Atomic CrossFit Nutrition

Bad Carbs - Reblog

2011-12-15T11:00:00.000-06:00

It's not so much about keeping track of the number of calories but it is more about keeping track of sugars and bad carbs.

Most people can count calories. Many have a clue about where fat lurks in their diets. However, fewer give carbohydrates much thought, or know why they should.

But a growing number of top nutritional scientists blame excessive carbohydrates — not fat — for America's ills. They say cutting carbohydrates is the key to reversing obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

"Fat is not the problem," says Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases."....................

..................."Carbohydrates are a metabolic bully," Phinney says. "They cut in front of fat as a fuel source and insist on being burned first. What isn't burned gets stored as fat, and doesn't come out of storage as long as carbs are available. And in the average American diet, they always are." (read the article)

A Message from Yonder Way Farm

2011-09-13T09:09:00.004-05:00

This is a friendly reminder that the Sugar Land Delivery will take place...

When: Thursday, September 22
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Where: Dickinson Elementary

Please place your milk orders by midnight Saturday, September 17.
Please place your non-milk orders by midnight Tuesday, September 20.
CLICK HERE to go directly to our website to place your order.

We Love Serving You,
The Yonder Way Farm Family
5500 Highway 105
Brenham, TX 77840
www.YonderWayFarm.com
979-530-4444

Latest Paleo Recipe Websites

2011-09-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

Just added 3 new Paleo Recipe Websites for your paleo and paleo-friendly home cooking resources:

www.everydaypaleo.com

www.sweetcheekshq.com

Yonder Way Farm Delivery

2011-08-04T17:14:00.000-05:00

This is a friendly reminder that the Sugar Land Delivery will take place...

When: Thursday, August 11
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Where: Dickinson Elementary

Please place your milk orders by midnight Saturday, August 6.

Please place your non-milk orders by midnight Tuesday, August 9.

CLICK HERE to go directly to their website to place your order.

Yonder Way Farm Delivery & Important News

2011-07-21T10:37:00.002-05:00

The Atomic CrossFit orders has a new delivery location. From here and on all orders will be picked up at Dickson Elementary in Sugar Land.

The delivery is coming up on Thursday, July 28 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm at Dickinson Elementary.

You will have until midnight Saturday, July 23 to place your orders for raw milk from Stryk’s Dairy. Please place your for products from our farm during this time as well.

You will have until midnight on Tuesday, July 26 to get your non-milk orders placed.

When ordering milk please take into consideration our new milk policy. Please go to our website (MILK) to read further about our new milk policy.

CLICK HERE to go directly to our website to place your order.

Paleo In A Nutshell - Part 1

2011-06-11T21:30:00.001-05:00

"Change Your Surroundings" By Josh Bunch of Practice CrossFit

2011-05-22T11:11:00.011-05:00

Source: Practice CrossFit's Nutrition Videos Library

Does your breakfast have enough protein?

2011-05-21T12:05:00.002-05:00

Eat a Protein-Rich Breakfast to Reduce Food Cravings, Prevent Overeating Later, Researcher Finds

ScienceDaily (May 19, 2011) — A University of Missouri researcher has found that eating a healthy breakfast, especially one high in protein, increases satiety and reduces hunger throughout the day. In addition, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) the researchers found that eating a protein-rich breakfast reduces the brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior. (Read article)

Paleo Cube Steak

2011-04-12T10:59:00.003-05:00

Greetings!

I was in the mood for an old comfort food that my mom used to make, Cube Steak. She would cover the meat in flour and cook and then add more flour and make gravy. Yummy! I found a recipe for Paleo Cube Steak and I must say, it turned out pretty good. I of course found this on the internet because recipe creation is not my thing.

This is not an exact recipe, so just mix things together until you get a good taste.

Paleo Cube Steak

Ingredients:
Beef Round Steak
Almonds
Herbs and Spices (I used oregano, basil, a little Italian Seasoning, garlic salt and pepper)
Olive Oil
Grapeseed Oil (to cook with)

Combine approximately 1/4 cup of the almonds and the herbs and spices (just add generous pinches of everything) with a splash or two of the olive oil in a food processor. Mix until it is the consistency of bread crumbs. Coat the meat with the mixture. *I had to make the mixture 3 times to coat all of my meat, so you might need to put more almonds, herbs and spices so that you don't have to make multiple batches. But I had A LOT of meat.

Heat a few tablespoons of the grapeseed oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Cook the meat for 3-5 min on each side. Let the meat rest for 3 min before serving.

Happy Eating!
Beth

Perfect Fit Meals Store at ACF

2011-02-08T10:25:00.011-06:00

For your convenience, Perfect Fit Meals is now set up as a retailer with their cooler in our facility. We have "Paleo-friendly" Lunch/Dinner and Breakfast Meals available in Small sizes for those who want to purchase them from our site. We will have a daily sign up list on the white board when you pick up any meals from the cooler. Then pay for them via our On-Line Retail store the same method as you would when purchasing our merchandise. Perfect Fit Meals will be restocking the cooler every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There will also be an option to buy in advance directly at their site for large size meals (Order Form) and they will deliver and store them in the cooler. The selections can vary each week, so please check out their site for more details.

Good Meat, Cooked Right

2011-01-28T08:25:00.007-06:00

I was looking through Jason's blog at www.yonderwayfarm.com and came across a post about how to cook your grass-fed beef. It cooks a lot differently than the grain-fed beef you buy at the grocery store. Once you follow a few simple tips, you will be on your way to eating the best meat you've ever had! Below is the post with a link to a great article.

5 Ways to achieve grass-fed beef cooking nirvana

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 02:11PM

(photo of cows taken on our farm, Spring 2009)

We get a lot of questions about how to cook grass-fed meats- especially beef.

The truth is that cooking grass-fed beef is entirely different. When we first began cooking our meats from the first wave of meats that came back from the processor, I was a little disappointed in the tenderness in the beef. Okay....really disappointed.

But, I was treating our wonderfully raised grass-fed grass-finished beef as I would corn-fed feedlot beef.

Once I figured out the cooking technique, I fell in love with our beef (and pork and chicken for that matter). The flavors are rich, the broths are thick, and the texture is just as it should be.

I found this article on Kelly the Kitchen Kop (wonderful site full of great info) to be extremely helpful with a lot of good information and tips on how to cook grass-fed beef.

5 Ways to Achieve Grass-fed Beef Cooking Nirvana

Click on the link above to go to an amazing article chock full of cooking techniques. And then, be sure to subscribe to Kelly's blog. You'll be thrilled you did!

True Gluten Free - Paleo Eating For The Athlete

2011-01-27T10:59:00.003-06:00

We would like to thank Dr. Peter Osborne, a board certified clinical nutritionist, for his educational presentation on "Eating Clean" and how it applies to each individual athlete and their family. Check out his video (link).

Yonder Way Farm Tour

2011-01-15T16:15:00.006-06:00

Our local farmer is open to the public. If you want to know where your food comes from and how they are being raised, come and check out our local farmer, Yonder Way Farm. Below are a few paragraphs from their most recently updated website. We at Atomic Crossfit (Stafford, TX) are part of their delivery group locations wherein your order will be dropped off once a month at our facility on the last Thursday of each month and the order is due by the Tuesday before the delivery date. Our liaison is Heather Dusek and her email address is heather@atomiccrossfit.com. (ORDER FORM)

"Produce and Produce Stand"

You read that right! We are very excited about being able to offer our customers produce. This has been inspired by the many requests we've received by a good majority of our customers. By the middle to the end of February we are hoping to have our first crop of cool season vegetables. I have long awaited this time. With the help of John Borden, our new produce farmer, and two other friends/farmers, Preston Boenker and Mike Bodensteiner, this is quickly falling into place. Most of the production will be on Preston's land in Old Washington because he has a large prairie of river bottom loam- the most optimum soil fertility around. Some of the specialty crops ranging from lettuces, heirlooms, and smaller scale vegetables will be on our farm. We are also hoping to have a produce stand that will be open during the week for drive-up customers along with offering this produce to all of our delivery groups. More information is coming soon so stay tuned to see how you can obtain locally grown produce along with your meats and eggs.

“On-Farm Market”

We are hoping the have an “On-Farm Market” twice a month where customers can come and purchase their meat, eggs, dairy, produce, and get other wonderful products that are provided by other local artisans around us. Farm tours will be given and we hope to have many things for your entire family to do making this a family day full of fun while connecting families with their food and the producers that produce them. Mark your calendars for February 26th!

