the functional foodie on facebook!

Well, I've officially caved and created a Facebook page for the blog... only took a few years!

Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/TheFunctionalFoodie

I would love to hear your experiences with some of my recipes and photos of your creations. Comments and questions are welcome!

funny google keywords

this may or may not be the best part about blogging. here are some of the most interesting (and hilarious) keywords people have used to find my blog via Google:

-2 pints of ben and jerry's   

my favorite little Paleo baby, Quinn, from The Paleo Child

-20 pounds bill

-paleo blogs babies 

-"helmet cam" hockey

-paleo keesh

-bison balls

-you've lugged one home from the store spaghetti squash

-why avoid chicken

-what does a 9 x 9 glass pan look like

-the kitten that hates everything

-slight abs

-scary chocolate brown wolf

-people think i am nuts on paleo

-odd shape pot roast

-miranda oldroyd nude

-methods to resist ice cream

-lifting 300 lbs off the floor with gear back

-kerri heffel and george

-is gordon ramsay handsome

-how big are mangos

-gymnastics snafu

-girls types of breast n size

-eating paleo for hockey


-costa rica alcohol prices

-do foodies use crock pots?

-coffee cup on desk

-carrots dipped in ice cream

-breast press

-best crossfit hunks

any of you bloggers out there get any crazy search keywords?

no complaining allowed!

saw this graphic on pinterest the other day and it brought me back down to earth REAL fast. chances are there are MILLIONS of people who would kill to be waking up in your shoes this morning.

some articles that may be worth your while...

BTB Fitness answers the common "i have no time to cook-how do i stay paleo?" question here.


this winter salad from Julie at The Cranking Kitchen looks so delicious! i'm definitely going to have to try this one.

kale with carmelized onions by The Whole Life looks beautiful! it's on my 'must-try soon' list. i'll top it with 2 poached eggs for a perfect breakfast.


finally, to end on a non-food related note, Lake Superior University came out with their 'most overused words list of 2011'. george's use of "man cave" in the past 6 months has DEFINITELY had some part getting it on this list.

enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

green chili turkey burgers

this is a great way to spice up some plain turkey burgers. i got some inspiration from this recipe.

1 pound of ground turkey

2 teaspoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 4.5 oz can of green chilis

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

salt & pepper

coconut oil (or your choice of fat) for cooking

preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with coconut oil. mix all ingredients together well. form into 4 equal size patties. grill 5-7 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle.



 

serve in between some crisp romaine leaves.

"We gain the strength of the temptation we resist." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

i don't deal with temptation too often. for the most part, i do all of the grocery shopping and all of the cooking. i don't buy dairy, anything with wheat or added sugar or irresponsibly raised protein. it's not in the house, so it's not an issue.

george has wednesday's off and usually his time is spent on the golf course. he called on the way home from golf and offered to stop at the market if i needed anything. i had forgotten to take a protein out of the freezer for dinner so i asked him if he could pick up a couple chicken breasts.

i get home and he had the chicken breasts on the counter along with 2 pieces of red meat. i figured i would roast some veggies and grill the chicken and steak. there would be plenty for supper and lunch the next day. we talked about our days as i busied myself in the kitchen.

out of nowhere, george blurts out that he got a "couple other things" at the market along with the chicken and steak. he proceeds to open the freezer door and sitting there, in all their glory, 2 pints of ben & jerry's ice cream.

ice cream is a huge weakness for me, especially ben & jerry's. i swear i get stuck behind the same ben & jerry's truck everyday when i leave work. i haven't had any in months, but when i do, i go big. i've been know to polish off a pint of phish food and not even blink.

i quickly shut the freezer door and tried to burn the images from my brain. he said that "we haven't had ice cream in a long time" and that he "got the 2 new flavors!" oh boy. for the record: i was by no means mad at george, i had no reason to be! i quickly texted my coach to get some reassurance and he reminded me of my goals and that stuff like this would only be getting in my way.

at this point my friend had arrived and we were headed out to do a little shopping. i stuffed a chicken breast down the hatch and we were off. i thought about ice cream the whole time we were out. it was sitting in the freezer waiting for me to get home. one of those pints had my name on it! trying on clothes and seeing my stomach (the leanest i've been in probably a year) helped me forget about it.

when i got home, i had more chicken and vegetables as george was finishing up some "red velvet cake" ice cream. i was not resentful of him eating the ice cream or bitter that he was having it. he chose to eat it and i didn't. the end. this is about me, not him.

