Paleo…ooo?

I like to eat food. …All sorts of food.
Sometimes I like to cook food and try new recipes.
Sometimes I don't and I feel lazy.
Being lazy is not healthy- because that means you order pizza or take-out Thai food.
Mmmm Pad Kee Mao.
I am trying not to be lazy at this very moment and find inspiration to create a tasty and healthy dinner.
…It's not working.

I thought maybe if I shared my experience and the recipes I tried in my sad attempt to try and follow the Paleo-lifestyle that it would encourage me to cook tonight.  Hopefully by the end of this post I will have found such encouragement.

So… Paleo, huh?  I know, everyone is doing it.  Sometimes you want to roll your eyes at the stupid stuff that "everyone" is doing… kind of like what I did with Twitter.  And then I had PR reps look at me and tell me I need Twitter if I want to be a food photographer.  Twitter didn't seem so stupid after that.  So when people told me about Paleo- that they cut out all grains, sugars and dairy again I rolled my eyes and called it a fad diet.  Which perhaps it is.  However, if you look into it a little bit you realize, fad or not, it makes sense and it's healthier.  I eat too much sugar, I know that.  I'm addicted big time.  (Man, a donut sounds good right now, doesn't it?)  I thought I would give the Paleo-lifestyle a go and try to at least cut down my grain and sugar intake.  I knew off the bat that it wouldn't be a 100% full-commitment type of thing, that's not my style.  In fact I can only think of two things I am 100% committed too- God and my husband.  I LOVE eating out… I mean I am trying to be a food photographer so it comes with the territory.  That has probably been the most difficult part- eating out.  A close second is me being lazy… it takes more effort to buy cauliflower, finely grate it and create rice than throwing my already purchased (extra, extra large bag) of white rice into my rice cooker.

Have I cheated?  Does a bear sh*t in the woods?

I am trying to figure out this new lifestyle and find the correct balance for me.  In the mean time I have come across a lot of stellar recipes- mainly from OMG That's Paleo? cookbook.  I'll share them with you. :)

1. Cilantro Chicken Nuggets.  …I bought a dill flavored and jalapeño flavored mustard to go along with these nuggets and other grilled chicken dishes.  Ground chicken might taste better- not sure… I only could find ground turkey and I used that.

2. Pumpkin Cashew Coconut Curry over Coconut "Rice" …Cauliflower rice works and tastes great.  It's messy though!  My husband was not impressed with the kitchen afterwards.

3. Avocado Cilantro Chicken Salad …Great for lunch.

4. Spicy Mexican-Stuffed Poblanos …I did it with 5 peppers and that was more than enough for two people.

5. Blackberry Glazed Pork Chops …Easy-peasy and good.

6. Citrus Mango Spicy Tilapia and Kale …For two people I just used two large fillets and I only had lemon and it was still delish.

7.  Red Curry Scallop Soup … The only dish that I made twice (and in the same week)!!  It was very good.  Unfortunately this was a "new" recipe just for the cookbook I bought so I can't link it up to her blog.  If you'd like the recipe you can either purchase the book or email me.

8. Grilled Salmon and Asparagus Frittata …Obviously for breakfast.  I thought it needed a little something on top (like she mentioned) so I put avocados, cherry tomatoes and a little bit of a chipotle sauce I have.

9. Caramelized Plantain Pancakes… Not only did I make these for the first time but I pre-made the batter and then used it while we were camping.  That changed a few things as far as cooking them- I had to like turn them into little patties almost (like crab cakes).  I enjoyed them still and will definitely try again as more of an actual pancake style.

10. Simple Blueberry Muffins… I made them and my husband loved them and asked me to make them again.  Second time around there were no blueberries at my grocery store (??) so I bought blackberries. I also didn't have quite enough coconut oil… so I did half coconut oil and half lemon grape seed oil.  Since I was going with a little lemon I also tossed in some lemon zest.  They were good too- but the blueberry was probably a little better.

11. Apple Cinnamon Muffins… These were good but not as good as the above muffin recipe.  (Probably because it's missing the most amazing thing- almond butter! lol.)

