Whole30, round 3 wrap up

My 3rd round of Whole30 challenge is over.  We had a wrap up party at Leeny's house as usual and she went through all the numbers from the group:

Total people who took before measurements:  33
Total people who took afters:  25  (76% of you came back for afters!)

Total lbs lost as a group:  220.4
Avg. lbs lost: 8.8
inches lost:  114 3/8
avg inches  4.6

I did pretty well on this go-around.  Not as hard-core as the first time, but much better than the second time (not out of town as much).  This time, I tried to not be as drastic, but to stick to a regimen that I thought I could sustain after the challenge was over.  I lost 3 1/2 lbs and over 2 inches in my waist (over 5 inches total in measurements).  I achieved what I wanted to.  I didn't want to lose any more weight (not sure it's even possible at this point), but did want to continue to lose fat.  I'm most happy with losing more of my belly fat.

I pulled out the pictures from the previous challenge.  The difference between where I was last year (top left) and now (bottom) is amazing.  This paleo diet really works!!!!
Leeny also wrote a blog post about the latest challenge and included a bunch of pictures.  Take a look, it will inspire you......
http://crossfitstlouis.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-paleo-challenge-results.html

Leeny's cole slaw

Ingredients
1- 14oz bag coleslaw
1- 12oz bag broccoli slaw
3/4 cup paleo mayo
1/2 t. chipotle powder
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. salt


Empty bags of slaw into a big bowl.  Mix in mayonaise to combine.  Add chipotle powder, onion, cider vinegar and salt.  Stir well to combine.  Let sit about 10 minutes and then re-mix so everything is blended.  You will notice significant shrinkage.  Add more chipotle powder, salt or cider vinegar to taste.  Serve with Southwestern Pulled Beef!

Leeny's Southwestern Pulled Beef

Ingredients

3T + 1t chili powder
2 t. cumin
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. chipotle powder
1 1/2 t. garlic salt
2 T. olive oil
4 lbs London broil
2 onions, cut up
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1- 4 oz can green chilies
1- 7 oz can salsa verde (I like Herdez or La Costena)
2  T. red wine vinegar

Measure out all spices and put them in a small bowl.  Mix to combine and set aside.  Put 2T olive oil in bottom of crockpot.   Add chopped onions and garlic.  Put meat on top of onions and garlic and rub one side with spice mixture.  Turn it over and rub the other side with remaining spices.  (I used two 2-lb London broils and just rubbed the spices all over both pieces of meat).  Add cilantro, green chilies, salsa verde and red wine vinegar to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat easily pulls apart with two forks.  When done, serve over chipotle slaw.

Chicken pot pie

I have a yearning for chicken pot pie, so found this recipe

CRUST:

3 cups Almond Meal

1.5 tsp Kosher Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder

½ cup Coconut Oil (room temperature)

1 Tbl Cool Water

PIE:

2 Chicken Breast Halves Roasted and Cubed (about 1 lb raw)

2 cups Yellow Onions Chopped

2 cups Frozen Green Peas

2 cups Frozen Carrots

¼ cup Coconut Milk (full fat)

¾ cup Almond Meal

4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock

3 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 Egg (for egg wash)

Directions:

ROASTED CHICKEN:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Wash chicken breast and pat dry.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Drizzle and rub 1 Tbl EVOO on the chicken breast.

Sprinkle with generous amount of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.

CRUST:

In a food processor, mix the dry ingredients together (almond meal, salt, and baking powder).

Add the coconut oil and slowly pulse until it’s evenly mixed. It should have the consistence of peas.

Slowly add the water and pulse until it forms a dough-like texture.

Remove from food processor, roll into a ball and wrap in cling wrap.

Put the dough into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Dust a pastry board (or cutting board) with almond meal.

Place the ball of dough on the dry almond meal and cut into 8 even sections. (Roll into one large piece if you’re making one large pie.)

Using your hands first and then a rolling pen for even thickness, press and roll each of the 8 pieces into a circle.

Keep dusting the top and bottom of dough with dry almond meal so that it doesn’t stick.

Use the ramekin or dish you are baking in to cut the right-size circle in the dough.

PIE:

Heat the EVOO in the bottom of a large pot.

Add the yellow onions and cook on medium/high until they’re brown.

Slowly add the almond meal and reduce the heat.

Slowly add the chicken stock and stir.

Add the coconut milk, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper.

Add the peas, carrots, and chicken.

Spoon an even amount into each of the 8 ramekins (or other oven-friendly bowls).

Place the crust on top of the filling.

Scramble one egg and paint the crust of each pie generously.

Sprinkle with kosher salt and cut 3-4 slits in the top.

Bake at 375 for one hour.

