Hello World . . . Again!

I am well aware that it's been a little bit over 3.5 months since my last blog post, in which I proclaimed to "have my routine back". . . but I guess I spoke a bit to soon! To anyone and everyone out there following my blog - I really am sorry to have been MIA for so long!

Over the last few months, I've been on a bit of a roller coaster - one that I know I haven't been riding alone. I would eat really well for a few weeks, and then get sucked back under by one of many different "justifiable reasons" (insert sarcastic tone here!). Among the things that have derailed my good intentions - high-stress periods at work, business trips, birthday parties, summer bbq's, and a plain old-fashion lack of will-power. I temporarily lost sight of the REAL reasons behind my decision to stick to a Paleo "diet", and without those reasons as motivation, I "fell off the wagon" repeatedly.

On a positive note, I have managed to stick to my training, but on the flip side, my nutrition has definitely been lacking.

But, I've finally come to the point where enough is enough. I need to get back on the right track, and I've recently been reminded of exactly why it is that I decided this path in the first place. The primary reason that I have chosen to follow the Paleo "diet" principles for life is that I want to live a long and healthy life, as free from illness as possible. As many of us have a tendency to do, I've taken my health for granted to date. Up until about a year ago, I'd always been very healthy, and the most severe ailment I'd ever had was a case of appendicitis. This has made it easy to ignore the fact that some of the things that I've chosen to put into my body very likely could contribute to health problems in the not-so-distant future, especially if I continue to consume them on a regular basis. It's so easy to ignore the facts about gluten's involvement in auto-immune disease, among other things, when there isn't much of an immediate consequence upon consuming it (other than maybe some gut discomfort which can easily be chalked up to overeating, and over time is barely even noticed as anything outside of "normal").

So I'm making my good intentions public once again. Beginning right now, this minute - I plan to clean up my act and eliminate all gluten, grains, dairy, soy, legumes, and processed foods. I've got a fridge full of veggies, chicken, fish, and Grass Fed Beef. Food Prep for the week (Spinach muffins, guacamole, etc) is done. My Meal plan for the week is complete, and I'm ready to go :)

This week's meal plan includes:

Breakfasts:

Omletes stuffed w/ tons of veggies and homemade guacamole

Lunches:

Salads w/ wild tuna, tons of veggies, avocado, HB eggs, homemade may dressings

Leftovers from previous nights dinners

Snacks:

Spinach Muffins w/ Guacamole

Limited fresh fruit & raw almonds

Raw veggies & Paleo Hummus (zucchini & tahini based rather than chick pea)

Dinners (M - F) are:

Crock Pot (Grass Fed) Meatballs & Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Wild King Salmon w/ Tomato Basil Relish and a salad of field greens

Chicken & Broccoli Coconut Curry Stirfry (From Paleo Recipe Book by Sébastien Noël)

Curry Shrimp over Zucchini noodles

"Salsa Chicken" over Shredded Cabbage topped w/ Avocado

I'm not starting another Whole30 just yet, but plan to do so within the next few weeks. I'm working to get back into the routine of planning and prepping all of my meals first. After a week or two of 95%, I'll be jumping back into another Whole30 head first!

Training is going to stay about the same. I'm going into my second cycle of Wendler 5-3-1 Training, which I'm combining w/ bodyweight assistance exercises and complimentary CrossFit WODs. I'm also really focusing on my "goats". I got my first HSPU about a month ago (BIG happy dance!!), and have been working them regularly ever since to increase the # that I can do in a row, and decrease the amount of rest that I need in between sets. I'm also working on improving my ring dips (I can still only do 2-3 in a row, and after a few sets of 2-3, I'm done. . . I'm still working on my Olympic Lifts also, but not as regularly. I'm really focusing on increasing my strength first and foremost. Once I get some of my baseline #'s up a bit (squat, shoulder press, deadlift), I'll switch my focus back over to improving my technique and form on the Olympic Lifts - I truly enjoy training the Olympic Lifts more than just about anything . . . but I feel that I've hit a wall and won't break through it until I increase my strength.

I'm really going to try to check back in regularly in the upcoming weeks and months to share my successes & struggles, ask for advice, and maybe even give a little from time to time ;) If all goes according to plan, I'll also be sharing some new Paleo Recipes as I get back into the routine of "playing w/ my food".

One last thing that I have to share - and this little bit of news has got me grinning from ear to ear - we're talking Cheshire cat grin here. . . My wonderful Hubby has decided to give CrossFit a try! He started about a week ago, and so far he loves it. I am so very proud of him and excited for him, and it is SO wonderful to be able to share something with him that has become such a large part of my life.

Well, I'm signing off for now - but will do my best to post again before another 3 months roll by!

I've Got My Routine Back!

Hello World - It's nice to see you again :)

Yes, I'm alive and well - but I have been MIA from my blog for a few months, and I would like to offer a sincere apology to anyone who had been following my posts. I initially planned on taking only a week away, but a week turned into two, and then three . . and now here I am 3 months later - embarrassed and apologetic.

