Category: Paleo: Whole30

Tropical Sushi Rolls! (w/ Cauliflower Rice)

I think this is my first blog post in over a year! Life has just been sooo crazy, and I had to prioritize my “have to’s” and my “want to’s”, and cut a few things out. . . 

Anyway, I recently created the most amazing Sushi using Cauliflower Rice, and it turned out so well that I just HAD to share 🙂
I have been craving the heck out of sushi lately, but have been feeling SO good following a 99.9% squeaky clean Paleo Diet that I just didn’t want to cave and risk taking a few steps back on the health front to satisfy a craving. So I decided to get creative and try my hand at Sushi made w/ Cauliflower Rice. The idea popped into my head about a month or so ago when I made my first batch of Juli Bauer’s Coconut Caulflower Rice (If you haven’t checked out www.PaleOMG.com yet – do it now!)

Anyway, I made her version of Coconut Cauliflower Rice, and found that the texture reminded me a little bit of “sticky rice” – I think due to the use of a little raw honey. Sticky Rice made me think Sushi, and a month later I finally got to play with the idea!

You can use whatever fillings that you’re in the mood for – I chose to use Sashimi Grade Wild Tuna, Avocado, Pineapple, and a little bit of Spicy Paleo Mayo. I know . . most people will see the pineapple and go eeewwww. . but I had some leftover Grilled Pineapple from another recipe of Juli’s that I made earlier in the week – and I saw it in the fridge as I was grabbing the ingredients to assemble my rolls, and thought – “Why Not?” – I love sweet and spicy stuff, and the sweetness of the pineapple w/ the spiciness of the mayo really made my taste buds sing!
Ideas for other fillings would be matchstick carrots and/or cucumbers, smoked salmon (if you’re not into raw fish), or crab meat (REAL Lump Crab mixed w/ spicy mayo would be yummy! Just avoid the overly processed gluten filled fake stuff).
This Recipe is kind of like a 3-in-1. I’ll include the Sushi Roll Assembly Instructions, a recipe for the Cauliflower Rice (pretty much straight off Juli’s site w/ just a minor modification), and a recipe for the spicy mayo.
Tropical Sushi Rolls:
Suggested Ingredients:
1 batch Cauliflower “Sticky” Rice (recipe below)
3 Tb Spicy Paleo Mayo (optional – recipe below)
Sashimi Grade Tuna or Salmon. . or Both!
Fresh Pineapple (sliced into long, slender strips)
1 Large Ripe Avocado
Instructions:
Place 1 Nori Sheet on a Flat, Dry surface 
Spread 1/4 cup (give or take) of Cauliflower Rice up and down the center of it
Slice off a strip of Tuna about 1/4 inch thick, and lay down the center of the rice
Lay 2 slices of Avocado alongside the tuna down the center of the rice
Lay a strip of pineapple down the center along the other side of the tuna
Drizzle a little bit of Spicy Mayo over the Tuna/Avocado/Pineapple
“Smear” a little avocado along one edge of the Nori (this will help seal it)
Watch This Video from 6:45 to 7:20 for “rolling” instructions
Once rolled tightly, use a very sharp knife to slice into 6-8 pieces
Additional Options/Variations:
Spread a little Wasabi Paste along the edge instead of or in addition to the Avocado (if you like it SPICY!)
Sprinkle individual pieces with toasted sesame seeds
Make a Spicy Crab Roll by replacing Tuna w/ Lump Crab Meat that has been mixed w/ the Spicy Mayo
Serve with Wasabi Paste, Pickled Ginger, and Coconut Aminos for dipping
Coconut Cauliflower “Sticky” Rice
Ingredients:
1 Head Cauliflower
1 Tb Coconut Oil (or sesame oil would be good too, I think!)
1/4 – 1/3 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (depending on size of cauliflower head)
1/8 cup finely shredded coconut (unsweetened)
2 Tb Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Raw Honey
Instructions:
Remove Stems and Roughly Chop Cauliflower. Place florets in Food Processor and Pulse until you get a rice-like consistency. 

