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!

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

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.

nutrition biochemistry nerdz 4 lyfe.

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!

This past week, I got some much needed girl time and nature. Some women from work and I had a wonderful ladies night mid-week that included Mexican food, a bit of red wine, chocolate, and good conversation. Slumber party style. Even though we are all very different and our ages range from 22-32, we get along really well. I have been missing my friends so much since moving to the city. It can be hard to make new friends when you work a lot and don’t know anyone! Friendships are kind of like spiderwebs, you connect with one, and they connect you to so many more – but you have to start somewhere! You can’ t just pop one out of your rump like a spider, as it turns out.

Friday evening was the annual Crunch holiday party. Apparently, personal trainers know how to get down…especially when it is open bar. I didn’t take advantage though, I wanted to get home by midnight, so I could rise with the sun for a special trip to Berkeley to CROSSFIT!

My friend Jameson and I drove to Berkeley on Saturday morning and did a WOD at his friend’s new business: GrassRoots CrossFit. The box was brand spankin’ new and really sleek. The workout was:

• 12 deadlifts (225# men/155# women)
• 9 toes through rings
• 6 wall climbers (I am wretched at these)

We stayed after to work on some Olympic lifting and then went to eat at an awesome Peruvian place called Brasa.

I ate  a full half of a chicken after that… But it was free range, so it’s okay. I was spent for the rest of Saturday, but today my friend Zoe and I drove down to Santa Cruz to meet up with some friends for mountain biking and hiking to a gorgeous waterfall. I don’t have group photos yet but here is the waterfall:

I brought one of my zillions of homemade bars with me to most of these gatherings. My current obsession are these

peanut butter bacon banana bars

They aren’t technically paleo because peanuts are a bean and not a nut. (And stevia baking blend isn’t “real food,” but you know what I mean when I refer to baked goods as paleo: no grains, beans, or dairy.) However, they are delicious and high in protein and fiber and low in carbs. You could use any nut, and if you aren’t a fan of bananas, you can easily leave it out.

Recipe: Makes 8 bars – grain free, dairy free, high fiber, high protein, low carb

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup NuNautrals stevia baking blend
• 1/2 cup peanut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash cinnamon
• 3/4-1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 ripe banana
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• maple extract
• 2 strips bacon, extra fat trimmed
• peanuts, to garnish

Directions – Preheat the oven to 375. In a bowl, combine the coconut flour, stevia baking blend, peanut flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add the egg, egg white, and mashed banana, and mix well. Add the almond milk until the dough is sticky, but not pourable. If using, stir in the maple extract. Grease a pan with bacon grease or grass fed butter. Press the dough into the pan until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Trim the extra fat off the bacon and pan fry or microwave until crispy. (I place the strips on a plate with a paper towel over them and microwave for ~3 minutes.) Crumble the bacon into bits and stick into the dough. Press the peanuts into the dough. Bake for 14 minutes, or until cooked through.

alway hits the spot!

Don’t forget to treat yourself right this week. You deserve to…

Breathe deeply.

Eat your veggies and proteins.

Get enough sleep.

Workout the way you most enjoy.

Do something frivolous – just for you.

Show love and be loved.

To be real, calling these bars ‘PopTarts’ is kind of a stretch visually, but the taste brings me back to my PopTart eating childhood each and every time I have one. Which is every morning.

The base is lightly sweet and very high in fiber because it is made primarily of coconut flour and NuNaturals stevia baking blend. The topping is sweet n’ cinnamony, just like the inside of a Brown Sugar Cinnamon PopTart. You can change up the flavor of the topping by using sweet potato, canned pumpkin, or butternut squash. I have tried them all and prefer butternut squash.

