Category Archives: Fitness

Combating holiday feast weight gain

Posted on December 23, 2012 | 8 Comments

To avoid holiday weight gain, people often make the mistake of under-eating during the day to make up for the feasting of the evening. This is bad because

a) you will likely be extremely hungry and mow down on rich holiday fare

b) the food you will be eating more of is probably less healthy than what you would normally eat

and c) depending on your body type and what you eat that day, you may lose a bit of muscle mass…and gain fat mass.

If you are going to work out before a feast, lift weights. The insulin coursing through your veins after dinner will be anabolic and your muscles will get ample signals to grow.

If you are going to work out after a feast, lift weights or do cardio. Preferably sprints or intervals, but try not to vomit. Doing cardio before a big meal might end up just making you hungrier, but doing it after will stimulate the hormone epinephrine (which tells the body to release fat and glycogen  stores) to balance out the ridiculously high blood insulin and sugar levels.

After our Christmas dinner tonight (Mom wanted to have leftovers for the rest of our family visit), I did a workout that anyone could do – anywhere. Not gonna lie, I started to cramp up at the beginning, but it passed quickly… Worth it.

Download the free iPhone app Seconds and create a high intensity interval timer with 1 minute hard 1 minute easy, 15 rounds, for a total of 30 minutes of work.

The Shut Up and Do It Workout

  • 10 minute jog

Choose whichever of the following exercises you feel like at the moment and do it for 1 minute, repeat with different exercises until the 30 minutes are up. If you don’t have dumbbells or something heavy, just do the ones you can.

  • Jumping jacks
  • V-ups
  • Box jumps
  • Mountain climbers
  • Fire hydrant kicks
  • Squat jumps
  • Lunge jumps
  • Booty leg lifts
  • Lunges
  • Dumbbell swings
  • Bridges
  • Dumbbell snatches
  • Alternating crunch up-toe touches
  • Leg lifts
  • Pushups
  • Pull ups
  • Bicep curls
  • Tricep dips
  • Dumbbell flys
  • Jumping jacks
  • Butt kicks
  • Long jumps
  • Step ups (one leg at a time)

GO DO IT!

→ 8 Comments

Posted in Fitness

Tagged , , , , , , ,

‘duck liver mousse?’ ‘omg so much vitamin A!’

Posted on December 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

It is almost Wednesday and that means I get to go home to Texas for a week! I’ve been looking forward to seeing family, high school friends, and eating Tex-Mex and BBQ for months now.

Today, though, was wonderful as well. I started the day off with the usual coffee and greek yogurt bowl and then headed to Crunch to workout.

This workout killed my glutes. If you want to build a booty, do this workout 2x a week and get at least a gram of protein per pound of goal weight per day.

  • Barbell squats, 5 sets 0f 15, 95#
  • Barbell lunges, 5 sets of 15 per leg, 65#
  • 100 incline situps
  • Barbell thrusts (where you do a bridge with a barbell laying over your hips), 4 sets of 15, 115#

For lunch, I made a quick, easy and paleo…

bacon butternut squash soup

IMG_1731

Recipe: serves 1

  • 2 cups roasted butternut squash
  • 1/2 tbsp grass fed butter
  • 1 slice bacon, crispy
  • 1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth (or more if desired)
  • 1 tbsp yellow onion
  • 1 tsp garlic, crushed
  • shake of salt
  • shake of freshly ground pepper
  • optional: for protein, once the soup is prepared, feel free to throw in grass fed beef, chicken, turkey, or even eggs!
  • optional: 1-2 tbsp almond or peanut butter to top (I loved the soup with almond butter)

Directions – Combine the squash, butter, bacon, broth, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Heat and add your protein and/or nut butter topping and enjoy!

After lunch, two my my closest friends from UC Davis came to visit and we went for a walk along the coast.

IMG_1736

nutrition biochemistry nerdz 4 lyfe.

IMG_1739

golden gate bridge

Afterwards, we went to State Bird Provisions for dinner. It is New American fusion served dim sum style, so you order lots of smaller plates. Very cool! I didn’t take any photos of dinner, but it was insanely delicious. We got

  • almond biscuits with duck liver mousse
  • hamachi spring rolls with persimmon
  • garlic bread with burrata
  • seafood salsa with avocado cream
  • glazed pork ribs with chard and togarashi (my fave!)
  • red trout with hazel and mandarin brown butter

Gah, I am salivating just rehashing the details. I should go pack. Have a wonderful  Wednesday!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

mongolian beef

Posted on October 29, 2012 | 3 Comments

Happy Monday dear readers! I hope your weekend was both relaxing and fun and that all of you on the East coast are safe! 

