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If you’re a vegan who does CrossFit, what do you tell people first?

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.” — Georgia O’Keefe

If you’re a vegan who does CrossFit, what do you tell people first?

 

The Story.

CrossFit and nutrition go hand in hand. Whether you’re an elite level athlete, or a weekend warrior looking to shed a few pounds and get healthy, chances are you’re thinking about what’s on your plate and what’s on your barbell.

There have always been trends in the CrossFit community when it comes to food. The Zone Diet was super popular for a while and eating Paleo has always been a staple. More recently, macro counting became all the rage. But what about veganism?

If you’re a vegan who does CrossFit, what do you tell people first?

As the joke goes, “A CrossFitter and a vegan walk into a bar. Which one tells you first.” 

But in all seriousness, Dani Sidell and Jeremy Reijnders are proof that not only is veganism possible while CrossFitting, but beneficial as well. Dani has been competing at the regional level since 2012. Jeremy was dubbed The Fittest Man in the Netherlands during the Open. It’s safe to say these two have athletic performance on their side.

But like, where do you get your protein?

Alas, the question all plant-based eaters are totally sick of hearing. Most CrossFitters are programmed to seek protein to recover from our workouts, so initially we might be skeptical of a vegan diet but it is possible to eat a plant based diet and not die of malnutrition

As it turns out, it’s really not that hard to get in protein when you’re eating tons of whole, plant based foods. Speaking of which, check out these vegetarian pre workout options for an energy-boost. On top of that, there’s a plethora of plant based protein supplements and natural and organic meat substitutes.

Whatever floats your boat.

Both athletes say “they’ve never felt better”. They attribute their increased energy, faster recovery times, and clearer mindset to their plant-based diet.

It’s apparent that different diets and nutrition strategies work differently for everyone, and we can definitely agree that this is working for them.

Coffee Break Conversations

 

What to tell your roommate when you hear her ordering take-out for the fifth time this week…

For crying out loud cook a meal. It’s not that hard. Give a gal a break from the salt-filled, dressing-drenched, oversize meals that often coincide with takeout and eating out and consider the one-week challenge. For one week, cook every single meal yourself. See what happens. Even if you hate it, at least you’ll learn some killer tricks for making more meals at home, and come to appreciate eating out again. 

What to tell your swolemate the next time she posts the two of you training to the Gram like a good little CrossFitter…

Pics to prove it, right? But, did you know that you don’t actually have to save and download your Instagram stories? There’s an archive where you can see everything you’ve ever uploaded (and we do mean EVERYTHING friends) and it’s right there in the app. Ready for this? It’s called the archive. Your stories are even categorized by date and include info, like who watched them! Alas, Instagram does not save videos or photos sent as private DMs. (Thank goodness!)

Things To…

 

WATCH: Fraser Vs. Froning

In this episode of ArmenHammer TV, Armen lists the similarities and differences between Mat Fraser and Rich Froning from how they compete, how they built their podium empire, and why we should still have our eyes on other competitiors. 

WATCH THIS. 

 

HEAR: Discipline as a Daily Habit

Tim Dymmel is a business owner, CrossFit Games masters athlete, and a father of three. He joined the West Coast Advantage Podcast to talk about his business, his training for the CrossFit Games, and how important discipline has been in both of those journeys.

TUNE IN. 

 

DO: Take the CrossFit Gymnastics Seminar Again

Jeff Tucker has been in the CrossFit community for more than 10 years as the subject matter expert for Gymnastics. To celebrate, he’s offering 50% off the course for anyone who’s taken the gymnastics course over the last decade.

SIGN US UP. 

 

EAT: Tomato Toast

Nope, not a typo. Tomato toast, not avocado toast. Topped with an elaborate but necessary sprinkle of sesame seeds, chives, flaky salt, cracked pepper, olive oil, and lemon zest this brunchy goodness will make you think you’ve been doing toast wrong this whole time.

PASS THE TOAST. 