Our goal is to produce and provide the cleanest food we possibly can at an affordable price for as many families as we possibly can, while being completely transparent about our operation. Supporting your local farmer goes much farther than just obtaining food. It is a symbiotic relationship that impacts both the producer and consumer."

Emotional Eating

2011-01-11T14:03:00.004-06:00

Emotional Eating: Six Types Of 'Problem Eating' To Watch For

..............."To state the obvious, not all eating problems are the same. Accordingly, there needs to be a bit more specificity about the different categories of eating problems to help individuals build a more useful map. My aim is to provide a point of view that may allow you to view your experience through a different lens, and in doing so, allow for a new pattern to emerge. Having spent over 30 years in private practice as a clinical psychologist, I've learned a lot about how individuals relate to food. Below is a summary of my learning that will hopefully provide some bits of wisdom"......

......"The moment you choose to engage in a weight-loss strategy that has an expiration date, you can't possibly succeed. The only difference between this kind of eating and the others is the belief that something good will come of it. It won't. Stop doing diets now unless you've chosen one that you intend to be a permanent lifestyle change. "..........

......"successful weight loss is dangerous, since it gives you the illusion you've achieved your goal. You haven't. You've just started. Weight-loss maintenance involves creating a totally different lifestyle algorithm, the step-by-step changes that must last a lifetime."........

by Llyod Glauberman, PHD (read more)
(thanks to Web Smith).

The Paleo Pitch

2011-01-11T13:24:00.001-06:00

The Paleo Pitch

Welcome to Whole9

2011-01-11T13:22:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Whole9

More Compilation of Recipes By Crystal Nelson

2011-01-02T21:18:00.004-06:00

Cinnamon Apple Chips

Ingredients:
3 Apples
Small Amount of Grapeseed Oil
Cinnamon

Slice apples into very thin slices and then coat with grapeseed oil. Lay apple slices on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until apples are deyhdrated and crisp. You might like them more on the gooey side and not as crisp. It depends on your taste.

Vanilla Cinnamon Roasted Pecans

Ingredients:
2 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 cup of pecans

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and then place on a pyrex baking dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until slightly browned.

Lobster Salad on Cucumber Slices

Ingredients:

Cooked, Shelled Lobster
Diced Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Large Cucumber (peeled and sliced; about 1/4 inch per slice)
1/2 Cup of Organic Mayo or Homemade Paleo Mayo (maybe more if you have a lot of lobster)

Directions:

Chop lobster into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl. Add in diced yellow bell pepper and mayo. Stir all ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon lobster salad onto cucumber slice. Arrange on a platter and serve chilled.

Proscuttio Wrapped Pears: Complements of Everyday Paleo

Ingredients:

½ red onion, very thinly sliced
2 pears
1 package of prosciutto di parma
Baby Spinach leaves
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Heat the coconut oil in a small skillet and sauté onions until they are carmelized. (onions should be brown but not burnt). Peel and slice the pears into thick slices. Top each pear with a little bit of carmalized onion and one spinach leaf, wrap tightly with a piece of prosciutto. Grease a baking sheet with a little bit of grassfed organic butter, and place the pears on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. While the pears are baking, add the balsamic to a small sauce pan, heat over medium low until the balsamic is reduced down to a syrup like consistency, stirring often. Drizzle a small amount of the balsamic reduction over the pears and serve.

Easy Prosciutto Appetizer

Ingredients:
Quality Prosciutto (sliced thin)
Arugula
Toasted Pine Nuts (chopped)
Dried Fruit (currents are nice)

Directions:

Slice prosciutto in half
Arrange small amount of arugula on top
Top with toasted pine nuts and dried fruit
Roll it up and place on a platter!

Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 in thick and cut into strips
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup almond flour, in a small bowl
shredded coconut to cover the chicken
2 tblsp coconut oil

Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken in these three steps: Egg, Almond Flour, coconut; until the chicken is covered. Place the chicken in the skillet, cooking until golden brown on both sides; about 3-5 min each side. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

Beef, Sausage, and Veggie Soup: Complements of Everyday Paleo

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 lb grassfed ground beef
1 red onion diced
1 lb ground pork sausage
garlic powder
dried basil
dried oregano
3 dashes cayenne pepper
4 sliced carrots
8 sliced stalks of celery
1 bunch of cut up asparagus
4 cups of organic free range chicken broth
1 can of organic diced tomatoes

Cover the bottom of a big pot with olive oil and red onion. When onions start to become transparent, add beef and sausage. Brown meat and season with sea salt and a generous amount of garlic powder, basil, and dried oregano as well as the cayenne pepper. Throw in carrots, celery, asparagus, chicken broth, and tomatoes. Let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve in a crock
pot on low heat.

Apple Glazed Pork Roast

Ingredients:
3-4 lb pork loin roast
salt and pepper
4-6 apples, cored and quartered (peeled optional)
1/4 juice from an apple
3 Tb Raw Honey
1 tsp of ginger

Rub roast with salt and pepper. Brown under broiler to remove excess fat, drain well. Place apple quarters in bottom of crockpot. Place roast on top of apples. Combine rest of ingredients, spoon over roast. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Yummy Chocolate Muffins!

2010-12-27T21:23:00.002-06:00

Grain-Free Chocolate Chunk Muffins (courtesy of Emily @ Joyful Abode)

I made these a couple of weeks ago to satisfy a craving for something sweet. They were quite easy to make and turned out really well. Great snack to keep in the fridge and grab on the go!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Throw in the stand mixer (or mix with an electric hand-mixer):

About a cup of nut butter (almond, peanut, macadamia, whatever)
3 eggs
About 1/4 cup of honey
1 very ripe banana (I didn’t even bother cutting it up – the mixer did a good job pulverizing it)
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
Then when everything else is combined, about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Fill oiled muffin tins about 2/3 full with the batter and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Gluten Free January

2010-12-19T09:35:00.007-06:00

Here's a first of many challenges that we would like to offer our athletes at ACF.
Clean eating habits for health reasons, improved performance, longevity, weight loss and aesthetics. Let's start with getting rid of gluten. So what's the deal with gluten? (read and more)

So who wants to play? Sign up on the following link.

GLUTEN FREE JANUARY

Chef Tess Pepper Cardamom Rubbed Pot Roast with Balsamic Glazed Sweet Potatoes

2010-12-05T10:55:00.004-06:00

(courtesy of Chef Tess Bakeresse)

3 lb beef Chuck roast

2T olive oil

1 tsp each black pepper and cardamom

3 cloves pressed garlic

1T French Grey Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt
1/2 cup high grade Balsamic vinegar (thick syrup type)

1/4 cup apple cider concentrate

2 lb organic sweet potatoes, washed and peeled

In a heavy bottom large skillet, heat olive oil over very hot heat about 4 minutes. Pat the outside of the roast dry. Add to the skillet with the oil and brown on one side 5-7 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side. Remove from skillet. Place in heavy roaster pan.

Drizzle with the balsamic syrup and apple cider concentrate.
Rub the pepper cardamom mixture on the top of the roast. It just seems naughty...but it's so good.

Spread the crushed garlic over the spices and then top with the salt. Spread the salt out all over the roast.
Nestle the sweet potatoes in with the roast and lightly brush with the balsamic mixture from the bottom of the pan.

Place roast, covered, in a 350 degree oven 3-4 hours until tender. Remove the potatoes about half way through cooking so they don't get too moooshy. "Mooooshy" is a word.
The roast will be beautifully tender and flavorful.

The sweet potatoes will have absorbed the amazing juices from the roast and can be eaten whole...

or mashed.

To use as a freezer meal:

Allow meat to cool completely. Slice and transfer to a freezer safe bag or container. Drizzle with any remaining juices and place sweet potatoes with the meat.

To serve: Defrost overnight in the fridge. Place in microwave safe container and heat 8-10 minutes. Serve hot with fresh salad.

From The Food Lovers' Primal Plate

2010-12-02T13:27:00.001-06:00

Dark Chocolate Coconut Flour Cake
Ingredients:

3/4 cup Coconut Flour, sifted
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 cup melted Coconut Oil
1 cup Pure Maple Syrup
10 omega 3 eggs
1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Process:

Preheat oven to 325.
In a small bowl, add sifted coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, or Kitchen Aid mixer, blend eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil.
Add dry ingredients to wet and blend.
Grease two 9 inch cake pans with coconut oil.
Pour batter into pans.
Bake for 35 minutes. Test center with a tooth pick-if the tooth pick comes out clean, then the cakes are done.
Remove cakes from oven and cool.

