My Blog is Moving!

Hello Readers,


I have moved my blog to a new site, and will continue to be blogging here instead.  The good news, all of the posts that are here, have been moved over to the new space so you can still find everything you're looking for and see any comments as well.


Looking forward to seeing you in my new space!


Thanks,
Laura

Mark Your Calendar

I have lots of stuff going on in November, so get out your planner, phone calendar, iPad or whatever you use to track your schedule and pencil me in for one or many of the following events - starting next Monday on November 7th.

Paleo for Peformance


Monday November 7th, 8pm
Crossfit Delware Valley


Join me and Larry Palazzolo at Crossfit Del Val for a workshop on how eating Paleo benefits your health and your perforamance. If you can't make this session, look for one in December at Crossfit KoP - we'd love to see you there!


Cost: $15 for Crossfit King of Prussia or Crossfit Del Val members -- Free for Crossfit Del Val Elements participants


Cost: $25 for Guests








How to eat like our ancestors -- Learn about the Paleo diet and its benefits


Sunday November 13th 4:45pm

StillPoint Yoga Studio - King of Prussia, PA

Join me and Larry Palazzolo at StillPoint Yoga studio (inside of SWEAT Fitness) and Lululemon for a trunk show and learn about the Paleo diet and it's benefits.


Cost: FREE!

Eating for Performance


Tuesday November 15th 7:30pm
Lululemon Athletica in Wayne PA


Join me and Larry Palazzolo at Lululemon in Wayne for a workshop on how eating Paleo benefits your health and your perforamance. Bonus: you have a chance to win some cool lululemon grear or a health coaching session with Laura or Larry. Also enjoy some Paleo friendly refreshments and snacks. We hope to see you there.


Cost: FREE!







The Supplement Mystery

Monday November 14th, 7:30 - 8:30pm
Crossfit King of Prussia 


Learn what supplements you should consider taking a Crossfitter, What supplements are beneficial to everyone, How and why to use things like whey protein, and get some of your supplement Questions Answered. If you have something specific (especially if it's obscure) please submit questions to Laura in advance.



Cost: Crossfit Kop Members $10 / Non-Members $15


To sign up, email me, show up the night of, or purchase through Crossfit KoP Mind Body.

Officially 70.3 Finisher

Even with threats from Tropical Storm Rina, I am now an official Ironman 70.3 finisher! The race was like the rest of the races this year, expo in the rain the day before and we were worried about the weather up through the start of the race.
Saturday had patches of sun and then patches of rain and it was really hot and humid - I was worried about it being that hot on race day because I was sweating just standing around.

Check In on Saturday - It's sunny now

Getting my packet: number, chip, etc

The best part about Saturday was the food truck that was at the expo, I was bummed they weren't there on race day too because that would definately have been my preferred post race fuel to the food that the race offered.  They did have real food here though,  better than the subway sandwhich at the Pocono race.  They offered arroz con pollo (which was mostly rice), pork, cooked plaintains, fresh fruit, bagels with cream cheese, and water, soda, and ironman perform drink.  I had some pork and fruit, and tried the plaintains but they were coated in sugar and were way too sweet for me.

Food Truck (it was raining)



Menu - Lots of great choices

70.3 or Bust!

This weekend I'm heading to Miami for the Miami 70.3 Half Ironman race - I signed up the day BEFORE the Pocono Mountains 70.3 race after learning that the swim was cancelled.  I set 70.3 as my goal this year and 69.1 is not the same thing, maybe I'm too goal oriented but you can't say I'm not driven.

The race is now 100% full - when we signed up it was at 99% and was one of two races left in the US for the 2011 race season - so if I wanted to get my Ironman 70.3 in 2011 it was either Miami or Austin Texas.  Austin was a possibility but turned out to be a bit more expensive to get to - and I have an aunt that is graciously letting us stay with her that lives less than an hour from Miami, so Miami seemed like the right place to go.  It was staying pretty warm on the east coast through the beginning of October, we even had a weekend where we hit 80 and instead of doing training in the morning, we waited until 1pm to go so that we could train at the hottest part of the day here.  Now it's a bit colder than Miami so I'm a little worried about adjusting to the heat since I'll be getting to Miami the day before the race, which doesn't leave much time for acclimating to the hotter weather.  For training I kept up what I was doing for the Pocono Mountains 70.3 and have been doing Crossfit WODs two times a week, a longer run, an interval or tempo workout, and one long bike or brick workout per week.  I've been trying to add some yoga in, with the goal of once per week and that has been helping too.  That leaves me with 5 or 6 days "on" if you count doing yoga as a workout day and one rest day.  I have to admit that I'm starting to get a little burned out.  I haven't done much swimming, so my swim time will be interesting.  I got in the pool last week and did 2400 meters and am confident in my ability to do and finish the swim, but I have no idea how fast I'll be!

