Category: WOD&DONE Lifestyle

Hey there, WOD & DONE Nation!

Our most recent edition of the WOD & DONE Lifestyle newsletter has two new features:

1. Shoulder mobility exercise from a doctor of physical therapy 
2. Paleo-friendly snack recipe from a clinical nutritionist.

As you likely know, shoulder mobility is a key component to functional fitness. In order to help with this, we’ve partnered with Dr. Zach Long, a board certified sports specialist, to bring you this shoulder internal rotation mobilization exercise. Improving mobility here will help with movements such as pull-ups and Olympic lifts, so we definitely suggest that you take a look.

In addition to mobility, proper nutrition is paramount to optimizing your health and performance. Ailsa Cowell, a clinical nutritionist, creates and shares recipes that are dairy-free and gluten-free—many of which are Paleo. For our newsletter, Ailsa is sharing her Paleo banana nut breakfast cookie recipe, which is high in protein and without any added sugar. Try it out and let us know what you think.

Check out our friends’ profiles and let them know we sent you with the hashtag: #WODNDONECARES.

• To learn more about Dr. Zach Long, follow him on Instagram at @thebarbellphysio. You can also check out his website to look at upcoming seminars, read his blog, and learn more about his mission.
• To learn more about Ailsa Cowell, follow her on Instagram at @feelfoodlove. Her website features nutrition therapy and more delicious recipes.

Shoulder Internal Rotation Mobilization

Shoulder internal rotation is one of the most common mobility limitations I see in the fitness athlete population. And limitations in this motion will impact your Olympic lifts, dips, muscle ups, bench press, and SDHPs. When athletes improve this motion, it not only frequently helps improve their shoulder health, but their performance as well. The following video outlines one of the best drills you can use to unlock your shoulder internal rotation.
Want more shoulder mobility drills?

Banana Nut Breakfast Cookies

From Ailsa Cowell, MS

Integrative Nutritionist at Food to Feel Good

The base of these healthy Banana Nut Breakfast Cookies is made of eggs, almond
butter, almond flour, shredded coconut and coconut flour. The eggs and almond
butter/flour provide a ton of protein, while the almond ingredients also pass along
some calcium, magnesium and Vitamin E to keep your bones, muscles and skin
strong and supple.

The medium chain triglycerides in coconut are awesome for your metabolism.
These kinds of fats actually bypass the biological mechanism that breaks down other
types of fats, so they are more easily converted into energy. Yes, they are indeed a
saturated fat, but nutritional research has proven that the stigma of “all saturated
fats are the devil” to be inaccurate. The saturated fats from coconut oil are a great
addition to a healthy diet, in moderation of course.

Are you ready for the best new ever? These delicious cookies do not contain any
added sugar! Just bananas and dates. Bananas are a wonderful natural sweetener
and I love the comforting flavor they create when baked. They also contain a type of
fiber that works as a probiotic, meaning it feeds the beneficial probiotics in your gut,
to help digestion and immunity.

There’s also some ground flaxseed in this recipe. Flax is helpful for texture and
structure in baked goods while lending some extra nuttiness and omega-3 fatty
acids, super anti-inflammatory and helpful for balancing hormones as well.
This is the perfect recipe to whip up on Sunday, for a healthy, grab-and- go breakfast
all week long. Enjoy!

Recipe:

Prep 10 mins, Cook 18 mins, Total 28 mins
Author Ailsa @ Food to Feel Good
Yield 12 cookies
Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut flour, sifted

2 Tbsp fine almond flour

3/4 cup almond butter

3 Tbsp ground flaxseed

3 soft Medjool Dates

2 small ripe frozen bananas, softened and mashed

4 eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp shredded coconut

1/3 c chopped raw pecans

3 Tbsp raw cacao nibs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine coconut flour, almond flour, almond butter, flaxseed, dates, smashed bananas, eggs,
vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt and baking soda in the food processor until well mixed
and and dates are fully chopped.

3. Add shredded coconut and pulse a few times, making sure it's mixed but not overly blended.  You
want to keep the texture of the coconut.

4. Fold in chopped pecans and cacao nibs.

5. Drop large spoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet, spreading with fingers if needed.

6. Bake 16-18 minutes until golden brown.

7. Let cookies cool on pan for a minute or so and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

As a small company with a big heart, our goal continues to be to provide you with the best products, experience, and customer service.

Simply put: We care about you.

We’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our WOD & DONE Lifestyle blog  (sign up below to our newsletter to stay updated). In this blog, we’ll be delivering content from some pretty awesome sources. We’ve teamed up with great individuals and companies to share a variety of information with you, such as:

• • Mobility drills
  • Exercise progressions
  • Nutrition tips
  • Recipes
  • Fitness, health, and wellness insights
  • …and more

In this issue of WOD & DONE Lifestyle newsletter we are featuring an awesome gymnastics drill from the one and only Pamela Gagnon, a 3x CrossFit Games Athlete and a CrossFit HQ Gymnastics Coach (@pamelagnon     @cfgymnastics ) We are also featuring delicious and nutritious creations by Ailsa Cowell, MS Integrative Nutritionist and the creator of @feelfoodlove and www.foodtofeelgood.com . Check out our friends’ profiles and let them know we sent you with the hashtag: #WODNDONECARES.

