CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Greetings From Florida Edition

1. I’m in Florida as I write this – Jensen Beach/Stuart area in fact – and since my girlfriend and her mom decided to have a little mother-daughter “lets shop till we drop” marathon today, which I absolutely wanted no part of, I’ve had a nice, relaxing day to myself where I went to a local commercial gym to get a lift in, and now I’m sitting here in the outdoors area of a Panera in 80 degree weather loving life.

As it happened, I wore my Cressey Performance t-shirt to train this morning and was approached by a random woman who had nothing but great things to say about us.  I had just completed a set of squats and happened to make eye-contact with her when she looked at me and gave me a hearty thumbs up.

Acting all cool, at first I thought she was giving me some kudos on my squat technique, which would have been awesome, and a boost to my ego. But really it was the shirt she was impressed with.

I should have known better.

We chatted for about five or so minutes and she mentioned how she always tells people to read our stuff and that, despite being a regular ol’ kick-ass general fitness enthusiast and someone who just enjoys to train (ie: not a trainer), she really appreciated all of the content we provide.

It was just a really nice experience and simultaneously surreal.  It always amazes me how much of a reach we have at CP that a random person in Florida knew who I was.

2. And, for those who are reading and inevitably going to give me flack (maybe rightfully so) for doing some work while on my vacation, yesterday, per Lisa’s request, we spent the ENTIRE day out on the open ocean on our friend’s boat doing some serious fishing.

As you can see from the picture above (the one where I felt compelled to do my best Zoolander impersonation, and failed miserably) I wore what I felt was the most appropriate fishing shirt ever.  Who says guys never accessorize!?!?!

The game plan was to catch a great white shark, and get myself on the local news, but all I caught were a few measly Spanish mackerel.

Not quite Jaws, but close enough.

All wasn’t lost, though.  We caught so many (20), that we all went back, cleaned those bad boys out and ate them for dinner.

So today has been a “lay-low” day.  Like I said, Lisa and her mom are off shopping somewhere and doing whatever it is that women do when they shop, and I’m just sitting here outside getting some writing done and taking care of some email correspondance.

Tomorrow we’re heading to Port St. Lucie to check out the Mets spring training complex and to hopefully check out some of our CP guys in action.  Then, we’re off to Miami to visit some if Lisa’s friends and to REALLY get the party started.

Speaking of which:  this will be my first trip to Miami since I was a sophomore in college playing baseball.  I’ve never really had an opportunity to explore the city itself and know both Lisa and I will want to check out some sights and sounds, as well as eat at some fancy schmancy restaurants.

For those in the Miami area – any suggestions???

3.  As a quick reminder, I’m going to be speaking at my alma mater, SUNY Cortland, on April 1st.  I’m really excited to head back to my old stomping grounds and speak to the student body.  It’s a huge honor to be asked to come speak, and it’s my hope that those who attend will remember my name walk away with some newfound insight on assessment, anatomy, and program design.

While the talk with be geared towards undergrad and graduate students, it is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!  And it’s FREE.

For those looking for more information whether it’s directions to Cortland, where on campus it will be held, or taking bets as to what my walk out music will be, please contact Justin Kompf at [email protected] for more details.

4.  Looking a bit further down the yell0w-brick road, I’m happy to note that Cressey Performance will be hosting the next Elite Training Workshop on Sunday, April 21st.

This is undoubtedly going to be a huge event as the following people will be speaking:

Eric Cressey
Mike Robertson
Mike Reinold
Dave Schmitz
Steve Long
Jared Woolever
And some joker with the last name Gentilcore.

Additionally, there will be a bonus “business day” hosted by Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry on Saturday, April 20th.

===> Click here for more information and to register <===

5.  I’ve been very grateful in my career to get to the point where I’m now featured in the likes of Men’s Health Magazine on an almost monthly basis.  But in this month’s issue (April 2013) I’ve finally weaseled my way into an actual full-length, semi-feature article.

What’s it about you ask?  How to Get Tank-Top Arms:  13 Top-Level Moves on the BOSU Ball.

LOL – just kidding.

It’s actually on the one part of a program that most guys dismiss but can arguably be considered the most important:

The Warm-Up

Check out pg. 114-116 for more of the deets.  And yes, I’ll be more than happy to sign your issue if we ever cross paths.

