Beware Of Rancid Fish Oil

I got an article in my inbox today about the risk of oxidized fats in fish oil capsules, even those that are well within the expiration date on the bottle.

We wrote about this very thing in the Protein Power LifePlan back in 2000.

Fish oil is primarily EPA and DHA, both of which are extremely unsaturated. And, as we all know, the greater the degree of unsaturation, the greater the propensity to go rancid. When these oils go rancid (or “go off” as the Brits put it) they don’t go from being healthful to simply becoming neutral, they actually convert to harmful oxidized fats called lipid peroxides.

Lipid peroxides can (and do) start free radical cascades that can damage fatty cellular membranes. At the very least lipid peroxides consume the body’s stores of vitamin E and other antioxidants to neutralize them, leaving the body short of many of its natural defenses.

Taken from Dr Eades' Blog

WoD:

Weighted Pull Ups

3-3-3-1-1-1

Rest 5 minutes then

4 Rounds

15 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (Men use 95#/Women use 65#)

30 Double Unders

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Angie

WoD:
"Angie"
For time
100 Pull Ups
100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

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Paleo Punch

1/2 Cup of each:

Frozen low-sugar berries (blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries)

1/2 to 1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of honey (Optional if the berries aren't sweet enough)

Blend in a heavy duty blender until thick. Fresh Strawberries may be used for easier blending.

This makes a large serving with 15g of carbs and is a better choice than orange juice.

From Dr Eades' Protein Power Lifeplan

WoD:

Split Jerk

2-2-2-2

then

6 Rounds

At an all out effort

Run 90 seconds

Rest 90 seconds

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Statinators Spill The Beans

Oftentimes people become so fixed in their thinking – and in their belief that everyone else thinks the same way – that they unwittingly raise the curtain and expose the wizard of their flawed thinking, showing it for what it really is. Statinators have done just that in an article in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

The study, Effects of High-Dose Modified-Release Nicotinic Acid on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Function, compares the increase in carotid artery plaque over a 12-month period in subjects taking niacin versus those taking a placebo. It turns out that those subjects taking the niacin experienced a shrinkage of their plaque whereas plaque grew larger on those taking the placebo. The revealing hitch in this study is that both groups were on statins, which means the group on statins alone was the placebo group. Therefore the data from this study shows that statins alone do not reverse the growth of plaque (at least not plaque in the carotid arteries) despite lowering LDL levels. Taking the logic a little further, the data from this study gives weight to the idea that a lowered LDL doesn’t reduce plaque growth.

There is a lot we can glean from this study and the from the authors’ commentary on it.

Read the rest of this article here

WoD:
Overhead Squat
5-5-5-5-5

then

200 Swings for time
Men use 55#/Women use 35#

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Selenium

What is selenium?
Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts [1,2]. Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. The antioxidant properties of selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Free radicals are natural by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease [2,3]. Other selenoproteins help regulate thyroid function and play a role in the immune system [4-7].


What foods provide selenium?
Plant foods are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries throughout the world. The content of selenium in food depends on the selenium content of the soil where plants are grown or animals are raised. For example, researchers know that soils in the high plains of northern Nebraska and the Dakotas have very high levels of selenium. People living in those regions generally have the highest selenium intakes in the United States (U.S.) [8]. In the U.S., food distribution patterns across the country help prevent people living in low-selenium geographic areas from having low dietary selenium intakes. Soils in some parts of China and Russia have very low amounts of selenium. Selenium deficiency is often reported in those regions because most food in those areas is grown and eaten locally.

Selenium also can be found in some meats and seafood. Animals that eat grains or plants that were grown in selenium-rich soil have higher levels of selenium in their muscle. In the U.S., meats and bread are common sources of dietary selenium [9,10]. Some nuts are also sources of selenium.

Selenium content of foods can vary. For example, Brazil nuts may contain as much as 544 micrograms of selenium per ounce. They also may contain far less selenium. It is wise to eat Brazil nuts only occasionally because of their unusually high intake of selenium.

Read the rest of this article here


Excellent speed through the Thruster

WoD:
Shoulder Press
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

then

For Time
1000m Row
3 Rounds
15 Box Jumps (Men use 24" Box/Women use 18" box)
5 Hang Power Cleans (Men use 135#/Women use 95#)

Exorphins Illicit An Opiate Effect In The Brain

I apologize for the lack of posting. On top of being a full time student and running my affiliate I have also been coaching at CrossFit Orlando and at the end of the night I am exhausted.

Dr. Christine Zioudrou and colleagues at the National Institutes of Mental Health got this conversation going back in 1979 with their paper, Opioid peptides derived from food proteins: The exorphins.

Exorphins are exogenously-derived peptides (i.e., short amino acid sequences obtained from outside the body) that exert morphine-like properties. Mimicking the digestive process that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract using the gastric enzyme, pepsin, and hydrochloric acid (stomach acid), Zioudrou et al isolated peptides from wheat gluten with morphine-like activity. They followed this research path because of the apparent association of wheat and mental illness.

In the bioassays used, wheat-derived exorphins competed successfully with the endogenous opiate, met-enkephalin. Interestingly, casein-derived (i.e., casein milk protein) exorphins were also identified that also displayed opiate-binding activity, though less powerfully. The morphine-like activity was also blocked by the drug, naloxone (the same stuff given to people exposed to morphine overdose).

