multiple days per week, on top of practice...
Quads
Runners Knee: Many derby girls suffer from 'runners knee' or overdeveloped quadriceps. After many months of physical therapy for my knees I have learned that it is very important, no matter how strong you are, to keep all of your muscles well stretched and developed to function in harmony. "Balance Against Runners Knee - Unfortunately, the condition known as runner's knee, which is a painful scraping of the kneecap against the thigh bone, isn't just for runners. One cause of runner's knee is overdeveloped outer quadricep muscles in relation to the inner muscle head, the vastus medialis. To prevent or treat the condition, make sure to focus on inner thigh workouts so you don't overdevelop the vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis in relation to the inner thigh section of muscle." -LiveStrong.com
Foam Roller: If you don't own one of these and you play derby you are INSANE.
Better muscles = better joints
You can purchase one of these at any sports store for around $15. They are magical! Essentially a foam roller applies pressure to your muscles, lengthening them and releases built up acids just as a massage would do. Back pain, sore knees, sore hips, shin splints? This object is your answer. Often joint pain is not due to trauma directly to the joint but is the result from tension put on the joint from surrounding tight muscles like the hamstring and IT band.
"Roll Your Troubles Away - Using cylindrical, relatively hard pieces of foam to roll over muscles, a practice known as foam rolling, helps release tension in the vastus intermedius. Get an inexpensive, multi-purposed foam roller and position yourself so your upper thigh is on top of the roller. Roll down from the hips and waist all the way to the knee so that the muscles in your leg release, resulting in great range of motion and decreased chances of injuring your vastus intermedius muscle." -LiveStrong.com
No foam roller?
"Perhaps the single most beneficial thing you can do for your vastus intermedius is stretch it out. It's basically impossible to isolate the vastus intermedius from the other quadricep muscles but that's OK since a good quad stretch loosen all four muscle heads. Pulling your foot behind you so it touches your butt as you stand upright is the most basic and effective of these stretches. However, you can also lie down on your stomach and grab each foot with each hand behind you to get a full stretch that focuses more on the vastus intermedius."-LiveStrong.com
Hamstrings:
"Basic Hamstring Stretch -
When performing a hamstring stretch, always move gradually into the stretch. Never tug on your leg or bounce your leg. By tugging or bouncing, you counter the benefits of the stretch, as your muscles tense to resist the strain of overstretching, and increase the risk of hamstring injury. Lie on your back with your right
Hamstring machine circa 1984
leg stretched out straight and your left leg straight in the air. Keep your left leg straight throughout the exercise. Wrap a towel around your left foot. Grab hold of both ends of the towel and slowly pull your leg toward your face. Stop when you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch on the right leg.
Basic Hamstring Strengthening Exercise - You can increase the intensity of the hamstring curl as your hamstring strength increases, making it a good choice for all levels of athletes. Place a dumbbell between your feet. Lie on your belly with your legs stretched straight behind you. Bend your knees and lift the dumbbell up. Pause for one count at the top of the lift. Slowly lower the dumbbell toward the floor. Repeat this exercise for three sets, 10 to 15 times per set. Those individuals who are just starting a workout routine or who are returning from an injury can do this exercise with no weights. More seasoned athletes can increase the dumbbell weight according to their strength conditioning."-LiveStrong.com
Adductors: Exercising your adductor muscles can help counter the damage overdeveloped quads can take on your knee caps. If your quads become too strong they can pull on your knee caps, adding painful
pressure and causing your knee caps to actually shift outward. Falling on uneven knee caps can cause more problems like bursitis. I hit the gym on Saturday and made a list. Adductors where on the top of the list.I use my time at the gym to work on the muscles that get neglected during practice. Although many leagues do calisthenics and other exercises to target certain muscle groups I feel that after a certain point more resistance is needed to build strength.My quads are huge and those Jane Fonda's are not cutting it....
Every Wednesdays practice
There is a specific machine at the gym that focuses on adductors (inner thighs). I have recently been experiencing knee pain and weird popping. I have kept up on all my hamstring and quad stretches but my knees remain stiff and sore. My physical therapist says that all athletes and runners develop some kind of fluid buildup in their knee. Some fluid is ok but an excess can become a problem. A way to manage fluids in your knees is to continue toexercise and stretchall of the muscles in all parts of your leg tokeep up your circulation and to keep tension on the joint down.
