HAPPY PALEO-WEEN!

May you all be released from your guilty conscious' after
eating copious amounts of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.
Image Originally shared by CCCC

Massage for Runners

I promised I'd come back and give you my opinion of massage for runners after I got my first one.  I was fortunate to have received a complimentary 1 hour massage from San Diego Spine and Rehab from a 5k I had done earlier in the year.  After running 10 miles of hills on Sunday, I figured what better time to get a massage than when I could hardly walk due to tight hip flexors.

San Diego Spine and Rehab is NOT a "Spa".  You don't walk in to an elegantly decorated foyer with piano music tinkling in the background.  It's a medical treatment facility, where they provide rehab and theraputic treatments.  Being a runner doesn't mean that I forgo girlie stuff, but my inner runner was glad that this seemed like a place where they'd KNOW how to treat my muscles.

After an initial interview with a licensed physician (who tried to sell me on getting chiropractic exams and treatments) I was taken back for my massage.  It was definitely a painful experience.  After a few questions about my activity level and where I exprience pain she started up at my neck and shoulders.  From there she moved down to my glutes and legs.  The massage therapist informed me that my Ilotibial Bands (IT bands) were tight and she proved it as she manipulated my muscles.  I didn't even I had any overly tight muscles until she proved otherwise.

I didn't run today because I had run the three previous days in a row.  But I do think that I'd be much more sore and gimpy from my 10-mile run had I not gone to get a massage.  Despite the pain and the soreness from the areas she worked extra hard, I've already booked my second appointment for the day after the Silver Stand Half Marathon.  Hopefully, these treatments will help my overall recover and in the end, help me PR in at least one of my races this season.

How I stayed paleo on a busy weekend

Anyone else surrounded by candy and Halloween treats?  Man, do I want a Twix right now.  But I'm gonna stay strong, although I promised myself a mini-binge ON Halloween.  After all, who else is going to eat the Almond Joys and Mounds bars that my kids hate?  (Hey, Coconut, almonds and chocolate are paleo)

This was the last weekend before Halloween, so of course it was crammed full of parties and events. On Saturday, my 11 year old and I ran the Spooktacular 5k.  We were the cute mommy/son pair dressed as Superman and Super girl.  This was the inaugural race and I hope they run it every year.  Lake Murray is am awesome location, with gentle rolling hills that provide a challenge for those who make 5ks their preferred distance.  The medals and bibs were adorable.  There was such a great turnout of costumed runners too!  A decent sized vendor fair, with 2 races and a few local businesses represented.  I'll definitely run this again.

We followed up the race with a Halloween party for military families at the Harley-Davidson of San Diego.  Put on by the USO, they offered BBQ, games and trick-or-treating.  I knew that BBQ meant hot dogs or hamburgers, probably chips or beans too.  So with mine and my son's special dietary needs, we just bypassed the "free" lunch and I let the boy choose McDonald's for his awesome effort at the 5k.  I find that being paleo, I have to skip meals at events often.  I have had luck calling ahead and asking for a special meal.  But only when its an event that I've had to pay for my dinner.  I've also found that being paleo, places like McDonalds are NOT a fun option.  Even their healthiest options, the salads and wraps, contain CHEESE and LEGUMES.  So I have to be prepared to do some doctoring.  I order the bacon ranch salad with grilled chicken.  I have to painstakingly remove ALL the cheese from the salad.  If I'm lucky, the preparer has clumped it all together.  Ironically, this is something I HATED before I was paleo.  Then, I make sure to bring an avocado with me and instead of dressing, I cut up my avocado and add it to my salad.  I like to mash it with a bit of salt.  Yes, it takes me forever to start eating, but I'm MUCH happier with my lunch this way.

We got a short respite from Halloween events and during that time I ate an early dinner.  I tried the Coconut Chicken Curry from Fitzee Foods and coupled it with some Coconut Paleo bread from Julian Bakery.  It's nice to have some pre-made meals that are ready when I'm hungry on busy days like that.  We would shortly head off to an elementary school Halloween Carnival where my family would indulge in pizza, nachos, pretzels, popcorn and soda.  I was able to resist temptation by eating ahead of time.

