Ground Beef Patty Veggie Bowl

Ground beef patty with purple sweet potato, brussels and pumpkin seeds

Ground Beef Patty. Bring a pan large enough to fit the meat to med-high heat, add a tbsp of olive oil. Use 1 lbs of 100% grass fed and finished or pasture raised ground beef. In a mixing bowl add the ground beef, 6 pinches of salt, 6 pinches of black pepper, 2 tbsp mustard, 2 tbsp Primal Buffalo Sauce, 1 egg (beat it before adding it), and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs. Mix it all together. 

Make 4 equal size meatballs using your hands. Add each meatball to the pan individually and flatten until each resembles a hamburger. Cook for 4-5 minutes undisturbed and then flip for another 4-5.

Brussels. Set a pan to medium-high heat. Cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Add brussels to the pan. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5.

Purple Sweet Potato. Place a purple sweet potato in a microwaveable dish. Cover it in a wet paper towel. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the dish. Microwave for 8 minutes (or until done). Peel the potato and cut it up into small pieces. Mix in a bowl with two pinches of salt, chopped red onion and a tbsp of ghee. 

Assemble. 1/2 of the chopped purple sweet potato at the bottom of the bowl. Add one ground beef patty. Add a handful of brussel sprouts. A pinch of pumpkin seeds. Two pinches of salt. Red wine vinegar on the beef patty. 

Buon Appetito!

Wild Salmon and Zucchini Bowl

Wild salmon, zucchini, walnuts, pepitas and avocado

Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat both sides of the salmon filet (or filets if cooking multiple) with olive oil. Place the filet skin up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add a pinch of salt (or two) to each filet and black pepper. Cook for 8 minutes (longer if desired). 

Zucchini. Bring a pan to medium heat. Chop one slice of yellow onion and two cloves of garlic. Add to the pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Chop a zucchini in half down the middle. Then chop the halves in half length wise. Then cut into bite size (1 inch) pieces. Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and two pinches of salt. Once the garlic and onion are fragrant, add the zucchini to the pan. Add a splash of water and cover. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Uncover and flip, then cover again and let cook for an additional 3-5 minutes (until done).

Assemble. Add a filet of salmon. A handful of the cooked zucchini, garlic and onion. 1/4 sliced avocado. A pinch of crumbled walnuts. A pinch of pumpkin seeds. Two pinches of salt. 

Buon Appetito!

A Living Document For My Life

A living document of lessons learned from various experiences.

Things That Cooking Has Taught Me.

• You have to make a mess. If you’re not willing to make a mess then you’re not going to be able to create anything. 

Things That Sport Has Taught Me.

• Blood in the water. A racing term when you’re closing in on a competitor in front of you. This is your opportunity. Take it.

• Where do you face? In soccer it means to look in the direction you face, instead of all around you. Usually the best option is right in front of you. In life, what is right in front of you that you’re missing.

• Take the down hill. In racing, to let the momentum and gravity of the descent carry you and conserve your energy. In life, where are you putting in effort that you don’t need to be.

• Race your race. In racing, don’t get caught up in the person racing next to, in front of, or behind you. You have to race the race you trained for. In life, don’t get caught up by all the things people around you have. Focus on your goal and what you came to do.

• Smile. In racing, enjoy the moment. Same as life.

• Anyone can show up for one training session. The key is to show up to all of them. In training, consistency is key. Showing up for one training session doesn’t mean much. Showing up for all of them is where the progress happens. Same as life. Consistency is key. Show up everyday ready to train.

Narrow Your Focus

This post is to act as a living document for tips, insights, actions and observations to help narrow my focus.

• Clear Your Inbox: Don’t delete the email newsletter or promotional email I never read. Unsubscribe from it.

• Narrow Your Interests: What actually interests you? Not, what do you think you should be interested in based on what’s going on around you? Not, what draws your attention? But what is your actual bread and butter interests? Focus there.

The Peter Attia Drive: Dr. Tom Catena

The Peter Attia Drive: Dr. Tom Catena (from 2019, recently re-aired)

“I think maybe the modus operandi of my life is always looking for, what’s the opposite of greener pastures? Browner pastures (laughs)”

That’s a quote from guest Tom Catena, M.D., the only physician working in the Nubah Mountains in Sudan, where a civil war has raged for over a decade, devastating the community, injuring thousands and taking countless lives. If it sounds like this episode is going to be a depressing one, it’s far from it. On the contrary it’s quite uplifting.

