From CDM
“Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns” (Proverbs 9:1, NLT).
From CDM
“Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns” (Proverbs 9:1, NLT).
Winning consistently in youth sports, particularly in baseball, is more about learning how not to lose, as opposed to learning how to win. Sure, you can focus on hitting line drives, stealing bases, effective bunting or any number of other things, but more often than not, wins and losses will come down to throwing strikes and playing good defense.
At all levels of baseball – even college and professional – far more games are lost than are won.
This means that teams usually do more to cause their own losses than the opposition does to win them.
Throwing Strikes
It seems simple enough, but so many pitchers and coaches focus more on improving velocity than improving location. What good is an 80 MPH fastball that’s always out of the strike zone? You’re better off throwing 40 MPH and consistently locating for strikes.
Before worrying about how fast a player throws or how much hook his curveball has, worry about them getting complete command of the strike zone. This means a pitcher can locate his pitch anywhere within the four quadrants of the strike zone at any time. For younger-level pitchers, this requires that they dial back the velocity a bit. Pitchers are better off focusing on command with a moderate fastball than trying to throw the heat.
Your average youth and high school baseball lineup isn’t stacked with sluggers who can make you pay dearly for leaving a meatball over the plate. In most situations, the worst that will happen is a base hit.
But the nature of baseball (.300 hitter is Hall of Fame material) dictates that even the slowest pitch will generally result in an out. When pitchers realize this and learn to trust their defense, they will find they have a lot more success, without the need for a blazing fastball or deceptive curve.
Remember that pitches off the plate lead to walks, which almost always come around to score. Make players earn their way on base by consistently throwing strikes.
Play Good Defense
One of the worst things you can do in baseball is give a team extra outs through bad defense. Each team is supposed to have three outs per inning – when defensive errors are made, the team is essentially given an extra out to put more runs on the board. It doesn’t take a baseball genius to realize that this eventually leads to crooked numbers on the board against you.
A defensive error not only gives the other team an extra life, it also demoralizes the pitcher and everyone else on the defense. You were about to get out of an inning and get back in the dugout to bat when a routine grounder rolled through the shortstop’s legs. Now, you have to work to get another out, naturally leading to a mental let down. It also invigorates the other team, which now has another chance to do some damage.
Conversely, a great defensive play excites your team and your pitcher. You were about to give up a run or an extra base hit until the centerfielder made a diving catch to get you out of the inning. Now, instead of having runners on base, you’re back in the dugout getting ready to put some runs on the board. On the other hand, robbing a team of surefire runs is a great way to kill the opposition’s spirit.
At worst, you want to have a baseball team that makes all of the routine plays and some of the great ones. Watch Coach Bob Morgan go over some of his favorite infield drills to improve defense.
Source: Infield Play: Drills & Techniques For Infielders
Minimize Mistakes to Maximize Wins
In all sports, mistakes are killers. Whether it’s turnovers in football or basketball, faults in tennis or errors and walks in baseball – the more chances you give another team to beat you, the more likely they will take advantage.
What is Keto
Keto stands for "ketogenic diet," which is characterized by a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet.
The keto diet's basic principle is to compel your body to cease burning glucose (sugar) for energy and instead burn fat. Carbohydrates are limited to 10% of daily dietary intake, whereas protein is only 20%. The rest is made up of fat.
Eating a high-fat, low-carb diet puts your body into “ketosis,” a metabolic state in which your body burns fat instead of glucose for energy.
Ketosis is thought to be the best state for losing weight.
The ketogenic diet was created to address significant medical issues. The keto diet can help with cancer, PCOS, autism, and degenerative brain illnesses including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. For almost a century, the keto diet has been used to treat epilepsy.
As a result, the keto diet is unquestionably a healing diet.
Keto, on the other hand, is the most recent diet craze. It's being used to "hack" the body to achieve speedier weight reduction, exercise, and body-sculpting gains, in addition to being utilized medically.
What are keto desserts?
A keto dessert is one that is heavy in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbs, according to the keto diet requirements.
