discounts. dance. pancakes.

It's not that I hate Whole Foods. I don't shop there because (1) it's overpriced (2) there isn't one locally (3) it's overpriced. I don't mind paying a little bit for food. With the challenge, I'm learning the value of investing in quality food. But I'm not into Whole Foods. Here's a perfect reason why. They just launched an incentive program for their employees. To help Whole Foods cut healthcare costs, they're offering higher discounts to employees who are within an appropriate BMI range, have good blood and cholesterol levels, and don't smoke. Everyone gets the standard 20% off, while the "healthy" employees get up to 30% off... and this is why fat is the last legal form of discrimination. (Argue with me all you want about this. I assure you that I'll come with guns fully loaded!)

I'm not sure if you remember, but a few years ago the 'net was buzzin' over this youtube video of Filipino prisoners dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Inmates at the prison in Cebu learned dance routines for their daily exercise. It's an amazing video because it showcases about 1500 inmates! Apparently, Michael Jackson himself got a kick out of this. For the "This is It" DVD, the choreographer decided to visit the prison and teach the inmates one of Jackson's last routines as a special feature. It took two days for them to coordinate the video. That's freakin' amazing! Here's the story (and the video).


For those of you wanting to have pancakes and still eat primal, here is an idea for you. Lara posted a recipe for paleo pancakes on the LBN site. I decided to do a version of my own. fathlete confession: It's not that I don't know how to follow recipes. I just like to play. When I saw the original recipe, I wondered if it would be too gritty or nutty for my liking. That's why I modified according to my tropical sensibilites. The pancakes turned out pretty good. I've made two batches so far and this is what they look like:

j-ro's pancakes
1 c. vanilla protein powder (something low carb)
1 c. coconut powder (I posted info about that here)
1 c. almond meal (any will do, but I like the one from Berkeley Bowl the best)
6 eggs
1-2 bananas (I used 1, but if you want more sweetness, then go for two)
1/2 c. coconut milk
vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste
Directions: Mix all your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Blend the eggs, bananas, coconut milk and vanilla extract and whip them into the dry ingredients. If you like a thinner batter, add more coconut milk. When cooking the pancakes, the heat should be on medium low. Be sure to coat the pan with a tiny touch of coconut oil or butter in between each pancake. Like Lara, I recommend using an egg pan because the pancakes are more consistent that way. It makes about 16-18 pancakes. Enjoy!

fathlete confession: I'm not sure how primal or paleo protein powder is. However, since MDA sells his own brand of protein powder, I figure it can't be that bad. Also, some paleo-primal folks are against bananas. I chose them for their natural sweetness and their texture in helping bind the dry ingredients. Since I used only one, I figured it was fine. The bananas make it so that you don't need any sweetener.

Today's Small Victories
1) I did better in the WOD that I thought I would.
2) I finally figured out what was going on with my shoes.

Warm-up
Row 500 meters
Prep for WOD

CrossFit One World WOD
Strength:
Deadlift 3/3/3
Joanne's Weight: 185/205/225

Training:
Complete as many rounds as you can in 12 minutes of 7 pull-ups/15 box jumps/3 short shuttle runs
Joanne's Final Count - 5 rounds + 1 pull-up

Notes (to myself) about this workout: My last deadlift was ugly. I'm having issues with grip. I can't wait for my shoes to get here. I think it will take a few more weeks. Right now, they're back in Columbia where they are getting altered. I liked the training portion. But I really need to get serious about pull-ups. Yes. I say that a lot. I'm sure I'll come around and actually do it!