What Is The IKFF?

What is the IKFF?

The IKFF is an organization whose goals are two-fold: to promote Kettlebell training and complete mind/body fitness on a global scale, and to support our members in developing the all-encompassing skills needed to accelerate their own fitness and fitness-oriented businesses.  The vision in creating this is to offer passionate fitness enthusiasts a no-nonsense, ever-evolving resource they can trust is on the cutting edge of athletic training and conditioning!

Core Values

• Member-Centered
  We exist to support and help the growth of our members.
  
  
• Integrity
  We focus on excelling in what we are good at.
  
  
• Global-Minded
  The modern world is almost completely integrated. IKFF is at the bleeding edge of fitness and health solutions for a global audience; our reach extends across the world.
  
  
• Integrative
  We are comprehensive and give equal attention to mind-body-spirit and to fitness-health-wellness/well-being.
  
  
• Flexible
  We constantly aim to improve and remain able and willing to learn, grow and modify as needed to improve.
  
  
• Balance Mind-Body-Spirit

Join Our Team

As part of the IKFF team, you will be affiliated with the most sought-after kettlebell teacher in the world—Steve Cotter.
Think of it—there is a very good reason that the Naval Special Warfare Command (governing command of the Navy SEALs), United States Marine Corps, top-level MMA athletes, professional football teams and everyday people around the globe seek out Steve’s precision-engineered training methods.
Simply put, he is an incredible teacher who can actually do what he teaches and more importantly, teach you how to replicate these skills and to teach others—a rare thing in the fitness world these days.
Steve and his team will ensure you receive elite training in whatever area you are looking for—kettlebells, bodyweight training, movement training, joint mobility, flexibility and more!
Thus, to ensure the diverse needs of athletes, everyday folks and trainers the world over, Steve has multiple instructor certifications you can register for.

After attending an IKFF certification, you will leave having that rare confidence associated with knowing you have all the tools needed to achieve all of your goals—personal and/or business!  The IKFF is led by both Steve Cotter and Ken Blackburn.  I have the extreme privilege to be an official IKFF Assistant Instructor for them.  It is an amazing experience to be led, taught, and serve alongside both Ken and Steve in the IKFF.

Visit HERE for more info: CLICK HERE.

Danza-China (Acrobatic Ballet)

This is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen and an amazing feat of balance, stability, and strength. Who needs anything except their bodyweight???!!!

That's all without hurting the back, knees, hips, or shoulders. Improper resistance exercising and using too much weight causes these issues every day. Body weight training, such as Power Yoga is a great cure for that.

Experiencing Food v. Thinking Nutrients

A funny thing has been happening to American consumers over the last couple decades regarding what they eat.  Actually, its not really that funny, and it reminds me of old “The Boiled Frog” story, which goes something like this:

If you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger. But, if you put it in a pot filled with cool water, and then gradually turn up the heat until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late. 

Is This You?

Keeping in mind that this is a parable, and not factually correct (according to Fast Company), it still makes a great point; like the frog, our instincts seem geared toward detecting sudden changes, while we miss the build up of truly life-threatening situations.

Throughout history, humans have not needed to consult others to figure out what to eat.  We figured it out.  We learned what to look for, especially nature’s markers for “danger.”  And, we did it all without the benefits of industrialized food.  But, with industrial food’s so-called revolution, things started changing.  Like so many things related to food, I really like how Michael Pollan describes what has been happening:

“No idea [nutritionism] could be more sympathetic to manufacturers of processed foods, which surely explains why they have been so happy to jump on the nutritionism bandwagon.  Indeed, nutritionism supplies the ultimate justification for processing food by implying that with a judicious application of food science, fake foods can be made even more nutritious than the real thing.” -In Defense of Food

The evidence supporting Mr. Pollan’s statement above is steadily rolling in, including Marion Nestle’s latest post on Food Politics: “Antioxidants as a marketing tool.”

“Antioxidant nutrients are so important as marketing tools that they constitute their own brand, say British experts on such questions.  Apparently, up to 60% of consumers who see an antioxidant claim on a product label will buy it for that reason.  Despite lack of evidence that additional antioxidants make people healthier (and may actually do some harm), these claims are so popular that food companies introduced nearly 300 new antioxidant-labeled products into U.S. supermarkets last year…“

Like the frog in the “Boiled Frog” parable, we can continue being slow-cooked by large food manufacturers. Or, we can wake up to the reality they have created, discount the onslaught of nutrient claims (and counter claims) associated with highly processed food, and begin experiencing the wholesome goodness of natural and organic foods.
Post Author: Rob Smart of "Everything Kitchen Table"

As Michael Pollan also says and he honestly sums up how to eat quite nicely:

Eat Food: meaning real food- NOT processed food.

Not Much: Ben Franklin says: "To lengthen your years lessen thy meals."

Mostly Plants: very self explanatory. The Western Diet is the opposite and is most definitely NOT working.

Soy Can and Will Negatively Affect Your Weight & Health

There are certain foods and herbs that we can eat on a daily basis that will help us maintain a lean and healthy body. Unfortunately there are also certain foods or ingredients in foods that have the opposite effect - making us fat and sick. Many may think they know what these bad foods are - high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, saturated fats, etc. But one ingredient that most aren’t aware of is: SOY.

Did you know that soy products can actually cause weight gain, PMS, bloating, stubborn fat, contribute to prostate enlargement, cancer and other disorders?

Many think that soy is the new dairy. It may be used as such, but what most people don’t realize is that it actually has a metabolic estrogenic effect in the body. If you’re male, you may want to think twice before consuming soy products, as soy can be feminizing. Do you want to be increasing the estrogen content in your body when excess estrogen is a known cause for gynecomastia (fatty breasts in men), prostate enlargement and cancer? Or, if you’re female, do you really want excess estrogens circulating throughout your body when estrogen dominance is a known cause for bad PMS, breast cancer and other female disorders? It’s important that we all understand the consequences of consuming soy based foods. I’ve spoken to numerous people who think they are eating “healthy” by replacing all dairy with soy. Some may initially lose weight, but at what cost? Furthermore, many can’t figure out why the stubborn fat and metabolic disorders increase or persist. The problem very likely lies in the soy. Whether it’s soy milk, soy ice cream, veggie burgers, tofu or other soy based products, all overwhelmingly contribute to an excess of estrogen in the body.