5.  And finally, I’m really good friends with Ben Bruno, and since he also lives in the Boston area, it’s not uncommon for he and I to get together and train or just go out for some burgers* on occasion.

Of course, like everyone else, I read his stuff and love it.  Unfortunately I’m not one of those creative types that can sit in his evil strength coach lair and conjure up sadistic exercises that will make people hate life.

Ben, though, is a pro at it.

He can be a real a-hole sometimes.  Check out this single leg variations he posted up on his Youtube Channel today:

BRUTAL.  “Might have to give those a try sometime.”

Said no one, ever.

 

*  = and ice cream.**

** = okay, and pizza.  What?  Don’t judge us.  The ice cream is gluten free…..;O)

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Functional Stability Training for the Core

When I imagine some of the more popular pairings in our pop culture, those pairings that, when I think of one I automatically think of the other, a few instantly come to mind:

 

 

 

Peanut butter and jelly

Scorsese and DeNiro

Ross and Rachel

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Jersey Shore and vomiting in my mouth

Of course, that’s just a short list and by no means exhaustive…..but you get the idea.

In much the same way, with regards to the fitness industry, we can come up with a few similar pairings: Westside Barbell and powerlifting; Pavel and kettlebells; Mondays and bench press; and lastly, Satan and Tracy Anderson.

All kidding aside, when I think of one of the more “dynamic” duos in the industry – not to mention two guys who put out a TON of quality content – it’s hard not to think of Eric Cressey and Mike Reinold.

Coincidentally enough, earlier this week the two of them released their latest product together, Functional Stability Training for the Core, which is the first module in an on-going “system” that I feel is really going to change the game and raise the bar in the industry.

Now, I know what some of you may be thinking:  the industry needs another core product like we need another Kardashian spin-off.  To that I say….touche!

But today, rather than just say “hey buy this!”(which you totally should), I’d like to shed a little more light on why I feel this product is worth a look.  I was there when it was filmed, and I’d like to showcase some major take away points I walked away with.

What separates this product from the masses?  Read on, and find out.

1.  I guess the most obvious starting point would be to define what the term Functional Stability Training actually is.  Are we talking about BOSU ball hell here?  Um, no.  Not even close.  In fact, you’re getting a 10-minute time out for even thinking that would be case!

In simplest terms (using Mike’s own words) Functional Stability Training is the integration of physical therapy and performance enhancement training, the integration of exercises and manual techniques, and the integration between mobility, strengthening, and dynamic stabilization.

In short: it’s an attempt to bridge the gap between the manual therapy side of things and the strength and conditioning side of things.  Both are separate entities, of course. But it’s important to note they DO work synergistically to (hopefully) reach the same goal, and it behooves many fitness professionals not to recognize that.  We’re all on the same team here, people!

2. Low back injuries suck (no surprise there), and contrary to popular belief, we typically can’t link one specific incident (lifting a box), but rather a history of excessive loading as a culprit. The lumbar spine will buckle at 20 pounds with no muscular contribution.  Hence, to prevent this, it’s crucial to increase spinal stiffness – 360 degrees – through muscular contraction.

As Reinold puts it:

  • De-emphasize lumbar mobility
  • Increase muscular stiffness to protect the spine
  • EMPHASIZE NEUTRAL SPINE
  • Emphasize endurance, and not strength

3. Think you’re doing your birddogs and deadbugs correctly?

Chances are, you’re not. You’re actually butchering them. No, really.  Stop it.  Just stop.

Mike made it abundantly clear that one of the best ways to “progress” people is through addition by subtraction.

In case you weren’t picking up what I was putting down above, it’s imperative to TRAIN NEUTRAL SPINE.  Like, all the time.

Learn to train abdominal bracing, and to teach the proper muscle firing patterns when coaching the birddog, deadbug, etc. As an example, many trainees will compensate lumbar extension for hip extension, and it’s important to stop any aberrant motor patterns before they start.

Mike goes through a plethora of  cool progressions with the birddog, deadbug, front plank, chop and lift, as well as many others.

In addition, he also dives into lateral chain progressions (side plank, anti-sidebending holds), as well as rotary chain progressions.

