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Turkey Time

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I LOVE eating and I love all the flavors and types of food served on that holiday. Sadly, some of those foods aren’t healthy or good for you. So, between now and next Thursday, I will post a few recipes that you can try out this holiday season and still maintain your Paleo lifestyle. Bon Appetit!

Citrus Grilled Turkey Breast

1 (5- to 6-lb.) skin-on, bone-in turkey breast
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Preparation
1. Let turkey breast stand at room temperature 30 minutes; rinse with cold water, and pat turkey dry.
2. Stir together parsley, next 4 ingredients, and 1 tsp. salt. Loosen and lift skin from turkey without totally detaching skin, and rub parsley mixture under skin. Replace skin. Sprinkle cavity with 1/2 tsp. salt; rub into cavity. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 tsp. salt on skin; rub into skin.
3. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat; leave other side unlit. Place turkey over lit side, and grill, without grill lid, 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer turkey to unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 165°. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes before slicing.

Believe it or not, this recipe was found in Southern Living November 2011 edition

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Easy Pepper Steak over Cauliflower Rice

Gang – here’s a super easy, super fast dinner you can add to your Whole 30 challenge.

1 lb Beef Steak, cubed
1/2 head broccoli, chopped
½ green pepper, cut in chunks
½ red pepper, cut in chunks
½ yellow pepper, cut in chunks
½ yellow onion, cut in chunks
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 TBSP Coconut Oil
¼ cup water
½ – full head of cauliflower
¼ – ½ tsp each:  Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper  – add Red Pepper Flakes for a spicier version.

Season the beef steak with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Chop cauliflower into pieces and place in a food processor.  Pulse until the cauliflower is the consistency of rice.  Place 3 TBSP of Coconut Oil in a cast iron skillet.  Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic to the oil.  Place all pepper chunks, broccoli and onion into the skillet as well.  Sauté over medium heat until peppers and onions soften.  Add beef steak and sauté until a little pink is left in the middle.  Add ¼ cup of water and reduce heat to simmer.

In the meantime, add 3 TBSP coconut oil and 1 clove of minced garlic to another skillet.  Add cauliflower and sauté until softened.  Add Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, and salt and blend with cauliflower.  Place the pepper steak over the cauliflower and top with fresh cracked pepper.  Serves 2.  Add with a nice salad for a simple, easy meal.

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Sleep – Repairing Your Body

So last week you started the Whole 30 challenge to heal your body through nutrition. And you have been committed to regular workouts. As you have started feeling better, and having more energy, let’s consider how stressed your body has been in other areas. Let’s face it, we work hard at our jobs to chase the American dream, and we want be healthy doing it, so we work out and eat healthy. That is difficult sometimes just to keep those plates spinning. Add on family time, hobbies and outside commitments like organized sports, and civic/community organizations. Simply there are never enough hours in the day. Sleep is often a low priority when we have a lot to do.

It well known by all of us, that the average adult needs about 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Yet, many of us (heck most of us) operate at something researchers call sleep debt which is the effect of not getting enough rest and sleep. A large debt causes mental, emotional and physical fatigue. Forgoing sleep therefore messes up physiological functioning and contributes to stress, inflammation, cancer, diabetes, and a whole host of diseases. In layman’s terms, our body takes a beating every day and it needs time to repair itself. Crossfitter’s, you especially, need to be interested in getting enough sleep because it can effect recovery time and reduce stress on the body. But get this… sleep can even help you lose weight. Yep, it is crucial to fat loss as it helps bodies to modulate insulin, leptin and cortisol levels. (Check out this short article on Sleep loss & risk for Type 2 diabetes)

Let’s raise a question here, why are you eating Paleo and working out? Besides looking good and feeling great, isn’t part of the answer to reduce your risk factors for health issues? If that is the case, consider getting enough sleep as part of your training regimen. As you are taking the Whole 30 challenge this month, use this time to also include carving out time to rest and restore your body through sleep. Here are some simple things to consider helping you get that good night sleep:

