{i’m a full time job}

(Disclaimer...I was too lazy to do a final proofread on this post.  I'll tend to that later.)

I know, I know.  You never write, you never call. Life gets in the way of getting everything done that we want to and for me one of those things is keeping up on my blog.  But, I’m here now so grab a cup of coffee and sit with me for awhile. I’ve been busy...busy with kids, busy at home, busy at the gym, busy with classes, busy recovering, busy trying to keep my body healthy and strong to survive the treatments wreaking havoc on my body.  That last one, keeping my body healthy and strong I am finding is a full-time job.  It takes about a week following a treatment to feel like myself again, to feel “normal”. By that I mean no harsh side effects...nausea, lack of appetite, constipation (A fantastic side effect of the chemo drugs. I hesitated to add that, but I don’t think anybody will be surprised that I do indeed have bowel movements), dehydration, fatigue, and as the treatments go on sadness and a general feeling of a big F-you to the universe. So that first week following a treatment I’m not a joy to be around.  I kind of try to keep to myself and remind myself that as my physical state starts to improve, my emotional and mental state follows closely behind.  But, even though I feel really good about a week out from a treatment I know my body is still reeling from have chemo drugs, anti-nausea, antacids, and white-blood cell boosting drugs pumped into my body.  All of that damages and causes stress to the body that doesn’t just go away because I’m feeling better.  It takes awhile for the body to heal itself and it can take weeks or months for that to happen, and I am working to do all I can to help my body out.  

Taking care of me is a full-time job.  In order for my body to heal I have to put the right stuff into it.  I believe in the healing power of food, appropriate supplements, and not just using drugs or medication.  There is a difference between being healthy and not being sick. I want to be healthy.  I want to start at my cells and make them stronger. I want my body to have the best care as nature intended to repair itself and protect itself, repair and protect itself from the damaging effects of the treatments I am having to give me the best chances of a longer life than I might not have otherwise.  I’m not happy about any of my treatments, thankful for the availability of my treatment plan, but not happy about them.  The immediate side effects, continuing side effects I may be living with for the next five years, and the lasting-effects, the effects that I may face down the road because of the damaging effects of these life-saving/prolonging treatments. I have to remind myself to not worry about those and focus on today, one day at a time because, duh, you only get one day at a time and your emotional and mental state can’t really handle the burden of 3,650-5,475 days at a time.  People have been telling me to not worry about all of that yet, just take it as it comes.  I appreciate these words, I really do. But, a person can’t understand how hard that can be unless you are in the middle of it.  But, I keep trying and life will continue on as it usually does, somedays I fail and sometimes I succeed, and somewhere on the other side I’m sure a majority of the things I am concerned about and worry about will never come to be.  Years ago my grandma shared something she read, “98% of the things we worry about never come to be.” Since she shared that I have generally not been a worrier, until now. Now I worry about everything that has to do with my health and my body. I guess maybe cancer will do that to a person.

So the purpose of this post is actually to just give a list of what I am doing for my body.  Much of this is based on recommendations from the naturopath at my oncologist’s office and my personal naturopath, and my own research and choosing. The supplements I have chose to do on my own have been okayed by both naturopaths. Some of these supplements are for general health, others are to help manage side effects from chemo, some I was taking before, some I should have been taking, but always forgot.  Now I don’t, I’m a freaking supplement and vitamin whore. 

Supplements and Vitamins

My morning "sludge":

In a pint mason jar I combine the following:

• About 1/2 c. OJ

• 1 T. PuraDyme Liyf Essentials - Whole food amino acid complex. Provides all essential and non-essential amino acids and high in all Tocotrienols and Tocopherols, proven to suppress cancer and tumors

• 15 g (3 3/4 t.) Jarrow Formulas L-Glutamine - 15g 2x/day.  Helps reduce the risk of chemo and radiation induced neuropathy and to help with mouth sores due to the chemo drug Taxotere. Since I have added this to my daily supplement regimen I have had little issue with neuropathy or mouth sores.

• 3/4 t. PuraDyme LiyfBiotic Probiotic - 36 billion CFU - The chemo drugs are harsh on the stomach and intestinal track due to it's job to kill fast growing cells.  A quality probiotic can help alleviate the stress put on the digestive system. This probiotic is expensive at $140 for the 8 oz. container, but it actually lasts a long time and is worth it to me. I also use this in making my own coconut yogurt.  I will try to post that recipe at the end of this blog post or in another post with some basic smoothie and juicing recipes that I use.