Yes this machine at the gym is the one where you open your legs and close them. This is also the machine where I stare down at the floor 100% of the time out of awkwardness. When lifting weights it is important to remember to make SLOW and CONTROLLED movements. I never let my weights touch down until I'm done with a set. I do at least 3 sets of 15 reps - slow and controlled reps. If I have time I do each machine twice. If I do not have enough strength I will still do 3 sets of 15 reps but with less weight. If I'm hitting the machine for a third time (when I'm rounding hour 2+ at the gym) I will select a small amount of weight and do 3 quick sets (controlled small movements) of 30+ reps, still never letting the weights touch down until the end of the set. It is important to rest in between each set. Sometimes I stretch on the floor next to the machine. If the gym is empty enough I will switch between two machines altering between sets.
Obliques: My goals at the gym are to strengthen the muscles that become underdeveloped by derby to be stronger and safer. Lets face it, it doesn't hurt to have padding. As a short statured skater I take a lot of my hits above the waist. Strengthening the obliques will not only provide my ribs with more protection but improve my stability and form. There are a million ways to exercise your obliques with or without weights. Side plank is a great weight free exercise that focuses on this set of muscles. Since I'm trying to get HUGE I am looking at options with weights. I fell in love with one exercise I saw at the gym. I googled any words I could think of to try to learn more about this exercise. I have to admit that I was too terrified to try it aftering just watching. Its not done on a machine which exponentially increases my chances for looking like an idiot. I had to do research first. Its called a 45 degree side bend.Here is a video showing you what a weighted 45 degree side bend looks like.
I did give it a try at the gym on Saturday with only an 8 pound weight (baby steps). 1. the bench is wobbly 2. there is nothing holding you in it or on it 3. its terrifying bending that low because you feel like your going to hit the floor.
45 degree side bend - no weights
oblique floor crunches
On the floor this exercise is called a crunch. Doing the exercise on a tilted bench adds more tension which creates more work which = bigger muscles. I have seen girls hold a flat weight (called a plate, shown on left) against their chest with their arms crossed and do the 45 side bend. This I have been told focuses more on the core and less on the obliques.
Chest, Shoulders and Back: Finally I hit a bunch of upper body machines at the gym. I feel that it is sooo important to have a strong upper body in this sport. We are trained not to use our upper limbs and we rely on our core to keep us stable and maneuverable. At a certain level of game play your shoulders and back become maneuverable as well. To be able to twist your torso and shrug people off. To be able to deliver that hit to the sternum or take that hit to the shoulder are just as important as having overdeveloped quads.
Future Goal: Start using my Iron Gym on a regular basis. Right now it serves as a coat rack. Because of my plate I experience pinching and tearing when doing certain movements. The worst are push ups. Second worst are pull ups. After the plate was inserted tissue began to grow around the screws and
Nutcrackers vs NHRD 9/11/10
intertwined with the plate. What needs to happen is as I exercise the nerves and tissue in the way will tear and regrow over the plate where they belong. This involves pain and swelling. Its the one part of my therapy that I have not followed through with all the way. My initial goals were to have 100% range of motion back within 6 months. I would say I have 99%. I can do about 4 push ups and about 2 pull ups. That's less than half of what I could do pre-injury. I guess technically I have the range of motion but its not sustained. I would like to get up to at least solid 4 pull ups without piercing pain. I have given up on push ups for now. ITS SO PAINFUL.
After thunder, lightning, 18 inches of snow and cancled practice, I'm left antsy with cabin fever and fiending for crunchy warm tasty sweets and GREEN ICED TEA WITH HONEY. I noticed that on days I don't have practice that I have no interest in eating meals, snacking only. RDWC has brought to my attention all of my bad eating habits. I found myself debating the worth of eating salad today. I almost convinced myself that "salad is stupid" until I ate it. Oh yeah there's something called fiber, vitamins and a well rounded diet.
I wanted to devote today's blog to Mac Danzig. He's a UFC mixed martial arts fighter who has been strictly vegan since 2004. The first time I saw him fight he won his contract in the octagon with UFC. During his intro he spoke about being a vegan and struck me as an incredibly humble athlete with the drive to win. Sometimes in derby and in MMA fighting the attitudes or stereotypes I see from time to time are so lame. This guy is legit, he gets it. A few days ago I stumbled upon this article that he wrote about his diet and he has a few interesting things to consider.
Dairy:I was surprised to see so much dairy in the RDWC's meal plan. I've slowly becoming sensitive to dairy in a few ways. I very recently underwent a CAT scan to find out the source of my chronic sinus inflammation. I have yet to receive the results but my next step is to see an allergist. I would have never thought to consider dairy as a possible allergy until I read what Mr. Danzig had to say:
"For the record, I cut dairy completely out of my diet in 1999 (over 5 years before I ever committed to a full-Vegan diet)... This was due to an allergy that I developed in my adolescent years to dairy that effected my sinuses and everything connecting to them. For a good part of my teenage years, I suffered from severe ear infections and chronic Vertigo (which is completely miserable). It took me a few years of to finally realize that the antibiotics were only temporarily subduing a much bigger problem. I did my research and finally found the source. A lot of people don't realize how hard milk, whey, and other dairy products are on the sinuses and respiratory system, and the dairy industry would like you to believe that you need milk to get calcium. That notion is as oxymoronic as you can get. Although not everybody has as severe an allergy to dairy products as I did, I just wanted to point out that after years of battling with ear and sinus infections, eliminating dairy completely cured my problems. Anyone with similar problems may want to try it for a while."
