Monday, April 30, 2012

The Spirituality In Paleo

Living a Paleolithic lifestyle, while maybe not 100% possible in a modern world of ease and convenience, extends far beyond eating habits. In fact, in the last two years (my year spent weening down from dairy, gluten, and processed foods, and my year eating as full-on Paleo as I can), I've discovered that it is far more a spiritual experience than a simple "diet".

Yep, these are living things, too
Paleo v Vegan:
Vegetarianism/Veganism gets a lot of notoriety for being a "socially conscience" lifestyle. After all, many Eastern religions discourage the eating of animals for several different philosophical reasons. The other day, I read an article putting Paleo up against Vegan, as these two trends have been skyrocketing in the public's awareness. One line from it, a shot fired from the Vegan side, went something like this: "There is a cycle of life (and death) of which we all are a part, and my way of eating honors that." To qualify as "vegan" means to eat absolutely no foods produced in any way by animals (meat, dairy, eggs, all shades of gray in there). I can understand why this makes sense to this nutritionist, but I can't in good conscience agree with her. First, just because meat is being avoided doesn't mean that a Vegan is eating good food or a balanced diet, and may be eating higher quantities of foods with strong defense mechanisms (grains, legumes, soy), effectively ruining any purported health benefits of the diet. Second, in order for living things to survive, they must at some point consume something else that was or is living, and to assume that plants do not fit into the category of "living things" is, frankly, naive. Plants too have a process of growth, absorption of nutrients, production, and death, and they too have a role to play in The Universe. So why are they okay to eat, but not animal products?

Paleo, by its virtues, touts ethical and humane treatment of any animals that serve as "food suppliers", with the understanding that if the animal ingests something chemical and/or unhealthy, it will make its way into us, and cause just as many problems for us as it did them. That is what has led many of my friends that engaged in Vegetarian/Vegan eating habits to transition to Paleo without looking back. They learned how to eat without guilt, knowing the ins and outs of their animal products. Humans are omnivores; we have teeth and digestive systems built to consume both animals and plants. Deal with it. Instead of believing that all animal meats and foods are bad for you because of chemicals or "bad cholesterol" or whatever antiquated 1950s-Eisenhower-heart-attack-era attitudes that have burrowed into you brain tell you, how about you do a little research into who's supplying your food and how your body will really use that food? Instead of denying your body the fuel it needs because you feel guilty for eating an animal you've anthropomorphized into a Disney character, how about you focus instead on making your Life as balanced and virtuous as you can, thereby honoring the Life you had to take from someone/something else?

A Spiritual Understanding:
Fasting in particular has always had spiritual, mythical, or religious overtones to it. When applied to Paleo, it has specific health benefits (brain function, nutrient absorption, detoxification, even weight loss). In my experience, Intermittent Fasting is about deciding to do something (or in this case, not do something) for a specific amount of time that forces me to think in different ways and examine more closely what I'm trying to ignore or forgetting completely by distracting myself with the act of eating. That leads to some pretty startling revelations. Before Paleo, I wouldn't have dared a fast for fear of how awful I might feel without food, but once I started understanding what foods were making me feel bad all the time anyway (grains) and what foods I should be eating to sustain myself during the time I have no foods coming in, I approached my first fast with some excitement, and have made it a regular part of my life. It's become a treasured routine, time I can spend coming to new conclusions about certain things...

What a Paleo lifestyle, fasting included, has offered me is a unique and yet universal insight into the nature of Life. There is a finite amount of Energy that exists, and any of it being used at any given time must come from someone/something that is no longer using it. What makes it worth it is when that Energy is being put to good use. It may seem as mundane as "eating the right foods to properly power your workout", but peeling the layers shows how much goes into that:

  • The Energy you expend during your workout is preventing a litany of health problems-- you could use your Energy to move your ass now or use it to fight cancer later, but you're going to use it at some point
  • The interactions you have with people through your exercise may lead to drastic changes-- I've gotten job offers because I was in a kickboxing class with particular people and struck up conversations. I've also been motivated to improve parts of my life because others around had found a way of being happy and successful all at the same time
  • The money you save from not eating grains/gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and processed garbage (all of which tend to be addicting, thereby costing you even more in the long run) goes directly into the budget you have for eating grassfed meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, fats, and spices
  • The circumstances that provide you money to fund your food budget may need to be examined under a harsher microscope-- my old job was making me absolutely miserable, adding a layer of stress into grocery shopping and even eating food. I have since quit that job and am pursuing new ways of making my original passions financially practical

The Take-Away:
Living Paleo has, for me, become about the larger picture: the quality of food I eat (and in many cases, the quality of food my food was eating); the amount of waste I can prevent (think of all the food in your pantry that's in a box-- that box has to be thrown out at some point...); the job I want to have to pay for my food; the energy I'll have from eating well and how I can apply it to The World. For as much discipline and introspection as it takes to understand how Your Body performs on a daily basis, Paleo presents an opportunity to see all the things that support You.

Does Slim Fast do that?

Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Chronicles of IM Fasting

The following is a collection of thoughts, musing, revelations, and outbursts that surfaced through the course of 16 hours without eating.


Prologue:
Rita, the Wing Nut
A long, emotionally depleting, and financially frustrating week is coming to an end. I pushed myself quite hard this week with my exercise, getting a chance to do yoga again for the first time in over a month. No fatigue, hints of soreness that faded within a few hours, and surprising amounts of energy left over, even after several solid self-imposed ass-kickings on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. I got to Friday evening, though, with an enormous mass of anger caught in my throat, fueled by a low battery in a smoke detector that refused to stop beeping, sending my two dogs into a maddening display of neuroses. (I'm convinced Rita thought that the occasional 'beep' was more than a beep, but rather the announcement of the impending alien invasion, meaning that she would soon be eaten by ravenous lizard-beings, her bones would be honed into toothpicks, and her fur would be worn as a diaper on a younger lizard-being. She woke me up Friday morning by getting a running start and smashing all of her 75 pounds of Lab/Collie headlong into my door. Thanks, baby. Just how I needed to start my day: with a huge adrenaline burst and a psychotic hell-hound trying to crawl into my bed, doors be damned.)

