Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The "Healthiest" Alcoholic Drink! The Primal Daiquiri




 It’s the end of the week, which means you’ve spend each day eating right, training hard, and looking to enhance your quality of life. After working hard all week you deserve a little relaxing time with friends. Perhaps this relaxing time (most likely) involves some alcoholic beverages. Maybe you feel like enjoying a few of these alcoholic beverages. Yet you’re faced with a dilemma, you want to have some drinks but you don’t want to completely dump your hard work down the drain. You want to enjoy a beverage (or three) without all the sugar in wine and mixed drinks. You want something refreshing but you don’t want all that gluten and bloating that comes with beer. Plus tonight you’re not really feeling sipping on some straight whiskey or vodka! So what's one to do when faced with this tough decision? 
  
Well, you could always enjoy a “Primal Daiquiri"! 

With the “Primal Daiquiri” you’ll avoid all that unnecessary sugar, it’s gluten free, and tastes excellent. It’s about as Paleo as you can get when it comes to getting a little “loose” on the weekend. Here’s how it’s made. 

You’ll need ... 

  • 1 cocktail shaker
  • Ice 
  • 2oz of your favorite white rum (not spiced)
  • Juice from half a lime 
  • Soda water (plain with no added sugar)
  • Stevia (optional)

  In a cocktail shaker, add a couple cubes of ice, lime juice, rum, and stevia. Shake the ingredients vigorously for a couple seconds. Take off the lid and dump the contents into a small tumbler or tall tumbler depending on your taste. Then top the drink off with soda water. Remember, the larger the glass the more diluted the flavor. 

 So what makes “Primal Daiquiri” so special? Well here are a few facts! 

  • The lime juice when processed by your body leaves behind an alkaline “ash”. Alkaline foods are more beneficial to the body than acid producing foods. 
  • Lime juice also helps nullify the insulin response of the alcohol. 
  • Rum is gluten free, this means that even people who have a sensitivity or allergy to gluten can enjoy
  • Stevia is an all natural sweetener that registers a zero on the glycemic index. 

 So next time you’re getting together with your favourite people try mixing up some “Primal Daiquiris” and enjoy with out the worry of completely destroying your hard work! Remember to drink responsibly and enjoy. 

- Tim



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No gym required! 

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Paleo Chili Brisket!


Here's a delicious and easy recipe that I love for making a very tasty, fall apart, chili brisket! It only takes a few minutes to set up, but takes a few hours to cook. The wait is worth it however, because this brisket is excellent! 

Here's what you'll need:

- 1.5 - 2 lbs of grass fed organic beef brisket 
- 1-2 hand fulls of baby or chopped carrots 
- 2 tbs of chili powder
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves of garlic 
- salt
- pepper
- hot pepper flakes
- 1-2 cups of water 
- Oven safe casserole wear or a slow cooker 

 How to put it together: 

- Pre-heat your oven 300 degrees 
- Place the brisket in your over safe casserole 
- Add your 2 tbs of chili powder by sprinkling it evenly all over the brisket
- Add a couple dashes of salt, a liberal amount of pepper, and another dash of hot chili flakes
- Chop up your medium onion and 4 cloves of garlic into fine bits and add them to the casserole with everything else
- Add your 1-2 handfuls of carrots 
- Next, add your 1-2 cups of water on top of the brisket and it's seasoning. Be sure to not cover the brisket with too much water. There should still be about 1/3 of the brisket sticking out of the water. 
- Place it all in the oven with the lid on the casserole and set the timer for 4 hours 
- Flip the brisket over every hour
- Once the time is up take out of the oven, cut it up, plate it with some of the carrots and enjoy! 

   


- Tim


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Monday, April 14, 2014

How To Do Your First 10 Push Ups!


 The push up is one of the first exercises that comes to mind any time anyone thinks of bodyweight workouts. For good reason as well! It's great for improving strength in the upper body, core, and wrists. It's variations can also be used for improving mobility and flexibility. The benefits of performing push ups and their variations are many. But for those who are just starting out de-conditioned, achieving your first full "toes on the ground" push up can be a daunting task! Not to mention the thought of being able to perform your first set of 10 full "toes on the ground" push ups. If it seems like the push up is taking forever to achieve, then I have some proven Jungle Fit methods for you to try out!

 In the video above I outline some common mistakes, correct hand positions, and 4 easy steps to work towards achieving your first set of 10 full "toes on the ground push ups"! If you're having trouble getting your push ups down, or you think you might need some pointers on your form, I highly suggest checking it out!

- Tim

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 




Thursday, April 10, 2014

Quick And Easy Paleo Cereal




 I know that a lot of paleo meals can be a little bit labour intensive to say the least! I personally, love to make quick meals that I can eat and get going with my day. I don’t really enjoy spending an hour making a meal, I want to get that meal made and eat it so I can get on to doing other things I enjoy. This is especially true at breakfast. Most people have jobs to get to and plans for their day that can start early.  So if you’re like me and you want something paleo that you can make quickly, and doesn’t taste like cardboard, than I have something for you! 

 I like to call this,“Quick And Easy Paleo Cereal”. 

 It’s just like the name says, it’s quick and easy! Here’s what you’ll need ... 

- 1/4 - 1/2 a cup of your favourite nuts (unsalted and raw)
- 1/2 - 1 cup of  organic berries (any of your choosing
- 1 Banana cut up into small slices 
- 1 cup of almond milk or coconut milk 
- Cinnamon

 



Throw all of those ingredients into a bowl, pour your almond or coconut milk on top, sprinkle a little cinnamon and enjoy! It’s tastes awesome and can be made in a flash, this is always a great option for a powerful, nutrient dense, paleo friendly breakfast! Who said paleo had to be complicated!? Now eat up, enjoy, and get on with your day towards becoming the best you that you can possibly be! 

