Eat Like a Champion for under $200/mo + Sample Shopping List w/Prices!

In a perfect world we would all be eating grass-fed this, free-range that, organic everything. Well, the fact that we need to label our food like this shows that we do not live in a perfect world. But eating healthy under a monetary restriction, and not hating your food is a trick that has taken years to perfect. And I will grudgingly share my secret ;)

#1 Shop at a mega-store: Costco and Superstore sell a TON of food, therefore they buy it for less and can afford to sell it to you for less. I'm all for "shopping small business", but when you consume as much food as I do, you need bang for your buck, and buying bulk, usually means value.

#2 Create a menu: This is critical. Humans are creatures of habit and we usually eat the same food. The sooner you recognize this and hit the store with a plan, the more efficient and focused your shop. You are far less likely to be swayed by another product when you know what you're looking for.

#3 Selective organics: A couple years ago I made the decision to buy organic whenever I had the choice. Consequently, my bank account gets punished twice per month (my Costco bill is roughly $1000/mo.). BUT if you find it hard to stomach paying twice as much for fruits and veggies, I still recommend spending the extra amount for organic meats. It's worth it to avoid the hormones, plus you will absolutely notice a difference in taste and meat quality.

#4 Nutritious foods are filling: Brown rice is your homeboy and yams have replaced your dog as besty. You know what aren't filling (though they are bloating)? White rice and russet potatoes. They have a fraction of the nutrients of their counterparts and cost the same, if not more. This speaks to pre-packed and processed foods as a whole. They may look cheaper, but most of them are chocked so full of salt and sugar that they just make you hungrier and you end up eating more than you would have (or should have) in the first place.

#5 Frozen food: The next best thing to fresh. Most frozen foods (no, not frozen pizzas) were just washed and then flash-frozen, preserving their nutrients. They are often cheaper than buying fresh fruits and vegetables, still taste great, and won't spoil. Sounds like win-win-win to me!

#6 Cheap cuts of meat: Don't be a snob. If you won't eat anything but breasts, flanks, and stomachs, you are going to pay through your teeth. Meats like chicken thighs, lean ground beef, and eggs, are the least expensive and still taste great. And before you say "yes, but they are high in fat", recognize that some animal fat in your diet is actually a good thing; it is the processed fats that will clog your arteries. Some knowledgeable seasoning the right cooking touch has them tasting great!

#7 Boosters: These are items that are not inexpensive, but they either enhance your meals (by taste, texture or nutrients), or fill you up because they are both nutritious and substantial. Chia seeds, raisins, and goat cheese all fit this bill.

Eating nutritiously really isn't much more (if at all) expensive than buying processed, pre-packaged "Food". Reference my smart-shopping Costco list below on how you can eat like royalty for $200/month.

Meats
Chicken Thighs (2 kg - 16 thighs): $12.00
Lean Ground Beef (2 kg): $16.00
Tilapia Fillets [Fish] (2 kg - 8 fillets): $16.00
Tuna Canned (3 kg - 18 cans): $21.00
Eggs (2 dozen): $10.00

Vegetables
Frozen Peas (2 kg): $7.00
Frozen Broccoli (2 kg): $8.00
Bell peppers (6): $7.00
Spinach (5 kg): $5.00
Mixed Greens (2 kg): $6.00

Fruits
Apples (5 kg): $6.00
Bananas (12 kg - 30): $23.00
Raisins (2 kg): $8.00
Frozen blueberries: (2 kg): $10.00

Starches
Brown rice (10 kg): $9
Yams (5 kg): $6

Boosters
Greek Yogurt (1.5 kg): $9.00
Goat Cheese (800 g): $9.00
Chia Seeds (750 g): $11.00

Total - $199

@BrendanRolfe


Image Credits:http://thewellnessdoer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/healthy-eating-on-a-budget.jpg

Ventilated training masks: You're being lied to

 

Unless it's Halloween or you're Bane, you're living a lie. Put down the training mask. Not only does it NOT simulate elevation training, you look like a giant douche.

Finally, a September 2015 study done by Sellers, Monaghan, Schnaiter, Jacobson, & Pope, titled, "Efficacy of a Ventilatory Training Mask to Improve Anaerobic and Aerobic Capacity in Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadets", showed no significant effect between groups on fatigue, anaerobic capacity, peak power, VO2max, or time to exhaustion.

#science

The question is, now that I've presented you with scientific evidence that it doesn't actually help you gain cardio capacity, power, strength, or friendship and admiration at the gym, will you continue to use it?

I bet you will...


@BrendanRolfe

Ronda Rousey: Who Am I?

We know what kind of fighter Ronda Rousey was, but the world is about to find out who Ronda Rousey, MMA Fighter, really is.

We're about to find out if her toughness is only skin deep.

Rousey has faced a surprisingly fierce backlash in the media-universe, receiving criticism for her comments and posts in the days leading up to the fight. Glass house owners and pundits everywhere who weigh-in on the fight game (but clearly have only an entertainment-level knowledge of the sport and the athlete) are calling her cocky, brash, arrogant, disrespectful, [insert negative character judgement here]. Many are saying she got what she deserved, while her defenders (many equally as green in the fight game) are taking the "she'll be back, better than ever, you just wait and see", line of defence.

Will she?