This race is different from the others I've done, where Tim (my husband is also doing the race) will be starting between 45 minutes and 1 hour AFTER me.  Usually I'm the one that starts that late behind him, so my goal in this race will be to get the 70.3 and for him NOT to pass me!  In our last race our times were about 30 mins apart but he had a SNAFU on the bike with 2 flats, and I'm just slow on the bike.  If you're interested in following us you can through ironman live.  Looks like I'll be starting 40 minutes after the official race start, in Wave 9 with a Sliver cap - I hope it's metallic and sparkly!  Tim will be all the way at the end in one of the Age Group - Male 30 - 34 waves 22, 23, or 24.

The Swim course will start and end at the same place which means turns!  There are 3 turns in this course which shouldn't be too bad.  This looks a lot like the swim in the Brigantine Triathlon, except instead of being 400 meters long it 1.2 miles - just a little bit longer :)  I'm not sure about wetsuits, the water temperature is right there at the line where we may get to wear them or maybe not.  I'll have mine regardless but am not worried about doing the swim without a wetsuit - I did both Olympic Tri's without a wetsuit and this is only an additional 300 meters of swimming compared to the .9 miles in those races.  The Bike and Run have a much larger jump in distance from an Olympic Distance Race to a Half Ironman distance.

I haven't heard much about the course for the bike or the run, but know that Florida is a LOT flatter than the Poconos so hopefully that will help me a little since I'm not an exceptional climber and am afraid to go too fast down hills.  There isn't as much activity via twitter and facebook as we had for the Poconos race, and what we have found has been in Spanish - Miami is definitely a bilingual area.  The run will be along the coast so hopefully we'll be getting a nice coastal breeze!  Both courses are out and back which means we also only have 1 transition which is great because the two transition and then finish being a mile away from transition where all of your things were was not the best situation - especially when the post race food is usually far from Paleo friendly and leaves me with not much to eat!

So watch out Miami, here I come and I'm determined to race all 70.3 miles that you have ready for me!

Shredded Mexican Chicken

This dish was inspired when I was looking for a quick and easy meal that could feed a lot of people - my current go to dish if I'm having a party or going to one is to make a crock pot of Paleo friendly pulled pork.  If you're going to a non-paleo place you can bring along some small rolls and you can eat your pork and know that it's 100% Paleo and everyone is content.  I've been on a Mexican kick lately, had just bought a family pack of chicken and decided that I would tackle creating a slow cooked shredded chicken dish.



What I put in the crock pot (other than the chicken)



 Ingredients:

• 8 chicken breasts
• 1 large onion
• 1 large red pepper
• 2 large green peppers
• 1 jar of Trader Joe's Salsa Verde
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (no sugar added!)
• 1/2 - 1 cup of chicken broth
• 2 - 3 tsp Mexican chili powder
• 2 - 3 tsp Cumin
• 2-3 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• Sprinkle of red pepper falkes (optional)
• Salt & Pepper

Add everything into a crockpot or slow cooker (chop the veggies please!) and then cook on low for 6 hours.  The result = some delicious shredded chicken!  It has a bit of heat, if you're not a cayenne pepper person you can sub a mild hot pepper or some red pepper flakes instead.  I'm sensitive to cayenne and felt like this packed a little heat, but others that ate it thought it was delicious!

What dinner looked like the first night

I ate it along with a plate full of sauteed kale, but you could also eat these in lettuce wraps.  If you do dairy, some cheese on top would have been delicious, also a bit of guacamole or diced avocado on top would be a nice cooling complement to the slight heat of the Mexican chicken.

