Dinner and Grocery Shopping

Summer is almost here and that means two things; sun and the farmer's market! More on the farmer's market in another post, but Summer also makes me want to eat a lighter type of meal that has more of a Summer feel to it. So, last night I made a mozzarella, tomato and basil salad with my version of a tuna melt. Both are extremely easy to make and tasty.

The salad includes fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, a little evoo and cracked pepper. As you can see, you simply slice the cheese and tomatoes and lay them out on a serving plate and then chop the basil and arrange on top. Then drizzle some evoo over it and add cracked pepper to taste. Chill in the fridge for an hour and serve! The tuna melt is my paleo version (so, sans the bread). Simple can of tuna with a slice of pepperjack cheese on top and put in the oven at 375 degree until cheese is melted.

While the above meal is a bit heavy on the cheese and dairy, i'm not too worried about some in my diet. I'll just make up for it by cutting back tomorrow by having very little to none...just balance it out. On to grocery shopping...

Grocery shopping the paleo way can be fun but also stressful at times if you are still tied up to old habits. I guess this will just take some time, but sticking to the outside walls of a grocery store is a helpful way to stay on track. The middle isles are usually full of the processed and packaged crap that we do NOT need anyway. There are a few items to wander into the forbidden ground (my own term) for like evoo, almond butter, pepper, etc., but don't get sucked in to those chips and cookies calling out your name!!!

My usual list at the store includes the following but does vary depending on season and how i'm feeling;

Proteins

-eggs(organic are best here)

-beef(grassfed variety)

-chicken

-Salmon

-Cod

-Shrimp

Veggies (LOAD UP)

-lettuce

-celery

-carrots

-avocados

-roma tomatoes

-green peppers

Fruits (some but not a lot)

-bananas (#1 on my list)

-apples

Dairy (some but not a lot)

-milk

-parmesan cheese

-mozzarella cheese

-string cheese

Sensible Vices (ok, but don't over indulge)

-dark chocolate

-beer

-wine

Liquids (don't waste your $)

Drink H2O, it's free and healthy for you. I know some people like fruit juices, but make sure they are 100% juice without the sugar or other additives included.

Crazy Tourney And Some Predictions

It's been awhile since I've posted, but lots has been going on recently and a quick post was needed.

So Duke ended up winning the NCAA title over Butler in a classic game of 'David vs. Goliath', however, Goliath ended up winning in the final seconds this time. Unfortunately David (Butler) cost me the chance at winning a certain pool for the second consecutive year, where I finished third. Although, I ended up winning the big $ pool, so all is good in terms of my pocketbook:) Overall it was a great tournament with TONS of upsets, can't wait for 2011! Unless they decide to expand from 65 to 96 team...no thanks.

Baseball season officially got underway on Sunday with the Yankees and Red Sox playing, typical, but that is a ramble for another day. Looking forward to watching the Brewers this year to see how they progress (hopefully) from last season. Planning on getting to at least one home game at Miller Park...always a good time. While they made some steps to improve the pitching staff, it wasn't a great improvement because of how terrible they were last year. The offense should be solid with Fielder and Braun in the middle of the lineup, but beyond them it might be a tough year for getting RBIs.

PREDICTION: 83 wins

And, The Masters started today with Tiger Woods making his comeback after a long layoff from his 'situation' at home. I always enjoy watching tournaments where Woods is in contention over the weekend, but I'm just not sure about him these days. As far as his golf game, I think he'll get right back to it.

PREDICTION: Tiger wins the Masters

That's it for now, but I'll have more soon.

Another Early Morning

While a workout was much needed last night after work, the gorgeous weather was too much to pass up. So, I grabbed a few drinks and food with a friend while sitting outside on the deck of a bar. This IS Wisconsin and 75 degree days in March don't come along very often! We headed to a local bar and restaurant called the Lazy Oaf Lounge and enjoyed some refreshing Hopalicious beer brewed from a local micro brewery (just down the road actually). It is an American pale ale and probably my favorite of the Ale Asylum microbrews. It was great to be able to be outside and not freeze for the first time in many many months.



Although I had a good time with the food, drinks and conversation I have been up since 5am this morning unable to sleep. I'm attributing this to the beer I had, as more than one in a night seems to really mess up my sleeping pattern. I don't do this often and not getting my much needed sleep will probably keep me from going out for a lot of happy hours in the future. Now and then is ok, but keeping a solid sleep schedule is essential to being healthy and active. Check out the link on sleep above, it really makes you want to get your 7-8 hours a night.

Looking forward to the beginning of April today and another beautiful day in Wisconsin.

Cheers

5 Signs Of A Good Workout

1. You are dripping wet and standing in a puddle on the floor.
This is pretty self-explanatory, but your shirt and shorts are soaked and the puddle of sweat on the floor is proof that you have exerted a ton of energy and effort. While some people may sweat more than others (me in particular), the amount of sweat a person works up usually coincides with the amount of energy expanded. So, be proud of those puddles and not ashamed!

Culprits: Extreme cardio, fast-paced or heavy lifting, Vinyasa yoga, many others…

2. Toilet Sore
Now, I can’t take credit for this terminology but I’ve definitely felt the effects before. This is basically when a person goes to sit down on the toilet and you are SO incredibly sore that you try to ease yourself into position but end up falling the last couple inches onto the toilet. It happens and be happy about it, your glutes will thank you later.

