...is that any sort of "descending"movements=ouch. Like walking down a hill, moving down a flight of stairs, bending over, sitting down....ouch. I'm not quite as sore as I thought I would be, but it is definitely noticeable. And it feels kinda good! It feels good to use your body. I really don't believe it's possible to see a difference in your body after only two workouts, but I could swear that my quads look bigger. Maybe they're swollen? I dunno. But I can't wait for number three.
Okay, so number two. I warmed up with some running drills like high knees, butt kicks, and grape vines. I know that in CrossFit, they put an emphasis on pose running. I don't know very much about this yet, but I'm looking forward to learning about it as I feel it will make running less painful and more enjoyable for me. Here is a short article I found on pose running: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/64_07_PoseRun_Techniques.pdf
I then learned the proper technique for doing Sumo Dead lift High Pulls , Kettlebell Swings, and Lunges. I then did three rounds of these three things combined in reps of 21, 15, 9. I completed my three rounds in just 7:40! I'm not sure if this is awesome or not...but I felt pretty awesome just for pushing my way through it. I was trying to explain to someone why I like the idea of CrossFit so much and why it's more expensive than a gym membership. When you pay for CrossFit, it's not just a gym membership...you have someone standing there with a stop watch, motivating you to keep going. There is NO WAY I would have completed three rounds of that if nobody was watching. Seriously. I would have crapped out, I'm sure.
Then I did a cool-down walk in the parking lot and came back in to learn how to do some movements on a GHD (Glute/Ham developer) machine. Sit ups, back extensions and a few other things I hope I will remember later. I've also finally realized how a foam roller can be your best friend.
I'm going to post some video clips so you can see what I'm talking about...but I'll warn you that for some reason I have trouble doing it so that it looks nice. I'm obviously going to have to do some work on formatting.
Also, I don't know how many of my readers actually do CrossFit as well...but I would like to point out that I'm a total novice. If you ever think it looks like I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, leave a comment. Please. Correct me! I want to know!
Sumo Dead lift high pulls , Kettlebell Swings, GHD exercises.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
I'm on the Whiteboard!
Okay...so I'm just starting out with Fundamentals (a crossfit intro course), so it's not TECHNICALLY like I'm on the whiteboard. In CrossFit, your achievements are recorded on a whiteboard for all to see. You can see how you compare with your fellow crossfitters, what you need to work on, where you're succeeding. I found a pretty cool link that really breaks down the idea of the whiteboard here: http://www.fletcherfitness.com/the-psychology-of-the-crossfit-whiteboard/ Here was the whiteboard after I finished my very first workout!
If you look just right of the middle, under 6:00pm...there I am!
So let's talk a little bit more about what I'm doing. Wednesday was my first workout in the Fundamentals program at CrossFit Bellevue. What this involves is 6 weeks, three days a week MWF working through all the basics of CrossFit in a small group setting. Currently, I'm the only one in my "group" so it's kind of like I'm working with a personal trainer. I got a little lesson regarding what crossfit is about. I tried to explain it before, but I think my trainer explained it better. CrossFit (at the gym where I'm at) is comprised of three main ideas: Gymnastics (anything like pushups, pullups, handstand pushups,etc), Olympic Weight Training (self explanatory), and Monostructural movement (like running, rowing, swimming). So all three of these ideas are combined in fast-paced interval-style training done in multiple repetitions. I hope I'm explaining this correctly. Here was my first workout: Wall Balls, Situps with an AbMat, Box Jumps, Rowing. Wall balls are like doing a deep squat while holding a 10lb ball and as you move from squatting to standing you throw the ball up the wall and catch it as you squat back down. Sit ups with an AbMat provide a full range of motion rather than just doing sit ups with your back flat on the floor. We do these sit ups with our legs in a butterfly position to reduce stress on the hip flexors. I feel like most people know what box jumps and rowing involve, but I'm going to link up some videos so you can see what it all looks like.