Tom Catena, M.D. is a fascinating man. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be a missionary but he didn’t know in what capacity, so he become a physician. He figured he could use his profession to serve others. And that's exactly what he’s been doing for more than a decade. Sacrificing time with family, the comforts of home (the U.S.), and an easy medical practice complete with all of the modernities the states have to offer.

I loved this conversation because I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone as authentic and genuinely good as Tom Catena. In every single way he is the person we all strive in our head to be, but very few actually become.

Throughout this episode there were a few things that stood out to me.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

During the conversation Dr. Attia starts to lament on wishing he was as good a person as Dr. Catena is. After all they are both physicians, and Dr. Attia has chosen a much different path than Dr. Catena. He’s chosen to serve people in the familiarity of home, on topics (longevity, lifespan) that he is passionate about. He is not in the classical sense of the definition, a missionary.

But Dr. Catena’s response is very real. Dr. Attia’s role in this world, or specifically in this struggle in the Nubah Mountains, is to use his platform (this podcast, his newsletter, and website) to bring awareness to the struggle where there hasn’t been much (if any) before. I know I had never heard of it prior to listening to this episode.

He asks the question in a sense, to think about what it is your willing to sacrifice. For Dr. Catena the answer is comfort, friends, family and high paying job. Everyone’s answer is going to be different. But it’s important that we all don’t fall into a feeling of apathy because we believe we aren’t able to contribute in the same manner as someone else. Rather we should ask ourselves, what are we willing to sacrifice, and use that to guide us.

The bloated U.S. healthcare system.

The hospital that Dr. Catena runs operated on donations. Dr. Catena earns $350 a week for his services. He serves a community of roughly 1,000,000 people. He (Dr. Catena) explains that if he had a $1,000,000 annual budget, he could:

• treat 130,000 out patients

• perform 2,000 surgeries

• treat 6,000 in patients

• treat several thousand maternity patients

• deliver hundreds of babies

• vaccinate thousands of children

For comparison a surgery in the U.S. could run anywhere from $20,000 - $150,000 depending on the surgery being performed and where. The U.S. spends over a trillion dollars per year on healthcare and yet we remain one of the most unhealthy nations in the world. So where is all of our money going and how much better could we be doing. Not just monetarily, but in serving the people who need it most.

Suicide, or lack thereof, in the Nubah Mountains

In all of his time in this war torn region of the world (over 10 years), Dr. Catena has only experienced one suicide. A man who shot himself and completely shook the community.

Meanwhile in the U.S. suicide ranks among the top ten causes of death in every age demographic except 0 - 10. That’s only counting fast suicide. Slow suicide (alcohol, drugs, over consumption of food) over a lifetime makes up pretty much all ten of the top ten causes of death in this country (heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes etc…).

How a war torn region of people can remain so steadfast in their desire to live, compared to a nation that has everything, is described in great detail in the book Tribe, by Sebastian Junger.

The Starfish Story

Lastly, this is just a great anecdote for anyone that feels like they couldn’t possibly make a difference. The Starfish Story.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

This short article about Tom Catena, MD is a short version of the podcast episode: He’s Jesus Christ

Chicken Thigh Soup!

Baked chicken thighs over vegetable soup!

Vegetable soup, courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill: Bring a pot to med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Chop 2 carrots, 1/2 a cup of celery, a handful of chopped onion and 2 gloves of garlic. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic to the pot. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. 

Add 2 cups water, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes (6-8 oz), two handfuls of Bobs Red Mill Soup Mix, a few pinches of salt, ground pepper, a sprinkle of dried parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. 

Chop up a 1/2 a zucchini. Add it to the pot and let cook for another 25 minutes. 

Chicken Thighs: Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), and some black pepper. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Assemble: Drop one lattle of soup into a bowl. Cut up one or two chicken thighs into bite size pieces and place it over the soup. Add a tbsp of olive oil and 2 pinches of sea salt!

Buon appetito!

Taking vs Creating Opportunity

Note To Self: Start Creating Opportunities

I’m very good at seizing on opportunities. There aren’t many that have come my way that I didn’t hold onto. My problem however has been my inability to create opportunities. A subtle but very important difference. The difference between taking advantage of opportunities and creating them is the difference between being the CEO and the founder.

The difference is important because realizing your dreams requires creating opportunities for them to happen. That to me is the real definition of success. Creating the opportunities needed to accomplish your dreams. If you can do that, then you can be successful.