• 1 t. PuraDyme PuraCleanse - Cleansing, strengthening, and renewing for the intestinal tract.  I was taking this before I started treatment.  Mostly to aide in elimination and detoxifying my body.  Many diseases originate in the colon, healthy "moving" is necessary for flushing toxins from the body. I was taking 2t/day, but the licorice root in this cleanse can interfere with the effectiveness of one of the chemo drugs.  A little is okay so I was given the okay to continue using just 1 t./day.  This is very important the week after a treatment when constipation is usually an issue. 

• 1 1/4 t. Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil - This is one of those supplements that I knew I should always take, but failed to make it a habit.  I have been taking it nearly every single day since before I started chemo and I can definitely tell a difference in my joints.  My knee and pain across the back of my pelvis is very minimal now.  I thank the anti-inflammatory benefits of fish oil.  I have found that I have to shake up the first four supplements with the OJ first before mixing in the fish oil or the glutamine and probiotic powder clumps up.  This is a brand highly recommended my my oncology naturopath, it's a high quality brand. 

Additional Supplements and Vitamins

• 2000mg/3x/day Host Defense Turkey Tail - Organic Mushroom supplement for immune support.  A promising study has shown that Turkey Tail Mushrooms improves the immune system of breast cancer patients.  I am a firm believer in mushroom supplements, especially those by this company.  My personal naturopath said she is positive the cure for cancer will be found in mushrooms.  Could be, but all I know is my white blood cell count has remained at normal levels while taking this supplement during chemo when they should be taking a beating. I have also avoided catching any nasty cold and flu bugs while those around me have...and I didn't get a flu shot. Other promising mushroom supplements to protect against cancer are Maitake and Reishe. I plan to switch to Reishe before I start radiation.  Reishe has been shown to counter the harmful effects that radiation has on normal, healthy cells. Common button mushrooms and shitake are also cancer-fighting mushrooms.  I try to sauté and eat 4-5 button mushrooms most days for their cancer-fighting properties. A little olive oil, some garlic and shallots and I have a quick cancer fighting boost in my day.  This Turkey Tail supplement was recommended by the oncology clinic's naturopath.  She said any of them would be good, Turkey Tail just has the most research behind it. My regular naturopath talked to me about this brand of supplements in the past, too.  At her recommendation, after treatment I will be switching to a mushroom blend supplement and about half the dose.
• 5000IU Vital Nutients Vitamin D3. 
• 12.5mg Iodoral High Potency Iodine/Potassium Iodide
• 1000mg Vitamin C - pills or Emergen-C packet
• Bluebonnet Whole Food Based Multivitamin and Multimineral
• 20mg Melatonin

Dietary Changes

In addition to all my supplements I have made diet changes, as well.  I've always tried to eat and do well for my body, but there are some things that I can do or strive to do better to reduce my risk of recurrence even more.  Lord knows, I don't want to do this crap again. Of course, nobody is perfect and I will slip sometimes, but the 80-85% rule that I used to follow (eat on track 80-85% of the time) is now hopefully 90-95% of the time.  The main goals of my dietary changes are to flood my body with cancer fighting foods and to not increase estrogen in my body.

