TJ's Gym Weekly News 09/13/2018
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Glen has been at this thing for quite awhile. True model of consistency and getting the job done, week after week, year after year. Rumor has it that his father-in-law will be joining our new Legends program, making this a three-generation family affair for Glen and his wife, Stephanie, whose daughter, Brynn, is also a TJ's athlete. Very cool! We are lucky to have you all!
Message from TJ:
How the End of WW2 Made Us Fat
I found this subject matter interesting, and I hope you will, too. It involves the cavalcade of events that preceded the obesity and chronic disease epidemic with which we are now dealing some 75 years later. This is my unofficial timeline of how the end of WW2 is currently killing now.
Roughly 16 million men and another 350,000 women were involved in both the European and Pacific campaigns of WW2. Countless events happened while our bravest fought overseas. These events were a combination of happenstance and planned motivation from well intending parties, as well as profit-seeking industries.
When war personnel returned home, there was a massive housing shortage. Within a couple of years, the baby boom had started and, because of the massive industrial revolution the war machine had ignited, farming and factory jobs had significantly diminished. Young men and women flocked to the cities, where the booming economy had created millions of "white collar " jobs. Suburbs, like Levittown, NY, had started to crop up outside of the now flourishing urban areas. These planned housing developments came with all of the latest amenities, first and foremost, the freezer/refrigerator combo. The freezer/refrigerator combination was brand new at this time. 40% of households had this technology before the war and upwards of 85% had them when the generation returned from war.
*FUN FACT: Albert Einstein created one of the first self-contained models with no moving parts. It was the safest option of the time. He sold the patent, and that money went to help fund the Manhattan Project.
The introduction of the freezer meant that, for the first time in US history, the convenience of having food last a while was available to a majority of the country. Poor quality, high-calorie, easily-frozen foods began to be marketed as the savior to the busy mother at home while her commuting husband was on the road.
During the War, farmers were told what to grow. For the most part, it was sugar and corn. These items were high in calories and traveled well. Keeping our soldiers fed was of upmost importance, especially after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor caught us completely unprepared from a supply standpoint. The only problem was that this decree took more than a year to ramp up. When it did, we had a few things going for us. The innovation of industry created by WW2 helped immensely in a myriad of ways. First off, the U.S. was able to create a hybrid corn product. It was for sure high in calories, but it had the nutritional value of a weed.
*FUN FACT: this is the same corn that we eat today. Corn before WW2 was a much different vegetable providing a much stronger nutritional punch. Those days are long gone.
There was also a massive surplus of ammonium nitrate, the main component of explosives. Scientists soon figured out that this made a fantastic fertilizer and was used in massive doses throughout the corn belt, offering farming the ability to have close to 90% crop success. This also caused a massive excess of grain.
*FUN FACT: All crops grown before WW2 were organic, since none of them used pesticides up until that point.
When the war started to wind down, corn production hit full steam. We had such a large surplus that new ways of food production began to explode. During WW2, there were around 2,500 grocery stores selling a few hundred items. By 1955, there were nearly 5,000 stores that had tripled in size to handle the almost 40,000 new products that were being stocked in new middle aisles. Twenty years later, big food company scientists made a discovery that put the final nail in the chronic disease coffin: high fructose corn syrup.
Advertising and marketing companies, with the help from the government, pounded the message home that MORE was better. Fill the plate, clean the plate. There are kids starving in China who would kill for that can of creamed corn, or Eggos. Be grateful. Eat them all. Cows, pigs, and chickens were forced into corn-based feedlots for the first time, because the demand for meat began to soar. Meat was seen as a sign of upward mobility by the Boomer generation raised by Depression-era parents.
Today, the United States leads the world in chronic disease (obesity, diabetes, heart disease). Through hair analysis, it has been shown that US citizens have more corn deposits in their DNA than any other country's citizens, including Mexico, where corn was born.
Something to think about. Know your food, and know its history. This data can't just be a coincidence.
