Friday, October 30, 2009

"Just Do It"

For me, this Nike slogan will go down as one of the best ever.
Richard (again) had a great post, responding to an inquiry from a new reader.
Some great advice there from Richard but also from all the people leaving a comment.
The underlying theme of the advice is simple and straight forward just like the Nike quote.
You've got to just do it and stick with it.

I think I've put up some nice food porn pics over the years, but I also want to show the kind of meals that taste delicious but don't necessarily look so appetizing.
Here's my version of lox, eggs and onion.
2 or 3 eggs, cut up smoked salmon and onion. Boil the eggs, mash them with a fork, add some cut up smoked salmon and a little bit of onion. It's a fantastic tasting breakfast, quick and easy to make.


Since we are all in agreement about FAGE , this is one way that I like to indulge in it. Cucumber, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

What do you make that doesn't look so appetizing but tastes delicious?

Nike Question.... So with the popularity of the Vibram Five Fingers and minimal foot wear, do you think Nike will be coming out with their own version? I mean the Nike Free's have been out for a while. Will Nike come out with a type of VFF? My guess is yes.

ENJOY HALLOWEEN.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Yogurt Dressing

Just quickly; I'm in no way associated or compensated by the product/company below.

Product review. I had told Richard at Free the Animal that I would post next time I got this.
Fage yogurt has been in the spot light lately and yours truly loves full fat Fage. It truly is better then sour cream.
But I also buy this;
This yogurt with all of it's probiotic goodness and flavor is the go to guy/gal for dressing.
It tastes to me like an old fashioned home made yogurt. It's a little more sour then what your used to I suspect, but you will love the complexity of the flavor. Now because it's more "runny" it is perfectly suited for making dressings. You can find this at Whole Foods.

Cut up some scallion and cilantro, chop a little garlic, add sea salt,fresh ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Mix well and toss over a salad. Now drizzle a tiny bit of evoo over it once you've put it over your salad.
The dressing will work great with grilled chicken or lamb too.
If you keep it in the fridge for a few days the flavor will really intensify.
Have you ever tried this yogurt?


FEEL GOOD LIVING;
"We all posses more power and greater possibilities than we realize, visualizing is one of the greatest of these powers" GB

Quotes like these are wonderful, but I feel it makes issues more complex then they need to be.
You know what the above says? It says DREAM. We all know and can connect with the word dream, but start telling us we need to "visualize" and our silly over-analysing and adult thought process starts taking over. As kids we "dream", as adults we "visualize". I say keep dreaming, it will keep you young ;-) and you might just get what you want.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Grilled Vegetable Salad and Running

No picture, as the grilled vegetable salad was inhaled by the large crowd that I made this for.
But do give this one a try.

1 Red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 hatch chili pepper (jalapeno or other), 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 2 roma tomatoes, 1 large onion.

Char the peppers and then put them in a brown paper bag for a few minutes. This will make them sweat and it will be easy to remove the skin.

Next grill the other veggies. Helpful hint, I start grilling the onion when I first put the peppers on. The onion takes a little longer. Something else I found, grilling the onion whole vs. slicing it, keeps the onion moist and has a much better taste. I sprinkle some salt on the veggies (not the peppers) before grilling and a tiny drizzle of olive oil on the tomatoes only.

Grab yourself a nice looking serving bowl. Dice up all the veggies. Take a handful of fresh cilantro chop it up and mix that in. Now drizzle some evoo and a tiny splash of balsamic. Mix together and serve. I think you will have some happy customers when you serve this. My dad who isn't much of a vegetable guy, had 3 servings.

Well, the family has left, it was a busy 8 days.
I was able to sneak in a few workouts but did not get in a run. But, I did play a lot. Lot's of chasing, sprinting and wrestling with all the kids. My oldest nephew (16) is 6'4. All he wants to do is wrestle. I have to honestly say that he is very close to taking me down. Even though he was disappointed, I told him he was just a few years away from beating my ass, if he takes the time to learn about leverage........hehehe ;-)