• Alcohol-I'm shooting for no more than 1-2 drinks/week, none if I have no reason to, those reasons for me to have a drink are date nights with my hubby or gathering with friends.  I miss my Chardonnay. :-( But, the breast cancer I had was estrogen+.  This means that estrogen fueled the cancer cells.  Alcohol increases the levels of estrogen in the body, therefore providing more fuel for the cancer cells that could be in my body.  This is a message I got last night from my naturopath, who has been my fountain of information, "What I found on the booze situation...all studies that show an increase in breast cancer were in obese patients. Obese patients store estrogen in their fat and have probs with liver metabolization. I found one great article that stated 'if patient is healthy otherwise, that moderate alcohol does NOT increase risk of recurrence', they stated that 3-4 drinks per week (seperated by time and days) were generally regarded as safe. My take...if you have a drink every other or every 3rd day you will be safe."
• Limited/no dairy (especially high fat) and commercially grown meat.  Hormones given to animals can result in increased levels of estrogen in the body. If I have dairy I make sure it is from cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics.  I use almond milk and coconut milk in recipes, sauces and smoothies or protein shakes.  I have tried almond cheese, it was okay, I would probably buy it again, but not often.  If I want a treat of some real cheese I try to buy organic.
• Low-fat diet, primarily low in animal fats (dairy and animal fats) - high fat diets, especially animal fats, increase the levels of estrogen in the blood. Good fats are great in the diet: olive oil, avocados, cold-water wild caught fish, etc.
• No sugar- You've heard my rant before, SUGAR FEEDS CANCER! This is what I wanted to scream when the nurse walked around the room yesterday with a bag of cookies for everybody.  I politely declined. 
• No red meat for three months. It can raise estrogen in the body so I am just giving my body a cleansing break. I do have to do more research into grass-fed beef to see if there is any risk...because we have 3/4 of a grass-fed cow in or freezers.  The processor that we get our grass-fed beef from doesn't use antibiotics, so this is a huge plus in my/our diet...I have slipped on this from time to time simply out of convenience.  
• No processed or cured meats-Nitrates, nitrites, chemicals...you get it.
• No grilled meats. Cooking meat at high temperatures can create substances that can increase risk of cancer.  Even baking chicken at 350 can cause these cancer causing substances.  Here is an interesting article on cooking meats. 
• Lots of cruciferous veggies-Broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, just to name a few.   So many cancer fighting properties in this family of veggies. 
• Paleo-ish Diet/Plant-based-ish diet - Here is where I am torn.  I'm not sure if I have been eating mostly Paleo (no grains, dairy, legumes) for so long that I just feel it is right, but I am having a hard time switching to a plant-based diet that I see highly recommended in almost all my reading.  I have extensively googled "breast cancer diet reduce recurrence" or something like that and all I get are search results for plant-based diet and the Mediterranean Diet.  To get results that include info on the Paleo diet for cancer risk reduction I have to include Paleo in my search. I am greatly torn because after trying just a plant based diet I find that a) I don't have a clue how to cook plant-based meals and soy is used heavily, b) there is no way I can get enough protein on a plant-based diet to support how I workout, and c) my body feels so much better eating primarily Paleo.  So which do I choose? I have no idea so I'm doing some of both.  I have been making brown rice with some dinners and eating some oatmeal and quinoa for breakfast (I have really missed oatmeal). I am going for quality of meat, local grass-fed beef, organic or very natural chicken, and no cured meats and buying as many organic veggies as the pocket book will allow.  Really as much organic food as the pocket book will allow. I try to buy produce organically off this list.  This gives a list of the Dirty Dozen+ veggies with the highest pesticide residue and the Clean Fifteen, the 15 with the lowest residue.  They do also state that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables is more beneficial than the exposure to pesticides. The sad part about eating like this is it is expensive.  It would be FAR cheaper to just rely on the recommended prescription drugs to prevent cancer than to put good food into my body to help prevent cancer also.  
• At least one quart of organic, decaf greet tea daily.  I try to get up every morning and remember to brew a mason jar of green tea and drink it through out the day. 
• Juicing-I'm trying to juice at least three days per week to get a powerful veggie punch in a 16 oz glass of juice.  I can get at least 12 servings of fruits and vegetables in a 16 ounce glass.  I also eat other fruits and veggies whole for the fiber.  I generally juice kale, collard greens, parsley, cilantro, celery, mint, green cabbage, cucumbers, lemon, apples, and ginger in my daily drink.  Every now and then I will throw in a carrot or two. I have tried arugula but didn't like the bitter taste and you get very little juice from a large quantity of arugula.  I have also tried dandelion greens (I had no idea you could buy these at Super 1), but didn't care for the bitter taste.  I am taking a warning to heart from my brother, never juice radishes.  You can't add enough other juiced veggies to cut the harsh radish taste. I feel so healthy every time I juice up a big glass of fresh fruits and veggies.  I swear I can feel the juice combatting cancer cells in my body as I drink it. :) 

Working Out

If you know me or have read my blog (or even the title of my blog) you know I'm an avid worker outer. I've been doing my best to keep up my gym regimen while going through chemo.  My goal was to not gain a lot of weight or lose much muscle. I'm doing pretty well in both of those.  Tony thinks I have possibly put on a tiny bit of muscle in my upper body and my weight is only up 1-3 pounds depending where I am in the chemo treatment/recovery cycle. I continue to CrossFit, trying to get in four days per week, sometimes I lower my weights, sometimes I try to do the Rx weight and just battle through.  Our CrossFit workouts have been getting harder, not the weightlifting as much, but our metcons (metabolic conditioning) have kicked my butt the past couple rounds.  My entire body fatigues almost right away and this last round has added nausea, dizziness and great shortness of breath to my workouts.  I have slowed WAY down, but I still go and move for the whole class.  Somedays I do okay, somedays the workout of the day (WOD) totally wins.  Last week, three days after my fourth treatment I went to the gym and worked out.  It. Was. Hard.  I finished, sat down agains the back wall, put my head in my hands and cried. I tried to be tough that day, but the WOD beat me. But, I did walk in the door that day and that is a win.  Since I started treatment I have probably only missed 4 or 5 workouts that I would have normally gone to and I have only missed one day of coaching my classes.  My gym time and seeing my friends at the gym is a huge part of making it through chemo fairly unscathed. I'm even considering registering for the CrossFit Open's scaled division this year.  We'll see, I have a couple weeks to decide.  

