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

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. 

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!).

 

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!

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.

Summer Heat Wave

Much of the country is currently in the midst of a summer heatwave, when the mercury rises on the thermometer (do they even make thermometers with mercury in them anymore?) you need to make sure you are keeping yourself cool.  It's important to stay hydrated and really listen to your body in the heat to avoid injury and to avoid heat related illness - you don't want to sideline your performance or your weekend plans because you didn't take care of yourself in the heat.

Its especially important to take care of yourself if you've decided that you're going to continue working out in the heat - especially to all of the people that are running outside and doing Crossfit it's important that you know what heat related illnesses can feel like so if you start to feel any of the warning signs you can dial back your training or your workout.  Just because it's hot doesn't mean stop training, but it does mean train smarter and make sure you're prepared by hydrating throughout the day and staying in tune with your body.

What can you do to prevent the heat related illnesses?  Here are a few tips, this is by no means a comprehensive list, but simply a few things to think about over the next few heat filled days.

1. Stay hydrated - drink lots of water and if you're exercising make sure you replace electrolytes that you're losing.  You can do this without Gatorade (gasp) through Coconut Water - I recommend VitaCoco which you can get at Wegmans and Whole Foods, and through Electrolyte enhanced water available with that name at Trader Joe's or Smart Water in the grocery store.

2. Avoid things that dehydrate you - primarily watch out for caffeine and alcohol - if you are drinking either of these make sure that you're increasing your water consumption as well.

3. Avoid the direct sun and being outside during the hottest time of day (11am - 4pm) - if you're outside, seek out shade and if you can find a cool place to be during the hottest hours of the day.  Go to the movies, grocery store, or shopping mall if you don't have air conditioning at home.  If you are outside wet a towel or bandanna with cold water and drape it across the back of your neck - it will provide a nice cool feeling even if you're out in the heat.

To avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke make sure you are dialing back when you see the following signs. Signs of heat exhaustion are a severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and a feeling of severe weakness - if you are feeling any of these symptoms make sure you take a break, get out of the heat, and rehydrate!

Heat stroke can be fatal, it occurs when the your body can no longer regulate its temperature relating in severely elevated body temperature causes an altered mental state, dizziness and ultimately can lead to a loss of consciousness and potentially kidney failure. 

What are you doing to stay cool?  And how are the increased temperatures impacting your training, planning, and performance?

Healthy Living Principle #3 - Think Seasonally



Flickr: All rights reserved by fatboydon

To follow up Healthy Living Principles #1 and #2, #3 is Think Seasonally. What does "think seasonally" mean?  When you are choosing your fruits and vegetables, choose the majority of what you're eating based on those foods that are in season where you live.  Some foods are in season "year round" so feel free to enjoy them year round When you eat seasonal foods, they are more likely to be locally grown (since the food is in season where you are) and picked closer to their peak of ripeness verses picked early and ripened with gas or have color added so that the food looks more appetizing.  When you are eating foods that travel less distance, and that are picked closer to their peak you are getting a more nutritious product, and increasing the nutrients for your dollar.  Another great thing about eating seasonally is that it tends to be cheaper: blueberries are less expensive in July when they are in season and you can get them from New Jersey (for those of us on the East Coast) verses in January when you have to eat ones that are imported from a warmer climate where they can still be grown.  On that note, foods that are seasonal and local travel less, so in addition to generally being more nutritious and less expensive they are also better for the environment (less travel to get to you) and can help support your local farmers.



How do you know what foods are seasonal, the easiest way is to go to a farmer's market, find one local to you today here and see what they have.  Most farmer's markets source their products from LOCAL farmers, which means that you'll be getting seasonal produce.

Paleo in US News Report

Ok I'm a little late to the table on this, but I still wanted to share some of my thoughts.  US News released a report ranking the Best Overall Diets and the good news is that the Paleo diet is included on the list.  The bad news is that it's last...my blink reaction to the list is that I want to see the ranking criteria.  Any study or report that includes the Slim Fast Diet and Medi Fast Diet (which feature consuming fortified supplements instead of eating actual food) on the list of the best diets automatically raises a flag for me. 