Why Soy Causes Estrogen Dominance Or Excess Estrogen
Briefly, soy actually contains phytoestrogens. Although natural, phytoestrogens have an estrogenic effect on the body. In a world already overwhelmed by estrogenic chemicals, the last thing needed is to mistakingly consume a food or ingredients that contribute to the problem. One of the most obvious signs of excess estrogen in the body is the formation of stubborn fat, particularly in the belly in men, and more commonly in the hips and thighs of women.
In addition, here’s what the Weston A. Price Foundation lists as some of the dangers of eating soy:

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

But soy is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many other particular estrogenic chemicals that we are ingesting on a regular basis that are causing us problems. I’ll write more on these later.
Meanwhile, if you enjoyed this article by Rick Osborn and you’d like to learn more about soy and the estrogen issue now, you can check out his book that he co-wrote with Ori Hofmekler(author of The Warrior Diet) - The Anti-Estrogenic Diet: How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick, by North Atlantic Books - available at Amazon.com.

Does Red Meat Cause Cancer?

Does Red Meat Cause Cancer, Heart Disease and Eternal Damnation in Hell?

Earlier this week every major news organization published an article on a recent study that was published Monday in Archives of Internal Medicine. A research team led by Rashmi Sinha, Ph.D., from the National Cancer Institute looked at more than 500,000 people aged 50 to 71 and came to the conclusion that red meat causes cancer, heart disease and if we avoid it, we will live longer.
Headlines read ‘Want to live longer? Cut back on red meat’ and ‘Premature death from red meat’ and other similar sensational titles.

You want to know the real deal with red meat?

The truth is this — If you want to avoid illness, disease and live a long robust life, you may not need to cut back on red meat. You may, however, need to cut back on TV and consider giving yourself a detox from mainstream news sources. You also need the ability to think for yourself and not believe everything you read.

Seriously, you do need to understand some FACTS about red meat which were not covered in ANY of the articles I saw.

You also need to understand a few simple TRUTHS that were completely ignored by this massive study that created more mass confusion than anything else.

I’m Glad I’m Not an Oscar Meyer Weiner

The red meat in the study included all types of beef and pork (I thought pork was ‘the other white meat’?), bacon, cold cuts, ham, sausage, hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, as well as meat in pizza, chili, lasagna and stew.

So I’m going to drop some serious nutritional knowledge bombs on this report and give you solutions so you can eat what we are designed to eat, support your local economy, promote a healthy planet and avoid disease.

Chemicals and Cancer

The first thing I noticed in almost every news report was that they ignored the fact that processed meats are made with chemicals, including sodium nitrate or nitrite, a preservative, flavor and color enhancer that’s also used in fertilizer. Nitrates, along with excess table salt and smoking, extend the shelf-life of these crap products so they last longer in 7-11’s, truck stops and other fine dining establishments that are frequented by many discerning Americans.

When these processed foods are heated, the protein breaks down and combines with nitrites to form compounds known as nitrosamines. There are many different types of nitrosamines, most of which are known carcinogens. Nitrosamines promote the growth of various cancers, including colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer.


Solution: The real issue here is the type of meat. Do not eat commercially processed meats. They are not fit for human consumption.

If you cant take the heat…

Cooking meat at high temperatures (especially when frying, broiling and barbecuing) produces heterocyclic amines as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the compounds found on charred food, both are known carcinogens.  The longer the meat is cooked and the higher the temperature, the more of these compounds are produced

Also, what few people realize are some other problems associated with commercially produced processed meats. The FDA has approved a potent mixture of six bacteria-killing viruses designed to be sprayed on these ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

Although many people falsely believe this is a good idea – to prevent disease - they fail to realize the truth: processed meat manufacturers should NOT BE PRODUCING bacteria-laden meat that needs to be purified with viruses. How about addressing the problem at its source?

Solution: Cook foods as little as possible. This does not mean you should go out and become a raw food vegan. Eat grass fed meat and eat it as rare as possible. Support local, small family farms that are healthy, clean & safe and produce high quality food that is superior to commercially produced food.

The Real Deal on Red Meat

The main issue in this report is the FAILURE to distinguish between grass fed meat and grain fed, factory farmed, drugged up animals, living in unnatural conditions that make them sick so they have to be drugged up which makes them sicker and since they are eating grains, they get fat and develop an unhealthy fatty acid ratio (among many other serious problems) which make them unfit for human consumption and oh yeah, carcinogenic when eaten.

Cattle are designed to eat grass, not grains. When you feed grains to cattle, they get fat and sick. When humans eat sick animals, they get fat and sick. Pretty simple formula.
When cows eat grass and freely graze, they are healthy. This is called ‘nature’. It’s a perfect system and worked without a hitch until the turn of the century. Once we started using chemicals for farming and feeding grains to cows and confined them into dirty feed lots with little (or no) exposure to grass and sunshine and started drugging them up, we ran into some very serious health problems.

Grass Fed vs. Grain Fed

Grass fed meat has less total fat, less saturated fat, less cholesterol and fewer calories. It has 400% more vitamins A and E, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).
Grass fed beef is the richest known source of CLA. With 300 - 400% more CLA than grain fed animals, CLA is a potent cancer fighter that also reduces body fat, increases metabolic rate, enhances muscle growth, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, lowers insulin resistance, reduces food-induced allergic reactions as well as enhances the immune system.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out the difference between these two types of cattle farming. One produces meat that is healthy and the other produces food that is deadly. One preserves the environment while the other destroys it.

Alpha & Omega

Grain fed beef has higher levels of omega-6 fat, which may promote heart disease, and less omega-3 fat, which is beneficial for heart health.

