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To Look Like a Roman Warrior, Try Eating Like One
How often do you hear, or maybe say yourself, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," or "Eating late at night before bed is the worst thing you can do!" It's repeated over and over as if it's a mantra integral in the human experience. But is it true?Not according to Ori Hofmekler. The idea behind his book, The Warrior Diet, flies in the face of all conventional thinking on diet, but it may be far more compatible with the way humans were meant to eat than conventional ideas on eating.
In the most basic sense, the warrior diet involves a long "undereating" phase lasting around 20 hours, followed by a shorter "overeating" phase at night, preferably following a workout. The main difference between the warrior diet and intermittent fasting (IF) is that you are not completely abstaining from food during the day.
Undereating Phase
During the undereating phase, Hofmekler recommends "live" foods such as vegetables, some fruits, and easily digestible proteins like yogurt, boiled egg or whey. The goal of the undereating phase is to detoxify the body, build up enzymes, stabilize blood sugar and insulin, and as Hofmekler calls it, "burn up the rubbish." Digestion also takes a huge amount of energy and if you're eating every two to three hours, you're constantly using up energy to break down and digest these foods. Also, proteins cannot be fully broken down and digested without proper enzymes, so the building up of enzymes by consuming live foods is key during the undereating phase to prepare for the overeating phase. He also says that no carbohydrates other then fresh fruits and vegetables should be eating during this phase.
Overeating Phase
As for the overeating phase, Hofmekler starts with three basic rules.
Rule 1. Always start with subtle-tasting foods and move to more aggressive flavors.
Rule 2. Include as many tastes, textures, colors and aromas as possible.
Rule 3. Stop eating when you feel more thirsty than hungry.
Following these three guidelines and ingesting clean, real foods, eat all you want and stop when you are satisfied. Pretty simple, right?
Athletes on The Warrior Diet
As for athletes, Hofmekler recommends a preworkout whey protein shake (if you can't sustain your energy in the fasted state) and another shake immediately postworkout, followed by your first big meal within the hour. This is usually the strategy I use and it works quite well for me. That said, there is a lot of evidence supporting the benefits of working out in a fasted state, so it's worth playing around with.
Like any diet, it's not for everyone, especially if you have other health problems to address first (like adrenal fatigue, for example). You may have to modify it to suit you, which is totally fine (it's your life, your body!). But once I implemented warrior diet concepts, I experienced a great sense of freedom: You aren't on a regimented schedule, and you don't have to stress about where to find decent food during the day. The hardest part is getting used to not eating much during the day, which is usually much more mental than it is physical.
Hofmekler points to the fact that if you keep feeding a caged animal, it will keep eating -- regardless of hunger. So I set myself free.
Other Info
Hofmeklar also goes into great length about the history of ancient warrior cultures like the Romans and how he came up with The Warrior Diet. He also covers dealing with stubborn fat and the role of hormones like estrogen, a Q&A section and a bunch of recipes at the end.
For more information on different types of intermittent fasting, including The Warrior Diet, see Nia Shanks' post in Experience Life's "Contributor's Corner" here.
There are plenty of interviews with Hofmeklar on YouTube; here's one on timing of meals:
[photo credit above] Nerdfitness.com/blog
Sweet Treats Plus Meat Treats: Discount!
Have you ever tried to find a convenient snack or meal you could take anywhere and eat anytime that was high quality, unprocessed and actually made of food? It can be rough, right? And it's especially difficult if you're are trying to follow a diet consistent of whole foods. Even in a pinch, a man (or woman) can only drink so many protein shakes.
The more convenient healthy options are, the easier it is to stick with them. Enter a solution by Steve's Original.
Jen and I returned to the office after our lunchtime kettlebell workout today to discover a box of goodies from Steve's Original. Considering I hadn't eaten yet, this was a pleasant surprise.
The first version of the PaleoKit, created in 2008, included free-range jerky, nuts and berries. The company now offers a wide range of options, including grass-fed jerky, berries, dried apples, a coconut recipe PaleoKit consisting of jerky, coconut and strawberries (which I am munching on as I write this), an apple pie PaleoKit consisting of jerky, pecans, almonds and dried apples, and a grainless cereal. Unlike most jerky, this one is high quality -- it's grass-fed and unprocessed with no added preservatives. All products are vacuum sealed, low-carb, gluten free. There is no need to refrigerate the packages, and they will last about 6 months. They are very low in sugar (with no added sugars), even in the grainless cereal, which is sweet and crunchy. These kits can make a good quick postworkout snack or a meal replacement on the go if needed.
In my opinion, these kits are as good as what most people would make in their kitchen with the added bonus of being able to take them anywhere and eat anytime. That's a great combo for the athlete on the go or anyone following a clean-eats lifestyle.
Community Impact
Discount for Survival of the Fittest Readers!