Okay, so after I was shown proper technique on all this it was time for the actual workout. I did 3 reps of 10 wall balls, 10 sit ups, 10 box jumps, and 500 meters of rowing. And this was timed. So in 14min and 20sec I did 30 wall balls, 30 sit ups, 30 box jumps, and 1500 meters of rowing. I'll just say that I did this workout only 2 MINUTES slower than my husband, who has previous CrossFit experience. This earned a stamp of approval from my coach who called me a "Stud."
Awesome.
I'm not going to go into the details of workout #2, which I completed this evening, because I want to talk about what I've been eating. I'm not doing super strict Paleo, but I'm staying pretty close to it. Still limiting dairy and bread/grains. Today I had two scrambled eggs, a serving of macadamia nuts, about 8 huge strawberries, an apple, Caesar Salad (yes...I had the 5 or so croutons and sprinkle of parmesan with a little Caesar Dressing), Cherry tomatoes with tuna, and about 3 liters of water. This was broken down throughout the day in small meals leading up to my workout. After my workout I had one Muscle Milk drink (as per my coach, Dan) for better recovery since my quads feel like they're going to snap right off my body, a liter of water, and about a quarter of a chicken. I should have had vegetables with that...but I didn't feel like it. Also per my coach's instruction (and because it's good for you) I'm supplementing my diet with fish oil, glucosamine, calcium, and magnesium. When it comes to supplements, make sure you're buying the good stuff. Don't go to Sam's or Costco and buy the biggest, cheapest bottle of fish oil capsules you can find. That is LOW QUALITY sh*t that will go rancid before you can consume it. I like Carlson's cod liver oil, not in capsule form (those capsules are made with weird stuff). Just pure oil. You can get it flavored with lemon or orange oil and just throw it back down the hatch. No big deal. And the other supplements, try to make sure it's derived from a whole food source (ie. veggies)...none of that synthetic crap. I really like NOW foods supplements. Very good quality and not as expensive as some of the other stuff I've seen. Whole Foods brand is pretty good as well.
Whew. That's a lot of info. Soak it in. More coming soon!
If you look just right of the middle, under 6:00pm...there I am!
So let's talk a little bit more about what I'm doing. Wednesday was my first workout in the Fundamentals program at CrossFit Bellevue. What this involves is 6 weeks, three days a week MWF working through all the basics of CrossFit in a small group setting. Currently, I'm the only one in my "group" so it's kind of like I'm working with a personal trainer. I got a little lesson regarding what crossfit is about. I tried to explain it before, but I think my trainer explained it better. CrossFit (at the gym where I'm at) is comprised of three main ideas: Gymnastics (anything like pushups, pullups, handstand pushups,etc), Olympic Weight Training (self explanatory), and Monostructural movement (like running, rowing, swimming). So all three of these ideas are combined in fast-paced interval-style training done in multiple repetitions. I hope I'm explaining this correctly. Here was my first workout: Wall Balls, Situps with an AbMat, Box Jumps, Rowing. Wall balls are like doing a deep squat while holding a 10lb ball and as you move from squatting to standing you throw the ball up the wall and catch it as you squat back down. Sit ups with an AbMat provide a full range of motion rather than just doing sit ups with your back flat on the floor. We do these sit ups with our legs in a butterfly position to reduce stress on the hip flexors. I feel like most people know what box jumps and rowing involve, but I'm going to link up some videos so you can see what it all looks like.
Okay, so after I was shown proper technique on all this it was time for the actual workout. I did 3 reps of 10 wall balls, 10 sit ups, 10 box jumps, and 500 meters of rowing. And this was timed. So in 14min and 20sec I did 30 wall balls, 30 sit ups, 30 box jumps, and 1500 meters of rowing. I'll just say that I did this workout only 2 MINUTES slower than my husband, who has previous CrossFit experience. This earned a stamp of approval from my coach who called me a "Stud."
Awesome.