- TJ
ANNOUNCEMENTS
It's fire around here, with TONS going on, so be sure to check out the full post below so you don't miss out. Mark your calendars with the important events coming up!
Our TJ's GYM 2018 4th Quarter Calendar is HERE!
11th Annual TJ's Rodeo/Community PARTY!
It's ALMOST Rodeo time! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 2018 at TJ's San Rafael.
Start time TBD, but it'll be 8/9am to 1pm, with a big chunk of that being a PARTY!
REGISTRATION IS LIVE! Just click on the image above to register. Don't delay--registration closes October 22nd to give us enough time to make teams and plan the workout. Register on your own--we will create evenly-matched teams of THREE (one woman, two men) to take part in THREE workouts over the course of 90 minutes. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! We will design the workouts so every team member has something to contribute, and every team member has a specific role.
Participating the Rodeo is a great way to get out of your comfort zone in the safety of a loving community, and that will be especially true this year. Even if you don't compete, you're still welcome to join the community party (RSVP avenue coming soon).
Get ready for an insanely fun day!
TJ's Gym T-Shirts, Tanks, and Champion Hoodies for the Fall! ORDER YOURS by 9/20/18!
TJ's Gym LEGENDS FITNESS FOR AGES 60+
We are thrilled to announce our TJ's Gym Legends fitness program, a new curriculum designed for the needs of 60+ people. We will include work on strength, balance, mobility, stamina, and general functional life movements. Coach Nick is a perfect fit for this work, and we hope you'll help us spread the word to all 60+ people you know who want to join (existing TJ's members can join, as well!).
*Inaugural LEGENDS session: Wednesdays and Fridays, October 3rd-November 16th from 10:30-11:30am at TJ's Gym San Rafael. The work will continue in sessions from there...
Women's Group with Dr./Coach Allison Starts September 27th! Sign up NOW!
Marin Strong Flyer.jpg
This will be a great forum for women to come together for a whole bunch of camaraderie and support as we bounce around thoughts on all sorts of topics related to being a woman (fitness, health, kids, work, body image, sleep, nutrition, relationships...). Open to non-TJ's members, as well, so please spread the good word! We need more bodies to make it a viable group!
Email allison@tjsgym.com with questions or to register.
The MAKE-IT-HAPPEN Fall Lifestyle and Nutrition Program with TJ.
It's not too late to join in on the fun and progress! Email jessica@tjsgym.com to MAKE IT HAPPEN now.
YOUTH FITNESS at TJ's Gym
Our new Teen/Tween session started on Tuesday, September 4th. No worries...we prorate for late starts! Here are the details:
Session Dates: September 4th - October 28th
Session Pricing - 8 Weeks
$176 (one day a week)*
$320 (two days a week)*
$430 (three days a week)*
Please reply ASAP to secure a spot. As always, we also have monthly options available for our year-round teen members.
Fall Schedule Our current class schedule will always be posted on our schedules page HERE.
*Corte Madera - Monday/Wednesday (ages 12 - 16) 4 pm *Mill Valley - Tuesday/Thursday (12 - 16) 4 pm *Corte Madera -Tuesday/Thursday (10 - 13) 4:30 pm *San Rafael - Tuesdays (12 - 16) 4 pm **(New offering with Coach Nick!) *Mill Valley - Wednesday 4:00 (12 - 16) - Girls-only **PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME *Corte Madera - Saturday (12 - 16) 11 am
*Classes expire at the end of the session. Make-ups can happen as needed throughout the session. Schedule subject to change based on registration numbers. Email jessica@tjsgym.com to register.
TJ's BOOTCAMP!
Bootcamp MV
SOCCER BALLS BENEFITTING KIDS WITH CANCER
All season soccer JFJ Flyer
If anyone in your family needs (or wants!) a new soccer ball, please consider buying this one. 100% of profits go directly to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Just click on the image above to order yours from our great friends at All Season Soccer, THE place to go for all of your soccer needs!
SOCIAL MEDIA
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