My weekend was packed. Between going out dancing in costume, helping a friend move, going for a lap swim (with my Olympic qualifying room mate…), and watching the Giants win the World Series, I did not sit down! Unfortunately, the state of my room and laundry piles are extremely compelling evidence to the craziness of the weekend. Usually Sundays are devoted to things like cleaning, laundry, and food prep, but I decided to go watch the Giants game at a sports bar in the Marina. I am so glad that I went. I have never seen so many strangers bond, dance, jump, and scream like that. 

The bar after the Giants won. Champagne showers… 

making new friends!

the streets post-game

I have to admit though, I am happy it is the workweek where I can sink into my schedule, work out, and eat healthy, homemade food all week. Today’s workout is going to look something like this:

Booty Building Workout

The squat pyramid

  • 5 squats, 95#
  • 5 squats, 105#
  • 5 squats, 115#
  • 5 squats, 125#
  • 5 squats, 135#
  • to (almost) failure, 155#
  • to (almost) failure, 145# then 135#, then 125#, then 115#, then 105#, then 95#

3 sets of 8-12 at a challenging weight

  • lat pull downs
  • walking lunges holding DB in each hand
  • rows
  • incline sit ups

The recipe for today is not completely paleo but is far healthier than your typical takeout version of Mongolian beef, which is usually loaded with sugar!

Healthier Mongolian Beef

Recipe: Serves  2 – HIGH PROTEIN, DAIRY FREE, LOW SUGAR

adapted from very culinary
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup NuNaturals Baking Blend Stevia
  • 1/2 tsp molasses
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2-2/3 lb flank steak
  • 2 tbsp white whole wheat flour (or tapioca or potato starch)
  • 1 green onion

Directions – For the sauce, heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the fresh ginger and garlic to the pan, quickly followed by the soy sauce and water. Add the baking stevia (or sugar) to the sauce and raise the heat to medium and boil for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is thicker. Remove the pan from heat.

Slice the steak into bite size pieces. Lightly dust the pieces of steak with the flour or starch. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so the starch sticks. During that time, heat up 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a pan on medium-high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just about two minutes or until the beef is darkened on the edges. Remove the beef and place on a clean towel. Put the pan with the sauce back on the medium heat and put the meat back into the pan to simmer for 1 minute. Add the green onions.

Serve the beef with steamed broccoli and your choice of carbohydrate (like soba noodles, quinoa, rice, potatoes, or more broccoli!). Use the extra sauce for the veggies, etc.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

killer bacon broccoli salad.

Posted on October 23, 2012 | 11 Comments

Hello everyone!

I seem to have a penchant for obnoxiously long domain names, as I have purchased TheInformedHealthNut.com as the new home for this blog! However, I have NO clue (and NO time) to transfer the blog to the new domain, so I need someone to help me out. If you want to be hired for the job, just send me an email! It is probably really easy…. but I wouldn’t know.

So much has happened in the last month, I can’t even fathom it. I have now been working in the doctor office for almost two months and have really been enjoying it. Although, I definitely need to go work attire shopping. But with what time?!

Those work flats are not happening anymore, though. I was beginning to experience some foot pain (eek!), so I went to see a new orthopedic doctor here in the city. We determined that it was walking around the city in my work flats and lugging my laptop that was causing the pain. Thus, tennis shoes are now being worn with my work outfits when in public. So fashionable..

Speaking of work clothes, I now get to get paid to wear spandex and knee socks to work! Last night was my first shift at Crunch Fitness on New Montgomery. I will be working there part time as a personal trainer. The vibe is awesome. It is not too frou frou like some gyms in the city, but it is still a nice facility and very high energy. People go there to work out and make changes, not merely see and be seen. I am excited to fill up my schedule with clients and work with them on their fitness and nutrition! If you live in the Bay Area, come see me for a free hour evaluation and work out! One of the trainers asked me to give him a CrossFit style workout for him last night between clients, so I put him through this wretched little number:

5 Rounds For Time

  • 22 wall balls, 20# ball
  • 30 dumbbell snatches (15 per hand), 50# DB
  • 22 box jumps, 24 inches