Up until this point in my life I’ve been a taker. An opportunity to go to college provided by my mother. An opportunity to work and make money in a family business. With money in my pocket, the opportunity to take time off and figure out what I wanted to do. Yes, every one of these opportunities required work. Graduating college required studying and going to class (sometimes). Working my way up the corporate ladder required sacrificing relationships. But that’s it. I was handed an opportunity to work.

Now, I want to flip that and be the creator of opportunities for myself and others. At this point in my life I’m focused on solving that problem. All I have right now is a strong work ethic, and my knowledge from life lived, which will have to be enough.

Notes on Seeking Out Fitness Advice

Figure Out What Works For You

When it comes to seeking out advice, specifically as it relates to diet and exercise, the thing to keep in mind is the advice you’re getting is based on what works for that person. It will be the rarest of occasions that someone knows what you need and what will work for you. There’s just too many variables for anyone other than yourself to know.

How many hours you work. What your stress levels are. What foods don’t digest well. Which do. What have you tried in the past. How much time you have. How much sleep you get. What’s your quality of sleep. These are all questions that need to be taken into consideration.

And if you are constantly doing what someone else is suggesting, and it doesn’t work, then eventually you’re going to become frustrated. But you don’t have to, because it might just not be your formula. You need to find what works for you through trial and error.

There is no quicker way.

You want to keep trying things and searching for what works. And when something works, stick to it. And when it stops working, start searching again. Things in life change. Your age. Stress level. Sleep quality and quantity. They are all constantly in flux so it’s not uncommon for a diet you liked to stop showing any results. Or a workout routine to all of a sudden feel too easy or too hard. Things change and old methods stop working and you need to find new ones. 

What’s really important to understand is it’s not a process with an end point. It’s the reason people call it a lifestyle, or as Equinox so eloquently puts its, “It’s not fitness. It’s life.” You’re going to need to keep working at it. But the benefit is, the more you work it, the better you’ll be at identifying what you need. And that’s the goal. 

Get to that point where what you need calls out to you.

Chicken, Broccoli, Peppers!

Baked chicken thighs, broccoli and peppers!

Chicken Thighs. Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a touch of cayenne pepper. Add a little water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. Ume plum vinegar to serve. 

Broccoli. Chop one broccoli crown into bite size pieces. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Pepper. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Chop 1 slice of onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 jalapeno pepper. Add to the pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and two pinches of salt. Cut out the core of three peppers (red, yellow and orange) and slice into 1/8 inch strips. Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 pinches of salt. Add to the pan once the onion, garlic, jalapeno combination starts to give off an aroma. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes depending on how you like your peppers, flipinng every 5 minutes.  

Assemble. Cut one chicken thigh (two if they are small) into bite size pieces and add them to the bowl. Add one handful of broccoli and garnish with fresh chopped onion and a splash of ume plum vinegar. Add a handful of peppers.

Buon appetito!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Hamburger and Purple Sweet Potato

Hamburger. Bring a pan large enough to fit the meat to med-high heat, add a tbsp of olive oil. Use 1 lbs of 100% grass fed and finished or pasture raised ground beef. In a mixing bowl add the ground beef, 6 pinches of salt, 6 pinches of black pepper, 2 tbsp mustard, 2 tbsp Primal Buffalo Sauce, 1 egg (beat it before adding it), and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs. Mix it all together.

Make 4 equal size meatballs using your hands. Add each meatball to the pan individually and flatten it until it resembles a hamburger. Cook for 4-5 minutes undisturbed and then flip for another 4-5.

Purple Sweet Potato. Place a purple sweet potato in a microwaveable dish. Cover it in a wet paper towel. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the dish. Microwave for 8-10 minutes (or until done). Peel the potato and cut it up into small pieces. Mix in a bowl with two pinches of salt and a tbsp of ghee. 

Broccoli. Broccoli. Chop one broccoli crown into bite size pieces. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Mushrooms. Organic baby bellas are good. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to the preheated pan. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another five. 

Assemble. Add 1/2 of the sweet potato. A handful of broccoli. A handful of mushrooms. 1 burger patty. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of sea salt.

Buon appetito!

Baked Chicken Thighs and Brussels

Baked Chicken Thighs and Brussels

Chicken Thighs. Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a touch of cayenne pepper. Add a little water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. Ume plum vinegar to serve. 

Brussels. Set a pan to medium-high heat. Cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Add brussels to the pan. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5.