Paleo Spaghetti

Autumn is officially here and so are all of the yummy winter squashes.  Here is a great and easy recipe for those of you that are missing pasta - you can get spaghetti squash almost everywhere right now, I got a great deal at the farmers market a few weeks ago where each squash was only 75 cents!  This is a dish that is great to reheat, take to work for lunch, or have for breakfast if you're so inclined.  It's easy to do so give it a try - no excuses!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash - Paleo Spaghetti


Heat oven to 400 degrees and put a halved, seeded spaghetti squash in a baking dish or baking pan, lightly coated with coconut oil. I always put mine face down, so that the inside of the squash is on the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, remove and let cool. Once cool, use a fork to scrape the squash out from the shell, it will have a "spaghetti" like consistency.

To save time you can also half and seed the squash, and cook in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes. Follow the same process to scrape the squash out.  For this recipe where I took the pictures we cooked the squash on the plate in the microwave instead of in the oven.

Healthy Living Principle #5: Eat More Fat

Welcome back to my Principles of Health Series, to refresh yourself on numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 check the linked blog posts.  Today we're talking fat and it's importance in your diet.  Newsflash - Fat doesn't make you FAT, it's not 'artery clogging,' and it won't raise your cholesterol.  

So where did the idea that Fat makes you FAT come about?  In summary it started in the 1960s with a study by Ancel Keys called "The Seven Countries Study" in short he had some good science but no convincing results, so he selected data that support his hypothesis that eating fat makes you fat and the myth was born.  The study was sponsored by the US government and adopted into food policy and eventually the food pyramid.  From here the fear of fat was born, and along with that fear, a food industry focused on removing fat from its food source and creating low fat versions of common foods and even working to create new fats to replace the horrible 'saturated' fat that was thought to clog arteries and lead to heart disease. 

Now if you're not supposed to be afraid of fat anymore, what types of fat should you focus on adding back into your diet, and why?

What types of fat should I eat?

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

What's for dinner?  I ask myself that question often, almost everyday actually.  This weekend we decided to make the most of the summer weather (hitting 80 in October is definitely summer weather when you live in the north east) and make some grilled chicken kabobs.  It was really easy and turned out delicious.

What you need:

• 1 - 2 pounds of chicken thighs
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• Minced garlic
• Olive Oil
• Oregano
• Salt and Pepper
• Kabob Skewers - wooden or metal

Ironman Pocono Mountains 69.1

This weekend I completed the Bike and Run of the Ironman Pocono Mountain 69.1 (since the swim is 1.2, I've removed that from the planned 70.3 distance).  Overall it was an amazing experience, and even though the swim cancellation was a HUGE disappointment to me, I'm glad I did it.  I thought I was prepared, but actually doing the 56m bike and then the 13.1m run I was able to prove to myself that I really could do it.

I was Paleo except for my the Powerbar Gels and a little corn in all of the days leading up to the race and even on race day.  I didn't hit a wall or bonk at all, I felt good nutrition wise throughout the whole race.  I probably should have had a little more on my run, and had I done the swim then I'm sure I would have felt the need to "eat" something sooner than mile 16 on the bike.  Generally I eat something like a lara bar or a gel as soon as I get on the bike after finishing a swim.

Here is a recount of what my food and nutrition looked like the days before the race and then during the race itself:

Pre Race:

Added some extra sweet potato and some acorn and spaghetti squash (for variety really) to my meals starting on Thursday (race was Sunday).

Dinner night before was grilled chicken, salad, and mashed sweet potatoes, and lunch had been a burger with no bun with pork roll and a fried egg on it (this was delicious btw) and a half a lara bar.

Almost Race Day

Race day is tomorrow and everyone that is registered is anxiously watching the weather for rain.  The race sent an official Swim Update email on Thursday,  and posted on the Poconos 70.3 Facebook page, that the swim has been officially canceled, due to "river to crest at an extremely high level and currents to run at speeds too dangerous to allow athletes in the
water."  This is a real bummer, I don't want to swim if the water is unsafe, but at the same time it's no longer a Half Ironman...that was my goal and what I have been training for.
 
