More Pocket Paleo, Please!

Daniel Island Resident & Entrepreneur Makes Popular Healthy Snack

When Jason Burke visited Charleston in June 2008, little did he know that he and his wife would soon make Daniel Island their home.

“Kristin and I were living in Tampa, Florida. I was in the financial service business and was working more than eighty hours a week. I knew I couldn’t sustain that lifestyle much longer,” says Jason.

That’s when Jason and Kristin decided to a take spontaneous road trip to Charleston. “We stayed in the historic district and fell in love the city. Charleston just felt right. We loved the charm of the city.”

Soon after returning home, Jason visited Charleston again. It wasn’t until he was called for an interview at Blackbaud, a leading manufacturer of software for non-profit organizations, that he discovered Daniel Island.

“I just loved this place. It was perfect – I could walk or ride my bike to work,” commented Jason. “I had lived in Tampa all my life and nothing I’d seen before compared to what Daniel Island had to offer. It seemed too good to be true.”

Jason accepted the job offer at Blackbaud and he and Kristen purchased a condominium located in downtown Daniel Island. But it wasn’t long before Jason started dreaming of owning his own business.

“I enjoy my work at Blackbaud, but I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart,” says Jason. “Even as a kid, instead of loaning my video games to friends, I would rent my games to them!”

In addition to an entrepreneurial spirit, Jason has an appreciation for Daniel Island’s healthy lifestyle. “I started to notice that Daniel Island was a very active community and thought that a natural foods store would do well on the island.”

That’s when he started doing CrossFit and learned about the Paleo diet and all the benefits that it had to offer. (The Paleo diet mimics the diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors and includes lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.) However, Jason also found that eating on the go and quick meals were not easy while following the strict guidelines of the Paleo diet. “When eating Paleo, you have to plan and prepare a lot of your meals. Its not as easy as grabbing a bag of chips and a soda.”

Jason started experimenting with making homemade, grass-fed beef jerky, a popular Paleo diet snack. Beef jerky has long been a favorite snack with hikers and campers due to its long shelf life and high protein content.

“I came up with a pretty good formula and decided to test it out with the CrossFit community,” says Jason.

The response was very positive. So, he decided to explore the idea even further by adding a variety of nuts and dried fruit. Thus, Pocket Paleo was born. “People just loved the stuff and pretty soon were placing orders. I would come home from work and immediately start making beef jerky.”

This went on for about six months until he got an order for 500 Pocket Paleos from a national online sports equipment retailer.

“That’s when I knew that this had become something with real potential,” says Jason.

Jason decided to put the natural foods store on hold and instead work on getting his USDA Grant of Inspection, researching manufacturing methods and concentrate more on marketing efforts. In June of last year, he moved to a new space and started regularly producing Pocket Paleo for the retail market.

“We get orders from all over the world – it’s amazing how popular the Pocket Paleo is with athletes, bikers, campers, and boaters,” says Jason.

Pocket Paleo can be purchased online at www.thenewprimal.com. It can also be found at Our Local Foods located near Daniel Island just off of Clements Ferry Road and at various CrossFit gyms throughout the region.  Soon it will be readily available in many other retail outlets.

“I’m very excited about the path we’re headed down. We’re currently researching alternate flavors, selling the beef jerky on its own, and even experimenting with some all-natural nut butters,” says Jason.

Jason also plans on taking the Pocket Paleo on the road and promoting it through a variety of athletic and endurance events.

And speaking of events, The New Primal is sponsoring the New Primal Games right here on Daniel Island. Similar to an all-day school “field day,” the New Primal Games will take place on Saturday, June 23rd on Wando Fields.  It will be a fun-filled day with events that include an obstacle course, climbing walls, running and even a slip ‘n slide for the true primal at heart! For more information, click here.