i was very proud of myself for not caving. it would have been so easy (and delicious) to partake. the way i look, feel and perform outweighed how the ice cream would have tasted. i know i would have woke up and felt guilty but instead i woke up this morning ready to grab life by the balls.

am i ever going to eat ben & jerry's again in my life? of course. will it been anytime soon? probably not.

holiday woes...

first off, happy 2011! it's a new year, a clean slate, a revitalizing start.... i was never much of a resolution person, but i always loved the feeling of a new beginning.

i hit a bit of a rough patch (to put it mildly) with food over the holidays and am finally back on track. boy, did my body hate me for not making good choices. it started off with a couple desserts here and a glass of champagne there and then the flood gates opened. i was eating things that i NEVER desire, and in the moment, i felt that i couldn't live without them. i couldn't stop myself. i felt like a drug addict who was on a week long binge. i couldn't escape it. at work, food packages were delivered everyday and some new confection was right under my nose. i'm not sure what changed in me, because normally i wouldn't even BLINK at those things, but i think once my body got a taste, i craved it. i wasn't myself mentally. my workouts were still consistent, but i dreaded them. then the affects set in. i was sick, bloated and couldn't stand to look at myself.



for the record, i ate nothing pictured here... but it only seemed appropriate



shockingly i did manage to get a couple PR's in the beginning of my downfall. 33 unbroken double unders and a 185 back squat for 2 reps. i can thank george and Again Faster for my new jump rope and that new PR. on the other hand, towards the end of this food driven madness, i practically struggled with everything in the gym.

but i'm back and i'm grabbing life by the balls in 2011... i'm not calling it resolution, but more like a "future self improvement."

#1 i'm going to try to be less judgmental and critical to those that are close to me.

#2 call me shallow, superficial or self absorbed, but by spring/summer 2011 i want to be able to work out in just a sports bra (and shorts OBVIOUSLY) and be confident.




i'm still feeling strong after a minor holiday snafu



look for a couple new recipes this week and hopefully some workout videos in the near future. i also have yet to post about my first experience at a power lifting meet, so look for that in the coming week. thanks to all of my readers. you help me stay on track and hold me accountable every single day.

ugh.

the deadlift. once a favorite lift of mine has become an increasing and frustrating thorn in my side. after this post about my goals for the future, i received a little bit of flack and concern on my form. i got defensive at first thinking, why is this the first i'm hearing about it? why was i approached by a powerlifting team to compete? then went back to basics questions everything i was taught and everything i thought i knew. i sort of went into panic mode. i decided to work on some accessory work to help keep my lower back locked out at my setup and preventing any rounding; back extensions, sitting at the bottom of a squat fighting my chest back, supermans, GHD sit ups, etc.


i dream about this at night...


mark dropped down my deadlift weights and we really focused on my form. i felt like a beginner! i struggled with weights that were normally a warm up! we eliminated 'touch-and-go' deadlifts and reset after each rep. each rep felt impossible.

reading some comments on WODs involving deadlifts on the mainsite, i've noticed people critiquing top elite athlete's form as their backs round under heavy weights. i watched millions of deadlift form and powerlifting videos from multiple sources. my conclusion off the information i've gathered over the past month is this: obviously when you are competing and trying to pull as much weight as possible, your form is going to suffer a little. on the other hand, everyday lifts and training should be done with (as close to) perfect form as you can get. strive to get perfect form when training everyday. it may be with a lower weight than you're used to and you (AKA me) might get served up a big fat slice of humble pie, but it's better for you and your strength in the long run.

i'm scheduled to compete in a powerlifting meet on December 12. (the meet from September was cancelled) i'm training for the deadlifts with a fully extended back at lower weights. i plan on getting as close as possible to my old 1RM as possible. the squats and bench press are another story...

2 nights ago i did 2 sets of deadlifts with 175 pounds and they felt amazing! from what coach told me, they looked better and SAFE too. i'm feeling a little more positive and confident about them now... hopefully this is a sign of better things to come.





p.s. also this is my coach's youtube channel were he puts videos from class... check it out!

"i'm a go-getter, i'm a goal setter..."

goals have always been a tough thing for me. i never want to overshoot and let myself down, but then again, i've never been one to go 'easy' on myself either...

i find the timeline of my goals is the hardest part. i tried to keep my goals difficult, but still attainable.

1. deadlift 300 pounds. i currently can lift 230 pounds 8 times (see video below). don't let that come across at all humble... i'm freaking PSYCHED!! i don't care if i can only lift 300 pounds once or twice, i want to be able to lift 300 pounds off the ground and put it back down with good form.



