Why Grains are bad...

Grains... What are they used for?

Nothing I can think of other than make you full. There are no nutrients or minerals in grains at all and is what I call 'empty calories'.

The way we evolved, we were designed to eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seed and fruit. Since agriculture came about and we had access to processed food such as bread, rice, pasta aka Grains. This is where all the problems we have today have started to arise.

Problems with Grains

Grains = bad carbs and are involved with such factors in the body such as spiking up insulin levels, elevating blood pressure and putting on extra body fat and can be associated with the diseases such as o Diabetes, High blood pressure, Obesity.

Do We Need Grains

The answer = No!!

Can you think of a reason why you need to have grains in our diet, other than to make you full and satisfy your hunger or have 'carbs' in your diet.

Benefits of a Diet without Grain


A diet very low or entirely without grains (low-carb) has been shown to decrease risk for problems associated with diabetes, to lower blood pressure, alleviate heartburn symptoms, and shed abdominal fat.

So what is wrong with eating without grain in your diet?

A Litte Bit of Inspiration

Check out this video!

When your having a bad day just think to yourself It can't be that bad.

The Primal Blueprint

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram Your Genes for Effortless Weight Loss, Vibrant Health, and Boundless Energy

Just got this book, it arrived in the post last night and I cannot get enough of it.

The simple logic behind the book is hard to ignore, it really strikes a chord with any one who reads it. It compares a lot of the conventional wisdom of what most people think about health in general (whats good and whats bad) and what the real truth is or in the books case What Would Grok DO! :).

Its broken down into 10 Primal Laws

Here they are as follows.

1. Eat lots od plants and animals
2. Avoid poisonous things
3. Move frequently at a slow pace
4. Lift Heavy things
5. Sprint once in a while
6. Get adequte sleep
7. Play
8. Get adequte sunlight
9. Avoid stupid mistakes
10. Use your brain





More stuff to follow.

This book is AWESOME!

Got Milk? part 2...AKA GOMAD!!

Strength and weight gain

Benefits of GOMAD. GOMAD stands for Gallon Of Milk A Day. GOMAD is a weight gain method that has been going around since years. Some benefits of drinking 1 US gallon (6 pints) of whole milk daily:

1. Weight Gain. Weight gain is a common occurrence because of all the extra calories you are consuming.

2. Strength Gain. The protein & fat content in whole milk helps muscle & strength gains. The weight gain also helps strength gains.

3. Easy. Liquid food is easier to get in than solid food and digests faster. Milk also needs zero preparation and is easy to take with you.

4. Cheap. 1 gallon whole milk contains 2400kcal, 200g carbs, 120g fat, 120g protein and lots of vitamins & minerals for a relative low price.

5. Natural. Some say that GOMAD works even better than steroids with beginners who want to gain weight fast.
Permanent Gains. GOMAD teaches you to get more calories in, the key to weight gain. You’ll never be skinny again.

Why GOMAD Works. GOMAD equals 2400kcal. Eat every 3 hours and you’ll get 5000kcals/day. Eating this much will make most “hard gainers” gain weight. But GOMAD is not just about its high calorie intake.

1.High Protein. You need protein to build muscle & prevent muscle loss. 1 gallon of whole milk contains 120g protein. 20% whey, 80% casein.

What is the difference between protein?

Whey - Whey is essential in the muscle building world today because of its ability to be digested very fast. This allows the protein to become available for muscle building very quickly. Most commonly it is used after workouts to help increase levels of amino acids in the blood, which is taken up by the muscles to ultimately increase mass. In addition, during exercise, whey helps open up blood flow by inhibiting an angiotensin- converting enzyme; an enzyme which originally constricts blood vessels, and allows better flow of nutrients to necessary areas to help repair and rebuild muscle tissues.

Casein - Casein protein has an excellent amino acid profile and is primarily known as an extremely slow-digesting protein. Casein protein is a slow-digesting protein because it forms a “gel” in the gut, which results in a steady release of amino acids into the blood stream over time. Research shows that when you consume casein, you will reach a peak in blood amino acids and protein synthesis between three to four hours. The total release of amino acids in the bloodstream, however, can last as long as 7 hours after ingestion of casein protein

2. Saturated Fat. Increases testosterone levels, which means more muscle & strength. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths: saturated fat is healthy.

3. High Carb. The dextrose in whole milk spikes insulin, a muscle building hormone which tells your body to move the proteins into your muscles.

Let me know what you think? Any feedback would be great ;)

Got Milk? part 1

Do you drink milk?

One of the great benefits of milk is that it works toward preventing osteoporosis, strokes and high blood pressure.

Milk is high in calcium and Vitamin D. Calcium helps build strong bones, but it cannot be absorbed into the bones to strengthen them without the presence of Vitamin D. In previous studies, an abundance of calcium has been proven to reduce blood pressure, and higher levels of calcium have aided in weight loss.

Milk contains a large amount of protein, which is essential for proper nutrition. Protein gives a person energy and helps them feel fuller longer, aiding in weight loss. Drinking milk on a regular basis may also help reduce the risk of kidney stones. It clears sugar substances from the mouth when drunk and works against fighting tooth decay. Milk also builds stronger teeth by remineralizing tooth enamel.

Further studies have shown that women who drink milk as teenagers and young adults have stronger bones during menopause. Milk is good for the brain, lowering the risk of strokes. Scientists have not been able to figure out why it may help in fighting off strokes, other than the many nutrients it contains might work together as a protecting shield.

Tomorrow will be part 2 - benefits for athletes.

How we eat VS how we SHOULD eat

Thought this would be a good blog post cause its good to see how far we have come along when to come to how we eat. What you will find below is different food pyramids on how society and the majority of people eat compared to how we should eat.

I found this on a Diabetes article on how should eat.... Can you believe it?



So what you find is that grains and anything starchy should make up the most part of your day to day eating, followed by some fruits and vegetables then meat, meat substitues, diary followed by low amounts of fat and sweets!!!. To my knowledge is that if you eliminated grain totally from your diet you will be fine. It may take some getting use to but why can't we live of meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch no sugar. Compared to grains where you can demolish a big bowl of pasta then about 30min later falling asleep because of the sudden spike in sugar causing a big crash later on. Then if you think about it what does grain have the fruits or vegetables doesn't on a nutritional level other than making you feel full and bloated? Now switch it round what are the benefits of fruit and vegetables compared to grains on a nutrient / vitamin and mineral level... All fingers point to fruit and vegetables and its no contest.


Here is food pyramid that ticks all boxes



Now what you can see grains is no where to be found on the pyramid, instead what you find is that meat and healthy fats are the base of the of the pyramid followed by hearty chunk of vegetables / nuts and berries then to top it all off a little bit a fruit (natural sugar goodness).

This is a more nutrient dense food pyramid that has been tested though time and still works today!

Sunday WOD - AKA 'Jelly legs'

(The day of the CrossFit sectionals)

This was all Tim's Fault and I am feeling it today.. haha

Here is the WOD

20 squats
10 dynamic lunges left leg
10 dynamic lunges right leg
10 jumping lunges
20 jumping squats

20 pushups

x2 ( first round is with a 20kg kettle bell in a goblet position

followed by a 800m run

for time

= 10.32

This was a horrible workout and was kinda reminiscent of the 'Manchester Mile'

Was a good little blast and those first few steps at the start of the 800m was ever so special.