Trip to NC - in pictures

It Starts With Food, Some Goals, and Ghee.

I enjoy Instagram a lot. (Follow me! I'm @tiffasaurusb) I look to it for visual inspiration on all things - fashion, fitness, health, awesome yoga poses, etc. I like that a picture catches your eye first, and then you can dig deeper and  find more. So I was looking up #paleo and #crossfit pics, and I noticed several people hashtagging #whole30. I was like wtf is whole30? So I dug deeper, and came across this website touting this book. It's basically strict paleo, and rather than being obsessed with what the cavemen did, it focuses more on health. The authors encourage the readers to try a 30 day challenge - 100% whole paleo foods, no sugar, no cheating, no paleo versions of cheat foods, etc.  I laugh because two of my blog posts from this year were for paleo cheat foods (Cookie Dough Truffles and Jalapeno Poppers.... hey those things are fine every now and then!) But I decided it sounded like a fun challenge. I'm on day 5, and it is going well. I feel great, high energy, no cravings.

I took a bunch of what I am going to call "before" pictures this weekend. I have a good muscle base, but I need to drop body fat and improve my athletic performance, strength, and flexibility. I have several goals over the next year, in my quest to be in top shape by my 30th (NOOOO) birthday in March 2014

• I would like to eventually be able to hold my own at a crossfit gym, so my secret plan is to spend the summer training building up strength and ability to do things like burpees, squats, cleans, pushups, etc. Then I can join a gym in the fall and learn the true crossfit way. You may be thinking, just join a gym now, no one cares! But they are expensive, and honestly I can train myself over the summer at my beginners level, fo free, before I need the help of the crossfit class environment to push me. 

• Simultaneously  I'd like to gain flexibility. So while I build strength, I will also work at increasing my flexibility. My dream is to be able to do fancy yoga handstandy leggy things. You know what I mean. So I will work on stretches, plenty of yoga, and again, strength. Must have good upper body strength in order to do the poses I wish to do.

So the It Starts With Food book reminded me of the benefits of ghee. Ghee is clarified butter. Butter that has had all of the milk solids removed. I bought a jar and have been using it to cook with. It's luxurious! I only cook with Coconut Oil or Ghee. I used to cook with olive oil, and I will still oven bake things with it, but the reason I do not pan cook on the stove with olive oil is because at high temperatures, it becomes carcinogenic. Look it up! It's true. Ghee and coconut oil have a higher smoking point, so they are better for higher temperatures.

GHEEEEE

Last but not least, I want to comment on the fact that eating organic grass-fed, pastured animals and organic produce is fucking expensive. Worth it - and I'm grateful I can afford (well, sacrificing other luxuries) it, but damn, that's a lot of money, honey!

Um. 22 lbs in 27 days

Yeah, you read that right. Today is day# 27 of eating paleo style, and so far I've lost 22 lbs. Twenty two freaking pounds! I started at 243 and now I'm 221. Goal is around 155,which for my height (5'8" and muscularity (I lift a lot, so lots of lean mass) is pretty fit. The lowest I've ever weighed in my adult life is 170~ and that happened during the time I was training for two half-marathons and a triathlon in 2008-2009. it only got that low for like a week after "eating clean" and doing 10+ hours of cardio training a week for a few months.

I understand it is coming of fast now partially because of the water weight scenario. I've only been working out twice a week so far too, due to my NYE sprained ankle healing. I am looking forward to working out more. I have never felt more energetic, level headed, and happy as I do eating this way. I'm definitely a convert for life. And it is EASY to eat this way too.

Mark's Daily Apple

Game Day Treat - Paleo Jalapeno Poppers

I read a statistic that said on Superbowl Sunday this year, Americans will eat 1.23 billion chicken wings and will drink over 50 million cases of beer. Whoa! We won't be indulging in any chips or sweets or beer in this house today, but in the name of one-in-a-while treats for a cold February day, we made a batch of Paleo Jalapeno Poppers.

Instead of being stuffed with cream cheese, these have a vegan nut cheese made with cashew butter, tahini. brewers yeast, a bit of almond milk, and spices. And rather than breaded and fried, they are wrapped in nitrate-free bacon and baked.  

Here is the recipe, adapted from one found on this blog. Filling from Whole Foods website.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of hickory smoked, nitrate-free bacon
• 12 jalapenos(1 for each piece of bacon. Look for the fat peppers!)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Cashew Nut Cheese Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8oz) cashew butter
• 2 TBS tahini
• 2 TBS brewer's yeast flakes
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

Mix ingredients in bowl until blended. Should be a thick, sticky consistency.

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place raw washed (patted dry) jalapenos on a pan, lightly coat in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
2. Let them soften in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. 350 degrees.
3. WEAR GLOVES for this part - cut down the center of one side of the pepper (do not cut off the top of cut completely open), use a spoon and/or gloved finger to remove the seeds. 
4. Stuff with nut cheese filling and mold back into pepper shape
5. Wrap with one slice of bacon, place on baking sheet
6. Bake at 350 degrees until bacon is crispy. Let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

Quick note- these treats I post here are treat foods I eat very rarely. The way I see it, indulging in "paleo" splurge foods are still better than eating any kind of processed sugary garbage. Besides, no one needs to read a recipe about baked fish on a bed of greens, or a big salad with veggies and baked chicken breast - which are the main types of meals I eat day in and day out.

Homework

That is all.

