AND SO IT BEGINS - AGAIN!!!

Hello again, and welcome back to my B-LOG!  The folks at CrossFit Seven Cities have begun another journey toward PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE, and I just happen to have some good sources for research available and there are some great recipes to be found that will help you on your quest for "PALEO" Dietary success.  For you first-time visitors to the blog site, there are many informational entries from earlier posts, just scroll down and you'll find some AWESOME tips and recipes!

For all you returning people, THANKS FOR COMING BACK!!!!  My aim is to post something twice a week, but if ANYONE has a question or concern  please comment on this blog or e-mail me at
clanestes61@gmail.com . 

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY!



First off, the most important concept you can keep in  your mind is that the Paleo Diet is not a "DIET", where you go on it for a few weeks, lose some pounds, and then go back to the old bad habits.

The Paleo concept should be a LIFESTYLE CHANGE, where you consider what you are eating at every meal, and strive to make it a permanent, or good, habit.

Second - PALEO RECIPES CAN BE DELICIOUS!  If you incorporate some simple flavoring methods, every meal will "Restaurant Good".  If you think about it  you are EATING CLEAN, SO YOU CAN BURN CLEAN ENERGY.

Third - If you slip a little during your challenge, BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!  It is easy to get back on track, and you may have to adapt the foods slightly based on what is available, and what you can afford.  Let's face it; Grass fed/Grass Finished Organic beef from the Shenandoah Mts. or Nebraska Plains can be pricey, but you can settle for Grass fed/Corn finished LEAN cuts from your local butcher and still have money left for fresh veggies and organic products.  It can be balanced, and as you go through you will get a better idea of what fits best for you while still staying within Paleo Standards.

Okay, let's cover some good resources to assist in research.  These are JUST A COUPLE OF SITES to check out; there are many more that you will find and maybe like even more.  I also have two Authors who provide great insight and understanding of the Paleo Concept.  They are able to break down the Paradigms that have pervaded our dietary thoughts since the Industrial Revolution(For you kids, that was a LONG TIME AGO!):

http://robbwolf.com/ - Author of "The Paleo Solution".  This site is further reaching than the LANDMARK BOOK, and you can get more stuff from him on his site.

http://thepaleodiet.com/ - Author Loren Cordain's site.  Mr. Cordain has been a Major Influence in furthering scientific interest in the Paleo Diet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet  - Gives accurate data on the concept of the Paleolithic diet, with historical facts, more great resources and covers the "Pros and Cons".  Start here!

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/ - This site is provided by Sebastien Noel, a major Paleo proponent, with good free recipes and tips for successful eating.

http://nerdheaven.dk/~jevk/paleo_intro.php  - I stumbled across this link and thought it provided good support points...

http://www.paleocookbook.com/ - This is a downloadable series, but has to be purchased.  After you buy the first set of books, there are MANY other free books from this site that you can download, and discount offers on other books.  I have purchased all these books and based some of my recipes on them. 

OKAY!  That is a lot of stuff to put on you for one day, so I will close for now.  CHECK THE REST OF MY BLOGS, if you are looking to jump right in and get your hands going.

Thanks for reading my blog, I hope it provides some source of knowledge, LET ME KNOW!!!

15 Food Companies that Serve You ‘Wood’ | Food Freedom

15 Food Companies that Serve You ‘Wood’ Food Freedom

Veggie 101, and more...

With the Autumn season in full swing and harvests abounding just about everywhere, I thought it would be a good time to start featuring certain veggies that may be currently available.  My goal will be to show a vegetable every week with preparation tips and maybe some cool recipes to associate with.  So we will start with a little intro, then it's off to VEGGIE NIRVANA!!!

Vegetables are definitely Mother Nature’s gift to mankind. Once considered a luxurybecause of their high water content and relatively low energy value, many vegetables are increasingly recognized sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Vegetables acquire their own nutrition from the ultimate sources of vitamins and minerals – the soil and the sun. We then acquire these by eating vegetables.