I don't plan on going into a lot of detail in my blog posts regarding the reason for my absence, but I will be brutally honest: Over the last few months, I have made some less-than-stellar food and fitness choices. I won't make excuses for why this happened - regardless of extenuating circumstances, I am responsible for the choices that I made.

On to the GOOD news: I'm 100% back on track and feeling awesome! I'm reminded once again that we sometimes don't realize how much our bodies are affected by our bad food choices until we eliminate them, and then: SHA-BANG!! It feels A-Mazing to have a "clean" body again! I didn't realize how bad my body felt until it didn't feel bad anymore . . does that even make any sense? It may not if you've never experienced it - but I think anyone who's done a Whole30 can relate.

I learned several lessons from my mistakes during my little hiatus, and will gladly share these with the world with the hopes that I can help one person avoid having to learn these lessons the hard way.

Lesson Learned #1: I am a Creature of Habit, and I love having a routine!

I think that a lot of us are creatures of habit. If you've done a Whole30 before, I'm sure that you will agree - the first week is rough because you're not used to prepping all that food. You're used to the convenience of Grab-and-Go Processed foods, and your cravings really kick in when you suddenly realize that it's lunch time, and you don't have anything already prepped - Am I Right?

By the end of a Whole30, a lot of people describe the last week as being "fairly easy" and finally feeling "normal". This is because they have learned to set time aside to prepare meals, and always have something on hand prepped in advanced that they can eat in a pinch. Setting time aside to cook is no longer a chore, but just simply part of the day-to-day routine.

But some people fall off the wagon, and then find it very hard to get back on because they lose that "routine". Once I got out of the habit of cooking breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, it seemed like such a CHORE! I was tired, and Subway was easy - I would cook tomorrow night. This soon became my mantra nearly every night.

The same thing went for my workouts. Once I got out of the habit of going to bed by 9:15 and getting up at 5 to go work out, I forgot how to do it! Suddenly, I was staying up till 11:30 every night, and getting up with just enough time to shower and get to work. Once I broke my routine, it was really, really, really hard to fix it again!

This time around, I had to sit down and pencil out my schedule for the first week. I wrote in my work hours, grocery shopping times, meal prep times, workout times, and my going to bed and waking up times. I had to FORCE myself to stick to this plan for the first few days, and it was aweful! But now it's feeling "normal" again, and I love it. I'm back to the point of wondering why I ever lost this routine in the first place, because it feels so darn good :) Starting a new routine (or getting back to one that's been abandoned for a while) is never easy, but once it's established, boy does it feel great!

Little Victories are the BEST!

Little Victories - I'll Take 'em!!

I just had to share. I'm currently sitting on top of Cloud 9 as a result of a workout for the first time in a LONG TIME!

Tonight's WOD:

"Erin"
15 DB Split Cleans (Female RX 25 lb DBs)
21 Pullups

5 RFT

I know that I've done this WOD before, but I refuse to look at my previous time. I'm sure I finished much slower than before "It", but I'm only concerned with doing my best in the moment with what I've got to give right now.

Before the workout, I was just hoping to make it through the whole thing w/o having to go to a band. My pullup performance has decreased a lot recently and I've found that in workouts with more than about 50 pullups, I can only get about 1-2 in a row towards the end w/o having to fall off the bar in between. At that rate, I'd be better off using a band and stringing more together.

Tonight, I DID make it through the whole thing RX.

And the BEST part of it was that I was able to string between 5 - 8 pullups together all the way through the end of the workout! I never got less than 5 in a row - THAT is progress, and I'll take it. Official time was 21:16.

The Little Victories, after such a long time spent going down hill, feel pretty freakin good.

Thyroid Update

I've had several people ask me how I became aware that I had problems with my Thyroid. In short, there were several "warning signs" that I should have noticed (Fatigue, Muscle Weakness, Difficulty Concentrating, Cognition Problems), but the thing that really clued me in was the golf-ball sized knot on my neck. The picture above is not me, but the girl's neck looks very similar to the way that mine did.

As the knot began to grow, it started to hurt, and I knew I had to get it checked out. Long story short, My blood tests showed that my TSH #'s were so low that they barely registered (0.02), an ultrasound verified the existance of several large nodules, a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy ruled out cancer (thank goodness!), and I underwent Radioactive Iodine Therapy to "kill" the nodules.

The hope was that the majority of the iodine would be "sucked up" by the nodule which was in overdrive mode, and that it would leave my Thyroid alone, but I was told that it was possible that my thyroid would absorb some of it, and as a result, it would reduce the ability of my Thyroid to function properly. Unfortunately, it appears as though this is what happened.

Fast Forward 6 months and I have gone from having "Hyperthyroidism" to having "Hypothyroidism". This has NOT been a fun roller coaster ride! It has significantly affected:

• My emotions - think crazy mood swings and unexplainable sobbing episodes for no discernable reason whatsoever
• My ability to concentrate -I feel like a teenager who desperately needs a ritalin prescription much of the time
• My cognition - I feel just plain dumb a lot of the time lately - I'm having a hard time absorbing new information, and this is NOT like me at all - I'm usually a pretty smart cookie - really!
• My Athletic Performance - My strength and endurance have both decreased significantly over the last several months, at an even faster rate than they were decreasing when I was "Hyper"
• My Energy Levels - Some days it takes everything I have just to get out of bed, even after 8-9 hours of sleep. It doesn't make any logical sense and it's been very frustrating!

