Let’s talk about how to gain some good old-fashioned work capacity, potential work productivity, horsepower, strength endurance, stamina, or whatever you call it. Just don’t ask me to discuss semantics. Some people like to argue about semantics (i.e., “I’m training. Oh wait, maybe I’m exercising. No, it must be working out.”), but I couldn’t care less.
Brittney Saline details how exercise and healthy eating might be the best way to combat sugar-fueled depression.
America has a happiness problem, and Coca-Cola’s got the answer. On the multi-billion-dollar beverage company’s website, the brand juxtaposes the words of Aristotle, Mahatma Gandhi, Buddha and others with the prose of its marketing team: “Open an ice cold Coca-Cola and choose happiness!”
It didn’t work so well for Roxanne Melillo. A survivor of childhood domestic violence and sexual abuse, the 39-year-old has spent her life sugarcoating her pain. It made sense to do so. After all, sugar mediates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates reward signals in the brain. Despite her self-medication, Melillo grew heavier, not happier. By 36, she was pushing 300 lb. at an even 5 feet and had stopped socializing.
“I didn’t care; (sugar) kept me in a cloud of no reality,” she said.
She’s not the only one with a sugar problem. In 2013, the average American consumed approximately 22 teaspoons of caloric sweeteners per day, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data. Meanwhile, an estimated 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, which dubs depression the world’s “leading cause of disability.”
It’s not for lack of drugs. One in 10 Americans 12 and older takes antidepressant medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The rate of antidepressant use has more than tripled in the past 25 years, and yet, if anything, the overall rate of depression is higher now than it was back then,” said Stephen Ilardi, a Kansas University psychology professor who holds a doctorate in clinical neuroscience. “Everything that we’re throwing at this epidemic is really barely making a dent.”
So why are we so unhappy?
Charles is here on a weekly basis to help you cut through the B.S. and get some real perspective regarding health and training. Please post feedback or questions to Charles directly in the comments below this article.
The term “organic” has become more prevalent, even in the workout scene. People love the idea of minimalist workouts that are simple, raw, and in touch with real life. The idea that you can turn your home or even your baby into a gym is the new buzz. Look at YouTube and you can find videos of moms lifting their kids as workout partners, not to mention the plethora of videos showing people outside using tires, cars, and whatever they can to get their workouts done without leaving the house.
CrossFit Kids trainers say early sport specialization can have negative consequences on young children, especially when winning is placed above the joy of movement.
When my daughter, Rosemary, lost interest in soccer at age 8, I signed her up for the swim team. Whenever I asked her about competing in a swim meet, she said she wasn’t interested. Then, when she was almost 10, she tried out for Junior Lifeguards and came in first of all her friends in the 100-yard swim.
“Rosemary,” I said, “you should try a swim meet! You’d do so well!”
“No thank you,” she said.
Raising a child in the United States today means entering a world of competition that starts at an early age, and competition and team sports offer kids many positive lessons about teamwork, persistence and improving through practice, all while getting exercise and gaining physical skills.
There are equally powerful negative consequences of pushing kids to compete and specialize in a particular sport at a young age, including burnout, overuse injuries and unbalanced muscle development, to name a few.
CrossFit Kids is designed to improve the general physical preparedness (GPP) of young people and set them up for a lifetime of fitness. The program is about broad, general, inclusive fitness, and making fitness fun is a major focus. Overuse injuries due to early specialization and competitive burnout that eliminates fun are obviously anathema.
