Since all of the water has been removed from the lean meat, the original recipe could be stored for up to 20 years without refrigeration. This made it excellent to use for long expeditions or to store for a time of need. You can sustain on a pemmican only diet without developing any type of condition caused by malnourishment or vitamin deficiency. It’s extremely calorie dense with about 70% of calories from fat. Don’t run screaming. Remember fat is your friend especially pastured animal fat.
I buy Pemmican from Wellness Meats (http://www.grasslandbeef.com). They have a version with honey and dried cherries, and one without. You can buy both versions with or without salt. Their pemmican bars contain 45% tallow and 55% dried jerky. An entire 3.2 oz bar contains about 380-400 calories with 20 grams of protein. The cherry/honey version contains 4 grams of carbohydrate for you carb counters.

Wellness Meats has a pemmican blog (http://blog.grasslandbeef.com/bid/40499/Pemmican). They explain that their pemmican does have a shelf life:
“We are using a Cherokee recipe but the reason we have limited shelf life is our processor is unable to grind air dry pemmican with his equipment. The processor is leaving more moisture than the Native Americans in order to grind the jerky without damage to the grinding equipment. The Native Americans removed all the moisture and their product was shelf stable. We have a test batch dated October 10, 2009 and it is still ok in December 2010. Many have asked for shelf stable pemmican, and we have encouraged our processor to update to a better grinder soon.”
Pemmican isn’t something that I can eat a lot of quickly. For me it’s a nibble food. Some people eat it with fruit. Others use it to cook their eggs. I can see melting it over veggies or a sweet potato. Time to experiment! Remy took some plain pemmican and added cinnamon. I added a dot of honey to her cinnamon, and I was eating heaven!

We'll miss you, Troy!! Come back to visit!

Pemmican is my household’s new go to snack. My husband takes a bar to work each day. My daughter and I share about half of a bar daily. It doesn’t take a lot to fill you up. We love this stuff! There is no sugar high, and no insulin spike. Your blood sugar, hormones and mood stay even keel. Your body knows what to do with almost every morsel. It will nourish, fill and satisfy you.
I recently purchased a bulk pack of the plain version and the cherry/honey version. Let me know if you want to try a bar. I have a few at the gym for sale. Nom-nom-nom!

Workout of the Day 12/13/2011

B. 5 Rounds:
45s. Power Snatches (95/65), 15s. Rest
45s. Row for Calories (If a rower is not available, sub 1 burpee/10m rowing), 15s. Rest
45s. Wall Balls (20/16), 15s. Rest

Advanced:
3 Rounds of above

Fundamentals 12/13/2011

Knuckle bones after 20 hours in the crock pot on low.

Bones (physiologically and nutritionally) fall into the category of organs (like liver, heart, kidney) — the densest, most vital part of the animal (vital to the animal and to you). Before you close this window for the gross factor swearing you’d never lay your tongue on such things even if they could give you a sub-3 Fran time, understand that (and I’m speaking objectively) they are:

• A guarantee (when combined with a paleo diet) for improving if not hole-in-one-solving a long list of health issues, particularly those related to gastrointestinal and immune function, especially when combined with probiotic foods
• (After perhaps brain) the densest source of high-quality fat that is also essentially a broad-spectrum nutrient-dense, readily-usable multivitamin
• The secret to cooking insanely delicious, break your brain, spoons fall on the floor, everyone bows at your feet roasts, soups and stews

What else?

When I say bones, I’m also lumping in tendons and other bony/bone-related animal parts (feet, neck, collagen, gelatin), and especially marrow bones. Stock made from bones and bone marrow are a dense source of the following things and which you may not necessarily get much of eating a newb paleo diet of just muscle meats, veggies, and even quality fats like tallow or coconut oil.

• High levels of specific amino acids which play important roles in free-radical damage reversal and repair such as glycine and glutamine.
• Compounds and minerals vital to joint and bone health including those that likely promote joint health such as magnesum, chondroitin sulfate, calcium, and potassium.

Canola and other manufactured oils are better for diesel engines than you. Stick with animals fats and those naturally high in saturated fats for a healthy heart and body.

There are some but’s

Just like if you don’t eat what you evolved to and if you fail to use your body in intelligent exercise, if the animal you’re eating didn’t eat like it evolved to and didn’t move like it’s supposed to (factory farmed animals), the quality of your marrow, bones (and meat) is going to be much lower, and contain a host of creepy, potentially dangerous stuff: hormone, pesticide, high levels of pathogenic bacteria and in the meat, high levels of omega-6 fats which we want to reduce.

Just like prehab with soft tissue care (massage, foam rolling, addressing weaknesses and tightness), your insides (bones, joints, organs, systems) have requirements. Not meeting those accrue to deficits which result in injury, malfunction, and long-term, premature disease. Good nutrition isn’t optional.

Good nutrition can also be time consuming and cost-prohibitive if you aren’t efficient. Nature is efficient and gave you all the tools to be very healthy. But we’ve strayed far from our natural state and it’s difficult to get back there to achieve our full potential what with Facebook and late night and alarm clocks and bills and desk jobs distracting us from procuring bones, high quality meat and vegetables from reliable farmers with which to make bone broth and other efficient, delicious, nutritious foods.