Friday, 6:30pm:
Alright, I am ready to break cars in half with my mind, that's how annoyed I am with the last three hours of trying to change the battery in that godforsaken smoke detector... at least, I think it was the right smoke detector... I'm tired from only having slept about 4 hours last night, and I feel the urge to engage in Emotional Eating, you know, until I'm out of food.

... might be a good time to do a fast and spend 16 hours thinking about me and not food. Can do. Where's my fish?

7:00pm:
Thank God for freezers. And thank God that salmon thaws pretty damn fast. I just peeled and sliced a few carrots, coated them with olive oil and some random spices, and popped them in the oven, crisping them to perfection. While they cook, I can let that salmon thaw out and cook that too. Olive oil again, red pepper flakes, onion flakes, and lemon pepper on the fillet, and some diced garlic browning in the heating pan, and wouldn't you know it, everything timed out just right! Finally, something goes the way it's supposed to today! You know what? I'm going to relax while I eat... hell, maybe even enjoy it. And once I'm done with that and have settled down for a while, I'll have the last scoop of my Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream.

8:00pm:
Protein, fat, carbs, and lots of water. I should be good for a while. Glad I didn't make my leftover spaghetti squash my meal-- too much starch, not enough substance for the next 16 hours. That state of mind cooking in a pound of pure anger would lead to a miserable woman. I think that choice of salmon over squash deserves a psychic pat on the back! Alright, so my timer is set and ticking down. Now I have to deal with this wad of 'grrrrrrrrr' that's making me literally grind my teeth.
This will be my bathtub one day...

I need a hot bath.


8:15pm:
I. Love. Hot. Baths. I have a book. I have a glass of ice water. I have my iPhone and the random stuff stored in it. I have as much time as I need. I'm not getting out of this bathtub until my jaw unclenches.

8:40pm:
Michael Cerveris could sing anything he wanted and I would listen. He could sing the ingredients on a bottle of cheap shampoo and I wouldn't move a muscle. Even as a psycho killer in a bad wig, he's still hot.

Damn. Now I want some dark chocolate. Guess that means I have to wait it out...

9:55pm:
Chocolate craving passed. Fingers and toes getting pruney. Water finally getting tepid. Now I'm getting tired. I think I'm going to make a cup of tea and get to bed, even if I don't fall asleep until later.

10:20pm:
Okay, Anger, you and I are going to come to an understanding. I don't want you lingering this weekend and ruining my mom's birthday. (58, and she still looks about 37. And I'm going to age like that. Thank you, Mamma!) So here's what we're going to do. You are going to recognize the fact that I took action despite old habits and fears and leave me alone, and I am going to make nice with you and leave you alone. If you bubble up, you will be breathed out with some Prithvi Pranayama, and that's all there is to it. Deal with it.

10:30pm:
I'm placing too much faith in the opinions other people have of what's good for me. (... holy hell, where did that come from?!) I do too much; I don't do enough; I should be Here; I should be anticipating There and Next. Seems like that's where some of this anger is coming from.

Okay... so... what can I do tomorrow that gets me out of the recently described Cycle of Self-Doubt? I'm singing. New arrangement of a song with me on the soloist's line, and I want to review the harmonies on that other song. I wouldn't mind going into the next rehearsal prepared.

"I'm singing." That solution came up mighty quickly. Glad that I started dipping my toe back into the professional waters by sending out an email about that Venue Coordinator job that opened up this week. You know what? I've been extending feelers in all directions when it comes to professional satisfaction, and I'm tired of having every single feeler getting violently severed. I'm holding up my end, so it's time that The Universe stopped treating me like I'm not worth being happy.

Huh. My teeth are clenching again. Okay. Got it.

11:05pm:
"Ancient Aliens" cracks me up. Even they're putting their spin on this whole 2012 thing. Granted, they get a lot of interviews with Erich von Daniken and Dr. Jonathan Young... but still...

And I HATE "Flo" from those stupid Progressive commercials.

12:15am-8:45am:
SssssssnnnnnnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzON YOUR LEFT!

Sssssssnnnnnnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Saturday, 8:45am:
Nuuuuuuh. I want breakfast in bed. It's cool and cloudy outside, and warm and cozy in bed, and that could only be improved by... wait a minute. I'm not even really hungry. I'm just awake and bored. Not a good reason to eat.

10:20am:
Huh. Look at that. Only an hour and a half left. You know what that means...

11:20am:
Mini Frittatas sound good. Maybe an apple and some almond butter, too. And a big mug of tea. Think I'll start cooking soon.

12:00pm:
Would you look at that? Spinach and mushroom frittatas going in the oven and at least another 20 minutes before they're ready, a Granny Smith apple and some almond butter being prepped now, and the sky didn't fall down because I didn't eat. Soooo... why haven't you tried IM Fasting?

Epilogue:
Last fall, when I started adding IM Fasting into my routine, I was nervous. It seemed interminable, the idea of those first 16 hours without food. But now, months later, it's nothing. In fact, the time becomes a fantastic form of stress release, allowing me to examine what I'm ordinarily trying to repress by adding a layer of food on top of it. Sure enough, Saturday is here, and all the bubbling, frothing, foaming anger from yesterday is gone!

The best marker of a successful IM Fast? I put on my favorite pair of jeans, checked my ensemble in the mirror (I went to see a ballet this afternoon and had to look somewhat presentable), and thought, "... yep. I'm hot." Tee hee...

Monday, April 23, 2012

Blueberry/Almond Butter Omelet-- Better Than A PB&J

I don't know why I think fruit has no business being in an omelet. Maybe because I usually opt to make mine spicy rather than sweet, and prefer veggies and meat instead of fruit and nuts. But today, I'm busting down barriers, throwing out my rule book, being bold, and... okay, all I'm doing is making a different kind of omelet.