Grass fed beef has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for normal growth, brain function, reduced body fat and have been proven to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, depression, arthritis, allergies, auto-immune disorders, obesity and diabetes.

Research has revealed that too much omega-6 in the diet creates imbalances result in inflammation, high blood pressure, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immunity, sterility, cell proliferation, blood clots, cancer and weight gain.

If you’re eating a diet high in omega-6 fats, you could be vulnerable to prostate, colorectal and breast cancers.

For millions of years up until the end of World War II, omega-3 and omega-6 ratios in our diet were in favor of omega-3s (1:1 - 1:2). Now, that ratio is closer to 25:1.

Around the turn of the century, heart attacks were rare. Today, heart disease is the number one killer.

Simply look at all the grain fed animals we are eating along with the consumption of vegetable oils (high in omega 6) and the solution is simple. Do not eat commercially produced meat and avoid vegetable oils.

‘Life in all its fullness is Mother Nature obeyed.”

Weston A Price

Is Your Brain on Drugs? 

Grain fed cattle are injected with growth hormones, antibiotics, vaccines and other drugs. Grass fed cattle got the straight edge - they are drug free.

Grass fed farming does not use fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and other dangerous chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides and 30% of insecticides to be carcinogenic.

Pesticides are neurotoxic, disrupt the endocrine system, carcinogenic and immune suppressive. Pesticide exposure may also affect male reproductive function and has been linked to miscarriages in women.

E. coli, mad cow or foot and mouth is much less of a concern with naturally raised grass fed cows. These are issues stemming from dirty, overcrowded confined feedlots.

Solution: Start your own farm or choose grass fed & organic food.

4 Day Rotation Diet

The first thing I thought of when I read the report is ‘Who eats like this everyday?’

Apparently, millions of Americans do. You would have to be nuts to eat this type of diet on a daily basis.

Nobody should eat the same thing everyday, especially not crappy processed meat.

Solution: Rotate your protein sources every four days. Choose grass fed and organic meats and don’t be a wiener - never eat commercially processed meat.

Also, not everyone should be eating red meat as often as other people should.

We are all unique and have different requirements for food. Some people (we call ‘Protein Types’) require more red meats and can’t tolerate carbs so well.

Others (called ‘Carb Types’) require leaner (white) meats and can tolerate carbs much better.

Then there are people like me, who fall in the middle and have a ‘Mixed Type’ of metabolism.

Solution: Eat according to your metabolic type.

The Data Was Collected How?

The study looked at people aged 50 to 71 and relied on self reporting.
Memory recall for Americans aged 50 – 71? Are you kidding me?

Now I know some people may be offended by this comment, but seriously, can we really trust Americans in that age bracket about what they are eating? From my professional experience, you can not trust food memory of people in ANY age bracket. Most Americans I have met, know nothing about nutrition, health and food is simply not priority for them…until they get sick or diseased and then they seem to make it a priority.

Asking people to recall what they ate is not reliable for most people – at any age. Most people
underestimate how much they eat and since almost every unhealthy person has a emotional issue tied to food, there is certain to be some unreliable reporting and false reporting. I know this for a FACT and do not need any scientific research to prove this to me or anyone else.

And how many Americans that age have sharp memories especially about something that is not a priority for them?

Solution: Eat grass fed meats as the saturated fat and omega 3 fatty acids supprt optimal brain function & focus.

Nature is Perfect - Industrialized Farming is Flawed

Commercial, industrialized animal farming and meat processors produce sick animals and inferior, disgusting products that make people sick and cause cancer.

Grass fed meat – when kept raw or as rare as possible, is very healthy.

It has sustained human culture for close to 3 million years. Nature is perfect. It is ignorance of this fact that causes problems on both an individual health and global scale.  As soon as people wake up to the fact that nature cannot be beat, no matter how hard you try, and as soon as we start showing respect for this planet, its people and its resources, instead of trying to exploit every possible thing that modern man can get his greedy hands on without any thought of the consequences…the sooner more people will be happier, healthier and relatively free from cancer and heart disease like our ancestors were.

The study has many flaws and just so you know – THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. Almost daily.

Start your detox and learn the truth about real food. You will be healthier and happier and can avoid the diet & lifestyle diseases that are plaguing Americans (and other cultures who play follow the leader).

http://www.eatwild.com

http://hawthornevalleyfarm.org

http://www.grasslandbeef.com

http://www.eatwellguide.org

Article Author: Antonio Valladares is a certified holistic nutritionist, correctve exercise kinesiologist and has been a certified personal trainer and licensed massage therapist for 15 years.

He has been featured in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Mountain Bike, Paper, Time Out, Woman's Day, NY1 and many others.  Antonio is certified by every important organization in the fitness industry including ACE, ACSM, NASM, IYCA, CHEK and others.

His latest book Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook is an organic, gluten free whole foods cookbook which provides healthy eating solutions for busy professionals.  His upcoming projects include Fat Loss Psychology and his internet TV show The Urban Nutrition Network.  More important than all of this are the results he gets with his clients.

Coconut Oil- Liquid or Solid?

Did you ever wonder if coconut oil being a solid one day and a liquid another was good or bad?  Of course you did.  I thought it was cool actually and prefer it solid.  That way I can control it better when scooping it out and tossing it in my post workout recovery smoothie or into the pan when I'm about to cook with it.

So if you're like me and wondered, here is Dr. Bruce Fife explaining coconut oil's process of going between being a liquid and solid does NOT affect the oil's health benefits whatsoever.

Synergy Kettlebell Training- Sledgehammer Effects

Today I performed a great 10 minute set with the 16 pounder and it felt great. I maintained between 32-35 reps per minute at a bodyweight of 68kg. The only thing to really get hard taxed was my forearms. I did find a good way to relax them in mid swing that seemed to do the trick.

