 Good evening, all! I know it has been a minute since I’ve done any work on the blog. It has been a busy year, and in a good way (much better than last year, that’s for sure!). This small business has grown a little bit, I’ve met a bunch of great people, and we took the family to Disneyworld (for the first time). Busy, but good. No complaints (okay, maybe a few, but it wouldn’t be life if everything was always perfect). I wanted to bring you guys up to speed with some of the developments that we’ve got going on. Its getting into the fall season, and there is a rumour that it might actually cool down some. Then again, this is Texas, so I’m pretty sure that it will be warm enough to wear shorts up to the day before Christmas. I’m using this time to develop some new Protein Paletas, with the goal of having them ready for you guys by the spring. The first one that we (Noah, my resident paleta chef and foodie, and also my oldest son) have been working on is a Key Lime Pie flavor Protein Paleta. We wanted to make another fruity flavor that would really be a hit after a workout, and thought that the twang of the lime pie would do wonders here. However, this guy has so far been a bit of a bear to work with (the paleta, not my son, although he can be cranky too. Like his father, I’m sure). Two batches in, and while the macros look great, the taste is a little…..off. We have been using some ingredients that we haven’t worked with before, and it seems that there is a bit more of a learning curve involved. No worries, we will just keep on keeping on. The second one is the first in a series that I want to call the Hardcore Series Protein Paletas. I’ve had the honor of working at some pretty awesome events (such as The Dallas Five event at Crossfit Heat, The Festivus Games at Ambush Fitness, and soon too at Crossfit Lavon, the Camp Gladiator Games, and the Battle for the Brave at Crossfit Forney, to name a few. I’ve got to meet a lot of people, and one of the things that I heard a lot was a call for a healthy treat that was (pick one: dairy free, sugar free, paleo). I looked around, and I didn’t see much there that really fits with what I do here, so I decided to give it a go. One of the young ladies that I met at the Camp Gladiator Games told me that while my ice cream looked delicious and sounded really good, she couldn’t have one because of a bad food allergy to dairy. She recounted the headaches, rashes, and malaise that she suffered through until she was able to narrow it down to dairy and red meat. She also told me that she is now able to control it through her diet, and hasn’t had any outbreaks. And she is just one of a many who have asked me for something that they could fit into their specific diet. That completely dovetails with what we do; happy and healthy, right? So the first in the Hardcore Series of Protein Paletas will be the Power Berry. It has got a gorgeous purple hue to it, and is made with a vegan protein (a blend of pea, hemp, and rice proteins) with a complete amino acid profile, and mixed berries (raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, and there’s one more but I’m tired and cant remember right now. Update – its blackberry). The first round I made looked great! But the taste definitely needed some work to it. Maybe a little bit too hardcore. It was very healthy, no doubt, but lacking in the happy section. I just put the second draft in the freezer, and will have my friends from Ambush Fitness taste test them for me this weekend. With this round, I’m experimenting with different sweeteners (other than cane sugar) to see if I can offer up a happy and healthy treat for my friends that eat vegan. Thanks for reading, and thank you for your support! Greg 
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Hey guys! I realize that its been a minute since I've posted a blog entry, and I apologize. It has been a very busy month, and in a good way. I personally helped out a good friend of mine at his gym, prepping for the Dallas Five event, in honor of the Five police officers slain just over a year ago. It felt great; it was cathartic. It made me remember how good it feels to do for others, and I guess that I needed that, as a human. Sometimes, the defenses and psychological adaptations that we create to shield us from trauma and pain, end up keeping out some of the good feelings that we need, and unfortunately locks in some of the fear, pain, and sadness that we need to release. That's my feeling and theory anyway.
But on to more good news! Stay tuned, but in the upcoming months, we will be shooting some video with our partners. I'm working on the details (that's where the devil lies, ya know), but the basic premise is introducing each gym or dojo that works with us, and having them tell us what they are best at. And then proving it up, by coaching me (or one of my kids, but they don't know that yet) through the lift, or movement, or kick; whatever they do best. I believe that my family and I make the best Protein Paleta. We worked hard at it, made it taste right, and made it healthy. I don't mind putting it to the test. The people that we partner with are the same: they each do something better than everyone else, and we are going to try to capture that to share with the world. Which begs the question: What do you do best? www.cafepress/proteinpaletas
I got a request from one of my friends the other day, who said that she'd like to wear a Protein Paletas shirt, but couldn't find a way to order one. Well, I hope that I got it fixed. Check out the Fan Club store. Feel free to give me your feedback on what you think about it, or if there is something in particular that you are looking for. Thanks! Greg Blog post: Where did you come from? Why are you here? My box is gritty. Dust blows in off of the street, along with the scent of the big city. It is hot in the spring, summer, and fall, and cold in the winter. There is no air conditioning, there is no heating, there are only some fans that you can't hear anything over them and only help if you are directly in front of them. It's in downtown Dallas. It's in Texas, and the Texas heat and Texas humidity don't care who you are, they are going to be downright oppressive, like a hot and heavy blanket draped over you as you try to move. I can't remember our WOD that day; perhaps it was Cindy, or