The following are some common keto dessert components (with links to the best sources):
• almond flour and coconut flour
• coconut cream/full-fat coconut milk
• heavy whipping cream
• full fat cream cheese, preferably cultured
• nuts or seeds, preferably soaked or sprouted
• berries, cranberries, lemon, and lime
• cacao powder, cocoa butter, and stevia-sweetened chocolate chips
• unsweetened, shredded coconut
• almond, peanut, and pecan butters
• eggs
• fats like butter, ghee, coconut oil, and avocado oil
The absence of grains or grain-based flours, as well as any sort of sugar, whether white sugar or a complete sweetener like honey or maple syrup, distinguishes keto sweets.
5 Reasons Why I Eat Keto Desserts… Even Though I’m Not Keto
Whether you agree with all or none of my reasoning, I hope you'll think that dessert isn't necessary for us in terms of nutrition. No one has ever gone hungry because of a lack of desserts.
These reasons aren't ranked in any particular order. Maintaining my gut health, for example, is just as crucial to me as keeping my blood sugar in check.
Here are the 5 reasons why I eat keto desserts even though I’m not keto
1 — I care about my gut health.
Sugar allows harmful organisms in the stomach to multiply by feeding them sugar. Candida, SIBO, H. Pylori, and general digestive pain such as bloating, gas, and constipation are all symptoms of an excess of pathogenic organisms.
If your microbiome already has an overpopulation of pathogenic bacteria or yeast, every time you take sugar, you're feeding the bad guys. Yes, even raw honey, coconut sugar, or maple syrup are unrefined, whole sweeteners.
Those harmful organisms aren't picky. Sugar feeds harmful germs and yeasts, whether it's high fructose corn syrup from your Coke or raw honey from your backyard bees.
2 — I care about my blood sugar.
My grandmothers were both diabetics. Diabetes runs in families, it's no secret.
In addition, I've had my fair share of hypoglycemia. (Do you suffer from a blood sugar imbalance?
Hypoglycemia is defined as a lack of glucose in the blood (low blood sugar). Headaches, intense hunger, dizziness, eyesight issues, weakness, irritability, nausea, and tremors are some of the bothersome and frequently frightening symptoms.
The abrupt peaks and falls in insulin — the hormone that regulates our blood sugar — are caused by processed carbs and sugar in sweets.
3 — I care about inflammation.
All types of sugar, except raw honey, are forbidden on any therapeutic diet, including AIP, GAPS, keto, low-FODMAPs, and Whole30. Even raw honey is restricted or not included at all, as is the case with Whole30.
Why? Sugar is inflammatory, thus it's important to avoid it.
When your blood sugar levels rise, your body produces cytokines, which are pro-inflammatory chemicals.
The more sugar you consume, the more insulin your pancreas must produce to maintain a constant blood sugar level. Your cells get resistant to all that insulin over time. Insulin resistance is also a risk factor for diabetes. Excess sugar is deposited as visceral fat (i.e. belly fat) as a result of insulin resistance, which produces inflammatory chemicals.
Sugar also works against the body's anti-inflammatory processes and anti-inflammatory nutrients. So, even if you eat all of the turmeric, kale, and coconut oil in the world, if you still eat a sugary dessert, you're undoing the benefits of those superfoods
4 — I care about my hormones.
As I previously stated, healthy carbs are necessary for the creation of hormones in women. Carbohydrates are required by our adrenal glands. Carbohydrates are required by our ovaries. Carbohydrates are also necessary for our brains.
I'm not sure why both sweet potatoes and refined sugar are referred to as "carbs." Doesn't it appear perplexing? It also drives us to categorize carbohydrates as "good" or "evil," which is problematic.
I don't believe in categorizing anything as "good" or "evil." So, let's divide carbs into those that help our hormones and those that don't.