Now on Sunday it will be a Bike and Run "time trial" - 56m bike followed by a 13.1m run.  I still think all the rest of the race festivities will be going on and tracking should still be up, even though a third of the race is canceled, it only decreases the mileage from 70.3 to 69.1...but that means I can't get my 70.3 sticker since I will not be doing it.  Now I'm contemplating adding another race since I want to be able to say that I did a REAL or FULL Half Ironman, not that I did a HIM once sort of since the swim was canceled.

A special THANK YOU to my parents and to the Plentui (Chris and Kristin) for coming out to cheers us on and support us even though the weather is supposed to be icky AND the swim got canceled :)

The race is on Sunday October 2nd, if you're up for tracking our "time trial" results here is the information you'll need to track us on IronmanLive.com

Laura's Bib = 1283
Tim's Bib = 389

Here is what we'll still be doing on the course, don't get me wrong I realize that doing the bike and run will still be a major accomplishment...



Bike Elevation



Taper Week

This is the last week before the Poconos 70.3 Half Ironman, which is now only 5 short days away!  Last Saturday, after getting my bike fit done at High Road Cycles, I embarked on my first 50 mile bike ride.  This was something I mentally needed to do, because I had a lot of pain on my 40 mile ride and going for another 16 miles like that might not have been possible. 

At my bike fit, Isaac helped me and he really shortened my reach, adjusted my seat height and position, and tweaked my handle bars.  Let me tell you on my 50 mile ride I felt like I was on a new bike, I felt great.  I looked down and was like, wow we've gone 10 miles already - usually I'm like oh geez how have we gone only 3 miles, it feels like 10.  I had no pain in my back, numbness in my feet, and didn't get any shooting pain in my ankles like I did on my 40 mile ride.  Something that Issac said during my bike fit really stuck with me, he said, "it shouldn't hurt to ride your bike" which really resonated with me.  I said I thought your back should feel sore after bike riding and that you would have some discomfort...and why because that's all I've known on my bike.  Ironically this is the same thing that I encounter with people when they tweak their diet and go Paleo, they realize that all these little things that used to plague them clear up - like headaches, stiffness in their joints, being tired after eating a big meal, stuffy nose in the morning, etc.  All this is "normal" so when you change to a Paleo based diet you get the same feeling that I experienced when I got my bike fit! 

AC International Triathlon

This weekend marked my second to last triathlon for the year...getting me ready for my big athletic endeavor this year (and ever), the Poconos 70.3 Half Ironman which is fast approaching on October 2nd. 

The Race Details: The Atlantic City International Triathlon
.9m Ocean Swim
22 Mile Bike
6.2 Mile Run



Mine is blue and white, but same design



What's new for me this race is that I experimented with some new foods trying to stay Paleo while getting more fuel in me on the bike and I got a new race outfit.  I finally got a real tri suit.  It's from Zoot and a one piece which is great because that means my top won't ride up and I don't have to worry about pulling my shorts off along with my wetsuit in transition...but it's really tough to get on and off, especially if you're in a port-a-potty.  The good news is that I had no problem with the suit, but at this Tri we had regular bathrooms with plenty of arm and leg room, so the port-a-potty check will have to happen in the Poconos.

Interview with Philadelphia CowShare

I've had many great experiences with Philadelphia CowShare, in fact they have been providing me with my supply of grassfed meat for the past 6 months thanks to a 1/8th share and a 1/16th - I shared 1/8th with someone else!

Eating higher quality foods and especially ones that are local is high on my list of things to do to be healthier. I love the variety of what you get with the CowShare program and it's affordability. To learn more about this awesome company that connects people with locally raised grassfed beef, I reached out to Jessica Moore, owner of Philadelphia CowShare.

 What is Philly CowShare?
Jessica Moore (JM): Philadelphia CowShare is a business that specializes in locally, sustainably raised animal proteins. We support great farms by buying their meat and delivering it to the people who want the benefits of buying directly from farms and the convenience of home delivery.


What areas do you serve?
JM: We deliver to the larger Philadelphia Metro Area including roughly 25 miles from City Hall and 75 miles from Lancaster County. We can deliver to areas slightly outside this boundary for an extra charge.


Are you at farmer’s markets?
JM: Philadelphia CowShare isn’t currently operating at any farmer’s markets; most Philadelphia-area markets prefer to have farmers selling directly to consumers. Since we partner with farmers who would rather farm than market and sell, we don’t get the chance to sell at most markets. You can sample a selection of our cuts at some neighborhood markets including Milk and Honey, Fu-Wah, and Mariposa in West Philly and Green Aisle Market in South Philly.


