Body Change Wellness - Indiana

MOW: Stir Fry

bodychangetrainers — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:59:45 +0000

These pics and meals come from dad’s cooking class. They are easy and absolutely delicious. It’s amazing how just getting used to and embracing the tastes of salt and fat makes a meal that much more enjoyable.

Stir Fry

Steak, thinly sliced
Cabbage, shredded into long strips
Carrots, shredded into long strips
Celery, shredded into long strips
Grass-Fed Butter

To Make Thinly slice meat. Shred the vegetables, this will make it easy to eat with chopsticks. Heat butter in a skillet on medium heat. Toss in the vegetables and toss. Lastly toss in the meat. Salt to taste. Serve, it is actually that easy and it was unbelievably good, can’t you just see the flavor oozing from this picture?

Next up we served the meat. Dad took the steaks and cut them to the picture above. Sear a little on each side. How long you cook it depends on how well-done you like your state. I personally like mine on the rarer side. Remove from the skillet. Let rest, otherwise you’ll have a bloody mess on your hands. Slice thinly. Once again this is serve great with chopsticks.

Lastly for dessert we had a simple fruit dish.

Strawberries
Blueberries
Stevia

To Make: Process 1/3 of the strawberries with a little stevia (or honey). Dice the remaining strawberries. Toss the strawberries and blueberries into the puree. Boom simple dessert or a breakfast side!

Featured Food: Geoduck

bodychangetrainers — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:37:58 +0000

I know who are wonderfully what these are and how do you pronounce this. They are pronounced, ‘gooey-duck’. They are a type of large clam. Naturally I saw them on a cooking show, and the name stuck in my head. My curiosity got the best of me so I decided to do some digging. I do have to admit I didn’t necessarily find the information I was looking for, but I realized I’d seen it on Anthony Bourdain and Bizarre Foods.

I know they don’t look that appealing, but supposedly they are quite delicious, Asian cultures have really taken a fancy with them (notably China and Japan). Here though they’re still a delicacy or a Northwest tradition. Oh yeah, that’s where they harvest geoduck, along the Northwest coast of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and British Columbia. There is also a lot of controversy surrounding this mollusk (think of it a large clam), from poaching to farming to sustainability. I however was interested in the animal itself. Did you know the geoduck is one of the longest-living organisms with a life expectancy about 150. Also they can boast that they are the largest burrowing clam in the world, munching on plankton.

Finding nutritional information was more challenging. We have to think of them like we would a clam. Naturally foods coming from the ocean seem to have a pretty good rep in the health world. They are a good source of protein, plus vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12 and iron.

If you’re in the Northwest or are out somewhere and geoduck is available I don’t see the harm in trying (if you get past the initially response). They say they are tasty, a savory crunchy delicacy. Andrew Zimmerman referred to them as ‘ocean candy’.

Mmm…Love Food

bodychangetrainers — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:30:02 +0000

This actually comes from my father (I think they may be one of the first if not the first things that he has written for the blog) with a little inspiration from Miguel Ruiz:

Food is love and when we enjoy our food, when we really taste it it and feel the texture, it is one of the most sensual experiences we can have. There is so much love in the action of eating, and if we use a new mantra every time we eat, we increase the pleasure. The mantra is just one sound: mmmm. If we practice loving our food every time we eat, soon it becomes a habit. It becomes a ritual that we use to give our thanks to express our love and to receive love without resistance.

Get Outside

bodychangetrainers — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:18:33 +0000

This week we’ve started to doing kettlebells outside with mom’s classes (the Love My Kettlebells on the middle right side), but dad and I always did our kettlebells at the park in Colorado or we were hiking out in the wilderness somewhere. Besides it being absolutely gorgeous right now, there are some other benefits to going outside

More workout in less time. Yep if you’re short on time you’re better to hit the pavement than the gym. You exert more. I hate running on treadmills to start, but I definitely get more out of my sprints if I’m outside. Plus you have to adapt more. Can you run downhill on a treadmill? This adaption let’s you work and strengthen more muscles, and your joints. Just think of it like vitamins or really anything synthetic or man-made, are you going to get as good a workout on a simulation or the real thing? I like to be outside I vote for real.
More likely to stick to it. They show that those who exercise outdoors, exercise longer and more often.
Lower levels of cortisol. Oh we’ve talked about cortisol often, your fight or flight stress hormone, which your body needs but chronically elevated levels cause inflammation and wreak havoc. Most of us already have busy, stressful lives, why not exercise and not push these levels further than what’s good for us.
Mood. They call it forest bathing, where just 5 minutes can boost your mood. Who doesn’t want to be happier, especially while they’re exercising.
Sunlight and potential vitamin D (food is still a great way to get D, but a little more sunlight helps too)

I think that’s good enough for now. So what’s the harm in getting outside in this nice weather and doing your exercise. You risk being happier, physically and mentally better, less stressed, you’re more likely to stick to an exercise routine and you’ll get some sun!