To commit to this new taste explosion, some tweaks will be required. Obviously, my go-to spices of garlic and onion would be a bad call. So here's what I'm adding instead:

Blueberries and almond butter combined
Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • splash of coconut milk
  • cinnamon
  • cardamom
  • nutmeg
  • dash of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 large spoonful crunchy almond butter
  • 1 medjool date
  • ghee and/or coconut oil for skillet
Directions:
  1. Whisk together eggs, coconut milk, and spices to taste
  2. Melt a combination of ghee and coconut oil in skillet, only enough to coat the pan and the sides
  3. Once skillet is warmed, pour eggs in and swirl around (the swirl is the secret to getting the eggs to cook evenly and thinly)
  4. While eggs are cooking, smoosh together (very technical term) blueberries and almond butter. The blueberries will release a lot of juice, so the almond butter will get everything to thicken a little more
  5. Chop up medjool date, keep separate
  6. Give your eggs a few swirls as they cook to avoid any pockets from forming
  7. When the eggs are about 70% done and just starting to peel away from the skillet, add the dates and the blueberry butter mixture
  8. Let some of the juice cook off before flipping over (keeps it from being too runny), give it a flip to let everything brown a little on the other side (only for a minute or two), and flip back
  9. Fold in half and serve
Almost ready to flip over...

Sure smells promising...





















And now that I've taken a couple bites?

Yep. I'm a mad genius.
It tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, only without the crap in the average peanut butter and jelly sandwich! (Peanuts, gluten, excessive sugar, and the chance that you're eating a butt-ton of chemicals too.)

Because it has berries and a medjool date, it's higher in sugars (natural sugars, but nonetheless sugars) than my usual omelets filled with veggies and meats. This will probably be an occasional change-up and not a regular thing.



Conclusion?

YUMMY!!!!!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Talk About Primal!

Do you need a cuteness overload? Go see "Chimpanzee".
Yes, it's a Disney movie, and therefore dripping with hyper-processed sugary sweetness. Doesn't take away from how freakin' cool chimpanzees are! There were so many shots of the little one, Oscar, who's only about 3 years old over the course of the movie, sitting on the jungle floor, examining his surroundings with enormous eyes, and looking smarter (frankly) than most people I know. The movie shows how Oscar and his large extended family go through life; hunting for food, grooming, playing, fending off attacks from rival families, and most hysterically, cracking nuts. Who knew that chimps were capable of shtick comedy? Oscar hasn't quite mastered the technique, so when he has yet to crack one on his own, he grabs a long tree branch, thinking that will be easier to use than his former smaller branch, and proceeds to break the long branch in half... then breaks it again... then figures out that a rock would be a smarter idea... and then proceeds to bash the living snot out of the stump holding the nut in place... and the nutshell is still completely intact. Oscars toes, however...

It's beyond cool to watch them move. I'm jealous of how tough and sure-footed they are. They climb straight up trees and vines like it's nothing, as opposed to me, who thought that the rope in gym class was some kind of torture device. The strength they have in their rotator cuffs is ridiculous. Even Oscar is holding onto a vine with one hand, slowing spinning around, ass over head, staring at the ground.

What really impressed me was how effortlessly they used their surroundings as tools. They made treetop nests/beds in about two minutes, used twigs to eat as many ants as they pleased, and the older chimps made cracking nuts look simple (as opposed to the inexperienced youngsters), often getting them to split with only one attempt.

Chimps are cool, plain and simple.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Food Porn... And I Got Pictures

Writing down my Thai Chicken Soup yesterday made me huuuuuuungry. Fortunately, it's not an expensive soup to make. True to my word, I added more veggies this time around along with ginger zest.

No more talking. Time for food porn.

Chicken in bacon fat with curry, cinnamon, and lime juice
While the sweet potato was in the oven cooking, I got the chicken going. The smell in my kitchen, especially from the cinnamon, was heavenly!















Sweet potato puree with coconut milk, chili sauce, garlic,
onion flakes, curry, and lime juice
A portion of my chopped veggies--
mushrooms and carrots
 The chicken is done cooking and is shredded, sitting on a plate, waiting to be added to the soup. The sweet potato is just out of the oven. Half of it makes its way into my blender, along with its spices and some coconut milk. Pureeing the daylights out of it leads to... you know, I could eat just that and be happy. The two cans of coconut milk and all the other spices are heating up in their big pot now, so it's time to turn my attention to the veggies. I like them crunchy, so I don't have to add these until the end, but it's better to get them chopped up right away. Which reminds me...

Spinach in the soup, cooking down
I should add my spinach! Looks like it's taking over the soup, but spinach cooks down quite a bit.


















After I throw everything into the pot and reduce the heat, I let everything simmer, stirring to prevent the coconut milk from producing a skin, and I get...
Finished product!!
YUMMMMM!!
Ginger root for zest


Leftover ginger root cut up to make... 
Ginger tea! Packs a punch!
Of course, this soup wouldn't be complete if there was no fresh ginger involved, and since ginger root is very inexpensive, I had enough to flavor the soup and cut up the remainder to make some homemade ginger tea.




Just a small pot of water and a dash of honey, cut ginger slices (with as much juice kept in and as much flesh on the ginger exposed to let that juice seep into the water), and a half hour on low heat yields this deliciousness.













Man alive, 
I love food!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Improvised Thai Chicken Soup, Or "Dump Food In A Pot And Cook It"

Lime and coconut were meant to be together. 

I mean, there's a whole song about them! That's fate!

Like peanut butter and jelly (a Paleo nyet-nyet), hot dogs and ketchup (another Paleo nein-nein), pizza and beer (do you see a "Paleo no-no" pattern here?), they are tastes that just fit together so well, one wonders how anything could keep them apart. Unlike the afore-mentioned pairings (anything with a strict double "no" after it), this is Paleo-friendly.