Why should I use Philly CowShare?
JM: There are many reasons our customers buy our CowShares. It is a convenient way to get great tasting, healthy and lean, grassfed beef. The beef goes from the farm to the butcher and is then delivered directly to you. The bundle of beef, called a “CowShare”, is designed for seasonal cooking. Eaten 2 lbs per week, an Eighth CowShare will last roughly 6 months. Our method of packaging the beef also uses the entire animal, reduces waste, and promotes conscious eating. In addition, the money you pay for your beef stays in our region and supports the local economy.

How are your cows raised?
JM: All our cows are raised on pasture and do not receive growth hormones, steroids, or antibiotics. The farms use grazing techniques such as rotational or intensive grazing to promote healthy weight gain from the cow’s natural diet. In the winter months, cows eat hay that is often produced right on the farm. Just as we must manage our health, a beef cattle farmer must manage the health of the soil, promoting rich, nutritious grass growth and the health of the animals grazing the land. The location of the farm and the weather have a lot of influence on the techniques a farmer uses to raise cattle.

How to Go Paleo Workshop

Come out to Crossfit King of Prussia this Wednesday September 14th at 7:30pm and attend the "How to Go Paleo" workshop.

If you've decided to give Paleo a try, learn how to set yourself up for success.  Do you have questions about how to convert your lifestyle to be Paleo friendly?  Unsure of everything that can be included in a Paleo lifestyle?  Need some tips and tricks for eating out and planning food so that you're prepared?

Get a lot of information for a minimal investment - $10 for Crossfit KoP members and $15 for Non Memebers.

I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

Learn How Gluten is Sneaking into YOUR Diet

You think you're eating clean and staying clear of gluten in your diet.  However, gluten is a sneaky thing and you may be avoiding the obvious gluten containing foods like bread, pasta, and cookies, but have you thought about all the places gluten may be hiding in the food that you do eat?  Did you know that there is gluten in soy sauce?  Have you thought about cross-contamination at restaurants or from another person in your house that is not gluten free? 

It's valuable to learn about all the places that gluten could be sneaking into your diet if you are avoiding gluten or following a lifestyle that includes being gluten free.  This information is particularly valuable for anyone that has Celiac Disease, or is Gluten Intolerant, but I also think that it's worth understanding where gluten is hiding and how you may still be getting exposed to it for anyone that is looking for better health.  Avoiding gluten is one of the things on my top 10 list of things to change to make you healthier - regardless of who you are or how you currently eat.

Check out Jennifer Fugo's FREE teleclass on Wednesday September 14th at 7pm where she will walk you through 5 ways that gluten is still sneaking into you diet. Not sure if you can make the call - no big deal, as long as you sign up you will be able to listen to the recording and you'll be eligible to win some free stuff.  Got 2 minutes, watch this quick video to learn a tip about gluten contamination in your own home, and meet Jennifer.

Why should you sign up for this class?  Why not, I'm signed up - I am always looking for opportunities to learn more about how gluten could be sneaking into my food so that I can avoid it and minimize my exposure to gluten.  If you're following a Paleo/Primal lifestyle you may THINK you are gluten free, but might not realize where you still may be getting exposed to gluten.  I think everyone can benefit from being gluten free, and this call will help you understand all of the place to look for it!

Jennifer Fugo is a certified health coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and has been Named by Philadelphia Magazine as a Gluten Free Guru.  She has successfully overhauled her diet and lifestyle after learning of her own intolerance to gluten, casein, and eggs and works with her clients to help busy, constantly on-the-go individuals a system of eating and living that best suites them. 

New Paleo Resource: Eat to Evolve

I'd like to introduce those of you that live in the Philly or Main Line Area to a new local Paleo resource, Eat to Evolve.  For those of you that are Paleo or thinking about going Paleo this could be a great resource for you.  Eat to Evolve focuses on delivering high quality Paleo meals to your door - so for those of you that want to try Paleo but can't cook or don't have the time...this could be the perfect solution for you.