Bones and marrow are generally the cheapest part of a pasture-raised or wild animal because they aren’t as easy-to-eat as the cuts of meat. Score. Plus, for any recipe containing bone broth or marrow literally no herb or spice is necessary to bring out the flavors in any meat or vegetable you cook with the broth or marrow (you can still use herbs/spices and it will still taste good). Double score.

Here’s an excellent bone-broth-based chicken soup recipe and a good post from Mark’s Daily Apple that will get you started.

Best Beef Broth Bar-none

Crock pot on low for 8-24 hours (bigger the animal/bones, the longer the time you can go)

• 1/2 c apple cider vinegar (alternatively: coconut cider vinegar or coffee or lemon juice)
• 3 knuckle bones (roast them at 350 for an hour or so for even more flavor – optional)
• 1 pk marrow bone
• Cover remaining w/water

Turn it into a chicken soup that’s to die for and requires little prep:

Chicken Soup For The CrossFitter’s Soul

Chop and saute in 2T tallow or raw butter:

• 2 lg yellow onion (or red or equivalent leeks or chives)
• 1 lg celery root (and/or equivalent celery or fennel)
• 1 sm sweet potato peeled (or equivalent carrots/parsnips)
• Brown for 20-30 sec on all surface areas 3lbs pastured poultry parts (variety of cuts if you can, duck, turkey parts are good too)
• (Totally optional, not necessary, saute in 1/2 T each: sage, thyme and rosemary)

Remove bones from crock pot (save them if you didn’t cook them for very long for added flavor in another dish if you like). Add the saute and chicken and simmer on low for 4-8 hours (longer if it’s breast-y cuts of leaner meat).

Questions? Post them to comments! If you attended my paleo cooking 101 class and want to vouch for my standards in tastiness, holler. Bones are tasty, no lie!

Happy, pastured chickens

Workout of the Day

4 Rounds:

30 Double Unders

20 Land Mines

10 sec L-Sit

5 Turkish Get Ups each Side (Go slightly heavy)

Greek meatzas: one with pine nuts (left), one with pepperoncinis (right)

The concept of a meatza to someone new to eating an ancestral diet or paleo diet may look as awesome yet unhealthy as an episode of Epic Mealtime: a meat ‘crust’ with toppings that usually include more meat, vegetables, and often bacon. Thoughts like “This can’t be good for me” may come into a mind filled with misunderstandings about nutrition and food quality.

Certainly, if created with low-quality ingredients, the dish could be almost as bad as its glutenous pizza counterpart. The educated eater, however, knows that the meatza, if created with high quality protein and toppings and eaten to satiation can be nutritious and performance-fueling. Compared to its whole-food counterpart (a roast for example) perhaps it’s a slight step down in terms of nutrient density (ground beef may lose modest amounts of nutrients in processing), but for those craving old comfort foods or just a new experience in the kitchen, the meatza is an excellent solution. It’s also a fast breakfast alternative if you need a break from quiches, omelets or for those who don’t tolerate eggs well.

High-quality ingredients means using nutrient-dense grass-fed meat that comes from animals fed and raised the way they evolved to. From high quality meat you get higher levels of vitamins and minerals, a fatty acid profile superior to conventional meat, and absent the trace levels of hormones used in conventional cattle production and pesticide from conventional cattle feed. Pastured animals grown responsibly also tend to have lower levels of harmful bacteria such as E. Coli in the final product.

Meatza sides: chard salad with paleo tzatziki sauce, baked summer squash with dill and lemon

For those concerned or just curious, the nutrient density could be made up for in toppings: consider choosing a ground beef that’s mixed with ground liver or kidney, julienned sauted liver and onions, raw cheese (if tolerated), kale (kale chips on a meatza is YUM), anchovies, or sauted garlic spinach. If you are only able to get conventionally grown meat, choose leaner varieties and add to it as a topping raw grass-fed butter, ghee or tallow. Marrow could also be an excellent and delicious topping.

A meatza is made by creating a crust mixture less than 1/2″ thick, baking it for 10-12 mins at 400F, adding your toppings and broiling until desired doneness is achieved (5-10 additional mins depending on toppings). Here’s the formula for making a good meatza crust (serves 6):

3 lbs ground grass-fed meat at room temperature
1/2c paleo flour (coconut flour makes for a heavier crust, almond meal will help it be fluffier)
3 whisked whole eggs
2-3c saute
OR if you don’t have the time, 2-3T ground herbs will do the trick, you’ll just need some more flavorful toppings

Here’s the approximate saute recipe I used to make a Greek style meatza crust: I mashed steamed cauliflower and added it to a completed saute of onions, garlic, red pepper, 1/2c minced fresh dill, and ~1T each tarragon and basil.

For the crust: add the flour/meal and whisk egg into the saute once cooled, Add this to the meat and mix by hand until everything’s evenly distributed in the meat. Make 6 personal ~8″ meatza’s on 3 greased cookie sheets. The thicker, the longer the cook time. I recommend nothing thicker than 1/2″ or the texture’s more like hamburger. Play with the amount of flour and thinness of crust to achieve desired crust texture. Bake in preheated oven for at least 10 minutes for a thin crust, or 14 for a thicker one.