My son who will be 11 in a few days, can not seem to get enough of running/sprinting. He is super super fast for his small and very light body. He was almost able to keep up with his tall cousin. This past Sunday we attended a soccer game at the local university. I didn't see much of the game as he and I ran around throwing the football and kicking the soccer ball on the beautiful grass on the side field. You see, real grass is a treat for us. In Florida mostly everything is St. Augustine Grass. So when we have the opportunity to play barefoot on real grass, it makes us happy. We played hard for over an hour. When I was playing with him I realized how poor my posture is when I run/sprint.
I carry to much tension, I don't keep my body straight and I DON'T SMILE!
As I watched my son, I noticed that 99% of the time he smiles when he runs. In the book Born to Run. The author mentions this. If you check out the pictures of the Tarahumara, they seem to be always smiling.....even after clocking 50 miles.
After looking at some pics from the weekend, I saw the one below that my daughter took of her brother running in the yard. Notice his posture, but more importantly the smile as he is running. (and he is barefoot)

Have a great day and if you're running.........SMILE!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Posts?

Would have been nice of me to let you know I would be not posting for a few days right?
Sorry about that.

It's been a hectic week to say the least and my family is visiting from Europe.
So kicking it back in South Beach, FL. and showing them around.
I don't know if you can make out the satisfied smirk on my face behind the glasses........
My nephews, niece and my sister and I walked off the beach, an we walked past a " beach exercise area" of pull up bars and dip bars. We watched the tanned "hot-bods" do their thing. Then my 13 year old nephew wanted to try and asked me if I could do those dips and pull ups ;-)
I walked in there with nephew and after an intial look from the "hot-bods" with an expression that read "what you want here pops?", I busted out 15 super slow dead hang pull ups. Jumped of and did 30 dips. Not only was my nephew smiling wide.......but two of the "hot bods" shot me an approving glance and I got one thumbs up. Lunch outside under the palm trees was especially satifying.


Be back soon with some thoughts on how to stay on track when everyone around you eats SAD (ly).

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Beef and Patience


The other day I bought some rib eye from the local supermarket.
The rib eye was thinly sliced. Looks pretty good right? Well, sadly these steaks SUCKED!
Why do you think that is? Is it the chemicals they use to bring out the nice red color?
The zucchini was tasty though ;-)
FEEL GOOD LIVING
How do you keep at it? Whether it's your way of eating, exercising or maybe your relationships, your work. I'm slowly learning that patience is truly the magic word. You can't become a "fat burner" over night. Give it time. You can't be ripped and lean over night, give it time, be patient. You don't become the C.E.O of your company after just having started with your company, be patient, work hard, keep at it and it will come. Your relationship isn't instantly perfect, be patient it will blossom into everything you dream it to be.
"Within your weakness lies your strength, sleeping. Don't ever give up. All things come to those who believe and exercise patience, those who can't wait, give up too easily, and then loose everything". SB
SMILE a lot today......

Monday, October 12, 2009

Play and Pictures

Mark Sisson has pointed it out in many posts. PLAY is a key component of working out and staying in shape. This little game cost less then 10 bucks. My son and I can PLAY this for hours. A great game where we are not trying to beat it each other, but competitive towards a common goal together. To see how many times we can keep it going. We leap, stretch, jump, crouch to rescue badly hit shots and to do whatever it takes to keep the ball in play.

It looks like my two youngest rockstars are out far in the Gulf of Mexico, but if you can make it out, you will see a large sand bank. This time of year, the sand banks are full of sand dollars.

These little sea creatures have a wonderful energy to them. The kids enjoy feeling for them with their feet and then diving down to get them. Since the sand dollars "pee" on them, you can imagine the added "yuck factor" and laughter they get from it. (I think it's a gas they expel)
My youngest showing off her first catch.

Do you remember when you were a kid, you could laugh so hard that you could barely stand up?? Try and find that laughter again.....it's very important I think. I was happy it was shallow, because this little rockstar could hardly stand from laughing so hard.

Two Rockstars

Anyone reading from Chicago?? Didn't it snow there yesterday?? Ok, that was mean ;-)

Anywho, back to food;
In butter saute some chicken and beef. Add fresh basil and oregano.

Toss with a salad. Romaine, red leaf, cucumber, tomato, radish and scallions.
Try this for the dressing.
EVOO, dijon mustard, fresh ground pepper and a small piece of melted drunken goat cheese.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Steak and Salad

I promised I would post a picture of the finished product. Well here it is with a nice salad.

