In Search of Salad

 
We can do better than this.

Let's talk about salad! The leafy stuff is integral to a paleo eater's diet, and it's important to become excellent at preparing them.  Too many times I've wandered the produce section aimlessly, clueless about where to start.

Why not hit the salad bar??  Unfortunately our local store doesn't have one.  Salad bars are great in a pinch, but most are filled with pre-made salads, dressings, and toppings that are questionable in terms of salt and sugar.  Eating well is about control, and I always feel best when I know exactly what's going on.

In this entry I've formulated an arsenal of go-to salad recipes that I can, 1) remember, and 2) easily create. These are my personal favorites, and are inspired by great salads I've had at restaurants over the years. The ingredients are simple and easy to remember.  Another bonus:  I'm not a big fan of recipes so there's no measuring involved.  Yay!

Caveats:  these recipes, like me, are not 100% paleo (but darn close). Also, the list does not include a "garden salad".  I have come to shiver at them, or what restaurants have made them into:  iceberg lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, and ranch dressing.  Of course even this pile of blah can be modified into something better but it still kind of bores me.

Shrimp or Salmon Caesar.  The easiest to make in a hurry because shrimp and salmon can be purchased unfrozen and take only take minutes to cook.  I prefer to saute the shrimp, and to broil the salmon.  I know it's not paleo but I sprinkle a tad bit of Old Bay on the fish/shrimp.  I'm from Maryland. I can't help it!

Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes (Salad).  Inspired by Rachael Ray but modified to be healthier. Take a big ripe summer tomato (preferably from you or your friend's garden), core it and slice it 8 times from the top down without cutting the whole way through.  This gives you a tomato flower of sorts. Chop the shrimp and mix it with celery, a hard boiled egg, steamed cauliflower, olive oil, and season with Old Bay.  Pile that onto the tomato flower, serve over greens, and enjoy.

Simple Salad with Apples: chicken, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, and homemade honey mustard dressing (equal parts honey and mustard).

Simple Salad with Grapes.  Just like the aforementioned but slightly different:  chicken, grapes, walnuts, and homemade honey mustard dressing.

Roasted Veggie Salad: inspired by Donna's in Baltimore, this is incredible (especially during winter) and can be prepared with your choice of veggies.  It seems to me the vegetables were always a little brown and crunchy, so you can experiment with leaving them in the oven a little longer if you like the crispy texture.  I prefer onions, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. I think Donna's used to serve it with tuna, which was great, but many sources of protein would compliment this perfectly.

Greek Salad:  romaine, a variety of olives, tomatoes, and onions. Easy.

Pepper Salad: inspired by an old friend who served this at sandwich shop in Ocean City, Maryland. Green and red peppers, avocado, fresh ground pepper. Mixed greens are preferable. If you want to be bad, add some fancy croutons and a small scoop of bleu cheese dressing. Either way, amazing. 

Baked Potato Salad:  inspired by the Princess Restaurant in Frostburg, Maryland.The Princess makes this with a regular white potato, but sweet potatoes are more nutritious. Bake a potato, then split it open vertically and horizontally.  Assemble a basic salad and pile it onto the potato.  They used something with cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and cheese. Use whatever suits your taste.  The warm and cool temperatures and the contrasting textures of the soft potato and the crunchy vegetables is delightful!

Oh how I miss spending hungover mornings here...

Fajita Salad:  chicken or steak (sometimes we use buffalo burger), peppers, onions, salsa, avocado, and greens. Season with red pepper flakes. Don't worry, the avocado will cool you down. What does Emeril say?  Oh yeah.  Bam!

The Gun Show

Sometimes laughter is the best workout...

The Gun Show:  A Winter Workout Mix
By Robin Hilton
From NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122962691&sc=fb&cc=fp 

Thanks for sharing, Anna.

Defeated and Inspired

So the Superfit games in Charlottesville games happened this weekend, and in true CrossFit fashion, it was a test of extremities. The workouts were hard as hell and left us exhausted. The snow storm gave us freezing temperatures and left everyone buried in 10 inches of snow. The CrossFitters were seriously tough and talented in a variety of ways. No one dominated the entire event, and there were many unassuming strong men and women who pulled out all the stops and showed amazing strength and determination. This made it an incredibly fun and eventful day.