12. Roasted Grape, Bacon and Kale Salad … OMG is right on this one.  I've made it a handful of times now- it's soooo good.  Of course the "dressing" is basically bacon fat.  I don't have a link for this recipe either but it's a piece of cake.  Take a handful of red grapes throw a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on them and then bake them at 425 for about 15 minutes.  While they are baking throw about 4-5 pieces of bacon on a skillet and cook.  Remove bacon and then toss a bunch of chopped Kale into the bacon grease and cook the Kale down.  Toss all three ingredients together (obviously brake up the bacon) and chow down.  It's amazing.

13. Roasted Red Pepper Dip… Great dip.  She has you make Sweet Potato Chips to go along with this dip.  I actually have made the chips and used them with my guacamole recipe instead.  With the pepper dip I used Plantain Chips which she also has a recipe for but no link… or if you're feeling lazy Trader Joe's sells plantain chips.

14. Coconut Curry and Butternut Squash Soup… this is the only recipe I'll link-up that's not from the OMG Paleo book.  This is straight-up Pinterest.  It was alright… because I used a Vitamix I think some of the flavors were too strong like the onion.

Of course there were a lot of things I just made with out a recipe.  I did the obvious spaghetti squash as "spaghetti" and lettuce-wrapped hamburgers.  I made Portobello Mushroom Pizzas which were really good.  And the good ol' standbys… grilled meats, grilled veggies, salads, taco salad, tortilla soup (minus the tortilla and cheese part), smoothies and lots of lots of egg concoctions for breakfast.


I'm sure there are two questions on your mind.  One- Where are the photos, Aubrie?  Can you believe that I did not take photos of any of these recipes!!  I'm thinking that if I continue to do this that I'll have to start photographing the dishes and posting them.  But for this post, sorry, no photos.  Second- did I find my  motivation to cook at home last night?  Yes, last night.  I started this post Friday evening… my husband came home and said "I had a hard week can we go out and get a beer?"  So to answer the question I did find motivation but my husband quickly changed my mind.  If my man needs a beer and needs to go out than dang-it we need to go out!  We ventured over to a really cool new spot in downtown Beaverton called Watson Hall.  Great food, yummy beer and cool atmosphere.  Check it out.

…I now have motivation to write out my recipes for this upcoming week and keep chugging along on this Paleo-lifestyle.

Cheers and happy eating.
Aubrie

PS. If you're out and about in the Northwest/Nob Hill area and need a great spot for yummy salads check out Kiva.  Their Kale Salad was amazing!!

The 17 Day Diet

Well I talk about losing weight on here more than I talk about a lot of things.  It's one of those things that is obviously important to me yet a constant struggle.  I am hoping that this attempt at healthy living (attempt #174) will stick and work!

David kept talking to me about his co-worker that lost a lot of weight, he used a healthy diet, followed a book, it's from a Doctor, blah, blah, blah.  I honestly only listened because it was my husband speaking not because the topic interested me.  I had no idea he was serious about doing the diet himself.  I hear the word "diet" and automatically assume it's bad for you because of all the fad diets that are out there.  Well when David asked me when I was going to get the book for him (a week before his birthday, hint, hint) I decided to make a run down to Powell's bookstore.

The 17 Day Diet.  Seriously the title sounds awful and the book looked awful... it was bright pink.  Ew. I opened it and started reading bits and pieces.  To my shock I was totally hooked and thought that A-it was healthy and B- might actually work.

After opening the lovely present (I got him some manly gun-shooting-thing too) and reading through the first couple of chapters we decided to start the diet on Monday the 17th.  My first day on the diet I go into Olive Garden for my dinner shift.  I'm prepared to stare at pasta, bread sticks and desserts and serve them to people who will enjoy them.  I was not prepared for our managers to bring in huge Costco muffins and Halloween cookies.  Ugh!  I prevailed though and I did not have one bite of those delicious muffins.

So you're probably wondering how the diet works... or at least what the catch is- like do we eat kale shakes for every meal for 17 days straight.  YES!  Okay, no.  That's gross and I would never do that.