Are You Ready to Get Your Groove On? Island Resident Offers an Upbeat, Hip Way to Get in Shape

A good beat. Inspiring dance moves. Motivational instruction. Throw in a little “peace” and “love” and a gymnasium filled with fitness enthusiasts, and you have the perfect recipe for an alternative, funky way to get in shape on Daniel Island. Created by Daniel Island resident Angel Roberts, Hip Hop is a totally unique program that combines exciting dance moves with upbeat music, making it a fun, yet challenging class.

“It’s a great way to get fit,” says Angel. “Unlike traditional exercise and dance classes, Hip Hop is a fun, throw-it-all-out-there kind of workout. It combines all assets of cardio, core balance and strength conditioning, which makes it a really effective workout,” she adds.

Angel and her husband, Robert VanNewkirk, and their two young daughters moved to Daniel Island from California five years ago. The family was looking for a less stressful lifestyle and a community that offered good schools.

“Schools are really important to us, and I was very impressed with the Daniel Island School and everything it had to offer,” says Angel.

Both of Angel’s parents were in the dance and entertainment business, so it comes as no surprise that Angel eventually decided to base her career on dance and Hip Hop.

“I’ve been dancing my entire life,” she says. “My mother had a dance studio and I started assisting classes when I was 10 years old.”

After graduating from college with a degree in clothing and textile design, Angel eventually went on to work for “That 70’s Show” as a costumer designer.  But after eight years with the show, and with two young children at home, she and Robert decided it was a good time to make a change and move to a place that was closer to her family living in Myrtle Beach.

“It was either Charleston or Wilmington, and I’m really glad we chose Charleston and Daniel Island as our new hometown,” says Angel.

Soon after moving to Daniel Island, Angel started teaching Hip Hop at a local ballet studio on the island.

“I was initially hesitant about the potential success of Hip Hop on Daniel Island, but the classes filled right up. When the ballet studio closed, I decided to teach Hip Hop on my own and I negotiated with the Daniel Island School to use their gymnasium,” says Angel. “I really didn’t know whether or not I could fill up a space that big! But then we got 20 students, and then 40, and now our classes can get as big as 70 people.”

Angel teaches Hip Hop several times a week not only at the Daniel Island location, but also in Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley, on the Isle of Palms and in Summerville. And it’s not just for adults.  She also teaches Hip Hop for kids and teenagers ages 5 – 15.

“Hip Hop is a fun, energetic workout that makes you feel good,” said Nancy Abercrombie, who has been attending Hip Hop for two and a half years. “Every week is different. Angel teaches you a totally new way to move and think.”

Carlos Ortiz is also a Hip Hop regular.  He’s been coming to class since March.

“Angel really knows how to connect with the class,” says Carlos. “It’s a lot of fun and Angel has taught me some really cool moves.  I’ve lost 28 pounds since I started coming to Hip Hop.”

It’s no surprise that Hip Hop has been such a success. Far from boring, each class is completely different. There is a lot of energy and inspiration that flows throughout the hour-long workout. Angel’s dance background – combined with her sense of style – creates a lively, cool and upbeat class that is certainly contagious.

“The people that come to my class are so amazing,” Angel says. “It’s so much fun to watch them learn, get healthy and have fun while doing it!  Moving from Los Angeles to Daniel Island was a big change for my family and me. But it has all turned out great  – we’re really happy to live and work here.”

Hip Hop classes cost $10 each and last for a little over one hour. Be prepared to sweat, learn some new dance moves, and have a great time.

For more information about Hip Hop go to www.peacelovehiphop.com or contact Angel Roberts at angelroberts@yahoo.com.

The “Get Fit Challenge” is Back!

Are you ready to get in shape? Back for its third consecutive year, the popular Get Fit Challenge on Daniel Island will take place June 13 – July 29. The seven week program is designed to encourage participants to increase their fitness abilities by offering a wide variety of on-island workout options.