Protein: The other night at practice my veggie friend super hero Britknee Breaker, poured this powdery substance into her Star Bucks smoothie. To my surprise it was a begetable based protein powder. I went back to Danzig's article to read more about what specific suppliments he takes when in training. Being a veggie MMA fighter you have to be on some kinda supplement right? Doesn't protein come from meat and eggs?
"Also, let me just say that although protein intake is important, especially for athletes, I find the usual listed "requirements" for protein are blown completely out of proportion, and the thought of consuming "1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight" during down time seems ridiculous to me... I truly feel that all the articles telling people to eat that way are written by people who copied the diets of fanatical body-builders and tried to present them to the general public. If you ingest that much protein a day, you're taxing your liver and kidneys big-time... For example, I walk at 168lbs and I usually eat between 100 and 140 grams of protein per day when I'm in grueling, peak training... When I'm taking time off, I don't pay attention to it and I'd say it's usually around 70 grams a day, give or take...
One thing I consciously try and do is eat a higher amount of Alkaline-forming foods than acid-forming foods throughout each day... I don't have time to get into the whole "alkaline foods" discussion, but I'll just leave it out there, that there is plenty of info about it on 'teh interweb'...
Ok, first here, I'm going to list some regular foods that I eat a lot of, along with an explanation on each one. Essentially these are of some basics that really make up a large portion of my weekly caloric intake...
Afterwards, I'll list some broader ideas of diet, some supplements, then list some junk foods I eat and finally some daily examples...
Brown Rice: One of my main sources of complex carbs along with Oatmeal... I buy the 'microwave in the bag' frozen brown rice from Trader Joe's... It's pretty easy to make and can be added to almost any meal. Wild Rice (actually a grass seed) is even better if you can get a hold of it.
Portobello mushrooms: These are great. Good protein source, low calories, low sodium... Can be sauteed or stir-fried with vegetables. I eat many of these when cutting weight.
Tempeh: This is a Tofu-based food and a good source of protein and fiber... Although a little bitter when eaten plain, I find that some flavorings can really make this good...
Quinoa: This grain is sometimes a chore to cook, and if you live in the middle of nowhere, it might be hard to find, but it's a great source of not only carbs and protein, but fiber as well. This is one of the most nutritionally complete foods out there with a full, balanced set of amino acids...
Black Beans, lentils, etc: Really, many Mexican foods I find to be pretty substantial as long as there's some beans and rice in it... Lentils are great in soup and have some decent protein and fiber... My girlfriend makes some really good lentil soup as well as squash soup."
How it all works: My big debate looking down at my salad for lunch today was that its not substantial enough food source. In part I may have been right. I grew up with 'salad' meaning iceberg lettuce and waxy cucumbers. Although my salads are amped up and lost the iceberg, it is not nearly what it could be nutritionally.
"Drinks: I drink water 99.9% of the time... Rarely do I ever feel the need for soft drinks or juices, although I might add some orange juice to a protein shake to make it taste better...I drink in excess of 1.5 gallons of H2O per day when I'm training hard and about 1 gallon per day on the regular.
Wheat: My diet is not "wheat-free" but I do my best to avoid it... It's an allergen (mild for most people) and not as easily digested you might think... Every now and then I have something that has wheat gluten in it as well... I'm not really into sandwiches, so bread is easy to avoid. I do eat pasta every once in a while and I might have some wheat tortillas, but if I had my choice of carbs, it'd be brown rice or quinoa. On a side note, they have come out with some good rice-based pastas that are identical to normal wheat pastas in every way.
Fake meat products: These are usually geared towards people making the change to vegetarianism and are made to mimic various meat products... I usually don't mess with these all that much, with the exception of "riblets" made by Gardenburger brand... Most of the stuff out there doesn't taste anything like meat to me (unless it's seitan) and I don't need my food to. Unfortunately, if you live in the midwest, or any place who's stores haven't adapted to vegetarian diets, you may find that these are the only things sold in the frozen section without meat or dairy... On the other side of this, many vegan restaurants have great fake meat products that are much more palatable than the stuff sold in the stores.