Inside Out Paleo PopTarts

Recipe: Makes 6 PopTarts – high fiber, low carb, grain free

The base 

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 3/4 cup NuNaturals stevia baking blend
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• ~1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or just enough to keep the dough together, so it is very sticky)

The filling

• 1 1/2 cup roasted butternut squash, canned pumpkin, or roasted sweet potato (skins removed)
• 1/3 cup NuNaturals stevia baking blend
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• a few drops maple extract or 2 tbsp maple syrup
• optional: pumpkin pie spice, a few drops caramel extract

Directions -

Preheat the oven to 375. Combine all the dry dough ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Grease a small baking pan (8×12, but it doesnt really matter because if you don’t fill the pan the dough will stick to itself anyway) with butter. Press the dough into the pan until it is ~1/4 inch thick. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just cooked through. In the mean time, combine all of the wet ingredients in a bowl and mix with a stand mixer, hand blender, or conventional blender. Once the crust is done, let cool for a few minutes. Spread the topping over the crust and bake again for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is firmed up.

I seriously love these bars. They are perfect as a high fiber snack or for breakfast.

My daily breakfast lately has been:

• 1 cup Straus greek yogurt
• 1/2-1 tbsp ground Chia (Mila brand) + a splash of almond milk to make a gel
• 1 paleo poptart or 1 peanutty bacon paleo bar (recipe to come!)
• 1-2 tbsp of nut butter
• dash salt
• optional: some toasted coconut shreds, chopped roasted almonds, drizzle of suga free maple syrup

This breakfast is so addictive. I guess its pretty girly since men don’t seem to enjoy sweet things for breakfast. Or ever?….

It packs around 500-600 calories, 40 grams of protein, and plenty of fiber with minimal carbs. You will stay full for at least 4 hours guaranteed . I promise my other meals aren’t sweet-centric!

And that is what I eat Wednesday, and every day

My schedule has been stretched to its limits these last couple months. I work from 10am to 3:30pm for the doctor (still waiting on writing about the details) and then head on over to Crunch, a gym that is also downtown San Francisco.

I work myself out from 4 to 5pm and then personal train people until 8pm, usually. The days are long, but when you like what you do, the energy to do it all comes from the inner joy! However, I definitely am learning the value of a typical 9-5 job. It would be great to be able to make dinner plans, go to meet ups, etc during the week. We’ll see! The feedback I get from my clients is what really keeps me going. Every time they tell me they lost another pound, feel stronger, sexier, more empowered, whatever my <3 swells.

As far as exercise, I have been doing 4 heavy lifting work outs per week; 2 lower body, 2 upper body. I was stuck in a long plateau, so I enlisted Jay Ashman’s help with programming. With the changes, I have finally busted through and hit some PRs! Bench press is up to 95# and deadlift is up to 200#!!! So excited! On Fridays, I usually do a CrossFit style workout and on the weekends I just want to be outside. I try to pick a new running spot every weekend and have been enjoying getting intimate with San Francisco and seeing some incredible views.

Baker Beach above, Lyon Street steps below (super close to my house!)

I started getting some foot pain again a few weeks ago and had a massive freak out that I was re-fracturing my feet. I saw an orthopedic surgeon, got X-rays, the whole shabang, and found out that the pain was simply because I didn’t have enough arch support in my shoes! I slipped in some Spenco insoles and have been pain free again ever since!

As far as food, I am a Tupperware f r e a k. I have breakfast at home, which is currently a bowl of greek yogurt with a homemade paleo fiber bar crumbled in and nut butter. I pack lunch and dinner to take with me to job #1 and #2. They are always some combo of meat/protein, veg, and fat.

Proteins: grass-fed beef, eggs or egg whites, salmon, chicken, canned tuna. I aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight since I am trying to gain muscle. For those who are maintaining or losing weight, .8 grams per lb of desired bodyweight may be suitable as well.

Veggies: kale, chard, sauteed onions, steamed broccoli carrot slaw, salad greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts

Carby veggies: Sweet potato, taro, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, roasted beets,

Fats: avocado, olive oil, any and all cheese, nut butters, coconut, homemade salad dressings, ghee, sometimes mayo…

Fun stuff:  Salt (always), sriracha (at least once daily), curry powder, crumbled crispy bacon, smoked African pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, marinara sauce, spices etc.

