A giving of Thanks - 60 Day Challenge Results are in!!!

The 60 day challenge is over and the results are in.  We have had another successful 60 day challenge and the results are as impressive as ever.  This is my pay it forward,  helping people change gaining confidence, having more energy and getting in touch with their passion and their body.
We had some amazing results including a 27lb weight loss, 9lb muscle gain, over 100 inches lost, and the strength increases were astonishing even to the experienced.  Honorable mention to Shannon, she had a goal of one full pull up and she hit a home run knocking it out of the park with 4 clean full pull ups.  Keep in mind she walked in not being able to do 1.  That is how we do it!!!  
The other honorable mention goes to Jason who at the start could not do a back dome and take a look at what he is doing now.

Not only did he add a great deal of flexibility but also strength  to his posterior chain, shoulders, wrists.  That is loaded with two 12K (26lbs ea) Kettlebells.  He held this for over a minute and is continuing to clean up his positioning.  BTW, Jason has laid down a challenge.  "I am coming for you Jon" says Jason to MBG founder Jon Hinds (aka The Silverback).  Gotta love it.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the 60 Day Challengers for being willing to commit themselves, trust the process and work their butts off.  I am so proud of each of you, even though I only mentioned a couple of you here.  Each of you is a CHAMPION in your own right, the results are secondary to the willingness to challenge yourself, put your butt on the line and LIVE, this is the essence of what life is about.

Be safe Brothers and Sisters,
P.S. Next Challenge starts January 8th, 2011 enroll at www.monkeybargymla.com.

Kevin

Quinoa "The Gold of the Incas"

If you have been following my blog then you have seen that I have been eating a lot of Quinoa lately.  I was first introduced to it a few years ago by www.fighterdiet.com Pauline Nordin (aka the most nutritionally disciplined person I know).  I have found it very useful to get more amino acids into my diet without eating animal products (aka meat).  I was given this article by Brian Clark one of my friends and inventor of "Ring VanDamme's"

Photo A. Brian Clark RVD

Standing in the rings, slowly lower to under control to full splits keeping the adductors engaged. Pause and pull in and up to a stabilized position.


Photo B. Brian Clark RVD

The article give some basic information, read it and let me know if you have any great Quinoa recipes.

Quinoa is always misunderstood as a type of grain. The truth is quite the contrary to the belief, as quinoa is not a grain but the seed of a leafy plant that is related to spinach! It is considered as a pseudo cereal or pseudo grain. Quinoa is an organic foodgrown in the Andes mountains of Ecuador. It is a small, round, yellow grain in appearance. Helps in relaxing the blood vessels. Thus, making quinoa an excellent choice for people suffering from hypertension, ischemic heart disease and cardiac arrhythmia and helping in improving the cardiovascular health. A study conducted with post menopausal women with heart diseases, high cholesterol high blood pressure, etc have shown low progress in related cardiovascular diseases. You can cook quinoa in just 12 minutes with a crunchy texture. It was known as 'the gold of the Incas' as they had discovered it helped increasing the stamina of their warriors. 

Quiona is high in protein and includes all the nine essential amino acids supplements. It is the choice of grains for vegans, as it helps them take in the adequate amount of proteins, required in a healthy diet. It contains lysine, an amino acid that is very important for the growth of tissues and repair mechanism. It is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorous and even manganese. It has slow releasing, high level of carbohydrates, that give the stomach a full feeling for a long time. Thus, making it good for people who are watching their weight and need to maintain adequate blood sugar levels. Hence, it does not make one feel guilty of all the extra calories eaten. Know more on veganism.

Nutrition Facts for Quiona

Quiona is very good for people suffering from migraines, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Quiona is a good source of magnesium, that helps relaxing the blood vessels and preventing the constriction and dilation that is observed in migraines. It also contains riboflavin (vitamin B2) that is very important for producing energy within the cells. Vitamin B2 has been known to improve the energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells, thus reducing the frequency of migraines.  

Quiona contains manganese and copper, that are the co-factors for super oxide dismutase enzyme. This enzyme helps protect the cells from damage by free radicals. A study has also shown that foods containing high insoluble fiber like quinoa have helped avoiding occurrences of gallstones in women.

Sprouted Quinoa Nutritional Facts

Once upon a time, quinoa was cooked and then ground to a paste, to be used as a healing lotion for wounds. It was also used to treat motion sickness, appendicitis, and for nursing mothers. Poultice of quinoa flour was applied to mend broken bones. Sprouted quinoa is a rich source of dietary fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. It is gluten-free and an excellent source of phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. It also contains vitamin B6, niacin and thiamine. It has lysine for building proteins in the body, great for the heart with its low fat content and a source of complex carbohydrates.

Red Quinoa Nutritional Facts

Red quinoa is a rare grain, which is grown on small plots at a height of 12,000 feet on the Andean Plateau in Bolivia. It is used for cooking in soups, salads, burgers, stuffing, porridge's, breads, muffins, etc. It is a rich source of amino acids, that are easily absorbed by the body. Red quiona contains dietary fibers, folate (vitamin B9) and riboflavin (vitamin B2). It is free from gluten and very healthy grain choice for heart. 