Apparently, that little teeny tiny butterfly-shaped organ controls just about EVERYTHING. . . who knew!?!

Sooo, when my Doc called me on Monday to tell me that my most recent blood tests showed
that my TSH levels have risen to 4.8 and I was officially "Hypo", I was not at all suprised, and actually rather relieved to have a firm scientific reason for the way I had been feeling (You mean I'm not really going crazy - that's GREAT news!).

According to some scales, a TSH level of 4.8 is just barely outside of the normal range, but by the way I've been feeling, I could tell that something was waaayyyy off. Thank goodness, I have a great Endocronologist who confirmed that we should be trying to get my TSH levels down below 3, and preferably in the 1-2 range, and a friend of mine who has been through a similar situation assured me that the symptoms that I've been experiencing are perfectly normal for someone w/ my TSH levels. (More affirmation that I'm not really going crazy is always a good thing!! - THANK YOU - you know who you are)

So I started a Syntroid dose on Monday and have hopes that I will soon notice a difference. We'll be checking my TSH levels monthly and adjusting my dosage accordingly until we've got me in the TSH "sweet spot" :) I'm already starting to notice little differences - my ability to concentrate seems to have improved dramatically already, and I couldn't be happier about that. I'll take every little improvement I can get!

Ode to Guacamole

I L-O-V-E Guacamole.

Anyone that has been checking out my food blog can attest to this.

I eat Guacamole with everything. On top of Eggs, Chicken, Steak, and Salads. Mixed in with canned Wild Tuna or Ground GF Beef. Scooped onto Raw Jicama Strips, Carrots, and Celery. Spread on top of a Spinach Muffin. It is my firm belief that guacamole would make just about anything taste better!

So in an attempt to profess my undying love for this creamy, delicious, wonderfully chock-full-of-good-fat condiment, I have written a brief poem.

Ode To Guacamole

Guacamole is so Yummy
I love to put it in my Tummy
When I run out I feel just Crummy
My fingers start to get all Drummy!

Don’t have to share it with my Honey
Because he thinks that it tastes Scummy
(But I think he’s a big ‘ol Dummy!)
His taste buds must be wired Funny :)

That's right Folks - A Poet I am not!

Well, after all that talk of Guacamole, I figure it's only fair that I share my recipe. Please note that I rarely measure spices when making guacamole. I typically just sprinkle until it looks right, taste, and then sprinkle some more if neccesary. So the spice measurements below are estimates - adjust to your own tastes :)

Christie's Homemade Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients:
4 large Avocados (or 7-8 small)

Juice of 1 Lime (sometimes 1.5 - 2 limes if I'm in the mood for a more tangy guac -play with it to match your tastes)

3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

2-3 tsp Ground Cumin

1.5 tsp Chili Powder (Substitute .5 tsp for Cayenne Pepper if you like it spicy)

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I buy mine from the farmer's market, and it's really strong because it's picked w/in 12 hours of purchase. If you're using "grocery store" cilantro, you may need to adjust this amount up)

1/4 - 1/2 of a small red onion, finely diced

3 Serrano Peppers, seeded and finely diced (Omit if you don't like any spiciness at all - this just adds a little "kick")

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered (Optional - I usually leave out b/c they seem to make it brown faster. Sometimes I'll stir them into a single serving)

Directions:

I start by chopping/prepping all of my veggies, peppers, and cilantro ahead of time so that I can just stir them in when I'm ready. You don't have to do this, but if you mash your avocados first, and then they sit out while you chop your veggies, they will have a greater chance of browning due to exposure to the air.

Peel and Remove Seeds from avocados. Mash together with lime juice in large plastic or glass bowl , using wooden spoon. Mash until desired consistency. I like to leave mine pretty chunky.

Stir in Cumin, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper (if using), Garlic, Cilantro, Sea Salt, & Pepper. Mix Well.

Taste. Add Spices as needed.

Stir in Red Onion & Serrano Peppers. Mix Well.

Fold in Tomatoes Gently (if using).

Chill and Serve.

On Everything.

Really!

Recipe: Grilled Broccoli

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


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


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

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


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

Grilled Broccoli

Ingredients:

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

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

Freshly Minced Garlic (1 clove per head of broccoli)

Sea Salt to taste

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

Instructions:

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

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


Grill Pan

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

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

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

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

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

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Middle Eastern Chicken

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

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

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

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

Pressure Cooker Middle Eastern Chicken (Paleo Version)

Ingredients:

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

Instructions:

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

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

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

Sprinkle with Mint & Cumin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spoon over chicken, and serve.

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

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

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Another Pressure Cooker Success!!

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

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

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

Pressure Cooker Chicken Cacciatore:

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

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

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

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

Lock the lid in place.

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

Turn off the heat.

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

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

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