4.  Eric made an awesome analogy and referred to spondylolysis as the new ACL epidemic. For those wondering what the hell “spondy” is – it’s essentially a fracture in the pars interarticularis. A spinal “ouchie” using the non-technical term.

I can tell you first hand that we’re seeing more and more younger athletes walk into our facility (Cressey Performance) with “spondy”, and it’s rather disconcerting to say the least.  As Eric noted (citing a study from Soler and Colderon 2000):

  • high prevalence in extension rotation sports:  baseball, track and field throws, etc.
  • L5 is most common (84%) followed by L4 (12%)
  • Bilteral 78% of the time.
  • Only 50-60% of those diagnosed actually reported low back pain

Like whoa! Think about that for a second. Flipping the numbers, that means 40-50% of those with spondy report NO pain and are asymptomatic!  Just because a new client walks in with no discernible “issues,” and says they’re pain free, doesn’t mean squat!

In a way, it stands to reason that you kinda have to assume that everyone you work with is walking in with some sort of back shenanigans going on. Chances are, you’re already working with plenty of clients around disc injuries in the first place.

Well, maybe that’s a little drastic – but you DO need to be aware of the statistics and how they may play into how you go about initiating your clients into strength training. Just sayin….

That said, when you KNOW you’re dealing with a case of spondy, are you prepared? Do you know what red flags to look for during an assessment?  How will you go about structuring a training program?  More specifically, now that back bracing is standard procedure, how would you go about developing a program with an athlete or client who has to wear for weeks (even months) on end?

HINT:  you’ll want to avoid pronounced axial loading (trap bar is an excellent choice here), there should be no rotational training for the duration of the bracing; all plyos and med ball work should be linear, you’ll stress anti-rotation training.

5.  The question, then, becomes:  if “x” number of people are walking around with backs that look like they’ve been through a meat grinder, how do we prevent disc issues from becoming symptomatic in the first place?

For the short course, Eric notes:

  • Avoid lumbar flexion, especially with rotation and compression by increasing ankle mobility, increasing thoracic mobility, increasing hip mobility.

  • Stabilize the lumbar spine within a ROM it already has.  Meaning, don’t be an a-hole trainer and think that EVERYONE has to squat “ass to grass.”  Some people just don’t have the mobility (yet) to get there, so if that means utilizing box squats, so be it.  The important thing to remember is to squat in ROM where they’re successful and work from there.
  • Deload the spine.
  • HAMMER NEUTRAL SPINE!!!!!!!!!
  • Be careful with early morning training.

And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg to be honest.  Mike and Eric leave no stone unturned with this product – other topics covered include:

– how to handle and deal with sports hernias

– the dealo behind “anterior knee pain”

– how to handle EXTENSION in athletes

– how to assess core movement quality (in this section, Mike offers a TON of progressions)

This would be a SOLID addition to any fitness professional’s library.

Functional Stability Training for the Core is on sale for the introductory price of $77 from now (4/19) until this Sunday (4/22). After that, the price increases to the regular price of $97.  Even then, considering the over SIX hours of content you’re getting, it’s still a steal.

====> Functional Stability Training <====

 

 

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Miscelleneous Miscellany Monday: My Writing Process, People Are Awesome, How Real Men Bake

1. I wanted to start things off this week with a pretty cool email I received a while back:

Tony – You are a busy guy and I respect that, but I decided to shoot you at least one e-mail ’cause you inspire me as a trainer, writer, and a person in general.

I wanted to ask you: How do you write? This is such a difficult and broad question for you, but could you tell me a bit about your writing process. What I’m inspired by is that a) you have a lot of material, b) you have lots of funny stuff in your articles. How could I improve my articles in those areas? More fun and more material.

First off, THANK YOU for such kind words.  I’ve stated it before, and I bears repeating….it’s somewhat surreal for me at times that my writing reaches so many people and that there are a handful out there who don’t think I suck. I sincerely appreciate the support, and it’s my hope that I only get better.