Run with Your Heart Instead of Your Legs

bodychangetrainers — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:08:28 +0000

This beautiful lady is my dear friend Mary Auten. She recently completed the Mini in Indianapolis and I wanted to share her experience participating as a fat-burner versus competing as a sugar burner. Here are her own words:

My experiences this year at the 500 Mini Marathon as a Fat-Burner was like flying. Being a Fat-Burner gave me the ease and confidence of pacing myself and finishing strong with no fear of ever “hitting the wall.”

“Run with your Heart instead of your legs.” Inspirational quote from the bck of a T-shirt participating in the Mini.

MOW: Breakfast Burrito

bodychangetrainers — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:40:32 +0000

2 tbsp coconut flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites
2 tbsp coconut milk
coconut oil

To Make: Heat coconut oil on a medium heat in a large flat skillet. mix all the ingredients, I added parsley too. Pour into the skillet making sure it spreads out nice and thin. Flip very gently. Meanwhile cook eggs. Layer tortilla with eggs and homemade salsa. Go breakfast burrito!

Featured Food: Chicken Feet

bodychangetrainers — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:48:47 +0000

I confess I am a bit of a freak, I have been wanting to get my hands on some chicken’s feet. Hear me out on this one, I have good reasons. I regularly make bone broths. I believe they’re a great source of trace minerals, but also they are soothing and healing to the gut. The modern diet and gluten intolerance’s tears the gut up, literally they call it Leaky Gut. Do you want the stuff in your intestines squeezing out into the rest of your body? Gross. I believe my grandpa with his Celiac’s really should use more broths. I have only gotten one batch of really gelatinous broth (further testament to the freak I am is that I celebrated and showed everyone how proud and happy I was about my jiggly broth), and that was with oxtail (which of course my farmer didn’t have anymore of when I was ready for another batch). Cue in chicken feet and my eagerness to get my hands on some. They make a bomb gelatinous broth.

What does this mean for your health and why am I so excited about lumpy broth? Collagen is the key word here. Raise your hands if you want functioning joints and beautiful skin. Broth made with feet has the amino acids (proline, glycine and hydroxyproline) which are vital for collagen production. Gelatin is derived from collagen and it is the protein puzzle piece of it. Not to mention that you’ll be getting trace minerals and glucosamine chondroitin.

What can it hurt to toss a little chicken feet into your next batch of broth? Ask your local farmer if they have any on hand and give it a try.

Sweating it Out Together: WOD for a Cause

bodychangetrainers — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:06:44 +0000

Exercise day, today I will continue on with some of my past week experiences. Tab has been doing crossfit since November. In January I attended my first Crossfit event (click here to find out the details). Sunday I went with Tab as they threw down a WOD for a cause. A couple belonging to the gym are aspiring to adopt a baby. So the members came, donated, and sweated it out together and I watched in awe of the comrodery. I will reiterate what I loved the last time I went to a crossfit event was the encouragement. It is like a family unit. They are all motivating and cheering for each other. Even though they’re focused on doing their best, they want their fellow crossfitters to do the same. Putting yourself all out there and all into a workout no matter if your fitness level is motivating and true human nature, of wanting the best for others wins out. Plus the endorphins kick in afterward and you’re really soaring. It was cool just to experience from the side lines. I’m a big believer in community and positive vibes and I get that from crossfit. It is a breeding ground of 100% and giving your all. Again, just do your best! Enjoy some of the pics I took at the event.

Recipes Recap

bodychangetrainers — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:47:47 +0000

This is usually Tuesday’s theme, but since I make the calendar I can change it too! So yesterday I talked about the focus on cleaning up my eating. Here are some of the real life things I would eat and make on daily basis when I am nutrient focused. I eat eggs at least once a day if not more. They’re a super food and packed with nutrient powerhouses. I usually scramble them, but this week I have been melting down a little coconut oil and making them sunny. A salt, a spice with a little kick and I am almost set. Spoon a teaspoon of bacon jam (a recipe I’m working on for my upcoming food blog Bliss Delish) mixed with the runny yolks and these eggs are bomb. So good!

First Meal I had with Tab were Stuffed Peppers.

Bell Peppers
Kale
Mushrooms
Meat (we used chopped venison)
more sliced peppers
onion
Oil (my ideal oil would be melted coconut but I used macadamia in this instance)

To Make: Rub oil and sprinkle salt over and in the pepper. Bake in the oven at 350. Meanwhile chop your meat and begin cooking. In another skillet I began sauteing the remaining vegetables. Starting with the onions, peppers, and mushrooms. At the very end I tossed in the kale. Throw the meat and veggies in the same skillet this will make dishing them out easier in a bit. Season the meat and veggies to taste. Bake the peppers for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and spoon into the peppers. Enjoy!

Back to breakfast, the next day I woke up to a little egg scramble had made.

