Keep coming out, We see some of the posted times getting better.
Below are the times for the December BeFit Method™ Challenge. top finishers
1. Aaron 33:45
2. Tremaine 36:07
3. Zed 36:09
4. Seb 36:12
5. Ronal 36:20
6. Anthony 39:41
7. Al 43:05
GREAT QUOTE FROM BRUCE LEE.
“Life is never stagnation. It is constant movement,
un-rhythmic movement, as we as constant change.
Things live by moving and gain strength as they go.”
-Bruce Lee
The sweet and spicy flavor of cinnamon has been used by many different cultures for its medicinal properties for hundreds, even thousands, of years.
One of the most talked about benefits of cinnamon relates to type 2 diabetes. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also reduces triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels among this group.
Cinnamon’s other benefits include:
Supports digestive function
Constricts and tones tissues
Relieves congestion
Relieves pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
Relieves menstrual discomfort
Blood-thinning compounds that stimulate circulation
Anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve arthritis
Helps prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
It’s a powerful anti-microbial agent that can kill E. coli and other bacteriaWhile you’d probably be more likely to eat half a teaspoon of cinnamon rather than an ounce in one sitting, the above profile serves as an estimate of the nutritional benefits derived from even the smaller amount. And that, of course, is a bonus to what we think of as the main benefit of this fragrant culinary spice.
What does manganese do for you? A lot, actually. Manganese is a trace mineral that helps the body form strong bones, connective tissues, and sex hormones, and coagulates the blood properly. It helps metabolize fat and carbohydrates, regulate blood sugar, absorb calcium, and is essential for optimal brain and nerve function. As if that’s not enough, it’s also a component of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, which helps neutralize free radicals that can damage cell membranes and DNA. Proper levels of manganese have been linked to the prevention of diabetes, arthritis, epilepsy, and even PMS.
Touching on a few more benefits, the oils in cinnamon give it three distinct health benefits: cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol. Platelets help blood coagulate to keep blood from flowing too freely when an injury occurs, but cinnamaldehyde helps prevent it from coagulating too much.
Another advantage is its antimicrobial activity. When researchers tested the effects of just a few drops of cinnamon oil on three ounces of refrigerated carrot broth, the growth of the foodborne pathogenic Bacillus cereus was inhibited for 60 days. But the B. cereus flourished in the same amount of carrot broth without the cinnamon, despite refrigeration. This antimicrobial effect was known to the ancient Egyptians, who used cinnamon in their mummification processes.
Just smelling cinnamon or chewing cinnamon gum is enough to boost brain activity, according to another study. In fact, test scores were higher, and memory, visual recognition, and motor speed were greatly enhanced in individuals who took a whiff of cinnamon, compared with individuals who smelled jasmine, peppermint, or no fragrance at all.
One study noted that while cinnamon reduces blood glucose concentration and enhances insulin sensitivity in normal-weight adults, obese individuals experience insulin resistance, which results in increased fasting and postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose and insulin levels. To compare dips in postprandial glycemic response, 30 people of both types were given just under a cup of instant farina cereal, half of them with six grams of ground cinnamon added and the other half plain. Blood glucose levels were measured at several intervals, from 15 minutes to two hours.
The addition of cinnamon to the cereal resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in the first group, compared to the second. The researchers concluded that cinnamon may be effective in moderating postprandial glucose response in normal weight and obese adults
Scientists also reported that cinnamon could be used as a potent chemopreventive drug in cervical cancer – “chemoprevention” meaning the use of synthetic and/or natural agents to block the development of cancer – and an extremely promising strategy for cancer prevention. Cinnamon was noted as one of the most widely used herbal medicines that have diverse biological activities, such as inhibited tumor growth. The report concluded that cinnamon extract induced apoptosis (death) in cervical cancer cells.
Cinnamon Healthy Recipes: Cinnamon Flax Fruit
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons flax seeds
Sliced banana or apple*
Procedure:
Grind the flax seeds in a coffee grinder. Add cinnamon.
Top fruit with flax mix.
This recipe makes four servings.
*Use bananas and green apples that are not fully ripe and contain less sugar.
(From Healthy Recipes for Your Nutritional Type by Dr. Mercola)
First – Definition of a strong back is simple. A strong back is a back that can safely transfer the forces the hips generate – period! AND that makes all of the difference in the world – it is associated with performance and injury prevention.
Second – for an exercise to be functional is DOES NOT HAVE TO LOOK AND FEEL LIKE THE ACTIVITY IT IS TRYING TO IMPROVE. This is a huge myth about functional training. For example – a plank is excellent for core development for many reasons – it looks like nothing we normally do. Our Triple Threat series – (one leg bridging, curls, and hip lifts on a SB) is one of the best protocols for running and hamstring health – looks nothing like running. SO -sit-ups ups, crunches, and many other exercises like those can provide excellent training without them looking like anything. This is the whole idea of traditional strength training – movements that look very little like anything – yet improve overall strength and function. Functional training INCLUDE exercises that provide the SPECIFICITY BRIDGE between traditional exercises and the activity, and YES -these would also include MANY STANDING EXERCISES that more closely mimic the target activity. But to say that something is not functional it does not look like the target activity is ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT!
Next – What do crunches and Sit ups have to do with function – we can make an argument that sit ups are to the front part of the core what the Bicep curl is to the arm, and what a hyper-extension is to the posterior chain. We are not going to get into a debate about that, are we? Although NOBODY picks up anything just using a bicep curl, yet, the bicep curl will help people pick up items in front of them (e.g. children). The sit-ups open and close the hips flexors, while teaching AB stiffness, which is useful in force transfer of the core. Open hips flexors (which can also be trained from the standing and prone positions) are essential for human locomotion and overhead throwing. Therefore, although certainly not the only way to train – the sit-up has always been a great tool for general core health and strength. SO – it is not more ridiculous to concern yourself with sit-ups and crunches than to concern yourself with many other exercises and training methods (e.g. planks, pull-ups, bridges, hypers, rev hypers, etc.) – none of these look like anything we do – yet are very effective at providing function and health.
Now – I know what Stu McGill and Mike Boyle say – “it destroys the back . . . . puts pressure on this and that . . . . “ Well – It does put pressure on the back – BUT NOT PRESSURE A HEALTHY BACK CAN’T TAKE!! Generations upon generations were raised on a steady diet of sit-ups – what happened to them? NOTHING! When I was a young man the sit-ups were part of the Presidential Physical Fitness award. The military and municipalities required TONS of them. What happened to us? NOTHING – we are stronger than this generation that have not done them!! NO DATA SHOWS THAT GENERATIONS RAISED WITH THIS EXERCISE HAVE BAD BACKS!! SO – THE EXERCISE CAN’T BE ASSOCIATED WITH BACK ISSUES. Now, if a deconditioned person attempts them –they may hurt their back. But that true with anything. Are we really going to say that resistance training in general is bad because if someone puts 200 pounds on a structure that can only take 100 pounds it would cause damage? REALLY GUYS?
Come on people – we have inflicted enough fear and JERRY SPRINGER headlines to freak people out and allow the insane to be heard!! It’s time for some common sense, attention to HISTORY (not panic), and a little conviction for the truth. I have been doing sit-ups for over 40 years. AT IHP we have been doing sit-ups for decades. We not only have sit-up benches – we have declined sit-up benches! We try to make everyone’s back strong enough to be able to enjoy the benefits of the sit-ups.
SO – I ASK EVERYONE TO GET REAL AND PROPERLY USE THE SIT-UP IN YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM.
JC
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