Tag Archives: dairy-free

I Scream, YOU Scream….

Posted by beautifullystrong in Uncategorized and tagged with , , ,

…Wait, you DON’T scream after ice cream???

Today,  here in the office, is the annual ice cream social. A table length of assorted cold and creamy flavors, and every ice cream-like condiment you could possibly think of. See, here at good ole’ W&F, there is NO messing around when it comes to food. We have mexican fiesta’s with a mariachi band to boot when Cinco de Mayo comes around, an extravagant spread with bottomless wine for Christmas, and a forever stocked kitchen full of cookies and candy. You can see how this would cause an issue for me.

The issue I most run into, however, is not a question of will power, AT ALL. The problem I tend to run into is…teasing? Yes, most days I can handle this…

“What’s in that jar (a green smoothie), a science experiment?”

Someone walks by while I’m eating a bell pepper, as if it were an apple, “Jen…no one does that…no one…”

“That looks disgusting…” again, a green smoothie…

My favorite thing is when Nick says to me at home, “Babe, are you doing your spinal hygiene during the day?” Now, let me say that I KNOW why I should be doing this, I get that…however, I feel there is a lack of understanding on his part when his office is COMPLETELY on board with everything he does! My office…no so much. I feel like people ALREADY think I’m an odd-ball here, let’s just toss some spinal hygiene on top… *sigh*

Anyway, back to what I was saying…

So what do you think happens when I turn down something here that is less than healthy?

“Jen, just get over it and eat some…”

“Ohhh, you’re too HEALTHY for this, I know…” with an eye roll ps….

Brutal.

So, needless to say, I have been thinking about this ice cream social, and not the way most would expect. There are no feelings of excitement, nor have I been talking about it all day like most people, about looking forward to it…I’m actually NOT looking forward to it at all.

Today, I will say, “No thank you, I’m lactose intolerant.” End of questions, end of story :) Hell, I probably am!

"I don't feeeeeeeel gooooooooooooooooood"

Tonight I am working out with three LOVELY ladies at Dane Street Beach; we’re doing “Annie” (50,40,30,20,10 of double unders and situps). Get this though. Soooo, when I started Crossfit in October, I went through a month of “On-Ramp” which is like a Level 1 class. Once I was OFFICIALLY in Crossfit, in the “regular” classes, my first official bench mark was “Jason”

“Jason”
100 Squats
5 Muscle-ups
75 Squats
10 Muscle-ups
50 Squats
15 Muscle-ups
25 Squats
20 Muscle-ups

I remember that workout SOOO clearly. I hated every second of it. I remember hanging on the pull-up bar, looking at Danny with a look that could kill. I remember him looking at me and saying something along the lines of ,’don’t be a baby’. I think I heard the saying, “You can cry, just don’t be a wuss” for the first time that night. It was brutal. So a month or two ago (time seems to fly a little too fast lately) was “benchmark week” and I just wanted “Jason” to come up. I wanted to face him again and this time, CRUSH HIM! However, it didn’t. It was mentioned to me that “Jason” would be coming up soon, however, but…he didn’t. So here we are, August 5th, a day that I had planned on NOT going, to do a workout with friends at the beach…and sure enough…Jason shows up. BUGGER!! Oh well, I have the rest of my life to bump into him again..and next time Jason…you won’t even recognize me. Next time, it’ll be YOU crying :-p

Happy Thursday everyone! Tomorrow I will be heading to MAINE for a weekend of relaxing at the lake with Nick, and hanging out with my family :) CAN’T WAIT! :-D

Dairy-free, Gluten-free “Ice Cream”?? YES!

Posted by beautifullystrong in Crossfit Workouts and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Ahhhh...summer :)

In only a few short months it will be that time of year again. The time of year when beaches are elbow to elbow full of people trying to get their piece of the sun, when restaurant patios are open and when there is a line 40 people long at Dick & June’s… 

…It’s also that time of year when you start kicking yourself perhaps for your decision to change your lifestyle. 