Beware: this was me cooking, tasting as I went, adding what I liked, with no strict measurements and no set outcome expected. I needed to clear my head by focusing on one task for an hour, and this was it (with a yummy result). This is really how I like cooking, though. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of this process; I cooked this soup during a voluntary and somewhat necessary Communication/Technology Blackout, needing some time free from screens and chatter. I will make this soup again, though, so an update filled with pictures may be in order.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of chicken breasts
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 2 cans coconut milk, full fat (like I need to say that)
  • a buttload of spices
    • chili sauce
    • lime juice (duh)
    • freshly chopped garlic
    • dried onion flakes
    • tarragon
    • cilantro
    • curry powder
    • cumin
    • turmeric
    • cinnamon
  • cooking fat for chicken (I used bacon fat)
  • Silk Coconut Milk, Original (for sweet potato puree)
  • walnuts (for garnish)
Directions-- They're Kinda Annoying:

Chicken:
  1. Heat large skillet with a little cooking fat (in my case, bacon fat, but since this is a Thai-inspired soup, ghee wouldn't be totally out of line, nor would coconut oil...)
  2. Once sizzling hot, add your chicken
  3. Cover with curry powder, cinnamon, and lime juice
  4. Once cooked, remove from skillet and pull apart. Keep the shredded chicken on separate plate until you're ready to add it to your soup
Sweet Potato Puree:
  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Skin and cube sweet potato
  3. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender
  4. Take half of the cubes throw into your blender, and add--
    1. generous splash of coconut milk
    2. garlic
    3. cinnamon
    4. lime juice
    5. dash of chili sauce
    6. curry powder
    7. *optional-- chicken broth or stock if you want your soup to be thinner... I didn't...
  5. Blend together until it's a nice, thick consistency-- it should be a gorgeous orange color when you're done
  6. Cover other half of sweet potato cubes with curry and wait to add to soup
Soup-- Put It All Together:
  1. Slowly heat two cans of coconut milk-- no frothing or burning
  2. Add as much of each spice as you prefer-- I wanted sweet with a touch of kick-you-in-the-face spicy, so I went heavy with the lime, curry, and chili sauce
  3. Add sweet potato puree and mix thoroughly-- color of your soup should be a light orange from the sweet potato and the chili sauce and the curry and the turmeric
  4. Add remainder of sweet potato cubes-- if you need to, cut these down to whatever bite-size you like
  5. Add shredded chicken and reduce heat to "low"
  6. Let simmer for a while, stirring occasionally
  7. Once everything has warmed and blended perfectly, turn off heat, fill your bowl with sweet deliciousness, garnish with a handful of walnuts for extra crunch, and enjoy!
Next time I make this, I'll actually head to the market before I start cooking instead of raiding whatever I had in my fridge and cupboards. I'll be sure to add more veggies to it, like baby spinach, mushrooms, and possibly some carrots. I love having nuts with soup for additional textures, so pine nuts may make an appearance too.
I used the brand on the left-- mmmmm
Pay attention to the label-- avoid sugar, soy, and MSG!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Don't Stop Me Now

Taking a short break from writing. Trying a few new recipes in the interim.

Life sure can hit you all at once, can't it?

In the meantime, here's something shiny to distract you:


Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Divine In You

I'm writing this despite certain emotional turmoil... or maybe because of this emotional turmoil... who the hell knows.

This is a topic I've been alluding to over a few different posts: Divinity.

What in the world does Divinity have to do with food? More than you might think...

Read through whatever scriptures or texts that you consider to be meaningful to your life, and I can guarantee that in there somewhere is a mention that you too are capable of Great and Good, that you too are as able as the entity that gives you strength and belief.

You are Divine.

The power that makes your heart beat and your brain whirl and your stomach digest and your muscles move is the same power that makes you act from a place of compassion, think complex philosophies, battle disease, and move mountains. Your Body gives you the opportunity to interact with all that Life has to offer, through your Body's perceptions, your Body's abilities.

Nowadays, people have forgotten that they are Divine. We treat our greatest assets-- namely, our selves-- as dispensable or replaceable, and our bodies have become that belief made physical; we fill our tissues with toxins from redundant and dangerous medicines to master or even punish our bodies for displaying symptoms that serve as a warning that something in our bodies isn't working correctly; we ignore looking for solutions and instead look for instant relief; we consume food we know is bad for us because it's available. We waste away.

My blog and my personal experiences are not the only sources online or in the world of what happens when you start treating you Body, your Heart, your Mind, maybe even your Soul, as elements worthy of respect, nourishment, comfort, and affection. I'm nowhere near a master at this attitude, the last hour and a half's worth of angry snot-tears serving as proof of that. But even when I'm scraping the bottom of my emotional barrel, I still acknowledge that when I think it's pointless to keep going through the motions of pretending like I care about myself, I can avoid shoveling a pizza down my gullet. I can instead choose to heat up some Paleo Thai Chicken Soup and get a mug of tea, thereby putting good fuel into my body, altering my chemistry, making it possible for me to feel better, maybe even sleep well tonight, and maybe wake up tomorrow morning with a brighter outlook.

Food directly influences your ability to feel and function better.

Eating healthy fats, particularly grass-fes meats that have a healthy fat balance (Omega 3 and Omega 6) in them already, is a proven method of reducing or eliminating certain forms of depression. If you become sad or depressed and can't shake it, feeling like everything in your world is causing you pain, feeling like you're not living up to standard that the Divine in you is worth, would you like to prove that thought-process right by hijacking your Body's chances of healing when you eat food that won't help your chemical make-up change, or would you rather eat something that gives you sustenance, gives you another day to make things better? I wish I was above resorting to cliche, but just because it's popular doesn't mean it's wrong: you are what you eat. If you eat good food, you are able to feel and function at your highest capacity. If you have some sense of conscience and aren't preoccupied with feeling miserable all the time, isn't it safe to conclude that you're more likely to interact with Life with something else on your mind than how much your experiences with Life suck?

What would you be able to do if you weren't battling physical, emotional, or mental diseases? How are you worth anything less than that? And what if it became easier if you weren't constantly eating garbage, smothering the Divine in you?

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Well, the T and the A and the B and the A and the T and the A and the OMG...

(If the title makes no sense to you at all, watch this music video, and at the 2:45 mark, it'll all become clear...)

Taking a break from my established format of taunting you with yummy-yummy food, I'm instead going to write a quick post about a Tabata workout I did on Friday.