I actually sliced the steak before grilling. With these types of cuts, you often have a thick and a thin part, so in order for it all to come out just right, it's easier to monitor individual pieces. Thanks to the marinade this doesn't have to cook long. Do not use much heat to cook. If it's helpful I used a "4-5 Mississippi temperature" (I use wood charcoal most of the time if I don't have wood)

For a different salad try this one;
Celery, endive,avocado,onion,evoo,balsamic, feta, fresh ground pepper and smoked hot paprika.
Different, refreshing and a nice contrast to the salad.


"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." HK

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Beef Chuck Flat Iron Steak, Change and 5K update

Eating good grass fed beef doesn't have to break the bank. If your on a budget there are really good overlooked cheaper cuts you can get. Familiarise yourself with them and ask your butcher. They usually don't put them in the display case, but they often have them in the back.
Beef Chuck Flat Iron Steak, is one of those cheaper cuts. Much like flank steak or skirt steak with a little less marble, but more tender. Takes to marinades real well like the other 2.
Cut up some onion and garlic. Then lightly slice a little cross grid pattern on both sides of the steak. This will "hold" your marinade better. Couple of dashes of garlic powder and chili powder.
Next take a small container and mix some toasted sesame oil, tamari sauce, juice of half a lemon and a tblspoon of maple syrup. (you can leave the maple syrup out, but it will create a really nice crust when you grill it)
Mix it all together and refrigerate over night.

Will post pictures of the end result. Since I was shopping for cheaper cuts. I also bought some grass fed OXTAIL. I will share an amazing easy and delicious recipe with you tomorrow.

CHANGE; I've said it before, life is change. The only constant is change.....yet when things change, why do we dig our heels in so hard. Instead, try and let go, and flow with what's happening. They say to roll with the punches, I like to say "expect the punches" they are part of life and you'll be less surprised when they come at you and you will be able to adapt to the situation much easier. So..........just found out that due to a scheduling change with my kids, I can't run my much anticipated 5K tomorrow. I could stomp my feat like a little kid that's not getting his ice cream, but that doesn't really help now does it? ;-) I quickly found out there is a 5k coming up Dec. 12th. So that will be my day. Change, accept, adapt and move on ;-)

Jeff Erno just lost a cousin unexpectedly at age 42. Puts things in perspective doesn't it?

Wishing you strength and courage Jeff, through these difficult times.

VFF's and too much Cuban Food

I never posted a pic of my classics before. I still love the classics, but will give in and buy a pair of the sprints soon. I can honestly say they are my favorite shoes of all time........even though my kids beg me not to wear them when we're out together ;-)
I have found that I have gotten faster with my sprints due to the VFF, my form is pretty atrocious, but I find that my upper body stays in position much better now. I attribute the enhanced speed to that factor mostly. Having played college level soccer I was pretty fast. I ran the 100 in 10.9 seconds. At only 5'7 my legs aren't all that long you know ;-)
Compare this with college level sprinters that ran it in 10 flat, it certainly wasn't shabby. I weighed a lot less back then, I was around a 133 pounds. Now I weigh in at 168. (still the same pants size by the way) I'm curious what I would run the 100 in now. Maybe time to saunter over to the local track.

My good friend took me to one of his favorite hole in the wall Cuban places for lunch today.
They special ordered/made us some "Vaca Frita". Basically this means fried cow ;-)
Too much food, and I had to be polite and have a few mouthfuls of rice and yucca with garlic and plantains.
The best part of the rice, are the pieces of fried up pork/bacon fat you find hiding in there. Good stuff. Fried Cow, isn't that fun to say, is flank steak that has been slow cooked with sherry and herbs and then friend on a griddle or pan to brown it and make the outside crispy. Served with onions and fresh lime that you squeeze over the onions and meat. Trust me when I tell you, this is really tasty fare. I think I made the owner feel good when I snapped a picture with my phone. I wanted to show him how much I appreciated what he had made for us.....I couldn't show my appreciation by cleaning my plate, it was just too much food.
Don't know if you can tell from the phone picture, but it really was a lot of food.

I ate quite a while just to get to this point ;-)
Do you have a favorite cuban food?