Eggs
Sausage

To Make: In separate pans start browning the sausage and scrambling the eggs (I may in this instance have added a little bit of coconut oil to keep them moist). Season with salt. Toss them together in a pan and let bake in the oven for a bit longer and you’ve got yourself a nice, easy and tasty breakfast!

I confess this picture is kind of horrible but the food was delicious. Here we have some stuffed mushrooms as well as some pureed sweet potatoes.

2 portabella mushrooms
Ground Meat (again we used venison)
Spinach
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Sweet potatoes

To Make: Just like the peppers, season and oil the mushrooms (make sure to remove the stem and insides first). Bake at 350. Meanwhile brown the meat. Toss in some diced tomatoes and sweet peppers and some shredded spinach. Boil or bake sweet potato. Remove skin, process with a little oil, some cinnamon and some salt. Spoon the meat and veggies into the mushroom cap when it’s done and you’ve got another complete meal (plus lots of colors and variety).

Lastly we have some chicken, kale chips and a little butternut bake.

Butternut Squash, cubed
1 apple, diced
Cinnamon
Oil (coconut or such)
Kale
Oil again
Chicken

To Make: First I took on the task of cubing the squash. Removing the skin and making it pretty uniform. Next I cut the apple. Toss the two together in a dish with cinnamon, salt and oil. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or so (until the squash is tender). For the kale shred the kale from the veins. Toss in oil and salt. Put in the oven with the squash although they’ll only need about 15 minutes, if that. Make sure to toss it around every once in a while. For the chicken I cut it into thin slivers and then in half again so that knives would not be necessary. I tossed it in olive oil and handful of spices. Toss it in the skillet until it’s no longer pink in the middle. Serve it all together for yet another meal which is varied in flavor and nutrients.

Building a Healthy Team

bodychangetrainers — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:19:29 +0000

This right here is my girl Tabitha, whom you will probably be seeing more of in the next month. She has been with me from high school through our party years to the present maturing adults we’re settling into. Why is she here? Tab has been doing Crossfit and her trainer asked her to do a month of strict Paleo (how awesome is this timing since I just covered The Paleo Answer this week!). I volunteered to do it with her. It is an opportunity for me to be more aware, to pay even closer attention because I am the first to admit that I did not do my best the first three months of the year. It’s not about being perfect for a month, it’s about focusing on doing the best I can for that long. More importantly it is something we can do together, to grow and become not only healthier but better in general.

Sunday I talked about building healthy communities, and I’m all about energy. Why not mesh the two in the forefront of your life. Radiate some radical energy and create a positive healthy environment around you. Starting with friends (or partners or parents or whomever). Up your awareness and make the choice to focus on yourself and to practice a little more self love. See what habits have brought you to this point in your love. Be brutally honest with yourself. How has destructive thoughts run your life? What do you want to change? How can you do this? Focus energy not on what you don’t like, but what you do want. Next bring others in with you. Tab and I had the conversation in which we pondered how she could get another person to be more motivated. My thoughts: We all make our own decisions in life. The other person has to want to/decide to change. We cannot make that choice for them no matter how much we want the best for them. I found this on my Pinterest the other day and it is perfect: We cannot change others, we can only love them. Also I’ve found when I am rocking out life. When I’m really focused and giving it my all. 100% of myself all of the time. When I am being the best that I can in a moment, that is what motivates change not only myself to change but it can possible influence others. Tab agreed when I eat well it encourages her and vice versa, she motivates me.

I confess my transition back to Indiana was not a smooth one. I often times felt myself struggling with my thoughts. I did not give that 100% all of the time. And I believe our outside worlds revolve the inside and my thoughts at the beginning of the year were fighting a freaking war. But the wonderful thing about life and choices is we can always change. We can make a different decision. Lately I have felt on fire. I feel (choose to be) happy. I love myself unconditionally again and I am going to take care of myself from this perspective. As a result my eating has gotten better and better, more nutritious with each meal. I’ve been making the most of the times I get to fuel my body: more bone broth, more vegetables, the best fats, etc. So mentally prepare and allow yourself to be the best version of yourself. Start with your thoughts, that is how we truly change. Don’t live in the past with your friend regret, or in the future when you tell yourself, I’ll be happy when….. Do it now. Live, love, and take control of your health today. It starts with one step.

Find someone on your energy level and thrive off each others vibes. Create a healthy relationship. Change habits together. Be open because you’re probably experiencing similar feelings. Help each other, be a willing ear to talk to. Tab and I have spent the last week grocery shopping, fixing dinner, and eating meals together. Not only have we been able to spend more quality time together, but we feel better. We get to be creative and self-sufficient as we put together new meals and dining experiences. We may be on separate journeys, but we get to do it along side one another. Making each other better, making healthy choices, starting with loving ourselves, as well as each other.

So make a choice. One for yourself and find someone with enthusiastic positive energy to join with you. Build a healthy team. When you start to get down on yourself remember to just do your best, there isn’t anything more you can do than that.