The company's founder, Steve Liberati, has offered the readers of Survival of the Fittest a 10 percent discount this week if you use the discount code "JenSinkler" when you're checking out. This deal ends Monday, December 5, so grab it while it's still fresh.
For another review of Steve's Original products check out Balancedbites.com
I SMELL BACON!
Let's talk about every Paleothic Diet follower's paradise....bacon!
Perhaps you've noticed that there seems to be some kind of weird bacon fetish online.
Now don't get me wrong, there are some very good reasons to love bacon in all of its deliciousness, but there are also some things to consider.
There is a plethora of information available out there about the negative consequences of processed meat. Studies have shown that processed meat consumption as little as one ounce a day increases stomach cancer risk by 38%.
But, as always, there are many other variables to consider when interpreting the conclusion of any study, especially one that analyzes a large group of people and finds correlations but doesn't study all the other areas to their daily lives.
But it's not necessarily the meat itself that's to blame, but how it's prepared that's of greatest concern. When it comes to processed meat, the main concern is the inclusion of nitrites and nitrates. Once you ingest nitrites, they turn into nitrosimes in your body, and there's evidence nitrosimes are a carcinogen. Unless the meat specifically states it is nitrite free, you can almost guarantee it has been preserved with nitrites. It's also thought that sodium nitrate may damage your blood vessels, making your arteries more likely to harden and narrow, leading to heart disease. Nitrates may also affect the way your body uses sugar, making you more likely to develop diabetes.
I'm not suggesting everyone stop eating meat, by any means (I'm a bacon man myself), but rather just be more informed about the meats they are consuming. This is especially important with the growing number of people following a Paleo diet and having meats as one of their primary foods. There are great benefits to eating this way, but if you are filling your body full of processed, chemical-ridden meats, you aren't a whole lot better off than you are eating grains and sugars. Our ancestors never had to deal with the onslaught of processing and chemicals in their foods that we currently do.
Some simple things to consider to greatly reduce any negative risks.
- Start with a clean source of meat. No pesticides, hormones or antibiotics, and preferably organically grown.
- Find meat that is nitrate free, nitrite free and uncured. There are many on the market now, but they might not be at your everyday large chain grocery store.
- No artificisl flavors, MSG, high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors.
- I'd also suggest getting a PFOA/PFOS-free frying pan; almost all nonstick (especially Teflon) pans leach toxic chemicals into your food (and even the air!). You can also just use cast iron or even glass, although that can be frustratingly sticky.
- Do not burn your bacon (or any meat), or cook it at too high a temperature. Cooking meats at high temperatures or for too long creates chemicals called Heterocyclic amines, which are a known carcinogen. It also increases nitromines.
- Lastly, just think of bacon (and all processed meats) like ice cream. Enjoy it when you choose to have it, but be cognizant that consistent consumption may have a negative long-term effect.
Bacon is definitely a topic of conversation.
How Soft Drinks Impact Your Health
A scary little illustration.
Via: Term Life Insurance
Caveman Seeks Cavewoman
Dang ... shoulda posted this on Valentine's Day.
"I'm really looking for a healthy woman who's a meat eater, and,
ideally, if she were lactose intolerant, that would be good." -John Durant, Paleo Diet proponent, barefoot runner and founder of the soon-to-be-active site Hunter-Gatherer.com.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| John Durant | ||||
| ||||
For more on Durant, check out this New York Times article on the evolutionary movement, or follow him on Twitter @johndurant.
What's your experience with the Paleo Diet?
Happy National Carrot Day!
Today is National Carrot Day. Slather some carrots with peanut butter. Or slather your entire body with carrots (in the form of Yes To Carrots body butter). But whatever you do, avoid carrots' archenemy, celery.
Depending on how drunk on Vitamin A you get, you can even sing this catchy ditty, which perhaps overstates the role of carrots in history. (If the guys from the FreeCreditReport.com commercials were carrots, this is what they'd sound like.)
Gourmet Health Food from Precision Nutrition
I've long been a fan of John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, nutrition educator and founder of Precision Nutrition. Even though he's Canadian (I jest ... long-held rugby grudge), he is brilliant at what he does -- which is convert junk-food junkies to health-food junkies without all the pain and suffering most people envision accompanies such a process.
How does he do it? By approaching eating as something pleasurable, even when it supports your health, not detracts from it. (In a nutshell, often literally: Healthy can and should be delicious.)
Berardi's principles of "gourmet nutrition":
- It must taste great.
- It must contain lean, complete protein.
- It must be low in sugar and processed carbohydrates.
- It must prioritize healthy fats over bad fats.
- It must control calorie intake and density.
- It must include, fresh, natural, additive-free ingredients.
- It must offer carbs only if you "deserve" them.
- It must distinguish between "post-workout" and "anytime."