I'm not going to go into the details of workout #2, which I completed this evening, because I want to talk about what I've been eating. I'm not doing super strict Paleo, but I'm staying pretty close to it. Still limiting dairy and bread/grains. Today I had two scrambled eggs, a serving of macadamia nuts, about 8 huge strawberries, an apple, Caesar Salad (yes...I had the 5 or so croutons and sprinkle of parmesan with a little Caesar Dressing), Cherry tomatoes with tuna, and about 3 liters of water. This was broken down throughout the day in small meals leading up to my workout. After my workout I had one Muscle Milk drink (as per my coach, Dan) for better recovery since my quads feel like they're going to snap right off my body, a liter of water, and about a quarter of a chicken. I should have had vegetables with that...but I didn't feel like it. Also per my coach's instruction (and because it's good for you) I'm supplementing my diet with fish oil, glucosamine, calcium, and magnesium. When it comes to supplements, make sure you're buying the good stuff. Don't go to Sam's or Costco and buy the biggest, cheapest bottle of fish oil capsules you can find. That is LOW QUALITY sh*t that will go rancid before you can consume it. I like Carlson's cod liver oil, not in capsule form (those capsules are made with weird stuff). Just pure oil. You can get it flavored with lemon or orange oil and just throw it back down the hatch. No big deal. And the other supplements, try to make sure it's derived from a whole food source (ie. veggies)...none of that synthetic crap. I really like NOW foods supplements. Very good quality and not as expensive as some of the other stuff I've seen. Whole Foods brand is pretty good as well.
Whew. That's a lot of info. Soak it in. More coming soon!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Put this in your Paleo Pipe and Smoke it!
SorrySorrySorry!!! I'm so behind on blogging! I'm not Catholic, but I feel like I need to hit the confessional booth..."Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 10 days since my last blog post." 10 DAYS! Oh, goodness. So what's been going on for 10 days. For starters, I fell off the wagon. Kinda hard. Like, my ass really smarts from that fall. We celebrated "Lab Week" at work...which is basically really "We're a bunch of nerdy Microbiologists. Let's eat cake!" I still had some Paleo meals during that time, but not as many as I should. Michael and I celebrated our anniversary with some non-Paleo foods as well. I was also pretty damn lazy, because I have also been off work for the past 5 days and I've been doing NOTHING. Tons of nothing. Not gonna lie, it feels pretty awesome. I really needed to take a break from life. We've had quite the year...or past 6 months. I'm still trying to wrap my head around moving across the country. When will I be able to put that behind me? Geeze.
So that was the BAD. Here's the GOOD. I hoisted my rump back into the Marital Arts Saddle, and that feel great. We went from three students last week to 12 this week and it so good to be teaching again! What a great group of children and adults! I feel so blessed.
Good thing number two: nutrition seminar at Gravity Janes, a Crossfit gym in Issaquah. Really, this was the WORST NUTRITION SEMINAR I have ever attended. I totally thought my pimp-wad of cash was going to give Mr. R and I new insight and motivation to stick with Paleo. WRONG. I learned NOTHING. That's what I get for doing tons of research and knowing a load about nutrition before hand. The GOOD part of that was learning that this is not the place we want to do Crossfit. For those of you who don't know what Crossfit is, I'll try to explain. Crossfit training is kind of high-intensity, interval training that doesn't really focus on any one thing. It can also involve running and gymnastics. I'm not really sure what else to say. The place we've decided to go with is Crossfit Bellevue. Check it out: http://www.crossfitbellevue.com/ There's also really good videos and testimonials here: http://www.crossfitcentral.com/. Mr. R has prior experience with Crossfit training, and it's something I've been interested in for a long time. I didn't do it with him because I'm a wimp. Also, with Crossfit, you're not just getting a work-out. You get a whole community of people who do the same thing you do. You're not just hopping on a treadmill next to a bunch of other gym rats with your earbuds crammed into your skull. I'm so ready for something different.
The third good thing, I've finally realized how I need to eat to feel good. Yeah...it's Paleo. My body just does way more awesome without dairy and gulten. When I stick to protein, fruits and veggies I feel like a powerhouse of awesome. Am I get eat that way every single day? Probably not. I'm gonna eat pizza every once in a while. I'm going to slip in a slice of cake here and there. I like crackers and cheese. It will happen. But for the rest of my life, I think I need to dedicate the majority of my caloric intake to the right things.
So...there. Ha.
I start my Crossfit training Wednesday and I'm PUMPED! I can't wait to get started. Embarrassing before and after pics to follow!