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals that Interfere with Sleep
2. Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep-Inducing Environment: quiet, dark, comfortable temperature.
3. Establish a pre-sleep routine which allows your body to pick up cues it is time to rest: bath, brush teeth, and relaxation exercises, to name a few. Give your body a rest from technology at least ½ hour prior to bedtime.
4. Lighten up evening meals; avoid foods that cause indigestion, finish dinner several hours before bedtime. If you need to snack, make it a light one to get you through the night.
5. Balance liquid intake. Make sure you are hydrated enough prior to bedtime so you won’t wake thirsty, but not too much that you have to wake to go to the bathroom.
6. Exercise early. Allow three hours prior to sleep. Exercise stimulates the body and secretes the stress hormone cortisol that activates the alerting mechanisms in your brain.
7. Keep Your Internal Clock Set with a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
8. Can’t find the time to sleep? Prioritize your activities – see what you can cut out or do later so that you can sleep. Consider less time in activities such as TV, Social Media, gaming systems, etc.
Really gang, no excuses- you have no more “special circumstances” then the rest of us. WE ALL ARE BUSY! As you can see, sleep is an important part of your healthy routine. It comes down to priority. What is your priority?

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Think Outside the Brown Bagged Lunch

We all lead busy lives trying to fit in workouts and healthy eating in between work, soccer games, school commitments etc. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I seem to live in my car. When you are committed to the Paleo lifestyle, you cannot just make a peanut butter sandwich for that quick lunch or snack on the fly. BUT, with some planning and easy ideas, you still can pull together something quick for those days when you need it and not be your ordinary brown bag lunch.
Here are some super easy meals for the next week to put in your lunches:

DAY 1: Angry Chicken Wrap

Shredded chicken breast (or Turkey)
Tomatoes sliced or diced, however you prefer
Diced jalapeno
Diced red & green pepper
Avocado slices
Romaine lettuce leaves
Drizzle of Everyday Paleo chipoltle mayo

Use leftover shredded chicken breast (or Turkey) Slice or dice your ingredients. Place these ingredients in a ziploc bag either together or separately. Leave lettuce leaves whole and place in their own ziploc. Place the chipotle mayo in container. When ready to eat, layer the chicken, ingredients, and drizzle of mayo on the romaine leaf and roll into a wrap.

DAY 2: Lunch Scavenge
This can be a great way to clean out the fridge with all those leftover or small portions you have left from the weekend. The idea here is small bites of a variety of things. Keep in mind you want protein, heavier on the veggies than fruit, and some good oil. Here are just a few ideas:

Protien
Hardboiled egg
Salmon
Turkey
Chicken
Tuna
Beef

Fruits/Veggies
Apple slices
Veggie tray (celery, carrots, broccoli, etc)
Fresh spinach
Berries
Melon slices
Pickles/olives

Good Oils
Paleo mayo
Guacamole
Olive Oil
Paleo salad dressings

Mix together for salads or eat separately as sort of your own Paleo Tapas Lunch. Be creative AND use up your leftovers

Day 3: Oven Baked Spiced Chicken Legs

Make these ahead of time for the week. Add cut veggies/fruit or a salad for the side. These are an easy and tasty lunch that is great cold or heated up. Are you a parent of active kids on the go? Here is then a solution for an easy throw together meal for the evening before those practices or games. Freeze any leftovers and they are easy to pull out on the fly.

Spice Rub For Chicken Leg:

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix altogether. Double or even triple this recipe and place in a spice container on your shelf for future use.

Oven Baked Chicken Legs:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dry the chicken legs with a paper towel. Rub the spice rub generously all over each chicken leg. Place on a baking sheet. Bake chicken legs until reaches 160 degrees internally (about 45 minutes). For crispier outside, place legs under the broiler for about 5 minutes. Make this in bulk and place in freezer for future easy meals.