My wife Lisa actually was behind the vid cam doing the exact same thing with the 8 pound sledge and said when it was all over that she could have gone for 20 min. So that's exactly what we'll do in a few days when it's sledge day again. :)

This is a great full body conditioning and core drill if you get into it.  My left (non-dominate) swing needs some work, but that will come.
Video Here if display will not work: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=60672316389

Bob Garon's 10 Min. Sledgehammer Set @ 16lbs from Bob Garon on Vimeo.

In case you want to know our full workout it was as follows:


Warmup: no rest between sets

2 Min. Swings, I used a 20kg and she used a 12kg
1 Min. Pushups
2 Min. Lunges (first min. was forward and second was reverse)


Workout:
10 Min. Sledgehammer Swings


Then:
45 Min. Yoga Practice

Give it a shot if you can.

Benefits of Coconut Oil Part 2

Coconut oil got a bad reputation for being an unhealthy saturated fat. However, not all saturated fats are unhealthy. Dr. Bruce Fife explains how coconut oil is composed of medium chain triglycerides, which offer numerous health benefits without any negatives.

Benefits of Coconut Oil Part 1

I have always been a big advocate as well as consumer of Coconut Oil and it's great, great health benefits.  It is something I have been writing a little bit about recently, but just want to take a little time this week to point out the history of it and then in later posts how exactly we benefit from it both in consuming it and topically applying it.

Coconut oil has been used for centuries as a food and medicine in areas of the South Pacific. Dr. Bruce Fife goes through the brief history of coconut oil and some of its amazing uses.  Remember to be sure that you are purchasing Virgin Coconut Oil which is unrefined for the best benefit.

If you have any comments, questions, or experiences regarding Coconut Oil please leave me a comment below.

Synergy Kettlebell Training Swings Those Bells

Swing Kamp

Here you will see the essence of the basics of kettlebell training- The Swing. If you have not performed thousands and thousands of swings then you are have not tapped into your true potential of learning kettlebell movements. The Swing is the foundation for kettlebell lifting as well as simply just an amazing movement for general full-body functional conditioning in that it provides a resistance as well as cardiovascular environment for your workout.

Be like us at Synergy Kettlebell Training: Swing Away! :)

For more info visit: http://BobGaronTraining.com

My Workouts As Of Late

Lately I've been performing k-bells 3x per week, interval sprints or hiking 2-3x per week, and yoga 5-7x per week. It's been working very well for me and I feel great everywhere- especially my back.

Here are a few of my latest workouts.

Warmup:
2 Min. Swings
1 Min. Pushups
2 Min. Lunges(1 min forward & 1 min reverse)

3 Rounds: 60/0, 1 Min. between Rounds

Down Dog
High Windmills right side
Down Dog
High Windmills left side
Down Dog
TGU right side
Down Dog
TGU left side
Down Dog

Cool Down:
Synergy Stretch

______________________
Warmup:
90 Swings(30 2 arm, 30 r & l)

Workout:
6 Min. One Arm Long Cycle @ 20kg
and 10rpm
6 Min. Half Snatch @ 20kg and 10rpm
3 Min. Alternating TGUs @ 20kg

A-Mountain Sprints

______________________
Warmup:
2 Min. Swings
1 Min. Pushups
2 Min. Lunges(1 min forward & 1 min reverse)

Workout:
6 Min. TGUs @ 20kg
6 Min. TGUs @ 24kg
5 TGU Reps @ 28kg

1 Hour Yoga Practice


______________________
Warmup:
2 Min. Swings
1 Min. Pushups
2 Min. Lunges(1 min forward & 1 min reverse)

Workout:
10 Min. Alternating Sledgehammer Set @ 4kg and 35rpm
This was easy. I need a heavier hammer.

5 Interval Sprints @ 15% incline & 10mph, 20s on and 1 min. off

1 rep TGU @ 32kg

40 Min. Yoga Practice
--
Bob Garon II,
IKFF & AKC certified Kettlebell Coach
(480)634-3250
---
Fitness Has Nothing To Do With Looking Good.
Website: http://www.bobgarontraining.com

Follow Me At:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bobgaron
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/bobgaronfacebook

Synergy Kettlebell Kamp- Fun Abdominal Movements

Here are a few of our favorite abdominal movements at Synergy Kettlebell Kamp. We often do these as finishers to workouts or right in the middle. Either way have fun and practice at your own risk.

Bob Garon's Organic Soups, Beans & Organic "Spice Hunter" Spices Lineup

This is one of the absolute best and most tasteful ways to cook and eat vegetarian very conveniently. It takes about 15 min. to prepare.  I usually choose 2 of the same low sodium soups, add 1 of the Eden beans, and then add in the spices you like. I like garlic and onion to flavor my soups. Always keep it low sodium.

Lastly, if I did not choose one of the Rice & Bean combos, I will need to complete the amino acid chain to make a complete protein between the beans and either a grain or a nut/seed combo. If I am eating on my high fat days I choose only the nuts and eat several handfuls alongside my soup. If it is not a high fat day I crush up Organic Nature's Stoneground Wheats in my soup bowl, line the top of it with organic raw mild cheddar cheese and then pour the hot soup over. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool and melt the cheese as well as soften the crackers.
Stir and enjoy! :)

Synergy Kettlebell Training Gung-Ho Tangents

One of my regular Synergy Kettlebell Training blog readers/subscribers emailed me, in regards to MY RECENT POST HERE, with a question that I have been getting lately and thought it appropriate to post both the question as well as my comments.

Bob,

Where do you get the Greek God's yogurt?  That dessert seems to be pretty high carb for a high fat day, I guess I'm surprised that you would eat carbs like that on a high fat day.  This gives me hope : )  Also, that is clearly a high carb day.  Do you have the smoothie on high fat days as well, or do you cut that out?  I may have been cutting out too many carbs on high fat days.  If you could, please post a typical high fat day as well .... I'd like to see how your's differ.

Thanks A LOT and keep the info coming!

Chris

I get it at Sprout's or Whole Foods.
I eat the yogurt pretty much every day. I don't worry about those carbs- only grains and starches on a "high carb day".
The smoothie is something that I do to get some extra veggies and fruit in, but sometimes I just toss them in a bowl and eat them. Either way I still have them.