So that was the BAD. Here's the GOOD. I hoisted my rump back into the Marital Arts Saddle, and that feel great. We went from three students last week to 12 this week and it so good to be teaching again! What a great group of children and adults! I feel so blessed.
Good thing number two: nutrition seminar at Gravity Janes, a Crossfit gym in Issaquah. Really, this was the WORST NUTRITION SEMINAR I have ever attended. I totally thought my pimp-wad of cash was going to give Mr. R and I new insight and motivation to stick with Paleo. WRONG. I learned NOTHING. That's what I get for doing tons of research and knowing a load about nutrition before hand. The GOOD part of that was learning that this is not the place we want to do Crossfit. For those of you who don't know what Crossfit is, I'll try to explain. Crossfit training is kind of high-intensity, interval training that doesn't really focus on any one thing. It can also involve running and gymnastics. I'm not really sure what else to say. The place we've decided to go with is Crossfit Bellevue. Check it out: http://www.crossfitbellevue.com/ There's also really good videos and testimonials here: http://www.crossfitcentral.com/. Mr. R has prior experience with Crossfit training, and it's something I've been interested in for a long time. I didn't do it with him because I'm a wimp. Also, with Crossfit, you're not just getting a work-out. You get a whole community of people who do the same thing you do. You're not just hopping on a treadmill next to a bunch of other gym rats with your earbuds crammed into your skull. I'm so ready for something different.
The third good thing, I've finally realized how I need to eat to feel good. Yeah...it's Paleo. My body just does way more awesome without dairy and gulten. When I stick to protein, fruits and veggies I feel like a powerhouse of awesome. Am I get eat that way every single day? Probably not. I'm gonna eat pizza every once in a while. I'm going to slip in a slice of cake here and there. I like crackers and cheese. It will happen. But for the rest of my life, I think I need to dedicate the majority of my caloric intake to the right things.
So...there. Ha.
I start my Crossfit training Wednesday and I'm PUMPED! I can't wait to get started. Embarrassing before and after pics to follow!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Vegetable Fairy Has Landed!
I sat up in bed this morning, sleepily rubbing my eyes. As I wandered into the hallway, I remembered that a special visitor was going to stop by while we were sleeping. I dashed to the door and flung it open, and glory of glories...there it was! A big, heaping, delicious box of organic goodies!
This box had a head of green leaf lettuce, a bag of salad mix, a bag of sugar snap peas, 2 zucchini, 1 bunch of brocolette, 1 mango, 2 yellow things that are some mango hybrid, 3 oranges, 4 minneolas, and several of two kinds of apple. Amazing! I was able to completely stock my produce drawers in the fridge.
I'm so excited to see how this goes! Full Circle Farm. Check it out.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Is it Sinful to Eat Deviled Eggs?
I'm back from a break after the holiday! And I didn't eat a TON of candy! Don't get me wrong...I totally wanted to. I really love chocolate. I did have a few pieces, but just a few. It's easier to resist the temptation when you can eat fruit, which I've added back in to my diet. That was glorious...strawberries at breakfast, and orange with lunch. When you deprive yourself a little bit, you enjoy it so much more.
So Easter is over. What are you gonna do with all those gosh darned eggs you boiled for Easter Egg hunts? Devil them!
Deviled Eggs are so easy to make! And they make a great breakfast or protein packed snack. 2 boiled eggs is roughly 200 calories, only 2g of sugar, and a whopping 17g of protein! Here is how I make them: Cover eggs with water in a large pot, crank up the heat, when a rolling boil has just started cover the pan and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 mins. Drain water and allow eggs to cool. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks. Mash with just a little bit of mayo and a teensy bit of honey mustard. Scoop yolk mixture back into egg white. Sprinkle with paprika. So delicious!
I think about food a lot, and was trying to decide what the blog should be about today. I was like, "Well it's Easter, holiday, leftovers....*lightbulb*....eggs!" Then I started thinking about how it was kinda weird to eat deviled leftovers from a Christian holiday. I know, my brain takes interesting pathways of thought. Then I started thinking, "Well what makes an egg 'deviled' anyway?" And I found this interesting website. If you're curious about the history of deviled eggs, click here: http://www.deviledeggs.com/why_called_deviled_eggs.html
Very informative!