If you are planning on adding toppings that require more cook time like peppers or bacon, remove crust from oven around 8-10 mins and add toppings and then broil or bake. Topping ideas: tomato sauce, smashed kale chips, kalamata olives, pepperoncinis, toasted ground pine nuts (tastes like parmesean), cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions.

Meatza meal

Lovin' every minute of it

I want to share with you some of my favorite recipes as of late. All are stolen and/or adapted, and most are pretty easy. I love ground beef. It’s easy to flavor and easy to make into a bunch of different dishes. One of my favorites is just plain old burgers especially with meat from Best Beef Ever. Since the munchkin started eating solids I haven’t been using much salt, and have been keeping spicy seasonings to a minimum. Opening a pack of ground, forming it into burgers and cooking on medium heat in a pan with a little fat takes 10-15 minutes start to finish. You also have leftover quality protein for more meals and/or snacks. I usually top some wilted greens (cooked in the burger drippings) or raw spinach with a freshly cooked warm burger. Add some cherry tomatoes, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or lime or both for fast lunch or snack.
If you want to season up your burgers Lebanese style, try adding the following recipe:

Lebanese Burger
1 small onion, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, chopped small
½-1 Tbl coconut oil, tallow, grapeseed oil
1 lb ground
Pinch of salt, more to taste (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
Cook the onion and garlic in the fat on med-low heat until translucent. Once the onions are ready mix them into the ground and add the rest of the ingredients. Either form into burgers or just throw it all into the pan. Cook on med heat until it reaches your desired doneness.
Tips:
• If you have babies, throw all the ingredients in a food processor, then make into burgers. Once cooked the burgers stay together nicely, but are soft enough for the kids to hold and eat themselves. This is a prime opportunity to sneak in some spinach or kale.
• To make this even faster, skip the fresh onion and garlic. Use dried onion or onion powder and garlic powder.
• Add 10 or more chopped fresh mint leaves for extra green and yumminess.
• I stole these ingredients from The Paleo Gourmet’s recipe.

If you decide to make the burger(s) into a salad or lettuce wraps, try the following quick tahini sauce/dressing.

Tahini Dressing/Dip/Sauce
2 Tbl tahini
Juice of half a lemon
A couple of shakes of garlic powder
Salt to taste
2 Tbl of water
Mix all ingredients. Drip on salads, burgers or wraps.
Tips:
• Add more water to make a runnier dressing
• Add ground pepper to taste
• Use freshly minced garlic instead of garlic powder
• Use as dip for fresh veggies

Baked Chicken Legs

6-8 whole chicken legs (leg and thighs), skin on

Rosemary fresh or dried

Apple cider vinegar

Garlic powder

Oregano

Parley

Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle dried rosemary (very thin layer) or lay 3-5 fresh sprigs on a baking dish. Lay chicken legs on top of the rosemary. Sprinkle legs with apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle legs with garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Bake for 1 hour. The skin should be crispie and delightful.

Tips:

• Sprinkle legs with salt and pepper as well as other herbs.
• Try other herb combos.
• Make it as herby or as lightly flavored as you desire.
• Use leftovers for lunch, dinner, snacks.
• Don’t forget to enjoy the crispies in the bottom of the dish.
• I started with a whole chicken and apple recipe from Elana’s pantry, and adapted. The apples had to go, and I tried it with just legs. I then spoke with Remy, and adapted further by removing the oil and trying different herb combos.

Seconds can't tick by fast enough!

I stole this yummy quick dark leafy green recipe from Remy and adapted.

DLGs
½-1 Tbl tallow or coconut or grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 Bunch of kale, destemmed
1 Bunch of basil, destemmed
½ cup of beef broth
Sprinkle balsamic vinegar to taste
Heat up the fat on med heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent. Add kale, basil and broth. Simmer until wilted. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar and cook for a few more minutes to reduce the liquid. Serve and savor.
Tips:
• My crock pot is always going, so I dip in a measuring cup and use when cooking veggies. If you use your crock pot once in a while, grab an old ice tray and freeze the left over broth. Once frozen store them in a plastic bag in your freezer. You can always buy stock from Best Beef Ever at the Torrance Farmers Market Tues/Sat. Beef broth/stock makes a world of difference when cooking greens.
• Generally, garlic, onion make greens yummy. Vinegar helps too.
• For quickness use dried onion and garlic powder instead of chopping fresh. You can also add about a Tbl of dried oregano or thyme.
• If you don’t want to chop basil, add 2 Tbl of dried basil.

Roasted Radishes

4 bunches of radishes, greens removed and chopped in 3rds or quarters

Grapeseed oil

Sea salt

Dill

Garlic powder

Heat the oven to 475. Thoroughly oil the radishes, and make one layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with dill and garlic powder. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes.

Tips:

• Try other herb combinations.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice
• This is a great sub for potatoes
• I stole and adapted this recipe from Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint Cookbook.