I'm going to try to run a half-marathon in the fall and have put together a Kick Cancer's Ass Race Series starting with the Race for the Cure 5K in Helena the weekend after my birthday.  I was hoping to be done with radiation by then, but won't quite make it.  It doesn't mean I can't still give cancer the middle finger with my first race of the year.  A half is going to be a lofty goal that will be determined by the health of my knee, tendonitis might cap me at a 10K, but I'm going to give it a try and see what happens.

I am aching to jump on my mountain bike and start riding.  I'm about ready to toss my bike in my car and drive to Arizona or some place that will allow me to ride, it would do wonders for my soul right now.

Well, I have been slowly putting this post together for many weeks so I am going to wrap it up and get this lengthy baby posted.  

BUT WAIT!

Let me also take a minute here to thank EVERYBODY who has sent private messages (sorry, I'm way behind on replying to them!), posts on Facebook, texts, emails or called to see how I am doing. EVERYBODY who has run into me and given me a hug, a word of encouragement or simply says, "I have no words except cancer sucks". EVERYBODY who has delivered our family a delicious meal when I haven't felt well or am bogged down with fatigue.  EVERYBODY who has sent me cards or care packages with amazing gifts for good healing, a good laugh, or a warm head (and a special thank you to my aunt who sent me great socks for every chemo day that give chemo the middle finger. Please be sure to watch Facebook for my socks on March 6th.  You won't want to miss them!)  EVERYBODY who has said prayers or sent good thoughts out into the universe or me and my family. I/we APPRECIATE every single one of you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your love and support.  I can't imagine going through this crap alone and without the support that I have. I'm sending huge hugs and buckets of love to all of you!! Muah!!

Another special thanks to my amazing dad who has taken the week off from work following each of my treatments to help with the kids and cook us meals, while carrying a heavy heart watching is little girl go through cancer crap again.  A thank you to my kids who celebrate with me having four weeks left until my last treatment, who rub my head to feel the little bit of hair that has continued to grow, to check on me when I'm not feeling well after treatment, who give me a hug or some love out of the blue, and for having friends and teachers/coaches that continually offer me support and have generously given me sweet gifts of encouragement.  And to my dear husband who stands by my side, holds me when I need it most, loves me unconditionally, takes care of me, makes sacrifices for me, and understands the things I struggle with the most. Without these people in my life, I couldn't do this. I love you!! xoxoxo

"She Stood In The Storm, & When The Wind Did Not Blow Her Way, She Adjusted Her Sails"

{cilantro lime chicken and a pork roast}

I told you a few days ago that there is a reason I fail to make a dinner plan. So my hubby will put on his cooking gloves and come up with something amazing. Well, this my friends, is one of those times. This dish was delicious! I might have to put him to work in the kitchen again tomorrow with this little gem. For so few ingredients you would think that I could come up with something amazing like this, but no. I would end up staring blankly at 2 chicken breasts, an onion of a random color, a jar of jalapenos, a bunch of cilantro, a bottle of olive oil, a lime and pepper and come up with nothing! So I pass the apron to Tony and I give you, Tony's Breasts. ;) Okay, how about Cilantro Lime Chicken Roll Ups.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Roll Ups
2 Costco sized chicken breasts
1/2 red onion
6-8 slices jalapeno (this is what I used, but I would add more next time)
Cilantro
Olive oil
lime juice
Pepper

Mince cilantro (I'm not really sure if that's what you do with cilantro). Add cilantro, lime juice, pepper and olive oil to a bowl or zip lock.

Butterfly each chicken breast. Pound out chicken breast and place in marinade. Turn chicken breast in marinade every 5 minutes or so.

Dice onion and saute. Remove from heat and add finely diced jalapeno.

After the chicken has marinaded lay out the chicken flat. Spread 1/2 of the onions and jalapeno over the chicken breast and roll tightly. Place seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat with the other breast. I made sure some of the cilantro was left on the chicken when I pulled it from the marinade and also spooned some over the top before I put it in the oven.

Bake on 375 for 20 minutes. Spoon over some of the left over marinade and bake for another 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven an let stand for 5-10 minutes. You can also spoon some of the juices in the pan back over the meat to add extra flavor.

Slice and serve. Its supposed to be a mexican-ish chicken so feel free to top with salsa, or enchilada sauce (paleo friendly, of course), or just eat as is.

Enjoy!

