It’s Amazing, So Amazing. The Fort 4.0

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In May of 2012 The Fort CrossFit doubled from a small 1,500 square feet to a legitimate 3,200 square foot space. It was great; there was room to breathe, an area for mobility and warm up, and we even added onto the pull-up rig. We took photos as JP methodically sawed through drywall and framing. A few of us worked that weekend and for the following week cleaning the new space, painting, lugging rubber stall mats, and preparing to show it off.

May 2012. Just after busting through to the other side. 
If you’ve seen Oliver lately, you know that he has grown along with the gym!
Fast forward one year. It is now June 2013. Between the spring of 2012 and now The Fort’s membership has at least doubled. We are now a 4,500 square foot garage gym. With humble beginnings in a small basement corner, it’s safe to say that we have come a long way. 
My intention for this post was not to boast about our square footage. I wrote this to boast about OUR PEOPLE. Thinking about last weekend makes me even more proud to be part of The Fort CrossFit. On Thursday night, JP began to prep the wall for the “take-down” on Saturday morning. Jay moved the electrical around the the wall could be taken down freely. Saturday morning a crew of us headed to the Bobcat Bolt 5k/10k and left the task of demolishing the wall the JP and Matt. They did it for time (what else would CrossFitters do?) and I believe it took them around 13 minutes – it’s on video. 
The wall is down!
After finishing up at the Bobcat Bolt the crew headed over to The Fort to check out the progress. My jaw dropped; it was awesome; the space was HUGE. After taking it all in we began the move; lockers, refrigerators, cleaning supplies, books, desks…everything. Within a couple of hours everything had a new home. 
 Wall demolition gets loaded into the trailer and hauled away by Jameson and CP. Dirty job, someone had to do it. Not to mention it was about 90 degrees and humid – sooo sweaty!
On Sunday, we were all back at it around 9am. Matt and Kyle set out for stall mats and Katie and I started prepping the floor and cleaning lockers. When the mats arrived, CP and Carl got to work with the razor blades for some precision floor fitting. 
KT vacuums the new floor. Another dirty job.
It’s like a puzzle.
 Matt moves mats. 
 CP and Carl fit the flooring. Precision work!
 Progress.

We were on a mission. We wanted to get as much done as we could so the gym would be ready for the masses on Monday. What I looked forward to the most was seeing the looks on people’s faces when they walked through the new main entrance.

 Dana vacuums. That was a workout!
 The mopping crew.
Group effort.
Kevin stopped by to see the place and lend a hand. Thank you, Kev!
 Father and son. Even the kiddos helped out.
 Matt plans out the flag placement.
Nate has a new home above the clock. He’s always watching over us.

Thank you to Dana and John Padden, Jay Parent, Matt Nguyen, Dave and Charlene Rochefort, Kevin McCarthy, Carl Ashby, Brian Doucet, Katie Hogan, Jill Manning, Jameson Lemieux, Jenn and Andrea Lake, and Brittany de Pinquertaine. Your help means a lot to us and it is much appreciated. Also, a HUGE thank you to all of our members for patiently waiting for the expansion, supporting us through the entire process, and continuing to “walk through the door”. YOU are the reason we were able to do this!

It is quite awesome when a group of people are willing to give up a beautiful June weekend to work (and sweat) their asses off. It is a testament to the integrity of our members and friends. I frequently look around and I am amazed by the community of people TFCF is built upon. We didn’t even have to ask and our friends were by our sides.

It’s amazing, so amazing. 
This is The Fort CrossFit 4.0…
This is OUR gym.

What Keeps You Coming Back?

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Have you been an exerciser your whole life? Yes? That’s awesome. No? Why not? Have you recently started an exercise program? How is it going? What made you decide to embark on this journey? What makes you stick to it?

I have been around physical activity, exercise, movement, whatever you want to call it, for a long time.
People list many reasons for being active and continuing with an exercise routine. I have narrowed it down to the big four: 1) Enjoyment, 2) Accountability, 3) Social Connection, and 4) Results. Personally, the combination of all of these reasons is why I continue to lead a healthy lifestyle. These four categories can also be applied to nutrition.

Enjoyment. Whatever you do, you need to enjoy it. If something’s not fun, or at least part-way enjoyable, how the heck will you ever keep it as part of your life? Whether you enjoy “getting your sweat on” or being in nature, or competing with friends, find something you like and do it…continuously. I like the brand Life is Good because of their motto, “Do what you like, like what you do.”

