paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
2 bananas

paleo lunch:
soma chicken salad
- romaine
- chicken
- broccoli
- carrots
- tomatos
- avocado
- vinaigrette

paleo snack:
5 pieces of turkey
5 carrots
10 almonds (how OCD of me to actually count them!)

abs dinner:
chicken satay
bbq pork
1/4 sweet potato

paleo breakfast:
2 eggs
salsa
orange juice

abs lunch:
palak paneer
okra/dahi bhindi
chicken tikka masala
chicken vindaloo
lamb gosht

paleo snacks:
banana
peach

cheat dinner:
mongolian beef
hot and spicy tofu
mushu pork
pork ribs

abs + kickboxing

@ gold's castro with daniel santero

6:00-6:30pm Abs
6:30-7:30pm kickboxing

daily digest

early breakfast:
1.5 slices of wheat toast with cream cheese
orange juice

2nd breakfast!
2 eggs
salsa ranchera

lunch:
salmon fillet
chicken
green salad with spinach, red peppers, and brocolli

post-workout snack:
strawberry whey protein
macadamia nuts

abs dinner:
indian
- palak paneer
- tikka masala
- chicken vindaloo

daily digest

2 eggs
orange juice

burrito

chili

2 slices pineapple and ham pizza
2 slices cheese pizza

what is the abs diet?

so my mom asked me the other day, "what exactly is the abs diet?", and i realized some of my readers might not know. it's not a vain diet that actually promises a 6-pack. it's a diet about lowering your risk of diabetes by lowering the amount of visceral fat in your body, especially around your belly.

there is a strict list of foods to eat and foods to avoid, but the general premise is to eat a higher ratio of protein to carbs (to raise your thermic metabolism), and also eat lean protein, healthy fats, and "healthier" carbs. there is also an acronym to help you remember the general guidelines for foods you should try to eat more of:

A - almonds (and nuts - pretty much all nuts except walnuts)
B - beans (and other legumes. high in fiber, have protein, low in fat.)
S - spinach (and green vegetables. amen for plant cellulose and omega-3's)

D - dairy (zinczenko specifically recommends low-fat dairy)
I - instant oatmeal (one of the best things you can eat for heart health)
china study, i have to worry a little about protein toxicity and the potential diseases too much meat can cause)
E - eggs (good source of protein, and if you get organic, a good source of healthy fats)
T - turkey (good source of protein. also include: bison, fish, and other lean meat)

P - peanut butter (good fats, good amount of protein)
O - olive oil (healthy fats -- though i think flaxseed oil is probably much healthier)
W - whole grains (more protein, fiber, and in general, more nutrients)
E - extra whey protein (gotta get that protein! though, after reading the china study, it makes you weary of eating too much animal protein...
R - raspberries (especially in the morning, or after a workout)

this ties in well with michael pollan's adage about "shopping the perimeter of the grocery store". try to avoid: enriched-flour, added sugar, processed foods, fried foods, overly heated oils (as this causes hydrogenation and creates carcinogens).

kelp noodles

anybody tried these?


kelp noodles

yoga

vinyasa yoga @ gold's castro, with maria stanford
8:00-9:30am

love how this teacher asks you to do something really hard, and then shouts out expletives at herself. it is seriously awesome.

daily digest

abs post-workout shake:
whey protein
orange juice

paleo breakfast:
scramble
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices of turkey
- pico de gallo
- olive oil
- salsa

paleo lunch:
squash/meat stuffing
1 grapefruit

cheat dinner:
lasagna
wheat toast

paleo summit?

not even sure what this is, but it sounds interesting.