 

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is powered by

Chalk Up Community

 
  • AN UNWAVERING FAMILY — Saturday, September 15th from 7 AM – Noon, CrossFit Unwavering is hosting a fundraiser for Abby, the daughter of one their coaches, who was recently diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Entry for the WOD is a minimum $20 donation and food will be available for sale. 
  • CROSSFIT FACILITY AT SCHOOL — Lemoore High School in CA is building a CrossFit space on campus for students. Construction is underway and expected to be completed in October.
  • GO FAR WITH TOVAR — Stacie and Dustin Tovar have just launched Go Far Fitness, a virtual fitness community for anyone looking to further themselves physically. You’ll get a workout every single day, that you can do from anywhere.
  • ASK STEPH CHUNG — Steph Chung is hosting an Ask Me Anything on Reddit. She’s looking forward to your questions about coaching and living in the Middle East, competing, and anything else you can come up with.
  • FIREFIGHTER CHALLENGE — The Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, a national event, is being hosted today and tomorrow in Elko, NV. Participants will compete in a tough, emergency-simulated physical fitness course. Opening ceremonies are at 5:00 PM Friday with Saturday’s events starting at 10:00 AM.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Anthony Reyes, a barber in Puerto Rico, shaved a Mat Fraser tribute hair design • Hunter McIntyre hasn’t given up on weightlifting yet • Spotted…a Mathew Fraser Rogue billboard on a drive through Columbus, OH • John Krasinski does 25 push-ups for a good cause. 

Jason and Ashley Khalipa Send Ava Back to School — “Today we had a couple of ‘firsts’. This year is the first year Ava and Kaden will be attending the same school. It also is the first year of school that Ava will not be battling leukemia. She got diagnosed in the middle of Pre-k and just finished treatment at the end of this past school year. To say we are blessed is an understatement. #perspective”

John Gary Reflects on the CrossFit Games — At the end of Day One of the 2018 CrossFit Games, John Gary was in 19th place in the Men’s 55-59 age group. “If I would have finished 19th, I would have finished 19th. But I did not come in there expecting to finish last,” Gary said. With a group of supporters in the crowd, Gary rallied on Day Two. “I wanted them to know that I had been there. And I feel like I did.” Gary closed out the
weekend finishing 12th in his division. 

More on Mayhem — Darren Hunsucker is retiring, Matt Hewitt is most likely done as he just got a promotion and Lindy Barber has moved from Cookeville

O2 Natural Recovery Drink Launches New Caffeine Free Flavors — O2 previewed the new flavors, Lemon Lime and Blackberry Currant, earlier this month at the 2018 CrossFit Games. Founder and CEO Dave Colina said, “We launched the Caffeine-Free Lemon Lime and Blackberry Currant as a direct response to customer demand for an O2 that they could have late in the day, or for O2 drinkers looking for something to offer their kids. So far, the response has been incredible, and we look forward to educating more active audiences and health-conscious retailers on the benefits of our clean product.” The new flavors officially launched yesterday.
Cans of O2 are available in select Whole Foods, Kroger stores, and specialty retailers, as well for purchase online

How They’re Spending Their Time Now — It seems the thing to do after competing at the CrossFit Games is go on vacation. Mat Fraser is on Sharbot Lake. Kels Kiel is in Mexico. Jamie Hagiya is teaching a seminar in Germany. Cassidy Lance-McWherter is in Jamaica. Tia-Clair Toomey spent some
time exploring Philadelphia. Laura Horvath is hanging out in Croatia. Katrin Davidsdottir visits old friends in Chicago. Kenzie Riley toured Vermont

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“Exercise Can’t Save Us: Our Sugar Intake Is The Real Culprit, Say Experts” by Alice G. Walton, Forbes

We can exercise to the moon and back but still be fat for all the sugar and carbs we consume. And perhaps even more jarring is that we can be a normal weight and exercise, and still be unhealthy if we’re eating poorly. We need a basic reboot of our understanding of health, which has to involve the food industry’s powerful PR “machinery,” since that was part of the problem to begin with.

The major point, which the public doesn’t really understand, is that exercise in and of itself doesn’t really lead to weight loss. 

Plus, in the last 30 years, exercise has stayed about the same, while overweight and obesity have skyrocketed. So something else must be at play, like the type of food we’re eating. That part has gotten steadily worse over the years, as highly-processed sugary foods and sodas have taken over as our go-to choices. “According to the Lancet global burden of disease reports,” they write, “poor diet now generates more disease than physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined.” This is a disturbing statistic. But it gets worse.

