Taper week (again)

Guess what I got in the mail yesterday??

It's my Silver Strand Race Confirmation!

It's so quaint that they mailed it!  It harkens back to the early days of racing, when you still had to SIGN a race entry.  But with only 4,500 entries allowed, it's definitely a smaller half marathon than what I have been racing in.

Taper has started which means I'm anticipating some moodiness, some freak outs about how my legs feel (already happening), and excitement about race morning.  This will be my 6th half marathon in a year and a half and I still get excited about race day.

I'll be doing just light 30-45 minute runs this week.  Just enough to stretch the legs and keep them limber and loose.  I'll be eating my normal calorie restricted diet until Friday night, when I get to start my carbo loading.

I'm also running my 13.1 miles to support Run 4 NYC, a virtual race that is raising money for the Red Cross efforts to aid the people affected by Super Storm Sandy.  So far they'd raised $3,070!  You can choose to run a 5k, 13.1 miles or 26.2 miles as part of the effort.

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: Smoky Beef-andMushroom Skewers with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree

There are loads of reasons to be Paleo.  Some people have medical conditions that are lessened by a diet without processed foods, others follow the diet on their path to greater physical fitness and others live a Paleo Lifestyle because it's better for the planet.  I'm paleo to lose weight.  It's low carb but high energy (thanks to being high fat) so I can still be an endurance runner and lose weight.  It's not often that I find a paleo-friendly recipe in a fitness magazine.  The industry of "fitness advice" still hasn't widely recognized the benefits of a Paleo Diet.  But the "whole foods" approach certainly has and so there are recipes out there to be found.

I found this recipe for Smoky Beef-and-Mushroom Skewers with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree in the September issue of Fitness Magazine.  This recipe is easy to make, quick to prep and can impress guests, especially those who think "this paleo thing" is weird.  Who says the Paleo Diet cant' be Haute Cuisine?  I like to serve this with a side of strawberry and arugala salad with a basalmic vinaigrette.

Smoky Beef-and-Mushroom Skewers 

with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree

Serves 4  Prep time: 10 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp chipotle chile powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 pounds trimmed top sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick, cubed
• 24 cremini or white button mushrooms
• 2 tsp basalmic vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the sweet potatoes in half length-wise and place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast 20 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high heat.  Combine chipotle chile powder, cumin, and 1 tsp kosher salt; add steak and toss to coat.  Thread steak and mushrooms on 12 skewers and cook for about 8 minutes for medium rare, turning halfway through   
3. Remove sweet potatoes from oven, let cool 5 minutes and peel.  Place peeled sweet potatoes and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.  Season with kosher salt.  Divide mashed potatoes among four plates and top with 3 beek-and-mushroom skewers each.  

Nutrition from magazine: 304 cals, 34g protein, 25g carbs, 8g fat, 2.6g sat fat, 4g fiber, 751 mg sodium

Ok, I'm Paleo, now how do I lose weight?

As of this posting, I've lose 11.5 pounds in 52 days.  Some people go Paleo to improve their health or for allergy reasons.  I started the Paleo Diet to lose the weight that I was holding me back from being the best runner I can be.  If you're interested in losing weight on the Paleo Diet, this posting is for you.

HOW DO I START THE PALEO DIET?

The Basic guidelines for Paleo are as follows:

• No Processed grains (breads, pastas, cereals, etc)
• No processed sugar, No starchy vegetables (corn or white potatoes)
• No processed oils (no vegetable oil, corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, canola oil), 
• No legumes (peanuts, beans, chickpeas, etc)
• No Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter)

But you can say YES to:

• meat (grass-fed and nitrate free if possible)
• vegetables (with exception of corn and potatoes.  sweet potatoes and yams are ok!)
• fruits
• non-processed oils (olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil)
• fat (lard and renderings from meats)
• Tree nuts (no peanuts)

For most people, the first 2 weeks of paleo are both exciting and terrifying.  You're fine the first 2 or three days, enjoying eating bacon and meat while watching your waist shrink.  Then the sugar cravings hit.

I HEARD THAT YOU FEEL SICK WHEN YOU START THE PALEO DIET....

For a week, sometimes two, you will go through sugar and carb withdrawal.  I think its important to supplement with any high carb veggies (like sweet potatoes and carrots) and fruits.  It'll help stabilize your blood sugars and improve your moods.  There are lots of ways to ease into Paleo, but I think going cold turkey but not following any calorie or carb guidelines worked the best for me.

Once you notice that the midday headaches, sugar cravings and mood swings have slowed down, then its time to focus on your nutrition.  I aim for a balance of 50% calories from fat, 25% calories from protein, and 25% calories from natural carb sources.   This is based on 1600 calories allotted per day.  You can find YOUR allotted daily calories using this calculator.

CAN YOU MAKE THIS EASIER?  

I know, you're probably already sweating because of all the math involved.  A Paleo dieter's right-hand man will be their food diary.  You can do it the old fashioned way, with a calorie counter book and a notepad.  I prefer to utilize all the technological advancements of modern times and use the LoseIt! app on my iphone.  Loseit! is also available on the web, and the app and website can talk to each other and will back up your logs.  ANY food tracker/calorie counting app or website will be valuable.  Find one that fits your needs and preferences.  I will suggest that you use one that allows you to put in your calories burned from exercised.  Those negative calories count!!  You are burning calories when you exercise, which means you're allowed to put them back in, with food, like bacon.

An example of my Daily Food Journal

An Example of my balance of calories

CAN I EXERCISE ON THE PALEO DIET??

It seems to be widely accepted that you shouldn't exercise during the first week, but as a runner I couldn't put my training on hold.  I say that as long as you feel you can handle the exercise and you are replenishing your calories that you burn, feel free to do your favorite workouts.  I don't suggest starting any new regimen while you're going through sugar withdrawal.  You're already going to feel awful, why make it worse with sore muscles?

ANY OTHER TIPS?

Another guideline I try to follow is limiting myself to 100 g of carbs a day.  That's it.  On a good day, I'll hit it after dinner.  On a bad day, I'll hit it at lunch and then it's only meats, nuts, nonstarchy veggies and fats for the rest of the day.

Low carb doesn't mean low taste

I tackled the Paleo Numbers game aggressively once my Sugar withdrawal was over.  I also started Paleo to lose weight.  If you are eating Paleo to be healthier, to eat the way your body is designed to eat, then don't worry about the numbers.  If you are happy with the weight loss your seeing WITHOUT working the numbers, then by all means, don't worry about them.  But if you ever hit a plateau, or aren't seeing the loss that you think you SHOULD be seeing, I'd recommend trying the above techniques.


I welcome any questions about losing weight on the Paleo Diet!  You can also feel free to share YOUR techniques about weight loss during Paleo.