When you are truly hungry, food tastes good. My meals are pretty ugly (see examples below…) and definitely not food blog material, but they are always delicious & nutritious.

If people only ate when they were really hungry, they may not feel the need to constantly eat fried, synthetically flavored, and carbolicious foods.

I promise I will start posting real recipes again this week!

I have been hoarding Bacon  & Peanut Bars and inside-out Paleo PopTarts!

For now, you get…

mini butternut squash pies  (GF)

Recipe: Makes 5-6 mini pies – sugar free, high fiber, gluten free

For the crust -

• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 1/3 cup NuNaturals stevia baking blend
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp grass fed butter
• dash of cinnamon + salt

For the filling -

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp grass fed butter
• 1/3 cup NuNaturals baking blend
• 1 cup baked butternut squash
• 1 scoop of vanilla or dessert flavored protein powder (if and only if you LOVE your powder and know it goes well in baked goods)
• cinnamon, to taste
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• a few drops of maple and/or caramel extract
• optional: roasted pecans, to top

Directions –  Preheat the oven to 375. Mix together the dry ingredients for the crust. Add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. It will fairly dry. Grease a muffin tin with butter. Press the dough into 5 or 6 of the muffin spots. Bake for 12 minutes.

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a blender or standing mixer. Blend just long enough for everything to be combined. Pour the filling on top of the crusts and smooth out the tops. Top with crumbled, toasted pecans, if desired. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pies pass the toothpick test. Enjoy!

nom nom!

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

• 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.

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!

I am so sorry for the blogging hiatus. So much has been going on these last few weeks, both good and sad, that it simply hasn’t been a priority. The other issue is that I am almost out of photo memory on the blog and need to either pay to upgrade or make the jump and purchase my own domain. I want to buy a domain, but I just haven’t settled on a name yet! I will be back to regular blogging soon though, I have missed it too much to stay away.

Hope you are all doing fabulously!

Love,

LD

Keep in mind that a stress fracture is exactly as the name implies. It is not a bone that has been broken into pieces, but is fractured partially through. This may not be a clean cut, but may also be surrounded by micro-fractures. Think of the bone as now being extra porous, like a pumous stone. What your body must do to heal the fracture is fill in the cuts and pores and re-inforce the area by making an extra thick “collar” of bone matrix around the damaged areas. Stress fractures usually cannot be scene on X-rays until the collar has begun to be formed, after around 2-3 weeks. In order to heal the bone, your body obviously needs more of what bone is made of:

• hydroxyapatite (made of calcium and phosphorous)
• collagen (made of protein, especially the amino acids proline and glysine)
• calcium carbonate
• growth factors, like glycosaminoglycans, osteocalcin, osteopontin

the fuzzy part is the “collar“

Before we talk about healing, I want to emphasize that a) I am not a doctor and you should consult yours before considering any of this advice and b) that unless you are in pain and really, really want to take over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs:

Avoid taking NSAIDS (Aspirin, Ibuprofen) at all costs during the healing process.

NSAIDS reduce pain by reducing inflammation. They achieve this by shutting down the COX-2 (cyclooxygenase) enzyme. While COX2 is responsible for the pain and inflammation, it is also the beginning of a long chain of events and enzymes that lead to healing. Inflammation, after all, is the flooding of an area with blood and cells to repair the damage. Shutting down COX2 = slowing down the healing process. 