I've borrowed/stolen the following recipe for Roasted Squash and Turkey Soup; for the other four Berardi recently published -- Almond Olive Tapenade, Beef and Veggie Fettucine, Texas Thin-Crust Pizza and a Tropical Smoothie -- check out this link.
And for yet more gourmet nutrition recipes, including Berardi's Popeye Fruit Smoothie, Eggs Benedict, Chicken Pesto Pizza, Coconut Cauliflower Mash, Spaghetti Squash Pasta and Peanut Crunch Bars, click here.
For now, however, back to the soup.
Roasted Squash and Turkey Soup
Servings: 4 large or 8 small
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Prelude: Squash has recently become known as one of the healthiest veggies and its benefits include high fiber and a good profile of antioxidants. In this soup we pair the butternut variety with a host of spices and turkey to create an awesome flavor blend that you're sure to enjoy.
Ingredients:
Soup Base
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
5 cups butternut squash (peeled and rough chopped)
1 cup onion (rough chopped)
1 tablespoon ginger root (grated or chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
Soup Garnish
1 lb 10 oz (740 g) ground turkey
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
Instructions:
Soup Base
Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and then the squash and sauté until lightly browned.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and 2 tablespoons of stock, and sauté for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
Add the remaining vegetable stock and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer until squash is soft (approximately 30 minutes). **Tip: You can prep the garnish while the base is cooking.
Let mixture cool for a few minutes. Puree with a blender or food processor until smooth and then pour back into the pot. Remove from heat.
Soup Garnish
Season the turkey with salt and pepper.
Preheat a large nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray and sauté turkey until lightly browned and completely cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside. ** Tip: Sauté in smaller batches and re-spray the pan if needed.
Add the cooked turkey and chopped cilantro to the soup base. Reheat and serve immediately or portion the soup into storage containers. **Tip: To maintain the tenderness of the meat avoid bringing the soup to a boil after the meat has been added.
To read Experience Life articles where Berardi has chimed in, check out the following:
- "Pick Your Protein Powder": A popular nutritional supplement among fitness-minded people, protein powders come in many formulations. Here's how to decide which ones are likely to suit you best.
- "More Than Enough": You're working out regularly, and you feel great. So why is your waistline expanding? Here's how to properly fuel your new body.
- "Eating On the Go": Nutrition tips for fueling your workouts.
Pie Holes & Poop Chutes
The topic of poop -- and what your poo says about you -- keeps cropping up in the fitness blog arena. (Who else has seen the posts in support of toilet steps like this one from Renew Life, for instance?)
When I first noticed this phenomenon, I thought, There is no way I will ever blog about poop. Ever.
Well ... crap. Here I am blogging about poop. But(t) this article by naturopathic physician Bryan P. Walsh was too good to let slide by, especially for those of us who care about how our interior gut health affects our ability to gain muscle and lose fat. And according to Walsh, that connection is huge.
He covers everything from nutrient absorption and the proper levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach to chronic inflammation and how intestinal infections can impact testosterone production.
I won't be able to do it justice, so please check out the full article (free) at TMuscle.com, and as always, watch out for the somewhat racy photos there: "From Pie Hole to Poop Chute."
How to Cut Open a Pomegranate
I especially could have used this handy how-to video from Picker Produce on Halloween night, when my friend Pam (partially pictured above in her flight attendant costume, drinking milk and eating cookies while attempting to open a pomegranate) mangled the fruit in a savage attempt to harvest its seeds.
Check out a better way below.
Losing Exercise: Don't Do It
It seems that every few months, an article appears disparaging the value of exercise for weight loss. The latest is "Why Doesn't Exercise Lead to Weight Loss?" from the Health section of the The New York Times.
The article posits that because a study of 58 obese subjects who did 12 weeks of aerobic exercise at 70 percent of their max heart rate (i.e., steady-state cardio) -- without changing their diets -- resulted in, on average, just a seven-pound weight loss over that time period, exercise doesn't play much of a role in weight loss. (Never mind that an unmonitored diet means the tendency to disproportionately increase food intake once you start exercising was also unmonitored.)
Writer Gretchen Reynolds also points to a study on the "afterburn effect" -- the tendency for the body to burn an elevated number of calories for hours after a workout -- that concluded afterburn was a bust. Yet strangely, the type of exercise used in the study was relatively low-intensity -- an hourlong cycle at just 55 percent of aerobic capacity.
What makes this strange -- and noteworthy -- is that it's usually high-intensity activities that are thought to trigger the afterburn effect.
As someone working for a publication that strives to provide both depth and breadth of information, this sort of half-picture presentation is disturbing to me. When did journalists set exercise up as the antidote to terrible eating habits? The kind of thing that maybe we shouldn't bother with if we aren't seeing dramatic weight loss no matter what we're eating and drinking? When did we stop differentiating between different intensity levels of exercise? Between cardio and weightlifting, and their many subsets?