HSPU progression

Desserts are my favorite!! I’m a dark chocoholic. No, that is not true paleo due to the sugar, but that’s my vice. I will list an easy chocolate mousse recipe, and a wonderful chocolate cake recipe. For some fruity goodness, see my new favorite popsicles below.
Chocolate Mocha Mousse- YUM! I adapted this recipe from Elana’s Pantry.
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup hot water
1 Tbl finely ground decaf coffee
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbl honey
Melt chocolate chips in the coconut milk in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir often. Place the coffee grounds in a teabag and soak in the water or pour water over the grounds in a coffee filter. Dispose of the grounds. Stir coffee into chocolate mixture. Stir in vanilla and honey. Divide into small bowls and place in the fridge to set. It takes about 2-3 hours. Top with fresh berries or orange zest, or eat as is. See the original recipe.

Front to Back

Ever since Elana’s Pantry started adding desserts using coconut flour, I started paying attention. This is my new favorite cake with an icing recipe attached. The icing isn’t necessary as the cake is incredibly moist and yummy. The only thing I changed was the use of honey instead of agave nectar. Oh, and I didn’t sift the coconut flour.

Chocolate Cake
¾ cup coconut flour, sifted
¼ cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 eggs
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 ½ cups honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon orange zest
1. In a small bowl combine flour, cacao, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, blend eggs, oil, honey, vanilla and orange zest
3. Add dry ingredients into large bowl and continue to blend
4. Oil (2) 9 inch round cake pans and dust with coconut flour
5. Pour batter into pans and bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes
6. Remove from oven, allow to cool completely then remove from pans
7. Frost and serve

Frosting
1 cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch celtic sea salt
1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil
2. Stir in honey, vanilla and salt
3. Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to cool
4. Remove from freezer and whip frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy
5. Frost over cake
6. Serve!
This was the first time I have ever made a layer cake, zested citrus or made frosting. The cake was a little of work, but so worth the effort. See the original recipe.

Ashley is responsible for my new favorite homemade popsicles. I copied her recipe verbatim, and love them! My little pumpkin and I “share” a watermelon popsicle once in a while. She ends up eating most of it…correction: most of it drips off of her elbows and chin… ; and she makes the funniest faces because it’s so cold. I have to fight to get a few bites.

Watermelon Lime Popsicles
Appx. 6 cups of seedless watermelon (6 big slices, maybe 1/4 of a whole watermelon)
1 lime, juiced
Puree the watermelon in your blender until smooth, then add in the lime juice and mix well. Pour into your popsicle molds and let freeze for 4-5 hours – be patient!!

I hope some of these help make your week a bit easier. As a general rule I try to make enough to have leftovers to get more than one meal out of my time spent in the kitchen. Please post your favorite recipe(s) to comments, so we can share the wealth.

Workout of the Day 8/2/2011

“30 Drops of Blood”
In honor of the 30 American soldiers that died in the helicopter crash on 8/6/2011
Choose 2 of 4:
A. “Grace” 30 C&J 135/95 for time
B. “Isabel” 30 Snatches 135/95 for time
C. “30 Muscle-Ups” for time
D. “30 Bodyweight Back Squats” for time

Scale Appropriately, advanced athletes, perform back to back

What follows is a crash course in meal planning and cooking paleo for flavor to help you get into a routine of shopping and cooking while still maintaining variety.

Resistance if futile: nutrition is the foundation of your fitness so wise up and spice it up!

1. At the farmer’s market, in the meat department, or the CFSB freezer:

Eyeball an amount of one type of meat that you’d eat in one meal and multiply by two so you can have leftovers for lunch the next day. Multiply that by the number of people you’re feeding. There’s dinner and the next day’s lunch. Do it again for another type of meat for as many days of this as you plan to cook for in a time where the meat won’t go bad in the fridge.

1 Dinner + 1 Lunch Protein = (2 meals’-worth meat) x (# people feeding)

If you’re cooking for yourself only, this will come out to 8-16oz meat depending on your size.

Staple meats: grassfed whole variety cuts (fatty and lean) of meat/organs, eggs, fish/seafood

2. Stroll over to the veggie section:

You’re going to want to pick at least one DLG, a starchy vegetable, and some helper veggies and herbs. DLGs have the largest spectrum of vitamins & minerals; starchy vegs you want to have on hand for your post workout meal. Helper veggies and herbs make it all taste good and complete the vitamin/mineral spectrum. One small bunch of DLGs will last you 1-2 meals. Keep squash, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, or parsnips on hand and bake/cook in bulk to have for post-workout carbohydrate.

• Staple DLGs: kale (regular and dino or black/Lacitano), bok choy, chard, spinach, collards, broccoli rabe/rapini, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, mustard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, arugula
• Staple fat-sources: Avocado and coconut
• Staple helper veggies: onions, green onions, chives, garlic, mushrooms, fennel, lemon/lime
• Staple fresh herbs and spices: basil, cilantro, Italian/flat-leaf parsley, ginger root, dill

3. A trip to the aisles once in a while:

Somewhere among the 15+ rows of incarnations of processed corn, soy, grain, peanut, and sugar, you’ll find an aisle or two that contain a few items of use to someone not interested in diabetes, autoimmune or heart diseases. In most grocery stores, crammed between the sugar and the flour you’ll find the dried herb and spice section, and somewhere else probably an Asian section where you’ll find coconut milk in a can that has not been de-fatted like the So Delicious brand in the cartons.