Vegetables: These are very necessary. I don't eat them as much as I should, but when I do, it's broccoli, peas, corn, green beans and spinach most of the time. Whenever I have a salad, I do my best to use organic kale or baby spinach as the main source rather than romain or iceberg lettuce. The leafy greens like collards, spinach and kale are extremely good for you.. Don't sleep on them.
Nuts & seeds: I find almonds are the best for me. Some articles have stated that they boost testosterone... I can't say that's true or false, but I do find almonds to be superior to most of the other nuts and seeds out there...Trader Joes sells raw, sliced almond flakes that can be turned into powder (if you have a chopper) and put into a protein shake. I do eat peanuts sometimes, and natural peanut butter, but too many peanuts can be bad for you because of the naturally-occurring toxins in them. I eat cashews in moderation, and I usually stay away from Macadamias when I'm cutting weight because of their high fat content. I don't eat as much seeds as I probably should, but Pumpkin seeds are definitely recommended... They are high in iron, which is important, because as an athlete, iron can be lost rapidly through sweat. Sunflower seeds are also pretty good and are a decent source of protein and vitamin E...
Seitan: although this stuff is delicious and has the most meat-like texture, it is essentially just wheat gluten and is pretty hard to digest... I stay away from it when I'm in hard training, but during the off-season, it's fair play. Many restaurants have good meals with seitan.
Soy milk, almond milk, etc: I don't eat cereal all that much, but when I do, I prefer almond milk and rice milk over soy milk... Just a personal preference. These can be added to protein shakes too. Rice milk is a little thinner that almond and soy usually...
Sodium: Many of the foods I really enjoy have a lot of sodium in them. I have no problem eating moderately sodium-rich foods until I get close to cutting to lightweight... Sodium causes you to retain water, so it's pointless to consume if you want to drop water weight. 3 weeks before a fight, I start watching my sodium intake, and by the week of the fight, I'm down to less than 100 grams per day."
I would like to take a moment and say every time Mac gets ready to come out for a bout (and intro song is building anticipation, the crowd is cheering) I imagine him to exit looking a little something like evil ex #3. He should totally rock white trunks with a big 3 on it.
Supplements:The biggest question I get is "can I add protein to my diet if I'm trying to lose or maintain my weight?" The answer is yes. Protein does not actually add muscle or weight gain. Protein is primarily used for recovery after work outs. The 20 minute window of time after your workout is when your muscles draw on nutrients from your body to repair themselves. Since most of us are not in a kitchen 20 minutes after our workout, a protein supplement is a portable way to deliver your body the ideal amount of nutrients it needs. The process of muscle tearing and rebuilding is called muscle hypertrophy. Protein supplements can be used as an effective meal replacement and provide the body additional energy for endurance and cardio workouts. If you are looking to build muscles or body mass and increase in carbohydrates and protein is the way to go. "Protein shakes vary in protein content. 'If you're a body builder, you're going to shift to the drinks that have a bit more protein'. like Worldwide Sport Nutrition says Antonio. Endurance athletes are likely to favor drinks with more carbohydrates, he says, but the most important thing is simply to drink something after your workout."-WebMD
When shopping around for a protein supplement read the label.
Losing Weight: low carb, low cal, low cholesterol, high protein. Gaining Weight: High carb, high cal, low cholesterol, high protein.
What Danzig has to say on his personal supplement use:
"Vega : This is awesome. It has everything I need and it's quick and easy. Although not ideal, I could really live off of this with no problems. Full nutrition. Vega makes powdered whole food meal replacements and energy bars that I eat pretty much every day. Their meal replacement uses hemp protein and pea protein as a base. When I'm taking this and/or The Ultimate Meal (see below) I find there's no reason for a multi-vitamin.
The Ultimate Meal : I swear by this stuff, it's a whole meal and has made up a huge part of my diet for 3 years now. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but I truly notice myself feeling better when I use it daily. Remember to follow the directions and add the apple and banana. (This is not your normal "add powder to water" supplement)
Organic food bar : These are great for cutting weight... there is some fat but it's good fat, and there's hardly any sodium. Made of mostly almond butter and date paste.
Cliff Builders Bar : As far as protein bars go, these are the best tasting and pretty addictive... There's a decent amount of sodium and calories, so they're not ideal when you're cutting weight.
Protein powders: I stay away from soy as a powdered protein supplement, and not because of the idiotic claim that it is "bad for men because it boosts estrogen" (which is complete nonsense), but because it doesn't have a full amino acid spectrum and has less protein content percentage... Instead of soy powder, I use brown rice protein from Nutri-Biotic brand when I'm looking for plain protein supplement. Nutri-Biotic Rice protein has an 80% protein content and all the amino acids. I also find that Rice protein is digested a lot easier than soy."
