2008: A Year in Review
Filed under: Nutrition, Training
OK, I am back. Sorry for the lack of writing folks, been crazy with the holidays, never being in any one place consistently. Hope everyone enjoyed their time off and you have some fun plans for tonight. I hope you all enjoyed 2008 as much as I did, it was a hell of a year. So on the Eve of 2009, I thought it would only be appropriate if I recap the 9 best stories, things I learned, or basically anything that was awesome in the past year.
1. Yup, Tony and EC will kill me for this one, but number one has to go to my fiance. We got engaged on Labor Day weekend, and it was probably definitely the best decision I ever made. Tony loves to give me a hard time about it, though he secretly dreams of having 12 kids. I’m gonna stop right there, cause if I write anymore she will probably never talk to me again!
2. Discovering Lyle McDonald. Prior to working at CP, I had never really heard of Lyle. I had heard his name kicked around here or there, but boy was I in for a surprise. Lyle is simply one of the absolute smartest guys in the entire nutrition world. You will learn more info from any of his books, especially the absolutely fantastic The Protein Book, than from a year of nutrition undergrad. Seriously. Thank you Tony.
3. Winning the Inaugural CP Fantasy Football Season/Trophy. I may have gotten the last pick, but I don’t think there was ever any doubt as to who would finish the season on top.
4. Discovering Jonny Bowden. Wow. If you want some unbelievable nutrition info really describing why some foods are so awesome, and some are not, definitely check out Jonny’s stuff. Truly top notch. If there was one book of his many that I had to choose to recommend, it would hands down be The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Awesome. If you ever wanted to know why some foods were so good for you; all the nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals they contain to make you damn near immortal, then this is it.
5. Finally getting this blog/website up and running. It had taken a long time for me to get the ball rolling on this. I have had a blast and greatly appreciate all the wonderful support and feedback from all of you. I am humbled to know that there are people out there who not only read my incoherent ramblings, but actually might even enjoy them! Thanks again, and here’s to a great 2009.
6. Becoming a Certified Sports Nutritionist. I have had my nutrition degree and CSCS for a while, but since nutrition is my thing, it was nice to get a quality certification to go along with that. I would highly recommend the CISSN exam to anyone interested in working nutritionally with clients. Check out the International Society of Sports Nutrition HERE.
7. Given that I work for Eric, this might not come as a surprise, but I definitely think his Truth About Unstable Surface Training belongs up here. Having worked in a commercial gym as a personal trainer for a year, I have unfortunately seen first hand the ridiculous use of Bosu balls and physio balls employed by trainers who should know better, and just regular gym goers who might not. With this fantastic resource that was based on his Master’s Thesis, Eric lays out why most unstable surface work is incorrect, what use there is of it, and the proper progressions. It is a great read and a tremendous resource for anyone interested in fitness.
8. The Boston Celtics winning their 17th championship against the Lakers. I was too young to remember the old 80′s rivalry, though I’ve heard a ton about it. I have also pretty much only known the Celtics as garbage, so it was very nice to see them become what they once were. PS – if this were the Bruins, it would be #2.
9. Last but not least, Gourmet Nutrition. This cookbook is simply phenomenal. So many healthy and delicious recipes, beautifully photographed, will full nutritional breakdown of each meal. It has everything you could possibly ask for in a cookbook. The original Gourmet Nutrition was excellent as well, but it wasn’t much to look at. The new version, with 120 brand new, spectacular recipes, is off the charts. The protein bar recipes alone are worth the price of the book. And the Pesto Chicken Pizza? Amazing. So do yourself or your loved one a favor, and pick up a copy.
Have a great and safe New Year everyone, and I will see you all in 2009!
Check out the BSP Training & Nutrition Newsletter!
You will get immediate access to:
- Weekly updates and exclusive content.
- The 20-page report "The Truth About Saturated Fat & Cholesterol."
- Become more awesome!
Posted on December 31st, 2008 by Brian St. Pierre
9 Comments
December 31st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptLyle is simply one of the absolute smartest guys in the entire nutrition world. You will learn more info from any of his books, especially the absolutely fantastic The Protein Book, than from a year of nutrition undergrad. Seriously. … [...]
December 31st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I’d be curious to see the standings on the CP fantasy league – I can tell from some of Eric’s posts that you guys are competitive out there in Connecticut!
Happy New Year!!
December 31st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Wow, just wanted to say thank you for such kind and warm words. Great blog and I’m honored that you considered finding me one of the top ten things for the year!
warmly
Dr. Jonny
January 4th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
[...] hey from Ross, hey from Cassandra, hey from (long lost) Geoff, hey from Mark, Brian recommends some books, Tony’s last hurrah and first hatred, events and people to watch, websites to avoid, Times [...]
January 6th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Yeah the season was pretty competitive. Eric was not a fan of losing. I have the trophy sitting proudly on my desk as we speak, or uh, type.
January 6th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Dr. Jonny,
Thank you for swinging by. Your work is great and I think more people should check it out. Hope 2009 is off to a great start for you.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I picked up Dr. Bowden’s book, 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth last fall. This is a top notch nutrition book. Each week, we make a point to try out a handful of different foods he recommends, it makes our Sunday trips to the grocery store exciting.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:35 am
JMJ,
It is really good stuff. One of my top 5 books not only of the year, but maybe in my entire library.
April 17th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
[...] 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth was probably the single best thing I read in 2008, I recapped it all here. Well this morning I read his book The Most Effective Natural Cures on [...]