No matter the season or the environmental stress, our body is always in a constant fight against the world. Approaching Winter means that we need to stay on point with immunity to keep us on track for our physical fitness goals well as optimizing our peak health state. Making sure your meals and more specifically the foods in each meal are complimentary has been shown to increase absorption in the body.
Optimizing Immune health has two major factors, Iron and Vitamin C. Alone, both have specific function. Iron is specifically used by both red blood cells and immune cells to help in production and power for fighting off disease and infection. The body works a fine balance between providing just enough iron to fight off the bad stuff and not give bacteria too much to grow. Having optimal levels of Iron decrease the chance of anemia and help you keep peaking in the gym through rapid red blood cell production.
Vitamin C has long been touted as an immune booster. Pick up any package of 'cold and flu' medication, and 'Emergen-C' , immune dummies (my favorite) and you will see % Daily values in the 5-600%. Vitamin C primarily functions as an antioxidant, blocking out all the free radical damage that occurs as your body goes through the days, weeks and months of abuse. Vitamin C also has been shown to help with bone and skin health through cellular support.
Linking both Iron and Vitamin C together creates absorption rates higher than when the two stand alone in your diet.
The most common Vitamin C sources are traditionally from Citrus like Lemons and Oranges but we are looking much farther than that today. Strawberries have the highest content in the berry family, and clutch vegetables like Sweet Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower are also very high in C and can be paired easily with the high Iron foods I will list next.
Iron rich foods are classically Oysters, Beef, Liver, Turkey, Tuna and Chicken. Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, all contain iron. Quinoa, Oatmeal and some Beans are non-animal based sources of iron. The crucial thing that I have learned is the difference of 'heme' and 'non-heme' iron sources. Animal based iron sources are 'heme' sources and have a much higher absorption rate than plant based varieties.
Vitamin C binds to the 'non heme' variety of iron to allow for more beneficial absorption into the cells. Pairing veggies like cauliflower and Turkey together is a great way to ensure that Vitamin C and Iron work together, plus in the case of Turkey you get a great does of Zinc as well.
I have to admit that I am very lucky that Cristin handles food pairing so well for absorption. But to think about winter time immunity as a pairing game between foods will help you stay on track towards preparing to whatever goals you are setting for yourself as the new year rapidly closes in. So get the Vitamin C and Iron you will need and do some research of your own at farmers markets to see how locally grown food can keep food prep fun and benefit you at the same time.
Train consciously and share this post with those you love, E.
Programming Notes 11-6-11/10
11/6
Baseline:
8 Min Quality AMRAP
200m Run
30 High Knee Jump Rope
15 KB Swing
9 KB Goblet Squat W/ Pause @ bottom
Squat Flow: Kang Squat, Internal Rotation, Hip Bridge, Ankle Roll Outs, Boot Straps, PNF, Squat W/ T Spine Rotation
Back Squat:
Exposure 8 of 10
*Today we build to a Heavy 2 RM.
8 @ 40%
6@ 60%
4 @ 80%
2 @ 90%
2@ 102%
2 @ 102% (repeat for consistency)
8 @ 40%
*rest :90 -2:00 between working sets
Conditioning:
8 Minute AMRAP
30 Double Under
25 Air Squats
20 Push Ups
Cool Down:
2:00 Pigeon Stretch
1:00 Couch Stretch
11/7
Baseline:
Agility Warm Up @ 10m Each
High Knee Pull
Quad Pull
Squat 180 **stepping the leg high over hip, swing opposite leg to 180, squat
High Knees
Butt kickers
Marching High Kicks
Groiners
Straight leg shuffles
Fig 4 Drill
Lateral Shuffle
Carioca
Lateral Bounding
Sprint W/ Change of Direction
Intensity Sprints:
5X 100m
Rest 2:30 between efforts.
Conditioning:
4X 3min AMRAP
10 KB Swing 70/53
10 Box Jumps 24/20
*Like Tabata, your Lowest AMRAP score of the 4 is your score for the day. Consistency is King!
11/8
Baseline:
500m Row
3X
10 Barbell Good Mornings
10 Front Squats
10 Strict Press
500m Row
Barbell Prep:
7X @ each
-high pull
-tall clean
-front squat +press
-hang squat clean +Push press
-cluster
**spend 5 minutes building to Complex weight.
Barbell Complex:
7 Min On The Minute
-1X Squat Clean
-1X Push Press
-1X Split Jerk
*weights can remain the same or can increase over the 7 sets.
*not looking for this to be a max out session , just movement consistency
WOD:
“Fran”
21-15-9
Thruster 95/65
Pull Ups
11/9
Baseline:
:30 Work :15 Rest X 3 Rounds
-Hollow Hold
-Mountain Climbers
- Handstand Hold
- Burpee
Shoulder Prep:
W/ 2.5 Plates
-scarecrow + external Rotation X 10
-Bent over Flys X 10
- Bent Over Presses X 10
W/ Band
- Good Mornings X 15
-Lateral Side Steps X 15 each direction
-Press and rip X 15
WOD:
For Time
400m Single Arm Farmers Carry (heavy)
20 Toes To bar
30 Hang Power snatch 75/55
40 Slam Ball
30 Hang Power snatch
20 Toes TO bar
400m Farmers Carry
Cool Down:
Bike 3:00
-lat band Stretch
-Bully Stretch
11/10
Baseline:
2X
21 Calorie Row
15 Barbell Reverse Lunge
9 Hip Extension
Banded Hip Distraction
Banded Hamstring Pulses
30 Trunk Rotations
Hamstring Primer:
3X8 @ Each
-Romanian Deadlift
-Barbell Bent Over Row
*do not exceed 135/95
WOD;
3X
500m Row
21 Deadlift 225/135
3 Rope Climbs
*sub 7 Muscle Ups for rope Climbs, if can
*try variations of rope climb progression, like banded Rope Pull Ups, hip bridge rope lowers, legless.
