Speed Eating, The Chinese Buffet and Obesity

A new study just published in the August 2008 issue of the journal Obesity has revealed that thin people eat very differently than heavy people at all you can buffet restaurants.

Researcher Brian Wansink and his team from Cornell University observed diners at 11 different Chinese buffet restaurants across the United States.

Their goal was to find out whether the eating behaviors of people at all you can eat buffets varied based on their body mass.

Trained observers recorded the height, weight, gender, age, and behavior of 213 patrons. The various seating, serving and eating behaviors were then compared across BMI levels.

The heavier (higher BMI) patrons:

• ate more quickly
• chewed more per bite of food
• used forks
• sat facing the food

The thin (lower BMI) patrons:

• ate more slowly
• chewed less food per bite
• used chopsticks
• sat facing away from the food

This study confirms research from the University of Rhode Island published in the journal of the American Dietetic Association earlier this year which found that eating slowly leads to decreases in energy intake.

Scientists even have a name for this now:

"TIME-ENERGY DISPLACEMENT"

which means that the more time you take to eat, the less energy (calories) you are likely to consume. The faster you eat, the more energy you are likely to consume.

"Don't inhale your food" used to be just an admonishment about proper eating etiquette you heard from your mom.

It is now scientifically-proven fat loss advice!

"EatClean-StayLean" - BK

From the desk of David Grissafi ''CHEK LEVEL 2 Practitioner''

By definition "heavy metals" are metals or metallic compounds that negatively affect the health of humans. All living organisms require varying amounts of some heavy metals. The human body needs iron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc for optimal health and metabolism. Certain other heavy metals such as mercury, plutonium, and lead are toxic to humans. Even those heavy metals that are beneficial to you can cause harm if they are used or consumed in excessive amounts. The main threats to human safety and health come from the heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. Each heavy metal affects the human body in many different ways. In the remainder of this article you will find information that will tell you how some heavy metals affect your heart, breathing, and overall circulation.

Cadmium compounds are mainly used in re-chargeable batteries: however, cigarette smoke is a major source of exposure, and, to some extent, food. Food is affected because of there is very little recycling of cadmium batteries and it runs off from landfills into surface water. Cadmium causes kidney damage, bone defects, and an increase in fractures. The kidney damage and defects in bones and bone marrow will cause circulation problems. In general, people are exposed to mercury through the foods that they eat. Fish is the main food source that contains the methyl mercury. To a much smaller extent, dental amalgam can be linked to mercury exposure.

The main side effects of mercury exposure are in the nervous system. Pregnant women should be especially wary of freshwater fish that have been caught because of the high mercury in them. The mercury will cause birth defects. Mercury will cause muscle weakness and loss of muscle control. The muscle weakness affects the heart, lungs, and blood circulation. Lead exposure is generally found in the air and food in equal parts. Lead emissions into the air have caused wide spread pollution. Gasoline and lead-based paint are the two major sources of exposure.

While paint manufactured since 1978 does not contain lead, older homes may still have walls painted with contaminated products. An unexpected source of lead is glazed food containers. The side effects of lead exposure are mainly neurological in nature. They are very similar to mercury exposure. Lead can cause kidney damage and anemia. Arsenic, the last of the heavy metals, and arguably the most common, is the most dangerous. The major sources are food, drinking water, and work environments. Hard to get away from isn't it. Arsenic can penetrate rubber or latex gloves and is easily absorbed by your skin.

Arsenic is especially dangerous because it binds with your hemoglobin and prevents your red blood cells from absorbing oxygen. It will cause your blood cells to rupture and then muscle cells will begin to die from the lack of oxygen. Your heart muscle will weaken leading to poor circulation.

Long term, or extreme, exposure will cause heart failure from oxygen deprivation. Arsenic has been linked to dozens of different types of cancer. The food sources that contain arsenic are too numerous to list. Most water sources contain some arsenic because of run-off of pesticides used in farming or pollution from industry and fossil fuel use.

All of these heavy metals have one thing in common. They are a nightmare for your circulation. By blocking red blood cells from picking up oxygen, they essentially strangle your cells and kill them off. Thankfully, we are aware of where our heavy metal threat comes from. That enables you to minimize your risks for health damage. Watching what you eat and knowing the source of the food are essential. Stop smoking and avoid second hand smoke. Check your local water supply. The EPA requires testing and the results are available to the public. Another good point is that there are several diets available that focus on the cleansing of your body of heavy metals. Severe cases will require medical treatment, but for most of you a change in lifestyle and diet will prevent heavy metals from becoming your circulation nightmare.

David Grisaffi, C. H. E. K. II, CFT, PN
Corrective Exercise Kinesiologist II
Golf Biomechanic
Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach II

"EatClean-StayLean" - BK

Mel Mulligan

Mel Mulligan is one of the fittest clients in the CrossFit Performance stable and a great friend of mine. I have known her and Blue (hubby) for over 4 years and she not only continues to go from strength to strength in her training but her singer/songwriting is off the hook. She has been awarded the top gong in Fairfield county in the Folk category the last couple of years. Get down to hear the band whenever they are close by, she rocks. Great article here ..