Hormone-supporting carbs are complex carbs:
• root veggies like carrots, beets, celeriac, and potatoes
• winter squashes like butternut squash, delicate squash, and pumpkin
• brown rice and wild rice
• soaked or sprouted beans
• soaked, sprouted, or soured gluten-free grains like oats, quinoa, buckwheat, and sorghum
• sweet potatoes
Carb sources that do not support our hormones:
• sugar — in ALL forms
• whole sweeteners: coconut sugar, maple syrup, secant, evaporated cane juice, and honey
• processed foods like toaster waffles, breakfast cereals, “instant” anything, frozen pizza, commercial ice cream, deep-fried carbs
5 — I care about making every bite count.
Be there wherever there is food. Comparing it to others on social media, your friends, or your favorite food bloggers is a bad idea. Simply be in the present moment.
I used to follow the 80/20 rule, which stated that you should eat good, real food 80 percent of the time and binge on junk food the other 20% of the time. Again, if that's where you're at, accept it and move on. It's not about trying to be more like myself.
I've discovered something incredibly liberating by eating intuitively and asking my body what she needs on a daily basis:
I don't need to go crazy, "be terrible," or do anything else with my diet 20% of the time. I don't even have the want or the need to do it. That yearning existed as long as some meals were considered "off limits" in my thinking.
I'm currently focusing on eating healthful foods approximately 100 percent of the time. I'm concerned with making each bite count. Every food either nourishes or malnourishes me; it either feeds my best self or feeds disease.
Keto desserts are nutrient-dense because to their emphasis on healthy fats, high-quality protein, and the absence of sugar. Even if it's dessert, those are the bits that matter. Why shouldn't dessert provide us with nourishment as well?
This is why I avoid sugar, don't drink alcohol, and only dine at two carefully selected restaurants. It doesn't feel restrictive or rigid because I'm confident in my ability to eat healthily all of the time!
About Keto After 50
The Keto After 50 program from Nutrition Hacks helps men and women over 50 lose weight while adhering to the keto diet.
Nutrition Hacks claims to have tested its Keto After 50 program on "thousands" of beta testers and received rave reviews.
You may purportedly reduce weight while continuing to eat the foods you enjoy by following the eating recommendations described in Keto After 50.
Here’s how Nutrition Hacks explains the benefits of their program:
“Thousands of beta users have already taste-tested this first-of-its-kind program, and the feedback has been incredible! People may finally enjoy desserts while also getting in the best shape of their life and eliminating manufactured sugar from their diets.”
According to Nutrition Hacks, processed sugars are especially harmful to anyone over the age of 50. Your immunological and metabolic systems aren't as robust as they were in your twenties and thirties. You used to be able to consume sugar without harming your health, but that is no longer the case.
Keto After 50 offers to teach you about the keto diet's benefits while catering to an older demographic. You can get the same keto diet advice that many others have used to reduce weight, but tailored to your age group.
Keto After 50 Desserts Benefits
Keto After 50 Sweets gives you a variety of delectable desserts that are low in carbs and processed sugars, making it easier to keep to your keto diet.
Nutrition Hacks says that its meals contain nutrient-dense foods that can provide the following advantages.
Boost your immune system.
Increase your metabolic rate.
Ensure that you have youthful energy throughout the day.
Improve your mental clarity and concentration.
Satisfy sugar cravings and satisfy your sweet tooth
James Wilson also believes that you can get all of the other keto diet benefits, such as improved cholesterol levels, rapid fat burning, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels, and smoother skin, among others..
What Will You Learn in Keto After 50 Desserts?
Keto After 50 Desserts includes step-by-step instructions for producing delightful keto-friendly treats.
The book includes desserts for all tastes, such as chocolate-drenched black forest cake, banana split ice cream with toppings, and melt-in-your-mouth lemon squares, among others.
Each recipe is thoroughly detailed in each book, along with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare each dish at home.
You'll also get precise nutritional information for each dish, making it easy to enjoy delicious meals while sticking to your macros and following the keto diet.
What Types of Desserts Can You Make?
