wellness

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – The Return of Combat Sports Historian, Dr. L.A. Jennings

This week’s show notes brought to you by the lovely Shannon

Thanks for checking out the latest episode of Addicted to Fitness!

Please help us grow our audience by sharing the podcast and giving us a rating and review in iTunes or our new Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page.

This week, we’re excited to bring you an interview with our first repeat guest – our good friend and Nick’s former coach, Dr. L.A. Jennings. L.A. and her husband Mike own a popular MMA gym in Denver, CO called Train. Fight. Win. (TFW), of which Nick was the first member over eight years ago.

TFW pic2

Let’s get into the interview.

Like many of the best places, the gym L.A. and her husband started, TFW, was born from humble beginnings. The start included days when no clients would even show up to train. Flash forward to today when TFW boasts its own competitive fight team along with a healthy crew of clients who participate in conditioning, striking and grappling classes.

Local fight organizations are even starting to feature TFW on highly publicized fight cards, exposing the gym to an even broader audience and helping to attract more individuals with competition experience to the gym.

Outside the gym, L.A. has an extensive list of achievements including becoming a published author of essentially the encyclopedia on the history of female combat sports called She’s A Knockout: A History of Women in Fighting Sports.

FullSizeRender 2

L.A. is currently working with the organization Wrestle Like A Girl to get girls wrestling sanctioned in middle schools and high schools around the country. Believe it or not, only six states currently have sanctioned girls wrestling at that level.

She had been writing for Vice’s Fightland, but decided she would rather focus her research and content creation into another medium. The chosen medium? Well, it turns out that our ATF podcast actually inspired L.A. to start her own podcast called The Warm-Up, which includes historical accounts of important sporting events throughout time.

It’s safe to say, we’ve already added the podcast to our must-listen list. Knowing L.A., it’s bound to be a hit!

Next, we discussed our thoughts and feelings on the hyped-up Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight. L.A. was particularly interested in the topic because McGregor really helped MMA fighters command more respect when it comes to negotiating contracts and demanding better pay.

We also commented on the most highly anticipated boxing event in recent history, Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez, which ended in a controversial decision and reignited the ever-present idea that boxing is a corrupt sport.

These topics really emphasized that even though combat sports have been around since ancient times, they are still evolving in modern times.

Finally, make sure you check out L.A.’s book and podcast, and if you’re ever in Denver stop by Train. Fight. Win. and tell them Nick and Shannon from the ATF podcast sent you. You can also follow TFW on Instagram (@tfw_denver) and L.A. on Twitter @Dr_LA_Jennings.

Podcast pic 10-9

As always, thanks for listening to this week’s episode. Send us an email (elementaltampa@gmail.com) or give us a shout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) if you have any questions or topics for future episodes. In the meantime, we’ll keep working to bring you exciting experts and timely info on health and fitness.

Links to this week’s episode:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2&i=1000393234960

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/the-return-of-combat-sports-historian-dr-la-jennings

Weekend Workout – Make Sure You Warm-up Before You Warm-up

Dynamic warm-up movements can increase body temperature, activate your nervous system and increase range of motion all while getting your body in optimal condition to workout. They can also be combined with a pair of speed drills to produce a cardio & strength building workout.

I recommend performing the dynamic warm-up & speed exercises below in a three to five set interval workout. You still have to warm-up and modify this workout to match your fitness level.

If you complete this or any weekend workout, please let us know in the comment section below OR send us a pic/video of you doing the workout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). ENJOY!

TS Weekend Workout (7)

What’s on the Menu – The Best Smelling Health Food There Is

Most foods produce a distinct smell while cooking, but there is only a select few that elicit the “that smells awesome’ response from me while being prepared. The items that bring my olfactory senses to their figurative knees include:

  • Bacon: I know vegans that even enjoy the smell of cured pork bellies.
  • Coffee: Shannon didn’t drink caffeinated coffee while pregnant, but she loved smelling the beans.
  • Bread: We have a Cuban bakery in our neighborhood that makes me want to go on a carb binge every time I drive by.
  • Shallots: Doesn’t matter what meal is being prepared. If shallots are being used, I’m salivating and THAT’S one of the reasons why they are today’s menu spotlight.

Shallots belong to the Allium genus of vegetables, which also includes onions, leeks, garlic, etc. I’ve already declared my love for garlic in a previous menu spotlight (click here to check it out), and I often cook garlic & shallots together to double up on the mouth-watering aroma. As much as I would like Yankee Candle to carry a shallot scented candle, its perfume isn’t the main reason I love it so much.