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
orange juice
scramble
- 4 eggs
- 3 slices of turkey
- olive oil
- pico de gallo

paleo lunch:
sake sashimi (raw salmon)
misu soup (skipped the tofu)
iceberg salad with ginger dressing
(this meal is not paleo, bc of the fermented bean curd in the soup, and the possible cream in the salad dressing)

paleo snack:
stuffed squash
1/3 sweet potato
1 grapefruit

cheat dinner:
indian
chicken tikka masala
lamb vindaloo <-- potatoes! saag paneer tandoori lamb

yoga

vinyasa yoga @ gold's castro w/ michael hubbard
4:00-5:15pm

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
fauxrizo scramble
- olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 3 slices of turkey
- pico de gallo
- chili powder
- paprika
1/2 yam

paleo lunch:
stuffed squash*
extra meat stuffing
cutie mandarin orange


[[yoga]]

post-workout shake:
strawberry whey protein
orange juice

paleo post-workout snack:
1/2 sweet potato
stuffed squash meat

paleo dinner:
stuffed squash
grapefruit
stuffed squash meat


*stuffed squash recipe is from here:
http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/07/21/stuffed-zucchini/#more-2704

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
1 egg
3 slices turkey lunchmeat
pico de gallo

paleo lunch:
meatloaf (not sure if there was bread in this. seemed pretty healthy though, from a generally healthy store, so i'm not going to worry too much)
sautéed mixed veggies
- zucchini
- peppers
- carrots
cutie tangerine

paleo snack:
sweet potato chili
2 x cutie tangerine

paleo dinner:
stuffed squash
sweet potato
spinach salad

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
sweet potato chili

paleo lunch:
salmon
chicken
green salad
- mixed greens
- red peppers
- oil and vinegar

paleo snack:
sweet potato chili

cheat dinner:
indian
- spinach and broccoli
- chicken tikka masala
- lamb vindaloo (this is the reason it was a cheat meal, bc of the potatoes)
leftover thai seafood curry

ruck march

sawyer camp trail @ crystal springs reservoir in san mateo, w/ daniel.

4 miles
42 lbs
58m36s

first ruck march in about a year.

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
denver omelette
salsa
1/2 apple
1/4 cup pineapple

lunch:
leftover hamburger
leftover lamb tagine

post-workout snack:
sweet potato chili
- 96/4 ground beef
- chili powder
- salt
- pepper
- cayenne
- paprika
- cinnamon
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 peeled, sliced, sweet potatoes
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lime

paleo dinner:
chicken satays (no sauce)
poh taag (Seafood Spicy and Sour Soup)

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
scramble
- 2 eggs
- ground beef leftovers
- pico de gallo
- 2 slices turkey lunchmeat

cheat brunch: (nephew's birthday)
1/2 sesame bagel
cream cheese
smoked salmon
orange juice
carrot cake

abs lunch:
super burrito
- carne asada
- pinto beans
- no rice
- sour cream
- cheese
- guacamole
- salsa

paleo dinner:
blackened chicken salad
- cajun chicken
- romaine
- tomatoes
- bacon vinaigrette

paleo snack:
2 cutie tangerines
pumpkin seeds

daily digest

abs breakfast:
peanut chicken stew (it was a weird breakfast, but it was good. i didn't cook, so no complaints)
- chicken
- sausage
- broccoli
- peas
- peanut butter
- red curry paste
- water chestnuts
- bamboo shoots

paleo lunch:
lomi lomi
- 96/4 lean ground beef (with paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper)
- 2 eggs, over easy
- pico de gallo
- sri racha sauce

cheat dinner:
veal schnitzel à la holstein
- breaded veal
- hashed cauliflower
- 1 egg, sunnyside up
- 1 sardine
spinach, bacon, & cherry salad
marzipan, chocolate pudding

yoga

@ gold's castro w/ dave ford (the super yogi)
5:15-6:45pm vinyasa yoga

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
orange juice
eggs:
- olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 3 slices of turkey
- avocado
- salsa

paleo lunch:
chipotleway burrito bowl
- no rice
- no beans
- fajita veggies
- double meat: chicken & steak
- pico de gallo
- salsa ranchera
- "i will pay extra for guacamole please"

paleo snack: 1 clementine

paleo dinner:
lamb tagine
- coconut oil
- lamb shoulder (mmm... carnitine!)
- shallots
- garlic
- beef broth
- coconut milk
- turnips
- carrots
- lamb
- cranberries
- almonds
- parsley
- cilantro
- green onion
sweet potatoes

abs + kickboxing

@ gold castro w/ daniel

6:00-6:30 abs + alex
6:30-7:15 kickboxing

#doubleday!