Enjoy!

Gymnastics Corner:  Stringing Kipping Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

1) Do you have enough strict strength behind the pull-up?

2) Are you in the correct position at the top of skill?

3) Do you drop straight down after chest touches?Try the drill to help with:

1) Push away from bar after chest touches

2) learning how to push away with a slight hollow before heading into the arch at bottom of swing

3) Gain muscle memory & timing of skill by pausing on the box to make sure you FEEL the correct body position

Try 3x 10reps

Follow me for drills/programs/seminars!
IG: @pamelagnon
https://www.thebarbellphysio.com/performance-plus-programming/
IG: @cfgymnastics
training.crossfit.com/gymnastics

Feel Good Kitchen : Cucumber Noodle Salad & Easy Lemon Wild Salmon

This recipe has so many fresh, bright, ingredients, it truly encompasses the feeling of the season.  The Cucumber Noodle Salad has a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, then I added in some chopped sugar snap peas and tossed it all with finely cut basil, mint, scallions, and raw pistachios.  So good and so simple.

Let me break down a few of the healthy ingredients that make this dish so delicious.

Cucumber are one of my summertime favorites, since they’re super crisp and refreshing, with a mildly sweet taste that lends itself to tons of other flavors.  One of the reasons cucumbers have these qualities is that they are mostly water, so you actually get hydration from eating them plus they contain electrolytes like magnesium, potassium, and even a little calcium.  Not only do electrolytes like these help to keep you hydrated, they’re also really important for balancing the acidity of your blood, maintaining healthy blood pressure, and keeping your muscles strong.  Their skin contains Vitamin C, so it’s better to leave it on!

Pistachios.  We’re all so used to the mindless cracking of these cute little green nuts that it’s easy to forget you can buy them without the shell, which makes this recipe way easier to create.  I love their unique taste, crunch, and the extra shade of green they bring to this plate.  Pistachios are a great source of plant-based protein, so if you’re making a Vegan meal just skip the salmon and eat one big bowl of this!  They are really high in Vitamins B1 and B6.  B1, called thiamin, is vital for the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and also supports mood, cognition, and metabolism.  B6, (AKA pyroxidine) contributes to these same benefits, and it also specifically helps make neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and melatonin – helping you feel happy and sleep well.

Moving on to the salmon, it’s always best to buy wild caught because it is nutritionally superior and overall safer to eat. It has a much higher omega-3 content than farmed salmon, and most other types of fish in general.  These healthy fats have potent anti-inflammatory benefits for your whole body, while also giving your brain a helpful boost.

So, dive in and enjoy the taste of summer from this tasty Cucumber Noodle Salad and Lemon Wild Salmon.

Recipe:

Prep 30 mins

Cook 12 mins

Total 42 mins

Yield 2-3 servings

Crunchy, refreshing cucumber noodles tossed with sugar snap peas, fresh mint, basil, scallions, and raw pistachios alongside an incredibly simple seared salmon.  A light, bright meal that is perfect for Spring and Summer.

Ingredients

• 3 cucumbers, cut into quarters
• 1 1/2 large lemons
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for salmon
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more for salmon
• 1/2 cup fresh mint
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 2 scallions
• 1 cup chopped sugar snap peas
• 1 cup chopped raw pistachios, unsalted
• 2 wild salmon filets, 1/4. lb each
• avocado oil for pan

Instructions

1. Mix the juice of 1 lemon in a small jar with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.  Shake or stir well and set aside.

2. Spiralize your cucumbers into noodles, then place into a colander and set aside.

3. Chop basil and mint into a chiffonade – roll the leaves lengthwise and then slice from the bottom of leaf to the top, forming nice thin strips.

4. Chop the scallions, using just the green parts, into tiny circles down the length of the stem.

5. Combine all above ingredients in a bowl, toss gently but thoroughly, top with basil leaves and chill in the fridge while making the salmon.

6. Season salmon liberally with sea salt and pepper.

7. Spray a pan with avocado oil and heat at medium-high.  Once warmed, turn down to medium-low and add salmon, skin side down.  Cook for 7-10 minutes (this will depend on how thick it is) but basically you want to watch for it to cook 3/4 of the way through along the sides.  Before flipping, squeeze 1/2 lemon over top.

8. Flip salmon, and cook for another 5 minutes until cooked through and slightly browned.  It should easily release from the pan, if it feels stuck it might need a little longer.

9. Serve your Easy Lemon Wild Salmon alongside the Cucumber Noodles Salad, and enjoy!

Notes

If you plan to make the Cucumber Noodle Salad ahead of time, hold off on garnishing it so you can toss everything again (the juices settle in the bottom of the bowl), and then garnish, right before serving.
If you want a Vegan meal simply ditch the salmon!  You could add garbanzo beans or lentils for an extra dose of protein.