With all the sappy stuff out of the way:  This is a topic I’ve elaborated on in the past, but as far my own writing process is concerned here are some basic truths:

  • I don’t really consider myself a “writer” in every sense of the word. Sure, I spend a large portion of my free time writing and I do get paid to write, but it’s still something I have yet to accept.  Vonnegut was a writer. Hemingway was a writer.  Me? Not so much.  I’m just some dude who lifts heavy things, tells other people to lift heavy things, and has an uncanny ability to throw two coherent sentences together in a somewhat amusing, entertaining, and intelligent fashion.  Poop!
  • It’s definitely NOT easy for me. While I’ve gotten a lot better over the years, and have seen a definite growth in my writing style, it’s no cake walk for me.  For some, writing is a seamless activity – like writing a check or clipping their finger nails – and the prose they write comes across as easy and fluid.  For me, however, writing is about as easy as giving an elephant a bath. I fuss over every word and sentence, and sometimes it takes me hours just to write one page.  That is, of course, assuming I can think of anything to write in the first place.
  • I just try to be myself.  Being myself completely changes the dynamic of the writing process for me.  Being myself allows me to write in a way that comes across as if I were sitting across the table from someone just shooting the breeze.  Because of this, I think my writing resonates with a lot people and I’m able to get my message across more effectively.  I think where a lot of “writers” fail is that they try too hard to be someone (or something) they’re not, and their writing comes across as such – stiff and robotic.
  • Invest in yourself. It wasn’t until maybe two years ago that I came to the realization that writing was a viable source of income for me, and something that I really enjoyed doing.  To that end, I signed up for a Creative Non-Fiction writing class this past winter which allowed me to explore the writing process with other writers.  And can I just say how relieved I was to know that there were others out there who struggled just as much as me.
  • As well, I began to purchase books on writing.  On Writing Well is a book that helped me a lot, as did It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences. But the grand-daddy of them all, the book that really knocked my socks off, kicked me in the mouth, and really opened up my eyes was  Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.  Get it, and thank me later.
  • In the end, you just need to write. The only way you’re going to get better at writing is by, well, writing.  Poop jokes optional.

2.  Just wanted to give a shout-out (WHOOT WHOOT) to two of my online distance coaching clients, Conor and Brandon.

Conor: Joined the 300 bench press club this past weekend.  Crushed it in fact.

Brandon:  set a new squat PR (375 lbs) this past weekend in his powerlifting meet.

To both gentlemen, I offer you a WHOOT WHOOT and a “This is Sparta kick……….”

3. A sign that people are awesome:   I came home Friday to a frantic girlfriend. I walk in the door and she immediately says, “something bad happened.” At first I thought maybe she heard they were making another Sex in the City movie. They’re not…..WHEW.

Anyways, she explained that she somehow lost the rent check and had no idea where it went. Between the time she left the apartment to run some errands and when she reached in her pocket to deliver the check, it disappeared.

We thought maybe she dropped it on the sidewalk or accidentally put it in the mailbox along with the other mail. Either way, on my way out to walk to the bank to cancel the check, I see an envelop with my name (and address) on the cover in the entrance way to our building. In it was the rent check with a note that said “found this on the sidewalk on Beacon St. Be well – Sue”

Whoever Sue is……THANK YOU!!!

 

4.  For those looking for something to pass the time during your long commutes to and from work (or you just need to quench your nerd fix for the day), check out On Target’s Movement Lectures, which a partnership between Gray Cook, Lee Burton (the founders of the Functional Movement Screen), and Laree Draper.

As of right now, they’re offering 44 audio lectures (with typeset transcripts) from some of the brightest minds in the industry, and the list is going to be growing monthly. I’ve already listened to a handful, and have had my mind thoroughly blown.

5.  Look for a new t-nation.com article from me shortly.  I just submitted one late last week, and while I can’t say I’ll be Ben Bruno’esque with my writing frequency (the guy is a freakin machine), I will say that with the facility a bit quieter for the next few months, I should have the opportunity to get a lot more writing done in the foreseeable future.

6.  It’s no secret I’m a heavy advocate for eating whole, REAL, foods.  The less processed the better if you ask me.  Still, there are numerous people (and nutritionist for that matter) who, despite knowing better, like to push off things like 100 calorie snack packs as viable “healthy” options.

Taking it a step further, when it comes to Western medicine, while not always the case, you’re more apt to find doctors pushing the latest pills rather than educating their patients.

For those still not convinced that food can be a powerful healer, check out THIS latest post over on Mike Reinold’s blog titled Food as Medicine.  Awesome stuff.