Those who are some how personally offended by her "arrogance" don't understand the psyche of a fighter. Period. If you are a professional fighter, and you don't honestly believe that you can beat anyone, at any time, anywhere; then you've already lost, and quite honestly you shouldn't be in the ring. Some fighters choose to publically convey their air of superiority (I AM THE GREATEST), while some choose silence, but this grandiose vision is universal in all champions.

A champion's psyche is a fragile thing.

This is Rousey's first taste of real adversity in the ring. Her first loss, and a knockout loss, to boot. To those saying, "no big deal, she will be back", I point to fighters like Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. Both of those boxers were absolutely dominant at the start of their professional careers, knocking out opponents at will, and often in the first and second rounds. In fact, they put together winning streaks that make Rousey's undefeated start look paltry in comparison. But for these fighters, their first losses signified the beginning of the end of their careers. The world had seen that they were beatable, but more importantly, they came to realize they were beatable, and they believed it. Neither fighter would return to form.

For those who say that this is the last we will hear from Rousey, I direct your attention to Ken Shamrock, Georges St. Pierre, and Randy Couture. These fighters all lost their titles (some multiple times) and fought back to win them. Their losses were learning opportunities which clearly never altered their self-belief, rather, inspired adaptation and self-improvement. It is interesting to note that these are three very different fighters, and significantly different from Tyson and Jones Jr.in the way they conducted themselves, both in the time leading up to a fight and within the fight itself.

Which kind of fighter is the new Rousey?

The reality is that retiring undefeated is incredibly rare. At least once in their careers, a fighter is going to lose a fight. From our small case study, it would appear that the fighters with less bravado, fighters that encompass that quite-confidence, are the ones who fight back to become champions once again. These are the fighters that use a loss as motivation to train harder so they never have to feel the sting of defeat again, or the cold, lonely feeling of waking up on a hard mat, staring up at the lights and in to the eyes of the ringside doctor. And so it would appear that the core question in our argument is, who is Ronda Rousey? I mean, who is she really? A fighter's promoter and trainer may sculpt their public image, but only Rousey and those closest to her really know what kind of fighter and person she is. Make no mistake, she will get her rematch. Did she underestimate Holm? Did she slide on her training? Did she just have an off-night?

The truth is, we're about to find out who Ronda Rousey, the fighter, the athlete, the psyche, really is.

@BrendanRolfe


Image Credit: http://www.wvtm13.com/image/view/-/36461046/medRes/2/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/bj8mj6/-/Rousey-Holm-fight-gif.jpg 

Remembrance Day: I don't appreciate your sacrifice

...how can I?

I live in a first world, non-militant country, without conscription or any service requirements at all. My "knowledge" of war comes from the movies and the news, and I am extremely confident in saying that neither of those sources capture the true face of honour and bravery, nor the horror and anguish.

"Thank you for your service" and "lest we forget", are hollow, meaningless words to me...and I thank you for that.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of our soldiers, of ALL soldiers, is that those of us who can't possibly know what war feels like; don't know. I can't even fathom leaving my wife and dogs, being shipped off to the other side of the world, having a gun thrown in my hands, and being told that its me or him; us or them; kill or be killed. And yet that is exactly what happened to our grandmothers, grandfathers, great-grandmothers, and great-grandfathers.

If I can't fathom it, surely I can't appreciate it. But I can be thankful, and I can learn. And I can try to understand the meaning of true sacrifice.

So on this November 11th, don't remember. After all, you can't remember nor forget something that you were never part of. Instead, educate yourself, take a moment of silence out of respect, and if you get the opportunity, thank someone who is currently serving our country.

I may not be able to appreciate your sacrifice, and while I can't remember, I won't forget to learn.

@BrendanRolfe


Image Credit: http://www.youeffect.ca/remembrance-day-lest-we-forget/ 
 

Dear Mr. Trudeau: Please don't make us look like assholes

Ok you dancing, boxing, silky-haired sonofabitch, you did it; you swept the country off its collective feet with your upbeat rhetoric, your nationalistic messaging, and your 'gosh-darnit' likeability. You made voters begin to care about Canadian politics again for the first time since 1993, and you may have even driven youth to vote (maybe).

Now, don't make us look like assholes.

You said all the right things, and backed all the right horses. You appear to be environmentally conscious, socially aware, and culturally sensitive. You seem to be everything your predecessor was not...and perhaps that is your best quality. But while Mr. Harper did not leave you big shoes to fill, your campaign managed to create giant galoshes that you need to jump in to, and hit the ground running with, right away.

You have a nation of hope to appease.

Like your father, your popularity has reached rockstar-esque proportions. Big things are expected of you; perhaps too much, but this is not for you to decide. Canadians want to see more environmental care, more welcoming and acceptance of other cultures, they want more countries to like us, and yes, more access to marijuana. Basically, they want you to make us Canadian again.

A changing of the guard.

It is now squarely on your shoulders to give us back what so many feel was taken by Mr. Harper. We are not USA-Jr. We are strong, we are proud, and we are free, but we are also caring, polite, and citizens of the world. Prime Minister Trudeau, you have been elected to be the Quintessential Canadian, no, to be a Super Canadian. And you and your band of 50% merry men and 50% merry women have promised to lead us into a new era. You've promised to be much more than the old guard, and while there's so much work to do, you have managed to give a nation whose pride was faltering, a reason to be proud of their country. You were elected to make us proud.

Now, don't make us look like assholes.


@BrendanRolfe