Screenshot 2017-10-05 at 2.37.13 PM

By weight, shallots contain more vitamins and minerals than its larger cousin the onion. Approximately one cup of shallots contains a significant amount of our recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, copper and iron. They also contain more antioxidants, by weight, than any other Allium vegetable (source). Research suggests that one particular antioxidant possessed by shallots can mitigate the damaging effects of several chronic health conditions.

When you chop or crush a shallot, you cause an enzymatic reaction that produces the sulfur containing antioxidant known as allicin. In specific scientific studies (source), this antioxidant has been shown to:

  • Reduce cholesterol.
  • Combat viral, bacterial and fungal infections.
  • Lower blood pressure.
  • Protect against certain forms of cancer.
  • Regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Who would have thought that the onion mini-me would possess so many health benefits. Honestly, shallots taste & smell so good that I’d still use them even if they didn’t have all the health benefits.

Shallot pic

One recipe I frequently add shallots to is my breakfast bowl (pictured above). Besides shallots, the breakfast bowl includes dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.), mushrooms, mini sweet peppers, several eggs and diced tomatoes. I make sure to chop my shallots first because more allicin is produced the longer a chopped/crushed shallot goes uncooked. Next, I saute the mushrooms and peppers till soft (3-5 minutes), chop up a few tomatoes in the meantime, then throw in the greens & shallots for about a minute till the greens wilt.

Using the same pan I cooked the veggies, I fry up several over easy eggs in coconut oil. After the eggs are done, I slid them onto the cooked veggies, add the tomatoes & crushed red pepper and VOILA! Breakfast, lunch or dinner of champions.

If you’re a frequent shallot user, I’d love to hear about which dishes you add them to. Send your favorite recipe that features shallots to elementaltampa@gmail.com or reach out to us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter).  I don’t think it will be better than my breakfast bowl, but there’s no shame in being runner-up.

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – The Pros & Cons of a Gluten-Free Diet

It appears that gluten has become public enemy number one in the world of nutrition. If it seems like more and more people are adhering to the gluten-free diet, it’s because they are. According to a 2016 Medical News Today article, around 1.6 million people in the United States follow a gluten-free diet without having been diagnosed with celiac disease. We dive into this stat and many more related to the gluten-free diet in this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast.

Before we jump into our gluten-free discussion, Shannon and I recap our training for the week. Most of my exercise related activity was focused primarily on hurricane prep.  All the lifting, drilling, digging and carrying awkward loads mirrored a lot of the functional strength training I normally do at Tampa Strength (website link). It’s almost like I’ve been training for the hurricane.

Shannon on the other hand was participating in a much more structured exercise program. We’ve been talking about it a lot in the past several episodes and it has finally come to a culmination. Shannon has completed her Bella Prana yoga teacher training program. Eight months of immersion weekends, at home projects, leading & assisting her own classes and taking numerous yoga classes finally came to an end with a final “exam.”

Her exam consisted of constructing and leading another student through a 1-on-1 yoga session. The other student happened to be pregnant, which allowed Shannon to use the prenatal techniques that she has grown so fond of throughout her program. She passed her final and is now a 200 hour certified yoga teacher and couldn’t say enough good things about the program and the relationships she developed with her fellow classmates. Click here if you’re interested in learning more about the Bella Prana teacher training program.

Upon completing our training recap, we jump right into our gluten-free diet discussion. The vast of the majority of the info we refer to in our discussion comes from that 2016 Medical News Today article I referred to earlier (link). For those that are unaware, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (a combination of wheat and rye).

Gluten-free foods are especially important to individuals who have celiac disease, which is an autoimmune response that attacks the lining of the small intestine. This can lead to celiac sufferers to be unable to effectively absorb nutrients into their bloodstream, which can lead to anemia, delayed growth, and weight loss.

no-gluten-bread-1905736_1920

Almond meal frequently used in gluten-free recipes

It appears that individuals with celiac disease aren’t the only ones suffering due to gluten. There is an estimated 18 million people in the U.S. that have some form of gluten intolerance – referred to medically as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). The symptoms associated with NCGS include bloating or gas, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, “brain fog,” and itchy skin rash.

