Nutrition: Lunch Bunch Idea, 13 Feb 2012

Hello! Officially one month in to your health challenge – how do you feel? Are you making progress and hitting your goals? Now is a great time to pull those goals back out (or since they should be already pasted on your wall look more closely them) and check your results. Do you need to make a better commitment in one area or another? Is everything right on track? Should one be tweaked to make it more attainable? Take some time this week and re-evaluate. And don’t forget to re-take your measurements as well as your pictures for the file. Send me a quick email with any questions or struggles you may be having. I might have a trick for you! If not a trick, we can certainly find you a healthy way to treat too.

 

Now that I am on a holiday theme – Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.

 

Whew. Glad that’s over. So much pressure! Something far less pressured… Welcomes! To new member Megan! Glad you are joining us!

 

Without any emails from the group this week (working the swing shift really cuts into our interaction…sorry, gang!) I came to work with-out a specific topic to tackle. That is until one of my co-workers came by and said this, “I really want to lock-down my nutrition but I’m just not going to do it on my own. So I was thinking that you could make doubles and I’ll just give you money for groceries.” GREAT IDEA! (Disclaimer: It’s a great idea because though Miss Stacey and I already cook tons of food for ourselves – and on-the-cheap I might add – it plays into my great idea. It’s one of those self-promotional things.)

 

Enter – The Lunch Bunch.

 

Here’s the playbill. You and three (or four) of your friends and/or co-workers decide to eat together every day of the week. That’s pretty easy, yes? You most likely already do this. Each day ONE of you will bring in the food for all four (or five) of you to devour. The next day it’s someone else’s turn. This goes on each day of the week so everyone gets to play host and maybe one of the days you all go out to eat.

 

The best part? It’s fun! You don’t know what lunch is going to be today. So there’s anticipation. You do know you are going to get to hang out with your friends. So there’s camaraderie and friendship. And it’s cheap! Don’t believe me? Just try it. It is far cheaper for you to make one meal for four adults than it is for you to make five single meals for yourself (or I forbid – eat out four - five times a week).

 

You get to know more about each other, you will tend to try and outdo another in the creative meal department, sharing food and the experience is a social staple in most cultures – especially ones that are more fit than our own. And it’s supportive. Which study after study, as well as many anecdotal experiences, have proven is one of the best ways to become successful. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes! Try it for a month and keep a log of the food and the costs. I am willing to bet you a really nice supper (of my creation!) that you’ll find it a pleasurable experience.

 

Did you like last week’s workout? Here’s another fun one. Super easy but effective. Don’t forget to play!

 

This Week’s Workout

·         30 Leg Lifts (lie on floor facing up, keep back flat and abs tight.  Lift legs 6-8" inches off floor, with legs straight and tuck hands under small of back for support.  Keep legs higher if back starts to arch).

·         100 Bicycle Crunches Do not pull on neck, keep elbows back and use oblique’s to twist torso.  Keep legs as low as possible without straining back.

·         30 Sit-ups  (Use abmat or rolled towed under curve of back, butterfly legs, soles of feet together)

·         100 Jumping Jacks (yes, that's right, Jumping Jacks!) Start standing with feet together and hands at your sides, jump and spread legs apart about shoulder width, at the same time your hands go over head and clap, return to start position.

Do this work-out three times this week like this:

·         3 rounds for time

·         As Many Rounds as Possible in 15 minutes

·         One Minute movement/Thirty Seconds rest - Repeat till Completion.

 

To eating together. The most heart-full experience of all.

Mike.

Nutrition: Casserole Comfort, 8 Feb 2012

Is it Wednesday already? Or, by the time you read this, Sweet! It’s Thursday!

 

This week has been going by very quickly. With a couple warm days and now a nice snowfall this is great late-winter weather! Bonnie and I were just talking last night about getting ready for gardening season. I am so excited to be able to have a garden this year with the help of Miss Stacey. All those delicious veggies I eat by the truckload coming fresh out of the backyard harkens back to childhood when I would browse Mom’s garden at-will! I do wish I had the gardening fever back then and learned all the lessons she had to teach, but alas I will just have to learn the Mike way – experiment!

 

I recently was asked a very good question regarding one of these backyard beauties – the green bean. Whether you call it a green bean or string bean, these little wonders can fill your picking basket quickly and they make great use of otherwise unusable space like fence borders and porch rails. I was asked whether they are okay to eat if you are following a whole-foods or Paleo template for your diet. Most of the websites and authors out there have their own opinion due to the fact that they are technically legumes (which we don’t recommend eating). Then there is the lecithin content (this is usually bad, such is the case in any SOY product, including Protein Powders which use soy lecithin almost exclusively). I’m going to give you an emphatic “YES!” green beans are great for your plate.

 

I don’t have the time today to pull up the studies or even get you a link to Mark’s Daily Apple where he has several articles on this subject, but here’s the deal. Legumes as a plant are not a problem. The progeny of a legume plant (the bean) has the same toxin and anti-nutrient issues that grains do. They are bad for us as much as they are good for the beans survival until it can grow into a new plant. See Robb Wolf for more scientific details on this one. So, eating the bean in its’ mature, dried state is not recommended. (Nor is anything else that causes gas, indigestion, or must be processed to be edible.) To eat a bean without these effects one must soak it in a brine solution for 24-48 hours with several changes of water, sprout it (this kills off the toxins), or ferment it. Go to The Nourished Kitchen and buy their e-course on this if you desire to eat grains and beans – it’s worth every penny.

 

Here’s where the green bean becomes a winner. It is still considered a vegetable because what you are eating is technically not the mature ovary. For the most part you are eating WAY more pod than bean (usually the string beans with big beans inside taste wonky straight off the plant) and the plant has not had the time or energy (all of that is going into making the baby) to add in the toxins and anti-nutrients. Does this click for you? I sure hope so.