Here is a typical "High Fat" day for me. Most of my eating days are considered high fat(healthy fats) where I still have carbs, but not starches or grains. Those are what make the difference in your body composition.

1. Big Salad- Watch the below video and see the super yummy contents of one of my regular salads that I have EVERY night. Since I intermediate fast during the day, drinking only water, the greens and other veggies bring out vital digestive enzymes that have been storing up in the liver all day long. That way when I begin eating more aggressive foods, such as proteins and fats, later in the evening they all get digested and absorbed much more efficiently.

2. Wild Caught Scallops, sliced zuccini, onions, mushrooms, spices.  I had about as much of this as I did my salad.

 

3.  Half of a Beet(of course organic) and 4 oz of organic raw mild cheddar cheese.

4. 24oz of Greek God's and Mountain High organic yogurt with 1 diced organic apple, 4 organic strawberries, and a handful of organic flame raisins mixed in.

The Rules of Healthy Eating To Be Healthy are actually very, very simple. You have one balanced main meal a day. That is an evening staggered meal. You don't just need to eat a meal and be done inside a typical 30 minutes as most folks do because you have a 2-4 hour eating window where you stagger your eating over that time. When you eat focus on consuming more whole, organic, and natural food. That's what you're body really craves. Advocate an Intermediate Daily Water Fast alongside the evening balanced and staggered meal protocol for optimal health and full-body leanness.  If you are low on energy that will instantly change once you begin this regimen.  It's no easier than this.

Keep in mind that food is only used for two things, fat or fuel. If you are not regularly being very active, then the food that you consume will be stored mostly as fat.

A really big misconception is that animal protein should be the main source of protein in our diet. This is not necessarily true. Plant based foods offers an ample amount as long as you properly combine them. 

Being someone who does not advocate practicing the inflexible and very unpractical "6 meal a day" protocol; essentially you need to eat according to your daily activities. If you are sitting on your behind for half the day, at work, at home, or in the car, then you really need to be mindful of how much and when you eat.

Why this works is that you are utilizing the 2 main fat burning and fat storage hormones in your favor. That would be Insulin and Glucagon. When your insulin is spiked, let's say after a meal (keep in mind that even protein meals spike it almost as much as carb meals do and for the same length of time), then you are potentially storing fat. When you are not eating(fasting and/or exercising) glucagon rises and you will be in the burning environment.

Bottom line is that it works! Intermediate fasting works and is none the simpler to practice every day for the rest of your life.  You will live longer, feel more energized and stronger as well as be much more alert and hormonally balanced. Anyone who says it doesn't work simply does not do it right or have tried it. If anyone says “this” or says “that” is the reason are simply providing excuses why or why not they have personally failed and were to mentally weak to continue it ongoing. That is truly the bottom line.

Anyone who begins a new diet, lifestyle change, exercise regimen are always Gung-ho about it.  You might be Gung-ho now, but it fades. Trust me. I have done this for a long time. I see it every day--- UNFORTUNATELY. People are too lazy. As you can read I don't hold anything back. I'm honest and tell it like it is. I won't sugar coat anything for anyone and my posts and life prove that. I am extreme and people need extreme. Being nice and gentle apparently is not working for them so the opposite must be true.  Be true too and stop lying to yourself as to why you are the way you are.  You are either healthy because you decide every day to work very hard at the eating part and the activity part OR you are unhealthy because you decide to be lazy every day.  There is NO middle ground.  Wake up and decide one, but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop the lying and self-betrayal.  You CAN do this. No one else, but you can decide so.  If you need help I will help. Just let me know and it will be done.

Elliptical Machines Are Not THAT Great

Elliptical machines are designed to limit the impact on the body so you can get a workout without having to stress your joints and muscles. In reality that's an oxymoron on how to achieve great physical conditioning. Elliptical machines force you to run in sometimes an unorthodox way because the machine is typically measured for individuals of a certain height, stride length, etc. While performing the elliptical trainer your feet are essentially locked in place while the rest of the body is simulating a running pattern which in turn can strain the joints at certain points throughout the abnormal range of motion. The hip flexor/rotator is connected to your hamstrings which also pulls on the knees and right down to your achillies tendon. That being said, if you hip is out of wack- or it soon will be by continued elliptical use- it could be causing real problems for all the muscles in the legs as well as the knees.

1. Cardio machines with swinging handles offer very little to no benefit than if you swung your hands naturally at your sides. You'll get a better workout by working your stabilizing core muscles.

2. Keep in mind the elliptical will make you better at 'elliptical' and burn some calories, improve general cardio- which is way better than being sedentary- BUT will most likely not translate to anything else that you do. ie. walking, running, stair climbing etc. It is very common that people can do an hour on elliptical, but have trouble running for 20 minutes.

In summation the elliptical trainer will help with burning some needed calories, but doesn't make you better at anything except itself. Personally I believe it is harder to get a good workout on the elliptical machine. It takes a lot more concentration to work hard enough to work up a sweat and it's very easy to make the elliptical an easy workout.

An observation I have made at the gym is that when you look at the people who regularly use elliptical machines compared to those on treadmills, stairs, or who interval train the people using the ellipticals are on average at least 20lbs. heavier and don't look nearly as fit.

The Rules Of Eating Healthy To Be Healthy

A weak immune system leads to a sick body- plain and simple. There are many reasons why I eat the way I do and live the way I live by the daily activities I practice and encourage others to do as well. Some may view me as extreme. That's great and couldn't be more of a compliment because if I am "an extreme", due to my lifestyle practices in contrast to the Western eating and sedentary culture, than so be it. The latter is VERY unhealthy and OBVIOUSLY not working with all the cases of obesity(in reality and honestly too many people we know are part of that group), high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, hormonal imbalances, heart conditions, and the list goes on.

I'll take my meatless, except fish, eggs, dairy, lifestyle any day over all that or even the CHANCE of any of it. Health is VERY important and we only have one life to be healthy and live. It's more like pro-actively living and surviving instead of passively allowing ourselves to die simply because food must be convenient and cheap for us.