TIP: Don’t Over-do it! If you pulse too much, you’ll end up with a bit of a “mush” instead of a “rice” and the consistency will be a little to wet for the sushi rolls. 

Warm 1 Tb oil in large pot – dump in “rice”, sprinkle with sea salt, stir until well combined, and cover with lid to let steam. Steam with lid on for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Honestly? I didn’t set a timer. . . it’s not an exact science though – 8 to 10 minutes should do the trick!). 
Remove lid and stir in coconut milk, vinegar, and shredded coconut. Then drizzle w/ honey and mix well. Let cook about another 8 minutes without lid, stirring frequently. It should be about the consistency of sticky rice when it’s done. 
Remove from heat and set aside

Spicy Mayo (Optional)
Ingredients:
3 Tb of your favorite Paleo Mayo (I like Melissa Joulwan’s recipe)
1/ 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (more or less to your taste) 
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
splash of coconut aminos (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well (or blend w/ a hand blender if you’d prefer)

Rough Chopped Cauliflower in Food Processor

“Riced” Cauliflower

Ingredients for Coconut Sticky “Rice”

Sticky “Rice” (after cooking)

Assembled Sushi Roll before Rolling
Basic Sushi Roll 1
Basic Sushi Roll 2
Tropical Sushi Roll!

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli

I LOVE vegetables 🙂 But sometimes I get tired of eating “sauteed this” or “roasted that” and I want to do something a little bit different.

I recently discovered “Roasted Broccoli”, and it is absolutely delicious, but it stinks up my house something aweful whenever I cook it. Enter Grilled Broccoli!

Grilled Broccoli tastes very similar to roasted broccoli, and it gets nice and crispy outside but soft inside, like roasted broccoli as well. The advantage is that the cooking is done outside, and my house doesn’t smell like dirty socks for 3 hours after I’m done preparing it 🙂

I also like the fact that I can cook this alongside some steaks, chicken breasts, or turkey burgers on my grill, and not have to worry about monitoring both a grill and a stove simultaneously.

And Great News! This is yet another recipe that even Picky eaters will likely eat without complaints (Yes, I know this from experience . . . . )

Grilled Broccoli

Ingredients:

Several Heads of broccoli cut into florets (but leave about 1 – 2 inches of stem intact)

EVOO (the amount will depend on how much broccoli you are using. I’d guesstimate about 1 Tb per full head of broccoli)

Freshly Minced Garlic (1 clove per head of broccoli)

Sea Salt to taste

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (1/2 lemon per head of broccoli)

Instructions:

Toss Broccoli in a big bowl with EVOO, Sea Salt, and Minced Garlic. Mix well (toss for at least 2-3 minutes to make sure that all florets are coated w/ Olive Oil. The longer you toss, the better the end results will be!

Spread Broccoli out on a Grill Pan (I use disposable grill pans like the one pictured below. If you don’t have a grill pan, you can cook without, but you’ll want your stalks to be a little bit longer so that you don’t have to worry about them falling through the grates)


Grill Pan

Place Grill Pan with broccoli on Grill over low heat, and cook for about 5* minutes, or until underside begins to brown/crisp.

Using Thongs, flip each piece of broccoli over, and cook for another 2-3 minutes**

Remove from the Grill, Sprinkle with Lemon Juice, and Serve!

*If you like crisper (less cooked / al dente) broccoli, turn after about 3 minutes. I like my broccoli pretty “well done”

**You don’t absolutely have to cook both sides if you’re in a hurry – grilling just one side is fine – that side will just be a little crispier while the other side will be a bit softer.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Middle Eastern Chicken

I’ve continued to have fun playing with food and my new toy, the Pressure Cooker over the last week, and have come up with another winner!

I’m by no means a Pressure Cooker Expert yet, but I’m definitely getting the hang of this thing, and I really love the fact that foods cooked in it seem to be so much more flavorful – I think that Jamie (my hubby) has actually licked his plate after every single pressure cooker meal that I’ve prepared – and that’s saying something considering he typically is not a huge fan of any “Paleo Meals” that I prepare for him.