 

An easy way to test out if it is okay to eat? If you can kill it or grow it and it looks on the plate mostly like it did in life – eat it. And if it tastes good right out of the garden and doesn’t make you sick, well then have at it! And while you are at it, pick up a pound of green beans at Market for $2 or after you’ve harvested your first bushel from the garden have at this recipe: Italian Beef and Green Bean Casserole from Jan’s Sushi Bar (a website).

 

To that snap. Of spring!

Mike.

 

Italian Beef and Green Bean Casserole

serves 6

 

2 pounds ground beef, preferably grass-fed
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 2 teaspoons
dried
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 small delicata squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half

 

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat; add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it’s almost browned and much of the fat and liquid has been released. Season with the salt and pepper and add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened. Add the garlic to the pan, stir and cook for another minute or until the ground beef is completely cooked through.

Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, herbs and red pepper flakes, if using. Add the squash and green beans; cover and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and the green beans are tender-crisp. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutrition (per serving): 504 calories, 33.4g total fat, 113.4mg cholesterol, 1702.7mg sodium, 1360.3mg potassium, 20.8g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 10.5g sugar, 31.4g protein.

 

Nutrition: Food Intake and Fat, 6 Feb 2012

Happy, Post-Super Bowl Monday! Did you survive the night to make it to work this morning? No matter what team you wanted to win – the question stands, How did you fare with your fare? Did you make good choices or did you choose to cheat because of some arbitrary argument that you won with yourself? I would love for it to be the former, though we all know that it was mostly the latter. Let’s not stress over it. The scale might care however, so get back on track ASAP for your contest – and more importantly, for your health. Pay close attention to how you felt today and through the next 4 or 5 days. If you’re sore, tired, cranky, overly energetic, bloated, gassy, not able to sleep, overly thirsty, or anything similar – note it! Then you can see how these conditions go away and stay away as you get back to whole, healthy eating.

 

This is one form of something called an “elimination diet.” Where you take out the “might be bads” and then after 30 days try them again and see how you feel. Since we started this year, I was using the Whole30 eating plan which eliminated all dairy from my diet. This included the yogurt and cottage cheese that usually made up a portion of my breakfast. After two weeks (my nutrition maturity is slightly advanced of yours, one month of elimination is ideal), I reintroduced the cottage cheese and within a day started to note some negative effects. You probably don’t want to know what, but it was certainly enough to get me to re-evaluate. So I’m pulling the dairy again. And in two weeks I’ll try it in yogurt form. If the symptoms return then I’ll have the culprit! If they don’t then I’ll know yogurt is okay, but cottage cheese is not.

 

This week will mark the fourth week of your nutritional journey. Did you start your journal yet? This is really important! If you have, go back and look through it. See what kind of changes you have made and what are the results you are seeing. Also- it’s the end of a month so plan on taking your second set of photographs and measurements soon. Because many of you will experience decreased inflammation from the elimination of grains and beans your measurements may be more telling than the number on the scale right now. Shoot me a quick email to let me know how you are progressing!

 

Speaking of emails and personal appeals; over the last couple of weeks I have had several conversations with people about their food intake. Some have come from our parenting-age group and a couple have come from our just-out-of-college group too. Mostly I have seen two main issues when we have talked. First, many of you are choosing to NOT EAT ENOUGH. Mostly this is because of conventional wisdom and the old adage that weight loss comes from eating less than you are burning. Excuse me when I say this is bull. So forget it. And start to eat again. If you need some guidance use the MealSimple template that was in the attachment a couple weeks ago or check out this posting from our site 28 Jan 2011:

 

Attached is a document listing the Zone Blocks with a bunch of recipes that have been modified to fit from 2 to 5 blocks. Eat ONE of these recipes and you have your entire meal done – perfectly balanced. There are also a list of one block snacks that can be doubled for 2 block snack times if desired. I’m including the unfavorable carbs list as well since I know many of you will want some pasta or bread. With this, you must be real, real strict on your portion size. If you need more recipe ideas then you can borrow my Zone Meals in Seconds book or register and go online to Zonediet.com – ignore the advertising and just use the recipes that are listed there for free.

 

Remember, the women are at 12 blocks – the guys range from 15 to 18. Your kids should have 2 blocks – 4 times a day, 1 block – 1 time. Most husbands should be at 16.

 

The second issue comes from this statement “I was eating high protein, low fat…” I stopped him right there. Listen, you need to eat fat. It’s extremely important in a way I don’t have the room to explain here. So important that Dr. Kurt Harris of PaNu tells us as number 2 on his 12 step list to substitute calories that came from sugars and flours with animal or coconut fats. Fat is energy dense so a little goes a long way! Here’s another posting from last year (23 Feb 2011):

 

Nutrition Tip of the Week: It’s okay to go against conventional wisdom. Eating FAT will not make you FAT! A super quick email yesterday after the meeting brought up the topic of Saturated Fats. The basis started in my very brief explanation of the Seven Countries Study by Ancel Keys in which he condemned Saturated Fat as the reason behind our country’s increasing Heart Disease rate in the 1940’s. Below is a link to Mark Sisson’s Definitive Guide to Saturated Fats in which he does a very good job of addressing the study as well as other points of this debate. Personally I like the line where he states – “Saturated fat is also a fantastic source of energy, at least if you trust your body to make the right decision – otherwise, why else would we store excess carbohydrates as saturated body fat?” There are three things you can do with fat once it is in your body – burn it (through ketosis), excrete it (no explanation needed), or store it (through the direction of any extra insulin you have floating around due to excess carb intake). Keep your insulin levels down and there goes the storage factor! Also check out the Wikipedia article for a viewpoint from the supporters of Keys’ study.

 

We promised you a way to get moving this week. The following workout can be done very easily and very quickly. Perform it three times this week and go for an extended walk this weekend (at least 1 hour). Be sure to check the notes to see how to vary the workout so you can do it three times, three different ways.