As far as San Fran living, I have been doing as much as possible. My logic is that if I am going to pay enough in rent to sustain a family of 4 in the Midwest, than I better live the life of four people each month. Activities have included:

attending my first Giant’s game (going to the World Series!!!!) and watching the Blue Angels fly overhead

 Hardly Strictly bluegrass festival

hiking to the beach + exploring the Mission and most of the other ‘hoods

going to the flea market with Natalie + exploring several food and cultural festivals

I have surely bored you all to tears with all my talk of stress fractures, so I am going to sum this up as quickly as possible. At the beginning of October, I got the OK to lifting weights again. Have been loving it. Started to get a bit of foot pain, but not during workouts. Saw a doc and figured it out. Am currently lifting and being cautious. Get to add in some running in November. Get to add in CrossFit style workouts/ lifts in December. Done.

Endurance Focused Lifting Workout

5 sets of:

  • 20 backsquats, 95#
  • 12 military presses, 45#

4 sets of: 

  • 20 deadlifts, 115#
  • 15 lateral DB raises, 10#

Between my two jobs, I now work from 10:3o am to 9 pm with a break to work out in there. Thus, I have to bring both my lunch and dinner with me each day. This is going to make recipe posts more difficult, but hopefully it will be a great way to learn how to make portable meals that are suitable for work  that are actually tasty and healthy. Expect that in the near future! A recent fave…

Addictive Bacon Broccoli Salad

Recipe: Serves 2 as a side

  • 3 cups raw broccoli, chopped
  • 2-3 slices of bacon
  • 3 tbsp sweet onion, finely diced
  • 3 tbsp light mayo
  • 1 tbsp greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • salt, to taste

Directions – Cook the bacon in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes, until very crispy. Lay on a paper towel to drain. Once cooled, crumble into bits. Combine the broccoli, bacon bits, diced onion, mayo, Greek yogurt, honey, apple cider vinegar, raisins, and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Enjoy!

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food, Other

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What I Ate Wednesday: Moving edition!

Posted on August 28, 2012 | 19 Comments

Moving time always brings about my most creative, disgusting, and occasionally accidental-genius meals, so this

is all about using up the random ingredients in the fridge. Breakfast has been a desperate attempt to finish up all my various protein powders. I didn’t realize I was such a whey protein ho?…

protein waffles topped with coconut butter, almond butter, brasil nut butter, and suga free maple syrup!

After breakfast, I read for a while, packed more, and then hit the gym. Since studying for my personal training certification, I have realized that I need to change up my lifting workouts! I always was aiming for high weight, low reps in order to get stronger and build more muscle, but now I am understanding the importance of having days that are aimed at muscular endurance. It was so much fun to do something new(ish) at the gym!

Foot Injury Friendly Lifting Workout 

If possible, do each pair of exercises by alternating sets. AKA, do a set of 15 reps of one exercise, then a set of 15 reps of the other exercise, and repeat 5 times. Pick a weight that you can complete the full 15 reps. 

  • Bench press and Leg extension machine
  • Lat pull down and Hamstring flexion machine (where you are on your stomach and pull your feet back) 
  • Back extensions holding weight plate and tricep raises holding weight plate

After that workout I was ready for lunch! Lindsay inspired me a while ago to use broccoli slaw mixed with canned tuna, greek yogurt, and spices to make a healthy salad. This has turned into a go to meal that is easy, quick, healthy, and satisfying both physically and mentally. The possibilities are endless!

The Go-To Lunch Salad

Recipe: Serves 1 – high protein, low carb, grain free

  • the protein: canned tuna or sardines or salmon
  • the sauce: 1 tbsp mayo + 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • the veggies: my favorite is broccoli slaw + chopped red bell pepper + diced onion. or any salad greens, sprouts, shaved carrots, tomatoes, etc.
  • the spices: my favorite combo is curry powder, salt, pepper, raisins, and a splash of red wine vinegar and worchesire sauce. or mustard, honey, and a dash of red wine vinegar with slivered almonds. or lemon juice, lemon pepper, honey, a pinch of cumin, and a dash of white wine vinegar.

