Out to Dinner or Events

Going Out to Dinner or Special Events -

I ran into a special circumstance that I noticed caused a huge problem for me staying on track with my nutrition plan.

• It started with a longer then expected day at work so I ran out of snacks that I brought from home 
• Then I ordered a salad from a local restaurant, but didn't have time to eat it because we were too busy at work
• Next I had to go straight to an event that I was already late to attend
• There wasn't any food at the event that I could eat (pizza, chicken skewers, deep fried shrimp, veggies with ranch dipping sauce, and bread)
• The restaurant would not make me a salad

I decided to leave the event for 20 minutes and go down to a restaurant that would make me a salad with Ahi Tuna.  I had to go by myself so it was a little awkward leaving the party, but I did feel like I was going to faint from hunger and I knew I was going to feel like crap if I ate the food at the party so I made the decision to stick with my plan and find food that fit in it.
I guess I am surprised at how difficult it can be and I understand how frustrating it is for people when they cant find things to eat that fit into a healthy balanced eating plan.

I wish that the popular party foods didn't have to be so empty and void of nutrition!!!  Maybe one day it will be easier for people to find nutritious choices at events and parties.

Ever tried it?....love the Wheatgrass! by Ryan Leopold

Wheatgrass is one of the most potently healthy substances on earth. Yet for some reason it is still not mainstream – even though there are thousands of wheatgrass benefits that are so clear and felt so quickly.  I have mentioned wheatgrass several times on this blog and to be honest, it is one of my favorite things ever!  I really do love the taste AND I love the immediate energy boost.  Since I like the taste and the feeling from it, I felt I would share some of the health benefits I discovered.  

You can find fresh wheatgrass at local juice bars, jamba juice and some health food shops like PNC.  

This is a new juice bar we visited in Seattle called Healeo.  

Wheatgrass benefits are so easy to achieve and feel because:

• 30mls of freshly squeezed wheatgrass juice (a wheatgrass shot!) is equivalent in nutritional value to 1kg of leafy green vegetables
• Wheatgrass contains over 90 minerals, including high concentrations of the most alkaline minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium
• It contains the essential enzymes: Protease (assists in protein digestion), Cytochrome Oxidase (a powerful anti oxidant), Amylase (facilitates digestion), Lipase (a fat splitting enzyme), Transhydrogenase (strengthens the heart muscle) & Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) (found in all body cells and is known for its ability to lessen the effect of radiation and slow cellular aging)
• Just one teaspoon of Wheat Grass powder, weighing a mere 3.5 grams, is nutritionally equal to an entire spinach salad weighing a full 50 grams – it packs a punch!
• Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots!
• Wheat grass juice helps your body to build red blood cells which carry oxygen to every cell. By increasing the oxygenation the body you can help offset smog and carbon monoxide and increase your endurance during physical exercise
• It also contains 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein making this one of the most powerful wheatgrass benefits

Superbowl Snacks

SuperBowl Snacks - 

We had a few people over for the Superbowl yesterday, and we know 2 things for sure about the Superbowl...there will be a winner and there will be unhealthy food!

I am trying not to have 'cheat days' or an exact time frame for this project because I want it to be something that I can continue and I can keep up in ANY circumstance.  I was on a mission to find snack foods that will be healthy and within the guidelines of the food I want to fuel my body with.

As a reminder I am only eating Fish and eggs as my animal protein, no wheat, no dairy, no processed sugars, and almost no processed foods.

This is what I decided to serve, and what I ended up eating....

• Veggies and Hummus
• Fruit (apples, pear, strawberry)
• Popcorn (just salt added)
• Multi Grain Corn Chips (Should Taste Good brand) with homemade Guacamole
• Roasted Potato / Pineapple / Red Peppers / Chicken Meatballs baked together in the oven (I had sauteed shrimp in mine)
• Gluten Free Cookies from Sweet Cakes (and cake pops)

I had mostly popcorn and veggies...I had 2 cookies and 2 cake pops.  I was drinking champagne and a glass of wine at the end of the night.  This morning I feel puffy and a little bloated:(  I could tell a big difference in how I felt by not having the proper portions and way too much 'empty' calorie food (corn chips, popcorn, sweets).  

It was good tho, cause now I know it isn't worth it and I wont be tempted to eat it again...even on special occasions like the Superbowl.  

Fruit as a Dessert

Can Fruit be a Delicious Dessert?...I challenge you to try it!  

I tried a new receipt for dessert tonight. Still avoiding all dairy and processed foods, my options have been limited. I have been having a square of 80% cocoa chocolate bar... That is getting old.

So yesterday, I froze 2 bananas and decided I would put them in my Magic Bullet and make 'ice cream'. I added a spoon full of brown sugar, a sprinkle of nutmeg, a little almond milk, and blend.

Make sure to cut the banana up to small frozen chances so it blends easily.