 

Workout of the Week: (Yes, these will not take very long. Buck Conventional Wisdom. Do them at high intensity and you'll get the effect.)

Warm-up: 2 rounds of 15 reps - Jumping Jacks, Shoulder stretches, Push-ups (5 reps ea rnd), Samson Stretch (hold 10 secs ea leg), Squat (hold bottom of last rep for 10 secs).

Workout: Run 400 m THEN with a countdown of 8 minutes do as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of - 15 squats and 10 push-ups. THEN run 400m again. If you can't measure distance run 2 minutes each one.

Notes: You can do it this way too! Run, do 3 rounds of the 15/10, Run again. Here’s another way: Run, do 21 squats, 21 push-ups, 15 squats, 15 push-ups, 9 squats, 9 push-ups, Run again.

 

This was a lot! And I’m sure you’ll have questions so please send them along. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

To eating well. And bucking Conventional Wisdom.

Mike.

 

 

The Definitive Guide to Saturated Fat

It’s probably the one thing that prevents people from fully buying into the Primal Blueprint. Almost anyone can agree with the basic tenets – eating more vegetables, choosing only clean, organic meats, and getting plenty of sleepand exercise is fairly acceptable to the mainstream notion of good nutrition. The concept of Grok and a lifestyle based on evolutionary biology can be a harder sell, but anyone who’s familiar with (and accepts) the basics of human evolution tends to agree (whether they follow through and adopt the lifestyle is another question), at least intellectually. But saturated fat? People have this weird conditioned response to the very phrase.

 

Nutrition: Breakfast Recipe, 1 Feb 2012

Happy February! A beautiful spring day has graced us early. I hope that you took full advantage and headed outside to soak in the Vitamin D, fresh air, and break into a spontaneous sprint session! We had a big day at the collective hunting down new personal bests in the clean and rocking a 6 minute lung and arm burner. Great programming, JW!

 

To recover from a hard workout – or to fuel for the day, we need to supply our bodies with good quality protein, nutrient-dense vegetables, and energy-rich fats. With our breakfast theme started yesterday, Miss Stacey of The Gluten-Free Glutton, graciously provides us with a simple Crust-less Quiche that is simple to prepare, easier to cook, delicious, and is a great grab and go.

 

Basic Crustless Quiche

I combined recipes from Primal Blueprint (Sisson) and an oldie but a goodie, The Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, Becker, and Becker), taking some ideas from each (if you think you need to toss all your traditional cookbooks just because you’ve changed your way of eating, think again!).  Quiche, especially made crustless, is a VERY forgiving and easy dish to make even though it sounds fancy shmancy.  It's also delicious and versatile, and pretty darn good cold if you don't have an extra minute to heat it up in the morning.  Just grab and go!

 

I have included ingredient options.  Feel free to experiment with your own ideas, just be sure that the egg:liquid ratio remains in favor of the eggs so it all stays together and cooks through.  Sausage, bacon, and other raw meats need to be fully cooked before adding to the quiche.  In general, it's good to pre-cook firmer fruits/vegetables when you're adding the to your quiche creation.

 

Ingredients

·         4-6 eggs - however many you have to use will do!

·         1/2 - 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk (FULL fat) or heavy cream - adjust quantity of cream based on quantity of eggs.  If you're a little short on the liquid though, no big deal.  

·         1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt 

·         1/4 teaspoon pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 

·         1/4 - 1/2 cup grated cheese of choice (totally optional)

·         Butter, oil, shortening or lard for greasing the pan

 

Optional add-ins and their preparation:

2-4 cups broccoli florets:  Drop in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until emerald green, then remove and drain.  Add to egg mixture last.

 

3-6 strips of bacon:  Cut into 1/2 inch squares and cook in skillet until starting to crisp.  Remove to a plate (don't worry about a paper towel - some added bacon grease in the quiche is tasty!).  Place in prepared dish and pour egg mixture over bacon.  

 

Green pepper & kale:  Chop pepper into small dice and sauté in olive oil or F.O.C. until just beginning to get tender, then add finely chopped kale and cook both together until kale has wilted.  Add a bit of salt or basil if you like.  Remove to a plate.  Add to egg mixture last. 

 

Instructions

·         Preheat oven to 400.

·         Grease a 9 or 10" round pie pan or other round pan, or a square pan of similar size.

·         Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk or cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  

·         Stir in any other add ins. 

·         Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes or until set in middle.  

·         Enjoy!

 

That last bullet is the most important. Give this one a go and share with us your thoughts!

 

To ever achieving more. And nourishing our body.

Mike.

Nutrition: Breakfast Ideas, 30 Jan 2012

Hello, All! How does the end of January find you? I trust that you’ve made some simple changes in your lifestyle by now. Have you had any trouble incorporating some of these strategies? One of our readers sent in a question just such a issue. Hopefully, you will find something to help yourself out as we answer it.

 

Side Note: No new welcomes this week. If you have any friends or family who should be getting these emails pass their contact information along so we can help them too! And as always, these emails can be forwarded and are always available for viewing at our blog: http://lancowholefoods.blogspot.com.

 

Reader Question: “This week [my] family has been enjoying some recipes found on Health Bent, and so far so good.  Just wanted to get your input for breakfast suggestions.  I’m usually running out the door at the last second; head wet, only one sleeve in the jacket, and if it’s a frosty morning my windshield wipers and washer fluid are going at high speed.  I’ve been grabbing a bowl of cereal to eat at my desk, but realize that may not be the best choice.  Do you have any quick breakfast ideas…or something that can be pre-made and re-heated?”