Community

I just love love love, how our primal/pale/ef community has grown and continues to grow.
I've learned so much over the last 3 and a half years.
I hope that I've inspired some and that my recipes ideas/guidelines are being utilised.
Personally, I've taken many people's recommendations and ideas, tried them and upon trying incorporated them into my life when appropriate.
I look forward to sharing more information and that all the learning we do from each other keeps growing!

So on that note join me for some wine ;- ) Thanks to Richard's latest post let me start with a disclaimer; in no way am I being compensated by the company in question. Thanks Richard for pointing something out that made me shake my head once again at questionable policy.

Thanks to my online bud BRYCE, who always has well thought out advice and posts, I tried this bottle of wine;
This is one delicious Pinot Noir. The store Total Wine, seems to be one of the few places you can get it. It's their best selling bottle. My guess is that when they discovered it, they bought most of what was for sale. The cost is $9.99. It's remarkably complex for a $10 bottle of wine. This one might be good to put away for 5 years too, although drinking it now is just as good. Thanks Bryce, you were totally right!
Here's some Feel Good Eating Indian food. Yes that is a little poppadom you see. Made the "home made food" taste like restaurant food. The first picture didn't have my "raita" with it, so took another one. Some yogurt with cucumber,tomato, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne.
This is a a little Vindaloo dish. I made it with turkey instead of beef or chicken. The beef takes to long to get tender for a work day and the chicken dries out to quickly.


Make it a great day!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Weight Loss

Yup, I'm going to comment. ;-)

I'm going to assume most of you have read "Good Calories bad Calories" for those of you that haven't here's a wonderful little synopsis courtesy of Barnes & Noble. As difficult as this book was for me to understand, (I had to read it twice) it opened my eyes and confirmed many issues for me.


"For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more. Yet with more and more people acting on this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues persuasively that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, easily digested starches) and sugars–via their dramatic and longterm effects on insulin, the hormone that regulates fat accumulation–and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. There are good calories, and bad ones.Good CaloriesThese are from foods without easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. These foods can be eaten without restraint.Meat, fish, fowl, cheese, eggs, butter, and non-starchy vegetables. Bad CaloriesThese are from foods that stimulate excessive insulin secretion and so make us fat and increase our risk of chronic disease—all refined and easily digestible carbohydrates and sugars. The key is not how much vitamins and minerals they contain, but how quickly they are digested. (So apple juice or even green vegetable juices are not necessarily any healthier than soda.) Bread and other baked goods, potatoes, yams, rice, pasta, cereal grains, corn, sugar (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup), ice cream, candy, soft drinks,fruit juices, bananas and other tropical fruits, and beer. Taubes traces how the common assumption that carbohydrates are fattening was abandoned in the 1960s when fat and cholesterol were blamed for heart disease and then –wrongly–were seen as the causes of a host of other maladies, including cancer. He shows us how these unproven hypotheses were emphatically embraced by authorities in nutrition, public health, and clinical medicine, in spite of how well-conceived clinical trials have consistently refuted them. He also documents the dietary trials of carbohydrate-restriction, which consistently show that the fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be. With precise references to the most significant existing clinical studies, he convinces us that there is no compelling scientific evidence demonstrating that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease, that salt causes high blood pressure, and that fiber is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Based on the evidence that does exist, he leads us to conclude that the only healthy way to lose weight and remain lean is to eat fewer carbohydrates or to change the type of the carbohydrates we do eat, and, for some of us, perhaps to eat virtually none at all.The 11 Critical Conclusions of Good Calories, Bad Calories: 1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, does not cause heart disease. 2. Carbohydrates do, because of their effect on the hormone insulin. The more easily-digestible and refined the carbohydrates and the more fructose they contain, the greater the effect on our health, weight, and well-being. 3. Sugars—sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup specifically—are particularly harmful. The glucose in these sugars raises insulin levels; the fructose they contain overloads the liver.4. Refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugars are also the most likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the other common chronic diseases of modern times. 5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating and not sedentary behavior. 6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter any more than it causes a child to grow taller. 7. Exercise does not make us lose excess fat; it makes us hungry. 8. We get fat because of an imbalance—a disequilibrium—in the hormonal regulation of fat tissue and fat metabolism. More fat is stored in the fat tissue than is mobilized and used for fuel. We become leaner when the hormonal regulation of the fat tissue reverses this imbalance. 9. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated, we stockpile calories as fat. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from our fat tissue and burn it for fuel. 10. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.11. The fewer carbohydrates we eat, the leaner we will be".
I've avoided the controversial subject for some time now, but I feel like giving my opinion today.
It seems a lot of folks eating the primal/paleo/ef way, are still struggling with weight loss.
Everyone sees (and probably more important, feels) some success right away. The simple fact is that when you lay off the bagels, pasta and other processed foods, it will bring immediate results. Eat REAL foods and your body says, thank you, quickly. Your pleased with yourself, you eat good 90% of the time, you exercise the right way and life couldn't be better. Then the weight loss suddenly stops..............