As for me, I did not finish last in any of the events. Woopty doooooerr. Kind of pathetic, I know, but it was very possible I was going to finish last all around, so that is a small victory of sorts. In the dead lift competition I pulled 35 reps at 133lbs in 3 minutes, which is a personal record. In rowing, I placed 23rd out of 29 women (and shaved 13 seconds off my time for 1500 meters). Nothing dazzling, but still better than I expected.

As for the the last event, I chose not to compete, and I have mixed feelings about it. I'm not happy with the fact that I didn't do it, but I also think I made the best choice. The final WOD was too hard for me and I was not willing to possibly injure myself trying to do it (with an audience nonetheless). It was:

50 burpees *later scaled to 25
25 thrusters, 77lbs
15 hand stand push ups (with a 15kg plate)*later scaled to 5 reps

The burpees are the only thing in this WOD I could have done. The thrusters were too heavy with too many reps and I've never done a hand stand push up. I decided to opt out for my own good, and I admit I was already taxed from the first two events.

I was surprised by the design of the final WOD, and I know I'm not the only one. The hand stand push ups were unexpected and I think it's safe to say that most people struggle with this exercise and it happens to be one that can easily cause injury. Not that any of that matters in a CrossFit competition...

This brings me to my main beef with how the competition was conducted. The final WOD was so hard that the strongest male competitors couldn't do it. The judges had to scale it twice, while the competition was happening. We saw the strongest men in the competition banging their heads against the ground when they attempted their first rep. We later learned that no one at Crossfit Charlottesville had tested the WOD before hand. Also, the judges were very strict about some movements, and not others. For thrusters, competitors were allowed to do a front squat and a jerk, but hand stand push ups were judged strictly. Now this is my first competition experience, ever, so I don't know how judging is normally conducted. Maybe these things are normal, something to be expected. I don't know, but it seemed sloppy and preventable.

All that aside, it was well organized and my favorite part of the day was watching my fiance compete, who did an amazing job. He placed 6th overall in rowing, and in the final WOD was the only guy in his heat who did the hand stand push ups. I'm totally proud.

After hanging around people with matching t-shirts who cheered each other on, I started to long for an affiliate. Although I love the homespun approach to CF, I don't have the support of trainers to help construct and pursue specific goals. In a way, that's why I signed up: I needed a goal. Last week when I was trying to train I felt overwhelmed, directionless, stressed, and alone. It's truly challenging to push yourself and learn new things without the comradery of an affiliate. However, there's no CrossFit gym in our little town, so I'm thankful for what I DO have: my fiance and a few friends who care about trying, learning something new, helping each other out, occasionally running up a mountain with a few homemade sandbags just for the hell of it, and a glorious private space to work in (the beloved garage gym) that is full of possibilities.

In conclusion...

I thought I would finish last in the events. I didn't. I thought I would compete in all three events. I didn't. I thought I would want to quit doing CrossFit and stop eating paleo after the thing was finally over. I don't. I'm really inspired by what I saw on Saturday and even though I'm a tad disappointed (in myself) and frustrated (with the lack of organization), I want to keep working. Now that I know what other CrossFit girls are capable of, I'd like to aspire to their strength, or something close to it. That alone would make me feel like a winner.

Adventures in Training

It seems like this past week I've only had two things on my mind: CrossFit and weddings. The Superfit competition in Charlottesville is 3 days away, the wedding is 5 months away, and I've been laboriously preparing for both.  Pull-ups, dead lifts, bridesmaid dresses, invitations.  Oh my.  Anyway, I really like the photo posted on CrossFit's website yesterday.

This basically embodies my two goals right now:  to be strong and soft.  To have lovely form, and a lovely dress.

I have so little experience when it comes to training.  I'm not sure that what I've been doing over the past few weeks would even count as training.  I've basically been working out, eating well, and indulging in a little insanity.