- Tim 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Tuesday, April 8, 2014

5 Reasons Bodyweight Workouts Are The Best!



 Bodyweight training is something very near and dear to my heart. It's something that's always fascinated me and always been the core of my training method. I've always said that a knowledge of bodyweight training and bodyweight progressions is the most important tool to have in your fitness arsenal. In this post I'll explain a little bit more about just why I think bodyweight training, in my opinion, is the most sensible and best method of training. Here we go!

1. Requires No Money At All
 There's no need to purchase a gym membership or any equipment at all when using your own body as your gym! You can simply head out to a local park and get in an insane workout using the jungle gym and benches. It's actually one of my favourite things to do! If you choose to purchase equipment to use in your own home it's not actually all the expensive. A piece of equipment like the "Lebert Equalizer" is affordable and allows for countless exercise variations!

2. Can Be Done Anywhere
 Even if you're no where near a gym or your own equipment, you can still get in a quality workout! All it takes is a knowledge of how to move your own body, how to scale movements, and how to use every day objects as fitness equipment. When you know how to use you body and how to turn objects into pieces of fitness equipment, you're limits will only be bound by your imagination. You'll know this when you're walking around town and eyeing bike racks that would work perfectly for dips and L-Sits! Yes, I actually do that.

3. You Learn How To Control Your Own Body
 I don't care how much you bench or curl, if you can't perform proper push ups, pull ups, lunges and other basic body weight movements then you have no business moving weights! Most people have trouble performing deep full squats, let alone performing full deck squats for multiple reps. Being able to move one's own body efficiently, and with ease, is one of the most basic and primal needs for a human. Progressive bodyweight training teaches you how to move your body, and allows you to constantly challenge yourself with new and more advanced movements. When you can move your body with greater ease you'll be able to move external weight with greater ease as well! Your bodyweight training strength and movement will carry over to any weight training you might be doing.

4. Can Be Used To Improve All Aspects Of Your Fitness
 Bodyweight training can be used to improve all aspects of your fitness regardless of what you need to improve. We're talking improving your strength, conditioning, flexibility, mobility, static strength, and balance. A program can be made to improve any of these areas without the use of anything other than your own bodyweight! Changing the length of the lever or by using strategic progressions, you can challenge your strength. Carefully timed and tracked circuits and intervals using multi-joint body weight movements can be put together to challenge your conditioning. Various stretches and joint mobility techniques are something I regularly implement in order to help my clients improve their flexibility and mobility. Static holds such as planks, levers, L-Sits, and more are great for improving your static strength and stability. Balance can be challenged through an entire workout, from the warm up to the cool down, using nothing but bodyweight movements. Plenty of joint mobility exercises are great for improving balance, not to mention handstand progressions!

5. It's Easily Scaled To Suit The Needs Of Anyone Regardless Of Current Fitness Level 
 It doesn't matter if you're an athlete, or someone who's never worked out a day in your life! With carefully programmed bodyweight training you can build a routine that will suit your needs. Some people are looking to perform muscle ups or handstand push ups, others just don't want to be out of breath when they walk up the stairs. Both of these goals are something that can be easily achieve through a bodyweight program. I've trained people from all walks of life, with all sorts of goals, and with routines based in bodyweight training every single one of them has achieved excellent results. You can too!

  There you have it, those are just 5 of the reasons I love bodyweight training! All you need is a good knowledge of how to progress your exercises or the knowledge of someone experienced in bodyweight training to coach you. If you feel like investing in yourself, Jungle Fit offers a variety of Ebooks on bodyweight training to get you started! You could also check out my Online Personal Training options and work with me personally as I build you a program to suit your needs.  Investing in yourself and your knowledge is never a poor decision!

-Tim

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Wednesday, April 2, 2014

No-Oat Oatmeal! It's Paleo, Gluten Free, and Grain Free!



 When you switch over to a paleo method of eating, there can be more than a few things you miss. Mainly warm and comforting grain based foods! You know, like the kind you love to eat for breakfast. Who doesn't miss a good ol' bowl of oat meal! Well fear not fellow paleo lovers, I've got a recipe here for you that tastes just like the real thing, in fact, some of you might even think it tastes better. Best of all it's completely paleo! Here's how to make this lovely bowl of "No-Oat Oatmeal"!


 Here's what you'll need:

- 1 handful of pecans
- 1 handful of almonds
- 2 table spoons of flax seed
- 1 whole banana
- 1/4 a cup of coconut milk (or almond milk)
- 1 table spoon of almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- cinnamon
- 1 small pot
- A few fresh blue berries

Here's to put it together:

- Grind up your flax seed in a food processor or coffee grinder and place it into a bowl
- Grind up your pecans and almonds together in a food processor or coffee grinder until they are chunks and not powder. Place them in the bowl with the flax seed.
- Add a couple dashes of cinnamon to the flax seed/nut mixture
- In a mixing bowl add your peeled banana, almond butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mash and mix them up together well.
- Place your small pot on the stove, pour your egg/banana mixture into the pot. Add your nut/flax seed mixture into the pot with the banana/egg mixture.
- At a medium heat, stir the everything together, mixing it often.
- Once the egg looks cooked and the mixture looks thick, remove it from the stove and spoon it out into a bowl.
- Top it off with some fresh  blue berries and enjoy!

This "No-Oat Oatmeal" is amazing! It smells unbelievable and tastes so rich, you just might never want to go back to regular oatmeal ever again! Try it out, enjoy it, and keep it Jungle Fit.

- Tim

WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------