Worked out all day. Maybe a bit delirious. Enjoyed it. Friends help. 

Accountability. Knowing that someone is expecting you to be somewhere at a certain time is enough reason for most people to show up. If being accountable works for you ask someone to be your training partner. Text or call them to let them know when you are going to work out so they can expect to see you there. The support you get from others can be critical to sticking to a routine, especially if it’s new and you are trying to change your habits.

Your trainers and workout buddies notice when you’ve missed class!

Social Connection. In addition to knowing that your trainer, coach, or buddies will be waiting for you, the social connections you make can keep you coming back for more. Who doesn’t want to be with a bunch of cool people? Those who suffer together stay together. Although I do not believe that exercise if suffering, it can be uncomfortable. Sharing these experiences with others is very gratifying. This is why many people express that they never work as hard when they exercise alone as they do when they are with others.

Results. Better health, looking better, feeling better. I have never met anyone who doesn’t agree that looking better makes you feel better. Who doesn’t want to look #haught in a bathing suit?!?! Lower blood pressure, smaller pants, before and after photos that make jaws drop – evidence of hard work that you should be very proud of. This would keep me coming through the door.

Check out this video of our very own Matt Nguyen as he “gets abs”. 
Working hard in the gym and eating meat and vegetables. #MGA

What inspires you to get up in the morning and make the decision to be active and eat good food? Is it one of the four reasons I’ve listed above? A combination? Another reason all together? Post comments here or on Facebook.

Thursday Night Dinner

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How long does it take you to cook dinner? An hour; half hour; 2 hours; all day? Is cooking a barrier to eating healthy food? When I host nutrition talks one theme that always emerges is the amount of time it takes to eat healthy. Additionally, it seems that being prepared and having healthy foods on hand is one of the keys to success. So how do we prepare ourselves, cook quick meals, but still stay on track? 

Thursday Night Fish and Veggies
Fish is super easy to prepare, tastes delicious, and is a great source of protein. I don’t know why more people don’t eat fish more often. It literally takes 12 minutes or less to cook. On Thursday nights Jameson and I make dinner together. It’s usually fish. We don’t usually get out of the gym until about 7:30, sometimes 8, so spending an hour cooking after that doesn’t seem like much fun. One night we were talking about how the meal we were eating was so quick and easy to make, but still so delicious and “paleo-approved”. 

Here’s what was on the menu last week:
During the day I had some time to prepare a quick mango avocado salsa and brought it with me. Jameson picked up some fresh wild-caught swordfish steaks, some zucchini and summer squash.

I chopped the zucchini and squash, tossed it all in a big saute pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sauteed the veggies until they were cooked, but still a bit crunchy, probably about 10 minutes.

While that was happening the fish was on the grill pan. The “grillmaster” concluded that 3-3-2-2 would be the perfect amount of cooking time for the 1.5 inch steaks. Flip after 3 minutes, cook the other side for 3 minutes, then flip again for another 2 minutes of cooking per side. Perfect grill marks and all! If you don’t have a grill pan or a grill, swordfish cooks up easily in the oven; 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

By the time the fish is cooked through, the veggies should be done. Top the fish with mango avocado salsa and serve the veggies on the side.

Not swordfish, but salmon, from another Thursday night. 
About 15 minutes to prepare.


Quick Sweet Potatoes
CrossFitters need sweet potatoes. My day is not complete without them. Do yourself a favor and always have them ready. But if you need them in a pinch here’s the easiest way. Peel them and slice them into rounds. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and toss those bad boys on there with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake them for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. They will be soft. You can eat them that way or mash them up. Add some cinnamon for a delicious twist.

If he can do it, so can you. Have your sweet potatoes ready to go!


I guess the main point of this post is to give you hope. Cooking awesome, healthy, nutritious meals can be done with limited time. It does require some planning and a trip or two to the grocery store. Make a list each week of the things you enjoy eating and need. Once you get in the routine you should be all set. Commit to your health and eating well, you know what you need to do. 

Please be on the lookout for a Crock-pot recipe coming soon!

Weekly Update

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The Reebok CrossFit North East Regional is THIS weekend at the Reebok CrossFit Headquarters in Canton, MA. We will be there representing The Fort and cheering for the athletes competing during this brutal weekend. Best of luck to all who are competing. The fittest men and women of the region will battle it out for spots at the CrossFit Games in California this July! Come down to support this amazing CrossFit community, have some fun, and buy some sweet new gear. Let us know if you’ll be there.