Thanksgiving Menu Suggestions

2010-11-16T21:19:00.004-06:00

Your 2010 Thanksgiving Menu

by CrossFit Central's Crystal Nelson (Thanks for sharing Crystal!)

Thanksgiving is approaching fast and it is important to start thinking about what you are going to be eating on what is typically the biggest "pig-out" day of the year (minus the Superbowl). Here is my 2010 Thanksgiving Menu so that you can enjoy a healthy, tasty, appealing Thanksgiving weekend. Your family and friends will not even notice the difference in these dishes!! It is so EASY to eat clean, I have given you a lot to choose from. Here are the options!

Appetizer:

Shrimp Cocktail
Stuffed Party Mushrooms

DRINKS:
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Hot Cocoa

MEATS:

Beef Tenderloin
Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Turkey Breast with Herb Butter

SIDES:
Brussels Sprouts with browned butter and hazelnuts

Mashed Parsnips

Lemon Butter Asparagus

Maple-Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
Spicy Parmesan Green Bean and Kale
Orange Scented Broccoli and Cauliflower

TREATS:
Pumpkin Nut Muffins

Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Peach Crumble

Now pick your favorites!! You should have PLENTY of choices and new dishes.

APPETIZERS:

Shrimp Cocktail

Instructions:

Cocktail Sauce

½ C Ketchup (homemade or Organic)

About 1 Tb of horseradish (this depends on your taste, I like extra!)

Shrimp:

14 oz shelled and deviened cooked shrimp

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine ketchup and horseradish, mix well. Cover, refrigerate until serving time to blend flavors.
Arrange on shrimp on a serving tray, cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Stuffed Party Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 lb of medium sized whole fresh mushrooms

¼ C grated Parmeggiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

¼ C almond flour

¼ C finely chopped onion

½ tsp dried oregano leaves

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush or wipe mushrooms with damp cloth. Remove stems from mushrooms; set caps aside. Finely chop mushroom stems.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped stems and all remaining ingredients; mix well. Press mixture firmly into mushrooms caps, mounding on top. Place in ungreased 13X9 inch pan. ( You can cover and refrigerate at this point for up to 4 hours. Then bake when ready.)

Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve warm.

DRINKS:

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

2 TB pumpkin puree (canned or made all by yourself)
cinnamon
nutmeg
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
Tall/small coffee

Directions:
Mix together and enjoy your creamy, perfectly spiced drink with a kick.

Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

1 rounded tsp Dutch process cocoa powder

2-4 Tb heavy cream or full fat coconut milk

Hot water, not quite boiling

1 tsp or less sugar or maple syrup (optional)

Servings: 1 Drink

Directions:

Place cocoa powder in a mug and break up any firm lumps with the back of a spoon. Add the cream and coconut milk to the cocoa powder and stir to create a paste or slurry. Pour in a few tablespoons of hot water and stir to blend. Add more hot water to fill mug and stir well. If sweetening the hot cocoa, sweetener may be added at any time.

If cocoa doesn’t dissolve well, try again adding 2 Tb of hot water to cocoa and stirring first, before adding the cream and the rest of the water.

MEATS:

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:

4 ½ to 5 pound beef tenderloin roast
Butter
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove excess surface fat and connective tissue from roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Turn thin ends under; brush with melted butter. Insert meat thermometer so bulb reaches center of thickest part of meat. Do not add water or cover.

Bake at 425 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 140 degrees. To serve, cut into slices across grain of meat.

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

5 tsp Olive Oil

1 (3/4 lb) pork tenderloin

1 Tb chopped fresh rosemary

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/8 tsp salt

¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add pork tenderloin; cook until golden brown on all sides.

Place pork tenderloin in ungreased shallow baking pan. In small cup, combine remaining 3 tsp of oil, rosemary and garlic; mix well. Brush rosemary mixture over pork tenderloin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 425 degrees for 18 to 25 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices.

Roasted Turkey Breast with Herb Butter (compliments of Mark’s Daily Apple)

Ingredients:

4-5 pound bone-in turkey breast

3 Tb unsalted butter

1 Tb finely chopped fresh sage

1 Tb fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp. salt

`1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 C chicken or turkey broth

Servings: 6

Instructions:

Preheat oven 425 degrees

Gently melt butter with the herbs, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add the garlic. Gently pull the skin away from the turkey meat and drizzle a little bit of butter under the skin. Drizzle or brush the rest of the butter over the top of the turkey.

Roast the turkey uncovered in a roasting pan for 45 minutes. Then, add the broth to the pan and continue to roast until the temperature of the turkey reaches 165-170, about another 45 minutes. If the skin on the top of the turkey begins to get too dark, lightly cover it with foil.

Remove the turkey from the oven and pour any liquid into a sauté pan. Simmer the liquid on the stove for several minutes to reduce the liquid slightly. Slice the turkey off the bone, drizzle turkey juices on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SIDE DISHES:

Brussel Sprouts with browned butter and hazelnuts

Ingredients:

3 Tb butter, unsalted

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

¼ C chopped hazelnuts

3 Tb Water

Servings: 4

Directions:

Positions rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 450 degrees

Place butter on a rimmed baking pan that is large enough for the Brussels sprouts to roast in a single layer or else they will steam instead of roasting if too crowded. Roast until the butter is melted, browned and fragrant, 4-6 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven; toss the Brussels sprouts and hazelnuts with the browned butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Return to the oven and roast for 7 minutes. Remove briefly and sprinkle with water; toss, then continue roasting until the sprouts are tender and lightly browned; about 7-9 minutes more.

Mashed Parsnips

Ingredients:

2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 C chicken broth

Salt and butter to taste

¼ C of Cream (optional)

¼ tsp nutmeg and cinnamon (optional)

Servings: 2-4

Instructions

In a deep pan, combine parsnips with chicken broth and 1 ½ C water. With a lid on, simmer until very tender (about 15 minutes). Drain off broth and reserve it on the side. Mash parsnips with a fork or masher. Add broth and cream until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and butter to taste. Top with a pat of butter and if you wish, a dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Lemon Buttered Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh asparagus spears

3 Tb butter

1 Tb lemon juice

½ tsp grated lemon peel

Directions:

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. In large skillet, combine asparagus spears and ½ C water. Bring to a boil over medium heat cook 5 to 10 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan. Stir in lemon juice and lemon peel.

Place asparagus on serving platter; pour butter mixture over spears.

Maple-Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 small dark-orange sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes (about 4 cups)

¼ C real maple syrup (optional)

½ tsp cinnamon

2 Tb finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

In large saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, return to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return sweet potatoes to saucepan or place in serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine syrup and cinnamon; mix well. Add to sweet potatoes; toss gently to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle with walnuts.

Another option is to mash the sweet potatoes and mix in syrup, cinnamon, and walnuts.

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale

Ingredients:

6-8 Servings

3 Tb Olive Oil

1 medium onion, sliced

¼ lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1 ½ lbs green beans, trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces

2 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup dry white wine

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 bunch of kale, rinsed, stemmed, and coarsely chopped

2 Tb freshly squeeze lemon juice

3 Tb finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, green beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the kale and continue cooking until the kale is wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.

Orange Scented Broccoli and Cauliflower

Instructions:

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 navel orange, rind removed and reserved

Salt to taste

3 TB Olive Oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 Orange, juiced

Pepper

2 scallions, sliced

Directions:

Bring a couple inches of water to boil in a large skiller and add the florets, orange rind and salt. Cover and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain the broccoli and cauliflower, remove rind and transfer to a platter or bowl. Return pan to heat, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, 2 to 4 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower and turn to coat. Squeeze the orange juice over the pan and toss veggies again. Season the orange scented broccoli and cauliflower with salt and pepper, to your taste. Garnish with sliced scallions.

TREATS:

Pumpkin Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

½ C coconut flour, sifted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves or 2 tsps pumpkin pie spice mixture instead of individual spices

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ C cooked pureed pumpkin

6 eggs, beaten

4 Tb coconut oil (or unsalted butter), gently melted

1/3 C pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B (or less) or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ C coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

¾ C semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Servings: 12

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease muffin pans very well or use aluminum disposable muffin liners. Using aluminum foil liners instead of paper liners also allows the muffins to sit unsupported on a sheet pan without a muffin tin. A double batch baked in aluminum liners will fit on a large sheet pan for easier and faster baking of larger quantities.