There are four cycles of 17 days.  The first cycle is called "Accelerate" and to quote the book exactly the accelerate cycle is "the rapid weight loss portion, which helps flush sugar and fat storage from your system."  Dave and I can eat plenty of lean proteins (fish, canned tuna, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, ground turkey, eggs) and all the cleansing vegetables we want.  (The list is huge- basically think of everything except starchy veggies, avocados and beans.) We eat two servings of low-sugar fruit (apples, berries, oranges, peaches, pears, grapes, etc.) and two servings of probiotic foods (low fat yogurt, kefir, etc.)  We are suppose to drink A LOT of water (of course) and a lot of green tea.  Thank God coffee (1-2 cups) is allowed.  You can see what is missing... bread, carbs, sugars, desserts... and wine!

The second cycle is called "Activate."  The activate cycle is "the metabolic restart portion, with alternating low and high calorie days to help shed body fat."  No, I do not get to eat cupcakes all day one day and then return to my salad with vinegar and oil dressing the next.  On my "higher" calorie days I get some different proteins (not for every meal) for instance we can have shellfish or lean cut of steak/pork for dinner.  We can also have some starchy veggies, legumes and natural starches.  On the "lower" calorie days we go back to the accelerate menu.

The third cycle is called "Achieve" which the books says this is a "phase that involves learning to control portions and introducing new fitness routines."  Oh, I forgot to mention that during this diet he asks that you work out for 17 minutes a day... even if it's just a brisk walk.  The fourth cycle is called "Arrive" and this is a "combination of the first three cycles to keep good habits up for good.  On weekends enjoy your favorite foods."  I've skimmed over the last two cycles but I don't want to think about those until I get through the first two.  So I'll have to update you when I hit cycle three.

One of the main reasons this might work is because David and I are doing it together.  It's virtually impossible to eat healthy when your spouse is snacking on ice cream.  I am excited to see how we will do.  We finished day two already.  Oh and David and I are both down a few pounds. ;)

Cheers to sugar-free jam on top of non-fat plain yogurt, skipping out on Costco muffins and salads galore.

Skipping,
Aubrie

Off-Season

Well triathlon season has officially come to an end.  I completed two triathlons, one with a lower-back problem.  I just finished taking one week off to heal my lower back and I am ready to begin my off-season training.  I always find that if I share my plans I will tend to keep them, using this little blog post as a way to keep myself accountable.

I've been paying for my gym membership and really the only thing I used it for during tri season was to swim.  Occasionally I would go to a cycle class if the weather was not cooperating.  A few weeks before my second triathlon I started to go to a body works class.  Other than that, LA Fitness really hasn't seen me much and is pretty much just sucking unused dollars out of my bank account.  So I plan to correct that and make every penny count.

Here is my "PLAN"

Monday: Swim!
Tuesday: Cycle Class @ 9:15 AM
Wednesday: Yoga @ 8:30 AM
Thursday: Body Works Plus Abs @ 8:30
Friday: Off
Saturday: Run! (Or doing a pretty good hike.)
Sunday: Off

I would like to get stronger and more flexible during the off season.  Work on my abs so I can protect that lower back of mine.  I would like to swim, run and cycle (class counts) once a week to keep all three in shape.

I am also thinking about buying a little journal to document what I am eating.  I've counted calories before with an iPhone app, which that worked out for the most part.  It could be more convenient than an actual hand written journal, but I guess I'll see.  I more want to document everything I am eating and if in a month or two I have not seen any change in my body (positive change!) than I may consider talking to a nutritionist to see what I need to change.  (Which I am sure I could use a lot of change, really!)

Anyone is welcomed to join me in the pool or at any of the classes I will attend.  I would be happy to have a work-out partner.  I found the one time that I ran with my friend my 3 miles went by faster and we're easier so if anyone wants to run on Saturday mornings with me, please let me know.

Here's to always working towards a healthier lifestyle.

Skipping,
Aubrie

Healthy Eating... Again? X 20!