Meal Plan: You can see examples of his vegan workout meal plan in his article here.
Mike Mahler guided Danzig on his vegan path to muscle meanness and you can check out his article here.
Check out Danzig in action and his incredible sportsman like attitude.
But wait, isn't this blog about how you are trying to gain muscle mass? Then why are you on a low carb, low cal, protein suppliment? For now I'm trying to build muscle in the least 'supplementy' way possible. I clearly need help and protein is a start. I once thought that I just couldn't get that much protein by eating just food without feeling sick or overly full. It really is because I don't have a balanced diet to add that much meat, eggs and fish on top of. Plus skating on a full stomach is hell and cooking that much food all the time doesn't allow for consistency in my schedule. My boyfriend had great success with this supplement while overseas. He is naturally a small guy and no matter how much GTL he doesn't get guido juice head big. When he started Syntha-6 and returned home we had to hit the Wretham Outlets to get him some mediums! No more small H&M hipster clothes. After returning to the college scene without the gym and military uniform he slowly lost the weight without the lasting effects of what weight gainer could do (stretching your body far beyond its natural shape). A high carb, high protein diet is in my future but I would like the carbs to come from my food and not a souped up supplement.
I hate the way the lack of sugar makes me feel. I am a sugar junkie. I NEED it to survive. Its roller derby workout challenge Day 3 and the pre planned meals consist of natural sugar only, aka fruit. This morning I made the spinach and feta omelet and lets just say cooking that early in the morning did not come naturally. I didn't have time to eat my breakfast so then I had to find a Tupperware, wash it, package it, then I had to make my lunch. Ugh, the woes of a twenty something. Eating the warm omelet at work was great. It gave me a huge boost in the morning and I didn't get hungry until 11 (that's one hour longer than yesterday!). I'm really curious about what sugar does to our metabolism and why its bad for you other than the threat of diabetes. Instead of pretending like I know things I've decided to copy down random snippets about sugar and metabolism.
Feasters VS Gatherers:
"One theory which there has been some research on is that some folks metabolisms are built to be "gatherers" ie they want to graze a bit of food all day.. ie in ancient times have a few berries , walk a bit have a root, walk a bit have some more berries etc... ... this is different from "feasters" metabolism that is built on the premise that when food is plentiful.. you eat lots and then you may almost starve in between..ie in ancient times an animal would be killed.. everyone would eat it but then it might be some time before more food is killed." -Ken Alan
QUESTION: I'm trying to lose body fat. I was wondering what I can do to increase my metabolism. I know there are specific foods that are better, but does the amount of food I eat at a time affect how long my metabolism goes. Also with exercise, is it better too do a longer slower run, or would sprints increase it better?
ANSWER: Metabolism refers to all of the chemical processes that take place in the body, such as the burning of sugars (glucose) for energy and the release of digestive enzymes to break down food. Metabolism results in growth, the elimination of waste products (in urine and stool), healing of wounds, and other necessary activities of the body.
Many factors can affect the rate of metabolism, including exercise, diet, temperature, and hormones. The amount of food you eat at a time doesn't have an appreciable affect on metabolism. The frequency of how often you eat does. Eating food requires energy to digest it. It's generally better to have more frequent smaller meals throughout the day then a few bigger meals. Both longer and slower runs, and sprints are beneficial for increasing metabolism in the short term. Alternate between both of those types of exercise. Strength training is beneficial for increasing metabolism permanently as it increases your lean muscle mass, and that consumes calories 24 hours a day.
Metabolism isn't on or off. There's no certain food or foods that gets it running. Your metabolism is always on. Anytime you consume a food, your metabolism will go up a little just from the process of digestion. Every time you exert physical effort, your metabolism revs up a bit more. The best thing to do to keep your metabolism high is to build muscle on your body and to do consistent regular exercise, including aerobic exercise. -Ken Alan
Here are just 10 of the 124 ways sugar can be bad for you: 124 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health Contributed by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.,www.nancyappleton.com Author of the book "Lick The Sugar Habit" In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. The following is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequences from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.
Sugar can suppress the immune system
Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body
Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides
Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases)
Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose
Sugar reduces high density lipoproteins
Sugar leads to chromium deficiency
Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostrate, and rectum
Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose
VIEWERS:
Lets move from the depressing topic of how sugar is in every American food product, is the greatest thing ever, and is going to kill us and disease our brains, to the topic of you! I was super excited to see all the different countries from which people are viewing this blog!! I'm super jealous of the one person that views this blog from their iPad. Blogger Stats, you are amazing :D
Cold Weather Cooking:
Boston is preparing for a storm to unload 14-18 inches of snow tomorrow morning. As I sit here in anticipation of a snow day, I am saddened with the thought that I will be snowed indoors and not able to bake! I need cookies, brownies and cinna buns! Well instead I'm fantasizing about food I can't eat by reading recipes. I haven't eaten pork chops in awhile and magically a co-worker dropped this recipe into my lap.