The following recipe took a lot of modification from the original, which called for yogurt, flour, potato starch, and rice – so I knew I was taking a “risk”, but it turned out great – so good that I felt it was “share-worthy”.

I was a little hesitant to add the mint because it just really seemed like an odd combination, and I’ve never used mint in a recipe before, but it was very good and I don’t think the dish would have been the same without it.

Pressure Cooker Middle Eastern Chicken (Paleo Version)

Ingredients:

3 lbs Chicken Breasts or Tenders
1/4 cup Olive Oil
6 Green Onions, Minced
5 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1/2 cup Parsley, Minced
1 Tb Dried Mint
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 cup Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (read label to avoid sugar/soy/gluten/etc)
3 Tb Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk (Divided into 1/2 cup & 1/4 cup portions)
Sea Salt to taste
1/2 tsp White Pepper (ground black pepper would work if you don’t have white)
2 Egg Yolks
1.5 Tb Arrowroot Powder

Instructions:

Heat Olive Oil in bottom of pressure cooker, and then briefly brown chicken on both sides (in batches).

Remove chicken to a plate, and set to the side.

Add Green Onions, Garlic, & Parsley, and saute in hot oil for 2 minutes, then add Chicken & Stir.

Sprinkle with Mint & Cumin.

Add Broth, Lemon Juice, 1/2 cup Coconut Milk, Salt, & Pepper, and stir well.

Secure lid and bring to pressure over high heat (will take approx 10-12 minutes).

Reduce heat to medium (but maintain pressure), and cook 10 minutes.

Remove Pressure Cooker from heat and let pressure release naturally (natural-release method).
Remove lid, Remove Chicken, and set on a plate (leaving sauce in pressure cooker).

Ladel out 1/2 cup of the broth, add remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, and whisk into egg yolks.

Whisk ArrowRoot Powder into the egg yolk mixture, and then stir back into cooking liquid in Pressure Cooker.

Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened (about 10 minutes?)

Spoon over chicken, and serve.

This dish is tangy, savory, and creamy all at the same time!

I served mine with grilled broccoli and Mel’s Creamy Spicy Greens, and this was a great combination.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Another Pressure Cooker Success!!

I am absolutely in love with my Pressure Cooker, and wondering why in the world I waited so long to break down and buy one! I have never in my life had chicken breasts and tough cuts of meat (like stew meat) come out so tender, and with so little effort, and in such a short amount of time! If you’ve never used a Pressure Cooker – Warning – there is a small learning curve, but I highly reccomend purchasing one. I don’t know that I’ll ever cook chicken or roasts any other way again!

One of the first meals that I made in my Pressure Cooker was Chicken Cacciatore. I was craving Italian and Olives, and this meal fit the bill. I searched a ton of websites, pulled multiple recipes, and used a little bit from here and a little bit from there to come up with my own creation.

The result was absolutely phenominal (If I do say so myself!). I literally shredded the chicken w/ a fork when it was done – it was that tender!

Pressure Cooker Chicken Cacciatore:

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
3 Shallots, Chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 cup Organic Chicken or Vegetable Broth (be careful of sneaky sugars/soy/gluten/etc)
1 8-10 oz package mushrooms, sliced
5-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (good sized ones, not midgets – you’ll want leftovers!)
2 Cans Organic Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tb Organic Tomato Paste
1 Can Pitted Black Olives (I used Whole Foods Brand – just olives, water, salt)
Fresh Parsley
Red Pepper to taste (I used a healthy 1/2 tsp, but I like spicy!)
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 4-quart or larger cooker. Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the shallots soften slightly, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the broth and boil for 2-3 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits sticking to the bottom of the cooker.

Stir in the mushrooms and garlic. Set the chicken on top. Cover the chicken with crushed tomatoes. Do not stir. Plop the tomato paste on top.

Lock the lid in place.

Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat.

Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the lid.

Stir in the olives, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

I served mine over a heaping serving of shredded cabbage, and it was AWESOME!