This a little bit of information on quinoa nutritional facts, sprouted quinoa nutritional facts and red quinoa nutritional facts. This is actually a 'super-grain' that is great for people watching their weight and for health conscious people. With all these quiona nutritional facts, you should have no qualms about including quinoa in your healthy diet regime.

MBG3: Training Warriors, Rebuilding Warriors & Lean/Green Warriors

Training: Warriors:
Today it was my Wrist strengthening circuit followed by Handstand practice.  Did a high volume of sets with static holds. resting 3 min between holds.  Wall Walks  x 5,  Free Kick up to hold  x 10.
Will be training at Gokor's tonight with the NoHo Pack of the Dog Brothers.  Love that training Guru Matt "BooDog" always brings a good workout.  And Gokor & Uncle Gene inspire me to train hard.

Lean/Green Warriors:
AM: Green Tea and Kind Bar, 1 Banana
AM2: Whole Foods Vegetarian Sushi, Green Drink
Mid: Veggie Wrap, 1 apple
Afternoon Snack: Amazing grass bar, 1 apple
Dinner tonight is Veggies, Quinoa w cranberries,

Rebuilding Warriors:
Warm up with Beginner Sequence and Gymnastica rolling



Kevin

P.S. Only do the Ring Van Damme's with supervision as Guru Crafty says "Protect your I.Q."

Hasta

Paying it Forward Yes!!!

Today I received a payoff for all we do here at MBG. This made my day.  A client who had been struggling with an eating issue that was effecting her daily mental life and her 60 day challenge results gave us a note of thanks for helping them through.   If I had any question as to our company direction/intention I no longer have one.  We MBG-LA and MBG Global take the logo as our intention One little monkey helping another, one life changed at a time.  We know and understand that this quote is true "People don't care what you know until they know that you care"  I wish I could recall who that is from, If you do let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.
This is so motivating to me and the crew!

MBG 3:  Training Warriors, Lean and Green Warriors, Rebuilding Warriors

MBG 1: Training Warriors:  Play day
Two warm ups and play on handstands, dips.

MBG2: Lean and Green Warriors
Had a great lunch with some of the noon class members at Natural Cafe, awesome butternut squash Quesadilla, vegan veggie soup, blue corn chips and lots of clean clear water w lemon.
4 Bananas, 2 kind bars, & sauteed spinach and butternut squash soup.  Yum.

MBG3: Rebuilding Warriors
ES yoga in the am and with clients, down dog, bridge and table were my focus today.

Guys, we really mean what we say.  We are here to help you, we will do our best to help you find a strategy that works for you and leads you to a healthier, happier & fitter life.

Be safe Bothers and Sisters.  Happy Birthday to my good friend Cliff (48 and still a kicking butt)

Kevin

I label therefore I am.

Hey Guys,
Today we laid the ground work for the next chapter at MBG-Moorpark and MBG-LA, I am very excited about  our progress and prospects for the future.
Today I want to talk about "Labels" and the hangups, judgement and assumptions that come with them.  I am going to be dealing with "Labels" regarding how we eat.  Lets look at a few.

1. Omnivore:  eats both plant and animal-based foods.
2. Flexitarian: inclined to mostly eat vegetarian, but sometimes adds meat.
3. Vegetarian: eats no meat, including fish and shellfish, or any animal byproducts; also known as a lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats dairy and eggs).
4. Lacto-vegetarian: a vegetarian who eats diary products, but not eggs.
5. Ovo-vegetarian: a vegetarian who eats eggs, but not dairy products.
6. Pescetarian: a vegetarian who eats fish (may also avoid factory farmed fish).
7. Vegan: eats no meat, eggs or dairy, and no animal derived ingredients, like gelatin, honey or whey; usually also excludes wearing and other uses of animal products, such as leather, wool, angora and cashmere.
8.  Raw: consists of only unprocessed Vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
9.  Macrobiotic: consumes unprocessed Vegan foods and sometimes, fish generally avoids refined oils, flours and sugars.
10. Fruitarian: eats only plant foods that can be harvested without harming the plant.

Wow, now this does not include all the different diets just the labels for "recognized" labels from the International Vegetarian Union.   Really?? a Union?

As you know at MBG we recommend a  "PLANT BASED" diet, we use those words for a specific reason to avoid all the stigma and judgement that comes with each of the "labels" above.  Our brains have a need to make things ordered for memory and association so it takes a concerted effort to stop judging and labeling.  "The primary cause of disorder in ourselves is the seeking of reality promised by another..." Krishnamurti  although Krishnamurti was speaking of the spiritual self it is also true for your nutritional self, we must each seek to know ourselves, our body and how to provide it with nutrition for optimal health, vitality and wellness.  In order to do this each individual must embark on a journey of self-discovery find out what micro nutrient profile works best for them, what foods give them energy, what foods are energy toxins for them, what preparation strategy works best, and what habits/attitudes they must change to create the best strategy for their optimal wellness.
So let go of the "labels", focus on being the individual, unique and special human being you are, engage yourself in a process of discovery with a childlike sense of play and open mindedness.  We will help to guide you on your journey and I am sure we will learn as much from you as you do from us.
Your mission if you should choose to take it.....start the journey.

Be safe brothers and sisters,
Kevin