Last year, more than 300 island residents and employees participated in this competitive event. For just $35, Get Fit participants have the option of trying some of the diverse fitness programs offered on Daniel Island. The Get Fit Challenge is open to all levels of fitness, with classes designed to work for everyone. This year’s participating island fitness programs include:

CrossFit Charleston
CrossFit Discovery
Daniel Island Yoga
Family Circle Tennis Center
F.I.T.
Peace, Love, Hip Hop
The Holistick Chick
Island Fitness Studio
Jazzercise
Dr Brian Class
Primetime Fitness
Water Aerobics – Joe Gunter

Registration is open thru Friday, June 10th at the City of Charleston Recreation Department on Daniel Island. Participants must be at least 18 years old. There is no weigh-in this year. This goal is for participants to become more active and learn about the vast array of fitness offerings from island trainers and businesses.

So what are you waiting for? To get started, click here for more information, and be sure to register by June 10th. Let’s Get Fit, Daniel Island!!

Resident Introduces New Way to Get Fit on Daniel Island

With miles of trails, hundreds of acres of parks and world-class sports facilities, Daniel Island residents have no shortage of venues for getting fit. But that didn’t stop resident Robert VanNewkirk from introducing yet another new option for fitness within Charleston’s island town. His business, CrossFit Discovery (located in the Publix shopping center), offers a program that caters to all fitness levels and focuses on exercise for “real life” wellness.

Based on concurrent development of all elements of fitness – including endurance, flexibility and speed – CrossFit Discovery is no ordinary gym.  Upon entering, instead of treadmills and nautilus equipment, you’re greeted with 30-pound sandbags, ropes hanging from the ceiling and various sized balls and barbells.  Reminiscent of a gym that might have existed forty years ago, the space has an old-school feel and is home to a “grassroots” type of workout.

“CrossFit was originally created for elite athletes and people such as firefighters and military personnel who ultimately depend on core strength and conditioning for survival,” says Robert. “Here on Daniel Island, we have clients that range from doctors and business owners to stay-at-home moms and their elementary-aged kids,” he adds.

Robert and his wife, Angel, and their two daughters moved to Daniel Island five years ago from California looking for a simpler, less stressful lifestyle.

“Angel has family in Myrtle Beach, so we were familiar with South Carolina. We love Charleston, and Daniel Island provides a close-knit community where the kids can ride their bikes to school and where Angel and I can pursue our own passions,” commented Robert.

Upon moving to Daniel Island, Robert worked as an event coordinator.  He was able to convert his garage into a home gym and that’s where the idea of opening his own fitness business became a reality.

“I was always active in sports and athletics throughout high school and college, and just kept at it into adulthood.  Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has always been a priority. So, converting my garage to a gym seemed a very natural thing,” says Robert.  “At first I got a lot of questions from our neighbors, but before I knew it I was training and educating them about how to optimize their fitness goals.”

Soon after, Robert opened CrossFit Discovery and was able to dedicate his career full-time to helping others achieve a higher form of wellness.

“CrossFit is unique because it is scaled to each individual. Whether you can lift five pounds or 500 pounds, the program works to improve all elements of your fitness,” says Robert.

Based on the belief that fitness is the highest form of wellness, the CrossFit Discovery program teaches proper nutrition, exercise and recovery. It incorporates varied, high intensity, functional movement. Far from boring, the classes are extremely time-efficient and produce observable, measurable results.

“Classes last about an hour and could include running sprints, doing push-ups, lifting weights, jumping rope or a combination of several movements. We focus on basic mechanics and core strength,” says Robert. “I am consistently amazed at the quality of people I train. One client, in particular, started training last fall and could barely do one pull-up. Now, she’s doing 100 pull-ups.”

CrossFit Discovery has been steadily growing and attracts a wide range of island residents as well as clients from surrounding areas like Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley and downtown Charleston.

“I train people as young as age six and as mature as 65. It’s a very social workout that takes place in a relaxed, fun environment,” says Robert. “This is important to clients as they form special bonds with one another and even participate in various Charleston-area fitness events, such as the popular Citadel Bulldog Challenge.”