Take last weekend, for instance.  As I previously mentioned, I've signed up to compete in the Superfit games in Charlottesville, Virginia; a CF-style competition for charity.  We got a hint from the website that one of the events would involve sandbags, and running.  So my fiance, his cousin and I made some makeshift sandbags out of pillowcases/old gym bags and headed to the biggest hill we could find to have ourselves a run.

Keep in mind we live in the Appalachian mountains and a hill here is really a baby mountain. This hill, in particular, is so steep and high that it has a moon-like atmosphere up top.  It's bare like a tundra and has it's own weather system.

I was carrying 25lbs of sand in a pillowcase, my fiance and his cousin had 50lbs.  The idea was to up the hill, for time.  I made it about 15 feet at a slow jog before I had to walk.  Even then my lungs were ignited, and I could feel exhaustion sweeping up and down my body in waves.  As I got closer to the top I had to push myself with everything I had to keep walking.  The sandbag was propped onto my right shoulder but seemed to have no bearing in how I was feeling.  Weight or no weight, the hill was winning.

When I reached the top, I collapsed onto the ground, luckily missing the cow pies, and gasped for a few minutes.  All of us lie there gasping amongst the cow pies.

The insanity of training has been a nice compliment to the insanity of wedding planning.  One seems to take my mind off the other and sometimes, one makes the other seem silly and trivial.  Although I somewhat cringe at the idea of seeing them come to fruition, I'm also equally excited. The competition is going to be insanely hard but hopefully just as satisfying.  It's so close, I can hear the victorious clinking of beer bottles...

Then, I can go home and pick out wedding invitations.

Me, a Competitor?

So I've signed up to compete in the Charlottesville SuperFit Games 2010 Charity Fundraiser.  The competition takes place on Saturday, January 30th, will feature Crossfit-style workouts, and will raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, which seeks to provide aid and support to severely injured service men and women.  A great cause, for sure. 

But holey moley, what have I done?  We all know that Crossfitters are hardcore beefcakes.  ANIMALS.  MACHINES.  Mechanical animals!!  Some crossfitting women, especially, scare me.  And me, well, I'm no threat to anyone.  The closest animal I resemble is a bird, and a clumsy one at that.  I've never been very fast or strong, just terribly consistent.

However, this is why I signed up...I want to know how I'll do in a competitive setting, want to know myself a little better when it's showtime.  I've always been physical in the past, but never pitted myself against anyone else.  I'm more experienced at performing dance routines at recitals than I am playing a game against a team or another person.  I've coached myself and friends at climbing harder routes but all while embracing the phrase, "we all win!".

Well, not this time.  There will be real, strong, girls, all around me.  I've got about 10 days left to train before I rest up a few days ahead.  What kind of workouts shall we expect?  Here's what it says on the website:


The games will incorporate a variety of different skill sets and be scaled to any level athlete. We will announce the 3 individual events 48 hours prior to the competition.

Sample Workout Formats

Event 1: 3 Rounds of Row 500 Meters, 21 Squat Cleans, 21 Burpees

Event 2: 1 Rep Max Deadlift

Event 3: Run 800 Meters, 50 Double Unders, 50 Overhead Squats, Run 800 Meters

This is brilliant because it touches on all aspects of fitness, whether you're small and fast, or big and strong as hell. It makes training tricky, though.  Where to start?  What to focus on?  Basically, I've decided to keep doing the WODs as posted on CF's website, and to focus on a few key CF movements:  pull-ups, rowing, burpees, and deadlifts. These are the movements I love and hate most, so I figure I should get better at what I'm bad at, and stronger at what I'm good at.

Diet and rest are going to be emphasized more than ever over the next week.  Gone are the days of spending an extra 20 minutes on the bike just to burn calories.  I need that energy to be as explosive as possible when lifting or doing WODs.  And gone are the hershey kisses for dessert. Farewell sweets and the extra energy it takes to work you off.

For now, I have a goal, and that is the greatest benefit of signing up to compete.  It gives a prize for my eyes, a reason to push, and later, a reason to celebrate.