DT*, or some grueling Five Rounds for Time of heavy farmer's carry and box jumps. I don't know what it was, but I know how I felt when it was over. I was wiped out. The air was stifling, my body was shocked from the effort, and I was left gasping for breath, trying to shed the heat and bring in new air to my lungs. I lied on the mat, seeking relief. In that post-WOD delirium of "I'm so glad it's over" and "could I have gone any faster?" and "Okay, now go drink your nutrition," I wanted an ice cream. Random, right? But I did. I was trying to shore up my diet at the time. I had been a pretty solid Zoner for a few years, but my definition of strict got stretched way out of shape. I was doing better, but I didn't want to wreck what gains I had earned. I had some definite goals: I was still chasing the body weight snatch, and my plan to get there was to work the technique, get stronger, AND lose some weight. But that cold, creamy, refreshing ice cream beckoned me.....and I thought, why not have both? Eat the ice cream, and fuel the fire to build the temple. And so, the mission to have my paleta and eat it too was born. Thanks for following along, Greg. * For those of you who might now know who Cindy or DT are, they are some of the standard Crossfit workouts. Cindy is one of the Girl Workout Of the Day (WOD). Cindy is As Many Rounds As Possible in Twenty Minutes of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats. And she is tough. She's the first girl that I ever attempted, and she kicked my ass. DT is a Hero WOD that seems to show up at my gym, Crossfit Heat, more often than not. DT is Five rounds for time, which means as fast as you can do it without hurting yourself, of 12 deadlifts, 9 hang power cleans, and 6 reps of a push jerk. With a 155 pound barbell. In layman's terms, pick it up and set it down 12 times, then hold it and bring it up from your waist to your shoulders 9 times, then push it over your head 6 times. Then repeat that series another four times. Sounds simple, right? Right. And both of them are simple. Simply devastating. ;-) What makes your heart sing?
I want to help people; I believe that I always have. That desire shaped a lot of the choices that I've made, and what I chose to do to keep the lights on. Really, it wasn't even about keeping the lights on, it was just doing right, and that felt good. I still want to help people, but in a different way. The old way has lost some of its luster and shine, and honestly, sometimes it just hurts too much. It has made my heart heavy, and my thoughts cold. Not all of the time, but enough for me to know that carrying all of this weight all of the time is not all together good for me, and not for the people that I care for and who care for me. Ever since my children were born, who along with my wife, are by far God's greatest gift to me, we have a ritual in my little family. My wife started it, and it is a beautiful thing. After bedtime stories, we talk to each other about our favorite part of the day, and after that, we take turns saying our prayers. My oldest son is fifteen, and for nearly a decade and a half, I have asked God to help keep us happy, healthy, safe, and secure. These four ideas are the things that I want for my family so much, and to Him, I say thank you for all that you have done. This ice cream, our paletas, embodies those first two requests. The joy on the faces of my children is complimented with the knowledge that this nourishment is both real and full. My metric for taste was whether my children, oldest to youngest, would eat the paletas with the happiness and excitement that ice cream evokes. I worked hard, and enlisted the help of my oldest son (who is pretty amazing in the kitchen) to get the taste, texture, and the macronutrients right, so that I, both as a parent and athlete, would feel good about feeding this to my children. I wanted it to be happy, and healthy, and it is. Thank you for your time, and I hope that you and your family finds itself happy, healthy, safe, and secure. Greg Quite honestly, this is the first official blog that I've ever done. Wow, right? I have no doubt that you are underwhelmed. No worries, amigo.
If you've happened to make it this far onto this little experiment, I do appreciate you being here. I am going to take that to mean that you and I share a common interest in both happiness and healthiness. I think the two go hand in hand, and both compliment and support each other. I didn't realize it at the time that I was given the idea for a Protein Paleta, but those two are intertwined in these paletas. Healthy in the macro nutrients, and happy because its ice cream! Thanks again for looking! I hope to be back soon. G Ships and Events
The weather is finally warming up again! I’m looking forward to the sunshine and the warm Earth; not a big fan of the cold and drizzly days. We have finally/mostly/getting close now gotten the bugs worked out of the shipping process, and pretty soon, we will be shipping out these delicious ice cream treats to share with our friends and fans in other parts of the US! Keep an eye out on the website and socials for when we go live, but then you can get that big box sent right to your door! Or send a ten pack of delicious and nutritious to your buddy who isn’t lucky enough to live in the DFW metroplex! That’s the way to send your love and say that you care about someone! We’ve got some pretty amazing events coming up soon for this summer season:
I want to also say thank you to all of the amazing gyms and people that we were able to meet during all of the Friday Night Lights! I got to see some amazing setups, and got to see a ton of heart when the athletes poured it all into the Open! We got to go to Crossfit 817 (www.Crossfit817.com) , Crossfit XPB (www.crossfitxpb.com) , Crossfit Watagua (www.crossfitwatagua.com), Rock it Crossfit (www.rockitcrossfit.com) , Buffalo Creek Crossfit (www.buffalocreekcrossfit.com) , and even threw in a Burn Boot Camp in Frisco to boot! (www.burnbootcamp.com/frisco-tx/) We even helped out at the Maltz Challenge at the Dallas Division of the DEA (www.maltzchallenge.com) Hopefully we will be seeing you soon! Come by any of these events and meet us in person! Take care, Greg |
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July 2025
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