At Whole Foods or Sprouts, you’ll find coconut and grapeseed oil in the oil section, but not at most other grocery stores. You can buy coconut oil (and coconut butter/cream, flour, and chips) for about half the price at CFSB. WF carries Coconut Aminos, a new-ish condiment that seems harmless enough and is a great soy sauce replacer (I tested this out on sushi the other night: two thumbs up).

If you find yourself overwhelmed, get these staples and then, another time soon, pay a visit to Penzey’s on Hawthorne & Torrance (see #4). If you want to try these first without paying for entire bottles, visit Sprouts (PCH & Anza) where you can pick the amount you buy from their bulk bins spice section.

• Dried spices and herb staples: oregano, basil, cumin, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry; if you didn’t buy them fresh: garlic, ginger, parsley, dill.
• Canned/jarred staples: coconut milk (avoid those with several additives), coconut oil (for cooking), olive oil (not for cooking), sardines (packed in olive oil), kalamata olives, lemon juice (or buy fresh), balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, balsamic and apple cider vinegars.

Here are some really great groupings I use often in cooking meat and veggies:

• Italian: Oregano + basil + rosemary or sage or thyme + lemon juice/zest – good for chicken, veggie stirfry for egg scramble
• Middle eastern: parsley + garlic + cinnamon + allspice + sumac (optional) – great for beef and lamb
• Thai: ginger + garlic + lemon grass + curry + basil/cilantro/mint + lime (add coconut milk) <– these are also great fresh mixed into a spinach salad
• Indian: Garam masala or garlic + curry powder + ground cardamom or ginger (add coconut milk and/or tomato sauce)
• Tex Mex: Cumin + chili powder + oregano + basil + garlic (add tomato paste)
• Mediterranean: Dill + mint + tarragon + garlic

4. Penzey’s, Smart & Final, Restaurant Depot:

Pay a visit to Penzey’s on the SW corner of Hawthorne & Torrance, a store dedicated to seasonings where you can sniff every herb, spice and seasoning mix before buying. While there are a few loaded with sugar and salt, there are some truly exquisite herb mixes that will teach you a great deal about cooking just by using them. Their selection of cinnamon varieties will blow your mind. The first time I went I took paper and pad and wrote down the ingredients of some of the mixes that smelled best and created a cheaper version. For most mixes, it’s cheaper and tastier to use fresh versions of the ingredients but when you’re short on time, it’s cheaper to opt for dried herbs and spices in bulk from Smart & Final or Restaurant Depot using the combos below or those you find on the labels at Penzey’s.

Penzey’s mixes I recommend: Smoked paprika, Garam masala, Tuscan Sunset, Turkish, Sate, Vindaloo

At Home

1. Pick your herbs and meat – tips:

• Google now has a recipe engine (interesting related topics), or just Google: paleo + meat + flavoring (Greek/Indian, etc.) or herbs you have on hand
• Keep tabs of recipes that have few steps and look good to try out on weekdays, and more complicated recipes that look good for when you have time.
• Read my post on cooking methods/oils and my formula for the crock pot roast/stew
• Marinating is always better if you can plan ahead; use something acidic (lemon, apple cider vinegar, balsamic, lime) in the marinade to help penetrate the meat before cooking it using any method
• Cut slits in the meat to insert fresh/dried herbs; stuff poultry skin with garlic, veggies, herbs for marinating and during cooking.
• Don’t throw out broth after cooking! That’s where many minerals go – drink up or save for a soup stock or to pour over steamed veggies.

2. Pick your herbs and veggies — formula and rules of thumb:

• Sautee the tougher veggies in oil for 5-10 mins on med-low (e.g. onions, mushrooms, peppers or broccoli), add dried herbs/spices for 1-5 mins, add softer veggies and fresh herbs (e.g. kale, garlic and basil), cover and let wilt for 1-5 mins. If you’re cooking larger batches you might need a little water/vinegar/juice to create steam to wilt a lot of DLGs. In addition to the leftovers you’ll have for lunch, try to make a little extra to add to your scramble in the morning, or make some extra herb/spice mix to set aside for your omelet and bacon.
• For squash and sweet potatoes, bake at 400 for 50+ mins until very soft and mushy.
• For fresh veggie recipes, make a salad with fresh or dried herbs, pepper, balsamic, mustard, and enjoy with a can of sardines packed in olive oil or alone with some olive oil and avocado.
• A good estimate for amount of dried spice for a 4-serving amount of meat or vegetables is that it shouldn’t be more than about 2 Tbsp total depending on the spice (powder vs leaves). You can experiment with ratios as you go or google recipes that have these combos or a couple ingredients that you have (ex: meat + DLG + mint + garlic + dill + recipe).
• Another good rule of thumb is don’t add more than 3-4 spices/herbs to a dish (exception are Indian, Thai dishes).
• Don’t throw out the broth! That’s where many minerals go – drink up or save for a soup stock.

3. Pack your lunch/snacks then and there for the next day and prep breakfast so you don’t have to in the morning.

Paleo meatballs with spaghetti squash from last weekend's HGS101!