Add some Raspberries or a Strawberry, some cinnamon, and put it in a fancy glass and you will feel just like u r having a rich calorie filled dessert:)

My Mother - by Sequoia Leopold

Mother Knows Best - 

My mother is probably going to live forever and I think I just got the receipt for it today.  Her famous homemade granola!  My mom has eaten organic and fresh and local and unprocessed foods her whole life, effortlessly.  She shopped at organic local grocery stores before it was chic and always tried to convince me that fruit was a desert (even going as far as to freeze the dessert).

Now that I am trying to improve my overall life thru nutrition, what better way then with my mothers homemade granola.  I am getting much better in the kitchen these days!

I grew up on this stuff as much as I fought for Lucky Charms they never appeared in my house.  I am lucky now as I have an amazing immune system and I know it is from my childhood.  One year (birth to first birthday) in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri with no Anti-bacterial spray or handy wipes will do that!!!

Belt - Switzer - Leopold Granola 
Old Fashioned Oats
Sweetened Coconut Flakes
Wheat Germ
Sunflower Seeds (raw)
Brown Sugar
Honey
Molasses
Vegetable Oil
Flax Seed***
Sesame Seed
Walnuts
Almonds ***
Pecans
Dried Apricots
Dried Papaya
Dried Mango

Spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until just barely crispy...then let it cool, bag it up and ready for breakfast each morning.  You only need about 1/4 cup.

I eat mine with Almond Milk and fruit.  It also makes a great snack during the day (keep it in your car so you are not tempted by drive thru's and Starbucks)

Also a great alternative to Gold Fish Crackers for little ones!

Test Results are In...by Ryan Leopold

At the beginning of this challenge, I went to Sound Natural Medicine in Kirkland to get by blood tested for food allergies.  Dr. Lisa Wada came highly recommended so I thought I would do the test and see what the fuss was all about.  So after 3-weeks or so, I went in to get the results.

The test basically looks at your blood to determine how you will react to different kinds of foods like dairy, gluten, meats, veggies, nuts and grains.  Apparently we all react different to various kinds of foods but our bodies specifically react worse to certain foods.  I have always felt off and had stomach issues with things like heavy cheese products such as pizza.  To my utter disappointment, I have a strong food allergy to dairy and specifically cheese, milk and yogurt!  I also tested high on one of my favorite things...eggs!!!  The egg one is really annoying because I love breakfast and I have been really into egg while omelettes and scramble's of late.

Dr. Wada encouraged me to take at least 6-weeks to test the results for myself so I guess I am going to avoid all dairy and eggs and see how I feel!  My overall plan for optimum health and performance is to keep trying different things to see what sticks.  I do not plan to never eat eggs or dairy but if I feel better without them then maybe I simply eat less of the things my body reacts bad too and increase what I know my body prefers.

If you want to get a blood test for allergies, here is the link to Dr. Wada's practice:

Sound Natural Medicine

To be honest, things challenge has really not been that hard.  I have lost about 7-pounds so far and that really was not my goal.  The only hard part is taking the time to get fruits and veggies into my meals...it is a lot easier to eat convenience foods especially when I am busy.  Almost 30-days into the 90-day challenge and things are going great and I am loving the way I am feeling for sure!

Ryan

fat, sick and nearly dead!--by Ryan Leopold

I don't know about anyone else but I am really getting into nutrition based documentaries on Netflix!  I find them fascinating and eye opening to say the least.  There are a ton of them on Netfilx and the one that I liked the most so far is called.. "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".  If you have not seen it, check it out, the stories are great, inspiring and the content makes a ton of sense.

Another great documentary Sequoia and I watched last night was Engine 2, a follow-up to "Forks over Knives".  I strongly recommend this one as well.

One of the things that stood out to me was when they interviewed a doctor, his name is Dr. Joel Fuhrman, he is the author of the book "Eat to Live".  In the movie he talked about his food pyramid, at least the one he supports in his program.  I felt it was a really good guide for eating a whole food, nutrition, plant based diet.  As you can see from the picture, he has his recommendations on what to eat each day and week.  It seems like a great model for optimum health without cutting EVERYTHING out by simply increasing the good and decreasing the bad.  Sooo more veggies and fruits and less meat, dairy, flour and sweets.  This is the model I have been working off for my challenge so to see it visually helps me out a ton and will hopefully keep me focused.  I am still progressing to get to the point where I follow this on a more regular basis but I think I have done a pretty decent job so far...BUT, a work in progress!

Great workout today, I will get my cardio in tomorrow and yoga on Saturday.  Meals went well today as well.  Eggs whites with veggies in the a.m. with red potatoes instead of toast.  Juice guy around noon then some veggies as a snack.  I had a little chicken teriyaki for dinner with brown rice but I only ate half the order and saved the rest for later.

I will start my cleanse after the Super Bowl.  Really looking forward to that especially after I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead!

Out for now....Ryan