Dinner was left over chicken breast and roasted sweet potato with the a green bean salad on the side. I had this recipe pinned for months now and realized it was the perfect opportunity to use up the rest of my blue cheese and make a dent in my walnut oil and walnut stash. I was not expecting it to be fabulous – but it was. So much so that I immediately made another batch for tomorrow!

green bean salad with walnut oil, black walnuts, and blue cheese

Recipe: Serves 2

slightly adapted from cooking spree

  • 1 bag of green beans
  • 1 1/2 tbsp walnut oil
  • 1/4 cup black walnuts, chopped
  • handful of blue cheese, crumbled
  • salt, to taste

Directions – Her directions are totally different than mine and will probably yield tastier beans, but I wanted to make this quickly. Add the beans to a large bowl with a drizzle of water, cover, and microwave until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain the water. Add the oil, salt, and blue cheese and toss so that the beans are evenly covered. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and enjoy!

And we mustn’t forget dessert….

Peanut.

butter.

bacon.

cookies.

Clearly, I can’t contain my excitement.

Recipe to come… ;)

→ 19 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

coconut water pong and the invention of dub step.

Posted on July 31, 2012 | 11 Comments

Hey WholeWheatOrBusters! Let’s be real here, I need to change the name of this blog. And buy my own domain. Wheat is now a foreign object in my diet, making occasional appearances for special occasions and bizarre cravings. If anyone comes up with a name that I love… I’ll send you a care package full of edible goodies.

This weekend had it’s ups and downs. On the up side, I hung out with friends, both new and old, and went floating down a beautiful river for several hours. Some of my guy friends also created a non-drinking game that combines getting swole with beer pong and coconut water. Coconut water pong, if you will. And every time you time the other team makes a cup, you and your partner must do 8 pull ups or air squats. I did 48 pulls ups that night. Still sore.

On the down side, our house was intruded upon and they stole my house mate’s laptop as well as my wallet and ipod. Our town is so small and… cute… that Kathleen and I don’t always lock the door. Obviously, we have learned our lesson.  Everything is replaceable, except my wallet. It was my deceased father’s and meant more to me than basically anything I own. When my family passed it down to me, I knew I could keep it in a box – safe and sound – for the rest of my life. Or I could actually use it. Knowing full well that I would likely lose or damage it one day, I chose to use the wallet. Everyday it served as a physical reminder of him. However, besides the wallet, everything else is just stuff and doesn’t really mean anything. Stuff is replaceable and it doesn’t bring happiness anyway. When was the last time you bought something that brought you lasting happiness? I can’t think of a time. Also, the robber is apparently a raging alcoholic, because on his way out, he also stole my room mates handle of gin. Who does that?!?

Besides the wallet, I also had to say some hard good byes this weekend. :( It has been helpful to remember that no good bye is necessarily forever until it is t h e     t i m e.

I also got my first MRI!

I am pretty sure the inventors of dubstep drew their inspiration from being forced into the giant magnet machine a few too many times. For an hour, I could feel tingling in my feet and the blaring beat of the machine piercing through my ear plugs and headphones. Granted, the headphones were cheap and a measly donut of foam was supposed to block out the sound. I am pretty sure a major hospital can afford some nice Bose noise cancellation headphones – but whatevs, I got my dubstep on.

I am still limited in my working out (no running, jumping, olympic lifting), but have gotten to add in squats and deadlifts to my regimen.

HALLELUJAH BABY JESUS HAS RISENNNNN! 

Foot Injury-Safe Workout #4

  • Bench press, 65 lbs, 3 rounds until failure
  • Military press 50 lbs, 3 rounds until failure
  • GHD Abs with 3 kg ball, 3 rounds of 12
  • Pull ups + hanging tricep dips, 3 rounds until failure
  • Sit ups + side bend abs holding 45 lb plate, 3 rounds of 12 per side
  • 1 more round of each until failure

Food wise, I am on a salad kick for lunch because it is steaming hot here. I have had this one three days in a row, which is weird. I am finally over it, but I think you should get on it. Asap.

The flavors come together in a totally unexpected and awesome way. I seriously recommend you give this one a shot. The brasil nuts and toasted coconut are optional, but they definitely take it to another level.

Tropical Summer Market Salad

Recipe: Serves 1

  • 3 cups mache
  • handful sugar snap peas, halved
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, diced
  • handful sprouts
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 oz goat cheese
  • 2 brasil nuts, chopped
  • 1/3 cup mango, cubed
  • 1 tbsp shredded, toasted coconut

Directions – Dice the cucumber and snap the snap peas into bite size pieces. In a large bowl, add the mache, snap peas, cucumber, and sprouts. Drizzle the olive oil and apple cider vinegar over it. Sprinkle on the salt and fresh pepper. Mix. Add the goat cheese and cubed mango and toss again. Scrape onto a dish or bowl. Top with chopped basil nuts and a dash of toasted coconut. Eat with a side of protein!!!!! Enjoy.