I made sure to hydrate throughout that busy saturday because the next morning I got up to run a distance runs on hills.  I am committed to besting my PR of 2:48:24 at my next half marathon.  That means hill workouts!  I did 10 miles at a 15 min pace.  Slow, yes, but man did my hip flexors get a workout!  That means that my run did exactly what I wanted it to do.  I did get to refuel with a carne asada burrito, but the only non-paleo thing in it was the tortilla itself.

Paleo on a busy family weekend is completely possible.  You just need to pre-plan, have meals ready to go and be flexible when you're dining out.

Paleo Product Reviews: I try, so you don't have to!

Robb Wolf recently posted about the Seven Shades of Paleo on his blog.  You can read more in depth about this humorous, yet true, categorizing of Paleo Diet followers through the link.  The categories are as follows: The Militant Paleo, The Autoimmune Paleo, The Low-Carb Paleo, The Lacto-Paleo, The 80/20 Paleo, The Vegetarian Paleo, and The "I decide" Paleo.  That last one cracks me up.  

The Militant Paleo group  "...hunt their own meat, gather berries, climb trees to harvest nuts, and make dinner outside over the fire pit...".  That's just crazy, in my opinion.  That's darn right IMPOSSIBLE in modern times.  I'm a busy mom of two, and dedicated to having time to blog as well.  That means that sometimes I want easy solutions for Paleo problems.  That's where Paleo-Friendly Pre-packaged food comes in.  I already covered some of my favorite snacks in my post about Paleo To Go.  Now that I'm firmly entrenched in this eating lifestyle though, I'm starting to reach out for foods that supplement my expanding paleo culinary skills.  Recently I've tried several products and services that I thought I'd share with you.

House Foods Shirataki Noodles -  These noodles are a WIN!  Low carb and made from the Konjac plant, sometimes known as a japanese yam.  These are completely paleo safe and a good alternative for those who miss "real" noodles.  I reccomend Dry-frying them (no oils in a non-stick pan) to rid them of their slimy texture.  They'd be great in paleo stir-fry and paleo pho recipes.  I used them to make Paleo Spaghetti.               

Fitzee Foods - This is a San Diego based pre-packaged meal company that labels their products as "ideal Meals to fit your lifestyle".  The idea is great.  Pre-packaged, pre-portioned meals for those people who are too busy or cannot cook for themselves.  They list "Paleo Friendly" meals on their website.  I was very excited to try them and purchased all the available meals from their "Paleo Friendly" freezer.  This experience is a DRAW for me.  I got the meals home only to find that their meals are "Paleo Inspired" and that they use some lentils and red potatoes in a few of their "Paleo" meals.  I'm not a MILITANT paleo, but I don't think you should label something paleo if it's NOT paleo.  On the plus side, the experience of buying the food was easy and quick.  Like shopping at a REALLY healthy 7-11.  They are located in Point Loma, which is a hike for me, but they do have pickup locations all over San Diego. And they allowed me to exchange the meals I couldn't eat for ones that I could.   I've now eaten the Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and the  JKing’s Chicken Cacciatore.  The Steak was way better than I expected.  The sauce was tasty and the steak and brussels sprouts held up well to storage.  The chicken cacciatore was disappointing   very little chicken, and the sauce was very thin and runny.  Pros: the food was tasty, the ability to have pre-made paleo meals without cooking for an hour, good customer service  Cons: not completely paleo friendly, and a bit pricey.  As a stay-at-home mom and an amateur chef, I usually have the time to cook for myself.  