Dinner Day Seven:
5 ounces pork ½ cup 1 cup brussel
tenderloin unsweetened sprouts
apple sauce
RECIPE: Grilled Ginger-Garlic Pork Chops with Fresh Herb Sauce
*its a marinade so you will need to prepare this on Day 6 Serve chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce or Fresh Plum Salsa or a simple Thai salad of sweet onions, cucumbers and carrots in a sweet vinegar dressing. Serves 4 Ingredients:
3 to 4 Tbs finely chopped lemongrass (remove outer leaves from 1-2 stalks and chop the tender centers) (my friend used dried lemon grass and she said it was fine)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (its more for a garnish so you can skip it if you need to)
3 Tbs chopped fresh mint; (again more for garnish)
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger (powdered ginger could also work)
2 Tbs grated lime zest
1/2 cup fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam) (find it in the Thai section of regular grocery stores)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
2 Tbs peanut oil
4 frenched center-cut pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick Lime wedges for serving
-In a bowl: combine lemon grass, cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic and lime zest. Stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, pineapple juice and oil.
-Place chops in a large plastic zip lock bag and pour in marinade.
-Seal bag and refrigerate for 8 hours. -Grill:remove chops from bag and drain excess marinade. -Gas grill:set one side to medium high and leave the other side off. When the fire is medium hot (you'll be able to hold your hand just above the grate for about 2 seconds), set the chops directly over the heat Sear them for about 2 minutes per side and use tongs to move them to the area with no direct heat, arranging them so the bone side of the chop faces the heat (the bone acts as a barrier to the heat). Cover the grill and cook the chops indirectly until their internal temperature reaches 145-150F, another 3 to 5 minutes per side. -Charcoal grill: build and light a charcoal fire with coals banked on one side only. Follow the same cooking times and temperatures. -Broiler:I personally am going to try to use a broiler, especially if Boston (and my grill) is buried in 18inches on snow.
Cilantro-Mint Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or to taste)
2 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp salt
(optional 1 Tbs agave nectar)
Fresh Plum Salsa
Its a nice compliment to pork chops or grilled chicken.
Yields 2 1/2 cups; serves 4-6
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lime juice; more to taste
4-6 plums, split, pitted and diced (about 2 cups)
1 Tbs finely chopped lemongrass
1 Tbs chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 fresh jalapeno, cored, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
-In a small bowl:toss the onion with lime juice and salt. Let itsit at room temperature for 30 minutesto pickle lightly. Just before serving, add plums, lemongrass, mint, basil and optional jalapeno. Toss to mix. Sauce will get watery upon sitting, serve immediately .
Goal #1: Do not feed my dogs grapes. Thanks guys for informing me how terrible grapes are for dogs. Luckily they are smarter than me and stopped eating them, and I thought they were just eying my scrambled eggs... Goal #2:Weigh myself once a week in the morning. You may have seen my minor freak out over a 4lb weight fluctuation. Ya ya I know, its water weight. But I got my hopes up. I never broke 118! I'm sure those of your aiming for the opposite end of the scale are rolling your eyes but hey, this up hill battle (haha get my background now?) its not easy being this clever..(insert lame joke eye rolling here).
Rules:
To clarify the rules of the Roller Derby Workout Challenge you must follow 8 weeks of planned meals and 8 weeks of workouts. The workouts are adaptable to your practice schedule and specific exercises are given if your practices don't cut it, you are training to be a freshie or your in your off season, ect. The meals are not adaptable. No sugar, no bleached anything, no drinks except water, black coffee or black tea (and red wine if you must). RDW says that sugar, alcohol and additives are posion for a healthy body.
Eating:
So can we talk about how today's meal theme so far is cold food? Breakfast Day 2: cottage cheese, a slice of wheat bread with peanut butter and a 1/2 apple. Who eats a 1/2 an apple? The benefit of apples is that they are portable! I found myself starving around 10 am. My lunch, grilled chicken salad with Caesar dressing was better but still cold. My 'salad' consisted of cucumbers, romaine lettuce, broccoli, grilled breaded chicken (that I simultaneously prepared last night while making the wheat pasta with ground turkey sauce dinner) and a boiled egg which I chopped with my fancy new egg chopper courtesy of Shark Week #1987.