So, you’ve gone Paleo, or you’re thinking about going Paleo…but you feel like you’re missing out on the upcoming sunny season’s best treat…ice cream. I have VERY good news for you in that case :)  

A few Sunday’s back, Nick and I were exploring our little town after a VERY productive morning. We came upon this little shop that I had been interested in checking out for some time. A New Leaf sits right on Cabot Street where I have walked past it a million times. A HUGE variety of all-natural goodies sit just waiting for me in the window. So on this particular Sunday, we ventured in. 

It was like a playground for naturalists…everything from organic, all-natural cosmetics, to gluten-free snacks (and anything in between). We spent a fair amount of time looking around and chatting with the owner about his store and his life in Greece. 

Then, tucked back in the corner, stored in the frozen treasure chest Nick pulls out a pint of….COCONUT BLISS. 

Like ice cream? You'll feel good eating this...Coconut Bliss!

It was an experiment. We both loved ice cream, but no longer feel its worth the excruciating pain that it brings (at least it does me…). I’ve tried soy ice creams…eh, no thanks. An organic dairy-free, gluten-free “ice cream”?? It’s worth at least trying. 

We bring this pint of hazelnutty-fudge Coconut Bliss home, and tear into it right away. The result? Well…I know the tone of this post has been rather, well, dramatic…but there is NO drama in my voice when I say…betttttttter than ice cream. Yes folks, I said it…and I’ll say it again. 

Better. Than. Ice. Cream. 

Recently Nick brought home another pint of it, in the vanilla flavor. Even better than the hazelnut fudge. Sprinkle some honey sesame seed cashews on that, holy schnikes. So…you don’t have to miss out this summer when all your friends are devouring ice cream on those hot nights. You too can enjoy some “ice creamy” goodness, and actually enjoy (pain-free) the rest of your night too!! 

If you would like to learn more about Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss, the benefits of coconut oil, how they started this deliciousness, or even if you want to know if you can recycle the carton…all the answers are there on their site! 

On a Crossfit related note: I’ve been battling a little bit of a cold the last few days, but decided Crossfit would do me some good. The workout was pretty tough: 

As many reps as possible (AMRAP) in 15 minutes of: 

30 KettleBell Swings (I used a 25# KB) 

15 KettleBell Clean and Jerks (again, a 25# KB) 

30 squats 

For those of you that have never seen a KB clean and jerk (I hadn’t…): 

 

So anyway, I did 3 full rounds in the 15 minutes, and I was 26 KB swings into the 4th. 

THEN! That workout in itself was pretty exhausting (especially when you’re not up to snuff)…we had to do the challenge, which was a 500m row x2. So, the three guys got on the rowers, did 500m, and then the 3 women got on the rowers (my first time was 2:09, which was a very steady, could have kept going, pace), then the guys went again, and then the women again. My second 500m time was a personal best for me!! I did it in 2:01!!! That was after a tough workout, and having already done a 500m row just a few minutes before. I would say I did pretty well!! :-D  

I feel a little self-conscious today because I have two big bruises on my wrists from the kettlebells. I wonder if anyone ever wants to ask me what happened, but doesn’t, in fear that it’s something bad I don’t want to talk about. I wonder if someone did ask, and I answered “KettleBells”, if they would even believe me, haha. Oh the joys of Crossfit :)  

Have a great Wednesday!! We’re almost to the weekend!!

Is There Another Option?