And the crux of the issue is this: We’re continually “fed” the idea that all that’s behind the rise in obesity is lack of exercise, or sedentariness. There have certainly been a lot of studies and popular articles suggesting that sitting is our downfall. Instead of effective messages about diet and health that science actually knows to be true, “members of the public are drowned by an unhelpful message about maintaining a ‘healthy weight’ through calorie counting,” the team writes, “and many still wrongly believe that obesity is entirely due to lack of exercise. This false perception is rooted in the Food Industry’s Public Relations machinery, which uses tactics chillingly similar to those of big tobacco.”

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

8/18: Bladium CrossFit Fossil Games (Denver, CO) 

​8/18: The Revolution: Articles of Confederation (San Antonio, TX)

8/18: Summer Slam Royal Rumble (Oakdale, CA)

8/18: CrossFit Krypton’s Compete for a Cure (Chesapeake, VA)

8/18: CrossFit Endure Granite Games Throwdown (Windsor, CO)

8/18: MKT CrossFit Granite Games Throwdown (Columbia, MO)

8/18: Rocky Mountain Throwdown (Fort Collins, CO)

​8/18: Mayhem on the Mountain (Pelham, AL)

8/18: CrossFit Charlevoix Granite Games Throwdown (Charlevoix, MI) 

8/18: Battle in the Boro (Washington, NJ)

8/18: Troy CrossFit Granite Games Throwdown (San Diego, CA)

8/18: Babes & Bros (Grand Rapids, MI)  

8/18: ​CrossFit Shatter 2018 Summer Slam (Albany, NY) 

8/18: CFBD Summer Showdown 2018 (East Longmeadow, MA)

8/18: Battle of the Boxes (Plymouth, MI)

8/19: Battle on Broadway (Garnder, MA) 

8/25: Iron Belle and Femme Royale Women’s Competition (Austin, TX) 

8/25: CrossFit Sua Sponte Summer Slam (Raleigh, NC) 

8/25: AMRAP For Autism (Waxhaw, NC)

​8/25: CrossFit Decathlon (Indianapolis, IN) 

8/25: Best of the West Summer Event (Bend, OR)

8/25: 2018 Firewall Frenzy (Holliston, MA)

8/25: The Hero Games 2018 (Farmington, AR)

8/25: 2018 Rivertown Throwdown (Cape Girardeau, MO)

8/25: South Central Summer Games 2018 (Richland, MS)
8/25 – 26: Battlegrounds Nevada (Reno, NV)

8/25 – 8/26: Battle at the Barn (Ft. Worth, TX) 

8/25 – 8/26: Battle of the Boxes Highland Games (Mt. Airy, MD) 

​8/31: Greece with VoyEdge RX

9/1: Tampa Bay Games (Tampa, FL)

9/1: Battle At The Base 3 (Oklahoma City, OK)

9/6 – 9/9: Kill Cliff Granite Games (St. Cloud, MN) 

9/7: Koski Training Camp (Lloret de Mar, Spain) 

​9/8: Midwest Fall Classic (Tulsa, OK)

​9/8: The Sugar Skull Showdown (Agawam, MA)

9/8: I Can CrossFit Competition (Georgetown, TX)

9/8: Global Aftermath 2018 (Online)

9/8: The Catalyst Games (Bastrop, TX) 

9/8: BoxLife Games (Bunnell, FL)

9/8: Booties in Action (Wilsonville, OR)

9/8: Hookd2Hops 2018 (Newtown, CT)

9/8: Rumble in the Jungle 2018 (LaVista, NE)

9/8: 2018 Battle of the Bluegrass (Louisville, KY) 

9/8: Decima Throwdown (Littleton, CO)

9/8: First Timers Fitness Festival 2 (Burlington, MA) 

9/8: Girls Gone RX (Bridgeville, PA) 

9/8: BoxLife Games at CrossFit James Island (Charleston, SC) 

9/8: Femme Royale (Denver, CO) 

9/8 – 9/9: The Vermonster Team Challenge (Berlin, VT)

9/15: Warrior Affiliate League Three Amigos (Pomona,CA)

9/15: No Mans Land 4 (Painesville, OH)

9/15: Average Joes (Troy, MI) 

​9/16: 5th Annual North East Masters Classic (Plainville, MA)

9/22: Shatter the Stigma III (Boyertown, PA) 

9/22: 2nd Annual CrossFit TUFF Charity Row-A-Thon (Nashua, NH)

9/23: Cadre Crucible Team Competition (Hudson, OH) 

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Is there something we missed? Email us at [email protected].
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