weight training

@gold's castro w/ nick

back and bi's
- rear delt fly's - 40-80lbs
- cable hammer curls, with rope grip - 50-65lbs
- rear delt pulls - 90-140lbs
- narrow grip overhead delt pulls - 60-110lbs
- seated dumbell curls - 15lbs
- standing bent barbell curls - 30lbs

pin those shoulders back!

daily digest

paleo breakfast:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 slices turkey lunchmeat
3 eggs
1/4 avocado
sun-dried tomato salsa

abs post-workout snack:
chocolate muscle milk

paleo snack:
1 whole grapefruit

paleo lunch:
atkins burger
sweet potato fries

abs dinner:
indian:
- chicken tikka masala
- saag paneer
- tandoori lamb

weight training

@ gold's castro w/ nick
8:30-9:30

chest and tri's:
- seated pec fly's
- dips
- floating pec fly's
- cable pull downs
- front delt raises

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
2 pieces of turkey
3 eggs
1/4 avocado
sun-dried tomato salsa

abs post-workout snack:
2 scoops of vanilla muscle milk whey protein
1 banana

paleo lunch:
leftover chicken tagine
mixed greens
leftover sweet potatoes

paleo snack:
3 tacos:
- carne asada
- pico de gallo
- guacamole
- (left the tortillas on the plate)

paleo dinner:
leftover chicken tagine
leftover sweet potatoes

paleo recipe :: chicken tagine

instead of going out to an expensive restaurant for valentine's day this year, i decided to buy a new kitchen implement, some quality ingredients, and cook at home. so, i bought a «tagine». it's a conical moroccan/mediterranean ceramic cooking dish, that traps a super-heated cloud of water vapor (or is it steam?) above the food -- think, medieval slow-cooker. after using it only once, it has already earned it's worth. the idea was inspired by a julia child cooking show i saw about a month ago, where her guest used a tagine. also, it looks cool on my shelf when i'm not using it.

here are the ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded (i substituted 3 lb's of boneless skinless chicekn breast and thighs)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 [sprigs] fresh cilantro
5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
(and kitchen string)

1. start by making a rub: combine the cinnamon, ginger, salt, pepper, and turmeric, with 2 tbsp's olive oil in a large bowl. rub each piece of chicken evenly with the mixture.

2. next, heat the butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in the tagine base. brown the chicken in your tagine on high heat. after you've browned the chicken, about 4 minutes on each side, remove from the tagine and put aside.

3. next cook the onions in the tagine until soft. add the garlic.

4. roll the cilantro and parsley together and wrap in kitchen string. place the chicken, rolled herbs and 1/2 cup of water into the tagine. place the cover over the tagine.

5. while the chicken cooks, start the apricots. in a small saucepan, add 1 cup of water, the stick of cinnamon, the honey, and the apricots. bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until it becomes a glaze.

6. while the apricots are cooking, start the almonds. this is incredibly quick, so don't blink or you could end up with burnt almonds. heat up 2 tbsp's of olive oil in a small skillet, on medium heat. add the almonds, and cook until golden on both sides. this only takes about 2 minutes. when they're done, move to a paper towel, and blot all the oil.

7. when the apricots glaze is ready, add it to the tagine. cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

8. when serving, sprinkle with the almonds. bon apetit!

