WLC week 7 workouts

Week 7 Workouts 
Day 1
2 min warm up 
¼ mile run
1 min max squats
¼ mile run
1 min max push ups
¼ mile run
1 min max squats 
2 min cool down 

Day 2
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out. 

Day 3 
Repeat a total of 4 times:
30” sit ups
30” squats
30” push ups
30” rest 

Day 4
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out. 

Day 5
2 min warm up 
1 min sprint
2 min rest
1 min sprint
2 min rest
1 min sprint
2 min rest 
2 min cool down 

Day 6
For time:
100 sit ups
100 push ups
100 squats 
scale to 70, 80 or 90 as appropriate

Day 7 
Easy cardio/metabolic conditioning of your choice.  Minimum of 10 minutes.  Keep heart rate in recovery range.  Finish feeling good and fresh, not tired and wiped out.

Ivory Crockett run

First 4 miles I have done where I didn't stop running.  Pretty good time for me, especially with all those hills!!!!

Sweet potato hash for breakfast

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pancetta, diced (or regular bacon)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large apple (or 2 small), cut into cubes that are no bigger than 1 inch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, butter, ghee, or other solid cooking fat (if needed)
• 1 large sweet potato (or 2-3 small), peeled and cut into cubes that are no bigger than 1 inch
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Instructions

1. In a medium cast iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat, cook pancetta 3-5 minutes or until crispy and fat has rendered.
2. Remove pancetta with slotted spoon, leave fat in pan.
3. Add onion, apples, and cinnamon. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
4. Remove from pan and add to reserved pancetta. Set aside.
5. If pan is dry add 1-2 tablespoons fat and allow to melt. Add sweet potatoes to pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes.
6. Stir, allow to cook for another 2 minutes undisturbed.
7. Continue cooking sweet potatoes, stirring as needed to insure all sides get browned and none burn, until soft (about 5-6 more minutes, about 10 minutes total).
8. Add reserved pancetta, onion, and apples back to pan. Add sage and stir to combine and warm throughout.

Two new chia pudding recipes

Ingredients

• ½ cup brewed coffee (chilled)
• ½ cup full fat canned coconut milk
• 1 heaping tablespoon almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup chia seeds

Instructions

1. Blend brewed coffee, coconut milk, almond butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and cocoa powder in a blender.
2. Place the blended mixture into a resealable large jar (or 2 smaller jars) then add chia seeds. Seal jar and shake.
3. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 3+ hours.
4. Eat up. Breakfast is served.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups almond milk
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 scoop Recovery Protein (30 grams)*
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• extra almond milk for topping

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients, except chia seeds, until smooth.
2. Place the blended mixture into a resealable large jar (or 2 smaller jars) then add chia seeds. Seal jar and shake.
3. Place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 3+ hours. I shook my jars once in between to make sure they didn’t become too gelatinous.
4. Pour some extra almond milk on top and eat up. Breakfast, snack or post workout recovery is served!

Notes

*Protein powder is optional. Recipe still works without it.

New recipe for plantain pancakes

3 large or 4 small yellow plantains, about 2-2.5 pounds before peeling *
1/3 cup egg whites (about 2 eggs worth)
3 tablespoons lard or coconut oil, melted (I highly recommend lard if you have it!)
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Peel and chop your plantains and place in a food processor.
3. Puree until somewhat pureed, and then add the melted lard, egg whites, salt and lime juice.
4. Puree until smooth.
5. Drop about 2 tablespoons at a time onto a baking sheet lined with a lightly greased sheet of parchment paper, 4 per standard baking sheet (spaced as shown above)
6. Smooth into a circle with the bottom of a ladle, getting as thin as possible, switching to wet fingers once the ladle stops being efficient.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, until dry to the touch, and just starting to brown on the edges.

30 Paleo tips & tricks to live by

Found this on another blog.  Highlighted the ones I do.....

1. Plan out meals several days in advance. This is especially helpful when you are new.

2. Cook meat in bulk. The slow cooker is a great tool for this.

3. Dedicate time to prep your meals every week.

4. Prep meals in advance. Chop up ingredients. Pre-portion for the week.

5. Well stocked fridge is key! Keep hard-boiled eggs, smoked salmon and chicken salad on hand.

6. Eat homemade broth regularly to boost your immune system and give you strength. Use it as a base for soups and stews, or drink straight from a mug.

7. Remember: this is worth the initial adjustment period. It really is. 

8. Stick to your guns and you WILL be successful.

9. Don’t sacrifice better in the conquest of best.

10. Stop trying to be perfect. Instead be real about the journey.

11. Going paleo is not a ‘flip the switch’ decision for most. It takes time to adjust.

12. Take the time to remember why you are doing this, check in with yourself and be proud of the choices you have made.

13. Be proud, be passionate, and be prepared!

14. When you make dinner, make extra for lunch the next day.

15. Read labels.

16. Join Paleo facebook pages. The support and info on Facebook alone is amazing.

17. It all seems so overwhelming at first, but it is sooo worth it.

18. Take it one day at a time. It gets easier and it gets better.

19. Pick a new recipe or two, once a week to make for dinner. It helps avoid boredom at bay and keeps Paleo interesting.

20. Dinner leftovers for breakfast!

21. As far as substitutes go, do not look into how to substitute the food you once ate. No need to mourn the loss of food that makes you sick . Look forward to new horizons.

22. One of the hardest things about eating Paleo is the social pressure to eat junk. Always have a  plan before going to social gatherings!

23. Eat a satisfying meal before you go to parties so you don’t get tempted by unhealthy choices.

24. If it is a pot luck bring plenty of your own dish because you might end up eating only from your own plate 

25. If you don’t already eat organ meats, I recommend starting. Even the organ meats from organic, pastured animals are super cheap. Offal is chock full of nutrients.

26. Follow chowstalker.com and Just Eat Real Food to get recipe ideas. Whenever I’m on this site, I don’t  miss non-Paleo foods.

27. Read and follow Paleo blogs and books regularly. The more paleo in your head, the easier it is to stick to the diet.

28. Use your crock-pot and always have leftovers on hand in the fridge or freezer.

29. Don’t forget your non-starchy veggies. Cook a bunch of green with some yummy fat like garlic ghee and then eat some each day along with your meals.

30. Remember to get lots of sleep, fresh air, exercise and down time!

Go! St. Louis 5K 2013

We all ran the Go! St. Louis this morning.  This was our "before" picture, we all look very happy for seeing we had to get up by 5:30 as the race started at 7:00 am-who thought that was a good idea???!!!

Sam ran the race on his own and did really well, although he said it was about 2 minutes slower than his fastest time but made it in 26:30
Ben, Maggie and I ran the race together.  I told Ben to take off and not wait for us when we got close to the end.  He managed to be over a minute quicker than us even with that short distance left, so he was done in 32:40.  Maggie and I were at 33:44, slower than we have done recently.
Sam and I still look pretty good after the race....

The kids look great too.  Everyone is smiling.  Ben was particularly happy because he got so much swag....