Taken from the Heart Scan Blog

WoD:

Front Squat

5-5-5-3-3-3

then

"Death By Clean And Jerks"

With a continuously running clock do

1 Clean and Jerk the First minute

2 Clean and Jerks the second minute

3 Clean and Jerks the third minute

Continue as long as you are able, break up in to as many sets as needed.

Men use 135#, women use 95#

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3 Rounds For Joel

Candid CrossFit chat. **Explicit language**





WoD:
Hang Power Snatch
3-3-3-1-1-1

then

3 Rounds for time
35 Double Unders
12 Burpees

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The Science Of Weightlifting

WoD:

Back Squat

3-3-3-1-1-1

then

21-15-9

Push Press (Men use 85#/Women use 55#)

Ring Dips

Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (Men use 115#/Women use 85#)

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Dr Michael Eades

WoD:

Weighted Dips

3-3-3-3-3-3

then

AMRAP 10

5 Pull Ups

10 Push Ups

15 Sit Ups

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Low Density LipoPROTEIN

WoD:

Deadlift

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

then

50 Barbell Thrusters

40 Double Unders

30 Swings (Men use 55#/Women use 35#)

20 Barbell Reverse Overhead Lunges

10 Burpees

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Back at ME

Finally back at the Max Effort lifts after a great week of benchmarks!

"Carbohydrate Curve" Article Taken From Mark's Daily Apple

Yesterday, low-carb blogger Dr. Michael Eades (he of Protein Power) posted a message from his friend and fellow low-carb guru Richard Feinman as sort of a call-to-action in public policy-making for upcoming 2010 USDA guidelines. Dr. Eades and Dr. Feinman have suggested that we ought to quickly find a way to help the USDA arrive at a sensible recommendation for carbohydrate consumption. Feinman asked:

“how can the benefits of carbohydrate restriction that you have experienced personally or in your immediate environment be translated into reasonable recommendations that the USDA could put out?”

In conjunction with my forthcoming book “The Primal Blueprint”, I have been working on an easy-to-understand explanation of how carbohydrates impact the human body and the degree to which we need them (or not) in our diet. I have also developed a chart (not the one above) that is intended to assist those who want to go “Primal” in visualizing the impact of carbs consumed within certain ranges. I was going to hold off on releasing this information until my book is published, but decided to introduce it here in response to Dr. Eades’ post. Since the choice of how many and what types of carbs in one’s diet depends on the context of one’s life (current weight, disease condition, activity levels, etc), I see carb intake as a “curve” ranging from “allowable” to “desirable” to “unhealthy”.

The following descriptions illustrate how carbohydrates impact the human body and the degree to which we need them, or not, in our diet. The ranges represent daily averages and are subject to variables like age, current height and weight and particularly training volume. For example, a heavy, active person can be successful at a higher number than a light, moderately active person. In particular, hard training endurance athletes will experience a greater need for carbs and can adjust their personal curve accordingly. This is a topic I address further in the book (e.g. – experimenting with adding 100g of carbs per hour of training per day), on MarksDailyApple.com and in a future “primal” book dedicated to endurance athletes. Here then is my “Primal Blueprint Carbohydrate Curve.”

300 or more grams/day - Danger Zone!

Easy to reach with the “normal” American diet (cereals, pasta, rice, bread, waffles, pancakes, muffins, soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweets, desserts). High risk of excess fat storage, inflammation, increased disease markers including Metabolic Syndrome or diabetes. Sharp reduction of grains and other processed carbs is critical unless you are on the “chronic cardio” treadmill (which has its own major drawbacks).

150-300 grams/day – Steady, Insidious Weight Gain

Continued higher insulin-stimulating effect prevents efficient fat burning and contributes to widespread chronic disease conditions. This range – irresponsibly recommended by the USDA and other diet authorities – can lead to the statistical US average gain of 1.5 pounds of fat per year for forty years.

100-150 grams/day – Primal Blueprint Maintenance Range

This range based on body weight and activity level. When combined with Primal exercises, allows for genetically optimal fat burning and muscle development. Range derived from Grok’s (ancestors’) example of enjoying abundant vegetables and fruits and avoiding grains and sugars.

50-100 grams/day – Primal Sweet Spot for Effortless Weight Loss

Minimizes insulin production and ramps up fat metabolism. By meeting average daily protein requirements (.7 – 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight formula), eating nutritious vegetables and fruits (easy to stay in 50-100 gram range, even with generous servings), and staying satisfied with delicious high fat foods (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds), you can lose one to two pounds of body fat per week and then keep it off forever by eating in the maintenance range.

0-50 grams/day – Ketosis and Accelerated Fat Burning

Acceptable for a day or two of Intermittent Fasting towards aggressive weight loss efforts, provided adequate protein, fat and supplements are consumed otherwise. May be ideal for many diabetics. Not necessarily recommended as a long-term practice for otherwise healthy people due to resultant deprivation of high nutrient value vegetables and fruits.

Drop me a line in the comment boards. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.


Joel pushing through "Fran" last Friday at a blistering pace. Old PR was 9:06, Friday he damn near cut it in half at 4:46

WoD:
Overhead Squat
2-2-2-2-2

then

10 Rounds
10 Pull Ups
10 Ring Dips

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