Day 4: Tuna Salad with Fresh Dill Avocado Boats
1 (6 ounce) can tuna
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons Paleo mayonnaise
1-2 avocados

Mix ingredients together. Skin and take out the seed from an avocado and fill with the tuna salad mixture.

Day 5: End of the season Tomato, Basil, Mint Salad

5 whole tomatoes sliced (use a variety of heirlooms for a culinary treat)
Fresh Basil leaves
Fresh Mint leaves
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Course Sea Salt

Slice tomatoes, dice fresh basil and mint leaves (I use kitchen shears to cut up leaves). Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. Top with a pinch of course sea salt. Pair with leftover turkey or chicken breast for a balanced lunch.

Good Luck in your first week of the CFWH Whole 30 challenge!

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START SMART – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Breakfast is a must!  But it is often one of the hardest meals to do because it means cooking early in the morning.  Either you are not a morning person (like me) and it is a slow start, or you are crazy busy trying to get the kids off to school AND get yourself out the door to work on time.  Often mornings can be chaotic, let alone trying to plan and cook a healthy breakfast.  Here are some easy, quick breakfast options.  If you take a little time to plan and prep, breakfast can be a cinch.

RECIPE 1:  EASY CLEANOUT THE FRIDGE BREAKFAST HASH

**  Key for fast prep is to cut and prepare veggies ahead of time.

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup yellow squash, chopped
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 eggs, poached or cooked any style

Directions:

Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter to pan. Add garlic and onion and saute for 2 minutes, then add chopped squash or your favorite vegetable, cook for 2 more minutes.. Cook for 5-minutes or until almost compete.  At this point add salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Drain well before plating.

While finishing this, prepare eggs to your liking (I like over medium as this is easiest) in another pan.

To serve, drained hash mixture to and then add to individual plates. On top of hash add 2 cooked eggs per person.  This is nice served with some avocado.

NOTE:  Vary your veggies – add peppers, sweet potato, butternut squash, asparagus etc.

 

RECIPE 2:  NUTS & FRUIT MIX

2 oz sliced almonds, 1 oz chopped pecans and 1 oz walnuts (really any type of nut), fresh fruit chopped, handful of coconut slivers, 1 tsp ground flax, 1 cup Coconut  milk to cover.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

RECIPE 3:  CHORIZO SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH FRESH SALSA 

• 4 eggs
• Chorizo (no fillers)
• 2 cups fresh spinach

Place chorizo in skillet and brown.  When brown, add fresh spinach and wilt.  As the spinach begins to wilt, add your eggs in a non-stick skillet to scramble. Add about 1 TBSP water to make eggs fluffier.  Scramble all together.

Top Eggs with:Avocado – peeled and sliced, 3 Green onions chopped, 1-2 TBSP fresh salsa

For fresh salsa (make ahead):

• 1 – 16 oz canned tomatoes (just tomatos)
• ¼ Bunch cilantro – washed, stems picked out
• 1 Jalapeno pepper diced/minced

Drain the tomatoes to really dry (set aside).  Put the juice in the blender, place cilantro and jalapeno pepper in the juice.  Blend juice.  Then place tomatoes in and pulse a few times.  Refridgerate.

 

RECIPE 4:  EGG CUPCAKES

 And finally, has anyone checked out Sarah Fragoso’s Everyday Paleo Egg Cupcakes?  They are easy to make and to batch make for the week.  

Oh, before you shop, read your labels carefully.  Make sure meats are all natural, vegetarian fed and all ingredients are Paleo.  And don’t forget, Yonder Way is a GREAT resource for natural, vegetarian fed protein.  If you haven’t ordered from them before, perhaps now is a great time to try them out.

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Five Steps to a successful Whole 30 Challenge

Now that you have gone through the seminar, let’s get off to a good start.  Here are five steps you can do this week to prepare for your Whole 30 challenge.