Culprits: Squats, Lunges, Plyometrics, lengthy cardio, hiking

3. You are craving a protein shake more than ANYTHING!
You have just worked out so hard and furious that you need to re-fuel ASAP! And nothing will help you more than a wonderfully delicious and nutritious protein shake to get those muscles the nutrients they need to recover quickly. Muscles need their recovery fuel 30 min- 1 hr post workout for best results.

Culprits: Lifting, period.

4. You are mentally alert and ready for the remainder of your day (or night).
I find that after a morning workout I feel more prepared for the day ahead and ready to take on whatever challenges I might face at work or thereafter. A workout can help lower stress levels according to a 2003 study, and less stress means more mental awareness and focus.

Culprits: A good workout at any time of day, but morning seems to really help start things off right.

5. Your muscles are completely exhausted.
You know by the feel of your muscles that you have pushed yourself hard and you will see the benefits in time. Continuing to push hard will payoff and having sore muscles for a brief amount of time means you are doing something right.

Culprits: Lifting, sprinting, bodyweight moves

Health Care Reform...Is There A Better Way?

Today marks a significant change for healthcare in the USA, both for the present and future of the country. Obama signed into law today a nearly 1 trillion dollar healthcare bill that will affect the way everyone receives and pays for healthcare going forward. I'm not here to completely bash the bill or applaud it, as time will tell how effective it truly is. While I certainly have my thoughts and opinions about the pros and cons of the bill from both a morality and fiscal standpoint, I want to take a different approach to looking at the 'health' of the country.

Preventative health measures vs. Medicine/Prescription Drugs:
I guess this seems pretty obvious to me, but the country as a whole relies far too much on medicine and prescription drugs. You have a problem? I bet we can find a medicine that can fix it! You have a headache, pop an aspirin! You have diabetes, take a pill! You have an erectile disorder, here's a viagra! While I understand these can help people and certain situations, it is ultimately a 'quick fix' versus finding a solution to a problem. Doctors are some of the biggest offenders of this as well, because many of them and whole medical establishments are in the pockets of 'big pharma' anyway.

Taking a preventative health approach can help improve and sometimes remove certain diseases/issues all together. Just think if the government and this country took an approach to help educate early on so people wouldn't be affected later in life. Afterall, many diseases are preventable and the treatment of these is what can drive healthcare costs up and up. By improving ones lifestyle now, the quality of life down the road will be much greater and relying on medicine to simply survive and function might not be necessary. Preventative measures may take some work and effort on the individuals part along with the educational efforts by the government, but I think that is a better option than simply giving everyone free reign on healthcare and continuing down the path we are on.

Higher Taxes:
I'm not referring to raising taxes on individuals or those who make lots of money, because they shouldn't be solely responsible for the care of others either. The higher taxes i'm referring to should be placed on specific items and products that cause the majority of the health issues to begin with! I personally get a little upset thinking that I might have to help pay for the healthcare of someone who smokes a pack a day, drinks soda non-stop and eats fastfood twice a day. So, how about we dramatically raise the taxes on cigarettes, foods high in trans fats and sugar and other processed crap? Then, those who purchase these products (which directly contribute to poor health) are being taxed and not Joe Sixpack who would never touch the stuff.

The bill signed by Obama today did have something similar to this that I noticed, an increased tax (10%) on indoor tanning bed use. So, someone obviously realized that tanning has been directly linked to cancer and those choosing to partake in such activities should be charged an additional amount. Makes sense to me.

Pattern of Behavior (THE BELOW PATTERN NEEDS TO CHANGE!)
Eating Poorly=Gain Weight/Fat=Health Problems=Dr. Visits=Using Medicine/Drugs=Rising Medical Costs=Higher Premiums=Higher Cost of Healthcare For Everyone

To finish up, I basically think a healthier lifestyle would help fix and cure a lot of the diseases and ailments people in this country are faced with today. Rather than throwing money (we don't have) into a healthcare overhaul, how about starting with a preventative approach.
Eat healthy and get some exercise.

LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

It is finally here! March Madness has arrived and I am super pumped,it's going to be a LONG day at work today. At least I've got a vacation day for Friday so I'll get to enjoy watching the Badgers destroy Wofford in the 1st round while drinking some beer.

As for my brackets, going with a lot of chalk but that is usually how you win the pools. Final four teams are Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky and Nova. Then Kansas over Kentucky in the championship. Hopefully I'll bring home some money again this year.

Let the games begin!

Selection Sunday Is Here

Finally it truly feels like March Madness!

Although Wisconsin isn't playing in the Big Ten tournament final today I am excited to watch the selection special and find out exactly where the Badgers will be seeded and who they'll be playing next weekend. However, i'm more excited about getting a hold of the brackets and filling out the winning entry! Last year was pretty successful as I won all four pools I was in, so hopefully that luck can continue again in 2010.

It should be an interesting NCAA tournament this year as there has not been a completely dominant team throughout the year. There have been some solid teams (Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse) but none that have shown the ability to be the odds-on favorite to win the title. Because of the lack of a dominant teams I think there are some definite upsets in the making and that is going to shake up the brackets. The Big Ten looks to be set up to have a good showing with their deliberate style of play and coaching. I'm looking for the Badgers to at least make it to the Sweet 16.

I'll be taking a vacation day on Friday to kick things off right, grabbing some drinks and watching some games. Some friends are coming to town so i'm looking forward to catching up and watching basketball. Let the Madness begin!