Benefits:

Mache * has a crazy amount of vitamin folic acid (B9) for a leafy green, as well as vitamin C, and potassium! Plus its weirdly delicious. Try it!

Sprouts * has 50x the antioxidant sulfurophane contained in broccoli

Sugar Snap Peas * a tasty source of fiber for regularity, as well as a good source of  vitamin K, B6, and vitamin C. Vitamin K plays a key role in calcium absorption, along with vitamin D.

Mango * high in vitamins A, C, K, E, and potassium, magnesium, and selenium. Also contains the antioxidant beta carotene, a carotenoid! Mangoes are high in fiber due to their pectin content, which has been associated with lower cholesterol levels and reduced risk for cancer.

Brasil Nuts * is THE RICHEST source of selenium of all natural foods! Just 1-2 nuts per day contains all the daily required selenium you need, which may help prevent skin cancer. I get at least one a day!

and that was…

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food

Tagged , , , , , ,

Persistence and perserverance.

Posted on July 17, 2012 | 13 Comments

Gooood evening. I have so much to say, I don’t even know where to start.

I guess I will begin with the internship I alluded to a few posts ago.  I wanted to find a doctor that was familiar with the paleo diet and preferably had their own practice similar to what I would want to do. At first, I got all no’s and I-don’t-have-time’s, but it is amazing what a bit of persistence will do. You have to show people that you really care about what they are doing and demonstrate your skill set in some way. The doctor I will be working with is located in San Francisco, which means I will need to move there in September!! I am so excited. Hopefully I will have my NASM personal training certification done by then so I can personal train on the side. Without saying too much (since I don’t know what would constitute too much at this point), I will be teaching his patients how to use a technology to track various aspects of their life. The data will come from an assortment of gadgets, one being the BodyMedia. The BodyMedia is the armband I was wearing in the photo in my last post and it measures your heart rate, steps, calorie burn, etc. The other aspect of the job is to encourage patients to keep using the gadgets and software, as it can be a bit of a pain. I have been wearing the BodyMedia as well as the other devices so that I can get a feel for what I am supposed to be coaching and encouraging people to do.

At first, I was bummed about wearing the BodyMedia because it arrived right when I injured my foot. It would have been so cool to see the calorie burn and activity level when I was doing my crazy CrossFit workouts and two-a-day’s. However, it turns out that wearing the BodyMedia when I am extremely inactive has been eye opening.

On a day where I did not work out and was seated or supine about 95% of the day:

1739 calories is pretty good for a small female sitting all day long. The blue spikes are calories burned per minute, which increases as my heart rate increases. This information made me think that I may not have been fueling enough when I was super active. I had this issue when I was on the triathlon team at UCSB and I do not want to suffer those consequences again.

On a day where I did one of my 30 minute injury-safe workouts. Keep in mind, I do as little walking/moving as possible!

Again, 2,000 calories for being basically immobile plus a 30 minute limited-ability workout is not bad!

Once I am back on my feet, I cannot wait to show you guys the data from CrossFit workouts versus lifting versus cardio. My guess is that after high intensity (but short) workouts like CrossFit and HIIT, there will be an increase calorie burn for the rest of the day. With long, steady state cardio, I imagine there will be a greater calorie burn during the workout but less calories for the day total. Why? Because long, steady cardio does not increase your fat and calorie burn after your workout – but high intensity (AKA sprints, weight lifting, CrossFit) does!

The workout I did today burrnnneedddd! Instead of rotating through a bunch of body parts to avoid fatigue, I wanted to really stimulate those muscles and stay on them for long periods of time. I used this tabata timer, set to 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest, 30 rounds.