Physical Healing

• Bone Broths. In my opinion, the best way to provide your body with what it needs to repair bone and possibly up-regulate the enzymes responsible for bone growth and repair is to eat bones. What could be a better, more complete source of everything you need to heal? To make a bone broth, use the leftover carcass and bones from a chicken or roast. Place in a pot and cover with water and add 1 tbsp of vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and let simmer for 12-24 hours. You will likely need to add more water if it gets too low.
• Calcium Magnesium supplement. Calcium and magnesium should ideally be taken together, which can easily be done in a single supplement. Plus, magnesium can offset the constipating effect that calcium supplements can sometimes have.
• Vitamin D3, A, K2 supplement. These three nutrients act synergistically together, meaning they are far more powerful together than they are individually. Personally, I used this one. Also, Vitamin D can help fight the depression that may come with being injured. It certainly helped me!
• Horsetail. I purchased a horsetail tincture simply based on anecdotal evidence and one study done on rats that showed increased stress fracture healing due to its high silica content. Silica dioxide is found in bones and is major part of collagen. I gave myself a dose 1-3x per day. I purchased this one.
• Milk Thistle Complex. I also purchased this supplement, which is typically used as a liver detoxifier, based on one study done on rats that showed increased fracture healing due to its silymarin content.
• Homemade, raw yogurt. Raw, cultured yogurt is an awesome source of very bio-available calcium. Here is my post on how to make it yourself!
• Plenty of protein and calories.  Whenever your body is repairing tissues or fighting off an illness, your protein needs are increased. All of the repairing and immune cells (as well as all cells) are made of protein, and you will need these in greater numbers than usual. Also, do not try to diet while in recovery. I don’t have a scientific study for this, but our hormones tend to act globally on the body. If you are in starvation mode, you are going to be catabolic (which means the state of breaking down tissues like fat and muscle). When you need to repair a bone, it makes sense to avoid catabolism and try to ere on the side of anabolism. You don’t need to stuff your face, but this isn’t the time to drastically cut calories or protein intake, despite the necessary decrease in activity. Just try to make the vast majority of your diet healthful, nutrient dense foods.
• A safe level of activity. This completely depends on your stress fracture/s, current level of mobility and fitness, and doctor’s orders. In my case, being completely immobile was thought to be not ideal. Light weight-bearing activity can increase blood flow and help send the signal to the body that part of the body needs to be healed. I was able to partake in swimming, limited walking, and some safe exercises (abs, bench press, etc). However, I had to emphasize rest and avoid running, lifting, and CrossFit for 3 months. Well, hopefully… the “final” doc appointment is on Friday!
• Get some sleep and avoid alcohol. Deep tissue healing occurs during deep sleep, so it is very important to make sleeping a priority. Alcohol also shuts down the healing process while it is in your system, so if you must drink, limit yourself to special occasions.

Mental Healing

Assuming you got the stress fracture because you were doing too much of an activity, you probably love whatever it is you were doing. Not being able to play your sport or do your thing can leave a painful void in your daily life, which is a major emotional hit. Instead, it is helpful to see your injury as an awesome opportunity to improve other areas of your life. Use the time that you would have been doing that activity to do something else that is productive and beneficial to yourself and/or others.

• Be thankful. Be thankful that the injury wasn’t more serious and for what you do have. Start a gratitude journal and try to truly appreciate the fact that your stress fracture is temporary. Not all things are.
• Volunteer! This was the best thing I did while recovering. Volunteering is not only a great distraction but also very fulfilling.  I volunteered a little bit feeding the homeless, which I enjoyed, but I fell in love with my second volunteer position because it more related to my passions. Once a week, I got to teach kids ages 6-14 at an after school program in the projects of Sacramento. I could choose any topic I wanted, so clearly I chose nutrition! We went over the food group basics, vitamin and mineral functions, sugar and its effects, and how to read food labels. Chobani even sent me over a free, giant case of Greek yogurt for the kids to try! I miss my kids!
• Take up a new hobby or dive into your current ones. I had been thinking about giving clinical research a try, so I started interning at a research hospital for a couple months to see if it was something I would want to go into as a career. As it turns out, I’m not that into clinical research. I’d rather read the results . 

Hand-tweezing human fat cells out of the fascia.

• Read! Read whatever you love. Learn a new language. Get NASM certified to be a personal trainer.

Ironically, right around the time I got diagnosed with my two 2nd metatarsal stress fractures, Sun Chlorella sent me a box of Infuse Your Mood Tea to try. The tea comes from the eleuthero plant and is supposed to help improve moods and calm the body and mind. I am not usually an herbal tea fan since I like sweet, fruity teas, but the taste was pleasant and earthy. I didn’t notice a difference in my mood, but it certainly didn’t hurt! Tea can be a nice calming ritual before bed, and Infuse Your Mood is caffeine free.