Your Dish. Cut one chicken thigh (two if they are small) into bite size pieces and add them to the bowl. Add a handful of cooked brussels. Slice 1/2 an avocado, 1 small tomato, 1/2 slice of onion and add it to the bowl and dress with 1 tbsp olive oil, generous amount of red wine vinegar, and two pinches of salt. Drizzle ume plum vinegar on the chicken.

Buon Appetito!

What Can You Do?

Flipping the script from can’t to can.

So often we focus on what we can’t do without thinking about all the things we can do. And we let this train of thought limit us. For me I’ve been focusing on my inability to run (without pain). 

At the end of 2019 I suffered an injury (while running) and I never let it properly heal. I backed off of running, but I pushed other aspects of my fitness (hiking, cycling and lifting weights) as hard as I ever have to make up for it. The result? 4 years later the injury still impacts me and has affected my ability to run pain free. 

The last time I ran pain free was the day I got injured, just moments before feeling the pop in my Achilles. Since then it’s been labored run after labored run. I started to trail run to ease the impact. It helped, but not enough. No matter what, getting out of bed the morning after a run was always met with terrible pain. But I kept running, even thought I couldn’t do it. 

Part of it was mental. Leading up to the injury I had been racing in endurance events, so being unable to run felt like a loss and I couldn’t help but consistently grieve about it. The other part was physical. Without getting a good long run it I just didn’t feel like I was working.

It took over my life. But I never really looked for alternative. I just kept pounding my head against the running wall. Until recently…

I’ve finally stopped trying to run the way I was. Instead I’ve found or rediscovered activities that I can do instead. Hiking. Walking on a treadmill on a steady incline. The assault bike. Rower. These changes have had tremendous benefits for my overall fitness and mental health.

Physically I’m seeing progress again for the first time in a long time. I feel stronger since I’m no longer in pain, injured and inflamed. I also enjoy the other activities I’m now focused on and it’s given me a wider variety of exercises to get better at.

Mentally I don’t spend all day worrying about my injury and how I’m going to fix it. Stopping to stretch or foam roll in the middle of a conversation or while watching TV. I don’t think about when I’ll be outside running pain free again.

Instead I just focus on what I can do and it’s been healing. 

It’s flipped my mindset out of the victim mentally, choosing instead to worry about the things I can control. It doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about running or that I don’t have goals of ever getting back to running. It just means I’m choosing to focus on the opportunity to do what I’m capable of right now. And to let my body heal. 

What are you focusing on not being able to do? How is it holding you back? What could you do to achieve similar results? How might the latter influence the former?

Wild Salmon and Purple Sweet Potato

Wild Sockeye Salmon with purple sweet potato, mushrooms and sliced avocado

Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 4 oz salmon filet (you can cook more than on at a time if you want) with olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Place the salmon face down, skin up (make sure to salt the skin) on a cooking sheet. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon and how well you like it cooked.

Purple Sweet Potato. Place a purple sweet potato in a microwaveable dish. Cover it in a wet paper towel. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the dish. Microwave for 8 minutes (or until done). Peel the potato and cut it up into small pieces. Mix in a bowl with two pinches of salt and a tbsp of ghee. 

Mushrooms. Organic baby bellas are good. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to the preheated pan. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another five. 

Assemble. Add the salmon to a bowl. Drizzle red wine vinegar on it and add a 1/2 a handful of chopped onions. Add a pinch of salt. Put your sweet potato, mushrooms and 1/8 of a sliced avocado in the dish and enjoy.  

Buon appetito! 

Delicious Veggie Soup

Vegetable soup, courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill

• Bring a pot to med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Chop 2 carrots, 1/2 a cup of celery, a handful of chopped onion and 2 gloves of garlic. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic to the pot. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. 

• Add 2 cups water, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes (6-8 oz), two handfuls of Bobs Red Mill Soup Mix, a few pinches of salt, ground pepper, a sprinkle of dried parsley, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. 

• Chop up a 1/2 a zucchini. Add it to the pot and let cook for another 25 minutes. 

• Serve with a piece of buttered sourdough toast (I used ghee).

  Buon appetito!

Declining Life Expectancy, Community and Collusion

Click here: OneSource Health, December 3, 2023

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin

A Good Book: Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, by Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger eloquently and decisively makes the point that the “riches” of modern civilization have led to a loss of community, purpose and increased feelings of isolation. As he puts it, “modern society seems to emphasize extrinsic values over intrinsic ones, and as a result, mental health issues refuse to decline with growing wealth.”

Increased rates of suicide, depression, PTSD and severe mood disorders abound with no signs of slowing down. Throughout the book he draws from studies, interviews and text to make the case that what we need is a renewed send of purpose and community.