Taking health and wellness one step further, CrossFit is co-sponsoring an inaugural event here on Daniel Island next month. The New Primal Games, scheduled for June 25th, will feature individuals and teams taking on a series of fun, primal-inspired challenges such as a trail run/obstacle course, “stone” throw and “log” lift.

“We’re really looking forward to being a part of the New Primal Games. I think its going to help push the CrossFit Discovery program and even further expose Daniel Island and our unique fitness philosophy to a broader audience,” says Robert.

For more information about CrossFit Discovery, visit crossfitdiscovery.com. For information about the New Primal Games and to register, visit thenewprimal.com.

Get Fit Reaches Its Halfway Mark – Time To Celebrate!

More than 300 people signed up to participate in Hello! Daniel Island’s first ever “Get Fit Challenge” just six weeks ago! Now that the group is at its halfway point, it’s time to celebrate everyone’s hard work so far and get revved up and ready for the next six weeks. Keep up the good work!

And, They're Off… the Pounds, That is!

Hello! Daniel Island’s Get Fit Challenge is in just its third week, but enthusiastic participants are already posting impressive results. The 12-week program is an island-wide initiative designed to encourage residents to have fun while getting in shape.

More than 300 participants are taking advantage of a jam-packed schedule of free fitness classes offered by the community’s diverse array of health, wellness and fitness professionals. With a list of activities that includes karate, hip hop dance, water aerobics, tennis, yoga, badminton and more, there’s plenty of fun to be had. Just see what Charleston’s ABC affiliate WCIV had to say about the effort:

Competing individually or in teams, participants weigh in weekly at the City of Charleston’s Recreation Department office on Daniel Island to track their results. The individual or team with the highest percentage of weight loss at the end of the 12 week program will be the winner. Alesya Macatol is the current individual leader with a total collective weight loss of 8.163%. The current team in the lead is the “Flabulous 6,” who have already posted a collective weight loss of 4.595%.

Congratulations to everyone for their hard work so far. Keep up the good work!

   

HEALTHY LIVING: A Formula For Success!

The Daniel Island Club’s Bo Taylor shares his tips on fitness & weight loss goals.

Set a goal. Write down three to five nutrition/fitness related goals that you would like to achieve and a time frame in which to do so. They must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Why is that, you ask? If you set a goal to simply lose weight, you set yourself up for simple success and ultimate failure. If you lose only one pound you have succeeded, yet I imagine it’s not where you truly want to be. The other extreme would be to set a goal to lose 20 pounds in a week. Can it be done? Probably, but it would not be from fat loss, and it would only set you up to gain it back. Set specific goals such as: I will lose 10 pounds of fat in 30 days; I will improve my walk/run mile time by one minute in 30 days; or I will eat six nutritious meals each day for the next two weeks.

Make a plan. Sit down and write out how you plan to achieve your goal. Find a place where it can easily be found – whether it is at work, home, in your phone or organizer.

Execute the plan. This is where many people falter. If you take the time to plan your work, then you have to work your plan!

Evaluate how you’re doing. Everyone completes this step, but we are our own worst critic. In some cases, even though we are on track, we think we aren’t meeting our own expectations and give up. On the other hand, we may see little success and fall off the wagon. The third scenario is whatever plan we are executing; it isn’t meeting the goals we set, so we wonder why we should continue. In any case, you have given up.

Adjust! How badly do you want this goal? How long would you push your little boy/girl to learn to ride a bike before you gave up on them? Never, I would hope. Adjust your goal and/or your execution to be able to attain your goal(s).

Be a copycat. Do you know someone who is in the shape you want to be in and has reached the goal you are chasing? Find a mentor, a trainer or a nutritionist. Find out how they did it or how they showed someone else. Copy their road map to success!

Be stubborn. Some people call it committed or determined but I call it stubborn. You have to be able to face temptations and obstacles when training and dieting. Make your goal something you truly desire. Then your motivation to attain it will not waver.

What are your tricks to staying healthy? Share them with other readers below.

By Bo Taylor, Fitness Center Manager, Daniel Island Club