epsom salt baths

i've been incorporating a new recovery technique into my regime, epsom salt baths! my mother used to always say that sore feet could be solved by soaking in epsom salt. i dug a little further. epsom salt, or hydrated magnesium sulfate, can be absorbed through the skin and has been known to, among many other things, reduce muscle soreness and inflammation. so i decided to try for myself. what better excuse to use my new claw foot tub???

the first time i tried it was after 5 x5 back squats at 175 pounds, i was starting to feel sore before i even got home! i drew a hot bath and put probably 2 cups (i didn't measure) into the water and let it dissolve. i checked the clock and geared up for 10-15 minutes. unless you have a VERY deep tub, use a face cloth to soak your upper back and shoulders. when you are done, don't rinse, just towel dry.

i don't know if the placebo effect has a strong hold on me, but i swear this made my recovery so much quicker! i found a big carton of epsom salt at my regular grocer for just about $5. you don't need anything fancy, straight up epsom salt should do the trick. but if you're feeling frisky, they make lavender scented, which might be nice before bed or eucalyptus mint. my friend Kelly hooked me up with some amazing scents for Christmas. white tea is my favorite.

George on the Vineyard... we love baths!

here are a bunch of other interesting uses for epsom salt: face cleanser, foot scrubs, splinter removal and more. 

so after your next heavy strength day and after your sweet potato, try an epsom salt bath!!

what do YOU do to aid recovery? a big post workout meal? fish oil?

meals in between



colorful garden salad



pint of grape tomatoes sauteed until they burst over marinated chicken breast



bacon wrapped asparagus



brussel sprouts and bacon, pre-bake



grilled chicken, brussel sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes and a side salad



buffalo bolognese with spaghetti squash EDIT: directions for this are posted in the comments section

 

grass fed burger topped with peppers, onions and avocado

 

grilled chicken, brussel sprouts and baked sweet potato

 

muffins, pwo shake, a delicious appetizer and more!

i saw Health Bent's banana bread recipe and decided to make muffins to bring to my parents house one morning. i added walnuts to the batter and to the top. before paleo i used to do a ton of baking, so it was nice to bake again...

the muffins turned out great. they were a little on the dry side, but that is expected when you aren't using wheat flour. to help the dryness, we ate them heated with lots of butter. PROBLEM SOLVED.

i swear this tastes like a milkshake:

6 ice cubes, half a can of full fat coconut milk, 1 scoop of whey, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of almond butter and a dash of cinnamon. blend until smooth. honestly, it doesn't need any added sweetener, but if you're looking for something a little sweeter a couple chunks of pineapple or a dab of honey would do the trick. it is SO delicious post work out.

it doesn't matter if you're feeding fellow cavemen or not, these are a great appetizer for everyone. pitted dates, stuffed with an almond, wrapped in bacon and baked until delicious. i found i didn't need to used a toothpick to keep them together. as long as you do a good wrapping job, they will stay together.

 i experimented with a few of the dates by stuffing them with goat's cheese...

CAUTION: THESE ARE ADDICTING!

irish bangers were on sale at TJ's on St. Patricks Day week, so i bought a pack. roasted them in the oven with some onions and served them with mashed cauliflower and unsweetened applesauce...

made my paleo pot roast another night and served it with mashed cauliflower... are you seeing a cauliflower theme??

happy chickens lay happy eggs!

happy hump day :)

super fast supper!

i was sort of pressed for time the other night and needed something quick post workout. here is what i came up with...

3 boneless chicken breasts
3 sweet potatoes
1 large sweet yellow onion (i had a few shallots i used too)
leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
trader joe's 21 seasoning salute
salt & pepper
olive oil

first i preheated the oven to 350 degrees. then, i chopped the sweet potatoes into 1-2 inch cubes. i cut the onion to about the same size. i found a few shallots lying around and decided to throw those in too. i tossed everything with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper and then put them onto a sheet pan.

i cleaned the chicken breasts and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and the 21 seasoning salute. i nestled those in between the sweet potatoes on the sheet pan. i baked everything for about 25 minutes. this was 3 perfect portions!



so pressed for time i actually used a paper plate!!



salmon burgers

3 tins of canned wild caught salmon (i use the TJ's brand)
2 lemons, juiced and 1 tsp. of zest
2 heaping tablespoons of capers, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 shallots, finely diced
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme
1/4 cup of almond flour
2 eggs
olive oil
sea salt & pepper

start by sauteing the shallots in olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.

in the meantime, drain the salmon well and flake until there are no more large chunks.

next, add the fresh thyme, capers, garlic, salt and pepper to the shallots. let this cook for an additional couple of minutes. do not let the garlic burn! next add the lemon juice and zest. let this completely reduce until all of the liquid is gone. it should take 3 or 4 minutes. let this mixture cool a few minutes before adding it to the salmon. add the almond flour and eggs to the salmon. mix everything well.

preheat a skillet to medium high and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. divide the salmon mixture into four equal parts and form together the burgers. GENTLY place them into the skillet.

brown them on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.




a little more brown than i wanted....

 this was PWO so we served it with a sweet potato hash...

the 'other' meals...

it's clear i'm not blogging 3 times a day, so obviously i'm eating meals that i'm not posting. here are a bunch of meal photos i've taken in my travels at home, work, mom & dad's, etc.





these were eggs i made at my parents house one morning. yes that's ketchup... sue me. p.s. eggs are a common meal at their house because of their chickens out back!

there was a meeting at work one day, among all the breads, bagels, cream cheese and muffins i found some delicious fruit!

 a cup of black coffee that has recently been frequenting my desk at work...

this one got some weird looks. it was a super fast and easy lunch one day. i brought several ounces of nitrate free turkey breast and a whole avocado and cut that up.

this was a PWO supper at my mum and dad's house. mixed green salad with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and a tin of tuna. i found a mustard vinegarette in the fridge which was delcious...

another breakfast at my parents house. i found some leftover ham from an EXPERTLY executed 'green eggs & ham' themed birthday party ;) i chopped up the ham in threw it into some eggs.

PWO meat and potatoes

post work out last night i was pressed for time. i downed a scoop of whey and threw together some burgers with grilled onions and microwaved 2 sweet potatoes. i rarely eat starch, but if i'm going to have a sweet potato, i will plan it so it's PWO. this is my second sweet potato in probably 2 or 3 months... go ahead, judge me.

i heated my grill pan to medium-highish heat. took a pound of grassfed ground beef and made two burgers. i sliced up a sweet yellow onion and cooked both the burgers and onions in olive oil. cook your burgers to your liking. call me crazy, but i have always used the face test to tell when my meat is done.

i microwaved 2 sweet potatoes for 5 or 6 minutes topped them with butter and cinnamon. i topped the burgers with the grilled onions. it was delicious... and fast!

yes that white hunk on my sweet potato is BUTTER