Perhaps, rather than renouncing the role exercise -- that vague catchall -- plays in weight loss, we should focus on the synergy that occurs when you make specific lifestyle and exercise choices. Rather than make sweeping generalizations and dismissals, let's dig into the details about what type of exercise has what type of effect, and the impact eating nutrient-dense foods has in supporting our fitness goals, regardless of how much and in what ways we're moving. The devil -- and devil dog -- is in these details.
There are a huge number of places to get great fitness information, on the web and otherwise -- and most of the people providing said information work in the trenches of the fitness industry, so they're witnessing firsthand what works (and doesn't). A few of my favorite sources that have covered the topic of fat loss (I'm positive I'm overlooking quite a few -- my apologies!): Alwyn Cosgrove, Leigh Peele, Mike Roussell, Robert Dos Remedios, Sara Cheatham, Michael Boyle, Josh Hillis, Jason C. Brown, Pamela MacElree and Craig Ballantyne.
The last time this happened -- August 9, to be exact, when Time published the hysteria-inducing article "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin" -- a number of reliable fitness experts crafted thoughtful rebuttals. My favorite was by Tom Venuto, author of The Body Fat Solution.
I think it applies nicely to this more recent article, as well -- take a few minutes to read it, and see what conclusions you draw about the role exercise plays in weight loss: "Why Time Magazine Owes the Fitness Industry a Big Fat Apology."
UPDATE: To read a response from Pilar Gerasimo, editor in chief of Experience Life, click here.
(photo credit: LAYeiser)
Sugar: The Bitter Truth
This video was forwarded to me by Sara Wiley, associate director of strength and conditioning at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She's the smartest. If you have a spare hour and twenty, you really must check it out.
Cauliflower With Bacon and Mushrooms
Eat this. Be happy.
View recipe at Serious Eats.
(Thanks to Laura Murphy from Starvacious for sharing the link with me.)
The Ballad of Butter Bean Salad
I've got a thing for butter beans, and it's been ages since I've been able to find them in a grocery store (word has it they're mainly a Southern thing). Some people say butter beans and lima beans are the same thing, but those people are crazy.
Butter beans are bigger, blonder and more tender -- which is perhaps why they've inspired at least four different songs available on iTunes (compared to lima beans' two), including one called "The Ballad of Butter Beans." In other words, people really, really like 'em.
So imagine my delight when I came across this sight the other day. I filled my cart with cans of this treasure (no I didn't), to the point where little kids were pointing at the "bean lady" (no they weren't). But I did make a tasty, simple butter bean salad today.
Butter Bean Salad
One can butter beans, drained
Olive oil
Splash of raw apple cider vinegar
Walnuts
Salt
Chili powder
You figure out how much of each to use -- I'm no food chemist. Now someone get to writing a new song!
Find out how to grow your own butter beans here.
Culinary Competitor
I'm really hungry, and salivating over the recipes at Culinary Competitor isn't helping matters.
The site, a spectacular resource geared toward fitness enthusiasts, has batches and batches of healthy, delicious recipes such as Chili-Rum Pork Rip Chop with Date-Walnut Collards and Baked Yams and Beet and Celery Root Bisque.
From their "About Us" section:
[Culinary Competitor] is built on the foundation that there is more to nutrition for people with active lifestyles than pre-packaged bars and artificially flavored drinks, and that competitors can get the proper nutrition they need, and probably even more so, from real food.Words good enough to eat. Thanks for forwarding the link, Kara!
Our meals do not attain their quality through the technique and preparation that make other "gourmet" recipes complicated and unapproachable. They are built on a foundation of fresh and seasonal produce that is high quality and full of flavor.
(photo credit: www.culinarycompetitor.com)
Pam's Healthier BBQ Recipes: Part 5 of 5
Thanks again to Pamela MacElree for sharing her barbecue secrets here this week (if you missed the first four courses, click here, here, here and here).
Please share in the comments section whether you try out any of these recipes this weekend. Enjoy!
PART 5: DESSERT!
FROM PAM: The whole meal was fantastic. And honestly, I didn't spend more than four hours in the kitchen that morning. The best part was everyone else also enjoyed the food -- or at least they said they did. Almost everyone realized they were eating healthier foods, but since it still tasted good, they were happy. The only BBQ I've ever been to where they didn't serve hamburgers and hot dogs was, go figure, my own.
I love dessert, but I hate more than anything when I decide to have a piece of dessert and it tastes like crap. I waste all those carbs, fats and calories on something that I'm not even enjoying. To cure that, serve this.
Raspberry and Blueberry Tart with Almond Crust
Crust
½ cup of blanched almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup of whole wheat graham cracker crumbs
1 egg white
1 TBSP melted butter
1 TBSP walnut oil
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
-Chop almonds and graham crackers in a food processor until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
-Whisk egg white until frothy. Add the almond and graham cracker crumb mixture, butter, and oil. Mix together to combine.