Side note....Our vegetable fairy is coming tonight! I'm so excited. I mentioned in an earlier blog that in our efforts to fill our diets with produce, we're getting organic goodies delivered right to our door! We're getting this service through Full Circle Farms. If you're interested in that sort of thing, click here: http://www.fullcircle.com/ Their new member deal is still going! Between now and MAY 3, if you sign up and put SPRINGTIME as your promo code, and say that Eileen or Michael Rojas sent you we can each save $15 bucks! Pretty sweet deal.
So Easter is over. What are you gonna do with all those gosh darned eggs you boiled for Easter Egg hunts? Devil them!
Deviled Eggs are so easy to make! And they make a great breakfast or protein packed snack. 2 boiled eggs is roughly 200 calories, only 2g of sugar, and a whopping 17g of protein! Here is how I make them: Cover eggs with water in a large pot, crank up the heat, when a rolling boil has just started cover the pan and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 mins. Drain water and allow eggs to cool. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks. Mash with just a little bit of mayo and a teensy bit of honey mustard. Scoop yolk mixture back into egg white. Sprinkle with paprika. So delicious!
I think about food a lot, and was trying to decide what the blog should be about today. I was like, "Well it's Easter, holiday, leftovers....*lightbulb*....eggs!" Then I started thinking about how it was kinda weird to eat deviled leftovers from a Christian holiday. I know, my brain takes interesting pathways of thought. Then I started thinking, "Well what makes an egg 'deviled' anyway?" And I found this interesting website. If you're curious about the history of deviled eggs, click here: http://www.deviledeggs.com/why_called_deviled_eggs.html
Very informative!
Side note....Our vegetable fairy is coming tonight! I'm so excited. I mentioned in an earlier blog that in our efforts to fill our diets with produce, we're getting organic goodies delivered right to our door! We're getting this service through Full Circle Farms. If you're interested in that sort of thing, click here: http://www.fullcircle.com/ Their new member deal is still going! Between now and MAY 3, if you sign up and put SPRINGTIME as your promo code, and say that Eileen or Michael Rojas sent you we can each save $15 bucks! Pretty sweet deal.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Finding Inspiration
I'm going to attempt to tear myself away from Swamp People on the history channel long enough to put together some sort of blog posting.
First, someone asked me an excellent question the other day. "What are your goals with your horrid diet anywho?" I never really planned out specific goals for the long term...I was just anxious to get started. The main goal was to just complete the 21 day challenge, which I've already faltered on. I was going to say "failed", but I'm not sure I would really call it that. Despite the fact that I've "cheated" and indulged in some forbidden foods, I'm still fully conscious of the changes I'm attempting to make in my life. And really, that's the ultimate goal...LIFE CHANGE. I mean, to seriously change your life, that takes time and patience. As long as I can stay motivated to continue no matter what, that's important. I'm not going to say, "Well I already ate the pizza...I may as well give up!" F*ck that! I'm going to say, "You know what, I had some pizza. But that's okay, because I ate really healthy all day, and I'm going to eat really healthy for as long as I can from this point on." And it's not just diet, it's a frame of mind. I need to change the way I THINK about things. I'm trying to change the way I behave physically. I'm trying to not be so stagnant. I just want to NOT come home and sit on my ass every day. I want to come home and enjoy my physically able body. So many times I've thought to myself, "Wow, I really take my body for granted! Look what it can DO when I push it!" It really is amazing. Who CARES if you're ten pounds overweight (As determined by who? Government health officials?)! If you can go on an awesome hike, a run, a walk or anything and enjoy yourself then you're winning!
Back to diet. I have a couple more links that I've been frequenting myself for inspiration. The first one is a blog called "Cave Girl Eats" which in itself has all kinds of other awesome links. Click here if you want to see what it's about http://cavegirleats.com/ . I love how she talks about being Paleo on the outside as well as within, so I'm already looking forward to blogging about Paleo approved products for the body/beauty routine. If you're filling your body with all these delicious organic foods, why would you slather the outside with things like Parabens and Sodium Laureth Sulfate?