In case you've a.) never heard of Tabata, or b.) don't remember what's involved, here's a breakdown:

Tabata protocol:

  • 4 different exercises, repeated twice
  • 20 seconds for each exercise at 100% intensity (provided you can do the exercise properly the entire time)
  • 10 seconds of rest in between each exercise
  • Rotate through each exercise once in order, repeat immediately (1, (10 sec), 2, (10 sec), 3, (10 sec), 4, (10 sec), 1, (10 sec), 2, (10 sec), 3, (10 sec), 4, done)
Four minutes of total ass-kicking. Don't believe me? Give this a try:

Friday's Butt-Whompin':
  1. Jackknife w/ Bender Ball exchange
  2. Pilates toning-- side leg lifts (right leg 1st round, left leg 2nd round)
  3. Push-ups
  4. Glute bridge w/ full ROM pulses (never touching the floor)
I started off with about 5 minutes of cardio at about 80% before I did this series and made sure to stretch afterwards. Tabata is more fun for me if each series has a theme to it; this one didn't require me to stand at any point, but rather go through a full circle- on my back---> on one side---> face down---> on my back---> repeat. Sometimes I'll do full-body exercises for all four segments: mountain climbers---> burpees---> walk-out push-ups---> squat w/ curl/press. What makes Tabata fun is that I can tailor it to my body's current status. Since Thursday's Kickboxing class was a challenging one, I needed a chance to focus on getting stiffness out of my lower back and hips.

Tabata is quickly becoming my favorite new exercise format simply because I can do it without any equipment if I need to, can do it any time of day in almost any location (might be hard to do stuff inside my little little car), and can mix it up with different exercises, even if they're exercises I normally hate doing. After all, I'm only doing that dreaded exercise for a total of 40 seconds-- who can't do that? It's very easy to stay motivated with Tabata; the mantra becomes "anybody can do this for 20 seconds". And it's always done to your 100%, not the 100% someone else can do or expects out of you. It gives you the chance to know exactly how hard you can push your body and when you can dial it down a bit. I was surprised at how this mindset of "anybody can do this for 20 seconds" started helping me through harder and longer rounds in Kickboxing. "Anybody can do this (soul-crushing exercise) for one minute!" Turns out, yep, I sure can!

Oh, by the way, have you been able to get the song from the afore-mentioned music video out of your head? Rather catchy, isn't it?

Friday, April 13, 2012

Sweet Potato Fries For Emotional Boo-Boos

Before...
I finished my taxes today.

I haven't ripped out my hair.

I didn't down a fifth of scotch.

I haven't put my head in the oven.

But I am making sweet potato fries. And I might eat them all in 20 minutes.

Don't judge me.

Financial nonsense aside, the last couple days have been an emotional crapfest. Lots of anger issues bubbling up, making me, I'm sure, an absolute delight. Fortunately, I have a few things to look forward to this weekend, and a sweet potato on my counter not doin' nothin'. A little comfort food? Uh, yes please!

After.
I'm working on Smell-O-Vision
Ingredients:
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • coconut flour
  • spices to taste
Directions:
  1. Preheat your oven to 375
  2. Peel your sweet potato and slice into fries or chips, whatever shape you prefer
  3. Whisk together egg, olive oil, and spices in a bowl
  4. Egg-wash the potato slices and lightly dust with as much coconut flour as needed
  5. Bake for 30 minutes, take out and flip over slices to prevent burning, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and brown
  6. Let them cool before you shovel them down your gullet, and growl protectively at anyone that tries to take what is rightfully yours


Thursday, April 12, 2012

Paleo Puddings and a Power Ranger

Easter candy is the best. You know why? Three words: Cadbury Creme Eggs. They're like crack. So now that the holiday has passed and the candy surplus is on sale everywhere I go, I'm having a hard time resisting the frequent opportunity to empty my bag of change and fill my mouth of sweet teeth with hyper-processed sugar, fondant, and chocolate. Sublimating my sugar cravings with tea, nuts, and fruit only gets me so far, and that's when I start in on the dark chocolate/healthy fat combinations. To my delight, I also discovered that gelatin is Paleo-friendly!

Time for another round of "I'm A Mad Genius!", I would say...

Paleo Puddings!
Dun-dun-duhhhhhhnnnnn!


Texture Is Everything
Good fats make good desserts like Chocolate Avocado Pudding and Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream-- both very satisfying with little sugar needed. Thing is, to achieve certain textures, those fats aren't enough. Eggs (whites, yokes, or entire eggs) will thicken things like ice cream, but usually require an ice cream maker to keep the mixture from crystallizing as it freezes. I don't have an ice cream maker, nor do I want to go out and get one for fear of how much I will start to use it. (Haven't I already established that I'm not to be trusted around Cadbury Creme Eggs?) Instead, I went to my market, put on my Paleo blinders, and got some unflavored gelatin. (It helps to pretend the Easter candy doesn't exist. It also helps to chastise it in your head as you walk by it.)

Mmm hmm... and I'm not talking (only) about the Jell-o flavor...
Chocolate Avocado Pudding has a wonderful texture to it without having to add any thickener. No, the gelatin was going to be for my Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream. I've made Jell-o before (I miss the days when Power Rangers had their own Jell-o flavors; give it up for the Black Ranger Berry Black!), but never experimented with adding it to recipes of my own. All I remembered is that in order for gelatin to dissolve and then mold correctly, it has to be added to colder liquid first, then have the hot liquid added.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding
I make this once every month or two
Ingredients:

  • 3 avocados
  • 6 Tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup raw honey (soften if needed)
  • vanilla extract to taste
  • coconut milk to texture
  • sea salt (for garnish)
Directions:
  1. Admit that you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, head to a grocery store, and buy avocados
  2. Proceed to wait 3-4 days before the avocados are ripe enough to use, effectively blowing right past your initial craving
  3. Combine cocoa powder, honey, coconut milk, and a splash of vanilla in your blender. This mixture should be a little thinner than what you want because the avocado will make it thicker. Keep adding coconut milk as needed
  4. Add avocado in small chunks and blend until it's about as smooth as Rico Suave
  5. Sprinkle sea salt and enjoy!
Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients:
I don't know if it's "ice cream" or not,
but it is damned good!
  • 1 small packet of gelatin
  • 1 can coconut milk, full fat
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (the darker, the better... that means even less sugar involved)
Equipment:
  • double boiler (large pot for boiling water, metal bowl to place over)
  • blender
  • Tupperware OR Popsicle molds if you'd rather try some portion control
Directions:
  1. Blend your coconut milk and gelatin together to dissolve the powder
  2. In your double boiler, melt your dark chocolate. Should only take 5-6 minutes. Do not let the chocolate boil or burn
  3. Once thin enough, add the melted chocolate to the blender and mix thoroughly
  4. Pour into your Tupperware or Popsicle molds
  5. To get it to set quickly, store in a freezer for at least 2 hours
If it sets too hard from camping out in the freezer, you can always thaw it in a microwave for 10-15 seconds. That'll make it hold it's texture, yet soften enough to scoop out of your container and eat without breaking your teeth.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Inflammation... Can You Feel The Heat...?