I don't think this next "recipe" could really be called a recipe, but we will be making it often. It was so good, made quite a bit for leftovers AND the kids LOVED it! That makes it a keeper in my book! The other day I had two thawed pork loin roasts in the fridge, about 2# each. This is usually how much I make for our family. It feeds us dinner and provides us with some protein for the next day. I had planned to do something amazing with them in the crockpot, but as usual it came to crunch time for getting them in the crockpot and I hadn't made a plan and was getting ready to rush out the door. Because of this I ended up with Trina's Amazing Pulled Pork. This is the extent of my creativity in the kitchen so hold onto your seats. :)

Trina's Amazing Pulled Pork

At the speed of light throw open cupboard door, toss aside various bowls and drag the crockpot out. Hurry and plug in and turn on high before you even get the food in. Hardly a head start in the cooking process with a crockpot, but it makes you feel you are being efficient with your time.

Grab each 2# pork roast, rinse them off and toss them in the crockpot. Open a can of natural chicken broth with no MSG or preservatives and pour half the can in the crockpot, toss in a handful of dried onion flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Toss lid on crockpot as you holler at the kids to jump in the car and leave the house at lightening speed to show up late to wherever you are going.

Return home about four-ish hours later, walk in the door to the wonderful aroma of dinner fully cooked and welcoming you home. Remove lid, lower your nose to the edge of the crock and inhale deeply. Ahhhhhh! Grab two forks and attempt to lift a roast and gasp with delight as it just falls apart because it is so tender. Using both forks shred the pork, stir it up with all the juices and replace lid while you pull together the rest of your dinner while the shredded pork soaks up all the wonderful juices. Serve up pork and bask in the praises of your family!

With the non-creativeness of my cooking, the recipe HAS to read something like that. :) This recipe was really so embarrassingly easy and so incredibly yummy!

That's all I've got tonight. Go forth, cook and eat well!

{fish and radishes}

I am way behind on posting new recipes as we try them. Well, new recipes that are worth posting. So far we haven't made anything new that we wouldn't want to post. All so yummy so far. My gung-ho attitude toward cooking and trying new recipes lasted approximately two weeks. I really don't like cooking and as you will see in a future post there is a reason I leave most of it to Tony. He came up with a new recipe that was so amazing and does many nights. I can't wait to totally flake on making a dinner plan so he is forced to make it again. ;) So last week-ish I (yes, "I" did cook this time!) made both (yes, TWO recipes!) of these recipes for dinner. The tilapia was wonderful, but the radish salad was amazing! I think I will try it sometime with cucumbers. It would be so refreshing in the summer. A perfect addition to a meal enjoyed out on our deck. Oh, that makes me yearn for summer.

Almondy Coconuty Tilapia

(aka Macaroon Crusted Tilapia by Jessica at How Sweet)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

4 Tilapia fillets

2 egg whites salt & pepper, to taste

1. Food process your almonds until coarsely ground. I had no luck chopping these in the food processor. I ended up chopping them up in our Magic Bullet.

2. Combine almonds and coconut.

3. Season fish with salt and pepper.

4. Separate your egg whites from the yolks and beat lightly.

5. Dip a tilapia fillet in egg whites and roll in the almond coconut mixture until thoroughly coated. 6. Arrange your fillets on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 425 F.

Simple Radish Salad

Makes 1 or 2 servings

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

Juice of ½ a lime

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped

a sprinkle of salt

In a small bowl combine oil, lime juice, cilantro and garlic. Toss with sliced radish and sprinkle with a little salt.

Note: I actually used about twelve radishes, but left the dressing amounts the same.

While I was making the fish A was excited we were having fish until she saw it and she asked, "Is it Paleo?" :( I said, "No, it's just a fish recipe." She ate it. T was also excited until he saw it. He did end up eating all of his fish, but picked some of the crust off. A loved the radish salad, I can't remember if K did. I don't think so.

So, if you follow my blog you probably read yesterday's post and know that I was not having a "happy go lucky" day. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It did get better, but didn't end totally cheerful. Last night I read that today's workout was a 5K row, said to my hubby a little bit panicky, "I'm going to be there all day!" and started crying. I haven't felt like I have any endurance at all and a 5K row would be a true test of that. Seriously, I feel like I have been falling apart the past couple days. The blogging did help. I figured coming home and punching my frustration out on my keyboard was better than yelling and screaming my frustration and terrifying my family. A blur of fingers at the computer isn't near as scary. So, I blogged and started to feel a little better, but I still wasn't sure even up until I left the house planning to go to the gym if I actually would go. I did decide to go and prayed that my coach wouldn't have me row the whole thing. He left it up to me. He asked if I wanted to do a 2K or a 5K, both benchmarks. I said I would do the 2K or I would be there all day. So I sat down at the rower, put my headphones in, turned my iPod on my running and rowing playlist (Riot, Sandman, Slow Drain, Hey You, etc. Hard and loud music), took a deep breath and started rowing. Having been out of my game for awhile I was shocked that I was able to row my 2K in 9:11. So trying to pull my CrossFit boots back on I dug deep and set it for another 2K and rowed it in about 9:35. Beings that I had already rowed a 4K I might as well pull a 1000m and make it a solid 5K. So in pieces I rowed a 5K today. It felt good and I was seriously shocked I was able to pull it out and feel as good as I did. I really think I could have pulled another 5K. It would have been long and sucked, but I felt like I had it in me. One of the best things about going to the gym today was chatting with my friends, R, C and K. Thank you K for taking the time to give me a hug that I desperately needed. Like I said yesterday, if it weren't for our gym community I may not be going to the gym at all.