Sift coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into small bowl. Stir to blend well and set aside.

Place pumpkin puree in a medium mixing bowl. One by one, crack the eggs into the bowl, mixing well with the pumpkin puree after each egg is added. Add melted coconut oil or butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and blend well with a whisk until most of the floury lumps have disappeared, but don’t stir more than necessary to blend. Gently fold in nuts, if using.

Spoon into greased muffin pan or cup liners to two-thirds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center of muffin is “clean” when removed.

Turn out and cool on wire rack. Serve or room temperature. No frosting needed.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup Canned pumpkin Puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of sea salt
2 pinches of grated nutmeg
2 organic eggs
2 Tbsp grade B maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk (full fat)

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Set a pot of water on to boil (enough water to fill the baking pan as directed below).

Combine pumpkin and all spices in one bowl.
In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs lightly then whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla and coconut milk.

Whisk the egg mixture into the pumpkin mixture until well combined.

Pour the custard into 6- 1/2 cup ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking pan and add enough boiling water to the dish to come up 2" high around the ramekins. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean. (I'm pretty sure mine took a bit longer to bake, but it may be my oven!)

Serve warm or chilled. Serves 6.

Peach Crumble

Ingredients:

Filling:

4 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced, or 3 cups frozen peach slices, thawed

Topping:

2 C blanced almond flour

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ C grapeseed oil

1 Tb vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place peaches in an 8 inch baking dish.

For the topping, combine the almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until coarsely blended and crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Let the crumble cool for 30 minutes, then serve warm.

Nutrition Seminar

2010-11-16T11:20:00.006-06:00

Melissa Urban (formerly Melissa Byers) and I used to blog at each others workout log on the CF Main Site message board back in 2008. She and her husband, Dallas, were in town at CF West Houston last May and I didn't get the chance to make it. They will be in town again on January 2011 to hold their second nutrition seminar in the Houston area. I will be attending their seminar package that weekend and will launch ACF's official PALEO CHALLENGE the following week. If you are interested please check out the registration below.

Saturday, Jan 8, 2011
9 AM - 5 PM
(Foundations)
CrossFit West Houston
Houston, TX

"But I'm just here to exercise" doesn't cut it anymore. We can't stress enough the importance of good nutrition. It takes a certain mindset and the discipline to carry on long-term of optimal nutritional habits and choices. It's not a quick fix, but check out THE WHOLE30 SUCCESS GUIDE. The holidays can be very challenging in the next month and a half, that is why ACF will start the challenge in January. Stay tuned for more details on the challenge later.....

Put It In A Phrase

2010-11-14T14:32:00.001-06:00

Simple Meal Ideas

2010-11-13T07:02:00.005-06:00

Breakfast:

Protein (/fat) = 2 Whole Eggs
Carbs = Cherry Tomatoes and Pineapple
Fat (/protein) =Yonder Way Farm Poorman's Bacon

Robb Wolf - The Paleolithic Solution Seminar

2010-11-12T16:50:00.018-06:00

Grace, Patty, Nate and Tammi attended Robb Wolf's Paleolithic Solution Seminar on October 31, 2010 at CrossFit West Houston

Grace with Erwan, founder of MovNat, and Nicki of Norcal Strength & Conditioning

Tammi and Robb

Grace and Robb

Nate ("nice shirt") and Tammi

Meal Ideas

2010-11-12T16:41:00.003-06:00

Protein = Grass Fed Ground Meatballs
(mixed with whole eggs, pepper, italian seasoning and a dash of salt)
Carbs = Raspberries and romaine lettuce
Fat = 1 large whole avocado and 2 tbsp of olive oil

What's In Your Food Pyramid?

2010-11-10T21:21:00.001-06:00

Below is the Food Pyramid guide followed by many in the CrossFit Community.:

It doesn't have to be this strict. The general rule of thumb is to limit consumption of non-favorable carbohydrates and others. Also, check out CrossFit Journal Issue 21 on Zone Meal Plans. Interestingly, there is a recently posted article below from Mark's Daily Apple on pyramids.

Rejected Food Pyramids

The USDA recently released a report outlining dietary guidelines for 2010. While the new guide has not been finalized, one thing is for certain, the food pyramid is in need of an upgrade. The classic, 1992 food pyramid was scrapped five years ago. Apparently someone in the government figured out that 10 cups of grains a day was not solving the obesity epidemic. The 2005 food pyramid (shown right, click to enlarge) wasn’t much better, not so much a pyramid as a cacophony of clip art and food photos clustered under colorful disco rays. Seriously, the milk section includes transparent cheese. Is that a new Kraft product?

Fortunately, the USDA is currently accepting comments and opinions about their new health guideline. I am considering submitting my own pyramid for review. In preparation, the Worker Bees have collected other food pyramids submitted by various health professionals and concerned citizens. I have learned that all of the following have been rejected and will not be recommended as adequate diet guidelines for the average American, though several were heavily considered.

Keep reading…

Local Grass Fed Beef and Raw Milk

2010-03-23T07:34:00.005-05:00

To order please check out the link to the order page. We now have a monthly group order in progress. The delivery will be made at our facility.

Discussions on Milk

2010-02-28T22:29:00.001-06:00

The Definitive Guide to Dairy

by Mark Sisson

I knew going in this was going to be a tricky one, because dairy, especially raw and/or fermented full-fat dairy, resides in a Primal gray area. The literature, the evolutionary reasoning, and the anecdotal reports all unanimously point to sugar, cereal grains and legumes, processed foods, and industrial vegetable oils as being net negatives on the human metabolic spectrum, but dairy is somewhat different. The other Neolithic foodstuffs we can rule out because the science condemning them is fairly concrete and they weren’t on the menu 20,000 years ago. Heck, they weren’t just off the menu; they were basically unrecognizable as food in the raw state. Dairy, on the other hand, is a relatively recent food chronologically, but it is most assuredly and obviously a viable nutritive source in its raw form. It’s full of highly bioavailable saturated fat, protein, and carbs – in equal portions. You could conceivably survive on milk alone (I wouldn’t recommend it, but you could technically do it; try doing the same with honey or raw millet). Milk is baby fuel. It’s literally meant to spur growth and enable a growing body. Our bodies definitely recognize dairy as food, even foreign bovine dairy. But is it good nutrition?

Keep reading…

The Zen and Art of Nutrition Maintenance

2009-12-15T22:37:00.000-06:00

So, thanksgiving feast came and left us behind with a small baggage of energy loss and a sense of lack of control. Now, we have more holiday feasts coming up ahead with company dinner parties, reunion of old friends and family/in-laws get-together. How do we deal with a sense of control on all these? The best way to really see what you are going to be stuffing yourself with during the holiday season is by recording your food and beverage intake in a little journal. Let's be honest here. Write everything down, everything....a candy here to a capuccino there....from the moment you wake up to just before you call it a night. After a week's worth, you should be able to see where you need to make adjustments. Do you eat enough and often enough to sustain your intense workouts? Remember, we are a performance based training center and if you only fuel up just to get by, your WODs will suffer. Therefore, you will not achieve the intensity that CrossFit requires in order for your body to change. It doesn't have to be drastic but let's take the time to dial in your nutrition

How does being sick affect your nutrition? (by Monica Reinagel)

2009-11-01T15:17:00.007-06:00

Having a cold won't have a significant effect on your metabolic rate, so your calorie needs remain the same as long as your level of activity stays the same. If you are less active because you are under the weather, your calorie needs will decrease accordingly. If you don't have a fever and you feel up to it, though, its fine to engage in your regular exercise routine. Exercise can help stimulate the immune system and may also help clear up congestion. If you're sharing equipment with others, though, be a peach and wipe down the equipment with disinfectant after you use it to prevent spreading your cold to others.

In terms of your nutritional needs, the immune response that's causing the stuffy nose and sniffles is also increasing free radical activity in your body. Foods that are high in antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, can help to clean up the extra free radicals. It's also a good idea to avoid excess sugar when you're fighting something off because sugar tends to depress the immune system. (Actually, it's really ALWAYS best to avoid eating a lot of sugar.)

Source: Nutrition Data

Halloween Warning

2009-10-31T18:35:00.006-05:00

After you eat a whole bunch of these, you'll feel a hard crash and you'll see proof of them around your waist and your hiney!