The edible portions of vegetables vary from the root, stem, leaf, flower structure,fleshy fruits, seed, or a combination of such parts. Vegetables can also have nonedible parts that need to be removed or disposed of before eating.

Aside from nutritional value, vegetables are esteemed food for many reasons.
Because of the color, shape, texture, consistency, flavor, and aroma, vegetables
appeal to man’s sense of taste, smell, vision and touch and add to the enjoyment of eating a rich, varied nutritious diet! Flavor, aroma and tastes vary from the subtle to the overpowering, with some vegetables prized for their “crunch” and unique taste and others for the way in which they combine with or complement other foods.

Vegetable preparation is not at all confusing. Although over 200 kinds of vegetables are known, most vegetables require little to no special preparation for a meal. Most vegetables contain a high water content and usually require no food processing or special preparation before cooking or serving raw. This makes preparing vegetables all the more useful, handy and fun.

Enjoy!

LET'S TALK PUMPKINS!!!!!!!!! (And other squashes too...)

 

Pumpkins are a popular and very common large and globular vegetable available all year round.

Their stems are firmer, more ridged and squarer than squash stems which are generally more rounded, softer and flared. The pulp is edible and used commonly in soups and curries.

Pumkins and some other squashes have edible and very nutritious seeds (soetimes called "pepitas")  which contain healthy oils that can be included in your daily food intake.

The overall nutritional list for squash is - Vitamins A(Beta-Carotene), B1, B3, B5, B6, C.  Minerals - Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorous.
Pumpkins and Squash also offer a high dietary fiber content. 
So, this is basically one of the best varieties of foods to help fuel your life!!!!

Varieties of Pumpkins and Squash

 Sugar pumpkins are considered the best for cooking.  These are also known as "Pie Pumpkins".  "Carving" Pumkins can also be used, they just have a softer skin and less "meat" inside.

Summer Squashes include yellow squash and zucchini  and are generally available year-round.  The skins of these are thinner than winter squashes and edible and can be prepared in many ways from grilling, sauteing, frying, to roasting, or steaming, depending on what you wish to accompany them with.  You will notice at most restaurants the "chef's vegetables" will generally always have a type of summer squash included.

Winter squashes include butternut squash and spaghetti squash which are harvested to their maturity. The skins of butternut squash and spaghetti squash are thick and resilient. The delectable flesh is orange-color, stringy and filled with seeds.

Japanese pumpkin or kabocha is short and squatty with dull knobby deep-green skin with streaky white stripes and bright yellow-orange flesh. The kabocha is naturally sweet with a smooth mushy texture similar to that of combined pumpkin and sweet potato.

The bright-orange golden nugget pumpkin has golden-yellow flesh and is usually eaten

with its skin. Its bright orange-yellow color adds to the appeal of many different vegetable meals.

Preparing Butternut Squash

Remove the squash’s skin using a knife or a vegetable peeler. Use short and strong

strokes to penetrate the squash’s tough waxy skin.

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Cut off the stem with a knife.

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Cut the squash in half by almost-equal lengthwise sizes.

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Scoop out the seeds and discard them.

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Chop into 1-2-inch pieces.

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Boil pumpkin in water for around eight minutes.

Preparing Spaghetti Squash

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Pierce the squash in several place to allow the circulation of steam before baking.

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Bake the squash in a dish for 40-60 minutes until the squash is tender enough to be easily

depressed with a finger. Cut the squash in half to stop the cooking process.

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Scoop out the squash seeds and discard.

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Comb through the spaghetti strand-like pulp from the squash.

Preparing and Cooking Pumpkins
•

Steam pumpkins by first cutting the pumpkins in half; removing the seeds, stringy parts,

fibers and pulp. Peel the pumpkin and chop into small pieces. Place the pumpkin over the

boiling water, cover the container and leave to steam for fifty minutes until soft and tender.

•

Boil pumpkins by cutting the pumpkins in half; removing the seeds, stringy portions and

fibers and pulp. Peel the pumpkin and chop into smaller pieces. Boil in salted water for

twenty to thirty minutes until soft and tender.