Roger Dickerman is owner and trainer at the "anti-gym" Relentless Fitness Studio located in Center City Philadelphia on 10th Street between Locust and Spruce.  Roger is passionate about fitness and about the fuel that you put in your body to create optimal fitness.  His passion is contagious, and when you talk with him and work with him you'll feel the energy and passion that he has to help you reach optimal health.  He believes that you are in control of you, but realistically wants to help you reach that best version of you through training and diet. He had a vision to help make Paleo Foods more accessible and easier to find in the main stream.  He partnered with JPM Catering and Main Line Delivery to bring his vision of accessible Paleo food that can be conveniently delivered to your door! 

Check out my interview with Roger sharing more about what Eat to Evolve is, and be sure to check out their website.

What is Eat to Evolve in 25 words or less?

RD: Philadelphia-based healthy fresh food delivery service emphasizing freshness, quality, and taste. Customers place orders by Thursday to receive food for the entire week on Monday.

Take a look at some of our foods pictured here:

You've Got Questions....I've Got Answers

Thank you all for the questions that you submitted, here is the first round of answers - please feel free to continue to post more and I'll pull them through into a future post.

Laura - Hey, I've got a question for ya! I have been doing a 21 day challenge of strict paleo and while it's been going really well, I have found that I am craving gum. I can't seem to shake this and have been giving in to it. I am chewing like 6 to 8 pieces of gum a day. I am assuming it's because I am craving sugar? Thoughts?? -- Melinda

Sunday Cooking

I took advantage of everyone recovering from the flooding Post Hurricane Irene to do some Sunday cooking to get ready for the week.  So what did I make?

• Egg Cassarole (for 2 to eat all week for breakfast)
• Sweet Potatoes (for dinners and post workout)
• Pot Roast (Sunday Dinner and Monday Dinner)



Sunday Cooking!



I did all of this cooking at the same time, so that while my Pot Roast is cooking on the stove, I'm chopping up my sweet potatoes.  For the first 15 mins of cooking the sweet potatoes I'm chopping the veggies and cracking eggs for the egg cassarole.  After everything is in the oven/cooking on the stove then I clean up everything I used to prepare.  I like cooking, and when I'm cooking I tend to listen to podcasts - I'm a big Robb Wolf fan, and to me there is nothing better than cooking up a whole bunch of Paleo goodies while listening to Robb Wolf (I know I'm a bit of a nutrition-dork!).

 

My New Favorite Paleo Stuff!

All of you that are part of the Paleo community know how important it is to support it, in one of my posts a few weeks ago I talked about how Paleo is becoming more and more mainsteam.  A few weeks ago was the first Ancestral Health Symposium, AHS, which was a Paleo/Primal focused gathering of all of the amazing minds that are helping to push the movement forward and share all of the benefits of a Paleo life. 

The great news is that the AHS was a success and they are already planning the next one for 2012, and the even better news for me is that instead of it being out in California again, 2012 is going to be on the east coast.  There was so much amazing information shared in AHS and I wanted to share with you how you can go and watch the recorded lectures here.  I am working on watching them all, but take a look and see what's interesting to you.  I'm already a huge a fan of Robb Wolf, Mark Sission, the Whole 9, and Nell Stephenson (who have videos that you can watch from the AHS as well as their own blogs and books) but I also learned about a lot of other bloggers that are out there in Paleo land that are doing great work.  I wanted to share some of these new resources with you, they'll be added to my list of blogs as well.

The Food Lover's Pirmal Palate - is written by an amazing couple that is 100% (well basically) Paleo, and they are based in PA!  They are on the other end of the state, but reading their blog and learning more about their cookbook that is currently on Pre-Release at Amazon.com has left me feeling instantly connected with them.  Take a look at their blog and what they are doing, and definitely reserve a copy of their cookbook today - the images and recipes look amazing and staying true to the Paleo theme should be easy to make.  I pre-ordered my copy already, grab yours too.

CaveGirl Eats - another close to home blogger who works out at Crossfit Tribe, which for those who don't know is right over the bridge in NJ and is the home gym of Steve's Club.  She's got a great perspective, sense of humor, and takes Paleo beyond just food and also addresses how you can be more Paleo with your body care!  I've added CaveGril Eats to my regular blog roll and am hoping to run into her at one of the many Crossfit events coming up this fall.