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

I am FINALLY getting the chance to really put my pressure cooker to work, and loving every minute of it! The new Pressure Cooker works like charm. The very first time I used it, I started to freak out just a little b/c it seemed to take FOREVER for the regulator to start to rock, and steam was coming out of the lid lock/air vent even though it was in the “up” postion. . . but after a few minutes of this it rattled into place, and then the regulator started rocking a few minutes later – YAY- Pressure Cooker Success #1!

I’ve cooked several meals in my pressure cooker over the last week or so, and every single one has turned out AWESOME!:

~Paleo-ized Chicken Cacciatori – A-Freaking-Mazing! (recipe coming in the next week 🙂

~Paleo-ized Chili (Mel’s recipe w/ some revisions to cooking method and meat type)

~”Salsa Dancing Chicken” (stolen from the Everyday Paleo Website – YUM!!)

~Sweet Potatoes

~Beets

~. . .and lastly – a Pot Roast-esque Dish that turned out so good I had to force myself to stop eating it after one serving – I totally wanted to go back for more!

I can’t keep this amazing discovery to myself – so here it is!

The backstory: I promised my hubby I’d cook him pot roast this weekend, but when I opened my box freezer to pull out one of my GF Roasts . .**Gasp!** . . .there were none to be found! I dug to the very bottom because I swear I still had at least one roast in there. . . but no such luck. So what’s a girl to do? I couldn’t bring myself to go a buy sub-par grain-fed roast, but I don’t live in an area where you can just drive to a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and pick up a piece of GF Meat!

So I improvised – it’s funny – I’ve noticed that some of my best creations have come out of improvisation when I’m out of something that I thought I had! I used 3 packages of GF Stew Meat instead of a roast (approx 3 lbs)

Then, as I was getting the veggies out to prep, I realized that I didn’t have any sweet potatoes either! **Palm-Face** So I scoured my fridge to try to figure out something I could sub for the Sweet Potatoes. . .Brussel Sprouts to the rescue! So I ended up making an “odd” Pot Roast-esque dish with Stew Meat, Farmer’s Market Carrots, Brussel Sprouts, Onions, & Celery – and I swear that it is the BEST “PotRoast” I have ever had in my entire life!

Please forgive me – I tend not to measure spices and such when I’m “creating”. . .so the measurements below are my best estimates!

Pressure Cooker “Pot Roast-Esque Dish”

Ingredients:

3 lbs Grass Fed Stew Meat
2 Cups Organic Beef Broth (Read Label – make sure no “sneaky” sugar or gluten or soy)
1 Bunch Carrots (5-6 medium), cut into chunks
1 bag Fresh Brussel Sprouts (15-20?)
3-4 Stalks Celery
1 Large Vidalia Onion
6 Cloves Garlic (or less if you’re not a big garlic fan
Cumin
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
Coconut Aminos (2 Tb?)
Olive Oil

Directions:

Prep Veggies – Cut Carrots, Celery, & Onions into good-sized chunks, mince garlic, halve brussel sprouts.

Pour Olive Oil in a large skillet, add Stew Meat, and sprinkle meat with Cumin, Sea Salt, and Pepper. Mix around really well so that spices cover all of the meat, and then lightly brown it (approx 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly).

While browning meat, saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 3-5 minutes (until onions start to soften) in bottom of pressure cooker. Once the meat is slightly browned, toss it with the onions an the garlic in the pressure cooker. Add 2 Cups Beef Broth, 2 Tb Coconut Aminos, and 2 Bay Leaves.

Secure Lid and bring to pressure. Once Cooker builds pressure, start your timer, and cook for 17 minutes.

Release the pressure under running water, remove Pressure Cooker lid, Dump in veggies, stir, and replace lid.

Return Pressure Cooker to heat, & bring back up to pressure. Once Pressure is built, reduce heat to low (but make sure regulator is still rocking). Cook for an additional 7 Minutes.