Injury Friendly Workout # 3

  • 10 minutes of abs
  • 1 minute V-ups
  • 1 minute bicycles
  • 1 minute cross toe-touches
  • 1 minute sit ups
  • 1 minute leg raises
  • repeat
  • 10 minutes of booty
  • 2 minutes donkey kick back, left leg
  • 2 minutes donkey kick back, right leg
  • 2 minutes fire hydrant kicks, left leg
  • 2 minutes fire hydrant kicks, right leg
  • 1 minute donkey kick back, left leg
  • 1 minute donkey kick back, right leg
  • 10 minutes of chest and triceps
  • 1 minute push ups
  • 1 minute tricep dips
  • 1 minute of ab or booty work
  • repeat 3x + 1 more minute of whatever you feel like

On the recovery front, my foot is still being lame (ha…) but I have definitely continued to work through my goals list. I have been slow to start cooking more “real” meals again, but I’m getting there!

Breakfasts have been paleo waffles and protein pancakes.

The  lunch recipe I have for y’all today is so easy it’s not even a recipe, but it never fails to be delicious. It packs 40 grams of protein and can be as few as 400 calories or as many as you want, simply adjust the avocado and other fats to your needs.

Mini Paleo BLTs

fresh. saliva inducing. filling.

Recipe: Serves 1

  • 4 butter or Romaine lettuce leaves, washed
  • 1 tbsp paleo or regular mayo
  • slather of your favorite mustard
  • handful of baby tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 4+ slices of roasted turkey (nitrate free)
  • 2 slices of crispy bacon, split in halves (nitrate free)
  • red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 of an avocado, sliced

Directions – Lay the lettuce on a large plate. Add a smear of mayo and mustard. Top each leaf with a slice of turkey. Arrange the tomatoes, bacon, avocado, and onion on each turkey slice. Add salt. Enjoy!

Best enjoyed eaten like a taco:

make this. you don’t have an excuse not to.

Dinners have been inspired by other blogs, but I will save those for my next post!

→ 13 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Workouts you can do with an injured foot or leg

Posted on July 14, 2012 | 9 Comments

Hey everyone! I am sorry for the lack of postage. I have been wanting to write about injury and recovery and not food, so that is the this post is going to be. After weeks (months?) of feeling pretty anti-cooking and just making simple staples like paleo waffles and meat salads and pesto “pasta” dishes, I am finally ready to get creative in the kitchen. With this injured foot, I really have no excuse to not devote some time to making new and interesting meals. I am still working hourly to not get sad about my foot, but it is getting a bit easier. I have been working on those goals I mentioned:

  • Read Outliers.  Pretty good; it appealed to my inner super-liberal. It essentially is a reminder that great success is a combination of hard work, smarts, seizing opportunity, and luck. I think his main point is to not forget that many successful people come from privileged backgrounds and their success was not 100% “self made.”
  • Begin studying for the NASM personal training certification. (This is obviously a work in progress.)
  • Watch the CrossFit Games. More today and tomorrow! Y’all gotta watch. It is INCREDIBLE what these athletes are capable of. I can’t wait to get back in the box!!!!
  • Watch Pretty Little Liars
  • Go to the movies
  • Keep sending obnoxious emails This put me into contact with a professor at UC Davis that studies anthropology, specifically the paleolithic period. We chatted on the phone for a while about the Paleo diet. He was super into “rabbit starvation” and the importance of eating fatty meat for our ancestors. Fattier cuts of meat (remember, at the time, all this meat was grass fed) contained the calories, fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins necessary for life. If the cavemen had only subsisted on rabbit and small, low-fat game, they would die – even if they were meeting their calorie and protein needs.
  • Get back into reading Al Jazeera and the news. (I am gonna do this….. in 5 minutes after this post).
  • Go volunteer places. (I haven’t actually done this yet, but I looked up opportunities and have marked my schedule for feeding the hungry with Davis Community Meals on Tuesdays!)
  • Read more about starting your own business. 
  • Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. This has been key in keeping me happy and sane. As well as making sure I am outside at least 2 hours a day.

As it turns out, you CAN work up a mean sweat even when you can’t use your feet!

ew, yes, that is sweat on my lip. 

Whether you are injured or not, these workouts are hard, but entertaining. I welcome you all to try them out and let me know how they go. They will help you get abs of steel, triceps of a god, a firm booty, and the ability to do pushups and pull ups like a man an asexual fitness beast.