And here's some more great information about Paleo Diet in general http://www.gnolls.org/1141/eat-like-a-predator-not-like-prey-paleo-in-six-easy-steps-a-motivational-guide/ This one talks about ways to avoid letting your Paleo Diet adventures turn into "Failio Diet." Yup. I shoulda read that one a couple weeks ago, eh?
Another question came up the other day about the Devil...my best friend...Sugar. This person had some questions about different types of sugar, and how the body metabolizes them differently. It was a very good question, and we'll definitely be exploring that soon.
And I just realized I have no food prepared for tomorrow.....ungh....
First, someone asked me an excellent question the other day. "What are your goals with your horrid diet anywho?" I never really planned out specific goals for the long term...I was just anxious to get started. The main goal was to just complete the 21 day challenge, which I've already faltered on. I was going to say "failed", but I'm not sure I would really call it that. Despite the fact that I've "cheated" and indulged in some forbidden foods, I'm still fully conscious of the changes I'm attempting to make in my life. And really, that's the ultimate goal...LIFE CHANGE. I mean, to seriously change your life, that takes time and patience. As long as I can stay motivated to continue no matter what, that's important. I'm not going to say, "Well I already ate the pizza...I may as well give up!" F*ck that! I'm going to say, "You know what, I had some pizza. But that's okay, because I ate really healthy all day, and I'm going to eat really healthy for as long as I can from this point on." And it's not just diet, it's a frame of mind. I need to change the way I THINK about things. I'm trying to change the way I behave physically. I'm trying to not be so stagnant. I just want to NOT come home and sit on my ass every day. I want to come home and enjoy my physically able body. So many times I've thought to myself, "Wow, I really take my body for granted! Look what it can DO when I push it!" It really is amazing. Who CARES if you're ten pounds overweight (As determined by who? Government health officials?)! If you can go on an awesome hike, a run, a walk or anything and enjoy yourself then you're winning!
Back to diet. I have a couple more links that I've been frequenting myself for inspiration. The first one is a blog called "Cave Girl Eats" which in itself has all kinds of other awesome links. Click here if you want to see what it's about http://cavegirleats.com/ . I love how she talks about being Paleo on the outside as well as within, so I'm already looking forward to blogging about Paleo approved products for the body/beauty routine. If you're filling your body with all these delicious organic foods, why would you slather the outside with things like Parabens and Sodium Laureth Sulfate?
And here's some more great information about Paleo Diet in general http://www.gnolls.org/1141/eat-like-a-predator-not-like-prey-paleo-in-six-easy-steps-a-motivational-guide/ This one talks about ways to avoid letting your Paleo Diet adventures turn into "Failio Diet." Yup. I shoulda read that one a couple weeks ago, eh?
Another question came up the other day about the Devil...my best friend...Sugar. This person had some questions about different types of sugar, and how the body metabolizes them differently. It was a very good question, and we'll definitely be exploring that soon.
And I just realized I have no food prepared for tomorrow.....ungh....
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
21 Days is hard....
I'm not doing as good as I thought I would here. I'm back on track after our binge of doughnuts and mexican food this weekend, but my cravings are fierce and I haven't looked into supplements much yet. Because I'm tired and lazy (and honest!).
A couple of pointers for other people who are trying to stay on track with their nutrition. 1) Do not run out of food. This is dangerous. If you open your fridge and there's nothing there you'll go looking for other things. Luckily, this has not happened to me yet (I've cheated for other reasons). 2) Pack all your food for the next day the night BEFORE. This is consistently hard for me. I'm already exhausted when I come home. Add in required moving/breathing for the night, and I'm usually crashed on the couch before 8. I did not pack my food last night which left me to squander in the cafeteria today. I think I did okay...I had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast and salad at lunch. I was surprisingly pleased that the dressing did NOT contain MSG! Hooray! I'm pretty sure I already referred to soy as the Devil's (Sugar) younger brother...well, add MSG to the list. That sh*t sneaks into everything! And I can always tell when I've eaten it. Instant headache+dehydration.