Workout of the Day 5/19/2011

Untimed WOD

5-5-5 Strict Press
10 Windmills (each side) Perform between each set
3-3-3 Push Press
15 GHD Sit-ups
2-2-2 Split Jerk
12 Lateral Ball Slams (each side)

Onions are part of the lily family. “Onion” is an umbrella term used to cover anything from the bulbous yellow onion all the way to the delicate chive. The onion bulbs usually have the tell tale flakey skin to be peeled before eating. These store beautifully for about a month in a dark, dry place; so buy a bunch to keep on hand. They include yellow, white, brown, vidalia and sweet onions.

"So onions will improve my rack position?"

Other commonly used onions are wholly edible, well, except the roots.  These are usually specified in recipe ingredient lists. Instead of onion, you will see leek (my favorite), scallion, green onion or maybe spring onion. Chop off the roots and eat the rest, no peeling necessary. Store in the refrigerator and use within a couple of days of purchase.

Shallots are distinct in that they are a separate species of onion. They have skins and grow in small bulb groups, similar to garlic. Their flavor is mild with a hint of garlic. Shallots are also specified in ingredient lists.

Chives are the smallest of the onions, and used mainly as an herb to season. Chives are also used as a topper for soups and salads. They are delicate and flavorful.

"Do you think onions will help my dips?"

Onions can be eaten raw. We often see raw green and red onions in salads. I had a friend in junior high that would eat onions like apples…still creeps me out. They are yummy on the grill or under the broiler. Onions are wonderful in a sauté or stir-fry. Not many crock pot dishes are complete without big chunks of onion.  I recently purchased what the produce staff called a spring onion at Whole Foods this weekend. It was a very young skinless red onion with a top like green onions. I chopped the bulb into big chunks, sprinkled with balsamic and grapeseed oil and baked it at 400. That was probably the sweetest onion I’ve ever eaten. I used the tops in a sauté.

You can also fry onions (paleo-friendly batter or no batter, please). Many people like them pickled, though I’ve never tried onions prepared this way. You can buy onion salt, onion powder and minced dried onion to put on your herb rack and in your recipes.

Onions can be sweet or spicy depending on the variety you choose. White onions tend to be a bit spicier, while the yellow and sweet species are much sweeter. Figure out what you are looking to accomplish with your dish, and choose the best suited onion.

Ever wonder why chopping an onion makes your eyes sting? When the onion’s cells are broken enzymes react with amino acid sulfoxides and create sulfenic acids. More enzymes react with the sulfenic acids and create a volatile sulfer gas. The gas then rises and stings your eyes. That sting you feel is sulfuric acid as the gas reacts with the water in your eyes. One solution is to chill the onion before slicing to slow the enzyme reactions. Another solution is to chop onions under water.

"Boy, she's really excited about onions"

Onions contain phenols, antioxidants and flavonoids. They are known worldwide as good for overall health and wellness. Some cultures believe that they aid in wound healing; others believe that onions are an aphrodisiac. Onions have been used to treat coughs, colds, asthma and bacterial infections. The sulfides in onions are responsible for your stinging eyes and the onion’s antibacterial properties. They also have anticlotting properties, anti-inflammatory properties and offer some protection against tumor growth.

A few history facts:

• Onions have been cultivated for 5000 years or more
• It is believed that wild onions were a staple in the caveman days
• Onion juice was rubbed on the skin of Greek athletes to prepare for the Olympic Games
• Onions were used as payment in the Middle Ages
• The Egyptians worshiped onions and buried their mummified dead with several different types (bulbs in eye sockets, spring onions in the abdominal area) believing that they symbolized eternity

Onions: eat them!

Workout of the Day 5/3/11

Dulse

One of my favorite seaweeds is rhodymenia palmate or dulse.  Often I will add a teaspoon or a tablespoon to the crockpot, sautés and casseroles. This is beneficial in adding nutrients, but also helps to reduce or eliminate the need for more salt. Dulse is one of the most palatable seaweeds (just behind nori in my book). Occasionally I will eat a little right out of the package. It has a reddish or purplish color. The taste is salty, but mild otherwise. Another way to enjoy dulse is to chop it into very small pieces and dry roast it in a pan. You can then sprinkle on steamed veggies. Mixing the roasted dulse with sesame seeds as a topping is great as well. For dulse chips you can dry pan roast as above, but start by chopping into bigger pieces. Add oil for a richer pallat. My new favorite snack is to add roasted dulse to coconut flakes – nutrient rich, good fat snack.

On-ramp team WOD. Good work!

Dulse, like most seaweed, is loaded with nutrients. It contains high amounts of B6, B12, iron, potassium and fluoride. It also contains C, E, A, magnesium, calcium and iodine. Interestingly enough, relative to other seaweeds dulse is lower in sodium. I have only bought dulse from whole foods which is probably extremely overpriced. I plan to shop on line for a more reasonably priced product. I do like that the Maine Coast Sea Vegetable brand is simply sun dried at a low temperature. Apparently the enzymes are still active. This company also does testing for chemical, heavy metal and bacteriological pollution in their products.