Workout #1

AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 20 minutes

  • DB (dumbbell) shoulder press, 20 lb, 12 reps, left arm
  • DB shoulder press, 20 lb, 12 reps, right arm
  • 1 minute ab work (V-ups, sit ups, alternating toe touches)
  • pull ups, to failure
  • 1 minute booty kick backs, left leg
  • 1 minute booty kick backs, right leg

Workout #2

8 minute tabata, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest

  • 1 minute pushups (on your knees if you can’t use feet)
  • 1 minute ab work (V-ups, sit ups, bicycles, V-holds, toe touches)

12 minute tabata, 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest

  • 1 minute tricep dips (I used two chairs as the hand support)
  • 1 minute booty kick backs, left leg
  • 1 minute booty kick backs, right leg

That thing on my arm is a BodyMedia, which tracks calories burned, heart rate, sleep time, etc. I am wearing it for the internship/job that I have yet to tell y’all about, which I will soon! In my next post, I want to show you what this little gadget has been teaching me about my lifestyle and fitness. There are graphs!!!

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Fitness

Tagged , , , , ,

Aside

My blog is typically me putting my best face forward. I avoid complaining and revealing my negative emotions. Not because I want to fool anyone into thinking I am always happy and perfect, but because writing positive posts makes me … Continue reading →

→ 19 Comments

Posted on July 10, 2012

go outside!!

Posted on July 2, 2012 | 7 Comments

This weekend was perfect. After days of being in the house, classrooms, and laboratories, the weekend just screams go outside! On Saturday, my friend Erin drove to Davis to visit me from San Jose. We went to middle school together in Austin and I hadn’t seen her in years! She happens to be doing an accounting internship in San Jose for the summer, so hopefully I will get to see her a few more times before she leaves. The fact that you can go years without seeing someone and then have it be like no time has passed at all speaks volumes about true friendships. While we are both very different than we were in high school, we still meshed well and were able to connect in new ways. We saw Ted that night, and it was actually way better than I thought it would be. I usually avoid comedies that look…. you know… dumb, but it was cute and funny. A slight over-reliance on racist jokes, but pretty good.

Erin and I, overlooking Lake Berryessa

meet the newest addition to our house, Kathleen :)

Northern California is so beautiful. I am in love. The vineyards, the farms, the bay, the ocean, the people. I think I may want to cozy in here. :)

On Sunday, my friend Aaron and I drove up to Marin to visit Zoe. Before she got off work, we went to the Marin County farmers market. It is the best market I have ever been to. I am so sad and sorry I didnt take photos! I bought…

  • a pound of pasture raised goat meat
  • pastured sheep yogurt
  • maple whiskey jerky
  • an entire pastured roasted chicken
  • an entire pastured raw chicken
  • organic goat cheese

That roasted chicken came in handy for the 5 hour hike we took afterwords!

It was three hours, and perhaps 6 miles, up to the top of Mt. Tamalpais.

We were very hungry and slightly exhausted once we got to the top, but the views made it all better. Long hikes like these require the best company. I realized how much more fun it was being able to talk during the hike than the many times I have hiked alone in New Zealand or Tibet.

beautiful Zoe and Aaron, who wore a weighted vest…. 

We treated ourselves to burgers, Cobb salads, french fries, and honey lavender ice cream. Third day in a row (between two cities) that I have had honey lavender ice cream. Obsessed.

Honey Lavender from Scoop in Fairfax

Honey Lavender in my bed ;) , from Davis Creamery

But until I figure out how to make my own honey lavender ice cream, you will have to settle for this friggin amazing chocolate pudding recipe. Seriously, this was so delicious that I ate the whole thing in one sitting. I had meant for it to be two desserts, but that didn’t happen. I worked out hard that day, damnit! Not that it really matters, since it is sugar free and dairy free and paleo approved.

Aztec Chocolate Pudding

Recipes: Serves 1-2

  • 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2-1 dropper stevia, to taste
  • big pinch of salt
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • tiny pinch of cayenne pepper (chipotle is good too if you like it!)

Directions – Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until nice and cold.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge. 

it seriously tastes exactly like chocolate pudding.

Benefits:

Avocado * contains vitamins A, B, C, and E. Also contain phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, zinc, and iron. Their greatest asset is their monounsaturated fat content, which is linked to lower cholesterol levels, reduced risk of heart disease, weight loss, and even alleviating depression.

Bananas * a good source of natural sugars, fiber, and potassium, which is key for electrolyte balance. A great source of carbs for paleo followers!

Cocoa * a dense source of antioxidants. Cocoa is also a great source of pre-biotics to feed the healthy flora living in your digestive tract!

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Food

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,