Monday, February 2, 2009

CrossFit KoP's Kick the Sugar Contest

Did you know that the average man, woman, and child in this country eats 150 lb. of sugar annually?

For ONE month - ONE MONTH ONLY -just try it. Make the effort, see what it does for you. See how you feel, look, perform. You can do ANYTHING for one month, especially knowing it's for your HEALTH and PERFORMANCE. If you choose not to do it, if you haven’t sincerely tried committing to good nutrition, maybe it’s time you looked at your reasons. What are your excuses? How valid are they, really? Are you so invested in them that you’re willing to sacrifice your potential and long term health?

1. All participants must commit by signing the sheet at the gym by January 30th. Challenge starts on February 1st and ends at midnight, on February 28th. I will keep a tracking spreadsheet at the gym and some progress posts will be made on the blog along with some ideas, websites and recipes.

2. The way to kick sugar is to not eat ANY sugar of ANY kind.

3. Only consume sugar that is found naturally in foods such as fruit - and limit the consumption of too much, choosing low glycemic index fruits primarily.
What is the significance of Glycemic Index? Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes the difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose and insulin levels.

4. The best way to be successful with this is to eat clean. Create meals from meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and NO SUGAR. No processed and refined foods with high fructose corn syrup and high sugar content (i.e.: chips). Shop the perimeter of the grocery store; avoid the aisles where labels and long shelf-lives increase the sugar content. Limit bread.

5. If you drink adult beverages, only pure spirits (vodka, whiskey, rum, etc.) and wine are allowed in small quantities. No dessert wine, or any other alcoholic beverage made with added sugar, such as beer.

6. Keep a food log, writing down EVERYTHING you eat. At the end of each week, show it to either Aimee or Evan and have them help you with your choices of foods and staying on track. The winner will be the person with the most consecutive days completed successfully. The runner-up will be the person with the most overall days completed successfully. This may be the same person or persons.

7. Please feel free to email me or post to comments with your own input, comments, encouragement, articles, recipes, struggles and victories.

So far the participants are:
Jon, Nicole, Jason, Paul, Doreen, Miranda, Cindy, Hannah, Jen C. Lisa E., Mr. Dillon

Cottage Custard Recipe
This is basically an egg-and-cream custard with cottage cheese courtesy of Evan. When made with small curd cottage cheese, it has a texture much like rice pudding. But if you then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it makes a smooth pudding as well.

NOTE: You can use different sweeteners such as agave, honey, evaporated cane juice, and xylitol. All work just fine. Each tastes different because of the flavors of the sweeteners.

NOTE: The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon Stevia powder, which is just right for Stevia. If you use another sweetener, use 4-8 teaspoons. I used 8 teaspoons for the test, and found that while it wasn't over-sweet, I could have used less. Play with it a bit until you find the right sweetener and the right amount for your taste.

ALSO NOTE: The recipe calls for cream, but you could substitute any mixture of cream and milk in whatever proportions you require for your intake of fat and carbs.

The recipe makes 5 servings.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup cream
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon Stevia powder or less depending on taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Raisins (optional)
Nutmeg (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix eggs, cream, cottage cheese, and Stevia powder with a whisk until blended.
Pour into 4 ramekins.

Sprinkle a few raisins in each ramekin (I used 10 raisins per) and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Place the ramekins in shallow pan with about 1/2" water in the pan.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.
Do not over-bake.
Top with Stevia sweetened whipped cream or raspberries.
to help you along your nutrition journey...
CrossFit Shopping List

“Good Foods” - Low Glycemic
Water
Oatmeal
Eggs
Protein Powder
Peanut Butter
Tahini
Olives
Beef
Cheese
Salsa
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Ground Turkey
Soy Sausage
Chicken
Turkey Sausage
Salmon
Turkey
Canned Tuna
Canned Chicken
Soy Burgers
Cottage Cheese
Almonds
Macadamia Nuts
Avocado
Tofu
Tomato
Lettuce
Onion
Mushroom
Cucumber
Blueberries
Milk
Broccoli
Zucchini
Apple
Grape
Plum
Shrimp
Mayonnaise
Plain Yogurt
Deli Meat
Ham
Soy Milk
Spirulina
Tempeh
Egg Substitute
Oil
Peanuts
Swordfish
Tuna Steak
Tomato Sauce
Spinach
Carrots
Orange
Pear
Pineapple
Brussel Sprouts
Eggplant
Sauerkraut
Hot Dogs
Chick Peas
Lamb
Pork
Dill Pickles
Soy Beans
Asparagus
Cantaloupe
Strawberry
Peach

“Bad Foods” - High Glycemic
Acorn Squash
Baked Beans
Beets
Black Eyed Peas
Butternut Squash
Cooked Carrots
Corn
French Fries
Hubbard Squash
Lima Beans
Parsnips
Peas
Pinto Beans
Potato
Refried Beans
Sweet Potato
Turnip
Banana
Cranberries
Dates
Figs
Guava
Mango
Papaya
Prunes
Raisins
Fruit Juice
Vegetable Juice
Bagel
Biscut
Bread Crumbs
Bread
Steak Sauce
Bulgar
Sweet Relich
Cereal
Cornstarch
Croissant
Crouton
Doughnut
English Muffin
Granola
Grits
Melba Toast
Muffin
Noodles
Instant Oatmeal