Nori

One of the most common seaweeds is porphyra or nori. You eat it with every California roll and most hand rolls. Nori is usually served dried in sheets. Like dulse, nori can be added to your cooking or sprinkled on top of veggies and soups for some yummy crispiness. A well known yummy snack is nori baked with sesame oil and sea salt.  Instead of buying Just make your own. Brush nori sheets with a high quality oil of your choice, sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and bake at 300⁰ for about 5 minutes. The nice thing about making your own is that you can add any flavor you wish. Want spicey? Add some crushed red pepper. Cut your homemade nori snacks into strips and use as a garnish for soups or on veggies. Have fun with it!

Nori contains iodine, carotene, vitamins A, B, C; and calcium and iron. Both dulse and nori should be consumed in moderation due to their high iodine content. Seaweed has been shown to reduce the heavy metals in your body which is probably why the Japanese culture eats several different types of seaweed when consuming sushi and sashimi.

Nice plank

Try adding a bit of seaweed to your cooking. If you can’t taste it, then you just got a free dose of vitamins and minerals without even trying. You may just find that you like it.

Workout of the Day 3/15/11

A. Double Under Skill Work

B. 8 Rounds

5 Ring Dips

7 Strict Pull-Ups

10 Unbroken Double Unders

20M Reverse sled drag (walking)

Deload Day 2 – Remember to focus on form and ROM. Scale back intensity and weights by 60%. Only a few more days of deloading and we will get back to our normal WODs.

The coconut fun has just begun! The trial order was a huge success (big surprise, smart CFSBers make smart fuel purchases) and so a pallet of saturated fatty goodness will be arriving at the gym next week. Check out the new Quality Fat+Pro page. There are many coconut incarnations but I’ve sought out what I think are probably the highest quality ones around and at almost half the cost you’ll find at the store. You’ll be able to purchase online through your MindBody account after this weekend.

Maybe you’ve also noticed the new little button on the right navigation bar – “Hunt Gather Saute”. Thanks to Ben Hopkins of Stronger Faster Healthier (and amazing designer and CrossFitter) for creating a new logo for my organization. Just in time to announce the next batch of education events for March! Want to get smart on how and why nutrition is the foundation of your fitness, and learn all you need to put your knowledge work in the kitchen and life? Sign up soon!!

• Paleo nutrition 101 — read more about it here, sign up here!
• Hunt, Gather, Saute: paleo cooking 101 — read more here, sign up here!

Ask around the gym about the coconut products and you’ll find the only answer you get is that they are, “Ahhhmaaaziiing.” The coconut cream is like nothing else — a cross between the flavor of macadamia butter and coconut milk (don’t worry I ate through a quarter of my jar the first night too, just try not to let it happen every night). If you purchased and you have some feedback, please email me or post to comments! Not up to speed on why fat, especially saturated fat, is the CrossFitter’s (and should be everyone’s) main source of fat and calories? Get a-readin’ (here, here, here). I also put together a little summary for you here.

You may know Matt and Preston are skilled CrossFitters, but what may be news to you: they know how to use coconut oil and a crock pot, too.

Coconut oil and products have gotten a very bad rap in years past, along with other foods high in saturated fat (like eggs, fatty meats, and other animal fats) or fat in general. The sat-fat issue usually gets me the biggest eyebrow-raises when I introduce paleo to someone new (along with cholesterol and eating the whole — GASP — yolk). The NYT picked up on the reversal of public health opinion this month. The story of how and why lipophobia/fatophobia began and proliferates is utterly fascinating (in my humble, nerdy, opinion). If you want the detailed version, read Gary Taubes’ Good Calories Bad Calories or the Dr.’s Eades Protein Power. If you prefer the Cliff’s Notes version check out Taubes’ latest book that came out last month Why We Get Fat. Taubes also started blogging finally, check it out. Here’s a good summary post on saturated fat from MDA.Coconut is, in a word, amazing. It’s about 90% saturated fat making it very healthy and an excellent, stable cooking oil. It’s also got a little protein, and a very small amount of usable sugars. Regularly eating coconut fats helps normalize blood lipids, its fats and nutrients help prevent and repair liver, kidney and gall bladder diseases. The association with improved insulin sensitivity (reversing pre-/diabetes, getting rid of cortical belly fat, hypoglycemia, etc.) has to do with its fatty acid content (and its role in displacing sugar in the diet). Of the types of fats in a coconut, about 50% are medium chain fatty acids (MCFA’s) called lauric acid. Not only is this an optimal source of fuel for activity, but it also has germ-fighting properties, and plays a role as a precursor to compounds that help maintain a healthy immune system. Here’s a quote from Dr. Mary Enig’s book Know Your Fats: “Lauric acid… has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid.”

Other fun links:

• It’s funny when mainstream media reports on paleo and CrossFit: here, here, and Nightline here.
• If you haven’t already checked out John Durant’s site Hunter-Gatherer, you should — funny stuff, especially the recent paleo dental encounter. John appeared on the ABC Nightline special with paleo big names Loren Cordain, Art DeVany and Robb Wolf, and a year or so ago on the Colbert Report.
• Not sure what to do with your coconut flour: check this out
• A recipe that’s always a huge hit with my family and clients: Chicken curry clafouti

Announcements

Alright guys, its Games time, CrossFit Games that is. In essence, the CrossFit Games is meant to search out and find the “fittest man, woman, affiliate, and masters competitors in the world” with the finals being held right down the street at the Home Depot Center, July 29-31.