Since converting to Paleo, I've noticed many previous minor health concerns disappear or change significantly. The three that have changed the most for me: acne, joint pain, and allergies. All of them, really, are signs of inflammation, and all of that inflammation was coming from a former diet heavy in grains and dairy, even though I had been educated for years that they were "healthy" for me.

Eating foods that keep your immune system under a constant barrage means that your body doesn't have the ability to fight off additional problems. So how can those foods be called "healthy"?!

Here's where I started out:
  • My skin used to be so sensitive that even I couldn't touch my own face without fear of a massive breakout... the kind that makes you feel like you'd rather rip all you skin off and replace it with Jell-o
  • I had been getting endless injuries from kickboxing because my joints and attachments were so sore from bad food choices that they couldn't take further abuse, so if I kicked the heavy bag the wrong way on a day of conditioning, my ankle would scream at me for the rest of the week
  • This time last year, my allergies were so bad that they actually made me sick-- I spent almost a week so sick that I lost about 6 pounds in less than 48 hours, couldn't eat, couldn't drink, and spoiled any energy I had conserved when I had to throw up the snot I'd been collecting
I've been eating strictly Paleo for 8 months now. What's happened in 8 months? Well, once I gave up grains in particular and slightly increased my healthy fat intake, all these issues started fading away into nothingness:
  • I went from using Proactiv every day twice a day to using baking powder and apple cider vinegar once a day with almost no breakouts (unless I eat something I shouldn't)
  • I went from icing ankles and feet and knees a couple times a month to increasing my strength, flexibility, muscle tone, endurance, and posture... pain free
  • I can breathe through my nose and mouth at the same time, my eyes aren't red and scratchy and endlessly watering, and I'm not confined to the couch watching my life waste away before my swollen, bloodshot eyes
Side note: an injury from high school has made my left knee ultra sensitive to weather changes. Turns out now, it's also sensitive to dietary changes; when I eat some kind of grain product, I'll feel wicked stiffness in that knee for a few days, until I work most of the food out of me.

And because I had this thought before Easter, but didn't find a picture for it until today, here ya go:

Monday, April 9, 2012

Apple Nachos-- So Simple, It's Almost Not Fair

Again, I sing the praises of StumbleUpon. Last night, winding down from a good Easter weekend, I was surfing the site and found this... this simplistic, yummy, adaptable idea, and knew I had to try it myself. My way.

These were gone quickly
Apple Nachos.


... yeah.


You'll only need a few ingredients, nothing measured specifically:

Ingredients:

  • 1 Granny Smith Apple
  • raw honey
  • almond butter (be bold and go with crunchy)
  • vanilla extract
  • unsweetened shredded coconut
  • *optional: lemon juice

Directions:
  1. Grab all your ingredients, a knife, a plate, a microwave-safe bowl, and a microwave (obviously)
  2. Was that too hard for you? Hope not, because now you need to core and slice the apple into fairly thin pieces
  3. Wipe the sweat from your brow and arrange the slices on your plate. Catch your breath
  4. Combine a large spoonful of crunchy almond butter, a dash of vanilla extract, and a teaspoon of raw honey in your microwave-safe bowl, and nuke for 30-40 seconds (do this in 10-second blocks with stirring in between), or until it's thin like a syrup
  5. Drizzle onto your apple chips/slices
  6. Sprinkle generous amounts of unsweetened shredded coconut onto the whole thing
  7. Enjoy as a snack OR a side to a brunch-y type meal OR even a dessert
Why is the lemon juice listed as "optional"? Lemon juice keeps the flesh of exposed fruit, particularly apples, from browning when they're cut and exposed to oxygen. But in this case, you'll probably eat the apple nachos so fast, they won't have time to brown... I did...

Next time, I think I'm going to try baking the apples, see if that brings out different flavors. As it is, this was a perfect addition to my bacon and mushroom Mini Frittatas and almond white tea.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Intermittent Fasting-- The Key Is...

You're gonna need a bigger boat...
and I'm gonna need a new pair of shorts...
So, can anybody tell me why "Jaws" is always playing on Easter weekend?

Friday evening into Saturday afternoon was spent doing an intermittent fast, giving me a chance to clean out my system and reduce the allergies that were flaring up. Last year at about this time, my allergies were so bad that I actually got sick. I'm talking sick to the point of not being able to eat or drink... or sleep or breathe... for almost two days. That is not a good way to lose 6 pounds in 38 hours.

Things have been blessedly different this year, not having to digest grains or dairy, giving my body a chance to naturally fight off the abundance of irritants that haven't yet been washed away by any spring snow showers or rain. The fast was a necessity since I had made the choice to cook with ghee for a few meals last week, and felt my sinuses start to swell like snot-filled balloons.

Intermittent Fasting melds perfectly with a Paleo lifestyle. It's pretty safe to assume that cave-boys-and-girls didn't have saber-tooth tiger burgers available on every corner. When there was food, they ate it. And when there wasn't... they had to suck it up and wait for more. Actually, after watching "Planet Earth" and seeing how long it takes many predators to make a decent kill, enough to feed themselves or their offspring or their pack/pride/posse, it makes sense that our ancestors would have had to go through a similar process.

There are a few different ways you can fast, but I prefer to eat a big(ish) early dinner, get as much sleep as I can, and not eat anything until mid afternoon the next day. That usually works out to 16-17 hours, with the time split between sleeping and doing average activities: taking my dogs to the dog park; work; cleaning; reading; laundry; whatever's going to keep me entertained and not bored enough to reach for convenient food. (That's "the key".) When I'm down to the last few hours, I start to cook my "re-entry meal". It's usually something that takes long enough time to make that I can tastes little bits of it as I go, thereby re-introducing food back into my belly without eating so much that I immediately feel stuffed.