However, eating gluten-free isn’t without its pitfalls. Shannon and I present the benefits & disadvantages of eating gluten-free for those with NCGS. You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear the full list of pros and cons, but if you’re interested in learning more about celiac disease and gluten-free cooking, I’d suggest you listen to the past ATF with gluten-free cookbook author Anna Vocino (episode link).

We wrap up this week’s podcast describing several gluten-free grain substitutes including quinoa, flax seed and buckwheat. FYI – many foods are naturally gluten-free, including fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, fresh meats, fish and poultry (not marinated, breaded, or batter-coated), unprocessed beans, seeds & nuts, and the lots of dairy products, which conicide with Shannon and I’s proclivity to whole, unprocessed foods.

screenshot-2017-10-01-at-6-18-31-pm.png

If you follow a gluten-free diet and want to add any pros or cons to our list, feel free to send them to us via email (elementaltampa@gmail.com) or by reaching out to us on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). We’d also really love, Love, LOVE it if you gave us a rating & review on iTunes (link) OR our brand new Facebook page (link).

We’ll be back next week with an interview episode featuring our first repeat guest. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=486bb77f8f4f0f6d4e74e0c8e1ffe155

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/the-pros-cons-of-a-gluten-free

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/the-pros-cons-of-a-gluten-free-diet

Weekend Workout – Stiff as a Board to Move Light as a Feather

I mentioned it in a previous weekend workout post, but I think it bears repeating: having 6-pack abs doesn’t mean you have a strong core. Your rectus abdominis muscles make up your 6-pack, but to improve overall core strength you need to perform exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, obliques, transversus abdominis, erector spinae and more.

One such exercise that strengthens all these areas is the plank. I recommend performing the plank variation workout below in interval format (30 sec work/30 sec rest) for 15-25 minutes. Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level.

If you complete this or any weekend workout, please let us know in the comment section below OR you can send us a pic/video of you doing the workout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). ENJOY!

TS Weekend Workout (6).png

What’s On The Menu – Eating Whole Foods On The Go

I’m a man who likes structure. I love scheduling out all my appointments, meetings, training sessions and so on. Hell, I even like scheduling out what food I’ll eat on a daily basis. Unfortunately life doesn’t always allow that to happen.

Regular readers of the blog know that Shannon and I’s schedule the last few weeks was completely rearranged by Hurricane Irma. After I heard Tampa was in the path of potentially one of the strongest storms to make landfall in the U.S., I disregarded any healthy eating habits and focused primarily on fortifying our house. Thankfully, Irma caused minimal damage and allowed us to return to our normal routine rather quickly.

Then, 2 weeks later, Shannon went into labor.

Shannon labor

These two epic life events forced us to eat a lot of prepackaged foods on the go. Fortunately for us, there are some legit prepackaged whole foods available nowadays. Below is a list of several of my favorite whole food items that you can eat on the go:

  • Epic Bars: these “meat bars” are made with high quality protein from sources like buffalo, venison, salmon, wild boar and many more. They also focus on using other whole ingredients that are low in sugar and free of gluten, grain, soy and dairy. The sriracha chicken bar pictured below contains 4 g of fat, 15 g of protein and only 1 g of carbs (click here for more nutritional info).
  • Trail Mix Packs: individual serving packs of raw and/or lightly roasted & salted almonds, cashews, walnuts and even peanuts are a great source of dietary fat, protein and fiber. Just beware of the sugar content of any trail mix packets that are filled with lots of candy or dried fruit. The Go Raw Trek Mix packets from Trader Joe’s contain 14 g of fat, 7 g of protein and 3 g of fiber.
  • Parmesan Crisps: these crispy chip substitutes are so flavorful that you won’t even remember the word Doritos after having them. I usually grab a $3-4 container from Whole Foods when I’m out and about, but you could easily make these at home. According to the Whole Foods website, 4 crisps contain 6 g of fat, 9 g of protein and 1 g of carbs (source).
  • Upgraded coffee: I don’t leave home without my homemade coffee concoction – 12 oz of coffee, 3 tbsp of Great Lakes Collagen and 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream or canned coconut milk. This creation contains approximately 12 g of fat, 18 g of protein and <1 g of carbs. Click here to read more about Great Lakes Collagen.

Whole Foods Togo

That’s my abbreviated list of whole foods you can eat on the go. If you’ve got an item that you believe fits the criteria please let me know. Drop us a line, and by that I mean email us at elementaltampa@gmail.com or give us a shout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter).