The shopping cart

2009-10-23T19:21:00.003-05:00

I started a Paleo/Zone this week, again. I say again, because I've attempted this a couple times and I've quit each time. I'm making the changes in my diet that I can handle and I'm determined to not beat myself up if I slip.

So,I went grocery shopping and for once I did not buy anything that might tempt me. I even bought some ground bison to try. I'll let you know how that works out! I'm going to make an effort to try new things each week. There's loads of great stuff in there!

-Teach

Methylmercury in Seafood

2009-10-18T20:20:00.008-05:00

Fish is our biggest source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids. As consumers, we would like to know how fish acquire methylmercury in their system.

Mercury occurs naturally in the environment, however, fish mainly accumulates methylmercury through exposure to industrial pollution. Mercury from rain, snow, and runoff will accumulate in streams, oceans, rivers and lakes. A chemical transformation aided by bacteria will turn mercury into methylmercury, which can be very toxic. Fish absorb them from water as they feed on the organisms found in the ocean and other bodies of water. The larger and longer living fish feed on other fish throughout their lives, therefore making them the carrier with the highest levels of methylmercury.

As stated within the results of the National Academy of Sciences' study, "Toxicology Effects of Methylmercury (by Committee on the Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury (Author), Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (Author), National Research Council (Author), National Research Council(Author), 2000:

"Because of the beneficial effects of fish consumption, the long term goal needs to be a reduction in the concentrations of mercury in fish rather than the replacement of fish in the diet by other foods. In the interim, the best method of maintaining fish consumption and minimizing mercury exposure is the consumption of fish known to have lower methylmercury concentrations."

The King Mackerel, Shark, Swordfish and Tilefish may contain high levels of methylmercury.

Fish considered to have low levels of methylmercury:
Catfish, Lobster, Scallops, Cod, Crab, Ocean Perch, Oysters, Shrimp, Flounder/Sole,
Rainbow Trout, Spiny Lobster, Haddock, Farmed Salmon, Tilapia, Herring,
Wild Salmon, Trout (farmed)

An alternative source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids is to supplement with purified (often called molecularly distilled) fish oil supplements. Omega-3 enriched eggs offer another alternative as well as micro algae-based omega-3 supplements.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice

Simple Meal Ideas

2009-10-18T20:10:00.004-05:00

Protein = Grilled Grass Fed Boneless Rib Eye
Carbs = Mixed greens and dried cranberries
Fat = Hazelnuts and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Simple Meal Ideas

2009-09-27T21:29:00.004-05:00

A recent trip to Black Walnut Cafe (First Colony Town Center/Mall) deemed fruitful for a paleo meal treat. Coach G is giving the dish above, BWC Sirloin Steak Salad, a worthy "10" on the Paleo Nutrition rating scale.

Simple Meal Ideas

2009-09-13T21:40:00.004-05:00

Protein = Angus Beef Rib Eye (Seasoned and pan seared, then broiled)
Carbs = Romaine lettuce, radiccio, orange slices
Fat = Olive oil and walnut dressing

Do you try to get extra energy from a can?

2009-09-07T14:29:00.003-05:00

http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_Graves_MethInACan.pdf

Keith Graves from MM Crossfit in Livermore, CA discusses some very intersting information as it pertains to energy drinks.
The food and beverage market is currently saturated with energy drinks. People flock to these thinking it will help them get the extra pick-me-up they are looking for. Read the attached article and maybe you will think twice before you sip.

-Tris

Simple Meal Ideas

2009-09-02T12:40:00.004-05:00

Protein = 6 oz. grilled chicken (marinade: fresh squeezed lime, olive oil, dried garlic, salt & pepper)
Fat = half of an avocado, sprinkled more olive oil on chicken
Carbs = Fresh large yellow bell pepper & a handful of seedless red grapes

Spaghetti Squash with Herb Pesto Sauce

2009-09-01T21:41:00.001-05:00

Spaghetti Squash with Herb Pesto Sauce

3 lb spaghetti squash
1/2 lb asparagus
1 large red bell pepper
2 large carrots

Sauce:
1 cup fresh basil leaves - firmly packed
1 cup fresh mint leaves - firmly packed
1 bunch chives - snipped
1/2 bunch watercress
2 tbs slivered almonds
1 large garlic cloves
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Using knife cut squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds from the center of the squash. In a large saucepan bring water and salt to a boil. Add squash, simmer covered for about 25 minutes.
2. Cut asparagus, peppers, and carrots into 2 inch lengths.
3. To prepare the sauce place the basil, mint, chives, watercress, almonds, garlic, and salt in a food processor. Process until ingredients are finely chopped.
4. With motor running, add the oil, broth, and lemon juice. Mix until pureed.
5. Once squash is finished simmering, remove from saucepan. Drain and let cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add 1/2 inch water to skillet bringing to a boil. Add asparagus, carrots, and peppers. Steam covered until tender.
7. Using a food, scrape the squash lengthwise into a large bowl, separate strands. This should look like spaghetti.
8. In a large boil, gently toss the spaghetti squash, vegetables, and pesto sauce.

Broccoli Melange

2009-09-01T21:40:00.002-05:00

Broccoli Melange

4 slices of bacon (whole foods carries bacon that is a lot less processed as kroger, etc - it's in the meat dept)
2 cloves or garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch of broccoli
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 medium ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced almonds

1. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch strips. Cook in a skillet until golden brown. Put aside to drain fat.
2. Pout off bacon grease from skillet - return 1 tbs to skillet and add garlic in thin slivers. Add olive oil to skillet and cook garlic until golden brown.
3. Remove garlic from skillet and discard. Cut broccoli into small flowerets. Add broccoli to the skillet with water, raisins, salt, and pepper flakes.
4. Cover the skillet and cook broccoli for 5 minutes. Remove cover and cook 2 minutes longer or until tender.
5. Add tomatoes, almonds, and bacon to the skillet. Toss gently to combine.

You can also use green beans instead of broccoli.

Standing Rib Roast

2009-09-01T21:39:00.001-05:00

Standing Rib Roast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 sp dried marjoram leaved
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp rubbed savory
Standing Rib Roast (any kind of roast will work)
1 cup burgundy wine (don't use cooking wine - use a red wine)

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Mix the salt and all the herbs together. Rub the mixture over the beef on all sides. Stand in baking pan fat side up.
2. Spoon the burgundy wine over the roast, place in oven. Baste several times. Use meat thermometer to determine when the meat is finished.

Non-Paleo gravy to go with if serving for company:
6 tbs roast beef dripping
1/4 cup unsifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cans of beef broth
1/2 cup burgundy wine

1. Gather drippings from roast pan after the roast is finished.
2. Add the 6 tbs of drippings, flour, and salt to the roast pan. Stir till a smooth mixture.
3. Gradually add the beef broth and burgundy wine, stirring constantly, stirring free of lumps.
4. Bring gravy to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Gravy is ready to serve.

Stuffed Eggplant Creole

2009-09-01T21:38:00.001-05:00

Stuffed Eggplant Creole

2 eggplants
water
salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic - crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 can tomatoes - undrained
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon tabasco

1. Wash egg plants. Cut into halves lengthwise. Add about 1 inch of water to a large skillet. Add a little sea salt. Bring water to a boil
2. Add eggplants to the skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the bulbs are soft. Remove from water set aside to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350. When eggplants are cool enough to handle use a large spoon to carefully scoop the pulp from each one - leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell. Chop the pulp.
4. In large skillet warm canola oil and garlic and onions. Add the ground beef. Cook until the beef is brown. Add the celery and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Stir tomatoes, thyme, and tobasco into the meat mixture.
6. Remove the skillet from heat and add the eggplant to the meat mixture.
7. Place the meat mixture inside the eggplant shells. Put shells in shallow baking pan and cook for 25 minutes.

Sharon's modifications:
When I want to simplify this recipe I grate the eggplants and steam it and then add to the meat mixture. I throw it in the oven, but just using a casserole dish, no eggplant shells to cook it in.

A great read from Robb Wolf

2009-08-25T07:03:00.003-05:00

Below is an article courtesy of Robb Wolf's website. This is a true testimonial to how just changing what you fuel your body with can change your performance. She also addresses switching from eating a vegetarian diet to a paleo diet and the changes she noticed from eating animal protein with every meal.