2011 North East Regional
Follow CP on Twitter. If you don’t have a Twitter account you should definitely get one just to follow him. CP’s Twitter handle is @casual_penguin. Whenever I tweet at CP I include the hashtag #CP or #casualpenguin. He’s got some pretty hilirious thoughts these days and can turn just about any frown upside down. 

End of the Spring Cleaning Paleo Challenge! Well, that 30 days just flew by. People look amazing, WOD results are better, and it seems like people are feeling amazing. I love it. So, the big question I always ask is, “Which changes are you going to keep as part of everyday life?” I hope the answer is “ALL OF THEM!” However, I am a realist and I do realize that indeed you might actually melt if you can’t have dark chocolate or a gin and tonic once in a while (You won’t really melt, trust me. But I get it). So GO FOR IT…ONCE IN A WHILE. Allow the things that you truly missed to find their way back into your life on a limited basis and forget the rest. You don’t need it, you never did. You’ve just proven this to yourself by eliminating it for a month. Congratulations, I am so proud of you all. 
We need an after picture!

A Recipe I Made Up…
Mango Avocado Salsa with Cilantro and Lime
This takes about 20 minutes to throw together, less time if you actually know how to chop a mango. How to chop a mango. This salsa has a really nice fresh flavor and is delicious over chicken or fish, but you could also put it over salad. 

WHAT YOU NEED:
– Juice of 1 lime
– 2 ripe mangos
– 1 or 2 ripe avocados
– 1 clove fresh garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
– About 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped up
– Dash of cumin
– Dash of cayenne pepper (more if you like a little more spice)
– Salt and pepper to taste

HOW TO MAKE IT:
– Cube avocado, add to mixing bowl
– Cube mangos, add to bowl
– Pour lime juice over top
– Add garlic, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, S&P
– Mix it all up and enjoy

Do You Know Gluten?

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Have you met gluten?
Staff of Life? Really? 

One thing I really miss now that I am “Paleo For Life” (PFL) is beer. I love beer. I could not care less about bread or pasta, but I love beer. I am thankful that there are ways to make paleo cookies and muffins because they are better (all around taste and nutritionally) than traditional bake goods and they are a good treat here and there. But there is no way to substitute beer. Sad face…well, I guess there are gluten-free beers, but they are just not Harpoon IPA.

Do you know why I don’t drink beer any more? GLUTEN! Gluten is the reason I no longer drink the beaaahhhs. Gluten is the toxic, inflammatory devil protein found in certain grains – wheat, rye, barley, etc. So, yes, anything that contain wheat contains gluten. Check out just about any packaged food at the grocery store and you’ll probably find wheat in the ingredients. It’s hard to escape. Even things you wouldn’t think contain gluten actually do…chicken broth, soy sauce, marinades, seasonings, deli meat, and imitation seafood meat (ewww)…just to name a few.

I grew up eating gluten. I always had eczema. It was a pain in the ass, especially when I became a teenager and I was actually concerned with how I appeared to others. I remember sleeping with an ice pack between my knees to numb the itch on the skin of my inner thighs. Horrible experience. Went to the doctor, got cortisone creams and ointments, took Benadryl, and all that fun stuff. “It’s probably because of the weather”…”Did you change your laundry detergent?”…never once did anyone suggest it could be diet-related.

When I moved to Oregon I was in heaven because there was a microbrewery on just about every corner; walking distance from my apartment. There was also a place with amazing pizza, American Dream, they even used beer in their dough recipe. Double-whammy! I wondered why I broke out in a full body rash, despite the fact that I was drinking beer and eating pizza about three days a week.

When I “went Paleo” in January of 2010 I stopped having regular breakouts of eczema and psoriasis. Now, after completely transforming the way I eat and adapting to “a new normal” I rarely have skin issues. Unless of course I choose to eat the gluten and see what happens. This is what I did about a month ago. I enjoyed an IPA or two and a fairly large hamburger bun and voila…