Use the Quick Release Method once again, remove lid, and serve. If you’re a softy like me, reserv the broth to sprinkle over your dog’s food 😉 If not, I recommend draining it – The meat and veggies wil be fall-apart tender with no need for additional “juice” 🙂

And yes – this one even managed to past the “picky hubby test” with a request for seconds!

Pressure Cooker Adventures #1

Yes, my initial Pressure Cooker adventures were an Epic Fail!

I attribute this to the fact that I bought a $19.95 Pressure Cooker at HEB. . . I tried several times to use it, but it never seemed to build up pressure correctly.

According to the instructions, I was supposed to put it on the stove on high heat until the regulator began to rock, and then reduce the heat to medium or low so that the regulator continued to rock gently. The instructions also said that I shouldn’t start timing the cooking until the regulator began to rock (meaning that the pressure had built up enough to do it’s job).

Well, my regulator never rocked, but tons of steam leaked out from around the handle each time that I tried to use it, and water dripped down the side of the Cooker – so I’m pretty sure that it never built up the proper amount of pressure because so much steam was leaking out.

I tried steaming cauliflower, but because the regulator never rocked, I didn’t know when to start timing it. I ended up WAAY overcooking it and ended up with a soggy mess!

So, you live and learn I guess! I refuse to quit on my attempts at pressure cooking because it looks like such a healthy alternative and the convenience and speed of it is really appealing to me also.

So I upgraded to a $40 Presto 8 Qt Pressure Cooker over the weekend, and am very much looking forward to trying it out next week – I only hope that I have better luck this time, and that the previous Pressure Cooker really was faulty and that it wasn’t just “user error”!

I’m going to start scouring the web this evening for some yummy Paleo Pressure Cooker Recipes, but if anyone out there reading this has some “winners”, (Or Pressure Cooking Tips!) please share!

My “Whole102” Starts Today!

The Whole30 Program, created by Whole9

That’s Right! I’m officially re-starting today and making my intentions public. I’ll be eating squeaky-clean-love-my-body-Whole-30-Compliant foods for the next 102 days. No, that’s not a typo – that does indeed say One Hundred and Two!

My “Whole102” will run from today (January 1st) through April 12th. My Birthday is on April 13th, and I’m looking forward to celebrating this one feeling the healthiest that I’ve ever felt, both inside and out!

As I mentioned in the previous post – I will be keeping a Pictorial Food Log at http://www.christiesfoodlog.posterous.com/, and will be posing snapshots of every single bite that goes into my mouth. There’s a Link to my food log in the top right-hand corner of this page, so feel free to check it out if you’re ever curious what I’m eating on a day-to-day basis while on the “Whole30”. There are a few reasons for my decision to keep this pictorial food log on a separate site:

  • Perhaps the most obvious reason – it will help to keep me accountable
  • I find myself “grazing” a LOT lately with a little bite here or there in between meals. While those little bites may be Paleo Compliant, they still add up, and I need to get out of the habit of mindless grazing due to boredom or stress. Additionally, these “little bites” are usually carb-dense snacks (like lara bars or sweet potatoes or fruit) that I really don’t need to be munching on mindlessly anyway! If I have to take a picture and upload it to my food log of every single one of these bites, I’m guessing that it will help me to be much more mindful of when I’m mindlessly grazing, and will reduce the frequency that I do it.
  • I’m want to give any “newbies” a glance inside the “real world” of Paleolithic eating so that they can see that it’s REALLY not that hard! It’s usually just meat, veggies, and fat thrown together in a stir-fry and tossed on a plate, or a salad, or something super easy and quick. I do get “fancy” every now and then to keep things interesting, but it’s not necessary – hopefully by seeing the simplistic meals that I eat and enjoy “newbies” will be a little less hesitant to give it a try.
  • I’m pretty sure that my friends and family are getting a bit sick of seeing all of the food pics that I’ve been obsessively posting on Facebook lately! By maintaining a separate Pictorial Food Log, no one will have to be forced to view pictures of my food if they don’t want to 🙂 Only those people who actually want to see what I’m eating will click through to the link (Your Welcome Facebook Friends!! LOL)

I’m also very excited to be attending the Whole9’s Foundations of Nutrition Workshop and Trainers Workshop January 8th & 9th in Houston!!! I’m sure I’ll learn all kinds of great stuff and I can’t wait.
So my blog posts in the upcoming days/weeks will most likely document some struggles as I work to lock up my sugar demons again, and also the small victories that I notice along my Whole102 journey. I’ll still be posting Weightlifting and CrossFitting stuff of course, and any new recipes that I come up with as I’m “Playing with my Food”!