 

Response: It’s great to hear that you and your family have found some healthy (and from my experience with the Keatley’s – DELICIOUS) meals! Health-bent, as well as, Everyday Paleo (a very kid friendly food site and book since she has 3 of them ages 3 to 15) are excellent resources. Also be sure to check out TheFoodee.com as it is a clearing house of meals from more websites than you can imagine. All made with healthy whole food ingredients and they have that nifty grocery list function.

 

Now, to your question. That’s a very normal issue with most people. Especially any who have kids. I know that the simple answer “Wake up earlier” is most likely not the one you want to hear since you’re probably dragging yourself out of bed with an alarm (which leads to the next suggestion…”Go to sleep earlier”). So! I have a solution for you. Pre-made breakfasts. Or in my house – leftovers. To quasi-quote Bobby Boucher’s momma “Cereal is the devil.” It may be quick and easy but it has nothing in it you want or anything that will help your body heal and work naturally. Not even granola does it. You need a solid 3 to 4 oz of protein and a couple servings of fat to get going. You can have some carbs or not – it doesn’t really matter. Breakfast cereal is nothing BUT carbs. That’s why you are also probably hungry again within a couple hours.

 

So what would I eat? Well, since you are not going to be whipping up a quick omelet with sautéed veggies – how about a Chorizo Breakfast Casserole? You can make this crustless quiche-like meal at any time, cut it into servings and tuck it into some Tupperware for a quick grab and go. That’s what we do at my house! Or take some leftover chicken (you should always cook a couple more pieces than you need for the meal) shred it, add some shredded apple and nuke it until it’s hot and steamy. Add a dash of cinnamon and some crushed almonds. YUM! Sarah from Everyday Paleo and Megan from Health-Bent both have many recipes on their sites that are prebake breakfasts. Tomato boats (halve a cooking tomato and crack an egg in it – then bake), Egg Muffins (scrambled eggs with all kinds of great veggies mixed in, baked in muffin tin), Breakfast Pizza (With or without a delicious almond flour crust – see our blog for the crust, add any toppings you want!) Most of these can be prepped beforehand and tossed in the oven while you shower. Or cooked over the weekend and put into baggies for a grab and go. The muffins are great to make mini-size, stick a bunch in a bag and freeze as a back-up. (Remember, just because it’s “breakfast” does not mean you need to be eating “breakfast” foods – a piece of baked salmon and a hand-full of almonds is a delicious way to start your day!)

 

And now some other thoughts: Next week you will start seeing a weekly work-out on the Monday post. Now that you have pulled your eating in-line it is time to supercharge your fat-burning monster with some high-intensity exercise courtesy of CrossFit Collective. They are all very easy to do, can be done anywhere, and usually take only 10 minutes or less, 3-4 times each week. Also – if I remember correctly, the twice-a-week fitness class from the NH Rec will be starting up after work soon. Take advantage of both!

 

I look forward to your comments and questions. I will never use your question for a posting unless you have given me your permission. Your privacy is of the upmost importance to me.

 

To starting the day. With a full tank.

Mike.

 

 

Nutrition: Recipe; 25 Jan 2012

Good Wednesday, All! The weather has been decidedly whacky this week so Recipe Wednesday comes to you with a deliciously wacky food that most Southerners embrace and most Northerners shun. Okra.

 

Combined with a seared pork chop (try a dry marinade of Middle Eastern 7 Spice) this is a quick and easy supper that’s hard to beat. Not to mention some motivation to find your motivation! It’s a two-for-one. Head on over to The Naked Kitchen and enjoy! ;-)

 

Okra with Tomatoes and Bacon

 

I will be traveling on Thursday and Friday this week as I seek a new position within our great company. Look for a new post next Monday and until then, take great care of yourself. You are the keeper of the only physical body you will ever own. Enjoy a great walk!

 

To motivation. And what makes us achieve more.

Mike.

Nutrition: Goals and Rewards, 23 Jan 2012

Good Monday to you!

 

Did you survive the blizzard that swept through the county late Friday evening? I found it an invigorating work-out to shovel, shovel, shovel away! Especially after I locked Miss Audrey (my Jeep) into 4-High to crank out the Filthy Fifty at CrossFit Collective with ten of my equally brazen bad-weather barons (not a bad alliteration if I do say so myself…). It wasn’t my finest thirty minutes in my training but it exposed to me exactly what happens when I made the choice to not consistently push for my goals. So today I bring you a quick blurb on the tenets of goal setting and rewards.

 

First, a warm welcome to Teresa, our newest member!

 

There are many posts on a tremendous number of fine sites out there. I even believe that we have one or two on our own blog from last year about it. However, I feel that it is best to pull some of this together and let you expand upon it yourselves. That is the way we learn best right? “I remember 10% of what I hear, 20% of what I read…60% of what I do, 80% of what I teach others.” So after you work on this yourself – take a few moments with the whole family at the dinner table and come up with some goals for everyone!

 

Goal setting is easy. Really, it is. We set goals all the time. “I’m going to get up tomorrow at 6:30.” “Tonight, I have to write my mom an email.” (Or in my case, Christmas thank-you’s!) “This year, we are FINALLY going to take that vacation to Teton National Park.” See? All the time.

 

What do these goals have in common? Other than the fact that most get pushed under the rug for another year (there truly is no MOTIVATION to complete them; New Year’s Resolutions, anyone?)… They all are only partially complete and there is no system for reward OR punishment. What happens at work if you hit all of your goals for last year? You get a good PLM score, a bonus (sometimes), and usually a raise. Not bad, right? What happens when you don’t hit your goals? You’re begging to keep your job. That sucks, right? Okay – so we agree. Back to that soon.

 

I can see the hands waving from across the cubicle sea! “So what kind of goals should we have?” and “How do you make a good set of goals?” Okay, maybe those aren’t the exact questions you are asking…but they should be! Let’s tackle question one:

 

What kind of goals should we have?