Dear Diary: I Kick Ass

In a small, red leather-bound journal with the word "Laugh" embossed on the front, I keep track of my progress with Crossfit.  The journal was given to me for Christmas of 2008 and sometime around February of 2009 I started recording results on a regular basis.  (At the time, it seemed inappropriate to record my fitness progress in a journal instructing me to laugh.  Now, it seems entirely perfect).

Just yesterday I finally digitized my records into a google document.  Now I can look back and grimace and smile at my progress over the last 10 months.  I laugh at what I was deadlifting but also frown because I haven't made more progress.  Where has my focus been?  After some reflection, I realize it was all over the place.

Dates and workout times are important to record, but so are personal notes.  Although it seems extraneous at the time, these make for juicy tid bits of insight later on.  Making note of how you felt due to a previous workout, or mention of an injury might help you remember why your progress was either thwarted or exceptional. Since nutrition is a huge part of the equation,  notes on dietary changes or improvements are also important. 

Overall, such self-reflection is incredibly helpful.  Reading my "laugh journal" was a great way to start 2010, but I couldn't help but wonder why I didn't start sooner, reflect more often, and keep better records...it's hard to know how far you've come if you don't even know where you started.

Cheating to Stay on Track

Before Christmas I was trying to eat paleo for a few weeks, and was feeling freakin' awesome. I'm reading the book, "The Paleo Diet" by Loren Cordain. Learning the science behind this diet makes the motivation and pay-off that much greater.

But like I said in my first entry, I don't want to lie and say I eat paleo all the time, as if that's it, the truth, end of story. It's incredibly hard, and I find myself making allowances during this initial adjustment period. Especially with Christmas in the mix.  When do I cheat?  When do I hold steady?  Who will I insult when I turn down their delicious homemade food?

The holidays weren't as painful as I thought, because I made a decision: I would cheat, and I would be ok with it.

My biggest weakness has always been sugar, in any shape or form, but I was surprised at how little interest I had in the Christmas desserts.  (I still had some cookies, and wine to follow).  Despite my previous struggles, I had established new and healthy habits before I went home for the holidays.  It felt good to realize that.  (I do need to credit my mom for making such a paleo-friendly Christmas dinner:  the turkey, shrimp, salad, and veggies were delicious and made me feel great.  Thanks mom!).

Of course, I didn't escape the unplanned indulgences and the leftovers that came after the celebration.  I went home loaded up with cookies, chocolates, etc., and I enjoyed several delicious family meals with hardly a vegetable in sight. But overall, not bad.  Certainly much better than holiday eating of the past.

The Temptation of Saint Anthony, by Salvador Dali.  This would be more befitting if those animals were piled high with  cookies.

Despite getting through the holidays fairly well, I'm still cheating.  I find myself craving oatmeal raisin cookies like crazy. Not for the sugar, but for the GRAINS. I'm afraid that if I never ever ever ever let myself enjoy that, that it might backfire and cause an all-night, paint-the-town-red, scandalous oatmeal raisin pillaging, from which I may never return.  So what's a girl to do?

The answer:  keep cheating.  Yes, even after the holidays. In fact, there will always be cheating.  It's nearly impossible to eat paleo all the time, and while every effort should be made to follow it, cheating will always be part of the picture. (A very small part of the picture, hopefully).

Out of desperation I've created a sugar-free granola ball of sorts that has several non-paleo ingredients.  This is my big cheat. My big offense. And honestly, it could be worse. It feels bad to cheat, but great that a small ball of sugarless oats can do the trick, rather than a few Godiva bars which God knows I could destroy without thinking.

Eventually, I'd like to say I splurged and ate an extra apple. But for now, this is a beginner's cheat. This is all about choices, and I chose to forgive myself.

Mr. Cordain would back me up on that, too.  In the book he presents three levels of paleo eating.  In Level III you can have three "open" meals per week. "Open" meaning you can eat what you want, without being abusive, of course.   Level II means two open meals per week, level I means one open meal per week.

I'm not sure I can even follow a Level III diet, but it's something to aspire to, now and always.  I'm loving the concept of the levels because it grants us permission to enjoy ourselves while consistently focusing on a broader vision of health and wellness.  What could be better?