My sister made the following comment on Facebook when I posted yesterday's blog on my profile. Thank you so much, sis! I needed that and will read it repeatedly.

"Quite some time ago, a wonderful woman gave me a book when I needed some encouragement....a reminder to celebrate wylde women...here is a phrase I found for you: 'Continuing On: almost crumbling to the ground, she stopped. looking at how far she had traveled and all it had taken to get there, she recognized her strength. the strengths she had inside of her, the strength she had gained along the way ~ her inner power. and so, she stood up. standing tall, she faced forward and continued on.' thank you for the book....♥"

{day 1 in the books}

Day 1 of my 30 days of better eating is coming to an end and I didn't slip up once. It wasn't too brutal and I might make it a second day. The only thing I really, really wanted was a latte. A hot, creamy latte is my happy place on a bummer day and today started out as a true Monday. A bummer day and a hot latte would have been so incredibly wonderful. But, I resisted and stayed on track when my track was barely starting. It would have been sad to fail three hours into my 30 days.

I've already posted once today so I'm just going to share my recipe for tonight. Nothing fancy, nothing special, but all Paleo. About 15 years ago I consolidated recipes from family members and we had a great cookbook printed. This recipe was submitted by my aunt and also by my great-great-aunt. As printed it is strictly Paleo. I just added more veggies and better for you beef. No picture today, but never fear you will get your fill of non-creative pictures of food in a pot or food in a skillet. Every now and then I will treat you to a beautifully plated meal, but don't sit on the edge of your seat waiting for it. Even then my photographer skills are right up there with my cooking skills and your butt will just fall asleep sitting on the edge of your seat like that! So here you have a recipe shared by aunts of all sorts in my family. By-the-way, my family rocks. Just so you know. :-)

I am typing this up as I made it. I kicked out the potatoes in the original recipe and replaced them with cauliflower. Why did I give potatoes the boot? Because I'm trying to stick to the Whole 30 program and it says, "Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade." I remember reading about nightshade foods quite awhile ago, but couldn't remember what this meant so I used the ole Google machine to refresh my memory. This is what I found on nightshade foods. So, if you were feeling like you hadn't learned anything new today, well, your welcome. :-)

Soup For You!!!!

Hamburger Soup

1 lb. grass-fed local hamburger

1 c. chopped onion (I used 1/2 of an onion)
1 c. chopped cauliflower, into bite-size pieces

1 c. sliced carrots

1 c. diced celery

1 c. diced cabbage

1 c. chopped broccoli, into bite-size pieces

1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 small bay leaf, crushed

1 t. thyme

2 t. basil

1/4 t. pepper

salt, to taste

1 1/2 qt. water

Saute burger with the onion until slightly brown. Add to all other ingredients in a large soup pot; simmer for at least an hour or until veggies are tender. Bam! Soup!

Note: I had a 1 1/2 lb. package of burger so I made a 1 1/2 batch. Duh. I added 2 full cans of tomatoes instead of 1 1/2. I didn't want to find a little container to save that half a can of tomatoes in my fridge that would just get shoved to the back and I would find it in about a month with a layer of green, fuzzy mold. So in the soup it went while it was green, fuzz free. I also tossed in extra veggies to my liking until I had a veggie heavy soup.

What else did I eat today?

Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs with mushrooms and peppers, salsa and 1/4 of an avocado

Lunch: Enormous salad with romaine, 1 oz. leftover turkey breast, two hard boiled eggs, 1/4 avocado, diced celery, diced carrots, alfalfa sprouts, 1/4 diced apple, balsamic/olive oil dressing

Dinner: Lots of Hamburger Soup

Snacks: I was busy. I mostly had some random almonds and grazed on veggies while making dinner.