 Angry, angry skin.
 Inflammation City!
Do not do this to yourself!
It took about two weeks for my elbow to completely heal up. It got red, hot, sore, then it became itchy flaky and peel. I also broke out in an itchy, bumpy rash all over my legs. I know, this might be TMI, but I want to share this because I know there are many people with similar experiences. I wish someone had clued me in earlier. I also experience other symptoms related to gluten consumption. I get really achy and feel like I am 80 years old. I feel fatigued, have no energy, and experience moodiness. So it’s not good for the people around me either. 
If you suspect you might be sensitive to gluten my suggestion is to eliminate it completely for at least 30 days. I mean completely. Scour ingredient lists, prepare you own food, don’t go to restaurants. After complete elimination add it back in. Take one day and eat cereal or a big bagel for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and then pasta for dinner. Note how you feel on that day and the days and weeks following. If you have no symptoms then you make the call as to whether you’ll allow gluten back into your life permanently or not. But before you do, do me a favor and Google and read about “leaky gut”. If you do have some sort of reaction you probably are sensitive to gluten.
As for me, I will not be enjoying pints of beer or slices of pizza any time soon. I am happy with my meat and vegetables and occasional margarita.
Cheers, friends! Please post comments here or on Facebook. Let me know how your body reacts to gluten.
GLUTEN READS
What is Gluten – Wiki
Chris Kresser 50 Shades of Gluten
Chris Kresser – Don’t Eat Toxins

The Ghosts That We Knew

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“…But the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view
And we’ll live a long life
So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light…”

– Mumford & Sons 
 

Springtime is a time of new beginnings. Here in New England the sun comes out to warm the cold ground and pull the flowers from their dormant sleep. We, too, find ourselves cold and asleep, in the trance of the white winter; going through the motions, figuratively and literally; start the car, shovel the snow, don’t slip on the ice, put on your hat and gloves and boots, repeat.

On that first spring day when you can slide the windows down in your car, there is no better feeling. You play the music a little louder, maybe you even sing along. That first night you hear the peepers in the pond through the woods you are reminded that you are alive and time is going by very quickly. When the sunny and warm weather comes we are inspired to renew ourselves and our surroundings, but also reflect on the past. Maybe it’s the immediate past that comes to mind; we’re grateful the long winter is over. Or maybe it’s something in your distant memory that inspires you to forge ahead.

Small things often remind us of these “ghosts”. The ghosts can be people, things, memories, experiences; good or not-so-good. We needn’t be scared of them, but use them to make ourselves better. I want to share a personal experience so that you have a clearer picture of what I am talking about. Every April I patiently wait for the first day I can roll down the car windows, sing out loud, and hear the peepers as I drive. I feel a sense of renewal when I see the tiny flowers popping out of the soil. This new life reminds me of a few very special people in my life. On April 17th, 2011, my family lost an important person – my grandmother, Pauline. In the big picture it was a very unexpected death. In March I was talking to my Gram about what that summer’s signature cocktail was going to be and in April, far from home and family, in Oregon, I was grieving her death while trying to finish up my master’s degree. As I went through the motions of school, just trying to finish, I noticed the small beautiful things around me that reminded me that I was still alive; flowers, butterflies, the hot sun, or cool rain on my skin. I took the photo of the rainbow on Mother’s Day, just after my Gram had passed away. Another simple reminder that although she was gone, she was there with me in some way.

On April 17th my family also celebrates Alexia’s birthday. This is the silver lining; the reminder that from all sad things comes happy things. We get to celebrate her beautiful spirit while holding onto the incredible memories we have of our matriarch.

 Lexi and Grammy at the Lake

This post is not meant to be somber or depressing. It is meant to remind us all that the dark times in our lives will always give way to light ones. We must believe that this will happen and continue to forge ahead, allowing ghosts to be ghosts, and letting ourselves see all the life around us. I am thankful for the years I had with my grandmother and all that I learned from her. I am also thankful that I have many more years of celebrating Lexi, looking forward to all the hope that springtime brings, and the simple reminders that life is precious.

“Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven, where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”  -Eskimo Legend

 

The Small Things

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I’ve had a bit of writer’s block lately. For someone who loves to write, and is expected to write, it’s definitely a predicament. I’m not the kind of writer who actively searches for inspiration, I do much better work when the ideas come out of nowhere and strike me. This is exactly what happened to me last week. You know that the universe is telling you something when you hear similar sentiments from separate people on three different occasions.

In life there are those big things that you look forward to; things that have an impact on your life; they’re very significant. There are also the small things that happen each day, that most of the time you don’t really think twice about. But I find these small things sometimes mean the most.

I’m talking about the times where you ask someone how their day is going and it turns out they’ve had a really bad day and just talking about it for a few minutes seems to change their mood. Or when you send someone a quick email telling them that you miss them and they respond that they miss you too, or it made their day to receive your note. I experience these small things in the gym. I see and interact with many people on a daily basis. There are so many times when the little things boost me up; laughing with someone after they tell a joke or a funny story; or hearing a song that really gets me pumped up to workout or coach class; or talking to someone about food and clean eating.