I even do short workouts when fasting, paying special attention to staying hydrated. (Coconut water is perfect.) Sometimes, I find I have even more energy when I haven't eaten before kicking my own ass. The moment I start to feel shaky is the moment I know I've gone too far. Truthfully though, I've only felt shaky once, and that was the first time I ever did a fast. Since then, I've learned my limits.

Fasting isn't starvation. Fasting isn't for immediate weight loss. Fasting is to get the body to act naturally and use what it has in it.

And now I know why "Jaws" plays every Easter weekend: it's hard to watch the last hour on The Orca without screeching out 'sweet Jesus!' every few minutes.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Easter Weekend IM Fasting

I've been struggling to write for a couple hours now, going back and forth on how to talk about Intermittent Fasting and relating it to Easter... but really, all I got is this:


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Spice Profile: Cinnamon

Why in the world you cook healthy and whole food if it didn't taste good? What motivation would you have to stay away from the copious quantities of crap out there?

But what do you do if your food doesn't start out tasting as great as you hoped?

Spice it up!

Think about it: when you eat gross, slimy, greasy, or hyper-processed food that you know is horrible for you, you do it despite knowing that it's adding bulk to your body, clogging your arteries, rotting your teeth, and tearing your digestive tract full of tiny holes, letting crap (quite literally) seep back into your system. But you eat it because it tastes good enough for you to push all that information onto the back burner.

Well, eating Paleo means you get to enjoy flavor and quality at the same time. All it takes is a little creativity, a little bravery to try new things, and a well-stocked spice cupboard.

I mentioned before that I used to work as a massage therapist. During most of my sessions, I used essential oils to enhance bodywork. These essential oils were plant or food based-- lemon, orange, peppermint, wintergreen, basil, lavender, and so on-- in high concentration so that they could be used in small drops to get a big result. When they're in oil form, they can be applied directly to the skin, provided you're not allergic to the plant or food they're extracted from. I fell in love with them so much that I started using some of them in my own cooking long before I switched to Paleo.

Cinnamon:
One of my favorites to use was cinnamon. It's an impressive spice in any form, commonly used by massage therapists, aromatherapists, and acupuncturists or specialists in Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

First and foremost, cinnamon creates warmth; it boosts circulation, speeding up activity in the body, which generates heat that can burn off bacteria. When you're feeling under the weather, cinnamon is one of the best things you can eat to help your body process a cold or even flu-like symptoms. I add cinnamon to some of my recipes if I need to clear my sinuses or rid a head cold at warp speed-- works every time.

Cinnamon is also an antiseptic, preventing and killing many infections and viruses. It can be diffused as an oil to affect an entire room or building, applied to the skin as a diluted oil to be absorbed through pores, or eaten with other foods to be digested. Even the New York Times published a study about how hospitals were able to use cinnamon oil to sterilize as effectively as many of their other antibacterial products... and without harsh, abrasive chemicals or that lingering chemical smell!

With that variety of benefits and many more, cinnamon is proven to be a strong immune system booster without chemical backlash that can come from artificial, man-made products swirling around in your body.

And Now, We Cook:
I lose track of how many recipes I have that call for cinnamon in some amount! It's sweet and aromatic, so it's wonderful to pair with Paleo baked goods (like coconut flour bread), fruits (like apples and berries), nut recipes, and even some drinks like Paleo hot chocolate (oooh, I'll have to print up that recipe next). It's also got a zing to it, making it ideal for Thai and Indian cuisine, especially when it's complimented with coconut milk, lime, sesame oil, or orange. It's warm and comforting, making it ideal for cold-weather recipes, but it's also potent and rich, giving some depth to lighter-tasting summer meals.

Cinnamon doesn't spike insulin levels, so if you're trying to lose unnecessary weight, cinnamon can be added to enhance the flavors of your proteins, fats, and healthy carbs, since it won't behave like a regular sweetener like honey or other natural sugars. Pork and apples or applesauce, for example, taste phenomenal with some cinnamon added to it! Sweet potato fries can be covered in coconut oil, curry, and cinnamon, and will make you discard every other snack option for all time, they're that good!

If you have any cinnamon recipes that you'd like to share, lemmie know!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Spaghetti Squash Bliss

Spaghetti squash... mmmm...
What the hell happened to the weather?! The weekend was absolute perfection, or as perfect as things can be in the mountains for a girl who prefers the ocean. Today? Today's is that Weekend's Ass-Ugly Step-Sister. What a disappointment.

Ah well. Guess that means I have to stay inside and cook. Gee. Darn.

After running a Kickboxing class this morning and putting my subjects through a certain amount of torment, and then a quick Tabata workout to satiate my own workout needs... and flirting with an irresistibly adorable 7 month old who was sorta offering free smooches and free ear-nibbles... I got back to my new-but-starting-to-become-comfortably-lived-in house and took stock of yesterday's kill... ie: trip to the grocery store. Gloriosky, there was spaghetti squash to be found at the market in Fort Collins! And it only took 3-4 weeks of habitually searching endless stores in a 20 mile radius. (Worth it.)

Kickboxing meant I got to break in a few new kick and punch combos with The Tuesday Regulars. They're troopers-- they will do anything I ask, do it well, and do it better when I start to egg them on... because even when you're approaching 70, you can still be a badass! It's always fun to see some of the older ladies get their gloves on, head to the bags, sink into their stance, and go to town, even if it's while doing a movement or punch combination they're not yet familiar with. Whoever said old people get set in their ways haven't met these chicks! I had several people come up to me afterwards and say that was one of the best classes or the hardest workouts they've ever had, all said through enormous toothy grins. That alone made my day!

Then off to the second level of Orchards for a quick and private personal ass-kicking. Tabata is perfect for anyone that loves variety and pliable workouts-- I've done it for just over 2 months now, and have yet to repeat a workout. Most of Kickboxing was cardio/leg intensive, so I focused instead on abs and upper body since I had demonstrated everything and did as much during the class for myself as I could justify. The rounds of weighted chest press with the exercise ball will hurt tomorrow, I'm sure, but will pay off by the weekend when I don't feel a shred of soreness in my back and feel my posture lining up better all on its own. As long as I know what the exercise is for (balance, control, posture, toning, strength, flexibility, heart health, etc.), I don't mind a little temporary soreness.