-Tris

Laura DeMarco: The Whole Enchilada!
By robbwolf August 22, 2009
Most of you know Laura DeMarco from her remarkable achievements at the Dirty South Qualifiers and the CrossFit Games. I first met Laura at the CrossFit Nutrition Cert in Atlanta and all I can say is she is impressive in every way. Smart, direct of thought and an absolute ass-kicker of an athlete. She is the rare combination of genetic gifts meeting a solid work-ethic and mental toughness. Hers is an interesting story in that it progresses over the course of YEARS and shows how a shift in food quality was just as powerful a change in her health and performance as a shift in her training. A huge thank-you to Laura for taking the time to write this very personal and detailed account. Also, a thank-you to Laura for just giving it a shot and letting the RESULTS speak for themselves.
It all began with teenage body issues. I read health magazines, ate low-fat foods and tried to get more exercise. I wasn’t overweight, but I didn’t want to be. Although I was body conscious, the idea of fitness never came into play; I didn’t know any athletes and never participated in a sport.
When I was 15, I went to dinner at a relative’s house not knowing what was on the menu. The meatballs tasted a bit odd, but it wasn’t until after the meal that I was told it was venison from a deer my cousins had hunted and killed earlier that week. I was appalled! No, not Bambi! I decided at that point that if someone had the fortitude to kill, skin and butcher an animal, they had every right to eat it, but I couldn’t go through that process – I wasn’t tough enough. If I was not willing to deal with the blood and guts, perhaps I shouldn’t be eating meat.
Later that year, I decided to become a vegetarian, much to the chagrin of my family. They had no idea why I would want to go and do a thing like that. I believed that this was the best choice for my personal morals, the environment and my health. I had read about the carbon footprint of animal production and how it pollutes the environment with antibiotics and runoff. There was a ton of published information about how harmful animal products were to your health; what with all the cholesterol and saturated fat…who would choose to give themselves a heart attack? I took vitamins, steamed my vegetables and eschewed fat. I never even ate fast food (which was not a difficult task; back in the 90’s there wasn’t much in the way of vegetarian foods – even the McDonald’s french fries were cooked in animal fat).
College brought new challenges. To save money, I lived off of spaghetti. Lots of spaghetti. And bread. Cheap AND vegetarian! Even better, it was all fat-free! I woke up at 5 in the morning regularly to go to the gym, where I did my static stretching, weight circuits and cardio on the treadmill. I wasn’t fat, but I wasn’t fit either.
I continued to eat a vegetarian diet and stick to my gym routine throughout my twenties. When I had my daughter in 2000, I only gained 20 pounds through eating decent (though not Paleo) foods and exercising consistently. In fact, my labor was only an hour-and-a-half, and I credit that to regular exercise.
I took time off from my career to take care of my daughter, and ended up never going back to my field of Art Direction/Graphic Design (which was fine; I hated sitting at a desk for 12 hours a day anyway!). I worked at The Container Store managing visual efforts; unloading trucks, building fixtures, etc. It was physically demanding but rewarding, and it gave me the schedule I needed to help care for my child.
In 2005, I began working out with a personal trainer. I would work long, grueling shifts at The Container Store, then go to a pseudo-circuit training class for an hour. Breakfasts were Powerbars and coffee. Lunches would be half a loaf of whole grain artisan bread with a huge block of cheese and an apple. Dinners were up to a pound of pasta at a time. I killed myself at work and at the gym, and fueled myself on carbohydrates. Because I felt I deserved it, Fridays began to be reward days, with me eating half a take-out pizza then half a pan of brownies.
I was exhausted all the time.
About a year in with my trainer, he suggested I try changing careers again and becoming a personal trainer myself. I thought this ridiculous, especially since I had no athletic background – I didn’t know anything about fitness; why would anyone want to listen to me? Eventually, I rescinded, got certified and began working at the same gym with my (now-previous) trainer. I started doing two long, heavy workouts a day. At the time, I had a lot of stress in my personal life, and working out was my way of dealing with the pressure.
During this period, I got stronger, and I was building a decent amount of endurance, but I was dying physically. I stopped building muscle mass and my joints hurt. I got odd muscle twinges that got in the way of my workouts, and I was so tired I could barely function.
In 2007, my ex-trainer (now my co-worker) and I were introduced to CrossFit and received our Level 1 certifications.
I have no doubt that CrossFit saved my life.
I immediately dove into the CrossFit program 100%. Three days on, one day off. No more hours and hours of circuit training. My diet changed to a more Zone-ish approach, but I did not eliminate all grains (I still ate oatmeal for breakfast) or dairy. Within a few months, my ex-trainer became my business partner, and we left our gym to open our own CrossFit affiliate. It didn’t take long for CrossFit to completely change my exercise, my eating, my lifestyle and my career.
For a year-and-a-half, I followed HQ and was fairly successful. I was able to start the program strong enough to do Rx’d weights, but I had to learn pull-ups, handstands and other basic calisthenics. My very first “Fran” was under 8 minutes; my first max deadlift attempt was 225; my first 5k was twenty-four minutes. Progress was slow but steady for a while, but I had times where I plateaued, and even times where I backslid significantly.
When I started feeling depressed about my stagnant performance, I tried adding the Rippetoe strength program into my HQ cycles. I made some gains, but they disappeared as soon as I finished my three months experimenting with the extra strength work.
All this time, I didn’t think that maybe my nutrition could be negatively affecting my workouts. I Zoned judiciously, making sure I got enough protein (albeit vegetarian proteins, such as seitan, which is basically pure wheat gluten, and various overly processed soy ‘meats’), fats and carbohydrates. I thought those low-carb, high-fiber tortillas were awesome, and regularly ate them with Tofurky slices and hummus every day for lunch (gluten + soy + beans…yikes!).
In January of 2009, I was encouraged to attend Robb Wolf’s nutrition cert. Since he was coming to Atlanta, I figured why not? I fancied myself a nutrition nerd and I wouldn’t even have to travel – awesome!
Again, a perfect example of how CrossFit saved my life. I shudder to think where my health and performance would be five, ten or even twenty years from now if I had not attended this cert. I had been shoveling grains, soy, beans, gluten and sugar in my system for almost two decades…where might my health be if I had continued on for several more?
I had been a lacto-ovo-vegetarian for eighteen years, but the night of the cert I went out and had steak for dinner. I switched overnight and completely to a Paleo way of eating. No grains, beans or dairy. Animal protein at every meal. LOTS of fat. (For those of you who are wondering; no, I didn’t have any digestive issues with starting to eat meat again. Absolutely none.)
So here’s where it gets fun. I started making progress in my workouts. Real, measurable and out-of-the-ordinary progress. Keep in mind I changed NOTHING but my nutrition. My training is always CrossFit HQ. For example:
My deadlift was stuck at 275 for a long time. From August of 2008 through March of 2009, I hit 275 maybe one other time, but most deadlift efforts maxed out about 20 pounds below. Two weeks after changing my diet, I was messing around before a workout and picked up 250 for 5 reps, cold! I couldn’t believe it! A month later, in March, I picked up 286. One week later, 305. Two months later, 315. A month after that, 325. Last week I got 285 for 5, which was amazing to me considering my 1RM was 275 just a handful of months ago! (An increase of 50 pounds in six months)
Shoulder press was 103 pounds when I started CrossFit; it stayed the same (or went down) until two months after I changed my diet. March 29, 2009 – 105 pounds. April 2 – 107 pounds. April 4 – 110 pounds. April 7 – 112 pounds. By the end of June, I was up to 115 pounds. (An increase of 10 pounds in five months)
Like I had said before, when I started CrossFit in 2007, I was already fairly strong. My first front squat attempt maxed out at 185 pounds. However, my front squat remained unchanged until March of 2009, when I hit 187 pounds. Two months later, I had a 200 pound front squat. (An increase of 13 pounds in four months)
One last lift to note is that my back squat has gone up 27 pounds this year alone.
Olympic lifts have continued a positive linear progression that does not appear as closely linked to diet.
A quick note about body composition: my body weight hovered around 145-150 for most of the past few years; I’m not sure of what my body fat was, but it was most likely around 16%. With the change in my diet, I quickly put on about 5 pounds, and today I weigh in around 160. Apparently, this was all muscle mass I was in need of – the last Bod Pod test I had was in early summer, and it determined I was approximately 7% body fat.
Even with the increase in strength and body weight, I have continued to see progress with my speed and metcons. This is huge for me, because historically, an increase in strength/size would directly correlate to a downturn in all things related to calisthenics, speed and general huffing and puffing performance.
Lastly, I want to make it clear that I do not go OCD with the Paleo approach. I do not weigh or measure my food, though I do try to combine protein, fats and carbohydrates in each meal (however, not in Zone proportions). Once every week or two I eat pizza. Occasionally, I have wings and beer. The vast majority of the time I focus on food quality (local, organic, humanely raised), but I refuse to stress about food. Making good choices most of the time works for me and makes it easy to pass on the same advice to my clients. I have yet to see frenetic obsession about nutrition produce any positive gains in a client.
This year has been a whirlwind for me. I was able to come in 3rd place at the Dirty South Qualifiers as well as place 14th female overall for the 2009 CrossFit Games, and I credit Robb Wolf and his nutrition cert for a good portion of those accomplishments. I believe that successful athletes, especially those of us over 30, are made from simple, high quality Paleo foods. Gluten, grains, beans and similar Neolithic foods have proven to me to be detrimental to health and athletic performance.