7.  And lastly, this was a picture my brother-in-law sent me that made me split out my omelet this morning.

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Top Exercises for the Rotator Cuff

With spring coming to an end, things have been amping up at the facility the past few weeks with many of our college athletes (old and new) starting to make their way back for the summer.   Some are only here for a few weeks before they head off to their designations for summer ball, while others are here for the foreseeable future getting ready for next season.

Nonetheless, to say that we’re expecting to be busy would be an understatement. What’s cool is that we have guys coming in from as far away as Alaska, Colorado, and even Hawaii to spend their summer with us.  With that, however, comes the inevitable conversation explaining why the “band work” routine their coach gave them as their “prehab” mumbo jumbo isn’t necessarily the best option when it comes to rotator cuff work.

In its defense, traditional band work isn’t inherently wrong (or even bad) – it’s just not ideal given that there are far better options in our proverbial “tool box.”

That said, below are a handful of rotator cuff exercises we utilize at Cressey Performance with our baseball guys, and to be perfectly frank, with many of our regular clients as well.  You’re welcome!

Side Lying External Rotation – with arm abducted 30 degrees

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no need to get all fancy with rotator cuff work.   I don’t quite understand where the notion came from, but it seems that there are a lot of coaches and personal trainers who feel that unless there’s a smoke machine or laser show involved, the exercise is useless.

What’s surprising, is that the side lying external rotation – arguably the simplest rotator cuff exercise in existence – is one of the most effective. 

For starters the adducted (arm to the side) position is a far more advantageous since there’s less risk of inducing impingement.  Keep this in mind the next time you’re working with someone coming off a shoulder injury.

Secondly, and most important of all, EMG tests have shown repeatedly that this exercise induces greater activity in the infraspinatus and teres minor, thus demonstrating that keeping it simple can be more effective.  What’s more, with the arm abducted (slightly) – either with a towel or half foam roller – you place even more emphasis on the rotator cuff since you’re taking the deltoids out of the equation.

It’s important to note, though, that you DO NOT need a lot of weight with this exercise – 2-5 lbs will be plenty for most trainees.  More to the point, it’s also crucial that you don’t go to fatigue (not only with this exercise, but ANY rotator cuff exercise), as you’ll often start to use faulty compensation patterns leading to superior migration of the humeral head.  Put another way:  impingement can occur.

So, in short, you’re not going to be using heavy weight with this one.  Sorry.

Standing Shoulder W

Again, keeping with the “simple is better” theme, this is an exercise popularized by physical therapist and Boston Red Sox athletic trainer, Mike Reinold.  Mike has always done a fantastic job of explaining how we’re a very upper-trap dominant society, and as such, are prone to shoulder ouchies. 

The easy fix, then, would be to pay more attention to the LOWER traps, which are woefully weak on most individuals.  In addition to the above, the standing shoulder w exercise provides a lot of bang for our training buck, combining shoulder external rotation, scapular retraction, and posterior tilt, all of which are beneficial for optimal shoulder health.

The video above is pretty self explanatory – the only point I’d like to stress is that you want to make sure you squeeze your glutes during this exercise so as not to compensate with lumbar hyper-extension.

Rhythmic Stabilizations

Lastly, are rhythmic stabilizations.  Many are quick to say that the rotator cuff’s main job is to externally/internally rotate and abduct the shoulder.  While that’s true, unfortunately, we’re not playing Jeopardy, and it’s a bit more complicated than that.

To that end, while the rotator cuff does invariably play a significant role in external/internal rotation, as well as elevation of the arm, you’d be remiss not to recognize that it’s main function is to simply center the humeral head within the glenoid fossa.  Given the more dynamic nature of life (and sport), this makes sense.

Rhythmic stabilizations are a superb rotator cuff exercise to utilize as it forces the muscles of the RC to fire in a more “functional” manner.   You don’t need to go all Mr. Miyagi, either.  Ideally, you’d GENTLY tap the elbow and upper arm for 10-15 seconds per side, and that’s that. 

We like to utilize these as a “filler” exercise during rest intervals.  After performing your main movement, say, deadlifts, kneel down on the floor and have your partner tap each arm for 10-15 seconds.  You COULD do these on your own, but the unpredictive pattern is the key to the exercise.