It's pretty simple- don't count calories. Don't ever count calories. Your ancestors never did. In fact I did one day just to find out how many I was consuming and it was almost 4,000 and ALL of them were at night. I'm 5'6", 152lbs. and 8% body fat.

According to my recommended Intermediate Daily Water Fast you don't eat anything during the day except a minimum gallon of water. Then you will be eating your balanced and staggered meal in the evening. Eat for a duration of, but not continuously, 2-4 hours staggering each stage of your eating.

Here is the follow rules:

1. Salad ALWAYS first EVERY DAY. This releases vital enzymes stored in your liver from not eating during the day that will help efficiently break down proteins, carbs and fats in your evening meal. In the salad you want to have at least the 3 colors of the stoplight(red, green, and yellow/orange) by way of veggies.

2. Proteins

3. Fats OR Grains and Starches, but not fats and grains/starches on the same day or your glycemic index will be disrupted thus storing fat.

4. Optional: nuts, seeds, yogurt, keifer, 85% or higher dark chocolate treat, etc.

Have about 20 or so minutes between each stage to allow for digestion. Eat 5 days of high fat and 2 days of high carb(grains and starch) each week, but never have the 2 high carb days consecutively.

Here is an example of one of my own typical High Carb Day menus:

1. Big salad that has about 5-10 different veggies in it alongside some raw mild cheddar cheese and a couple scoops of black eyed peas mixed in. I always look forward to this and it is always very good. :)

2. Wild caught baked salmon with some garlic and paprika.

3. Big helping of Amaranth(an Egyptian grain) made just like you would rice. I'll cut and mix the salmon and amaranth together and add some more beans too.

4. Medium Smoothie of an apple, a few baby carrots, and a banana.

5. Dessert every night: Big bowl of Greek God's Organic Whole Milk Plain Yogurt with organic flame raisins, organic dried cranberries, and pineapple mixed in to flavor and nutrient pack it.

Each stage has about 20 min. in between give or take.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Ten Reasons not to Use Your Microwave Oven

Ten Reasons not to Use Your Microwave Oven

Based on Swiss, Russian and German clinical studies

1. Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term, permanent, brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2. The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in micro-waved food.
3. Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating micro-waved foods.
4. The effects of micro-waved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5. Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all micro-waved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6. The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in a microwave oven.
7. Micro-waved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This has been a primary contributor to the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in the United States.
8. The prolonged eating of micro-waved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.
9. Continual ingestion of micro-waved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10. Eating micro-waved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

For more info and the full article go HERE.

I just threw out my microwave. :)
P.S. I just thought the pic looked cute and appropriate. LOL!

My CrossRoads

Over the past couple weeks I have been through a mixture of a few kettlebell workouts, quite a few yoga practices, a couple running/walking hikes, and some high intensity interval training. I took a 10 day recovery week from the bells and performed solely yoga and interval cardio. It was actually the best I've felt in a very, very LONG time.

10 days later I performed my first Long Cycle workout and it went well. It was a simple 6 minute set with 2 20kg and 6rpm. Then I performed a 4 minute set with 1 28kg bell and 6rpm focusing on a double long lockout. Lastly I ran on the boring treadmill for 20 minutes at 7mph and 2% incline.

The day after I took it off from the bells, but on with yoga. I felt great.

The day after that I performed another Long Cycle set. It was a 12 minute set with 2 20kg bells at a pace of 4rpm. After the set I just felt all tight and my neck/traps were super tight beyond comfort. I seemed to have tweaked something in my lower back as well so that forced me to compensate elsewhere- thus the neck issue. My strength and endurance felt better than ever, but regarding the issues mentioned above- I am beyond withstanding.

So this leaves me at a crossroads.

I love Long Cycle and really wanted to progress my kettlebell practice into Master of Sport numbers, but never at the sake of injury. That's just foolish. When I began this quest 3 and a half months ago I mentioned that overall strength would never be a factor as that would certainly come with time, but the strength and condition of my lumbar spine would be the only hang up from me making good progression.

This is my new plan. I will not give up Long Cycle, but will be performing one arm instead of two for a while. This really stinks because the ONLY thing holding me back is my stinkin lower back. My body is strong enough muscularly and this is quite frustrating.

So with that said Long Cycle will continue, but mostly with one bell. I can handle the 32kg no problem with one so I can still continue to get stronger.
I will be performing regular One Arm Long Cycle 1-3x per week.
2-3x per week I will be performing Turkish Getups alongside other supportive and strength stability work, yoga, and hiking or any cardio of my choice such as rowing, interval sprinting and straight running.

This will continue my strength and stability focus and hopefully one day I can progress into the Master of Sport training full-on once again, but overall my health is my ultimate goal and that will be my continued conquest.

Don't Die: Drink Lots Of Clear and Clean Water

I am Re-Tweeting this message from WholeFoodsMarket.com.  But before I go any further a "tweet" is something you get from Twitter.  Twitter tweets are like mini-emails or status messages, with a max character allowance of 140, that you post to your profile or send to friends.  You can learn more here: www.twitter.com/bobgaron

There can be no life without water. I’ve heard this more than once from my scientist cousin. And of course, he’s right. Our bodies are about 60% water, more or less, and every day that we live, breathe and move, we lose the water we have. So, reasonable deduction tells us we have to replenish that which we are losing!

Our bodies use water to regulate our temperature, transport oxygen and nutrients to our cells, and assist in the process of digestion, metabolism and elimination. Without water, our bodies can’t flush out waste and toxins. Not getting enough leads to dehydration; and this leads to a number of health problems, one of which can be death. Are you with me so far?

Now here’s where it can get challenging for some folks. Your body needs water. Not sodas, not coffee, not alcohol, not black tea. Even though those are fluids, they may be dehydrating and make your body need more water. If you consistently deprive your body of water, you may suffer from chronic dehydration. This isn’t the same as collapsing in the desert heat while searching for an oasis, but it can definitely create some concerning health consequences including constipation, fatigue, digestive disorders, high and low blood pressure, respiratory problems, urinary infections and skin rashes.