STEP 1:  CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE/PANTRY

Yes, it is painful, but just do it!  Let’s face it, we have seen the reports recently that companies are adding sugar, salt and fats in their products and making them addicting. There is a reason for that…they want you to consume it, so you buy more.  The less you are tempted to eat these addicting foods, the more successful your challenge will be.  So, PURGE IT! 

How do you do this successfully? 

1. If need be, get yourself a partner to keep you accountable on what you throw out
2. Get some paper bags or boxes to place items in
3. Read the labels:  If you cannot pronounce it, have no clue what the ingredients are, and it isn’t a naturally occurring item in the food chain…THROW IT OUT.
4. If the food is still within the expiration dates, donate it to your local food pantry.  Not only will you help yourself, you will help others less fortunate.

STEP 2:  PLAN AHEAD: ALL MEALS, SNACKS, AND PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED HUNGER ATTACK

We all start out with good intentions. But when life hits, we revert back to what is easy and convenient. That Snickers candy bar or potato chips in the vending machine looks pretty good at 3:00 pm in the afternoon when lunch was a distant memory and dinner is too far away.  Or when you got out of work late and forget to get the meat out to thaw…takeout looks pretty good.

How do you plan ahead?

1. Set aside 1-2 hours EACH WEEK for the following activities:  recipe gathering, menu planning and generating a shopping list (include couponing tasks if you like to save).
2. Have planning tools available:  computer, pens, paper, coupons, scissors, envelopes, menu planning template, shopping list template, etc.  Consider making a box or area designated for this.  If you make it easy & accessible, you would be more likely to do this.

Click here for Meal Plan Sample, Shopping List Template, Sample Shopping List

you choose recipes, write down the ingredients you need from the grocery store on your shopping list. 

STEP 3:  UPDATE YOUR SPICE RACK

One of the fears of healthy eating is that you get sick of bland tasting food, or food that is boring.  Eating Whole 9 approved does not mean the food has to taste disgusting.  Fruits, veggies and meat can all be spiced up.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t even know what is IN my spice rack.  It can be a mess.  So, here is what I suggest to do prior to the Whole 30 Challenge:

1. Inventory your Spice Rack – write it all down on a list and post it in your cabinet for reference.  Keep this up to date as you add and delete spices.
2. Throw out old, buggy, clumpy spices…replace it with a new jar of that particular spice
3. Consolidate multiple jars of the same spice (we get multiples sometimes because we don’t know what is in there)
4. Keep your spices organized – get a spice rack if you need it
5. Think fresh!  If you have an herb garden GREAT!  If not, you can buy fresh herbs at the grocery store.  Invest in a fresh herb keeper – it will save you money in the long run.

STEP 4:  STOCK UP ON PANTRY ITEMS

Now that you have cleaned out your fridge and pantry of NON Whole 30 approved foods, stock up on pantry items you will use in a variety of recipes.  Either buy all at once so you have a good stock on hand, or gradually add as you plan your meals each week…adding what products you need to do the recipes you are making for each week.  Eventually, you will have what you need by doing this.  However, just like your spices, you need to inventory and keep your pantry organized for efficient and successful meal planning.  Here is what you should consider:

Oils:  Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia Oil

Stock items:  olives, coconut milk, sauces and spice mixtures (tomato & curry), vinegar, horseradish, tamari sauce, almond meal, flax meal

Nuts & seeds:  macadamia, hazelnut, almond, pistachio, pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds (realize only 4 oz a day)

STEP 4:  GATHER & ORGANIZE PROPER KITCHEN UTENSILS & YOUR KITCHEN

Cooking is harder when you don’t have the right equipment or utensils.  If you can’t find something or don’t have it, it will be easier to throw out your “plan” than to go to the store to get it. So, before you start, take note of what you have and what you need. 