Lemon chicken curry

Got this from Fast Paleo
http://fastpaleo.com/lemon-chicken-curry/

1 cup coconut milk, 3 tbsp coconut aminos

4-5 cm piece of ginger (peeled), 1 sprig of lemongrass

1 red onion, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 4 garlic cloves

3 kaffir lime leaves (stems and middle nerve removed), 1 tsp ground coriander

zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp coconut oil

400g diced chicken fillet

1 broccoli, cut into florets

8 shiitake mushrooms, 2 carrots cut into noodles

- First, gather all ingredients for the sauce (coconut milk, coconut aminos, ginger, lemongrass, red onion, cilantro, garlic, kaffir lime, coriander, lemon zest and juice) and combine them in a blender. Process until smooth.
- Heat the coconut oil in a wok or skillet and fry the chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown.
- Add the shiitakes and broccoli florets and stir-fry for about a minute.
- Add the sauce from the blender and stir well, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat.
- Stir in the carrot noodles and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 5 minutes until the broccoli is fork tender, yet not too soft.

Gini's running clinic

One of the best things you could do for yourself is go through the six week cadence training that Sam and I received from the Endurance workshop. Consider getting a friend to commit to do it with you and spend two days a week practicing. If you want to do this, I could email you suggestions on a week by week basis or you could use the information Sam has, or see Skill Based Running Progression on this page:

http://www.crossfitendurance.com/run

Basically, using a metronome over time you increase your cadence and distance. You might start with 30 second short sets at a 95 cadence/ 2 minutes at 91 cadence and over time work up to 1 minute 30 second sets at over 100 cadence and hold at 93 cadence for 6 minutes. Each session, warm up and cover a drill or two like we did at the Clinic before you begin the cadence work.

Another thought: you might check out the Fixing Your Feet videos on the page above. It talks about keeping your feet in a good position and avoiding having duck feet that turn out. I think you might like some of the ideas, plus Brian and Kelly are quite entertaining:).

http://www.coachseye.com/kUY4

http://www.coachseye.com/o5y3

New stuff.....

I've found Sur la Table. Leeny had recommended these muffin pans, they are coated in silicone and she said nothing sticks to them.

She was right, this is the first time these honey muffins have come out intact!!!

After the muffin pan, I found these pans on sale.  It was a set of a saute pan and 5 qt pan with an interchangeable lid.  I was in desperate need of new ones, so I am excited to find these.  Now I just need to add to them.....

Of course, the first thing made was bacon!!!!!

Dinner at Sanctuaria

Sam, Anne and I went to Sanctuaria last night.  It was a dinner arranged by Crossfit St. Louis.  The owner is a member of their gym and he arranged for the chef to make a paleo dinner for us.  This was going to be Leeny's Whole30 wrap-up event, but she decided to do her usual pot-luck party at her house next weekend.

The dinner was great.  The first course was guacamole on jicama chips

 The second course was Kale, avocado, walnuts and lemon dressing

The third course was spaghetti squash with mint, pistachio and pesto

Course four was cauliflower rice, broccoli and shrimp.

Bacon-wrapped dates was course #5

Course 6-Cauliflower puree with cilantro and lime juice infused beef.

Dessert-chocolate mousse with whipped cream (made with sweet potato)

Great evening.

The chef is going to send JoAnna the recipes.  I can't wait to try some of them for myself



Whole30, Day 25

 We are almost done with Whole30, just a few more days to go.  Even though I have done well this week, the kids have not had an optimal diet at all.  I got conned (I guess it doesn't take much) into taking them to McDonald's on Wednesday night after school.  Later, Maggie had a girl scout meeting and they had these cup cakes!!!!

 Tonight we went to Cici's pizza.  It is so bad that it's good!!!!  I didn't eat any of it, although it was hard to resist

I came home and made this omelet and a side of avocado, it was really good.  We are surrounded by food that is suboptimal and it's hard to resist it all the time.  I can see how easily you can slip back into the old routine, but I'm going to try to avoid the temptations.

Whole30, Day 19

Sam and I did the St Louis Indoor Rowing Competition this morning.  I was aiming for 9:45, but just could not pick up the pace at the end to do it.  Never mind, I still cut 1 second off my best time.

I have been reading the Whole30 daily emails and one was talking about how you should not use food as a reward for something you do.  We do that a lot-after Ben's gymnastics, etc.  Usually we would go to somewhere like First Watch after an event like that, but we just came home and I made myself an omelet.  Since I was trying NOT to use food as a reward, I went and had a pedicure instead-it was wonderful.

Sam really wanted pizza for dinner, so I made two (1 pepperoni and 1 bacon).  Even though I didn't eat it and Greta wasn't here, they were both eaten very quickly!!!  I substituted with a chicken salad and then I made a fruit clafouti for dessert.

Whole30, Day 17 (I think)

Things are going pretty well.  I've fallen into a new routine of eating the same thing every day.  No-oat oatmeal for breakfast, tomato-basil soup for lunch and mostly snacking at night.  Now that I have managed to get away from the sugar and processed foods, I think I should be focusing on improving.  Definitely drinking more water, adding in extra vegetables and varying my diet a little more.  I think I have been doing pretty well.  Not as good as the first time, but better than last time....

Last night, Sam and I met up with a bunch of people that have formed a paleo group in St Louis.  We met at Hot Pot Smoothie Shop.  I had the lemon mango curry with chicken, it was wonderful.  It gave me the idea to make a base of Thai curry with coconut milk and then you could add whatever you wanted to it and have a quick meal in next-to-no time.  I'm going to have to try it....