In Keto After 50 Desserts, James Wilson presents hundreds of recipes, including ones for all of the following:
Pastries & Cakes: Cakes and pastries are infamous for their high carbohydrate and sugar content. James Wilson provides recipes for triple-fudge chocolate cake, New York-style cheesecake, white chocolate mouse, and pumpkin pie, all of which are low in sugar and carbs and can fulfill cravings.
Cookies: It's easy to consume a large number of cookies in a single sitting. James focuses on sugar-free, low-carb cookie recipes that can be made at home using basic ingredients. Chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, shortbread cookies, and other cookies are among the recipes included in the book.
Chocolates & Candies: The Keto After 50 Desserts book includes recipes for salted caramel pecan brittle, homemade chocolate chips, vitamin C-enhanced gummy bears, and other guilt-free chocolate and candy recipes.
Keto stands for "ketogenic diet," which is characterized by a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet.
If you want to learn more, please use this link: https://tinyurl.com/ube32uf8
From CDM
“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 16:25, NLT).
From CDM
…For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26).
Are you an avid golfer? Then you know the beach is an awesome place to fit in a round. Save enough room in your vehicle to toss your golf bag and you’re set. No room? You’re still good as many places allow you to rent clubs if you didn’t bring your own or couldn’t. Heck, if you fly you can check your bag (hopefully in a lockable hard case) and have it sent with you for your beach vacation. Rather than using a golf cart at the golf course, walk it and carry your clubs or rent a bag cart that you can pull behind you.
Most hotels that you stay at during your beach vacation should have a pool. For many, that’s an area where you jump in to cool down and then hop out to lay on lounge chairs and work on your tan so everyone can talk about how dark you look once you return home. Well, that pool is another one of the great cardio options you have available nearly all day long, so there is no excuse why you can’t burn a couple hundred calories while working on getting golden bronze. Simply hop in the pool and swim or walk laps. After a little while, jump out and go back to laying on your lounger so you can relax and take in some natural vitamin D (just make sure to apply some sunscreen).
From CDM
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another” (Psalm 75:6, 7).
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) produces some of the most explosive athletes in track and field every year. The conference had winners in the men’s and women’s long jump, women’s triple jump, and women’s high jump. Taking 4 of 6 jumping events at last week's outdoor national championships in Eugene, OR.
Jasmine Moore of the University of Florida was the first athlete to ever win every conference and national championship in the long jump and triple jump in the same year. Florida Coach Nic Petersen takes us through the performance markers and assessments that he uses with his athletes to examine elite track and field performance ability.
Elastic strength is the ability of tissues to absorb, store, and release energy. This is imperative to building elite explosive power. Preparing the body positions by teaching and cueing them is key according to Coach Todd Lane of Louisiana State University. It wasn’t too long ago that LSU developed JuVaughn Harrison into a 6x national champion in the high and long jump.
Plyometrics are like glue that holds everything together for jumpers. Nic Petersen uses plyometrics to connect his athlete's acceleration and max-velocity training. He outlines the parameters that he considers in progression for his plyometric training.
Errors will be common in planning and developing elite explosive power. Very few have got it perfect in their plan in history. The best thing coaches can do is examine the mistakes of the past. Todd Lane examines 4 common errors when training jumpers.
While the SEC might be the most dominant league in recent years. If you’ve paid attention to the results, you’ll notice a couple other schools near the top with champions and all-americans in the recent events. Coach James Thomas of Texas Tech coached two women in the top 3 finishers in the triple jump and Coach Shawn Jackson of Texas Christian University coached the collegiate men’s triple jump champion.
Strength and conditioning is the foundation of any offseason track and field training program. Boo Schexnayder is a name synonymous with detailed training programs and systems for athlete physical preparation. In the following clip, the LSU legend describes key progressions and teaching points for key weightlifting exercises.
Plyometrics are shown to require high numbers of motor units during explosive contractions. This increases force production at high velocities. Coach Larry Judge, a mainstay in the collegiate track and field setting and coaches education for USATF describes exactly what Plyometrics are as an introduction to help coaches better understand exactly how to apply this activity into their own training.
