Monday, August 31, 2009

Workout of the Day:
“Cindy”
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Push-Ups
15 Squats
(Compare performance to March 19, 2009.)

It's not how it looks

Bong Water
Written by George Economou

Despite what it may look like, CrossFit Invictus does not condone the blatantly open use of recreational drugs. But there have been enough questions about what I’ve been drinking lately that it deserves some sort of explanation. Since returning from Alaska I made the switch from coffee to herba mate (MAH-TAY; sometimes appears as yerba mate). Sacrilege! Why would I do such a thing? I assure you, this isn’t a continuation of my fight to prevent the further exploitation of our country from Italian immigrants…I like Papalecco’s as much as the next guy. I FEEL better with mate than with coffee. Let me take you on a quick journey . . . .

What is mate? Commonly referred to as a “tea,” mate is actually not part of the tea family (camellia sinensis), but rather an herb from the holly shrub of the South American rain forest. The brewed drink is prepared by placing the dried leaves and stems of the plant into some kind of cup/gourd, inserting a filtered straw (bombilla), and adding hot water. Essentially, it’s a tea.

Before I talk about the functional benefits of mate, let’s look at a nutritional comparison of it and coffee.

Mate:

Caffeine per 8oz cup – about 30mg

Vitamins – A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B Complex

Minerals – Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc

Additional Compounds – Carotene, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Flavonols, Polyphenols, Inositol, various antioxidants, Tannins, Pantothenic Acid and 15 Amino Acids

Coffee:

Caffeine per 8oz cup – about 100mg

Vitamins – K, B2, B3, Folate (B9), B Complex

Minerals – Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Sodium, Manganese, Fluoride (significantly fewer amounts compared to mate across the board)

Additional Compounds – Various antioxidants, Pantothenic Acid, some Omega 6 Fatty Acids, and some Protein and Amino Acids

When all is said, high quality mate and coffee (without added milk and sugar) both boast some decent nutritional benefits, but the mate just squeaks out ahead.

Now, what I’m probably more qualified to report on, the functional benefits. As a former coffee drinker, if I didn’t have at least one cup of coffee within two hours of waking up, my day was crap. While I tried to limit myself to 1-2 cups a morning, I often drank 4-6 (and then some if I was really bored or wanted to BS with some co-workers). Associated with this was sometimes an uncomfortably acidic feeling stomach, feeling wired, skin crawling jitters, rank breath, and the occasional coffee crash. You may have experienced some or all of these yourselves at some point.

Nowadays, I prep 3-4 ounces of mate leaves and drink 4 cups of hot water with it every morning. I have a much cleaner “buzz,” my energy seems to carry me well into the afternoon, no uncomfortably energetic feelings or upset stomach, and my breath is probably just as bad. Although I prefer to start my day with the mate, I’m not in dire straits without it. Since July, I’ve had maybe 6 cups of coffee and have FELT the difference each time. I encourage anyone who has experienced the negative side of coffee to switch over to mate for a couple of weeks. The taste takes some getting used to – it’s a bit woody – but I think it’s well worth it and you’ll look really cool.

Where to find mate – Henry’s Market and Whole Foods both sell loose leaf and tea bags. BodyBuilding.com offers some mate products marketing the additional benefit of aided weight loss. You can order bulk mate from www.guayaki.com,

www.yerbamateteagourd.com, and many other sites that can be found with a Google search.