-Once combined press the mixture evenly into a 9 inch removable bottom tart pan. Make sure the mixture is also pressed along the majority of the sides of the tart pan.
-Bake until dry, about 8 to 9 minutes.
-Cool on wire rack, do not remove the mixture from the tart pan.
Filling
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
¼ cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
¼ cup of maple syrup
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions:
-In a medium-sized bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and Greek yogurt with a mixer on low speed until smooth.
-After the crust has cooled, evenly spread the filling mixture into it.
-Arrange the raspberries and blueberries on top, pressing them slightly into the filling mixture, just enough to secure them.
-Evenly drizzle the remaining maple syrup over the berries.
-Chill for 2 hours.
Pam's Healthier BBQ Recipes: Part 4 of 5
Alternate title: Somethin' on the Side. Today, guest blogger Pamela MacElree, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and vegetarian chef who can do 15 pull-ups (it's getting tough to come up with new ways to introduce her, so it's time for fun facts), shares yet another easy recipe for summer barbecuing -- below, how to make Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes. Now, how to go about convincing her to come over and make these tasty little 'taters ...
If you like, you can serve the brown rice and goat cheese balls (is that a titter I hear from MizFit?) from this post as a side dish, as well.
PART 4: THE SIDE DISH
Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes
3 pounds of baby red-skin potatoes
Instructions:
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-Quarter potatoes, make sure pieces are as uniform in size as possible.
-Place potatoes in large zip lock bag with olive oil and shake to lightly coat.
-Evenly place the quartered potatoes on a cookie sheet.
-Bake for approximately 40 to 50 minutes. Once the potatoes are lightly browned and crispy, remove from oven and cool.
Horseradish Honey Mustard Sauce
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 TBSP whole grain mustard
6 TBSP honey
3 TBSP horseradish, drained
Instructions:
-Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk or fork.
-Let stand for 30 minutes.
-Combine honey mustard sauce and potatoes to serve.
[photo credit: Kodamakitty]
Pam's Healthier BBQ Recipes: Part 3 of 5
Still chillin' and grillin' with Pamela MacElree, kettlebell instructor and co-owner of CrossFit Philly, Kettlebell Athletics, Urban Athlete and Combat-Sports-Conditioning.com. Check out this post for her take on healthier apps and this post for a tasty salad suggestions. Below, two options for the main course. Tomorrow, what to serve up on the side.
PART 3: THE MAIN COURSE
FROM PAM: I'm a vegetarian, so all the foods I'd prepared to this point were vegetarian friendly. Until I mentioned this fact at my 4th of July barbecue, no one noticed. Knowing more than half the guests weren't vegetarian, however, I made two options for the main course.
Vegetarian Option - Grilled Veggie Burgers
Veggie burgers can be tricky. First, some can taste like cardboard. Second, I try to make sure I get a brand and variety that have more protein than carbohydrates.
Veggie Burgers
Beefsteak Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions:
-Slice the beefsteak tomatoes thick.
-Slice the mozzarella cheese slightly less thick than the tomatoes.
-Grill veggie burgers. Once the veggie burgers have been flipped place one slice of mozzarella, followed by one slice of tomato on the veggie burger.
-Let mozzarella and tomato grill with burger until cooked.
Nonvegetarian Option - Basil Balsamic Chicken
Marinade
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (add more to taste if desired)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp Crazy Jane's Lime Mixed Up Salt
7 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Chicken
2 to 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Trim fat if necessary.
Instructions:
-Place chicken in Ziploc bag.
-Pour marinade over chicken.
-Seal bag and marinate for 2 to 5 hours
-Cook on grill as desired.
So, who's planning to grill out this weekend?
[photo credit: Maproom Systems]
Pam's Healthier BBQ Recipes: Part 2 of 5
Yesterday, in pursuit of making the traditional summer barbecue a shade healthier, guest blogger Pamela MacElree had us preparing brown rice and goat cheese apps and serving up fruits, veggies and cheese on a platter. Today, she tosses a simple salad idea our way. Tomorrow, the main course!
PART 2: SALAD
This summery salad is an excellent combination of flavors.
Blueberry Almond Salad
2 heads of butter lettuce, washed and dry
1 pint of blueberries
¾ cup blanched, slivered almonds
White balsamic vinaigrette (find in the produce section, or find a recipe)
Instructions:
-Combine the dry ingredients in a large salad bowl.
-Drizzle with white balsamic vinaigrette.
[photo credit: blmurch]
Pam's Healthier BBQ Recipes: Part 1 of 5
Each day this week, I'll be posting a recipe or two that, in total, add up to a healthier, tastier barbecue than the traditional burger-n-brat-fest. Wait, you might be thinking, I've seen your version of cooking -- where did you get recipes I might actually want to make?! So glad you asked -- Pamela MacElree, fitness coach and vegetarian chef extraordinaire, will be guest posting this week.