Now what I'm going to write does certainly not apply to everyone and I'm not a trained professional. But....if you eat the primal/paleo/ef way, you are in good health and you are still struggling, I humbly say, consider looking into my suggestion.




I've gotten so many emails with questions. Questions with detailed lists of what people are eating and asking what they are doing wrong because they can't seem to slim down.

It is not my intention to insult or discourage anyone, but I want to be honest and I want to help. So read this and before you say anything, read it again and think about how it applies to you.




YOU EAT TOO MUCH.

You see, the reality is we ALL eat too much. I can only truly state the above because I learned it myself by trial and error.

You want to look like Mark Sisson or Art Devany? They look dang good for their respective ages right? Start eating less.



Steve wrote a great post on his blog Applied mastery, soon after Chris at Zen To Fitness also put up a post. They both addressed portion control

I want to show you something. I plugged yesterdays food into FitDay.
Take a look at my break down:

Fat 59%)
Carbs 6%)
Protein 27%)
Alcohol 7%)

Total Calories


2048



What amazes me is the how little food this really was. (you saw my breakfast yesterday)
and if I took a picture of all the food, I think you would be surprised too.
So what did this breakdown consist of;

1 cup of coffee with splash of heavy cream
1 small avocado
3 oz of ground beef
3 cherry tomatoes
Large green salad
1 tomato
shredded carrot
7 oz of grilled salmon
4 tbspoons evoo
1.5 cup of chicken (crockpot)
onion garlic broth (from the crockpot)
1 large glass of red wine



Yesterday was a non-activity desk day.
Like I said, I think you would be amazed if I put all this on a serving tray and took a picture. (I will soon).

You see how easy it is to quickly come into the 3000-3500 calorie range? Or even 4000 calorie range. I'm not saying it's as simple as calorie in calorie out mind you.......BUT, how much fuel does your body need? REAL foods nourish your body, but you don't need a whole lot of it.



As an example, look at these beautiful strawberries. Strawberries are so big these days. If you are trying to slim down, a portion of them should consist of 2 or 3, not 8 ;-)


There are some really smart bloggers out there, I'm not learned enough to explain the physiology, nor give links to studies that take me hours to read and that I struggle to comprehend, but I CAN share with you what I've learned by carefully observing myself and others. So I hope that this gives some insight and something to think about if you are still struggling with your weight, even though you are doing everything "right".


What do you all think? Does it make some sense? Do YOU eat too much?

One More KISS

I got a great email the other day from my online friend Dave. He wrote he was inspired by my KISS. Glad he clarified it a bit as it was about my earlier KISS post, but basically he sent me a picture of his pc. On his pc he stuck a little note that read" Do more push ups". As a side note, Dave was the first person that left me a comment on my blog years ago and we still keep in touch. The basic M.O. for our primal/paleo/EF ways are so simple, just keep applying them and you will amaze yourself with the results.



So here a simple breakfast that starts my day;

Nothing fancy. Just tasty, simple and functional. Left over grilled ground beef, avocado, 3 cherry tomatoes and fresh cilantro.

Feel Good Living;

I just have to get on my little soup box one more time. The same KISS concept applies to our daily life and dealings. BE NICE, BE RESPECTFUL, DON'T JUDGE OTHERS. Just like our eating and exercising efforts, keep at it, keep doing it, live it and watch what will happen.

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.........We are spiritual beings on a human journey" SC