And then home after getting a little baby-snuggle time. (Could one day turn into baby-smuggle time, meaning that kid finds his way home with me. Trouble is, I'm on the waiting list, what with all the other gym regulars that called 'dibs' when they saw his cute wil' pudgy cheeks.) It's cold and gray outside, and feels like being back in the Midwest, so I crank up the heat on my stove to heat the teapot and pull out the leftover pork stir-fry. Once my stomach stops yelling at me for food, I can focus on prepping a few larger meals for the next few days. And lo, spaghetti squash is just waitin' for me, all pretty and yellow, on my counter, begging to be baked and shredded and enjoyed...

Now, the reason so much of this entry is about anything other than spaghetti squash and how to prep it is because it is not that hard to prep spaghetti squash. Just be sure you have a "Psycho"-worthy knife and some time to kill.

Don't believe me? Watch this!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Cheating, Cheating, Paleo Eating

Many of my friends are good cooks, one couple in particular. When we get together for semi-regular dinners, it's always fun to open up a few bottles of homemade wine or mead and savor the smells in the kitchen as we nosh on olives and feta, talking and laughing and speculating on how much kick-ass is going to be in the next episode of "Game of Thrones". Last night's dinner will be hard to top, what with the honey and lemon braised lamb, the grape-leaf ground beef roll-ups with onion and red pepper, the pomegranate cardamom sorbet... and again I say, the lamb. So far, a pretty respectable Paleo meal, though this couple is not Paleo at all-- they had also made homemade flatbread and "dragon rice" (more red pepper), and those were easy enough for me to resist, save for one itty bitty piece of bread.

"What did you DO to me?!" -My Stomach
My ultimate undoing showed up in the form of half-dollar sized lemon cookies. Whenever I have a meal or snack that involves gluten, my Paleo cheat, I actually try to overdo it. Instead of munching on one small bit of bread just for the texture or having one small cookie for the flavor, I get a running start and jump off the cliff into the raging rapids below; I have 15 cookies instead, and while that may not seem like much to someone that hasn't eliminated gluten and grains from their standard diet, it ends up being the equivalent of digesting sand to me. But I do it this way for a reason; if I have only small amounts of gluten or grains come back into a meal, I don't usually notice any immediate or lasting discomfort. It just makes me feel bloated and drains me of decent energy for a couple days, but then I start thinking it's acceptable to have cheats more often, like once a week... or once a day. But if I overdo it, I feel like I've been sucker-punched in the abdomen, run over by a panzer, and had my joints and spine replaced with chalk. And I associate that horrible horrible horrible feeling with the crap I allowed back into my body, meaning I won't want to eat anything like it again for at least another month, after my digestive tract has repaired itself and my liver and kidneys have stopped screaming at me like an Edvard Munch painting.

The takeaway: when you eat Paleo, of course you're going to cheat a few times. Too much of our society is built on grains, and too much of our food supply has garbage in it, so to completely eliminate everything bad for you means you'd have to move into the woods and eat nothing but rabbit and squirrel until you get your sharp pointy stick and your bow and arrows ready to go. Cheating isn't bad, not at all. It's just, shall we say, delicate. I've had the temptation a few times to change my Paleo cheat schedule to once a week, but I can't bring myself to do it because that would result in me feeling like poo for more time than I'd like during my week, and I don't see a Friday Double Stuf Oreo as worth it.

So go ahead! Have a grilled cheese sandwich made with white bread and nuclear/traffic cone colored cheeze product. Just do what you have to do to ensure those sandwich materials won't be hovering in your kitchen for the next month!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Mini Frittatas

Man alive, do I love StumbleUpon and Pinterest! Browsing through these sites last night, I found a recipe for mini frittatas that were baked in cupcake pans. I hadn't had anything planned for breakfast, so...

Ingredients:
I made five. One is missing from this picture. I have no idea
where it went. *munch munch munch*
... what?
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat) OR organic heavy cream
  • any fillings
    • mushrooms
    • celery
    • carrots
    • spinach
    • bacon
    • ham
    • and so on...
  • spices to taste
I've been doing a lot of cooking with ghee lately, which is clarified butter and is therefore dairy. (Thus, I opted for coconut milk instead.) Dairy, for the most part, is a Paleo no-no for several reasons: it spikes blood sugar; it usually contains growth hormones and other junk unless it comes from sources that are actually well taken care of (ie: grassfed, no GMOs, etc.); it's often modified with high fructose corn syrup in cheaper brands; and in my own experience, it makes my skin break out something horrible. But the beautiful part of ghee is that it's pretty much nothing but fat! It's butter that has been boiled to separate the fats from the dairy, so it has the texture of butter and can be used when butter is called for, but it has none of the dairy components that usually trigger reactions. I kicked my dairy addiction years ago after realizing that my dairy cravings always resulted in menstrual cramps that made me quite literally beg for death, and so was a little hesitant when I started using small amounts of it again, even though I've not had any bad reactions. Truthfully, if a recipe calls for dairy, I try to use a coconut base instead, and it works out well.

Directions:
  1. Get a small mixing bowl, a whisk, a cupcake pan, and an oven. No, an Easy-Bake Oven will not suffice
  2. Preheat your big-boy-or-girl oven to 350
  3. Add eggs, coconut milk, and spices together in your bowl and whisk away to get the mixture nice and frothy
  4. Coat pan with a cooking oil, spread, or spray
  5. Pour egg mixture into about 4-6 spaces, depending on how large they are. Fill only halfway with egg, then add your fillings and stir gently to mix together
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes
Where's my proton pack...?
A note of caution-- it's okay if these start out seeming a little under-filled. I made only 5 by pouring too much into each space, and as a result had egg growing out of the cupcake spaces like a marshmallow in a microwave. It looked hot and really angry. --->

And so breakfast/brunch consisted of 2 1/2 of these yummy mini frittatas, a Granny Smith apple, and a little bit of crunchy almond butter. Another recipe/cooking technique I'll have to add to my list!