Pam is co-owner of CrossFit Philly, Kettlebell Athletics, Urban Athlete and Combat-Sports-Conditioning.com. A competitive athlete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, she also hosts the Conditioning Corner at www.fightergirls.com. (See her demonstrate a Turkish Get-Up here.)
But that ain't it -- recognizing that without proper nutrition, all that training amounts to squat, she founded the blog Recipes for Performance and Nutrition. Below, she shares her recipes for a healthier summer barbecue. Leave any questions you have for her in the comments section.
_____________________________________
FROM PAM:
This year, in an effort to not add unhealthy poundage to the waistlines of my family and friends, I put together a menu of what quite possibly was the healthiest Fourth of July ever. (Their phrase, not mine.)
I know what you're thinking: How can a healthy BBQ be any fun? I assure you this isn't a menu of rice cakes, lettuce and imaginary desserts. In fact, although I was happy everyone enjoyed themselves so much, I was disappointed that I had no leftovers for the next week!
PART 1: APPETIZERS
Cheese Platter with Fruit and Vegetables
Fine, cheese isn't exactly healthy for you, but it's better for you than chips and dips. To make up for it, and since I don't use fat free cheese (yuck), it's being served with fresh fruit and vegetables.
With this, you've got options beyond options, but I suggest is that you have two platters: one with cheese and fruit, and one with cheese and vegetables. Different cheeses go better with fruit than with vegetables and vice versa.
Use a combination of hard and soft cheeses. Vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers are a great replacement for crackers -- don't even bother with them.
Berries, apricots and plums pair well with cheeses.
Brown Rice and Goat Cheese Balls
1 ½ cups brown rice
3 cups water
4 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup toasted pecans
12 ounces goat cheese
2 egg whites
1 tsp dried thyme, salt, and ground pepper
Olive oil
-Cook rice as per directions
-In a frying pan, cook shredded carrots with some olive oil until very lightly browned.
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
-Once rice is cooked and slightly cooled, transfer to food processor with cooked carrots.
-Add pecans, goat cheese, egg whites, thyme, salt and pepper. Pulse until well blended.
-With constantly wet hands, roll 1-inch diameter balls and place on cookie sheet.
-Bake in oven for 20 to 23 minutes, or until browned.
-Serve warm.
[photo credit: indichick7]
Assembling Lunch
[Whole artichokes: more trouble than they're worth, but look how pretty! Photo by sheeshoo.]
I am no chef. That, my friends, is an understatement. I do bake on occasion, but my specialties are artery-thickening and insulin-spiking cheesy potatoes and spaghetti pie, recipes handed down to me through generations of hearty Midwestern folk. I improve the former by substituting real cheese when the recipe calls for Velveeta, but any way you slice it, I wouldn't get hired at Clean Eating magazine.
That's not so say I don't own healthy cookbooks. In fact, I buy myself ridiculously good cookbooks like The Healthy Hedonist, Super Natural Cooking and Simply in Season. I just don't open them.
But I do care about eating in a way that supports my health and fitness goals. Especially since I started keeping a combination food-and-fitness journal seven weeks ago. (My journal is embarrassingly titled -- not by me -- I Will Get Fit This Time! It's even written on the spine, I suspect so you can't hide the evidence under stickers, though I plan to try.)
While I've kept a fitness journal before, this is the first time I've ever tracked my food intake. I'm not bothering with quantities or calories -- I'm just looking for patterns and pitfalls. And my, my, my do they jump off the page.
The first day, I had leftover pad thai chicken for breakfast. After writing it down, I was like, "I really don't want to do that again." Because now, forever and ever, chicken pad thai is written in my food journal as what I had for breakfast that day. Perfectionists hate that mess.
To eat healthy but avoid cooking, I have placed my focus on food combining. There's no other way to put it, as my efforts extend only as far as mashing different foods together. Today's lunch was a prime example -- see the "recipe" below.
Lazy, Healthy, Delicious, Easy Tuna Salad
Slap together the following ingredients while simultaneously explaining to your puppy that paper is not a good snack choice for her. (Or you, for that matter.) Combine with mixed greens or spinach. Eat.
Pumpkin seeds: Also known as pepitas (which I will obviously be calling them from now on), punkin seeds are an anti-inflammatory food and a good source of zinc and magnesium (which in turn is good for muscle building if you're a dude because it keeps your testosterone levels up -- not sure if women experience the same anabolic benefit, but can't hurt to try). On a related note, did you ever see the Flavor of Love episode where Pumpkin spits in New York's face? Me, neither. But that was disgusting, wasn't it?
Canned artichoke hearts: Another anti-inflammatory food, artichokes are also high in fiber (which slows the rush of sugar into the bloodstream).
Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil: An excellent source of good fats (the kind that actually help you lose fat), olive oil is yet another fabulous anti-inflammatory food. Do you detect a theme? And by "detect" I mean "Are you conscious?" Subtlety isn't my strong suit.