The experts (people who we pay for this kind of information) say that we should have short-term (3-6 months), mid-term (2 to 5 years), and long-term (10+ years) goals. I agree – kind of. In my opinion, we should be certainly have all of these but our goals are ALWAYS time-specific so breaking them down this way is a moot point. Let’s work on it this way:

1.       Pick 5 areas of your life you would like to improve. Might I suggest – Nutrition, Fitness, Emotional, Cultural, and Social?

2.       With each one, determine your motivation for improving that area of your life. Such as, “I want to be able to play duck-duck-goose with my grandkids when I’m 60.”

3.       Then take a few minutes to view your current state and what is keeping you from doing this. “I can’t stand up from the couch and walk to the bathroom without being out of breath or needing a cane now.”

4.       Place your motivation at the top of the page. Then list out the acronym SMART and start to draft your newest goal: (I did not make this up – CNH uses this same system to define personal work objectives)

a.       S – Specific: The objective is concrete, detailed, focused, well-defined, results and action-oriented

b.      M – Measurable: The objective is measurable and the measurement source is defined

c.       A – Attainable – the objective is achievable and challenging

d.      R – Relevant – the objective is relevant to your motivation

e.      T – Time bound – the objective has a deadline

5.       Fill in your chart!

a.       S – I will attend a one-hour fitness class at CrossFit Collective no less than 3 times each week

b.      M – I will be able to play duck-duck-goose with the grandkids whenever they want (yes, your motivation can be what you use for measurement)

c.       A – I’ll probably only be able to watch one hour of TV instead of three, but I will adjust to make sure this happens and I will find a friend to go with me so I can’t just FLAKE!

d.      R – This goal will help me become stronger and more fit so that my I will be able to play with my grandkids whenever they want!

e.      T – I will accomplish this goal within 2 years because I will be 60 and they will be old enough to run by then!

6.       Now, give yourself a way to track your progress.

a.       Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, uses a calendar complete with stickers and stars for each day she hit that goal.

b.      The athletes at CrossFit Amundson use a similar matrix chart that checks off a box each time (useful for task-oriented goals instead of time – i.e. By April 15^th, I will attend a local art gallery or museum eleven times).

7.       Don’t forget accountability! It is a very good practice to decide on a way that you can be held accountable. Many people believe that as soon as you decide to do something – tell everyone! Heck, post it on your Facebook page. That way you are more likely to do it because who wants to talk to a friend they haven’t seen in a while and get this question, “So how’s the duck-duck-goose thing going?”  when your answer ends up being some kind of mumbled response because you’re still lying on the couch out-of-breath from that last bathroom break? Plus, it’s always more fun to do something with friends. They keep you honest and on-track.

8.       And finally onto the rewards! Determine how you will reward your effort. I always suggest three levels. The 99%’ers, the 80/20, and the Didn’t Get It.

a.       Rewards can come in all shapes and sizes. For most of us, we used to reward effort with food and frivolity. This just won’t cut it anymore. You can easily take 30, 60, or 90 hard days of working on your goal and toss it out the window of a moving train over the cliffs of Dover essentially ruining your effort. Think this one through.

b.      For example: If you just completed 30 days on the Whole30 program (go 99%’ers!) there is nothing wrong with going out to celebrate at a high-end restaurant where you can order clean, nutritious foods and won’t get a smorgasbord at serving time. However, you probably will find a love for cooking and who wouldn’t love to splurge instead on some decadent LeCreuset cast-iron cookware that you can use many times over to continue creating delicious and healthy meals for you and your family (a far better return on investment if you ask me – that’s why Miss Stacey and I own a lot of their wares!).

c.       Another one: If you dutifully attempted to get 8 hours of sleep per week-night for the month of February but a sick baby and a snoring husband thwarted your efforts (the 80/20 club) then I think that an hour-massage is a reasonable reward. The half-day at the spa can come next month when you’ve made some changes and your goal was achieved.

9.       Earlier I mentioned punishment. This is not the corporal kind. Simply this is the I-didn’t-get-it (and I’m not going to beat myself up over it, but I’ll make some changes and try again) club. Have fun with it. Here is an example:

a.       For the month of January I will take the bus to work at least three times per week. With the money I will save I will take Miss Stacey to see STOMP at the American Music Theatre on February 3^rd.  If I take the bus only twice a week due to my own actions then we use the money to see a show at the Fulton Theatre. If I do not reach any of these marks then I will cook us a very nice supper and do my own rendition (complete with costumes and props) of STOMP for Miss Stacey to enjoy at home.

b.      Have fun with it. Then get cracking on making it happen the next time.

 

Tonight, when you go home grab a clean notepad and sit down at the kitchen table even before the dishes are clear and start to draft your goals. Come up with five categories (the one’s above are not absolute but they are a good start!). Then come up with two goals for each. Follow the rubric as best as you can. That’s ten total. Don’t worry that you have six for the next six months and only one for ten years from now. Let’s just get started on the goal-setting lifestyle and know that we’ll fine tune and tweak later. And as always – DON’T STRESS! If you miss it, keep going. It’s the repeated actions that will bring you success.

 

Here’s where I leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “You can quit and nobody will care. But you will always know.”

 

To goals. And banging pots in the kitchen.

Mike.

Nutrition: Success Stories, 20 Jan 2012

Hello to Friday! How was this short work-week? Splendid, I imagine! Hopefully yours is cruising through to a easy starting weekend. It’ll be another cold one, but that’s no reason not to get out and play! In fact, there is a lot of scientific evidence on the benefits of cold-therapy (perhaps a topic for another time?). So grab a coat and a friend then – go play! Maybe some Ultimate will warm you up, or maybe a city-wide treasure hunt with the kids. Have fun and take lots of pictures!

 

A very warm Happy Birthday to my big sis, Melissa who’s probably kicking around the snowshoes in her home-town of Ithaca, NY this weekend with a little one on her back and another in-tow. Have a great day, Missy!