Something Short To Read: New CDC life expectancy data shows painfully slow rebound from covid 

Life expectancy decreased 2.4 years during COVID, and has only rebounded 1.1 years since. Why? The continued prevalence of chronic illnesses (like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke), as well as increased rates of suicide, overdoses, and alcohol use. Combined they are responsible for 60 percent of all U.S. deaths (nearly 2 million Americans).

A 2012 study from The Journal of Affective Disorders concluded: “The economic and marketing forces of modern society have engineered an environment… that maximize[s] consumption at the long-term cost of well-being.”

Despite the years of mounding evidence, the Agriculture and Health and Human Services department only announced last month their intent to investigate for the first time the link between chronic disease and ultra processed foods. Their findings will influence The National School Lunch Program, who’s menu currently includes Dominos pizza and Lunchables.

Something Short To Read: Rebel With A Cause

A good article in Time about the founder of Uniqlo, Tadashi Yanai, and his message to his home country of Japan. I loved this quote about how to handle failed business ventures: “…the underlying philosophy is to fail rather than fade.” The quote is reminiscent of one we used at work, “fail fast.”

Something To Listen To:

Busting Real Estate Collusion and Price Fixing with Attorney Mike Ketchmark

Mike Ketchmark is the Missouri lawyer who won a class action lawsuit against three of the largest real estate firms in the country, awarding $1.8 billion in damages to half a million home sellers. In this episode Sam Dogen (the Financial Samurai) and Mike Ketchmark discuss details of the case, how the collusion worked and how real estate in the future might be impacted by the ruling. This is an easy listen.

Workout this Week: One Minute Plank Complex

This is a fun and quick core complex that can be a superset (described below), added to a workout, or broken into individual movements. Wake up with it, use it on your lunch break or after a long day.

Superset: Perform each exercise back to back without stopping. After completing all 6 exercises either repeat it or take a break and do it again.

1. Straight arm plank hold - 10 seconds

2. Three point foot elevated plank hold - 5 seconds per leg

3. Three point arm elevated plank hold - 5 second per arm

4. Alternating elevated opposite arm and leg - 2 per side

5. Three point plank opposite toe touch - 3 per side

6. Two point plank hold - 5 seconds per side

Enjoy!

Cook this Week:

Birchermüsli bowl (with blueberries, raspberries, sliced apple, walnuts, cocoa nibs, chia seeds and honey)

Start with the muesli (needs to be prepared overnight). This modified recipe is actually from the hotel we stayed at this past fall in Meiringen, Switzerland. The muesli at breakfast was so good we asked for the recipe.

2 cups rolled oat (we used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats),

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts (we hand chopped them)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups soy milk

1 cup coconut vanilla yogurt

1 cup orange juice

Mix everything and leave it overnight.

Assemble your bowl: Add the muesli (enough to cover the bottom of the bowl). Add a handful of blueberries, a handful of raspberries. Add half a sliced apple. Add a thumbs length worth of walnuts, a pinch of chia seeds, a pinch of cocoa nibs, and drizzle with honey.

Buon Appetito!

Baked Chicken Thighs and 3 Bs

Baked Chicken thighs and three of my favorite B vegetables (beets, broccoli and brussels)!

Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), and some black pepper. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Broccoli. Chop one broccoli crown into bite size pieces. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Brussels, cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Dice half a poblano chile. Chop one slice of onion. Chop two gloves of garlic. Add onion, garlic and chile to a pan with olive oil, set to medium heat. Once the onions, garlic and poblano start letting off an aroma, add the Brussels. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5. 

Beets. Remove the skin with a peeler or a knife (be careful). Cut medium size beets into quarters, larger beets in eighths. Put them in a small pot with enough water to cover the beets by an inch. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 45 - 60 minutes (depending on preference). Try to pierce them with a fork. Remove them from water but keep the water you boiled them in. This water now contains all the nutrients that escaped the beets during the process. Put it in a jar in the fridge and enjoy it as a slightly sweet cold drink later in the day. 

In a bowl add a handful of the broccoli, a handful of brussels, and a handful of beets. Cut up a palm size piece of chicken and add it. Chop a few walnuts, add them. Throw on a few raisins for sweetness. Cover the dish with a few pinches of salt, ume plum vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Buon Appetito!!

Salmon Sweet Potato Mash

Sweet potato mash with salmon (mushrooms and brussel sprouts)

Place a sweet potato in a microwaveable dish. Cover it in a wet paper towel. Add a 1/2 inch of water to the dish. Microwave for 4-6 minutes per side (depending on size of potato).