Whole30 Week 1 Summary


GF Steak, Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Homemade Paleo Ketchup – YUM!
Yesterday marked the end of week 1, and so far things are going. . . okay.

I have to admit that I had some CRAZY cravings in the first week but I was able to ignore them and am still going strong. Reflecting back, I definitely ate a bit more fruit than I really should have in the first week, so I am going to be more mindful of my fruit intake this week. I didn’t go hog-wild or anything but I can definitely think of 4 or 5 instances where I was craving the hell out of some sugar and reached for a piece of fruit to quiet the craving – not a good habit to get into if I want to put my Sugar Demons back to bed!

I have made some uber delicious meals this week though 🙂

  • Paleo Veggie stuffed Meatloaf with a Balsamic Glaze & Grilled Broccoli w/ Garlic Olive Oil
  • Nitrate/Sugar Free/Organic Chicken Sausage and Sweet Peppers and Onions over a bed of baby Spinach, topped w/ homemade guacamole
  • Grilled GF NY Strip with Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts & homemade Paleo Ketchup
  • Lots of salads for lunch chock full of colorful veggies, Avocados, HB Eggs, Pistachios with Wild Tuna or Sardines or Chicken
  • Delicious GF Beef Stew with Brussel Sprouts and lots of other veggies (was really good when I was sick!)
  • Curry Chicken and Cabbage
  • Breakfasts have been Poached Eggs over Broccoli Slaw w/ Avocados & Sometimes the addition of blueberries and walnuts (YUM!)

I bought a bag of bing cherries mid-week and those things were like candy! They were juicy and delicious but I don’t think I’ll be buying any more for a few weeks because I did tend to “crack out” on them a bit when I was craving sugar.

I also bought a few small tangerines and these were really juicy and delicious too, but I was able to “control myself” much better with these. I think I’ll buy 4 this week and make them last.

Yesterday was my first day back to CrossFit after being out for vacation and then being sick as a dog for 2 weeks with the flu – I got my booty handed to me on a silver platter! I hurt EVERYWHERE today! But it’s that “good hurt” that just reminds me that I’m doing something right 🙂

My energy levels are still way off and at this point I don’t know whether to contribute it to the after-effects of the Flu, my Thyroid, or the adjustment back to Paleo. I really don’t think it has so much to do w/ my adjustment back to Paleo because I only went “off-course” for about a week and a half. I’ve got to get back in to get my Thyroid levels measured again. The last time I had them checked right before vacation they were continuing in the wrong direction, and the doc told me that she’d have to put me on Thyroid meds if they continued that way, so I’ve been dragging my feet a little with the followup. . . .but I think it’s time to get myself in there!

So to summarize – all in all it was an “okay” first week. I stuck to the plan 100%, and prepared lots of yummy foods, but fought my fair share of cravings and also was sick the first half of the week. I hope that next week goes a little more smoothly as a result of my returning to the gym, and no longer being sick.

Whole30 – Here I Come!

Yes, I’m back after a long hiatus from blogging. . .

Long story short: I fell off the Paleo Wagon big time, and my Oly Lifting has suffered as well over the last 3 months because of a lot of unexpected business travel, making it difficult to find locations that would let me do my “own thing” during an Open Gym time.

No Excuses, and I’m right back up on the wagon. . . I just hope Coach Wilkes will take me back. . I’ve literally fallen off the face of the planet . . .

So I have a two-part game plan to address both nutrition and training.