 

As with every Friday, I try to bring you an inspiring story to give you new motivation as each week comes around. Today is no different; well, it kind of is. Instead of picking one of the hundreds of stories on MDA to share one person’s journey I would like to just give you the link to the new section of the site: Success Stories in the Making. This area is dedicated to ANYONE who wants to take on a healthy lifestyle and wants to share that journey with the world. So far there are over 400 people who are sharing their stories. Guaranteed one is like you or me. Browse a little, see what and why others are choosing to take this journey and just maybe you’ll find that little extra motivation to not splash that extra scoop of sugar or cream into your next coffee. I believe in you.

 

As always – Enjoy the Rodeo! My favorite posts this week are 6 Dirty Secrets about Protein Powder and The Weighting Game.

 

Goals and Questions answered on Monday! (Again, I apologize for no Friday meeting. I will get them running again as soon as we are done with this 2d shift work)

 

Have a great weekend!

 

To successes. At the start and beyond.

Mike

Nutrition; Recipe, 18 Jan 2012

Good Wednesday to you! (Technically, it’ll be Thursday before you all get this but for us swingers…I mean, swing shifters…he he.) My email did not blow up with first week success stories of 55 pounds lost and 30 years regained. But I am going to assume that you are all seeing some change in the positive direction. Remember, let’s get the small steps taken care of (learning how and what to eat), make sure we take the fast steps (sprint once a week), and rest assured (8 hours a night!) that your healthy lifestyle will take you far beyond your expectations.

 

It’s another recipe Wednesday. Here is an extremely tasty, albeit awesomely easy recipe that was posted on The Nourished Kitchen, courtesy of the Well-fed Homestead. It’s so easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it at least once a week for the last twenty years. Okay, it’s probably the bacon that will have you thinking that but really, check this out – you’ll love it. For breakfast leftovers too!

 

bacon, chicken and green beans

ingredients:

§  1 pound bacon, chopped

§  1/4 cup butter or ghee (buy it here), optional

§  2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

§  4 cloves garlic, minced

§  1 small onion, chopped

§  24 ounces frozen green beans

§  1 cup grated parmesan cheese

§  1 cup full fat coconut milk (buy it here or make your own)

method:

1.       Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, cook bacon and set aside on paper towels.

2.      Cook chicken in remaining bacon grease. Add butter or ghee to the pan if there is not enough grease.  Add garlic and onions and reduce heat to medium, stirring until the garlic and onions are tender.  Add in green beans, and cooked bacon, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Stir in cheese and coconut milk until mixed well.

YIELD:  4 to 6 servings | TIME: 10 to 15 minutes (active), 25 to 30 minutes (stovetop)

 

That’s it from me today. Enjoy the meal! If you have any questions please let me know. Remember, regaining your health is super easy, yet super important. Becoming a modern-day hunter-gatherer takes some effort. Take some time this week to pick out meals to make next week, put together a shopping list, and go to Market. Enjoy the process! It’s a wonderful journey.

 

Did you take those pictures yet? Next week we talk about goal setting and rewards!

 

To being Well-Fed. On the homestead.

Mike.

 

P.S. One of the reasons this post is going out so late is because many popular sites like The Nourished Kitchen and Everyday Paleo were on a 12/24 hour blackout to show support of rejecting the SOPA and PIPA bills. Be involved.

Nutrition: Ten Steps, 16 Jan 2012

Happy Monday, Everyone! How about this chilly weather? I know a fantastic way to get warmed-up…Burpees! Crank out a few when no-one is watching. You’ll love how it makes you feel!

 

Announcements first! (1) Welcomes and toasts to Terri, Dave, Terry, and Gretchen for joining our group and email lists. We are happy you are here and look forward to being a part of your successful journey! (2) This one is a bit of a bummer- I was assigned to the swing shift (3p to 11p) for the foreseeable future due to testing needs within my department. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to get some extra work done on the house, but it also means that I won’t be able to make the lunch-time meeting today. I do encourage you to get together, however, as many members such as Neseth, Sandi, and Eric have a lot of experience that they can pass along. I will continue to guide you from afar and I’m always a quick email or phone call away. My desk extension bounces to my cell so call anytime. I will let you know immediately when I will be able to make it in over the next couple weeks.

 

On to the good stuff! A big thanks to everyone who come on Friday. We had a nice attendance and a great chat about some of the basics of food choices. For now we are going to work on making healthy food selections and learning about portion sizing. More on that later.

 

When we start a new journey one of the first questions is “What are your goals?” Everybody I have thus far talked to says they have a reason to be doing this contest (to lose weight, become healthy, control illness) – how many have you have thought about why? WHY do you want to accomplish this? THAT is going to be your motivating factor when it all gets tough. THAT is what you are going to tell yourself each time you question whether to take the time to make a nice steak and veggies or order a pizza (interestingly, they both take the same amount of time and the steak supper usually costs less!) After a while you won’t need these little pep talks – the mirror will do that for you (actually, everyone around you will be remarking about the changes you made so that’ll be a pretty grand pep talk!). But in the meantime you will need them. And a phone number. Someone to call when you need a little supporting hand. Take mine. Miss Stacey and I are always happy to pep talk about making healthy choices!

 

Now that you know why you are on the path we want to look at what steps we need to take to start moving down that path. Here’s what I recommend:

1.       Buy a Journal. It does not need to be fancy; lined paper works just fine. Or use one of those free calendars that never gets put up. Or go all out and get an 8 x 11 weekly planner with plenty of space to write!

2.       Start logging your food intake. Immediately. You need to know what you are eating. Bonus points if you know how much. Log every morsel (including the nibbles while trying to trick the baby into eating more) and all your fluids.

3.       Have a family discussion about making an effort to eat healthier, more natural foods at home. You will need them on-board to be truly successful. Let each member pick one meal per week (see below for resources).