Posted by beautifullystrong in Crossfit Workouts and tagged with , , , , , ,

A plant is great at communicating, almost immediately, when it is missing something it needs to THRIVE. It is not always so obvious with us. It could take us YEARS to start "wilting"

Yesterday, being Saturday, was the PERFECT day. Got a good night’s sleep and woke up early with the sun streaming into the bedroom. By 8:50am we were out the door, dressed in gym gear and Chucks. The weekend Crossfit classes are typically MUCH more intense than during the week, and usually accomplished in a group. Living up to this promise, we were to accomplish as a team the following:

Together as a team we are to run 400m

200 45# thrusters (remember this is as a team of 4 before you have a heart attack)

400 situps

150 kettlebell swings

300 box jumps

150 ring rows

400m run

NUTS huh? Thanks Crosbie :) HOWEVER, it get’s better!! All the while, one of the teammates is to be holding a 45# plate. It CAN NOT touch the ground…and someone had to be holding it when we ran as well.

Let me tell you, after it took us 45 minutes to complete, we were DEAD! What better way to freakin’ start a Saturday morning though!! How many people can say they did all that before 10am!?

After the workout, Nick and I went home to make a HUGE breakfast. Nick made almond pancakes (almond flour, gluten free), we had mango chicken sausage, and I made “paleo” ceral (nut, raisins, fruits, almond milk). The sun was warm and bright, so it was the perfect morning to sit out on our deck and eat :) Which led to the conversation that inspired this blog.

I started talking about how once you really know something, there is no other option any longer. By this I mean: now that I know what eating processed foods will do to my body, I could NEVER go back to a life of eating those on a regular basis, EVER! Does that mean that I don’t occasionally indulge in a cupcake (my kryptonite), or that I’ll NEVER dig into a piece of lasagna..heck no. You know why? Because they’re freakin’ delicious. I do, however, know that my body was NOT designed to eat that sort of food, and that there may or may not be consequences later. I do know that eating that sort of thing sends my body into shock and sounds the alarms. Is this the sort of thing I want to be doing to my body on the regular? NO! It’s just NOT an option! I could NEVER just say, you know what? I want to eat pizza whenever I want…I deserve it! I work hard, I have been a good person. Doesn’t a GOOD person deserve to eat what they want? Sorrrrrry guys, your body doesn’t look at it that way. Pizza moves you AWAY from health, cupcakes move you away from health, those “healthy” breads, milks and lean cuisines MOVE YOU AWAY FROM HEALTH! I just couldn’t all of a sudden start deciding..eh, I don’t feel like working out anymore, I just want to start staying home, eating pasta in front of the TV every night and PRETEND like I don’t know that I’m SCREWING UP MY BODY!

People talk about how hard it is to get healthy. On the wall of the office where Nick works, there is a quote that says, “Health is simple. It’s just not easy.” How true is that? We all know what we need to do, but for some reason it seems so hard to accomplish. Don’t you think, however, that if you REALLLLLLY knew…if you really OWNED the consequences of your actions, that it would be a whole lot easier?

If you reallllly want to change your life for the good, permanently; find a community (I have always been interested in health and wellness, but it was amazing the growth and sustainability that occurred when I had a community of people in my life that made all this the “norm”), read some books (Nick is reading “Spark ” by John Ratey right now and swears everyone should read it. It’s next on my PILE of books I’m reading. “The Innate Diet and Natural Hygiene”, “Innate Physical Fitness and Spinal Hygiene”, “Innate State of Mind and Emotional Hygiene” all by Dr. James Chestnut), and think of your body as a temple (feed your body only nourishing foods; before you put something in your mouth, as Nick says, think “will this move me TOWARD health, or AWAY from health? If it is going to move you AWAY from health, step AWAY from the food! It’s not worth it guys…trust me.) Move your body the way it was designed to move. We need to exert our bodies every day; not always at max intensity, but we need to move in some way. As Dr. Franson says, “You only have to exercise on the days you eat”. Think about it, back in the day, the ONLY way you ate was if you CAUGHT that food, or picked it yourself. We didn’t have the luxury of sitting on our asses, on our couch, and ordering our groceries off of PeaPod and having them delivered to our door (does anyone else think this is HILARIOUS?!?! in a really terrible way? Seriously, it was at one point that we HAD to get SOME ”exercise” to at least go get our groceries, but now we can order them online…) 

Now I’m not going to pretend like I’m perfect in any way, or that I have this ALLLLL FIGURED OUT! I don’t! There are DEFINITELY days when all I want is a dang cupcake (red velvet with cream cheese frosting perhaps?! :) ). There are DEFINITELY days when I have NO interest in going to Crossfit. You know what though? I NEVER regret going to Crossfit, and I ALWAYS regret eating that damn cupcake..always. So, my questions for you are:

Is it really worth it?

