Friday, November 6th, 2009
Workout of the Day
“Johanna Grace”
15 push press (145#/100#)
row 300m
15 thrusters (145#/100#)
row 300m
15 power clean & jerk (145#/100#)
Food Friday
Kimbery has some real food for us this week.
Purple Ham Hock Gumbo
One ham hock
Half a purple cabbage sliced thin
A few carrots, onions, and celery if you like it, I don’t.
Stock or water
Cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaves or throw in whatever suits your taste; I prefer a lot of cayenne. Use full to half teaspoon portions of spices.
I was at the store the other day and saw ham hocks, and they looked primal, so I bought one…but never even having seen one before, I needed to find a recipe to go with it J Turns out, they’re all bean recipes…pork and beans, who knew? Anyway, I found a recipe for ham hock cabbage gumbo and then changed it up to make it primal. I used my big Le Creuset pot (I treated myself to some awesome cookware this summer!) but next time I’ll use a slow cooker. Sauté the veggies for a bit and then throw in the ham hock and enough water to just cover. Simmer for a 2-3 hours. I’m guessing a slow cooker on low for 8 hours would work too. When a knife cuts through the meat like a hot knife through butter, it’s done, take the ham out and let it cool for a bit. Remove the meat from the bone, shred it a little and add it back to the gumbo. Adding shredded cauliflower is a good rice substitute, or you could do like I did and add a generous portion of high fat yogurt to a bowl and enjoy. The leftovers were even better.
Getting a ham hock from your butcher or farmer should be cheap and natural/organic no-hormone, nitrate-free pork is always best. A ham bone would probably work too. If anyone is considering the primal lifestyle experimenting in the kitchen is the best place to start, I’ll admit not everything works but when it does…yum! Don’t think of it as giving up sugar, instead look at it as an opportunity to try new vegetables, meats, spices and recipes.
I am so bummed…I really want to come in for this workout today, but I woke up this morning and my low back feels a little “off”. From past experiences, if I ignore my body and just workout it will send me into a downward spiral which would put me out for weeks. So I unfortunately need to let it rest and skip working out today
Ugh, Suzanne this WOD is my least favorite! How can you like thrusters?? @Suzanne
Finished in 8:36 with 45#, I think I’m strong enough to do a little heavier, which would have taken a little longer, but I like to err on the side of caution with a “for time” WOD that involves overhead weight.
And as for food stuff…
When I started eating primally everything was great, I felt great, I liked what I ate and I didn’t feel deprived of anything. But then I fell into a baking routine and got hooked on it… and stopped feeling so great. I don’t want anyone who is just starting to think that all the baking is good for you. Basically, if you wouldn’t eat cakes, muffins, and cookies everyday as part of a healthy lifestyle while you were a sugar-eater then you shouldn’t be eating these things everyday with a primal lifestyle either. They’re not really primal, or natural. My baking treats are nice to feel normal once and while and they make good cheats but don’t let primal baking replace other real food like meats and vegetables. I’m going to start trying new spice combinations, reduction sauces, and cooking techniques, etc. for my food friday posts so I don’t steer anyone in the wrong direction. I also want to thank the coaches and members for creating a supportive community, this kind of feedback and learning wouldn’t happen at other gyms.
@Kimberly
Hi Kimberly – I love the primal idea – I’m not always disciplined enough to be consistent, but I’ve cut down on non-primal food by about 60% – still a ways to go, but it is a start.
I need some advice for my daughter – very allergic to eggs, nuts (tree and pea), salmon (as well as dairy, potatoes, bananas, some legumes). I’m finding it very challenging to even try to go primal lifestyle with her. (Actually, I’m going to try today’s recipe – it looks like it would work) Any advice?
Thanks,
Conrad