4.       In your journal, write down your goals. We’ll have a goal setting class later so just do your best for now. Be sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timely.

5.       Take your first set of pictures and measurements. Take pictures from the front, back, and side. Also do just face and neck from front and profile. Log your weight today then put the scale away – only once a week is allowed. Using a sewing tape measure (soft type) record your height, waist (at the belly button), hips (widest point), and dominant wrist. You can take others if you want, but don’t need to. Put the tape away you won’t need it for at least 30 days.

6.       Go for a walk. 20 to 45 minutes at a brisk pace. Three times this week. Do a few squats every third song.

7.       Follow the “10 Steps to Primalize Your Pantry.” This is also included in the attached packet.

8.       Start exploring some of the websites we like: The Naked Kitchen, Mark’s Daily Apple, The Foodee, Robb Wolf, Nourished Kitchen, CrossFit Collective…

9.       Begin the challenges and journal entries in the attached packet (first 7 days are included – plus a food list and meal-size template).

10.   Pick out a few new recipes, make a list, and GO SHOPPING. ;-)

 

The most important thing to take away from all of this is – don’t stress! Take it all one day at a time. Start to replace the foods you are eating that are not on the list (if it doesn’t look on your plate like it did while it was alive it probably is not a good choice). Increase your activity simply. And know that one mistake is not the end of it. Just write it down and move on.

 

Have a great week! This will be your first weigh-in of the contest so let the fun begin! Remember, big losses are fun to have but healthy true sustainable fat loss is only 1 to 2 pounds per week. Don’t let the scale trip you up.

 

Email me with any specific questions or if you have a request for a class topic. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

To the path. And every step we take.

Mike.

Nutrition: Success Stories, 13 Jan 2012

Welcome to Friday…Friday, the 13^th! <Maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh>

 

Okay, cheesy joke but I had to give a nod to all those Muppets fans out there. Hello again! Friday’s are what I like to call hit-n-run’s. This is a short email to give you some inspiration as you walk into the weekend and need a little extra to stay the course, especially on this first week. Without further ado here are your links!

 

This week’s success story: Three Generations Living Primal; I figured this was a good way to show that ANYONE, family included, can get on board and become healthier. This line was my favorite, “I know most people come looking for a solution to weight loss – me included. But amazingly I think the health benefits that I have seen will be the real factor that makes this a way of life forever!” And who can resist someone who quotes the Lion King in her story? Check the link at home to see the pictures. (CNH blocks web pictures)

It’s only a small moral victory but I’m going to celebrate anyway: Hostess Files For Bankruptcy; Score one for Real, Whole, Foods. Go Meat!

 

One of my favorite websites roped me in for this one: How to quit mindlessly surfing the internet and actually get stuff done; How ironic. ;-)

 

Here’s the round-up! Always good recipes and interesting topics discussed. Last week there was a lot of 2011 wrap-up and healthy pregnancy posts.

 

And for a succinct look at immune health (complete with links and recipe) let’s take a ride over to The Naked Kitchen!

 

Reminder: A meeting is scheduled for today at 12 noon in the conference room of Building 43. Come to the front entrance to ensure access. The side entrance is restricted. See you then!

 

To the weekend. Farm-show bound.

Mike.

 

 

 

Nutrition: Recipe, 11 Jan 2012

Good Morning! Today is a big day for many of you. It’s the official start of this year’s contest – the individual weigh-in. <Insert dramatic music here> Congratulations on stepping up to the plate and taking charge of your health.

As you will learn in the coming weeks what has brought you to where you are is normal and actually hard-wired into our bodies. It’s the convenience of modern society that has screwed up all the goodness of it! Well, we’re going to re-write that code and revel in delicious food again. For anyone who has ever “dieted” before, FAT has become verboten. This is simply a tragedy. We will cover the ins and outs of dietary fat, but in the meantime here is a quick and easy way to reuse all those bacon drippings from Sunday breakfast! (be sure to see the “NOTES” below the recipe!)

Turkey-less Thanksgiving Throw Together (courtesy of Health-bent.com)

Ingredients

·         1 lb sausage, casing removed and crumbled (preferably Breakfast, but Italian would work nice too)

·         1 medium butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled & chopped medium

·         1/3 c fresh cranberries

·         1/4 c almond flour or crushed pork rinds

·         2 T F.O.C., melted (sausage renderings, bacon fat, olive oil, butter)

·         2 T rosemary

·         2 T sage

Method

Heat your oven to 400ºF.

In a large sauté pan, brown the sausage.

In a large oven-proof dish, add the browned sausage, squash and cranberries. In a small bowl mix together  the herbs, almond flour and fat. Sprinkle on top of the squash/sausage mixture.

Place tin foil over the top and roast until the cranberries have burst and the squash is tender, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove the foil from the dish and broil the top if you’d like it a bit crunchy.

 

NOTES: Miss Stacey and I make “throw together's” almost every week. They are awesome and delicious. Not to mention super crazy easy. Once you’ve made one, you’ve got the idea and can make your own crazy renditions.

·         Try different fats.

·         Go with a mixture of ground beef and pork.

·         Use sweet potatoes or various other root vegetables (No white potatoes! Those are officially banned.).

·         Get crazy with your spice cabinet.

·         Add other veggies that you like. Onions, mushrooms, and even kale work really well.

·         Oh yeah – dietary fat (the stuff you eat) does not go straight to the thighs. Body fat is made by the body. Keep your insulin levels low and dietary fat cannot be stored. Personally, I eat 60% of my daily calories as fat, yet still have a single digit body fat percentage. Lard happens to be my favorite. We’ll have a whole class on this soon!

This will make approximately 5 servings. We go by ounces of protein. Break it up however you’d like  Four to five ounces of meat for the dad, three for mom, two for kiddos, three if they’re over 13 and active. A nice 3 ounce dish leftover. Don’t worry about measuring. Just visualize, divvy up, and go. Afterwards, enjoy 4 oz red wine with a small piece of DARK (72% or higher) chocolate. And go for a short (10 – 15 mins) walk as a family.