For some reason this image continues to pop up in my Google searches this past week. First can we all acknowledge that yes there is a camel toe punching you in the eye. Funny enough I finally went to the site this is posted on to find out what this picture is all about (and if her abs are real!) and the article is titled: Uniform Malfunctions: 10 Awesome Athlete Camel Toes. It does make a roller derby reference which is pretty hilarious but really creepy. I'm not sure whats going on the belly button area or with those freakish stick arms.. really you're a boxer? Your wrists look like they are going to snap off from the weight of your gloves. Well I can get past all that to those abs!! GOAL #3: stronger core. We all know how valuable core strength is in derby. Its pretty much a requirement. I think for smaller people we need a super strong core and upper body. Now that I've had a couple practices with Massacre I immediately noticed that 98% hits I take are to the ribs. These girls are tall and the hits are lined up much higher on my body. Without a strong upper body I completely lose my form and slip to the floor. I pretty much make myself fall down trying to stay upright. Its pretty embarrassing. Can we talk about my derby heroes? Maura Buse #34Bprobably doesn't eat salad for lunch, she eats silver bullets. Not only is she BDDs tiny tot all star, she won second place in DNN's poll for Most Underrated Player.
These stills of Buse owning the track are from an awesome hit clip that can be seen on vimeo. While a good number of these hits are illegal its pretty entertaining to watch and reinforces my belief that core and upper body strength are crucial in taking well planted hits and is imperative to being a wheeled meat machine.
Can we talk about Rice Rocket? She is also amazing. I would want to skate like her any day but even as magical as she is, she is a reminder that all of our heroes are mortal. And that if you are small you fly twice as high... and fall twice as long. For those of you who are impatient check out 37 seconds and watch her fall with her full weight on her collar bone (terrifying!) at 51 seconds.
My lists are all ready to go. I have a breakfast list, a lunch list and a dinner and snacks list. This is going to be easy right?
Breakfast day one is pretty simple. Two scrambled eggs with 1/2 cup sprinkled cheese, 1 slice wheat bread with unsweetened peanut butter and a half cup of grapes.
Baybay
Chito
PS thats wayyy more than a half cup of grapes.
At least chihuahuas like grapes. Well at least one of mine do..
Ok. Lets talk about weight a little bit. Yesterday I was a clear 118.6. Afterwards I didn't really eat too much for dinner, rainbow chocolate chip cookies and 4 strips of bacon.. I chugged the last half gallon of my beloved green tea with honey, went out for a few drinks, came home and chugged water and passed out. This morning I have Day 1's breakfast and Day 1's lunch (yuckie lentils) drink more water (super dehydrated) and use the restroom twice. I weigh myself andto my surprise the scale reads 114.2 WTF.I weigh over and over and over and its the same reading. I'm not wearing more or less clothes than yesterday and I didn't take a 4 pound dump(yup I said it). Minutes later I change my socks and my T shirt (from clean ones to matching derby ones) and bring out my scale to my living room to prove to my boyfriend that the scale is broken. The scale reads 116.0 One I'm confused and two I look like a liar.
1:30pm
My new t shirt and socks don't weigh more than my last pair and only 10 minutes have lapsed between readings. I would like to open up a discussion about fluctuating weight. I'm sure those of you who are trying to lose weight are experience sudden weight loss and sudden weight gain. This is the first time I've owned a scale so I am not used to incessantly weighing myself. Its probably a bad idea to weigh frequently for a few reasons. As athletes and females we hold water weight, poop weight and our bodies change throughout the month. Although I still don't really understand how my body can change 2-4lbs on a daily basis I think its a good idea not to set my heart on the number on the scale but set my heart on the trends of numbers on the scale. I'm going to keep a close eye on the numbers and chart my weight2-3 times a month. After the 116.0 reading I went to practice. I scrimmaged for an hour, drank 2 bottles of water, went pee twice, had a protein shake, ate my Day 1 dinner (whole wheat pasta with
10:43pm
ground turkey sauce) and I rested for about 30 minutes. I take out the scale for areading of 115.8 thats .2 pounds less!!!! I don't get it... I'd love to hear your feedback if you find yourself with the same roller coaster scale.