Canned tuna fish in water: Because of its good fats, tuna is also anti-inflammatory food. And, it's high in complete protein, so it's great for building muscle. But since tuna is also high in mercury, it's best to limit it to occasional consumption. Not to mention a friend told me recently that bluefin tuna is now extinct due to overfishing (if that's the case, what exactly did I just eat?). While that seems to be an overstatement, things do seem to be heading that direction. Anyone have ideas for easy substitutes? Is there such a thing as canned antibiotic-free chicken?
Disclaimer: The foods listed above have a much more extensive nutrient profile than I've outlined here. If you want to find out more, consult sites such as www.whfoods.com or www.nutritiondata.com.
REGARDING MY EMPHASIS ON ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS, I'm currently (finally) reading UltraMetabolism by functional medicine doc Mark Hyman, MD, and I'm finding it so, so interesting. And, as the smartest things tend to be, full of common sense. I'm going to devote an entire post to inflammation, so for now I'll just say that eating with an eye toward eradicating inflammation has done wonders for my recovery time between workouts.
If you want more on the topic now now now, see "Fighting Inflammation" from the July/August 2004 issue of Experience Life, or check out the second in the six-part article series Hyman is writing for us, available in this month's issue.
SHARING IS CARING:
- What is your favorite food-combining "recipe"?
- Any advice on making food prep insanely simple?
- Have you ever kept a food journal? If so, what was your experience?
- Whaddaya know about inflammation?
Chocolate Milk: Good, Not Perfect
Oftentimes, by the time the media gets a hold of a message, it gets blown out of proportion. OK, we blow it out of proportion. In this case, the message, "Chocolate milk is a good postworkout recovery drink," morphed -- at least in my mind -- to "Chocolate milk is an ideal postworkout recovery drink." (Probably because I really, really wanted it to be true.)
So I had a few questions after reading this June 3 post by Adam Russell, PhD, high-performance nutrition and supplementation consultant to USA Rugby, in which he poked fun at the recent New York Times article on post-workout nutrition. I was especially baffled since chocolate milk had been second on Russell's May 28 list of suggested postworkout amino acids. As in, is this dude moody?
But no. He just wanted to clarify that chocolate milk is "good, but not perfect." Which he elaborated upon in a third post the other day, as well as in an email to me.
Here's what Russell has to say about why chocolate milk isn't an ideal postworkout recovery drink:
- The major protein in milk, casein, is a slow-digesting protein, which means the gastric emptying time of chocolate milk isn't as good as some other possibilities. And the faster you can get amino acids out of the small intestine and into the bloodstream during the recovery phase, the better it is for insulin response and protein synthesis.
- The types of carbs in milk aren't as fast-delivering as some other sources; namely, the ones in Surge and Vitargo.
- There's potential for lactose intolerance in a significant portion of the population.
- Many commercial milks are sweetened using poor-quality sugars (and in the case of high-fructose corn syrup [HFCS], downright dangerous). Folks who work out really hard can get away with HFCS on occasion, but we're talking high-intensity interval and strength and conditioning training. Given that some folks think of walking up a flight of stairs is a workout, adding more cheap sugars to their diets could be a very, very bad thing for most of America.
Surge and Vitargo are two examples. And adding whey protein isolate to the latter may be better yet.
But chocolate milk is still a decent option, right?
Yes. It does the job better than most crap out there, it's cheaper (although milk isn't as cheap as it used to be) and you don't have to think very hard about it. So pay your taxes, be nice, and at the very least drink chocolate milk after a moderate- to high-intensity workout.
[photo by russeljsmith]
Chia and Pets
[Chia seeds: delicious, nutritious and itty bitty.]
I had intended to write this post at 9 a.m., when I arrived home in a particularly good mood after a long walk with my dog, Zoey.
[She may not be pretty, but she's got a great personality.]
It was already 68 degrees in Philly (6 hours later, it's now 78 -- no complaints from this former Midwesterner), and I'd taken a detour past my favorite sign in the city, pictured below. (For Philly natives, it's on the back side -- pun totally intended -- of the Free Library on 7th and Carpenter.)
[Why is "poop" in quotation marks?! What does it really mean?]
After deciding it was a banana vanilla Wallaby yogurt kind of morning, I took it a step further and decided to add two tablespoons of the chia seeds I'd received in the mail the other day.
Chia as in Ch-ch-ch-chia Pets? Yes, the very same.
Turns out chia seeds are high in soluble fiber (7 grams per 2 tablespoons), calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin and zinc. They contain powerful antioxidants (chlorogenic and caffeic acids, myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol flavonols). Plus, they're a good source of protein and higher in omega-3 fatty acids -- which protect against inflammation and heart disease -- than any other plant source (higher even than flaxseed). To boot, they're gluten free and have very little sodium.
