Protein: My Experience

I was an ovo-lacto pescatarian for about 7 years.  But let’s not church it up, I ate dairy including eggs and pretty much anything from the sea.  I went through a period that I was just grossed out by the thought of eating meat.  My staying away from meat evolved into my objections about their treatment.  I ate this way pretty happily and also felt and thought I looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.  I attended a Crossfit Coach’s certification and met a former vegetarian who’s doctor, after a significant accident, told her she could either start eating meat again or would need a blood transfusion.  This was a wake up call for what her body needed.  When I heard that and her presentation on how one’s body processes animal proteins vs. other proteins I decided I at least needed to up my animal protein, ie fish for me.  Before this I probably ate around 35 grams of animal protein a day.  So I set a goal of 100 grams of animal protein a day.  Holy shit.  That’s the reaction most people would have.  For perspective check out the following:  

1 5 oz can of tuna 26 grams of protein
1 6 oz steak 36 grams of protein
1 large egg 4 grams of protein

So 100 is kind of a lot for a 165 lb lady.  It took a conscious effort; believe me.  I started eating salmon fillets on a salad for lunch, or an entire can of tuna, and something close to the same for dinner.  It became about getting enough protein, enough nutrients; it became about fueling.  It was a nice relationship with food.  I feel like I was seeing it for what it is: fuel.  That doesn’t mean I don’t ever eat just for pleasure-hello frozen yogurt!- but it removed a lot of emotions from eating that had been dragging me down.    

I started this protein journey with some muscular definition.  I have been doing boot camp for 6 years, I had some nice tone.  After about 6 weeks my body composition became very different.  I became very dense.  My muscles felt more dense and strong.  It as if before there was a layer on top and now it was pure beast.  Yeeeaaahhhh.  After seeing how important animal protein is in my body I started incorporating some meats from very specific places.  Farms that were known for their animal centered raising practices.  I still get 80% of my protein from seafood but now have a little more diversity in my protein sources.  I urge you to do your own experiment.  Try upping your animal protein intake and to really go into beast mode decrease you carb intake and get ready to take on the world, or at least your wedding.  

Roasted Cauliflower With Tahini-Parsley Sauce

Tahini is something that has a lot of flavor but I don't use a lot.  Cauliflower is sort of like tofu, it tastes like whatever you put with it.  One of my cauliflower favs is making a puree with a little parmesan cheese.  Check out the recipe below from NYTimes.com using the following ingredients:

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

1 large cauliflower, broken into florets

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 garlic cloves, to taste, cut in half, green shoots removed

1 cup sesame tahini

1/4 to 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice, to taste

1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (2 bunches)

get the how to and all the details here.  

Weekend Challenge

Run 5 minutes turn around and go back in less than 5 minutes
21 vertical jumps (2 feet above your reach)
21 pushups
Continue the series decreasing the reps to 18, then 9 end with a second run 5 min out less then 5 back.

Sore Muscle Remedies That Really Work

One of the great things about Operation Boot Camp is the workout diversity. The varied workouts and the group dynamic can often take you to the point of soreness.  Check out the slideshow from the HuffingtonPost.com with the study results for helping sore muscles. 

People do some crazy stuff to get rid of their post-workout muscle pain, which is known in the medical community as DOMS -- for delayed onset muscle soreness. DOMS occurs when an exercise causes stress to muscle tissue. The tissue develops microscopic tears, causing inflammation and then pain that begins to mount in the 24- to 48-hour period that follows a workout.
While some athletes swear by acupuncture (that works!), others insist that nothing but a hot water bottle (which doesn't) will do. But amidst all the anecdotal evidence and superstition, how can we determine what actually will improve the muscle pain? A few new studies give us a glimpse into what might be the best strategies, including the latest one, released just yesterday on the efficacy of ice baths – a method of dunking your post-workout body in a frigid bath of water that is favored by everyone from rugby players to triathletes.
The study found that cold water baths do indeed reduce muscle soreness, but they have a limited effect. A look at some other remedies that have the clinical data to back up their claims:

See the slideshow

Chicken Stew With Sweet Potatoes, Almonds and Apricots

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

This recipe from Martha Rose Shulman on the NYTimes website caught my eye because it has one of  my favorite ingredients: sweet potatoes!  I thought this had enough variety to shake up the mid winter slump of soups and stews.  If you try it let me know in the comments.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 to 8 chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pound orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and cut in thick slices

Generous pinch of saffron threads, crumbled

2 cups chicken stock

3 ounces dried apricots, cut in half

1/3 cup (45 grams) untoasted almonds, blanched and skinned

get the how-to here.