Part One: Nutrition

I’m jumping back in head-first, no excuses, and balls-to-the-wall Nazi-style hard core Paleo! I saw such great results when following a Paleo nutrition plan previously, that it blows my mind that I ever stopped. . .but the past is the past!

I started the Whole30 Plan today, as detailed by Melissa Urban and Dallas Hartwig on their website: http://www.whole9life.com/

Basically, this means 30 days of Paleo, but stricter than I’ve ever gone before. I’ll also be cutting out all artificial sweetners and Protein Powders. Nothing but whole, natural food for the next 30 days. . . and then some.

While this is a 30 day program, I fully plan to continue past the 30 days. I know that I’ve done a ton of damage to myself over the last 4-5 months by pigging out on Junk Food, Fast Food, and Sugar. . . I am using this 30 day program to spring-board me back into the “routine” of eating right, and plan to continue the lifestyle at the end of the 30 days. I’ll be posting regular updates here througout the month.

I have learned my lesson in the past about just “jumping into something” w/o preparing first, so I made sure to fully stock my fridge and prep most of my food last night, so that there will be no moments of “Crap – there’s nothing to eat”!

I’ve chopped up and bagged Fresh: Broccoli, Kale, Collard Greens, Brussel Sprouts, Zucchini & Squash, Scallions, Jicama, Artichokes, and Spinach

I’ve cooked & portioned: Sweet Potatoes (for post-workout), Lean Ground Turkey (to mix in w/ my SP Post Workout – YUM!!), HB Eggs & Red Beets (for salads)

I’ve stocked up on Avocadoes, Olive Oil, Olives, Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes, Coconut Milk, Almonds, Walnuts, Strawberries, Blueberries, FISH OIL, Omega-3 Eggs, Bagged Spinach, Baby Carrots, Mushrooms, and Wild Planet Canned Tuna

My Freezer is now full of: GrassFed Steaks, GF Stew Meat, and GF Ground Meat, Wild Fish, and “Natural” Chicken

And Lastly, I have THROWN OUT all: Salad Dressings, Splenda, Stevia, Coffee Syrups, and Junk Food

My husband isn’t doing this with me (I tried. . . . trust me!!), but he’s agreed to let me put all of his bread products, cereals, ect on a single shelf in the pantry so that I don’t have to rifle through it when reaching in for almonds or olive oil . . . he also has a dedicated shelf in teh fridge for his milk, soft drinks, ect.

I’d say that I’m about as prepared as I’m gonna be!!!

Part Two: Training

The first thing that I need to do is get in touch w/ Coach Wilkes and see if he would be willing to continue to provide my Oly Lifting Programing and Coaching. . . I kindof fell off the face of the earth on him with no notice (and feel horrible about it), so I’m hoping he’ll take me back.

I haven’t been consistantly Oly Lifting for the last 2-3 months b/c of all of that travel, so I know that I will have to back-track a little bit to get back to the level that I was at before my hiatus.

I plan to spend the next month getting back “up to speed” using the programming that was working for me just before I disappeared. Then I will re-evaluate w/ Coach, and go from there.

I plan to WOD at CrossFit XLR8 M, W, F, and Sat mornings. REVISED 8/3 – Will only do MetCon on M, W, & F. Cutting Saturday out so that I can spend more time on Saturdays doing skillwork.

I’ll be Olylifting/Squating and doing Skill Work in my Backyard Gym in the evenings M – F.

I plan to run 1 day a week, either on Tuesdays or Thursdays in the morning. I am going to limit my running b/c I don’t want it to hold back my stregnth gains, but I need to start running a little bit because I’m slower than a tortoise, and have got to improve my speed a bit. I’m not talking long runs here – just 2-3 miles, with some sprints thrown in the mix occasionally. REVISED 8/3 – I will only run 1 -2 times per month, rather than once per week. I want to focus on stregnth gains right now, and I’m worried that too much running may slow that down.
Well, that’s the plan! Now I just need to put it into action. I’m not making any promises about how often I’ll update here, because training and nutrition have to take priority over blogging. . but I’ll do my best to update regularly. . if nothing else, it helps to keep me accountable!