Paleo Cookie Dough Truffles

• 1 TBS raw honey
• 1 TBS coconut milk or almond milk
• 1 TBS ground flaxseed meal
• 4 TBS shredded unsweetened organic coconut
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1 TBS melted coconut oil
• 1 TBS vanilla
• chocolate - to taste. Use as high % dark as possible. (less sugar, more cocoa - the Lindt 90% only has 3 grams sugar per serving. I chopped up half the bar.

Mix all of these ingredients in a small bowl, roll into truffles, chill for 30 minutes, then enjoy! Makes about 6-10 truffles. My boyfriend and I enjoyed one each as a Saturday night treat, then I put the rest in the freezer with the plan to unthaw at room temperature for future enjoyment.

Note: this is a once in a while treat only. Whilst technically "paleo," consuming in large quantities isn't cool man.

Saturday night higher-carb dinner:
Organic lean beef burgers on bed of spinach, acorn squash, asparagus with lemon pepper.

2013 - Best Year Ever!

weekend paleo brunch - greens, garlic asparagus, eggs, nitrate-free  ham, oranges

Its a marvelous thing when what you want to do, and what you know you should do, and what you actually have the will to do, all align. If you've read back on this blog over the years you will see a big pattern of me starting something... and then failing to go very far with it. Ups and downs. At first I felt embarrassed reading back on the past few years. But you know, I am not embarrassed  This is my story, my highs and lows, accomplishments and lack thereof. Snapshots of the current times. But I digress. I was talking about my new found good decisions. I feel like that I'm finally OK sacrificing certain things to the advancement of others.

So I'm two weeks into eating "Paleo" style. The paleo plan is meat, veggies, healthy fats, some fruit, some nuts and seeds. Read - no dairy, no grains, no legumes. When I mentioned eating this style while out at lunch with some co-workers last week, someone was like, "moderation in all things, I don't believe in cutting out entire food groups." and I feel sorry for that perspective. Grains and legumes are inedible in their natural state, and just because modern cultivation and need for cheap, carb-heavy processed food to feed an enormous amount of people can take something and make it edible, doesn't mean there are health benefits from eating it. But you know, that's just me. There is no perfect way. Whatever works for people... eating is like religion, whatever makes you feel good - do it! And I feel so good eating paleo. Even better than clean eating, which still contains dairy and "whole grains." Grains make me feel sluggish and unwell. If I need good carbs pre or post workout, I'm going to pick fruit and squashes, not wheat or oats. 

The coolest thing is that I am down 15 lbs in two weeks. Of course, the "before" weight was at the very height of New Year's day, post Holiday excess and bloat. But still, that's cool. real cool. 

I'm also taking college courses full-time. On Wednesdays and Thursdays I have class from 5:30pm - 10:00pm. And homework to boot. Juggling work, school, and life is tricky and I have to keep on my toes. 

What this means for me is a few things, and these things are my areas of focus this year. The PLAN!

1. Adequate rest. I am the WORST morning person ever. I hate getting up & at 'em. I wish I could be a morning person who jumps out of bed with a zest for life, but I am not. I'm like, nooooo the light! it blinds us! actually, my brother Nik (who is hilarious) calls the condition sleep inertia. If sleeping, must stay asleep. If I'm awake, must stay awake, lest I miss something!! I'm working on it. The goal here soon is to workout in the mornings before work. If I can do that consistently, I'll know I've made it. But anyway, a full work and school schedule means I need to get to bed by 10, 10:30 so I can get enough sleep to function.

2. Preparedness. This is in the areas of laundry and food. On school nights, I have to pack enough food for the day to last me from 8 am to 10 pm. That takes prior planning. And I need to have clean clothes, of course.

3. Sobriety. Is it sad that I listed that? Maybe. Drinking was really holding me back, despite years of justifying it as letting loose and just having fun. When you drink, you make stupid food choices, and when you're hungover (and it can take days to get recovered after an especially rowdy evening), you also make bad food choices, PLUS you don't do anything to get prepared. You sit around on the computer, or watching Netflix, only getting up long enough to answer the door when the delivery guy comes. I'm speaking about myself, my own truths. I was kidding myself thinking I could be a weekend warrior and still get my crap together enough to ensure a successful week ahead. Drinking has been holding me back for years. Plus, I'm over it! I just don't want that to be a part of my life. Now that I'm almost 29, I feel sad for the people who still go out to the bars or who center all of their fun around drinking. I'm not ruling out some future celebrations, but I'm thinking 0-4 times per year, rather than 50-70. Big difference!

4. Financial Fitness. This is the year of really saving up. By not spending money on take-out and cocktails, I can really stash the cash. I've done an ok job of this up tp this point, but I have made some wasteful and frivolous decisions. I think this was a maturity thing too. So this year, I am really focusing on making big strides in the frugality zone.

5. Enriching Activities. This means reading more, working on my art more, attending community or cultral events, volunteering, calling my family more. My spare time is so precious, I can't spend it sitting around on the computer or watching TV. I plan to do more.


Oh, and an update to the relationship....(since for some reason I feel the need to blog about something so personal here)... after a few months apart, and some therapy working out issues (I'm a child of divorce and I come from a line of crazies), we worked through our problems. Hey - love is love. When someone not only accepts your irrational shortcomings but helps you through them with compassion.... plus they are kind and make you laugh, well they are a keeper. 

So that's what I have to say about all that. I'll be over here chopping wood and carrying water.