My goals are to gain healthy muscle mass and maintain my speed and agility. I started a protein regiment in November which came with complications. Protein requires and incredible amount of hydration and it is important to eat fiber. I experienced muscle cramps and constipation from introducing high protein into my unbalanced diet. I have tried eat high levels of protein based foods in the past and had similar experiences. I have joined the RDWC to give myself eating habits to build on. I have realized that I cannot get the maximum from my workouts or supplements from what I'm currently eating. Even though I eat A LOT its rarely well rounded. I love that the RDWC has a full weeks meal already planned out. I already own this food yet when I get up in the morning I skip breakfast and forget my lunch because its not already made. With this list I can grab, assemble and go. I plan to continue with my whey protein powder pre and post practice and occasional all natural fiber supplement (Metamucil capsules). I feel that the RDWC's meals do not consist of enough carbs or protein for my personal weight goals or metabolism. I will stick to the meal plan faithfully. I will substitute one dairy and one dessert for my protein shakes which I consume only on practice days. What is whey protein? Currently I am drinking Syntha-6 which is a high quality protein supplement. Its all natural except for the artificial sweetener (which is why I'm substituting it for a dessert. I need the added sweetener. Protein is brutal to drink, even with sugar). Whey protein is derived from eggs and milk and not nearly as creepy as it sounds if your willing to spend the money for a pure, high quality product.
2010 Season: Its my first real season. I lose my full time job and struggle to work part time to maintain my derby commitment. My goal is to meet the skill level of the skaters in my class. I end the season with the Nuts Best Blocker Award of 2010 (tear).
Pump it up: After the 2010 season I decide that I need to gain muscle
mass. We all know that mass + velocity = painful sweeping hits. I have struggled with weight gain for my whole life. My high school ice hockey team's weight requirement was 120+ which I never met (even after eating cans of peanut butter). I spent my high school years bagging groceries at Stop and Shop. November 2010 I turn to whey protein powder as a source of gaining healthy lean muscle. I begin a pre and post protein regiment and track my weight (with a chart next to my computer that my co-worker says looks like she made in the 6th grade, thanks Ms. M). November 2010 I weigh 115 pounds. I think my heaviest all time weight was 118lbs pre-injury. Because of my high metabolism and my family history of shaking from lack of food and sugar it is recommended that I eat about 6 meals a day or double the daily amount of carbs to counter the amount of cardio that roller derby requires. The thing about eat 6 meals a day is that your stomach is full ALL THE TIME. I cannot skate on a full stomach due to jammer jitters and just plain glassiness (yup, I don't eat before practice for the sake of you gals who have to skate behind me. Your welcome).
Boston Massacre: Our all star WFTDA team holds tryouts early December. I make the last minute decision to try out. I make the team as an alt (holy shitake mushrooms). It is strongly recommended that I gain 10-15lbs.. I fully understand that if I am able to compete at a national level that I need to be a reasonable and safe weight. My average weight is around an even 100lbs and I stand at 5' even. My extra 15 pounds is great for derby but lets be realistic, those Philly girls are thick. My weight gain goal is primarily out of concern for the safety of my bones but it would be a nice benefit to have some added mass to sweep out medium to large players.
Goals: I would like to break the 125 mark without sacrificing my speed or agility. I would like to build healthy muscle weight and NOT fatty fat legs. I want to be healthy, strong and athletic so that I may have a chance among the best girls on the track. Lets face it, big slow girls can become fast but fast small girls just can't become big. My next endeavour is to transition from scrappy Speed Metal to holy shit I just owned you Heavy Metal.
01/08/11
Current Stats: Speed: 5 lap time: 41.5 seconds - 25 lap time: 3.40 minutes 1st 5: 43.6, 2nd 5: 44.7, 3rd 5: 46.4, 4th 5: 46.9, 5th 5: 47.7 seconds. Goal: To increase lap speed while increasing muscle mass. Current Weight:I went out an bought a scale just for RDWC and my weight is (drum roll please) 118.4lbs, my largest yet!.I bought the scale that looks most like an iPad ( I can dream..) Ok measurement stats: yes I measured my body parts!! 01/06/11 L Bicep: 10 1/4", R Bicep: 10 1/2", L Forearm: 8 3/4", R Forearm 9", L Thigh: 21 3/4", R Thigh 22", L Calf 13 1/4", R Calf 13 3/4", Stomach 27", Hips/butt: 36", Upper Chest (above boobs sternum area) 31", Neck 12".
Seven days of the Roller Derby Workout diet down. Because I'm on two teams (a home team and A team) I have an absurd amount of practices that meet the requirements on the RDW exercise schedule. To my disappointment I have lost 6 pounds from when I started a week ago ( I was even wearing heavier clothes when I weighed myself!). The most difficult part of the whole first week? CUTTING OUT THE SUGAR. I dropped by the mall on Saturday to exchange a Christmas gift that was too small and ended up with a few extra bucks. My treat is always a Starbucks venti iced green tea sweetened. This time I got a grande unsweetened. It was way less brutal than I expected but it was also a whole different drink. I was all healthy and green, not sugary and amazing.What are my next steps to make this diet work (and make me grow huge muscles!)? I need to up the carbs. This RDW challenge seems to be geared more towards ladies that are trying to get into shape than it is for
