Workout - Crossfit by Sequoia Leopold

I'm at Crossfit today for my workout. First class since before Xmas... I'm worried!!! Time to get that strength training in again!

Such an important part, and I never do it on my own. I stop after 10 squats or push-ups cause it hurts!!!

Wheat Grass - Yuck by Sequoia Leopold

I tried Wheat Grass for the first time today, and as healthy as I usually am I really hate 'juicing' and 'green drinks' and all of those kinds of products.  I really like vegetables, but I hate drinking them.  So as part of this nutrition challenge I agreed to add that to my daily routine and see if I can find one that I can make a habit.

The first thing I tried was Wheat Grass...forced on me by my husband.  This was my reaction....

The Plan!!!....-Ryan Leopold (Post #2)

Like I said before, I am looking to make this as easy and manageable as possible.  By easy, I mean small and simply changes to my diet, excise program and overall lifestyle to better my health in 2013 and beyond.

Top (3) Changes:

1. I will add 2 servings of raw vegetables and 2 servings of fruit to my meals everyday (juicing or smoothies will count in this as well) 
2. I will do (2) 60-minute strength training sessions per week, (1) day of cardio for 45-minutes and (1) day of Yoga.  So I total of (4) work out days a week
3. I will not drink any alcohol for the next 90-days! 

Going DRY!!!!

So for me, the drinking one is the toughest and the one that I really think will make the biggest difference.  What is crazy is that I do not think I have gone more than 10-days without drinking since I was 18-years-old...like 20-years!  Here is the only caveat to this one...if the Seahawks make the Super Bowl OR even the NFC Championship then I will have to make that exception!  

I have thought about the drinking one for about a week now but last Sunday and New Years Eve was the final straw for me.  I drank a lot the last 2-nights and my god, I am paying for it.  Check out the video link below to see why!  

Meal program started today and for breakfast I had an egg white omelet with veggies in it, small handful of home fries, coffee and OJ.  For Lunch I had a tuna sandwich, carrots and celery.  For a Snack I had apples with peanut butter.  For dinner I made pork yakisoba with mushrooms and onions.  I also had some raspberries and a shot of wheat grass!  I love wheat grass!  Sequoia tried it for the first time...will work on that one.

Not a bad start.  Will be adding more veggies and fruit tomorrow.  I have workout planned for Thursday and Saturday.

Happy New Year!!!!  

What am I getting myself into?-Ryan Leopold (post #1)

My name is Ryan Leopold.  I am married, no kids other than our 2-wonderful pups (Mochi and Beta). My wife and I (Sequoia) live in Kirkland, WA and we actually both work in Kirkland...which is nice.

Sequoia and I just got back from a nice Christmas away in Scottsdale...tried to get away from the cold and rain and into some warmth!  Weather was really nice in AZ, just cold.  While we were away we both agreed to start a little adventure together...to better our health through nutrition and exercise. We also both agreed to document our journey in a daily blog.  I have made a pretty big commitment, to blog everyday for the next 3-months.  It seems like a great way to (a) keep myself accountable and (2) document the way I feel throughout the process.

For me, this all popped up from watching several diet related documentaries over the past couple of weeks like:  Food Matters, Forks Over Knives, Food Inc. and Super Size Me.  All these movies are packed with great information and suggestions.  BUT, I found it all to be overwhelming to say the least!  I plan to make small but manageable changes in an effort to solve a handful of issues that have plagued me for the last couple of years.

My issues are:

• SLEEP-  I have a hard time getting a full nights sleep, I often take sleep aids that make me groggy and lethargic the next day--then I drink to much coffee or take energy drinks to get through the day
• ENERGY and FOCUS-  Same thing, hard to have a clear mind when my body feels worn down from a lack of sleep and a stressful work week
• BACK PAIN-  I have lower back issues that tend to effect my workouts and most importantly my golf game!  
• MOOD-  I often feel grumpy or at times depressed, this time of year is always worse with our Seattle weather but I feel this also has a lot to do with my diet.  

I will have my plan all worked up in my second post...again, small changes to the foods I eat and the consistency of my workout plan!  I know this challenge will not be easy, especially blogging everyday but I really am looking forward to these much need changes! 

To be honest...I am not off to a great start!  It is January 1st and I am hung over from last nights activities!  Can only get better from here!  :)

Starting Point - Before Photos

Here are my 'before' photos and my starting weight. Tomorrow is the Dr apt to see where my blood work is and what else I might need to fix with my inner health.
I don't have weight to loose exactly, but I want a cleaner more vibrant being and I want cleaner fresher skin... So here I go!
Is better nutrition the solution?

Breakfast Day 1 - By Sequoia Leopold

This morning was breakfast out with my husband. I ordered egg white scramble with spinach, tomato, mushrooms, and a side of roasted red potatoes.
It was at a restaurant so the portion size was a little too big, and I always eat everything on my plate (bottomless pit). I was able however to ask for everything to be cooked in olive oil so it was still dairy free. Delicious!
I avoided the fresh sugar donuts that were served at the beginning of our breakfast.

The Begining - Groceries and Superfoods by Sequoia Leopold

Groceries - Favorite Fresh Foods

After we were on vacation for a week we came back to a house full of spoiled food...and this was our opportunity to restart and fill the kitchen with highly dense nutritious foods.   Cut out almost all sugars and artificial processed foods.

1.) The only meat I will be eating is fish, and I am trying to take out all other animal products

Challenges -
  It seems that a lot of the foods I eat have animal product in them...Mayo...Egg Beaters (I am going to try egg substitute)
   Everything at restaurants is cooked in butter (have to request olive oil)

2.) Adding in a heavy amount of vegetables and fruit and superfoods

Challenges -
   What are superfoods?   I have gone to a couple websites to try to find out...this is what I found.
   How do I add them to my meals?  I will be experimenting with this!

A Superfood is defined by the level of antioxidants...and that is measured by the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity)...an average antioxidant rich food like blueberries has about 2400 per 100g.  A superfood such as raw Cocoa has about 98,000 ORAC.
These were the top 7 chosen by one website...

1. Chaga Mushroom (110,400) - I like mushrooms so I am gonna try to find this
2. Raw Cacao (98,000) - I love this...I usually buy a chocolate bar that is 85% cocao and have a square every couple days.
3. Goji Berries (25,300) - I can add this to my smoothie
4. Chia Seeds (8,000) - I dont know what these are or how to add them so that will be in the "maybe" pile
5. Acai Berries (5,500) - I love these so I will put them in my smoothie as well
6. Chlorella (5,000) - This is a green algae...I dont know if I will be trying this???  Maybe I can find it in a supplement that I can mix in my smoothie and I wont even know...
7. Camu Camu (3,200) - some sort of bushy tree found in the Amazon with little redish berries...I will find this too and add it to my smoothie. 

(Another site told me about Agave...but said to be careful when buying it cause a lot of brands will refine it and then it is no better the reg fructose sugar.)
Agave Nectar: Agave is a natural sweetener produced from the agave cactus native to Mexico. It is produced at low temperatures to protect its natural enzymes. Agave is low on the glycemic index making it a great sweetener for those with blood sugar issues. 

Blue Green Algae:  I want to try to add this, but I dont know how...If anyone can help me figure out what to put this in to add it to my diet I would love some advise.

There really is an endless amount of information out there about all these products and vitamins so I am going to go slow...I have filled my house right now with fresh and organic greens and fruits and fish.  I will add a multivitamin to my routine and then each day add some kind of superfood.