The Top 20 Best Diets....according to US News:
1. DASH Diet
2. Mediterranean Diet
2. TLC Diet
2. Weight Watchers Diet
5. Mayo Clinic Diet
5. Volumetric Diet
7. Jenny Craig Diet
8. Ornish Diet
9. Vegetarian Diet
10. Slim Fast Diet
11. Nutrisystem Diet
12. Vegan Diet
13. South Beach Diet
14. Eco Atkins Diet
14. Zone Diet
16. Glycemic-Index Diet
16. Medifast Diet
18. Raw Foods Diet
19. Atkins Diet
20. Paleo Diet

Healthy Living Principle #2: Eat More Vegetables

Healthy Living Principle #2: Eat More Vegetables.  Vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for health and optimal body function.  Everyone's diet could be better with the inclusion of a few more veggies, especially the leafy green kind.  Think about it, at how many meals and snacks do you actually eat vegetables?  When you do eat them, how much do you eat?  Do you eat the obligatory 2 pieces of broccoli so you can check the box on getting your veggies for the day?

Did you know that nutritionally greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. You don't have to eat them raw or cooked all the time; it's a good idea to eat a combination of cooked and raw vegetables. And eat what you like, try new vegetables and experiment with how to prepare them and learn how you like them. You may like carrots raw but hate them cooked, or you may think that brussel sprouts are gross and have memories of your parents forcing you to eat them before you could leave the table when you were a kid. But try a shredded brussel sprout salad or sauteed in grass fed butter and you could find that they are delcious.

Memorial Day WOD

Breakfast this morning: red swiss chard, nitrate free bacon, 2 farm eggs, and some cherry tomatoes.  This was the perfect breakfast to fuel my memorial day hero WOD at Crossfit KoP.

Murph

1 mile run

100 pull ups

200 push ups

300 squats

1 mile run

*Women 10# weight vest, Men 20# weight vest

This was the first time attempting Murph, and I decided to try it Rx (as prescribed) above, which meant wearing the 10# weight vest.  Today was hot too, it was at least 80 degrees and sunny, great weather for sunbathing not so great for running in a weight vest.  This workout was mentally and physically tough, I took Coach Jason's recommendation and tackled the workout as the a mile run sandwiching 20 rounds of Cindy (5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats).  Next time I do this, I would keep the same rep scheme but I'm remembering to tape my hands.  I didn't realize how much harder the extra 10#s would be on my hands on the pull ups!  This was a tough workout for me and the first one I did with a weight vest.  I finished in 48 minutes and change, looks like next time I attempt this I have plenty of room for improvement.

I was honored to do this Hero WOD on Memorial Day weekend.  Thanks to all our heroes, celebrated and un-named, that keep us safe!

What Does Healthy Mean?

One question I frequently get asked is "Is this healthy?" -- Which I actually find a difficult question to answer. I usually want to respond with, it depends... which is not what the person asking me the question is expecting to hear.  

For example, last week I was at a team event where we were traipsing around Philadelphia on an adventure scavenger hunt. One task on our quest for points was to find a healthy snack and take a picture of the team enjoying it. We ducked into a small convenience store in Old City, and some members on the team grabbed two granola bars listed "high in fiber" and we snapped a picture -- so that's a healthy snack, right? Back to my initial gut response to the question, it depends...


The definition of what is healthy depends, in some ways, on what you individually are doing with your food and lifestyle choices, what your current state of health is, and what your health goals are. However, there are some universal principles of healthy living that can apply to everyone - regardless of what type of food choices you follow - strict Paleo, Vegetarian, Macrobiotic, Raw foodie, Mediterranean, South Beach, or one of many other combinations and your current state of health (e.g., perfect health, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, an autoimmune disease, etc). I would like to share 10 Principles of Health with you as things that you can incorporate into your life to improve your overall health - no matter who you are.