These small things are what you take for granted on a daily basis, but mean the most in the big picture. Send someone a text message or give them a phone call just to say hello. Ask a friend how their day was and really listen to the answer. Send a big smile someone’s way from across the room.

The small things are where it’s at.

A blast from the past. Blink 182 All the Small Things

May Laughter Light Your Days

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May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
 
On Saturday I laughed so hard, so many times, that my belly hurt. My voice was hoarse and my throat burned from yelling out reps…98, 99, 100! My counting skills definitely improved. I spent the day with my Fort CrossFit family; a group of people who inspire me to be the best I can be. From start to finish the first annual WoD Crawl was a success. It was the best event we have hosted so far, not only because it ran so smoothly, but also because of the electric energy that everyone brought to the gym.
 
It’s amazing to see team spirit; teammates coaching others, yelling words of encouragement, dressing up in some of the silliest get-ups I have ever seen. It’s incredible to witness athletic feats people once thought were impossible or unattainable. To see these things happen before my eyes, knowing all along you all were capable of this, but were just not ready to “go there”…until this day. It’s inspiring to be a part of something that automatically uplifts me when I’m feeling down. 
 
I have heard it all…”I just don’t think CrossFit is for me”, “I am intimidated by those heavy weights you lift”, “I don’t think I could do that”, “Oh, that’s a stupid cult”, “CrossFit is a workout fad that injures people”. The list could go on. I try not roll my eyes in plain view when I hear any of this. The thing is that people will never understand what we’re talking about unless they experience it themselves. They come to the gym; they complete their first WOD; they work harder than they ever have; they start to experience real fitness. 
 
Be thankful that you are one of the lucky ones. You walked through the doors, signed the waiver, did the Benchmark workout, almost puked, and continued to come back. Continue to be a part of something that genuinely improves your quality of life. I mean really, who else can say that they exercise…for fun…all day…on a Saturday…and love every minute!? Spend this beautiful Sunday basking in the glory of your accomplishments and recharge for the week ahead, it’s going to be a great one.
 
happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Come and Meet My Team

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The 2013 CrossFit Games Open is upon us. I’m psyched. I participated in the Open last year. It was a lot of fun. In CrossFit there is always a feeling of camaraderie and that feeling is amplified during the Open. At The Fort CrossFit, on a daily basis, someone achieves something that he or she thought was impossible. In the CrossFit Open it’s no different. If you are competing this year you will do something you thought you couldn’t do. Whether it’s a new personal record or simply the fact that you’re competing in a CrossFit competition, you should be very proud.

We have around 50 athletes from The Fort signed up for the Open this year (Our Affiliate Roster). I think we had 12 last year. I am amazed by the amount of dedication and growth I’ve seen over the past year. I’ve experience it personally, but seeing it happen throughout the gym has been even more incredible. Since last year’s Open we doubled the size of our physical space (who remembers the little gym!?) and we’ve grown our membership even more. There is serious competition in the gym and people are stronger, faster, and just better all around; our community is stronger than ever.

Back then this was a busy night.
I am thrilled to be competing alongside all of you in the festivities this year. We have people on the team who have been CrossFitting for years and we have people on the team who have been CrossFitting for months. The best part is that no matter how experienced you are as an athlete, the Open WODs will kick your ass. I am so proud to call this gym home and to have you all as my friends. Get out there, go hard, leave it all on the rubber mats, and have fun doing it. 
What a difference a year makes. These guys have come a long way.

I’d love to hear about the reasons you decided to sign up for the Open this year. Post comments here or on Facebook.

Is the healthy choice the easy choice?

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The other day I was at my local supermarket and while I was there I scanned many baskets and carts, just to see what people were buying. I saw a mom with two young kids in the produce section loading her cart with tons of fresh veggies and fruits. Hopefully she continued around the perimeter of there store for some meat, fish, and eggs. While I was at the register I observed a second lady loading the conveyor belt with boxes and bags of frozen food-like products; Hungry Man dinners, Tyson frozen-chicken, Lean Cuisines, pizza bites, whatever else you can think of that’s not good to eat. I thought about how I would feel after a week, or even a day, or eating all of those processed, void-of-nutrition foods. Ugh. What is the difference between these two women? What factors are at play which cause them to take such different paths during the same task: food shopping. 