Are you willing to take control of your health and learn more about what your body needs to THRIVE?

Are you willing to ignore the truth once you have it?

This is the biggest and most important. I promise you, once you really know, once you reallllly understand; you will NOT be able to ignore it. You will know the truth, and guys, THAT is the secret to everlasting health and wellness; to an everlasting sexy body; to the END of that yo-yo dieting; the end of that New Years resolution push to go to the gym and then quitting. Once you know the truth, you will NEVER have a problem sticking to the commitment of optimal health for yourself…

…there will be no other option.

Paleo is delicious: Recipes for YOU!

Posted by beautifullystrong in Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , ,

I had some requests for the actual recipe for the Raw Chocolate Mousse, not just a list of the ingredients…so here goes :)

This makes enough for 2 people!

-2 avocados

-1 cup carob powder

-1 teaspoon sea salt

-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I actually FORGOT this when I made it, and it was STILL delicious!)

-6 dates, soaked for 2-3 hours and then pitted.

THEN! You put all the ingredients into a food processor (using the S blade), and blend till smooth (you can add some water to the mix for the consistency you so desire!). I chilled it for the afternoon and thought it tasted even better after a few hours of being in the fridge! Then top with assorted fruits (bananas and blueberries are what I used, but I bet raspberries or strawberries would rock my world!) then serve! Yum!

Also, the other night, Nicholas made a huge batch of soup for us (that we’re STILL eating :) ) It’s completely Paleo, and ridiculously delicious! He does a full tutorial here for you. “Chicken Soup for the Paleo Soul”.

Also, you can get the full write-up here.

 Bon appetite!

For Crossfit last night:

Did 80 overhead squats with 35#. I know I have done overhead squats with 55# before, and I started with 45# but struggled to get down into squat position even once! I think I’m still super sore from doing 4 days in a row this week..yikes. Need to remember to give my body some time to rest! However, I did 80 reps of that, so WOOT!! Then, after all that work to my shoulders holding that #35 up, we had to do max consecutive pushups. Now, let me just fill you in on a little nugget of information right now. When I started Crossfit on October 5 (almost 4 months ago now!!!), I STRUGGLED to do 10 pushups on my knees, and I could get about HALF way down (was not anywhere near full extension). Flash forward 3-4 months, and guess how many I did last night!!..WITH full extension!!!…….40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 40 FREAKIN’ PUSHUPS! So, needless to say, my shoulders are pretty sore today, and they will be all the more sore tomorrow!!

Woke up this morning and had a beautiful bowl of “Paleo Cereal” (some pecans, crushed walnuts, blueberries, bananas, flax seed all swimming in almond milk!!! so amazing!!), ate with my amazing BF, then headed to Franson Family Chiropractic at 6:45am to have my POWER turned on!!! (adjusted :-p). I’m feeling AMAZING this morning!!! Could be in part that its Friday too :-p HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Autism and the Paleo Diet….

Posted by beautifullystrong in Uncategorized and tagged with , , ,

This is something that is so very dear to my heart…


http://cffmcoachesblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/autism-and-paleo-diet.html

If you know anyone in your life that is living with autism, or has a child with autism, or if you work in a school (as I used to) with children with autism…pass this along. Let’s do whatever we can to help these loved ones.

Also, there are many books on autism and diet out there for you to read.

Thank you :)