Water: Not near enough :(

{dial it in and tighten it up}

Today it REALLY begins and what a rotten week for it to begin.  Thanksgiving.  Food, food, food and a short week at the gym.  Yikes!  Today my coach says to me, "It's a big week.  We have to lose one pound!" Coach B is "going against the grain" with me and losing weight this holiday season instead of gaining.  It is so great to have somebody to be accountable to.  Posting my intentions and my progess here for all to read is also great motivation.  If I can do this during the holidays it should be a piece of cake to stay on track when it comes to nutrition the other eleven months of the year.

So, I checked my calendar to take a peek at the week and see what I have to work around and when I will fit my cheats in.  My plan was 2-3 cheats/week, but this week is going to be a little different considering Turkey Day.  I think it is obvious that my cheat is going to be on Thursday and I am laying off the lattes and saving up to have one Friday morning when my sister and I brave the craziness of Black Friday.  Tangent . . . yes, I am one of those crazy people that gets up in the middle of the night to brave the cold and the stupid crowds of people.  But, I really don't go for the deals, I don't arrive at stores an hour before they open, I don't turn my shopping trips into a CrossFit sprint workout with a steel cart, leaping over small children and narrowly missing elderly women in the waffle iron aisle.  I go because my sisters and I have been doing it almost every year since I moved back to Montana and it is fun, silly time with my sisters.  (The best part about the following pic is the lady sprouting out of my sister's head.) 

Black Friday 2009 . . . the alarm went off at 3:20 a.m.

Anyhoo, I digress!  So, back to what I was saying, my cheat is mostly reserved for Thanksgiving Day and I'm going to have a latte Friday morning.  Now even though Thanksgiving is considered my cheat I'm going to be trying some Paleo recipes to go along with Thanksgiving dinner.  I don't think my dad will buy into it so I will still be doing most of the traditional stuff, too, but I am pretty excited about this.  I am going to make some mock mashed potatoes from cauliflower (we do this occasionally and they are YU-MMY!), green beans sauteed with garlic and bacon in leu of green bean casserole and I'm trying a Paleo stuffing recipe (this is a leap for me because it has bacon and sausage in it & pork mostly gives me the heebie-jeebies) I recently found on a blog.  Don't worry I will be sharing these recipes in a future post as well as the recipes for the two things I am not even going to try to find a Paleo replacement for.  My Dad's recipe for Sweet Potato Balls and French Silk Pie.  Sometimes you just have to go with the bad stuff.

Enough with my plan for the week and onto my lunch for today.  I am going to confess that I DO NOT like to cook, I am a baker at heart.  My husband does most of the cooking and has been pretty much feeding me since we joined CrossFit Flathead about 18 months ago.  But, in my effort to eat better, more consistently I am making an effort to do my share of the cooking.  So today in between my workout and picking up at pre-school I made a mad dash to the grocery store to pick up some veggies.  I didn't have much time, but grabbed some yellow squash, zuchinni, bok choy, baby bok choy (simply because they were so cute) and mushrooms.  After I fed my son and his friend a less friendly heart-healthy lunch (you gotta do that when they have a friend over!) I got to work on my lunch and below is what I came up with. 

 

Lunch ala Trina

(I'm guessing this may be the name of many of my lunches.)

Simple really and not even worthy of being called a recipe.  I sauteed and then slightly steamed broccoli in some olive oil and chicken broth.  Next, I added red peppers and garlic, tossed in the crispy parts of the baby bok choy (really, so cute!) and the mushrooms, added a splash of low-sodium soy sauce (Gasp!  Soy sauce?!  Get over it.  I'm more primal than paleo. That's in my 20%) and then add the bok choy leaves.  I slid all that yumminess onto my plate and cooked up my chicken in some olive oil and the goodies in the bottom of the pan from the veggies.  I then weighed out 3 oz. of chicken and put it on top of my veggies, sliced up an apple (because I can't seem to eat a garden of veggies in one meal to get all my Zone blocks in so sometimes I have to add some fruit earlier in the day) and presto!  I made my own lunch!  I'm such a big girl.

So, that's what I've done so far today.  Planned my week, actually cooked a meal and stayed mostly warm (it is 8 degrees).  I hope all your goals are moving forward how you would like them to.  Only you can make them move in that direction!  Have fun preparing for Thanksgiving!

Progress report:  Diet is going pretty well today and I had a great workout this morning.  Cleans . . . I really want to work on my technique in this lift so today was perfect.  95# Cleans and Chest-to-Bar pullups, 15-12-9.  I stayed pretty steady, the weight didn't feel terribly heavy and I could feel when the lift was decent.  Learning to recognize when something is right in my own lifts has been a long, ongoing process for me.  I'm learning to pay closer attention and that makes my effort in the gym more productive.  Now if I could quit being so hard on myself the rest of the time. ;)  Quiet in the peanut gallery! :D

{going against the grain}

While doing a little search on the good 'ole Google machine today I was surprised to see that research has shown that the average person gains only about one pound during the holidays.  This is contrary to popular belief that a person will gain 5-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  One pound is far better than 5-10, but really no weight gain is even better.  One pound isn't much, but this becomes a problem when this pound is never taken off and these "one pound" holidays start to add up.