I hope you all find this information helpful. If anyone has any additional tips or insights, please leave a comment! Happy healing.

yes, my old Texas license plate was BJ5 6969. classy.

Before work, I have been making paleo-ified oatmeal for breakfast. Being the rebel that I am, I occasionally throw some oat bran in there. Many people say that the number one thing they miss when going paleo is their morning oatmeal… here is your solution!

Coconutmeal [Paleo Oatmeal]

Recipe: Serves 1 – low carb, paleo, grain, dairy and sugar free

• 5 tbsp coconut flour (can substitute half oat bran if desired)
• 2/3 cup water (can substitute in some coconut beverage)
• 2 tbsp coconut milk or greek yogurt (I use yogurt for more protein)
• 2 egg whites
• optional: 1/2 scoop protein powder
• 2 tbsp nut butter of choice, or other toppings
• salt, to taste

Directions – Mix the coconut flour and oat bran, if using, with the water and microwave for ~110 seconds. It will look dry when you remove it from the microwave.  Add the yogurt or coconut milk and stir. Add the two egg whites and stir until completely combined.

 Microwave for another 30 seconds. If adding protein powder, add and stir. Do not microwave again, simply add a bit of salt and stir. Top with nut butter and enjoy!

After breakfast, I commute to work using the Muni bus system, which I LOVE. With an iphone, it is super easy to navigate. You can use the directions to determine which bus to take and download MuniApp in order to know exactly when the bus is coming. You will meet every kind of person on the bus. My favorites are the sullen teenagers blocking out the world via plastic white ear buds and the extremely vocal senior citizens that have been taking the same bus for 20 years and know all the drivers.

really excited to get dressed for work…

At work, I am Quant coach to some of Dr. A’s patients. A Quant coach is essentially a life coach, so I aim to help people target things in their life they want to change and discover patterns that they can manipulate to bring about those changes. Since the work is only part time, I am also applying to an awesome gym to be a personal trainer and/or nutritionist. Fingers crossed!

For lunch, I have been bringing boring salads. I need to step up my game in the mornings because when it’s lunch time I get excited to chow down and then remember that I threw together a half-assed lunch. They appear even more lame when I have to go out and bring back the office deliciously expensive foie gras burgers, ahi salads, and lobster mac n’ cheese.

Today’s salad was romaine with shredded carrots, roasted squash, a tomato, and grilled chicken with blue cheese dressing. On the side I had a juicy, organic fuji apple and my fave Kind bar.

After work, I typically go to whichever gym I am trying out and either swim or do my usual stress-fractured-lifting routine.

Also, a few of you have asked how about me feetsies (how sweet of you!) and I am coming up on three months of recovery. On Friday the 28th, I have the doctor appointment that is supposed to give me the okay to begin lifting, running, and whatevering again. Toes crossed.

Post-workout I had a nasty protein shake. I ordered some personalized protein powder from True Nutrition and made the mistake of using the “double flavor” option. All I can taste is aspartame, with a hint of cake batter. I think that is what an aluminum cake would taste like.

After all that, I usually try to explore a bit and study for my personal training exam, which I am taking this week. Alternatively, today I spent an hour guarding a parking space for my car while waiting for my roomie to return home to help me.

Dinners have been very simple, healthy and tasty.

1 small sweet potato mashed with 2 Tbsp almond and peanut butter and topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, onions, and mushrooms

sauteed onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and kale scrambled with 3 egg whites and 2 whole eggs and topped with lots of mozzarella cheese (salsa and sour cream sometimes too!)

After dinner I always have some kind of yogurt bowl. I like to tell myself its to help heal my bones, but it’s really just to satiate my dairy urges. At least suboxone isn’t prescribed for that kind of addiction!

guns n’ ice cream  [Humphrey Slocombe peanut butter bacon brittle banana, to be specific]

And that was..