The importance of Pure Protein

2009-08-21T18:48:00.006-05:00

There are different kinds of protein, however, there is a difference in how your body sees these. In order for your body to release Glucagon (counter hormone to insulin) your protein source must be a pure one (it must have had a face, and soul and you killed it to eat it!!!!). Therefore, if you are using dairy products (string cheese and Greek yogurt) as a protein source your body will not recognize this as a protein source and will not release Glucagon. Does this mean you need to cut out all dairy? Not necessarily. You may just need to re-visit your protein sources to make sure they are pure and use dairy in moderation. Also be weary of using beans as your source of protein.

Fritatta

2009-08-15T19:04:00.003-05:00

This is a good breakfast food for weekday. It needs to be prepared ahead of time, but just needs to be microwaved in the morning on your way out the door.

This is not the exact recipe as written since I don't have my cookbook in front of me, but this is a type of recipe that you modify to taste.

Dice up 1 -2 whole onions (depending on how much you like onion)

Add a small amount of oil (canola or olive oil are best) to a large saute pan. Add the onions to the pan and cook until golden brown. Add garlic powder to taste.

Add two lbs of meat - I used fresh churrizo from whole foods and it was great, ground beef will work too, a little less flavor thought

Cook the meat in the pan until cooked almost all the way through.

In a mixing bowl mix 12-16 eggs together. Once the meat is mostly cooked add the egg to the pan and mix up.

Cover and simmer at low heat. Cook eggs for about 15 minutes or until cook throughout. Take off the heat and immedialy remove from pan.

The amounts listed above will make a total of approx 42 blocks of protein.

For Ray and I that was 6 days worth of breakfast in one pan. This is also something that can be frozen and reheated (although not quite as good).

Also, once you get the method of cooking the eggs you can experiment with seasoning and meat choices to change things up.

Simple Meal Ideas

2009-08-07T18:35:00.006-05:00

Protein = Grilled chicken and beef hamburger patties
Carbs = Poached Green beans, fresh carrots, strawberries, grapes & blueberries
Fat = Walnuts and Olive Oil (poured on chicken and patties)

Protein = Baked Pork meatballs
Carbs = Baked Asparagus (with olive oil) and Fresh Peaches
Fat = Pecans and Avocado slices

Sugars & Carbs

2009-08-01T21:53:00.002-05:00

It's not so much about keeping track of the number of calories but it is more about keeping track of sugars and carbs. For instance, reducing the number of calories in soda doesn't make it a good soda. The body still looks at it as "sugar", plain and simple.

Paleo Pancakes

2009-07-25T21:44:00.003-05:00

Here is a really good recipe for pancakes that is Paleo friendly. I found this on www.cathletics.com.

These are really tasty and good for you.

1/2 cup nut butter (either almond or cashew - NOT peanut butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla (I omit this - they taste fine without it)

mix all the ingredients together (use an electric mixer for best results).

in a large skillet add a little coconut oil to the pan (you can use canola or other oil, but coco oil adds a good flavor)

pour the batter in the pan. I like to leave the batter cooking for a little longer than with normal pancakes, it makes them easier to flip and the batter tastes better.

i use either agave nectar or local honey (nothing added to it) as a "syrup"

This usually makes about 6 pancakes, with a total of 15 blocks of fat, 1/2 block of protein, 1/2 block of carbs.

The long road back

2009-07-24T17:17:00.003-05:00

I've been able to get by in my life without really watching what I eat because of my very active lifestyle. I mean, I used to say "oh, I could lose 5 pounds" but in reality I didn't need to lose any weight. After gaining 50 pounds with my pregnancy, I really do have weight to lose. It's the first time in my life that I have said "I need to lose 20 pounds". Okay, admitting you have a problem is the first step...now what?

Well, step 2 was working out again. I love Crossfitting and playing sports, so that was easy. Now I'm on step 3 and it's a step that I would like to be able to skip. It's the step where I have to give up eating things that I love and eat smarter.

I'm addicted to sugar. I'll admit that I love cookies, cake, bread, tortillas, and even plain sugar (when I was little, I used to lick it off a spoon). I could lose weight by just eating less, but we all know that doesn't help my body in the long run. I could continue eating "low fat" this and "low calorie" that and be just fine. I've done that before. But this time, I want to do it the right way and eat food to fuel my life. Now that I am breastfeeding, it's not only my body that is relying on the food I eat.

Two popular options are The Zone and Paleo or some combination of both. I've zoned before and don't mind it too much, but the counting of everything gets to be quite intensive. Paleo has always scared me because I can't eat grains, sugars, and even dairy. I would like to eat Paleo, I'm just not sure I can give those things up. I read Ray's post and his results are inspiring, another reason to try Paleo.

This week, I've started really trying to watch what I eat. My goal is a Paleo lean with dairy mixed in there. I can't go cold turkey with the no sugar, partly because I don't want to and the other part is that I don't want to do anything too drastic right now. So far the results have been good. The scale actually fell below 160 pounds for the first time ( I was 190 pounds the day I gave birth). A good weight for me is around 140-145 pounds. There has been cheats this week, already, but each time I fall I get back up on the horse on the next meal.

I think the key is to make better choices. Even if I eat some grains at a meal, I try to make sure it's not the bulk of my meal. I guess what I want to accomplish with this post is that it's okay to not be a perfect Paleo eater or a perfect Zoner. Just try to make better choices. I find that once I start making a habit of good choices, the bad ones are not as tempting.

I plan on checking back in throughout this process and using you guys as my accountability partners. Feel free to ask me about it at the box! I know Coach Jim demands my menu every now and then :)

Take care -

Beth aka Teach

Nutrition Goals

2009-07-17T21:53:00.002-05:00

What are your nutrition goals?

Weight loss? Muscle gain? Increase performance?

Did you know the number 1 factor that can halt your nutritional goals is lack of sleep?

It's crazy, right? It seems so simple, but our super busy lives keep us from always getting that ever so important shut eye. Sleep is a huge contributing factor to helping you attain your nutritional goals. Make sure to really rest on your off days and get those 8 hours of sleep your mom always said you needed.

When you wake up from that great night of sleep, be sure to eat a good breakfast. This is your time to break the fast (hence the word breakfast)! Think outside the box when it comes to breakfast foods. Stay away from seemingly convenient breads and cereals. It's not all bacon and eggs either. You can get creative with leftovers or other non-traditional breakfast foods. For example, I sometimes will grill up some pork chops, have a serving of steamed broccoli and a handful of almonds. You don't just have to have "breakfast" foods for breakfast. Of course, grilling in the morning is not always convenient so, make it the night before. If you take a few extra minutes to plan out your meals, it's easier to enjoy healthy meals and get plenty of rest.

-Tris

Behold The Bacon Loaf

2009-07-13T07:29:00.014-05:00

5 x 6 weave of bacon

10 slices of bacon, chopped and cooked (save the fat)

1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of andouille sausage plus the cooked bacon bits (not in photo)

Rolled up...

and baked.

Add broccoli and cauliflower cooked in fat from the bacon pieces and slice the loaf into 1 inch rounds.

Recipe and photos courtesy of the Jarmon's (Nate "Skywalker" and Tammi "Princess Leia"). Nate holds a CrossFit Nutrition Certification (given by CF nutrition expert, Robb Wolf) Robb Wolf's Blog

Here's a link to a topic on fat and insulin sensitivity by Robb Wolf "fat and insulin sensitivity"
to clarify the stance on bacon. - G

What's in Your Bag?