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK

Concept2 Certification

Last weekend was spent in beautiful Stowe Vermont where I was invited to concept2 headquarters for the Inaugural CrossFit Rowing Cert.

Friday was spent learning all the technical nuances of the indoor rower where we had world class rowing coaches guiding our every stroke. We were put thru a couple of very intense workouts, with the rower as the center of the action. We literally rowed 10Km that day and my arse was certainly feeling it after.

Concept2 put on a great function that night at a bar, a great spread along with an open bar.

Saturday we were filmed on our coaching ablility and also our own technical ability and I was a little nervous being filmed in a room with no-one there explaining how to row knowing that I was being watched. All good learning experience.

Later that day we headed out to Craftsberry to hit the water on a single skull, which was a lot of fun. You can definately feel the water move under you as you drive off the catch with your legs, a real solid workout.

There was also a huge rope swing which I absolutely demolished jumpng like a kid running around a candy store.

Concept2 put on a great barbie late Saturday arvo and a few coldies and their hospitalty over the 2 days was genuine.

Heading back down out of the mountains Sunday was like being hit like a hammer. Beautiful weather, clean air up in Stowe changed to stifling humidity and cramming traffic in CT..... back to work and back to reality....

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK

Conceive, Believe, Achieve

"Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe"

You know, it's easy to settle for things in life. It's easy to say "I'm ok" or "I'm just fine" or "I'm not doing too badly".

In fact, MOST people go through their lives this way; Day in, day out selling themselves, their visions and their dreams short living an OK or average life. Yet there are those who choose stretch the boundaries and focus on the highest, grandest vision of what is possible in life and, in doing so, propel themselves from the ordinary lives that most people live to the EXTRAordinary.

It doesn't take much.

Just a little imagination and the act of suspending the disbelief that tells you it's not possible.

Suspend disbelief today.

Set a big goal that excites and scares you at the same time then 'play on paper' by designing a 'what if' plan detailing how you might make it so.

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK

Is the CrossFit Games winner the fittest man on the planet?

CrossFit is a drug that has taken me hook line and sinker.Why??

Constantly varied, high intensity, multi-functional sport that is total fitness. Listen to OPT talk about CrossFit in this great interview. Come and try a free session with me...only if you want to get fit!

OPT Final WOD Interview: CrossFit Games 2008 [ video ]

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK

Sage Advice

"As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just
watch what they do." - Andrew Carnegie

Sage advice, don't you think?

After all, it's easy to fall prey to judging both ourselves and others by either words or intentions but, as I'm sure you're very much aware, many, many people talk about things that they intend to 'get around to' yet never do.

So as Carnegie states, try to avoid judging people (including yourself) based upon what they say they will do and instead, look for those rare few who are actually DOING rather than talking.

Whenever you find one of these rare beings you'll find success. Of course, you'll find even more if YOU are one of those who commit to doing, right?

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK

Kallista Pappas

I woke up at 4 bells Tuesday morning and was very nearly in tears seeing this video. 14 year old Kallista Pappas knocking out 30 reps of the Clean and Jerk last Sunday at the CrossFit Games in California is full commitment, full intensity and power with gutteral screams to boot.

Kallista Pappas, CrossFit Games 2008 [ video ]

Oh yeah.....the girl is 100 pounds wringing wet and she is lifting...100 POUNDS! Amazing video footage.. How was your workout this morning?''

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK

Don't Waste Another Day

"Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which
every day produces, and which most men throw away."
- Charles Caleb Colton

How true that quote is huh?

Most of us go through life 'putting off until tomorrow' again and again and again thinking that they have all the time in the world to get what they want from life, yet in doing so they're literally throwing away great chunks of their life. Chunks that they'll never get back.

It's been said that a great life is merely a series of great years, that a great year is but a series of great months, that a great month is but a series of great weeks and that, ultimately a great
week is nothing more than 7 great days strung together. Achieving a great life sounds simple when you think of it that way doesn't it?

Yet it's so easy to fall into the habit of living this principle in reverse, stringing together bad days into bad weeks, into bad months into bad years and then looking back with regret on a lifetime that feels like it's been wasted.

Don't make this mistake It's not too late to really make a difference and achieve something amazing with the 175 days that are left of 2008. 175 days could see you a lot fitter than you are now, a lot healthier, a lot wealthier. It could see you become an author, starting your own business, travelling to far flung places or any other number of wonderful things. It COULD!

But you've got to start, my friend.
Don't waste another day.
Your life depends upon it!

Truth, joy and prosperity

INTENSITY IS POWER - WWW.CROSSFITPERFORMANCE.COM
~ BK