A Somewhat Paleo Recipe: Mini Meatloaves!

I recently fixed one of my favorite go-to, mostly-but-not-all, paleo meals. This tastes great after a hard WOD. A little work is involved but I've streamlined the recipe as much as possible. (You'll notice the ingredients and measurements are simple).

Help Wikipedia! What is the paelo diet?

"In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.^[1][2] Centered around commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts; and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.^[1][3][4]"

Following this diet can make a person feel tremendous, especially coupled with regular CF workouts. Even a diet that is close to the one herein described can make a difference. I recommend starting with small changes and then slowly cutting down on the "bad" stuff, the not-so-helpful foods. So yeah, there may be too many sweet potato fries on that plate, but they are loaded with nutrients. Maybe next week I'll try some kale...

Ingredients
Two packages of your preferred ground meat (beef, lamb, turkey, pork, chicken, etc. I like turkey and chicken together).

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 medium onion, grated

7 or 8 leaves of sage, chopped

Coarsely ground kosher salt (as desired)

1 cup bread crumbs

Chop it all up and mix it together, breadcrumbs last. Form mini-meat loaves to the size of your choice. Mine come out a little bigger than a deck of cards. This is good for zone proportions. If you want to, weigh them on a scale to get your proper zone blocks.

Heat some oil in a pan and brown them on both sides. Then bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. This is a method used by Rachel Ray. It frees up a unit on the stove that can be used for cooking, and is a good multitasking technique.



Sauces are yummy but usually heavy on dairy and salt, so I serve the meat loaves plain and with a big pile of veggies. I usually make steamed broccoli and some form of sweet potato. This makes for a colorful and well-rounded meal.

Getting Started

I threw a few hissy fits before I truly gave in to CrossFit. I didn't understand the exercises, the lifting was intimidating, the workouts sounded crazy, and the nutrition too restrictive. CrossFit's trademarked phrase is "Forging Elite Fitness". That word, "elite" was kind of a put-off at first, especially considering the extremity of their workouts. Although it took time, I'm now enthusiastic about CrossFit and the results I've gained from it.

While getting started may be hard and confusing (an uncomfortable break from the comfortable routine) it's worth it. I want others to know how valuable this program can be, and that no one has to over-do it (i.e., blow chunks, injure themselves) to get results. I'm human, and I don't plan on taking that out of the equation. That's what this blog is about.

Few of my workouts are performed without some kind of bitching or whining. ("Why can't I just get on the elliptical," I used to think. "I LIKE the elliptical!"). I spend most days either looking forward to, or dreading the WODs. Learning something new can throw me into fits. Technique, repetition, practicing with a broom stick, make me want to just go on a lazy jog for 30 minutes. However, each new exercise is another layer, all stacking up towards some kind of physical enlightenment.

Which leads me to another part of the equation. Gender. If anything, this blog seeks to indulge in the female CrossFit experience. Mastering exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, power cleans, and front squats are intimidating as hell, and sometimes seem dangerous. (I use that excuse on my whiniest days.) Watching guys blast though pull-ups and perform Olympic lifts does not help a girl's ego. If anything it makes her want to flee to Curves where she might enjoy some gentle circuit training. But I digress, for now, because CrossFit accommodates every fitness level, AND I know good CrossFit people who don't do it to be the best. Every person is out to beat their own best time.

Which brings me to the next factor in this exercise adventure: Age. I'm almost 30. Injuries are creeping into the routine. Metabolism is slowing down. Results are hard-won. All the more reason to stick with CF. (I'm calling it that now, CF). I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, even though I’m older than I’ve ever been. Is there hope? Hell yeah!

Also, nutrition. The number one factor that determines my everyday well being is nutrition. Notice I said well being, not happiness. Brownies bring happiness, oh yes, but apples bring well being. I highly recommend a paleo diet but I bend on this all the time. I won't lie and say I eat paleo. Oh, how cool it would be to say "I eat a paleo diet". But it's just not true. A woman needs chocolate, sugar, wine, things like that, this I believe! I don’t cut the good stuff out. Just cut down.

It's important for me to mention that I don't work out in a CrossFit gym. My fiance and I work in a home/garage gym that he's constructed over the years. The homespun approach to CF can be even more complex but just as fun. It requires a good partner, and a great deal of responsibility to do CF independently. Acquiring the proper knowledge and technique are part of that responsibility, and will ensure the greatest benefit and the least amount of injuries. My fiance has hosted many CF workouts at his garage gym and no one has been hurt. Do your homework before attempting this stuff at home. Please!

That wraps up my equation. Everyone has different variables to factor, and hopefully I'm hitting a place in the CF community that hasn't been covered. Did I mention I'm a girly girl? I can talk mascara and shoes with the best of them, but also enjoy getting stronger, one WOD at a time.