Julian Bakery Paleo Breads - WIN!  These breads are made with Purified Water, Blanched Almond or coconut Flour, Egg Whites, Psyllium, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda.  If you were expecting a fluffy, airy bread, you'll be disappointed   But the chewy, light texture reminds me of bagels and they're sturdy enough for sandwiches.  No crumbling!  Both breads are delicious and I totally recommend them!  $7.99 for a loaf.  I cannot wait to put together some recipe using these breads.  

Is there a paleo product that you're REALLY curious about?  Let me know about it!  I'll test it and review it so you don't have to!

My Favorite Race Gear

The night before a race is fraught with anxiety and excitement.  Did I eat right?  Hydrate enough? Has my training been adequate? DID I FORGET ANYTHING???

 Brooks put out this adorable checklist for race day, but I have my specific FAVORITE race day items that I HAVE to have.  I'd feel naked without them at the Start Line.

My Favorite Race Day Gear:

1. Brooks Glycerin 9 - This is an older model of the Glycerin 9s.  And they are my favorite shoe.  I buy them at clearance sales or at once worn sales.  I ALWAYS have a "new" pair waiting for when I've worn down my current pair.  To find YOUR favorite show, you should go to a running store where they offer you a personal fitting.  Yes, they cost twice as much as nikes from a shoe store.  But you're paying for the expertise and the gaurantee that you're running in a shoe that is made for your foot and running style.  Good fit = Less injury!

I love my shoes

2. Glide - This is a skin lubrication to prevent friction and the heat and pain that come with friction.  If you're new to running I reccomend investing in a tube of this.  It makes a WORLD of difference.  I put in on the entire bottom of my feet and sometimes at the waistband of my pants.  Many women need it for chafing that happens from sportsbras and men use it on their nipples to prevent those dreaded RED badges of courage.

3. And while we're on the topic of lubrication: CHAPSTICK.  I'm a mouth breather when I run.  It helps me maximize oxygen intake.  I don't care that I sound like a freight train coming up behind you.  It should just make you run faster.  I'm pretty sure I've helped people PR just because they didn't want to listen to me.  But chapstick protects my lips from the sun as well as from the effects of 3 hours of mouth breathing.

This belt has saved my
phone more than once

4.  iFitness Belt - I bought my first ifitness belt in Hawaii at the expo for the Diva Half marathon.  Bucking all race wisdom about NOT using brand new equipment on race day, I was so glad I had it.  The day was so hot and humid that in order to finish 13.1 miles I had to continuous;y dump water on myself.  My phone, tucked into the waterproof belt, survived!  I love my iFitness and now have several.     They all have a handy bib holders too, which mean NO safety pin holes in your favorite tech tees!

Can't run without a
bondi Band headband!

5.  Bondi Band Headbands - I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product!  The sweat wicking ones definitely live up to their promise!  I can run without getting sweat in my eyes and they are SUPER cute, with images and sayings for every runner.  

If you have a piece of essential gear, please share it with me!  I'm always looking for new ways to make race day and training more comfortable.  The better you feel on race day, the better you perform!

NOODLES!!!!

Can a packaged product
make you happy? I say YES!

Like my enthusiastic title?  Really that's all I can think right now because I just ate noodles.  Real noodles.  Not spaghetti squash, not strips of vegetables.  REAL NOODLES.  And yes, my Paleo is still intact thanks to House Foods Shirataki noodles.  I grew up eating these in meals like sukiyaki and they were my favorite part of the meal, besides the tofu and cabbage and meat . . . and well sukiyaki has to be one of my favorite all time meals.  But besides with asian flavors and in pho (which I've never had but plan to have someday) what ELSE could I do with these noodles?  There aren't many paleo recipes out there using them.  A lot of people have issues with the fishy smell (which goes away upon rinsing and heating) and the texture.  They're closer to a rice noodle (think chicken long rice) than a wheat noodle.  They've got a gelatin-like texture that may turn people off.  BUT I think the act of twirling tomato sauced noodles around a fork may be enough to get people to try it.  So, I set about to making myself SPAGHETTI using shirataki noodles today.  And I succeeded.  And you all get to benefit from my experimentation.