So, we need to drink water. How much? For many years, we’ve been told that we need to be drinking an average of 8 glasses of water a day. That can seem a bit daunting! More recently we are hearing our need for water changes with the amount we exercise, the food we eat, the weather, and other factors. Maybe one of the best ways to determine if you are getting enough water is to check the color of your urine. Urine is naturally pale yellow. That’s the color you want it to be. If your urine is clear, then you can cut back on your water intake. If it is darker, then you need to drink more water. Keep in mind that riboflavin (vitamin B2), which is in most multivitamins, turns your urine fluorescent yellow so you’ll need to avoid that for a day or so to get a true reading of color.

It’s really not that hard to add more water to your day. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Keep a bottle or a glass of water on your desk while you work - having it handy makes it easier to drink.
• Avoid alcohol and coffee in excess, as well as soda and sugary drinks.
• Squeeze some fresh lime or lemon into your water for a flavor boost.
• Drink pure spring or filtered water in between meals. Too much water with food can dilute gastric acids making digestion weaker.
• Slowly sip a cup of hot herbal or green tea after a meal. This supports digestion and provides needed fluid.
• Make spritzers using natural sparkling mineral water, plain, or flavored, mixed with a little fruit juice.
• Eat whole juicy fruits and vegetables.
• Drink warm or room temperature water first thing in the morning to wake your system up and get things moving. Then spread your water intake out during the day to keep you better hydrated.
• If you have kidney problems or you take diuretics, talk to your health care professional about your individual water needs.

What are your tricks for drinking enough water? I’d love to hear!

Bone Stacking The Long Cycle

 

Thousands of Gireviks can't be wrong. If you have never performed Long Cycle or performed it with proper form or you would not think it would be the best overall full-body functional movement period.  Just by looking at it performed non-practitioners would probably think it is bad on the back.  In the rack position(bells held at shoulder level with the elbows on the hips) the weight load is not on the back really much at all.  It is, however, being "bone stacked" to support everything.  Bone Stacking means that the joints are locked in succession in order to allow the bones to take the load.  This is phenomenal for building bone density.  The muscles are, of course, still impacted; however not nearly as much since the bones are able to support incredible amounts of weight.

Additionally the glutes are activated and when that happens the lumbar spine turns off as much as possible.  The abs are definitely, definitely, definitely firing not only since the back is turned off, but because of the movement itself.  No matter how you move, with or without weight, the core muscles(all 26 of them) are the first to fire.

The movement of Long Cycle(kettlebell clean and jerk) is doing many things at once.  From the very first movement, the clean, you pull the bell(s) up to rack position using the posterior chain.  Next it is driven overhead in an explosive manner using many pressing muscles and pulling muscles on the ascend and descend of the bell(s).  Then conditioning is effected cardiovascularly as well.  So both anaerobic and aerobic thresholds are pushed in a the direction very few other movements, exercises, and lift can match.  A top strength and conditioning coach once was asked if there was one exercise that he would ever do and/or recommend doing for the rest of his life which would it be.  He said the single arm(dumbbell, kettlebell, etc.) clean and jerk.  That would be Long Cycle.

But don't take it from me.  View it with those who are much more experienced in GS than I am. 

Valery Fedorenko, who is an Honored Master of Sport(which basically means he's the Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan of Girevoy[Kettlebell] Sport), displays the absolute perfect form for the rack position in his various sets displayed in the following videos.  Featured in the last video is the current best in the world, Ivan Denisov, as well as Andrew Durniat, Ken Blackburn, Ginko Vasilis, and Roberts Innus.

1. Valery Fedorenko performs a 10 min. Jerks Set Using Two 70lb. Kettlebells and achieving 130 reps to earn Master of Sport:

2. Who is Valery Fedorenko:

3. Valery performs 3 minute Long Cycle with two 53lb. Kettlebells. He does this very fast, but you can still see his form:

4. A video analysis of GS champ Valery Fedorenko performing a GS Jerk with two 24 kg bells. The curves on the right are "force to the vertical direction" and "momentum of the weights". The maximum force applied is 1200 N.

5. World Kettlebell Lifting Championships - Kettlebells - Jerk:

Be sure to pay attention to minute 3:20 and their form there.

Commitment, Pace and Respectable Reps

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or
predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

– William Faulkner, Author

I am seeing every day the lack of commitment that people actually have for themselves regarding their health.  Furthermore it is the lack of commitment and motivation to be everything they can be for not only themselves, BUT also for their loved ones.  When someone doesn't take care of themselves it is one thing to their own body, but ultimately they sacrifice longevity with friends and family.  They don't seem to realize this and regardless if they have a long-term gym contract or one that's month to month, which is so popular today only because of the commitment issues of the masses, it will always be a struggle- a sad struggle- for people to make their way down the road of a healthy lifestyle.  There are way too many distractions and excuses being made.  Over the years I have heard many, but in the end it always roots back to one single thing- fear of commitment.  It's not easy and no one ever said it was going to be.   

When training for strength and endurance in Kettlebell training time is more important than reps.  You want to first decide what pace you will go to make the time.  Before your sets decide that.  Then in the first minute you will know if you can maintain that or not.  If so continue on.  If not then readjust your pace so that each consecutive minute thereafter is an even number of reps determined by your pace.  Do not stop.  Do not rest.  Do not set the bells down.  The only "rest" you are allowed to have is as follows:

Snatches in the overhead lockout
Jerks in the rack
Long Cycle in the rack
Swings you are SOL just keep going!

Other than that if you cannot make the time then simply trim it down.  Work on the top of the minute for sets- no half minute sets.  Ex. 6 minutes is fine, but 4:30 min. is not. When you can perform 3 minutes of Jerks at a respectable time then increase another minute, but then you'll have to dial down the speed again(reps per minute) in order to last the time(which is the most important component).