Mash or Puree soft steamed or boiled pumpkins with the use of a food processor or
blender. A higher, finer setting must be used in preparing pumpkin puree.

EE'S PALEO CHILI!!!! Enjoy!

Hey all, back again!  Sorry 'bout the delay in my blogging venture, the summer was quite busy!
Here's a quick recipe to get you into the cooler weather and sporting season - I put this together for my friend and CROSSFIT SEVEN CITIES trainer Cody Smith's birthday WOD AND GRILL.  It passed the test of quite a few discerning folks!  Remember - the key to a successful Paleo dish is the layering of available flavors, so  you will see this in my recipe.  ENJOY!!!!

EE’s Paleo Chili

The key is building layers of flavor, and cooking over low heat for awhile after you put it together.

1.5 – 2 lbs clean meat, ground (I used 1 lb hamburger 80/20 and almost a pound of ground turkey – turkey sausage works well with this too.)

2 green peppers sliced lengthwise and then cut in half

2 big onions sliced

2 cloves garlic, pounded then diced fine

OPTIONAL – 2 CELERY STALKS DICED –

One 28 oz can diced organic tomatoes

One 28 oz can peeled-or-crushed-or-pureed- organic tomatoes

One 14.5 oz can fire-roasted Organic tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)

1 TBS, plus 1 tsp paprika

1.5 TBS, plus 1 tsp Chili powder

1 rounded TBS, plus ½ tsp Ground Cumin

1 TBS ground black pepper

½ TBS Cocoa powder… yes… the magic ingredient

-In a BIG POT - brown the meat and season with the ½ tsp cumin and some black pepper as it is cooking.  Set aside and DON’T Drain the liquid out of the pan!

-Add the veggies to the pan, season with the 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp chili powder.   Cook over Medium heat until tender, about 4-8 minutes.

-Put the cooked meat back in the pot with the veggies and get all the stuff to the same temp over the medium heat.  Add the 1 TSP Paprika, 1.5 TBS Chili powder, 1 TBS cumin, and the black pepper.

-Add the canned tomatoes and stir. Bring all the ingredients to the same temp over medium heat and GIVE IT A TASTE> you can add more spices if you wish, BUT BE CAREFUL!  AS THE CHILI BLENDS THE FLAVORS WILL BECOME MORE APPARENT.

-Add the Cocoa powder.  watch the chili change color and the Magic begin!!!

-It is ready now, or you can put it on low heat and sit for the game or meal...  IT GETS TASTIER OVER TIME!

Enjoy!

BE STRONG TO THE FINISH!!!

Ahh, summer!  One of the best parts of this season is the abundance of available veggies to help supplement your food intake, whatever shape that may be.  I'll be trying to highlight some of the main veggies included in most "diets" thoughout the rest of this season.  If you have questions about any, drop me a line!

 What is Spinach? Spinach is very popular in European and Middle Eastern cuisine, yet is eaten all over the world. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an edible flowering plant of the Amaranthaceae family. It is native to central and southwestern Asia, and grows to a height of up to 30cm.

Nutrition: Both spinach and its cousin Swiss Chard, AKA Silverbeet, are rich in vitamins A, K and C, fiber, folate, iron, calcium and potassium.

Types of Spinach: English Spinach has long leaves with the roots still attached. It is best served lightly cooked or steamed, depending on personal preference. Baby spinach, on the other hand, has flat, soft leaves, and is milder in flavor. Baby spinach is more commonly served in salads.

Selecting: Steer well clear of spinach with limp and/or yellowing leaves. When buying English spinach look for thin stems - this indicates youth and tastiness.

If you are after Chard then look for produce with smaller leaves and firmer stems. Spinach is often confused with Chard, and subsequently interchangeable in many recipes. Chard, however, has harder stems and takes longer to cook.

How about some soup flavoring tips?

Soups often need a little something extra to bring them to life, however, with many sauces and stock flavorings rendering themselves non-paleo, people often struggle for ideas.