And I’m Done

And there you have it – a few of the more popular (and effective) exercises we use at Cressey Performance with regards to the rotator cuff.   Again, this isn’t to say that your typical band work is pointless – but rather, it’s just to reiterate that you don’t need high repetition (fatigue inducing) exercises in order to be worthwhile.   Keep it simple, do it RIGHT, and you’re golden. 

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Back to Reality Edition

So, I’m back in Boston as I type this.  No less than three hours ago, I was in 80 degree weather with the sun beating down on me and not a cloud in the sky.  Now, I’m looking out the window at nothing but gray skies and rain.  And a homeless person collecting cans.  Great.

Alas, it’s back to reality.  We had an amazing time in Florida, and I can see why so many people decide to set up shop there when it’s time to retire.  Beautiful weather, beaches, golf, bikini’s, gator meat – what’s not to love?   Of course, having no state income tax doesn’t hurt either.

Nonetheless, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that I’m not kinda, sorta still in vacation mode. The idea of writing a well thought out blog post right now is the furthest thing from my mind – especially considering I have yet to un-pack, I have a pile a mile high of laundry to do, and I still need to hit off the store to get some groceries.  The only thing in my fridge at this moment is some marinated chicken I made last week, and I’m pretty sure that would taste like cardboard and farts right now.

To that end, today’s post is going to be cut and dry.  I was able to catch up on a lot of reading while I was away, and below are some gems that I felt were pretty good.

Drugs, Brown Fat, and Weight Loss – Mark Young

Mark has an uncanny ability to filter out the stupid, and this post is no different.

The Shoulder W Exercise – Mike Reinold

I remember Mike talking about this exercise exclusively last year during the Optimal Shoulder Performance seminar.  Here, he gives a little background on why he feels it’s such a valuable exercise, and I tend to agree!

Why Go Organic? – Jamie Hale

Steady State Cardio vs. Intervals, High Reps vs. Low Reps, Jamie Eason vs. Jelena Abbou – there are a myriad of controversies in the fitness industry that either one of us can make legitimate cases for or against.  None, however, are more controversial than the whole Conventional Food vs. Organic debate.

Personally, I tend to veer more towards the organic side of things – as I feel that the costs and high(er) prices of buying organic far outweigh the costs of the ever increasing ramifications that our food industry has on health care; not to mention sustainable agriculture

That said, I like to consider myself an open-minded guy, and this article by Jamie Hale does make some great arguments on why organic might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

Even still, at the end of the day, for my own peace of mind, I’m still leaning more towards organic.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Chin-Ups vs. Pull-Ups and a Little Bit of Bittman

It’s been brought to my attention that some of you who have been long-time subscribers to the blog (through Blogger or Google Reader) haven’t been getting any updates of current content.  As it so happens, when we switched over to the new site, I was an asshat and forgot all of my login info for the old site.  Go figure!

As a result, we had to set up a new feed through feedburner, so for those interested here it is:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/gentilcore

Unfortunately, my first choice, http://feeds.feedburner.com/Mr. Alicia Keys was already taken.  Nonetheless, hopefully this clears up some of the confusion, and I appreciate all of those who contacted me personally to give me the head’s up that this was an issue.

And now, here’s some stuff you should read.

Pull-Up or Chin-Up?  Which is Better? – Mike Reinold

Mike discusses some interesting research and breaks down the chin-up and pull-up and explains which one is “better.”

Is ‘Eat Real Food’ Unthinkable – Mark Bittman

One of my femaie clients sent me the link to this article a few weeks ago, and I was just able to sit down and read it the other day.  All I have to say “right on!”  Here, Bittman calls out the USDA and basically states what friends like Cassandra Forsythe, Mike Roussell, Brian St. Pierre, Leigh Peele, John Berardi, and a lot of other really smart peeeps have been saying for years.  Namely, the USDA needs to get their head out of their ass.

How to Make Oatmeal….Wrong – Mark Bittman

Yet another female client sent me this link, which essentially sparked me to read the article above.  I figured that if two separate clients sent me two different articles, from the same author, I should probably check them out.

I gotta say, this Bittman guy has a new fan.  I love his no BS approach.  It’s weird how practical, common sense can go a long ways.