Remember pace is everything to achieve the time.  Then once you get comfortable with the time increase it by moving toward the 10 minute mark.  Once you are at 10 min. then the reps per minute can increase.  Once you get respectable with the reps per minute then the weight moves up, but then you start again at shorter sets.  You might be at the same weight for months doing your best to get the long sets in and then working on increasing the reps each minute.  This is strength endurance work in its raw state.  It's good.

Beginner reps per minute:
Snatch- 6rpm
Jerk- 4-6rpm
Long Cycle- 4-5rpm

Intermediate reps per minute:
Snatch- 8-12rpm
Jerk- 8-10rpm
Long Cycle- 8-9rpm

Advanced reps per minute:
Snatch- 15-20rpm
Jerk- 15-20rpm
Long Cycle- 12-16rpm

Taste or No Taste? ...Is that really the question?

I agree that food should taste good.  We definitely should enjoy it.  Most people, however, eat to have taste of the given food and nothing more.  Much of the food they eat that may taste good can be and is usually garbage depending on their lifestyle. We all know saying:  garbage in, garbage out.  If you eat non-healthy food you will have an unhealthy body, but if you eat clean(anti-estrogenic, balanced, 85% raw, organic, all natural foods, etc) you will have a much longer, happier and healthier life. 

Also remember just because you eat “light” does not mean you are eating “right”!!!
 

This is one of the road blocks I face as a professional fitness coach in trying to get clients to make better food choices. They think they don't have time and that eating healthy must taste gross or is too expensive. Both statements are merely uneducated excuses and also completely untrue.  Everyone has time to eat healthier/cleaner and excuses are given to convince yourself you do not.  You provide me your schedule and budget and I will provide you a solution so that anyone and everyone can be and stay healthy.  All you will have to be concerned with then is committing to it- which is the most challenging aspect. After all if we are not prioritizing our health above everything else anyway, “the everything else” will suffer somewhere down the line due to some measure of poor or failing health.

We must continue to remember instead of reminding ourselves about the problems in our lives we must always believe there are only solutions.  We can do anything we want to with proper direction and motivation.

I will be writing more on organic eating in future articles so please say tuned and I hope you all enjoy what I say.  I appreciate feedback and comments- always. :) 

Green? Let's Go White!

 

According to many experts White Vinegar has 1001 uses.  It can be used in cooking and cleaning as well as gardening and home remedies.  Many companies are "going green" with their chemicals to help protect the environment; however in the midst of doing so their chemicals are still very harmful to us and our bodies.  White vinegar may just be our answer.  I, personally, have begun using it in my own home and it definitely makes a difference.  Tea Tree Oil also works very well alongside the vinegar.  Both these products are also very, very inexpensive and can be purchased at almost any grocery store/ farmer's marketplace.

"White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser, effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of  acidity. Cleaning with white distilled vinegar is a smart way to avoid using harsh chemicals. You’ll also be glad to know that it is environmentally friendly and very economical."  - VinegarTips.com

Here are some of the uses of White Vinegar:

Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted white distilled vinegar.                   

Clean the wheel of a can opener using white distilled vinegar and an old toothbrush.                   

Remove the smell of spoiled food from a refrigerator by first rinsing the area with soap and water. Spray surfaces with full-strength white distilled vinegar and wipe them down with a damp cloth or sponge. Fill some containers with baking soda and place inside. Close the door and leave for a few days.                   

Remove the wax residue left by commercial window cleaners with a solution of 2 cups water, 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent.                   

To make cleaning the grill easier, spray a solution of half water and half white distilled vinegar on the cooking surface.                   

To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.                   

Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.                   

Get rid of calcium deposits on faucets by soaking a cloth or paper towel in white distilled vinegar and wrapping the area tightly. Let this sit for a couple of hours or overnight.                   

Bring out the color in carpet by brushing it with a solution of 1 cup white distilled vinegar for every gallon of water. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet beforehand).

Clean woodwork and walls with a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar, 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup ammonia and 1 gallon warm water. Wipe on with a sponge or damp—not wet—towel.

To read more about the many uses of White Vinegar click here: http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/

Have a great white cleaning day!

What Are Burpees?

In case you've been living under a fitness rock for the past many years and have ever wondered what a Burpee is or how to exactly perform one I came across a great video displaying the wonderful answer.

It's always a good day for Burpees! :)

Healthy Spanish Omelete For You To Enjoy!

With the Spanish Omelet you are basically making an egg pancake which is filled with all your desired ingredients.

Ingredients: (Of course this is just for this one, but you can toss in anything you want.)

5 - 10 organic eggs
1 half of a red and 1 half of a yellow bell pepper
1 white onion
2 - 4 cloves of garlic
Coconut Oil or Grapeseed Oil

Instructions:

1. Dice up the veggies
2. Saute' the vegetables in a pan for about 5-10 minute
3. Take out the sauteed veggies and put them in a bowl with a paper towel to dab off the excess oil.
4. Wait for the vegetables to cool down a bit( you will be adding them to the eggs and if they are too hot they will cook the egg), and while they are cooling down
5. Crack 5-10 eggs into a bowl
6. Mix the veggies in with the the eggs.

Next:
7. Heat up a pan with coconut oil(or grapeseed oil) to about med to med-high heat.
Note: The pan has to be just large enough so the mixture is about half an inch thick high after you put it in.
8. Pour in you veggie/egg mixture
9. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, pushing down the edges so they do not burn.

*** TRICKY PART ***
-Take a plate or something like that, that is larger than the skillet you are cooking the eggs in, and place it on top of the skillet upside down.
-Hold the plate down on the skillet, and flip the plate and skillet, so that the egg falls safely onto the plate onto its uncooked side.
-Then carefully slide the egg back in the skillet
-Cook this side for 2 to 3 minutes, pushing down the edges so they do not burn.

Then:
-Slide out of the skillet into a plate, and enjoy.


You should have a pancake like omelet, that has all your vegetables contained almost completely inside the egg.

Perfection

P.S. This one takes practice, that flipping thing can be kinda tricky.  Enjoy!