Mushrooms. We like organic baby bellas. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, add them to the preheated pan and mix with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and toss all together. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another three to five.  

Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat both sides of the filet with olive oil. Place the filet skin up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add a pinch of salt (or two), black pepper and rosemary. Cook for 8-10 minutes (depending on preference). 

Brussels, cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Dice half a poblano chile. Chop one slice of onion. Chop two gloves of garlic. Add onion, garlic and chile to a pan with olive oil, set to medium heat. Once the onions, garlic and poblano start letting off an aroma, add the Brussels. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5. 

Carve out the inside of the sweet potato into a bowl. Add a tbsp of ghee, chopped yellow onion, a few chopped walnuts, 1/2 a handful of raisins, and salt. Mash and mix to your desired consistency.

Add the mushrooms. Add the brussels. Add the salmon. Add a few pinches of salt and ume vinegar and enjoy. 

Buon Appetito!

Finding The Positive

I jacked up my back today at the gym. I felt it when I was doing bent over reverse flyes (a nice exercise). All of a sudden my back got real tight, like it was right about to spasm and I froze. For anyone that’s ever thrown their back out knows there is nothing scarier than that moment. 

All day since, I’ve been worried about my back, weighting for it to go. 

That’s the bad side. 

The positive side is that it made me realize that I have not thought about my back pain in months. Something that used to consume my mind day and night. I injured myself running, never rehabbed the injury, and ended up with 3 years of miserable back and hip pain. By the end, it had basically taken over my life, and it’s only recently begun to subside. 

That’s the good side. It’s been months since I remember being worried about my back, and that’s progress.

So what actually happened to my back? Very rarely does one just wake up and throw their back out. Usually it’s the result of a handful of small errors that lead to it.

I’ve been working out hard everyday (with few exceptions) over the last month. Yesterday I spent too much time on the stair climber at too high of a speed. And today I worked out 4 hours earlier than I usually do. Those three things, coupled with some tough inch worm sets, I believe is what almost put me over the edge today.

My next rest day isn’t until Sunday, so the next few days need to be light.

Just Go

We have this preconceived notion that every time we step into the gym we need to be making progress. That can be increasing the weight. Increasing the reps. Decreasing the rest interval. We also have this idea that we need to kill ourselves to get a good workout (think about the trend of fitness studios like Orange Theory, Barry’s, F45). But it’s just not true.. 

Today for me was a good example. 

My girlfriend and I are taking an early field trip to a donkey sanctuary she’s been following for years. We’re going on a 1 hour tour starting at 10 am. The ranch is 1 hour away. So to be there on time we needed to leave by 845 am. 

Recently I’ve been going to the gym at 10 - 11 am or later. Today I needed to be in the gym by 7 if I wanted to get a workout in. The idea of going that early sucked. My morning routine had become routine and I really didn’t want to disturb it. 

I also knew my body wasn’t going to be ready and primed that early to get going. A 4 hour difference in training schedule is huge. I thought about just not going. The idea of pushing myself that early was not sitting well. So I compromised with myself. I went, but backed off the effort.

Today was a day about preservation not progression. 

Instead of increasing my weight, I decreased them by 10%. I took my full rest interval. And I didn’t do any extra reps, or any longer pauses at the top of a movement. I did just what I thought was enough to get the workout in and stay consistent. 

Sometimes that’s what it takes. Showing up ready for a slow, easy day even when it’s programmed to be the opposite. It’s ok because it’s still one more day of engraining the habit. Don’t be afraid to back it off to show up. 

Swiss Style Birchermüsli Bowl!

Birchermüsli bowl (with blueberries, raspberries, sliced apple, walnuts, cocoa nibs, chia seeds and honey)

Start with the muesli. We got this recipe from our hotel in Meiringen, Switzerland where we stayed for one night this past fall on a through hike. The muesli at breakfast was so good we asked for the recipe. Here it is, modified to fit our dietary wants.

2 cups rolled oats (we used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats),

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups soy milk

1 cup coconut vanilla yogurt

1 cup orange juice

Mix everything and leave it overnight.

Assemble your bowl. Add the muesli (enough to cover the bottom of the bowl). Add a handful of blueberries, a handful of raspberries. Add half a sliced apple. Add a few chopped walnuts, a pinch of chia seeds, a pinch of cocoa nibs, and a drizzle with honey.

Buon Appetito!!