If you haven’t heard the news already, the CrossFit Games Regional Qualifiers are all going to be online this year, with you submitting your times online each week for 6 weeks: March 15-May 1. We will have a mini-competition each Saturday where you will be able to go head-to-head with other CFSB competitors while being judged to get a competitive atmosphere.

Why should you compete:

• It is cheap, only $10 to register as an individual
• It is fun, allowing you to test yourself at CFSB every week
• It is easy, sign up online at the link below and register your time every week
• It will help CFSB to get to Regionals, as every person we have compete will help our chances of getting an affiliate spot
• How it works:
• Every Tuesday for 6 weeks, there will be a WOD prescribed
• You have to do the prescribed WOD at CFSB (or other affiliate) with a judge or on video
• Submit your time/video on the website by Sunday at 5pm so that CFSB (or the CF community) can validate your time (or video)
• If you get top 60 in our region, you will qualify for a spot at the Southern California Regionals
• If you are one of the top 3 guys or top 3 girls from CFSB on the WOD, you will help the affiliate rankings

How to register:

• Click here: the athlete registration page on the CrossFit Games website
• Register yourself, and pay the $10 via credit card
• Go here: and register as part of CFSB’s team
• Done

I should be able to answer most of the questions you guys have, so feel free to ask away. Contact Cody

Workout of the Day 3/10/11

“Filthy Fifty”

50 Box jump, 24″
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45#
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20#
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

Cody getting after a PR

Many people I meet pronounce Paleo as ‘puh-lay-oh’. Don’t feel bad if this was you. Perhaps without realizing the context (Paleolithic Era), it might seem a likely name for a diet, especially a seemingly elitist one. People that would eat ‘puh-lay-oh’ might also park their Prii in the ‘gair-ahge’ and eat their grass-finished filet ‘ming-yohn’ with some cacao nibs and home-made vanilla-bean coconut ice cream, right? By now, you’re better acquainted with what it’s all about and it’s far from a fad, it’s not about elitism, it’s about much more than how it affects you on the outside (how you look). Whether you notice the cumulative internal effects of eating grains or processed sugar or low-quality fats or not, you know there’s something more complex at work that’s affecting you long-term. Food is powerful, and that is catching on.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the coconut oil, coconut creme and coconut flour arrive at the gym. The cow purchase was our first group buying experiment and it was a huge success! This is another effort to make it affordable and more convenient for you to get high-quality fat. If you wanted some of those products but didn’t sign up, email Remy. If you want in on the next cowpool, put your name on the clipboards by the bathroom and help me gauge our next order by filling this out. If I can’t get enough for a quarter or half cow, I’ll probably be ordering next from US Wellness Meats (who also have a great website for recipes and learning your cuts). In the freezers, all we have left from our last purchase is beef kidney (don’t make that face) which you can still purchase. Check out this recipe from Louis P.’s Paleo Challenge food log that he liked.

In an effort to keep you stocked with high-quality information, the next nutrition seminar and cooking class have been scheduled, too!

• Paleo Nutrition 101 - Saturday March 26 at 1 p.m.
• Hunt, Gather, Saute: Paleo Cooking 101 – Sunday March 27 at 12 p.m.
• Looking for something else? Check out my new website for more education and events to come!

The CFSB Spring Paleo Challenge is in Week 4 and the Challengers this time around are truly inspiring and the ranks of CFSBers taking control of their nutrition are growing, too. I’m inspired regularly. Take Gus who made girlfriend Linsday the most organized and awesome paleo binder ever to keep their notes, my blog posts, and their favorite recipes, or Challengers Danielle and Lauren who cook delicious meals together, Jon Markovich who’s doing his second paleo challenge and his food log looks completely different (in a good way), or Jon F. whose meals make my mouth water, and the many of you who create some amazing dishes and get creative while on the road for work and life.

Here are some great quotes from the last couple months of paleo events:

Gus & Lindsay are organized (and legit: check out the bacon water bottle in the fore and crock pot in the background)

Workout of the Day 03/03/2011

A. Power Snatch 3-3-3

B. 21-15-9
Wall Ball (20/16)
Toes to bar

*Advanced must perform this unbroken. Every time you drop the wall ball or come off the bar, you must perform 10 burpees.

My crock pot runs almost 24/7. Because it’s 2011 and not 500,000 BCE, instead of beginning my day with tracking an animal for meat and foraging for other nutrient-rich, calorie- dense foods naturally occurring all around me, my morning looks like this:

Chuck roast O-bone cooked to perfection after 6 hours in a crock pot.

Fats that are mostly saturated such as animal fats (ghee, tallow, suet, pastured butter), coconut, and palm oils are reliable cooking oils with high smoke points (And NO, saturated fat, nor cholesterol give you heart disease — it’s the free radicals, high blood-sugar and blood-insulin). Less reliable are olive oils due to highly varied manufacture processes and shelf time. Nut oils should never be used in cooking. Vegetable and canola oils are mostly oxidized even before hitting the pan through processing, and then have very low smoke points, so when heated, are the worst fats to put into your body.