I workout very consistently and hard and I try to eat well at least 80% of the time.  But, I am going to confess that I have had a bad food attitude as of late and I haven't been eating all that well.  (Damn those Boy Scouts and their Chocolate Covered Caramel Corn!)  So, in true Trina form, this holiday season I am going to go against the grain of holiday weight gain and lose a couple of pounds before the New Year.  I know I am going to get some of the same remarks I always get when I say I want to lose a couple of pounds, "You don't need to lose weight!"  I do when the weight is body fat and not muscle and I know where I want my body fat percentage to lie.  I consider myself a CrossFit athlete like everybody else in our gym.  I want my body fat to represent the athlete I strive to be in the gym.  Body fat percentage for an athlete is 14-20%.  I am on the high-end of this, possibly one percentage off.  It isn't about losing weight because I think I am overweight, it is about losing body fat that is keeping me from performing at my best in the gym and it is losing body fat as a result of eating food that is healthy and good for my body.  I am the only one that can take care of my body and make sure it lives a long life free of disease.   This doesn't mean I probably won't enjoy some holiday treats, because a healthy lifestyle is about enjoying life, as well.  I strive for about an 80% Paleo/Zone diet.  I'm working on eliminating dairy, but that has been a struggle as it is perfect latte season with Winter descending upon Montana.  So that will have to remain part of the 20% of my diet.

So tomorrow I "go against the grain" and will work hard to go against what the general population does.  I will lose while they gain and in being a loser I will win! :-)

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.
~Greg Glassman

{paleo shmaleo}

Damn. I'm eating Paleo with some Zone thrown in for good measure. I didn't want to be one of those people, but here I am. It really isn't a far cry from how we ate before, but it does require a little more diligence, prep, and cutting out of a few more food items. I'm okay with that. After a few weeks of tightening up my diet (still not perfect) I can tell a difference in the gym and THAT, my friends, I like! I am not going to preach the wonders of the food I eat or push it on you. This is just how I choose to fuel my body. . . for the most part. I still enjoy my favorite things. I just have to plan for them now, though, sometimes I have to admit I don't even do that. Okay, enough of that. Now onto the real reason I sat down to write this post . . . an amazing Paleo meal!

So, a few weeks ago I started following an amazing blog by a likeminded CrossFitter, Primal Mama Cooks. Her blog has great recipes with pictures, is written by a very down-to-earth busy mom (busy I understand) and is very entertaining to boot. Many times I read her posts and do, in fact, laugh out loud and then read it to my hubby so I can giggle somemore. For Valentine's Day we chose one of her recipes and cooked it together in the kitchen (duh, huh. Of course, the kitchen). It was a-maaaaaa-zing! Wow! Lemon Chicken on Cauliflower Mash. M-m-m-m-m! Not only was it delicious when done cooking it was gorgeous marinading. When does that happen?! Standing in your kitchen drooling over raw chicken in a gallon zip-lock? You know you are in for a treat when that happens! Witness the drool-fest below. How gorgeous is that?

Marinating Beauty

Onto the cauliflower mash. I have seen this suggested as a replacement for mashed potatoes many times, but never took the time to try it. Not because I don't like cauliflower, probably because I was just too lazy to try something new. But, tonight I set lazy aside and we tried it. What a treat and the best part, the kids ate it! Okay, the girls loved it, Tyler not so much. (80% of our household gave a new recipe a thumbs up? I call that a success!) Mashed cauliflower, carmelized onions (I think we will cut way back on the onions next time), garlic. Oh, what isn't to love? And the chicken, I can't say enough about how easy it was and oh so good. You can get this chicken ready in the marinade in minutes in the morning and be ready to cook come dinner time. Open your ziplock, dump in olive oil, cut two lemons in half, squeeze the juice in (Don't bother throwing the lemons away, toss them in, too!), chop up parsley, mince up garlic, throw in the chicken, seal 'er up and your dinner is on it's way to yummy!

Paleoliciousness!

We will definitely be making this again. We decided the marinade would probably be good with fish, also. That may be next on our experiment list. I'm not much of a cook in the kitchen, but I've found that I need to become one if I am going to make eating Paleo a part of our lives. It has to taste good to stick with it. I don't think I will get too competent in the kitchen though because Tony is pretty good at it and I would hate to take away the breakfast he makes me every morning or the dinners that he prepares because I didn't quite get to it. :) That is just smart thinkin' ladies!