Here are 6 flavorsome tips for enhancing the flavor of your soups without stock!

1. The Best Vegetables To achieve a similar level of flavoring to that of stock, use onion, celery or carrot as one or more core parts of your soup ingredients. These aromatizing vegetables provide big, natural flavors.

2. Go Easy On The Water Perhaps the most common mistake people make with homemade soup is going overboard on the water content. Don't end up diluting your flavors with too much water. Pace the water as you go; it is better to end up with a thicker soup you can thin out rather than a thin soup that lacks flavor.

3. Add Pepper and if NECESSARY, Some Salt An under-seasoned soup will taste bland, yet an over-seasoned soup can taste bitter. Add salt and pepper as you go, testing the flavor after each addition to ensure you don't overpower the taste by being too generous. Take baby steps with salt until you realize the delicate balance of flavors you are looking for (always use salt sparingly as it should not be consumed regularly on the paleo diet).

4. Tamari (Wheat Free Soy Sauce) With normal soy sauce out of the paleo equation, add a tablespoon of tamari to your soup dish. This can be done during or after the cooking process, depending on how integrated you want the flavor to be.

5. Get Spicy Chili brings to life almost any soup lacking in flavor. Cumin, coriander and paleo-friendly curry powders are also excellent additions, bringing your soup to life and exciting the taste buds. These spices also make for a pretty top sprinkling, adding to the aesthetics of your dish.

6. Lemon & Vinegar A splash of lemon or squirt of vinegar can be just the ingredient needed to take a soup from average to great. Lemon works particularly well with mushroom soup, and carrot soup benefits from a touch of lemon or vinegar, taking it from bland to boisterous.

For more great, natural food flavoring tips, and a plethora of paleo-friendly recipes, make sure you have a copy of the Paleo Cookbooks:

=> www.paleocookbook.com

Storing Vegetables 101

Hey everyone, it's been quite a busy summer so far, but I'm back to provide you with as much good info I can find to help you make quality decisions about your nutritional intake!

First off, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL YOU FOLKS WHO DID THE 30-DAY PALEO CHALLENGE at CROSSFIT SEVEN CITIES!

I hope that as you progressed through the "challenge"(I just can't see how eating MORE and BETTER food can be a challenge!), you learned important points and helped yourself to increase in physical and mental ability.

My goal was succeeded, I "balanced out" at 14.5 pounds lighter and improved my 8K (@5.3 miles) run time from 52:50 to 45:37.  Now I can't wait to hit some big rocks to climb around on!

Apart from the measured results, I am commited to NOT eating many things that I now know have no place in my cupboard, such as processed sugar, salts and foods.  This will be with me for THE REST OF MY LIFE, and I hope that you all have taken something positive from this experience.

That being said, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, and I will continue to provide interesting and useful(I hope!) stuff for all of you readers out there.  Let's GET IT ON!

I got this little helper from Nikki Young, editor of many paleo cookbooks, and with the PLETHORA of veggies out there this season, I thought this would help:

Vegetables make up a staple part of the paleo diet, therefore, it is vitally important that you know the best way to store your vegetables to promote long life and optimum taste!

1. Treat Vegetables With CareBruises and cuts damage cell walls and expose the vegetables to spoilage by microbes. Worst thing is, one piece of rotten vegetable can start to contaminate others around it. If you do see a rotten piece, get rid of it quickly.

2. Don't Cut UnnecessarilyMany people have a tendency to cut pumpkins, squash and other vegetables down to a manageable size when they get them home. Thing is, a cut vegetable goes bad twice as quick as an uncut one. Where possible leave vegetables whole.

3. Keep Vegetables Out of Sunlight Vegetables, once picked, need to be kept out of the sun and ideally stored in the dark. This will promote longevity
4. Know Your TemperatureVegetables are seasonal, although you might not know it looking around a supermarket. Do your homework and find out the optimum temperature to store each vegetable you buy. For example, avocados will ripen faster in the fridge.