A few more blogs that landed on my radar from the AHS are Nom Nom Paleo and FitBomb, add these guys to your reading list and let me know what you like!  What else do you read that you think I should be checking out?

You've Got Questions...

I want to know what's on your mind - related to nutrition and fitness that is.  

Do you have questions about being Paleo, Crossfitting, Rest and Recovery, Triathlons, Food...  Please submit your questions via the Comments section on this blog post or you can email it directly to me through my Contact tab.  I'd love to hear what's on your mind and pull your questions together for a future blog post.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

I love Mexican food, trouble is when you eat Mexican out a lot of times its loaded with corn, beans, rice, and cheese.  You can make delicious Paleo friendly Mexican food as well, and you won't even miss the rice and beans or the cheese and sour cream that would come along with this dish in a traditional Mexican restaurant.  I made this on a Friday night and it was delicious, it was great as leftovers the next day as well. 

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients (makes 4 - 6 servings):

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into thin even strips
• 1 large onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, 1 red pepper, and 2 green pepper, cut into thin slices
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 large ripe avocado
• Romaine or bib lettuce
• Olive oil
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 4 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper

Cooking / Grilling Directions:

Mix 2 tsp of chili powder, 2 tsp of cumin, and 1 tsp of paprika along with a little bit of olive oil in a bowl. Add a little salt and pepper along with the spices and mix until the chicken is evenly coated.

Cut the onion and peppers into slices and mix in a separate bowl with some olive oil and salt and pepper. mix the vegetables until they are evenly coated. Put the vegetables into the grill basket for easier grilling.

Wash the lettuce and wash and cut the tomato and avocado into slices. Arrange the lettuce, avocado, and tomatoes on a plate.

On the grill, first add the grill basket with the veggies you’ll want to grill the veggies for about 10 to 15 minutes. After the veggies have been on for a few minutes, place the chicken strips directly on the grill and grill approximately 3 – 4 minutes each side depending on the thickness of the chicken. When you flip the chicken, stir the veggies in the grill basket as well.

Remove the chicken and the veggies and place on top of the pile of lettuce, tomato, and avocado and enjoy!

Healthy Living Principle #4 - Kick the Sugar

Sugar is everywhere in the Standard American Diet, pretty much anything that comes in a package has sugar added to it somewhere.  Do you check nutrition labels before you buy things, I advise you start doing it immediately if you don't.  You'd be surprised where sugar is hidden - in your favorite jar of tomato sauce, most salad dressings and marinades, that quick go-to meal from Trader Joe's that you just have to saute... the list goes on and on, and the sugar isn't only in things that you think of as sweet like cakes and cookies. 

What's so bad about sugar anyway? I've done a few in-depth posts on sugar which you can read here: Sugar, It's not that sweet and Fructose, the not so innocent sugar.  Here are some highlights from those posts, and some facts about sugar to help you understand how you process sugar when you eat it, in any form.

Paleo is reaching its Tipping Point

The Paleo Diet is reaching its tipping point. You know that critical point that Malcom Gladwell talks about in his book? The movement started to gain momentum last year when I realized that a few of my co-workers were in a transformational program addressing workouts and nutrition - and guess what their nutrition plan was...yup basically Paleo. Next thing I knew 10 or more people I worked with were changing their diet to Paleo, Robb Wolf released his book The Paleo Solution and it made the New York Times Best Seller List, Art DeVaney and Robb Wolf were featured on Nightline, Paleo is listed on the US News report about diets, and this week Yahoo featured an article titled "Paleo Diet: Smart eating or latest fad?" "Paleo Diet: Smart eating or latest fad?"*

Image used in the Paleo article by Getty Images - Please note: baby corn = not Paleo and the sauce that is covering the ribs is probably not Paleo either

 

Why is Paleo on the tipping point? Simple answer: because it works and people are seeing results. They are feeling better, experiencing more energy, improving their body compesition, but most importantly they are noticing that they are getting clincially healthier too. Paleo practitioners are reducing inflammation in their body and noticing that they don't have headaches anymore. They are healing their gut which has been damaged by the constant onslaught of anti-nutrients that are found in grains, legumes, and dairy, and they are reducing their risk of lifestyle diseases (or syndrome X as it's also called) like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.