Do yourself a favor, throw it all away. 

I’ve been out of the academia loop for almost two years now. Sometimes I miss being a total geek…sometimes. Lately there’s been talk in the gym and on the Facebook thread about what we’re eating as a society. The good ol’ U.S. of A. We even had a brief chat in the gym the other day about how much more time, planning, and effort it takes to cook at home and make healthy meals; making the choice to buy, prepare, and cook healthy foods is not easy. So I want to get a little bit geeky on you, throw out some food for though (pun totally intended), and get some feedback about what’s really going on in this sick, over-fat, metabolically-deranged country of ours.

Obesity is a disease which now affects approximately 33.8 percent of adults in the United States and according to the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 19.6 percent of children in this country aged six to eleven years are now obese. These are just the obesity stats, even more of us are overweight, carrying too much body fat around. The problem transcends generations as evidence reveals children who are overweight or obese are likely to be overweight or obese as adults. This obesity epidemic in the United States is a result of complex multilevel, multidimensional web of behavioral, environmental, and social factors. For individuals, obesity is the outcome of energy and hormonal imbalances; too much of the wrong foods compounded by not-enough physical activity. Many believe that people are just lazy and that is why they eat crappy food and don’t work out; solely placing the responsibility for health choices on individuals. But behaviors, whether they are healthy or unhealthy, are influenced by circumstances and characteristics of the environments in which people live, work, and play. So partly it is up to individuals to make good choices, and that comes from knowing what healthy choices are (education) and actually choosing health, but it’s also partly about creating environments where easy choices are healthy choices; setting people up for success and better quality of life. 
 

Obesity Prevalence in US Adults 1985 and 2008. Whoa.

Public health professionals are focused on creating programs and policies which aim to affect populations. The goal of many of these programs is to educate populations about making healthy choices when it comes to food and physical activity. Is education what we need? Or do we already know how to live a healthy lifestyle and are just not doing it? Public health policies enforce behaviors by restricting access to unhealthy things and/or by making it easier to choose health. An example of this would be taxing sugary beverages (or banning them – see the controversy in NYC) or requiring that school-aged kids get at least 60 minutes of time to play each day. Lots of political action is underway as a result of the alarming rate of childhood obesity. It’s a start, but who knows if it will actually create positive outcomes. Some grocery stores have implemented point-of-purchase labeling systems to help consumers choose healthier options.

Ever see this in a Hannaford store? It’s called the “Guiding Stars” program and it rates foods based on caloric and nutritional content as set by the USDA. If you know where I stand when it comes to food you can correctly assume that I do not agree with the USDA nutritional guidelines. However, I do believe that systems like this can be helpful and are a step in the right direction when it comes to educating people and influencing their purchases. 


We’re in a tough spot. Based on population-level statistics it is clear that individuals are not making healthy choices. What do we do? Shall we continue creating educational programs that aim to give people knowledge about healthy living? They don’t seem to work very well. Or do we create policies that make it more difficult for people to access unhealthy things or easier to make healthy choices? There is a lot of resistance when people feel as if their freedoms are being restricted. Rugged individualism, anyone? I think there must be a combination of both education and political action. Programs need build people’s knowledge base, but also give opportunities to put that knowledge to use. Although it would be awesome, I don’t think we’ll ever see the total abolishment of junk food, so we’ll have to continue to boldly walk past it in the grocery store. But how do we influence others to do the same? How do we get parents to stop feeding their kids sugary snacks and drinks? How do we influence adults to start eating better protein and more vegetables? It’s a daunting task. I don’t have the answers. 

I choose to lead by example and create demand for healthy choices; advocating for health and helping people to change their behavior any way I can. I know I am making an impact in my community and that means a lot. There is much to be said for grassroots movements that occur in small communities. Small groups of people changing their behaviors, creating demand for change, expecting it from those around them, and influencing change throughout a broader community. I see this every day at The Fort CrossFit. Dozens of people through the door, committed to make their lives better and, in doing so, influencing others.

To be a champion in anything, whether it’s a sport, motherhood, your daily workout, your job, or life in general, you must be willing to put in the time and energy; caring about the details and creating positive thoughts which aim to bring you success. Take a moment to think about how your actions create a ripple effect around you. What are some of the barriers you face when trying to make healthy choices? How have you found ways to work around these barriers?

Please post comments here or on Facebook. Cheers!

.