I found my noodles in the refrigerator section of my SPROUTS market.  Any whole foods should carry it, and if not, asian markets are guaranteed to have them. Just make sure you don't buy the TOFU Shirataki.  Tofu is SOY, which is a legume, which is NOT paleo.  Also, for weight loss purposes, the yam-based shirataki has ZERO calories.  The Tofu ones do.  Shall I repeat that again?  ZERO CALORIES people and I am incredibly full from lunch.

Closest thing to REAL spaghetti 

Shirataki Spaghetti with Roasted Chicken
serves 1 cook time: 15 minutes

waiting for them to "crackle"

Ingredients

• 1 pkg House foods shirataki noodles 
• 2 oz roasted chicken
• 2 tsp bacon grease or olive oil
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper

Directions:

mmmm sauce

1. Open and rinse the shirataki noodles.  You just want to get rid of most of the fishy smell.
2. Using a NONSTICK pan, dry fry (NO OIL) the noodles on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  They're not going to get crispy, but they won't be as clear or slimy.  They'll start to crackle when they're almost done.  Remove noodles to a plate.
3. Heat up oil/grease in your pan on medium heat.  Add onions, garlic and tomatoes and fry for about 5 minutes.  The onions and garlic should be soft.  
4. Add tomato paste and herbs, and fry for about 2 minutes.  
5. Add the chicken stock and heat for about 1 minute.
6. Add the noodles into the pan and mix well.  Plate and serve topped with the roasted chicken.  

Nutritional information:  190 calories, 3.8g fat, 0.9g sat fat, 57.3 mg cholesterol, 900mg sodium, 31.6g carbs, 13.6 g fiber, 18.8g protein

My Favorite Paleo recipes: Apple - Dijon Burgers

Two events collided this weekend to point me in the direction of the BEST BURGER RECIPE EVER.  Yes, I realize I shouted that.  If you were here in person you would have actually heard my enthusiasm for this burger recipe.  Event #1: On saturday I picked up my order from Golden Share Foods.  It's "Southern California's largest LOCAL food cooperative".  While the meats are not technically paleo since they aren't grass fed beef and free range chicken, it is REALLY REALLY cost effective and it alleviates me from having to search the ads for meat sales for about 2 weeks out of every month.  I totally recommend using this program.  Event #2: I took the kids Apple Picking while Hubby was trying to survive the Run For Your Lives, a zombie infested 5k obstacle course.  So the kids and I picked probably 10 pounds of apples and you can only eat SO many before you're bribing the children to "eat just one more, for mommy?"  I needed to find recipes to cook them in.  And lo and behold there was the Apple Dijon Burger recipe from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.  These burger patties are a bit crumbly, best eaten with a fork rather than in an unstable lettuce "bun".  But they are SO good.  The apples, onion and dijon mustard give them almost an asian flavor which I just adore.  I made these on Saturday, and lucky for the hubby, I'm making them AGAIN tonight because I love them that much.  

My slave labor, I mean, the kids had fun picking apples!

APPLE - DIJON BURGERS
serves 4 cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Grass-Fed Beef
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Apple
• 1/3 Cup Minced Red Onion
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Egg

Process:

   

1. Place all the above ingredients except the egg in a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Use your hand to form 4 even size burgers.
3. Have your grill on medium heat (350-400 Degrees F) and grill for approximately 5-6 minutes per side or until done to your liking.
4. Once you place your burgers on the grill, fry your egg in bacon fat on the stove and set aside.
5. You can now plate your burgers how you see fit.  I used romaine lettuce as a base. The Civilized Caveman suggests serving the burger with grilled onions, and topped with the fried Egg. I ate mine topped with guacamole and tomatoes.  
6. Enjoy

Nutritional Info: 381calories, 30.1g fat, 12.2 g sat fat, 96.4mg cholesterol, 458.4 mg sodium, 6.9g carbs, 1.6g fiber, 19g protein