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
1/2 grapefruit
1 banana

paleo lunch:
"oriental chicken salad":
- romaine
- chicken
- carrots
- green onion
- almonds
- sesame ginger dressing

paleo dinner:
chicken tagine
sweet potatoes
spinach salad
- avocado
- cranberry
- walnut oil
- balsamic vinegar.

abs + kickboxing

@gold's castro w/ daniel santero
6:00-6:30 abs
6:30-7:30 cardio kickboxing

class was crowded, and someone stepped on my hand today while doing burpees. talked to the teacher about possibly moving the high knees section to after the burpees so that we're not going from chaos of running back to position followed by chaos of doing burpees in cadence... he said point taken, but the routine comes from a central company, so it would be hard for him to change it.

paleo and abs digest

paleo breakfast:
1 egg
1 slice of turkey lunchmeat
1 apple

paleo lunch:
noodle-less phô with angus steak and meatball

paleo snack:
1/2 grapefruit

abs diet post-workout snack:
peanut butter protein shake
- 2 scoops BoKU
- 2 tbsp PB2

abs dinner:
healthy indian
- saag paneer
- lamb tikka kebab
- chicken tikka masala
- (no rice, no naan, no samosas, no pakora)

cheat day

cheat breakfast
spaghetti carbonara

cheat lunch:
2 slices of veggie combo pizza

cheat dinner:
2 slices of meat combo pizza
3 buffalo wings

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
3 eggs
2 tbsp pico de gallo
cubed leftover steak

paleo lunch:
spinach salad
-chicken
- brocolli
- egg whites
- tangerines
- almonds
- oil and vinegar
- bacon
sausage tomato soup with zucchini

abs dinner:
healthy indian
- tandoori lamb & onions
- saag paneer
- chicken tikka masala
- (no rice, no naan, no chutney)

digest

paleo breakfast:
orange juice
huevos rancheros at home
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp pico de gallo
- 2 organic eggs, scrambled
- diced steak

cheat lunch:
cheat indian
- 2 samosas
- rice
- naan
- chicken tikka masala
- saag paneer (spinach & cheese)
- gobi aloo (cauliflower)


paleo dinner:
lamb chops
yams
green beans (beans are technically not part of the paleo diet, but these ones were a fresh and brilliant green, so i'm waiving them)
watercress

abs + kickboxing

@gold's castro w/ daniel santero
6:00-6:30 abs
6:30-7:15 cardio kickboxing

it was just as crowded as monday, but i decided to do the class anyway this time. it was so crowded even, that someone kicked my hand during one of the roundhouse "katas", he was totally apologetic about it. luckily no injury, so i don't have to seek revenge... i mean... make an appointment with a doctor.

paleo breakfast:
huevos rancheros at home
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pico de gallo
4 organic eggs, scrambled
steak
1 banana

paleo lunch:
sirloin steak
1 yam
white asparagus with onions and beef broth

paleo snack:
1/2 grapefruit

paleo snack:
lunch leftovers

abs post-workout snack:
PB2 and BoKU shake

abs dinner:
thai food
- fish curry stone pot
- bbq chicken
- spinach in peanut sauce with chicken

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
2 deviled eggs (1 whole egg)
1 banana

paleo lunch:
oriental chicken salad from soma chicken
- romaine lettuce
- green onions
- mandarin oranges
- carrots
- chicken
- sliced almonds
- sesame ginger dressing
(no rotini pasta, no fried wontons)

paleo snack: cashews

abs snack:
muscle milk, whey protein shake

paleo dinner:
sirloin steak
1 yam
white asparagus with onions and beef broth

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
4 deviled eggs (2 whole eggs)
1 banana

paleo lunch:
chicken spinach apple salad, plus tomatoes, and avocado (no bacon this time)

paleo snack: salad leftovers

paleo snack: almonds

abs dinner:
super burrito
wheat tortilla
- bbq chicken
- cactus
- sour cream
- cheese
- pico de gallo
- lettuce
- green salsa

paleo dessert:
2 roasted cocoa beans
1 piece of dark chocolate-covered mango

6 pak abs + running

@gold's castro with daniel santero

6 Pak Abs - 6:00-6:30PM

Hot abs are made here. 30 minutes to outrageous Internal and External Obliques, ripped up Rectus Abdominus, torqued Transversus