I believe that the moumental life events are done for the time being. Now Shannon and I are mainly focused on rearing our young, which means we’ll hopefully have time to make some home cooked meals. If you have any ideas for big batch dishes we can munch on during our maternity/paternity leave, feel free to send them our way.

 

Addicted To Fitness Show Notes – From the Vault: Jiu Jitsu Training & Nutritional Benefits of Grassfed Beef

Even though Shannon and I are busy preparing for the arrival of our first little one, we still wanted to give you all your weekly dose of health & fitness info. Which is why we reached back into the ETT wrap show vault to pull out a throwback episode for this week’s Addicted to Fitness podcast.

As you’ll hear, this old school episode features the first cohost, Tyler Knox. That name may sound familiar to you all because he returned to the ATF podcast recently to discuss how being a new dad affects your fitness, which you can listen to by clicking here. Can you see the connection?

Screenshot 2017-09-24 at 5.32.11 PM

Former co-host Tyler Knox and he’s little man Henry

Tyler and I kick off this throwback episode discussing my recent jiu jitsu training. Before I took ETT full-time I was heavy into jiu jitsu and even got to take a seminar from the recently crowned 194 lb Abu Dubai Combat Club (ADCC) champion (link). If you have NO idea what ADCC is, just think of it as the olympics of jiu jitsu. With that said, Gordon Ryan is a beast and I was fortunate enough to receive his tutelage. Our jiu jitsu convo led to us discussing the shocking results of UFC 196.

Most fight fans may remember UFC 196 because it was the first and only time that Conor McGregor lost in the octagon. Conor was submitted by Nate Diaz by rear naked choke and the woman who dethroned Rhonda Rousey, Holly Holm, was defeated by Miesha Tate with the same move. It was an excellent advertisement for the power of jiu jitsu.

Screenshot 2017-09-24 at 6.12.53 PM

Image courtesy of mmaweekly.com (link)

After our UFC recap, Tyler and I discuss the nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef. Shannon and I have talked about grass-fed labeling on a past ATF podcast (link), but this was the first time I ever discussed its nutritional superiority. According to the Primal Blueprint podcast, which is essentially a narration of blog posts from Mark Sisson’s website (link), grass-fed beef has an optimal omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio. It also contains higher amounts of specific vitamins and minerals, not to mention its animal welfare implications. Click here to read more about its nutrional benefits in a recent What’s on the Menu blog I wrote.

Even though grass-fed protein may take more raw resources to produce, it allows us to be more connected to our food supply. It can also help us rejuvenate the small farm industry that once thrived in this country. Another industry that we mention in this throwback episode that could help reduce our reliance on livestock protein is insect production. We allude to a cricket protein bar taste test, which we were able to accomplish in a future, or is it past episode? Either way, click here to listen.

Screenshot 2017-09-24 at 6.32.45 PM

I love looking back on these throwback episodes, not only to see how we have progressed as podcast, but also to see how the topics we’ve discussed have evolved. I hope you all enjoy these time capsule episodes as much as I do. If you do, we’d really appreciate it if you gave us a rating and review in iTunes (link) or on our new Addicted to Fitness Facebook page (link).

We’ve got a lot of great podcasts lined up for you all, including a possible delivery room episode. You’ll definitely want to subscribe to the podcast if you haven’t done so already, and please rate, review and share Addicted to Fitness with anyone and everyone. Thanks again for all the support and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to the Addicted to Fitness podcast

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2#episodeGuid=6204d2cb139eb4c3ab18f279673a80db

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/from-the-vault-jiu-jitsu

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-jiu-jitsu-training-nutritional-benefits-of-grass-fed-beef

Weekend Workout – Train Like A Fighter Without Getting Hit

Combat sports, particularly boxing, have been in the news A LOT lately, which is why I felt it be appropriate to share a weekend workout that features a few boxing & kickboxing techniques. I combined a couple hand combinations with a pair of lower body exercises to ensure that you stay active this weekend.

Head to the ETT YouTube channel (link) if you need further instruction on the punches and/or front kicks. I recommend performing the workout in interval format (30 sec work/30 sec rest) for 12-20 minutes. Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level.

If you complete this or any weekend workout, please let us know in the comment section below OR you can send a us pic/video of you doing the workout on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). ENJOY!

TS Weekend Workout (3)