I actually have an exercise plan that is working.  I have an exercise goal... a lot of mini goals leading up to one big goal.  I'm pretty excited about running and looking forward to whipping my butt into shape.  Exercise has always been the easier part of being healthy for me.  We all know what the second half of the equation is- food!  Eating healthy is not easy for me.

I make it sound like I sit around and eat Twinkies and hot dogs all day.  Actually I love fruits and veggies, I eat a lot of chicken and lean meat like venison.  I always buy whole wheat bread and skim milk.  So what is the problem?  Well I'm a big fan of dessert- especially ice cream.  It would not be a lie if I said I eat ice cream almost every night.  My portions are, I am assuming, not correct.  I love bread.  And... well I get odd cravings from time to time and do not deny myself the satisfaction of meeting those cravings...like Kraft Mac n Cheese.

If you know me- you know what I look like and I am pretty top heavy.  I have the Huddleston stomach or lovely muffin top.  And I am on the larger end of things in the bra department.  I can actually see that it's too much weight for my lil knees to carry when I am running.  They are sore and tired when I am done and I am guessing it's from lugging the top half around.

So I need to lose weight.  In order for me to loose weight- running 2.12 miles (and increasing) every other day is not cutting it.  I know it will get easier if I eat healthier and lose weight.  So here we go AGAIN for like the bazillionth time.  I need to get back to counting the calories and actually staying away from ice cream and macaroni and cheese.

I need my husband to join the frenzy.  It's hard to eat apples at night while your husband scarfs down chocolate peanut butter ice cream (my personal favorite.)  I am the woman of the house- I do make the menu, the grocery list and pack his lunches.  So I guess if I don't give him an option than he'll just be forced into eating healthy too.  ...Although he did go to the store tonight and he bought (what else?) ice cream and carmel topping!  AHHHHH!!

Here is a quick article on healthy eating.  Wish me luck!

Keep Training,
Aubrie

Training for a 5k and Beyond...

Well, hello Blog! It's been quite some time since we've had a chat. I actually have been storing up all sorts of stuff to share with my friends on the world wide web, but I just haven't posted anything. However I am very excited about my next goal and I wanted to post something for my own encouragement and accountability.

If you follow Facebook I posted something yesterday stating that I signed up for a 5K run (which is 3.1 miles) in down town Portland. So I am starting to train for my lil run. The big goal is a year from now I would like to compete in a Sprint Triathlon. Portland has one every year in August, which of course I cannot do this year as I am not in shape to do it. A sprint triathlon usually is somewhere around 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. Sounds painful since my legs are sore from just a simple walk/jog I did the last two days. In time I am sure the soreness will not be as bad, at least not every day.

I don't want to get ahead of myself though so for now I am simply going to train for the 5k run using the "couch-to-5k-training plan." My aunt sent this site to me and it has a running plan for 10 weeks, which is exactly the time frame I have until my 5k. In the mean time I'm going to still get in the water to swim a little bit, since that is what I have been doing already. And I'll probably jump on the bike a few times too- but I don't want to over do it and hurt myself. So we'll see. I am going to use this blog to keep track of the next year's triathlon training... I am sure it will be interesting to see the up's and down's.

Well I am off for a little walk/jog...

Week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
1	5 min walk 2 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 2 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 3 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	Relax!
2	5 min walk 3 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 4 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 5 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	Relax!
3	5 min walk 6 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	4 min jog 5 min walk 4 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 7 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	Relax!
4	5 min walk 7 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 8 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 9 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	Relax!
5	5 min walk 9 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	6 min jog 5 min walk 6 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 10 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	5 min walk 11 min jog 5 min walk
6	5 min walk 11 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	13 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	15 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	Relax!
7	15 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	8 min jog 5 min walk 8 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	16 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	17 min jog 5 min walk
8	17 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	18 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	20 min jog 5 min walk	Relax!	Relax!
9	20 min jog	Relax!	12 min jog 5 min walk 12 min jog	Relax!	24 min jog	Relax!	25 min jog
10	25 min jog	Relax!	27 min jog	Relax!	30 min jog	Relax!	Race Day!