I haven't talked on my moving and breathing much because, honestly, I've been kinda half-assing it. I definitely meditate and do breath-work daily, but it's really not enough. I haven't been running nearly as much as I used to before this started, and I've done a little of my martial arts training. I've been doing all these things, but not to the best of my abilities. And I haven't been keeping track of it very well. Also, yoga on your own gets soooo lonely! It's so awesome to be in a roomful of amazing people and sharing the energy with them! The connection just can't be described. It's an experience for sure.
Ugh. So I really need to push myself harder to keep on top of these things. Work harder, be more prepared. Anywho...recipe time! This is something that's super easy and fast!
Pan seared salmon and asparagus! Please note that in this photo, the salmon is cooked to perfection but the asparagus is a little well done....ooops. :-/ I over did that a little.
So for the salmon: heat some oil over medium-medium high. While it's heating, I pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. When the oil is hot I add the salmon skin side down and season the flesh with sea salt, pepper, garlic. Cook five mins, turn and cook three more mins. Dill might be a good seasoning, too, but I didn't try it this time.
For the asparagus: first, SNAP OFF THE WOODY BOTTOMS. This is really easy, and asparagus is designed to just break in the right place. Bend it near the bottom and it should snap pretty easy where it's supposed to. Drizzle with EVOO and lay flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. And here's where things get sketchy...I cooked mine at 400 for 20 mins. I think the temp was too high and the time was too long. These puppies were REALLY roasted. I think reducing the temp and the time will make the asparagus nice and tender.
Overall, preparing the entire meal takes less than 20 mins! Amazing! Delicious!
A couple of pointers for other people who are trying to stay on track with their nutrition. 1) Do not run out of food. This is dangerous. If you open your fridge and there's nothing there you'll go looking for other things. Luckily, this has not happened to me yet (I've cheated for other reasons). 2) Pack all your food for the next day the night BEFORE. This is consistently hard for me. I'm already exhausted when I come home. Add in required moving/breathing for the night, and I'm usually crashed on the couch before 8. I did not pack my food last night which left me to squander in the cafeteria today. I think I did okay...I had scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast and salad at lunch. I was surprisingly pleased that the dressing did NOT contain MSG! Hooray! I'm pretty sure I already referred to soy as the Devil's (Sugar) younger brother...well, add MSG to the list. That sh*t sneaks into everything! And I can always tell when I've eaten it. Instant headache+dehydration.
I haven't talked on my moving and breathing much because, honestly, I've been kinda half-assing it. I definitely meditate and do breath-work daily, but it's really not enough. I haven't been running nearly as much as I used to before this started, and I've done a little of my martial arts training. I've been doing all these things, but not to the best of my abilities. And I haven't been keeping track of it very well. Also, yoga on your own gets soooo lonely! It's so awesome to be in a roomful of amazing people and sharing the energy with them! The connection just can't be described. It's an experience for sure.
Ugh. So I really need to push myself harder to keep on top of these things. Work harder, be more prepared. Anywho...recipe time! This is something that's super easy and fast!
Pan seared salmon and asparagus! Please note that in this photo, the salmon is cooked to perfection but the asparagus is a little well done....ooops. :-/ I over did that a little.
So for the salmon: heat some oil over medium-medium high. While it's heating, I pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. When the oil is hot I add the salmon skin side down and season the flesh with sea salt, pepper, garlic. Cook five mins, turn and cook three more mins. Dill might be a good seasoning, too, but I didn't try it this time.
For the asparagus: first, SNAP OFF THE WOODY BOTTOMS. This is really easy, and asparagus is designed to just break in the right place. Bend it near the bottom and it should snap pretty easy where it's supposed to. Drizzle with EVOO and lay flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. And here's where things get sketchy...I cooked mine at 400 for 20 mins. I think the temp was too high and the time was too long. These puppies were REALLY roasted. I think reducing the temp and the time will make the asparagus nice and tender.
Overall, preparing the entire meal takes less than 20 mins! Amazing! Delicious!
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