2009-07-06T21:47:00.002-05:00

Lunch is what's in my bag!

No excuses are allowed when it comes to packing your lunch. I drive 25oo miles a month, have no access to a microwave and still manage to pack my lunch everyday. Yes, it can be a bit lonely eating in your car everyday, but if you want to get out of the office (or your car in my case) pop in to a book store or a coffee shop to eat your lunch. Trust me, no one will notice that you are not buying anything... I do it all the time. Plus, think of all of the money you are saving!!!

I usually take whatever I have leftover from dinner and eat it cold for lunch. For example, tonight for dinner I had all natural chicken sausage (Buddy's all natural is my favorite because it is low in sodium- only 100mg per link) with tomato sauce and spinach. For lunch I will pack up some raw spinach and put the sausage and tomato sauce over it and have it as a cold salad type thingy without dressing. I will also pack a peach or some other type of fruit if I want a little something sweet after my meal.

Pack plenty of snacks and water. The key to packing your lunch is to never run out of food. That does not mean eat it all at once. Just make sure you keep enough food around so you never make an unhealthy food choice out of boredom. Snacks can be nuts and seeds, cut up veggies with a homemade dip (see recipe below) or an apple with almond butter.

At least give it a try a few days this week and see how you feel! It's not that hard...it's just LUNCH!!!

Veggie dip recipe:
1 cup canola mayonaise
1 tbsp dried dill ( I like Simply Organic Dash O' Dill)
A few slices of roasted red pepper (if you use jarred, pat them dry first)
Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth
This recipe makes plenty to use all week.

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-02T21:14:00.002-05:00

4 Reasons to make healthy food choices

Here are 4 reasons I choose to stop and think about what I eat:

1. Working out and eating healthy compliment each other.
2. I eat food that fuels my body for a hard days work and provides it with the right nutrients.
3. Most food manufacturers don't care, so I SHOULD.
4. I look, feel and perform better.

If I care about myself enough to workout and try my hardest on every single WOD, why wouldn't I care enough about what goes into my body to fuel those WODs?

Tips for surviving the 4Th of July junk food fest BBQ:

Try to find a lean protein on the buffet. If all that is available is burger patties, take the burger (sans the bun) and other veggies and make a salad.
Say no thanks to the potato salad that is made with who knows what, and pass on the chips. Instead, go for fresh fruit.

This may sound simple, but it is very easy for your brain to not work when you are staring at a buffet spread with tons of tempting JUNK! Learn how to retrain your brain so that it can see junk food as truly just junk.

You care enough to do CrossFit...why do YOU care what YOU eat?

Testimonial by Ray Ng

2009-06-24T12:55:00.012-05:00

I started CF in January 2009 and weighed 215 pounds. I started paleo April 20th and weighed 211 pounds. After 60 days of paleo/zone, I've lost ~20 pounds and about 4 inches off my waist. Not only have i lost a bunch of weight but I feel stronger than I ever have before. When they say that nutrition is the key to losing weight, that's not just a bunch of bullshit. (I also increased my CF sessions from twice a week to 3-4 times a week)

Give this a try for 30 days. At the end of those 30 days, your body will crave healthy foods and will feel like crap when you eat junk. This is a lot of information, so let me know if you have any questions. Grace and Tristan are great resources and I asked them a bunch of questions when I started. There are a few other people at ACF that are Crossfit Nutrition Certified so I'm sure they could help too.

Overview of Paleo

Zone Block Calculator

- Enter weight, body fat percentage and activity level to calculate number of blocks needed I sum up paleo and zone as:

Paleo - what to eat

Zone - how much to eat

Do eat:

Lean Meat - chicken, turkey, wild game, beef (grass fed) Seafood - (wild caught, not farm raised) Vegetables Fruit Fats - omega 3 fats...avacados, macadamia nuts, olive oil (not peanuts)

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

All flour products (bread/cake/cookies/scones/tortillas/pastries etc.) All sugars (including corn syrup) No Dairy (cheese/milk/butter/cottage cheese, etc) No Artificial Sweeteners No potatoes, corn beans or other starchy vegetables

Shopping-food.doc list prepared by Robb Wolf that tells you what to stock up on at the grocery store. The takeaways from this article for me were:

-what to eat and what not to eat

-eat protein with EVERY meal

-stock up on groceries and be prepared (not being prepared leads to bad food choices) -give this an honest effort for 30 days and you will see results My Nutrition Food Log.doc print this out and carry it with you everywhere. If you eat/drink it... write it down. What I did was, if i ate something that wasn't paleo, i would highlight it in red. Today is my 60th day of strict paleo and i have no red on my food log. Use whatever method works for you. Don't beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon, just don't make things worse by staying off the wagon.

A free CrossFit Journal #21 (Nutrtion) explains how to break down a meal into blocks. there's a list of common foods and how much to eat of each food. for example, if you need 4 blocks of protein, you can do:

4 ounces of chicken breast

6 ounces of salmon

2 eggs and 3 ounces of ground beef.

You'll notice when you get to carbs that you will have to consume a truck load of vegetables and fruit to get the number of carbs recommended. I followed these guidelines for the first 2 weeks and then read the Robb Wolf article "42 Ways to Skin the Zone".

This article explains how to decrease carb and increase fat intake to optimize your results. Also, you'll want to pick up a food scale to measure your blocks. I got a scale from Krogers that cost less than $10 that works fine From my experience, I was never hungry eating paleo/zone. I break down my blocks into 4 meals a day. That works best for me with my work schedule. I think the key is if you're fueling your body every 3-4 hours, you never have a chance to be hungry. If you're never hungry, you're never likely to overeat.

Sharon's Recipe

2009-06-21T21:50:00.015-05:00

"So I have been dying eating paleo for the past 30 days and I have begun getting desperate in my kitchen creations (since I used to eat for taste and not for fuel). Here is a good recipe I changed a bit to make it mostly paleo-friendly.

Coconut Cookies
1/2 cup COCONUT OIL
about 1/4 cups agave nectar (light) (I added to get the sweetness I liked)
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (this is the only non-paleo part)
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 cups grated or unsweetened coconut flakes

Mix the coconut oil, eggs, vanilla and agave nectar together. Stir in the coconut flour and the coconut flakes. Drop spoon sized mounds on a greased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart (I used mini cupcake pan). Bake @ 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes (because I modified the ingredients, I think mine cooked quickly) until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and let cool on a cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

They were really good, Ray tried to eat the whole pan tonight."

- Thanks for sharing your recipe Sharon.

2009-06-12T22:34:00.004-05:00

Can you identify what is missing in this meal?

"Indulgence"

2009-06-07T00:31:00.009-05:00

Do you have a designated "Cheat Day"? If so, what day of the week is it? What is you favorite "cheat meal/food"?

or

Are you an "All or Nothing" when it comes to nutrition discipline?

Just A Few Tips

2009-06-06T23:27:00.004-05:00

Enjoy eating paleo. Enjoy what you eat. If you are unhappy with what you are eating you are unlikely to continue to keep eating that way, and once the nutrition is gone, staying fit and healthy becomes much harder.
Pre-cook food and cook more than you need. Spend a few hours at the beginning of the week and cook big batches of food. This will allow you to minimize the amount of time that you have to spend cooking during the week.
Check the labels. Even it's organic and has added probiotics, the portions of macro-nutrients are still important. Shop where fresh food is abundant; invest in a healthy future.
Rather than cutting yourself off from all of those foods which you enjoy that aren’t 100% paleo friendly, simply eat smaller amounts and be moderate.
Do not keep junk/unhealthy food that you know you shouldn’t eat, in the house. For most people, if it is in the house they will eventually eat it.
Do not run out of food. This is horrible; you will end up eating out or munch on cereals. Do not let it happen to you.
Try planning out your meals for 5 days or a week. This comes easily to type one personalities, for the rest of us it can be a nuisance. Though this has the benefit of ensuring you know what you need in the house for the week, and eliminates that time wasting period during which you try and figure out what you should cook for dinner.
Keep a handy meal replacement shake/can of tuna in your car/office/desk/bag for a paleo friendly snack in case plans change.
Learn to use spices; this will do wonders for you and will offer variety and different flavors to your meals.
Avoid soda, pasta and bread. Let us know how you're doing after two weeks.
Eat lots of vegetables; try and eat a good variety with many different colors. .