SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                             CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

For time:

30 Back Squats with your bodyweight (that's your body weight on a barbell)

400 meter run

30 burpees

Nutrition Plate Unveiled , Replacing Food Pyramid   “It’s better than the pyramid, but that’s not saying a lot,” said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University."-–NY Times

In the 2006 movie, Idiocracy, Private Joe Bauers, played by Luke Wilson, is chosen by the military secret hibernation program.  Bauers is forgotten and wakes up 500 years in the future.  He finds that the modern world has been dumb-downed to the extent that society is barely able to function and although he was the average guy in his time, he is now light years ahead of everyone in terms of intelligence.  He's like a Jeopardy champion in  a world of absolute morons.

We can point to many things which indicate we have been moving slowly to a real life state of Idiocracy.  This morning we will give an example ripped from the pages of current events.  The First Lady has introduced the new and improved Nutrition Plate!

The Nutrition Plate was designed because the last two symbols were apparently too difficult to understand:

We understand that all these symbols are made with the best intentions and the people responsible mean well, but they miss the point on good nutritional recommendations.  In the year 2011 there's really no excuse, with all the advancements in nutritional research and information, for people not to find cutting edge nutritional information.

The Nutrition Plate still shows Grains and Vegetables as being equal and what should be eaten mostly.  Obviously, vegetables should be featured prominently, but grains????  I guess if the government is going to be subsidizing corn they must figure they better make sure grains makes a special appearance on the Nutrition Plate.  Oddly enough, grains are hardly mentioned in the Nutrition Plate article.  Grains are the food group most responsible for obesity and other health problems, but they didn't merit any discussion in the article.  Perhaps the writer knows the deal and decided better to not say anything to say something negative.  Or something truthful that would "go against the grain", pun intended, of the government's newest piece of arts and crafts.

“This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating,” Mrs. Obama said. “We’re all bombarded with so many dietary messages that it’s hard to find time to sort through all this information, but we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates.”–NY Times, Nutrition Plate Unveiled, Replacing Food Pyramid

Do we really need the government to tell us how to feed our children?  Since we're "bombarded with so many dietary messages that it's hard to find time to sort through all this information" why is the government adding to the problem?  It's obviously not because they have the best information or even the right information.  Sometimes when I have a free moment in between trying to figure out what I'm going to feed my children I ponder the concept of not having a Food Pyramid or Nutrition Plate.  I imagine the citizens of my country surviving without the government's charts.  I imagine my fellow country men doing their own research and finding ways to obtain the very best nutrition information available and raising their children without the help of the government.  Yes, I realize it's scary, but I think if we really had to—let's say we needed to save the tax payers some money–we'd probably survive without the charts, pyramids and plates.

“It’s better than the pyramid, but that’s not saying a lot,” said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University.

Dr. Nestle praised the plate for being generally easy to understand, but she said that labeling a large section of the plate “protein” was confusing and unnecessary, because grains and dairy products also are important sources of protein and most Americans get far more protein than they need."–NY Times, Nutrition Plate Unveiled, Replacing Food Pyramid

Marion, Marion, Marion.  Where do I begin?

What is a professor of nutrition and what are the requirements? 

On what are you basing the assertion that "Americans get far more protein than they need"?

Why is a professor of nutrition confused by a "large' portion of protein and how is it that there is NO mention that Americans are getting far more grains than they should?

"The Agriculture Department said that it had conducted focus groups with about 4,500 people, including children, as it developed the plate."–NY Times, Nutrition Plate Unveiled, Replacing Food Pyramid

And they still got it wrong. 

"The project, with the Web site and related educational materials, cost about $2 million."

Who is paying for the government's arts and crafts?  That's right, we are.  For a lot less money and without the need for an "anti-obesity" team,  parents can watch the below video then show it to their children:

Following the advice in the above video wiil do far more to promote good health, proper weight management and better performance than anything the government has come up with in recent times or in the last fory years.

If you have a good handle on how to eat to optimize your health, fitness and performance then help spread the information to those who don't know.

If you don't have a good handle on the subject then find someone who does.  Get pointed in the right direction.  There are better options than what is offered on the Nutrition Plate.

By George Demetriou