The core is often considered the bridge between the high ground forces of plyometric training or sprinting and the upper body intensive lifting or coordination of limbs. Amana Rego former US olympic trials qualifier and associate head coach at MSU Denver explains 5 reasons why you need to train the core.
With a basic understanding of strength and conditioning, plyometrics, and core training you’ll give your athletes' summer workouts the boost they need to take them to another level!
Are guns really designed just for killing people? It sounds like a silly question, but I hear it asked or read it in articles or posts enough that I think it's worth taking a moment to understand why someone might think that way, and challenge that presupposition in an honest, persuasive, and respectful way.
First, I want to recognize that there are many legitimate reasons someone might not like guns, or to choose not to own one. Maybe the person experienced a traumatic incident involving a firearm, or because they never learned how to handle one safely, have a fear of guns.
Firearm ownership is an individual choice that someone should make after considering all the responsibilities that come with owning a gun.
But this post is less about someone who chooses not to own a gun, but doesn't care if you or I own one, but more about the spirit behind the idea that guns are designed to kill people.
In a recent post Do Americans Love Guns? I included the often-cited statistic of how many guns Americans own per capita, compared to other countries. (Here is the number of guns per 100 people.)
The statistics show that in America, there are more guns than people. The exact number is unknown, but let's say Americans own far more guns per capita than other countries. With so many gun owners and diverse opinions on guns, it's a natural point of contention.
I think one problem is that the there are people who blame guns, or access to guns, for crime and murder in our country. The influencers in popular culture who see guns this way are highly influential and vocal.
If I blame guns for the ills of society, I see more guns in America than people as a bad thing. I am not surprised when someone murders innocent people in a school, because I believe people only use guns to kill.
If I blame corrupt morality for the ills of society, I see more guns in America than people as a necessary thing. I am not surprised that gun sales are at historic highs, because most people use guns to defend themselves or others against criminals.
So corrupt society, with rampant evil and crime, gives me more reason to own a gun.
See the issue here?
Both statements can't be true. However, if you come to the topic with one of the two viewpoints, the statistics only further confirm your presupposition. And if you're neutral, whoever is more authoritative or convincing is likely to persuade you. From then on, you're likely to view the topic that way.
But we can't do that, we have to look at the topic more broadly.
Guns themselves are neither good nor bad. Some people who love guns are pretty good, and some are evil. Some people who hate guns are pretty good, and others are rotten to the core.
Is Oxycodone designed to kill people? No, like many pharmaceuticals, there is benefit when used appropriately. When used irresponsibly or with bad motives, the results are catastrophic.
Like guns, solutions come from looking at why people turn to drugs for relief and solutions to life's certain struggles. Rarely is it the object that causes the problem, but how we use it.
I think the recent active shooter incident in an Indiana mall is a perfect picture of this principle.
To summarize the incident, two men carried guns one Sunday in July. Both men went to the mall. Each man ignored the mall's “no weapons” policy. One of the men brought the gun to the mall with a desire to murder innocent people, and he did. The other carried a gun to protect his and others' lives, and he did.
Are guns designed to kill people? Well, guns are certainly used to kill people, but not everyone uses them to kill people. Plenty of people use them for sport, hunting, or collecting. And sometimes, using a gun to defend innocent life results in the killing of an evil psychopath.
Even if someone designed a gun for the killing of humans, the gun has no will of its own. The gun can't persuade someone to use it for evil, just as much as it could persuade someone to risk their life to save others. Let's stop absolving ourselves from responsibility and blaming things like guns, drugs, and smart phones for crime, depression and division.
Not everything permissible is profitable, and many of us would do well to remember that life isn't just about making ourselves happy. There is more at stake. Self-control, compassion and sacrificial love changes hearts, not legislation.
Tell us what you think and leave a comment below. If you enjoy this content, consider sharing it with others. Also, check out our Concealed Carry Podcast where we tackle all the issues related to responsible gun ownership and self-defense.