Weekend Challenge

photo from rippedmonster.com

Three rounds of max reps of:
Pushups
Air squats
V ups

What Happens In Your Body When You Eat Top Ramen

If you've ever wondered what happens when you eat ramen from the store versus something homemade congratulations, that day has come!  Read this article by Briana Rognlin and watch the video below explaining this interesting story.  The best line from the video?  "Top Ramen is made to survive armageddon, while homemade noodles are made to be eaten."

Enjoy!


What Happens In Your Body When You Eat Top Ramen

Most of the time, we hear about avoiding processed foods because they’ll make us fat. But a new video of what happens in your body when you eat Top Ramen and Gatorade vs. homemade noodles and drinks gives us a whole new reason to avoid it: We can’t even digest it properly.
TEDxManhattan 2011 Fellow Stefani Bardin‘s video, below, shows what happens in your body when you eat processed foods vs. homemade versions of similar foods, using a tiny “M2A” (that stands for Mouth to Anus, and it’s trademarked, mind you) LED/camera capsule. The project looks at two subjects eating two similar meals: one composed of processed foods (gatorade, ramen, and gummi bears); the other of homemade versions (hibiscus drink, homemade broth with noodles and gummi bears made of juice). What happens to the foods is drastically different; possibly because, as Bardin puts it, Top Ramen is made to survive armageddon, while homemade noodles are made to be eaten.

Warning: It’s best to watch this video after you’ve eaten your breakfast.

See the video.  

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Looking for something on the healthy side to make your honey tomorrow night?  Try this recipe from cookinglight.com to lay some sugar on 'um.

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs 
• Cooking spray 
• 6 tablespoons honey 
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar 

Find the how to HERE.

Weekend Challenge

10 minutes of
3 Burpees
4 Push ups
5 Squats


post the amount of rounds you were able to complete on your camp's fb page!

How I Kicked The Diet Soda Habit (And How You Can Too)

by Laura Schocker reposted from the HuffingtonPost.com 

As a health editor, I really do try to practice what I preach. I walk up escalators. I don't smoke. I get off the subway a few stops early to get more exercise in each morning. And I try not to drink my calories (unless it's a glass of wine -- that's healthy, right?).

I thought that was enough. But over the past year, I've learned that Diet Coke, my calorie-free drink of choice, may be doing more harm than I thought. A study last summer presented at an American Diabetes Association meeting suggested an association between diet soda and a wider waist. A second, unrelated study found that aspartame -- the artificial sweetener found in most diet soft drinks -- raises blood sugar in mice prone to diabetes, with possible implications for humans as well. And just yesterday, we heard word that a diet soda a day is linked with an increased risk of stroke and heart attack (findings that were also presented last year at the International Stroke Conference).

"They may be free of calories but not of consequences," Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., an author on the first study and a professor and chief of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio's School of Medicine, said in a statement.

Uh oh -- my "light" choice has turned into a vice.

While I've long suspected that a bottle full of chemicals is likely not as healthy as a glass of pure H20 (the ingredient list, including aspartame, caramel coloring and phosphoric acid, was a tip off), I've never considered it to be a real risk.

Keep reading . . .

Grilled Steak with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Chimichurri Sauce

Notes

Stretch your strip steaks, a juicy and delicious cut of beef, by sharing them and serving them alongside a hearty serving of grilled green beans.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grill grates
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 strip steaks (about 1-inch thick), about 1 1/2 pounds total, trimmed of excess fat and halved
• Chimichurri sauce, recipe follows

Get the directions for this great recipe from FoodNetwork.com.  This would be a great meal to make for a loved one for Valentine's day!  

Recipe and photo from FoodNetwork.com  

Weekend Challenge

5 Rounds
20 Lunges
20 Squats
10 Push ups


post your time and get your brag on your camp's FB page!

SKEWERED SHRIMP WITH HOMEMADE MANGO MARINADE

This recipe for mango shrimp skewers was shared by FitSugar reader lauren in FitSugar's Healthy Recipe community group.

Recipe
1 pound of shrimp, deveined and shelled
1 flesh of a mango
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 jalapeno, seeded depending on your tastes
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Puree all the mango, cumin powder, and jalapeno in small blender or food processor.
2. Skewer the shrimp and cover with the half of the marinade. Allow the shrimp to marinade in the fridge for a half hour.
3. Cook until shrimp are pink in color and top with the rest of the marinade

Serves 4-6.

This will definitely be on our Superbowl table!