Here are some thoughts to consider:

1. Note what knives you have.  Take the time to sharpen now.  Get what you need, if you do not have many.
2. Make sure kitchen appliances are easily accessible and in working condition.  Good appliances to have:  food processor, steamer, blender, Crockpot, Magic Bullet, dehydrator, mandolin food slicer, nut grinder, if you are so blessed to have this…a VitaMix.  I also use a toaster oven to bake in, since it is just the two of us.  And oh…a coffee pot.  I cannot go without my coffee and I am so thankful coffee is not contraband in Whole 30!
3. Pots and pans.  These are essential.  Have a few good sizes of saucepots, a couple of small to large skillets, a wok pan is good to have, griddle, grill pan, a soup pot and maybe wok pan (if you have it).  I love cooking on cast iron.  If you are cooking on cast iron, make sure you the skillet is prepared.  Also consider your baking pans & dishes – various sizes of baking dishes, cookie sheets, and muffin tins.
4. Utensils:  Find, organize, and get them ready to use.  Good tools to have on hand:  wooden spoons, vegetable peeler, garlic press, grater, whisk, measuring cups & spoons, mixing bowls, spatulas, cutting boards (two would be good – one for meat & one for produce)
5. Good storage items:  You need plastic ware & Ziplocs to keep all you prepped food items, leftovers.  Something I LOVE is the green veggie keeper bags – they really do work.  (Debbie Meyers Green Bags)

 Now, that you have gathered all you are need, take some time to organize your kitchen.  Items that are organized and easy to find will be easy to use.  A little organization creates more opportunity for success.

STEP 5:  PREPPING FOOD

Folks, this is the key to quick, easy meal preparation.  When you are short on time, and have to get meals on the fly, you will often choose the easy, less healthy route.  If you prepare ahead of time, you will have food at your finger tips, and meals will take half the time. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. FREEZE IT!  Many items you can freeze to use at a later date.  Know what can freeze and what cannot.  You would be surprised at what can go in the freezer.
2. When you get meat home from the grocery store, divide your meats into meal portions.  For instance, if you buy hamburger in bulk, make them into 1 lb serving sizes.  Better yet, prepare some of them and freeze, or marinate them in the freezer.  Brown your burger, sausage, etc and put into freezer bags.  Marinate a dinner amount of chicken in Ziplocs and place in the freezer, so all you have to do is pull it out to thaw.
3. On Sundays, prepare sauces and soups for the week.  Freeze leftovers.
4. Chop your veggies at the beginning of the week place in plastic containers.
5. Prep salads for the week.  To do this, wash and THOROUGHLY DRY the lettuce.  Place serving amount in 5 plastic containers.  Place “toppings in a separate container on top”.  Pull out what you need each day.
6. Double your recipe so that you have “leftovers” for other days or other meals.  If you cannot eat it this week, you can freeze it for a lunch next week.

 OK GANG, you can do this – with enough preparation this week, you can have success!

One final thing…  Check out this recent article by Robb Wolff.  This is a great article for newbies (or those who want to refresh their vision) on “What is the Paleo Diet”.  It is sure to inspire you as you plan and set your goals for this month.

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Monday 10/3/11

Strength Work

Supersets

Thrusters Sets of 3

Weighted Push Ups Sets of 5

Hip Mobility

Met Con

250 Row

30 Air Squats

250 Row

30 Burpees

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Monday 10/18/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

Every minute on the minute for 15 minutes perform :

2 Curtis P’s (Deadlift + Hang Clean+Front Lunge R+ Front Lunge L + Push Press= 1 Curtis P) + 5 Sit Ups

 

Then……

4 x 1 minute of Single Unders (5 Burpee Penalty for each break of the rope) Rest 1:00 in between rounds.

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Tuesday 10/5/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

Push Press

3-3-3-3-3

Met Con

Row 500 m

Run 800m

50 Push Ups

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Monday 10/4/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

AMRAP in 3 minutes

Air Squat

Rest 2 minutes

AMRAP in 12 minutes

15 Double Unders

10 Renegade Rows

5 Pull Ups

Rest 5 minutes

AMRAP in 3 minutes

TGU

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