kickboxing class was incredibly full, so i decided to do some running instead. the problem is that at 6:30pm the gym is packed, and all of the treadmills and stairclimbers were taken. the only open running machine was a weird ice-skating treadmill. i tried it out, it was nice that it was no impact, but it wasn't really intense enough for me in terms of a cardio workout. after 20 minutes, i had covered "3.15 miles" (yes, in quotes, bc if i had run 3.15 miles in 20 minutes i would've been winded, but on this machine i barely broke a sweat).

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
6 deviled eggs - 3 whole eggs

paleo lunch:
green salad
- spinach and mixed greens
- broccoli
- red bell beppers
ceviche
salmon
guacamole

paleo snack: lunch leftovers

paleo dinner:
buckhorn grill
tri-tip and chicken
grilled veggies
sweet potato fries

superbowl digest

paleo breakfast/lunch:
turkey burger + avocado (no bun, no pickles)
side salad

paleo snack:
6 deviled eggs (3 eggs + other ingredients)

cheat dinner: (dang superbowl...)
1/2 large combo pizza

abs digest

abs breakfast:
chili
egg, turkey, salsa, & sweet potato scramble

abs lunch:
super burrito, carne asada, wheat tortilla, no rice, no beans

paleo dinner:
sweet potato fries
beef bulgogi
spinach

cheat meal: 4 slices of pizza, 1 large soda... this made my stomach feel gross (cast party for the closing night of hairspray)

digest

abs diet breakfast:
breakfast chili:
- 1 egg
- sausage
- black beans*
- kidney beans*

*first time i ate beans in a while, and my stomach is NOT happy about it!

paleo lunch:
chicken spinach apple salad, plus carrots, and avocado (no bacon this time)

paleo snack: salad leftovers

paleo dinner: korean bulgogi beef, spinach, and sweet potato fries

abs meal:
chili
peas
chicken
shallots
pico de gallo
sour cream
guacamole

kickboxing

@ golds castro with daniel santero

6:30-7:15pm kickboxing
7:15-7:30pm pushups and abs

no tan lines!

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
olive oil
pico de gallo
2 slices turkey lunchmeat
2 eggs
sun-dried tomato salsa
1/4 fresh avocado

paleo snack:
1 tangelo

paleo lunch:
buffalo chili
1/2 sweet potato
1/4 avocado

paleo snack:
buffalo chili
1/2 sweet potato
1/2 avocado

paleo pre-workout snack:
5 figs


abs post-workout snack:
BoKU protein
reconstituted strawberries & bananas

cheat meal dinner:
shrimp and grits from la criolla. tastes so good! and it's not terribly unhealthy for a cheat meal.

paleo recipe :: paleo chili

cook time: about 1 hour
servings: 4-6

ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 or more shallots, diced
- 1 or more onions, diced
- 1 jalepeno, diced (seeds removed)
- 2 lbs. ground buffalo (or ground sirloin, or ground turkey)
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes
- 2-4 tbsp. pico de gallo
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 12oz. can of diced tomatoes

heat the oil in a very large skillet on medium high. add shallots and onions, and cook for 3-5 minutes (until soft), then add jalepenos. add the meat and cook until brown, breaking up into small pieces with spatula. add the salt and chili powder, and cook a few more minutes so the spices really soak into the meat. add the remaining ingredients and set the heat to medium low, allowing to simmer for at least 45 minutes.

paleo digest

paleo breakfast:
2 eggs
2 slices turkey lunchmeat
pico de gallo
olive oil
guacamole
sun-dried tomato salsa
(i will never get tired of this breakfast)

paleo lunch:
spinach salad with: chicken, apple, tomato, bacon, & sun-dried balsamic vinaigrette

paleo snack:
grapefruit

paleo snack:
lunch leftovers

abs dinner:
peanut butter soup

paleo snack:
buffalo chili