I heard about chia seeds through two of my favorite fitness bloggers, Crabby McSlacker at Cranky Fitness and MizFit of MizFit Online. More specifically, when MizFit wrote this guest post on the topic back in March, I was convinced enough to place my order same day.
I did some further digging, and wouldn'tchia (<it's like taking candy from a baby) know it, it's looking like chia is poised to be the next superfood.
Mehmet Oz, MD, was on Oprah speaking to the benefits of chia (see the clip here), and Andrew Weil, MD, wrote an article in Prevention magazine called "Chia Seeds Are Good for the Heart." There are even books extolling the virtues of the chia seed -- take The Magic of Chia: Revival of an Ancient Wonder Food by James Scheer, and Chia: Rediscovering A Forgotten Crop Of The Aztecs by Ricardo Ayerza Jr. and Wayne Coates. And -- I can't resist this little plug -- Experience Life featured these Omega3 Chia Energy bars in the May issue.
Now for a few disclaimers. I'm in Mark Sisson's camp when it comes to so-called "miracle foods." (Click here to see his assessment of goji berries.) As with the goji, chia seeds are probably not a solution to all of your health problems. They are just really good for you, is all. And adding something to your diet that isn't processed to the hilt and full of additives -- that is, on the other hand, packed with nutrients? To me, that seems like good sense, but probably not a miracle. Or maybe it is a miracle that we, collectively, seem to be starting to have better sense about what we put in our mouths. Your call.
My other disclaimer is that while the taste of chia seeds was completely inoffensive -- in fact, I really liked the nutty crunch they added to my yogurt -- when I got distracted for a bit and then came back to my dish, I discovered a slippery, gelatinous coating around the seeds. Also not offensive, but definitely something to be prepared for.
According to the article "Chia Seeds: The Ancient Food of the Future" at www.living-foods.com, "This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the chia. Research[ers] believe this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when food containing these gummy fibers, known as mucilages, are eaten. The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. In addition to the obvious benefits for diabetics, this slowing in the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar offers the ability for creating endurance. Carbohydrates are the fuel for energy in our bodies. Prolonging their conversion into sugar stabilizes metabolic changes, diminishing the surges of highs and lows [and] creating a longer duration in their fueling effects."
Think of it as all-natural Gu, I guess.
Kombucha is My Kool-Aid
Among the Experience Life staff, we joke that you've got to drink the Kool-Aid. Which I admit sounds a little (lot) cultish, but we just mean that to truly thrive at our jobs, each of us must embrace the type of healthy lifestyle the magazine promotes. Which is not to say we don't have plenty of unhealthy habits or off days. Really off days -- one afternoon a few weeks back, Anjula, Laine and myself all realized that so far that day, we'd primarily eaten chocolate and cheese. But I digress.
A couple years back, I saw a flashy new drink called GT's Kombucha (pronounced kom-BOO-cha) on the Whole Foods shelves. It looked delicious -- bright purple liquid, pretty packaging, health claims involving probiotics and amino acids, with no added ingredients -- 95 percent raw, organic kombucha (whatever that was) and 5 percent fruit juice.
Susceptible as I am to the marketing of actually healthy things (like chia seeds!), not to mention purple drinks, I was sold. (Does it sound like I'm continuing to digress? I'm not -- I'm actually going somewhere with this.)
ONCE I GOT THE THING HOME, I further investigated -- if by "investigated" you mean "read the bottle," which said:
What else did I need to know? I shook the bottle hard to stir up the sediment that had formed in the bottom and started to crack the thing open ... only to have it fizz out all over the place. OK, so ... it's carbonated (or fermented, rather). Missed that somehow.
Kombucha is a handmade Chinese tea that is delicately cultured for 30 days. During this time, essential nutrients form like: Active Enzymes, Viable Probiotics, Amino Acids, Antioxidants, and Polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.
And then I noticed that my hands smelled vinegary, as if I'd just dyed Easter eggs. (Sure enough, the process of making kombucha is essentially the old-world process of making vinegar.) This did not bode well, and indeed, when you want a grape-tasting treat, kombucha would not come to mind. So I poured most of the bottle out and thought that was that.
But kombucha kept cropping up. In Experience Life's Inside Out (Health and Beauty Bits) department in July/August 2006, which means our editor in chief, Pilar, is a fan. In an August 2007 interview with comedian Tina Fey on the Late Show With David Letterman (minutes 4:10 to 6:02 are devoted entirely to Fey's kombucha habit). And before a planning meeting last month, it seemed like all the EL staffers were comparing notes on the best ways to drink it. (Laine's suggestion? Cut it with water and fill your glass with ice.)
I mean, the stuff is supposed to improve digestion, detox the liver and boost energy, so I see the appeal, and just recently, I decided to try it again.
Maybe it's just the power of suggestion at work, but I'm on board now. Kombucha is my Kool-Aid.
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