 

One last thing. We will be keeping a food diary so now is a great time to get started. Any kind of notebook will suffice (I use an At-A-Glance planner). Write down everything you eat and drink. Down to the very last M&M. Yes, it’s a pain. But it’s crucial to your success. Member (and loyal sis) Bonnie logged every food and workout from 1 Jan to 26 Sep; 267 days of Food, Glorious Food!

 

Have a great Wednesday!

 

Mmmm…Bacon. ;-)

Mike.

 

P.S. Quote of the week: “Hey Vegetarians. If you love animals so much, why do you keep eating all of their food?” Posted on Twitter by @J_Ryan_; retweeted by @CAthletics

Nutrition: 9 Jan 2012, New Journey's - with links

Hello and Welcome to 2012!

 

A new year is upon us and with it appear many roads to becoming happier and healthier mortals. (Let’s face it, if you were a non-mortal wouldn’t fit and fabulous be in the job description?) This time of the year is a significant turning point for many people. They made it through the holidays – intact. And survived the onslaught of relatives. Now that the tree has been put on the curb, the presents packed away with the sweaters, and we are all back to full-time employ we find ourselves staring out of our cars on the daily commute looking at black, black, black. It’s not a rosy thought by any means and it brings many people to start the journey of the most common New Year’s Resolution – to get healthy. (Okay, maybe that isn’t the term but wouldn’t lose weight, be more active, smile more, and all the others roll themselves into the big umbrella of being healthy? I see you nodding!) We are here to make your journey this year one of health, fun, and success. Welcome!

 

As we always do, I’d like to introduce our newest members first. Stacey, Naomi, Teresa, Tracey, Jaclyn, Kalie, and Tyrel have all come on board to learn and share. Hello! We are happy you are here.

 

A little housekeeping! Today’s email is being sent to everyone on last year’s list too. As always, these posts are informational only. They are free. There is no requirement for you to read or keep it (though it would be best if you did both AND forwarded it to ten people!). If you would like to continue to receive them all you have to do is – nothing! They will continue to come in as normal. If for you, these posts bring upon you a feeling of wrath of the extent only otherwise brought about by the scourge of the Earth or ex-lovers…well, shoot me a quick email and I’ll quietly take your name off the list. Hopefully, this isn’t you. But if it is, let me suggest that you let these come in and sit unread in some archive Outlook folder until the day you just need something to read other than Req’s and CAR’s. Whew – glad that’s over.

 

On to the good stuff!

 

As many of you know – CNH’s Biggest Loser contest is starting on Wednesday, 11 Jan 2012. We will be ramping up the emails and starting weekly meetings again in support of everyone participating. In the most basic sense, we will be bringing you information pertaining to your health and well-being. This will include learning about different foods and how they affect the body; portion sizing; cooking techniques; cooking tools; treats; grocery shopping; and all sorts of really technical information about how your body reacts to what you eat (water intake, hormonal balance, insulin, fat, caffeine, cancer, etc.). But becoming healthy is not just about food (macronutrients) and how to eat it – or not, i.e. fasting. We will also cover all sorts of topics like sleep, physical activity (fitness and play), gardening, medications, supplements, sun exposure, and just about everything else you could think of that touches your life. It all matters and here we take a look at everything. I highly recommend that you do two things:

1.       Visit our Blog – LanCo Whole Foods Health Group

2.       Come to the meetings.

a.       I suggest the meetings from personal experience. All the information to help you reach your goals is out there. A lot on our site. And so much more on all of the Web, plus the many, many books written on the subject. It’s all free too! But I suggest the meetings because even with all that information, even if you are an amazing student, self-teacher, and Mensa – it helps to have someone take that information and put it in a form that’s usable. To share with you experience and help guide you through your journey. (Quick story – I used to have no clue how to eat or what to shop for. I’d spend 3 hours in the store and come out with all the “good” stuff which was actually making me sick. Eventually I decided to get healthy. Bought the books, browsed the web. I struggled, but learned. You don’t have to struggle. Lean on my experience and the group.)

 

Right now, I plan on holding meetings on the following dates: 13 Jan, 17 Jan, and 20 Jan. They will be from 12 to 1 in the conference room of Building 43 – the Crop Harvest Test Center off of the main drag through campus. If you don’t know where we are, email me and I’ll send you a map. Attendance is casual. Come if you can. Don’t if you can’t. Stay for only 30 mins if that’s all you have. There will be a follow-up email with notes about what we talked about. Bring your lunch! This week we will start by introducing you to Whole Foods eating – complete with a 30 day meal plan with recipes and shopping lists if you want it!

 

You will see a lot on our blog (and hear a lot from last year’s members) about something called Primal/Paleo. Don’t get hung up on the whole caveman thing. It works and we love it. Yet, we will be working this year to find out techniques and skills work best for you – not any one specific method (hence the new Whole Foods moniker).

 

It’s time to head back into the shop. Next time you see me you’ll have taken the first step on your new journey – one that will last the rest of your lifetime. (Now stand up and do ten deep-squats!)

 

A few links before I go:

·         A little motivation courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control (sent out by Mark’s Daily Apple)

·         Kelley Herring, the Healing Gourmet on Obesogens (icky chemicals in our daily lives) – courtesy of US Wellness Meats

·         For those of you who want to know how I’ll be eating over the next month: The Whole 30

·         If you are looking for something delicious to eat – AND make an easy shopping list: The Foodee

 

Email me any question you have and feel free to share this email and our blog by FB, Blog, Tweet, Email, Stumble, AOL, Sandwich Board, Occupy, Smoke Signal, or any other social avenue you can think of. See you on Friday!

 

To new journey’s.

Mike.