2. ONE freaking, measly pull up! this is by far THE most frustrating thing to me. i'm not sure why it is taking me over a year and a half but it has. i mean, i've definitely come a long way from where i started, but that's not good enough for me! i need my chin over that damn bar!

3. sub 30 minute 5K. i dont think i'm too far off from this, but i haven't tested myself in a while. it could be worse than i think... running has NEVER been a strength of mine. it's not fun for me. i'd love to get to the point where i can actually say i enjoy running, but let's be real here...

4. 2 words: MIRANDA OLDROYD. in a perfect world i'd love to look like her. i feel like she is the perfect mix of badass and femininity. seriously, google her! but what this really gets down to is a lower body fat %. now i dont know what miranda's BF% is, but based on her height and weight of 5'6 and 140 pounds, i know i have some work to do. i'm 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier... i think a good goal is 19%.



5. 200 pound back squat. i'm almost there. again, just one rep would be killer, but i wouldn't hate 2 or 3...

i think it's very important to always have and reaccess goals. otherwise, what are you doing here?? what are you working towards??

"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln

my first competition

one week from today, i will be competing in my first powerlifting meet. i was approached at my gym by a member of Big Iron Powerlifting. he mentioned that they were having an end of summer deadlift and bench press meet and he wanted to invite me to compete. he said he has seen my lifting and thought i would do well. WOW! i told him that i really couldn't pull that much weight, but still had an ounce of interest.

before i could change my mind, I became a member of the Amateur Athletic Union and sent in my application. i can't bench press to save my life (i blame my extra long arms), so i only entered to compete in the deadlift portion. i will be competing against women my age and in my weight class.

i'm terribly nervous about the whole thing, but i think it's a great opportunity. i'm always trying to do things out of my comfort zone, and lifting heavy shit in front of strangers definitely falls in that category. my father keeps telling me, "you never know what doors this might open." i keep thinking, even if nothing comes out of it will still be an amazing experience and something to tell my kids.

my paleo story

in april of 2009 i did my first crossfit workout. it was something with dumbbell squat cleans and push ups. i had just gotten my ass kicked in front of complete strangers and was instantly addicted.

the following month i was introduced to the paleo diet. i hate that word. but i'm truly in love with paleo. it has changed my outlook on literally everything. sometimes i feel like the father from my big fat greek wedding. he thought windex fixed everything, but for me, paleo fixes everything. acne? common cold? bad mood? gas? mentally cloudy? people think i'm crazy, but PALEO FIXES EVERYTHING!! i have never looked, felt, or performed better in my entire life. i'm in better shape at 25 than i was at 18.

i have eaten 90-95% strict paleo since may 2009. the first couple weeks were hard. i was tired, emotional, hungry, and felt like i was in a fog. but i stuck with it, and after 4 weeks i felt amazing. i began to research more and more and i liked what i saw. it made sense to me. i am by no means a paleo expert but, we are not genetically adapted to eat the modern food that is put in front of us today. in the grand scheme of things, 10,000 years (beginning of the agricultural revolution) isn't that long of a time period. our bodies couldn't have possibly evolved fast enough to start digesting and processing this new food. we just weren't built like that!





i stick to what our bodies were built to consume and process: meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit and little starch.

the new and improved food pyramid. ssshh don't tell the american dietetic association!

contrary to what some believe, i do have a social life. it may be scheduled around workouts and food, but i still have one. if i go out with friends for a special occasion or to a family gathering, i go with the flow.  i don't want to be THAT girl. " i can't eat this", "what's in that?", "who made this?", "does that have dairy?" i just try to make the best choice i can in the situation i'm in. i feel that being mentally healthy is just as important, if not more, than being physically healthy... and if that means getting an ice cream on a hot summer night or having a beer with friends, then so be it. obviously those ice creams and beers are rare, but having something to look forward to keeps me--and probably George--sane.

when i do go off my regularly scheduled programming, my body lets me know. gluten and wheat products affect me the most. to me, a slice of pizza isn't worth being stuck in the bathroom for an hour and having a severe food hangover the following day.

a normal day for me looks like this:

breakfast: eggs, bacon, and a handful of berries. i had my first scrambled egg June 3rd, 2009 and i haven't looked back since.

lunch: usually leftovers from the night before or a big salad with chicken or a tin of tuna on top. i dress a salad usually with a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

PWO (post work out): i usually don't feel like eating real food after a work out, so i'll have a scoop of optimum nutrition natural whey. that starts my recovery until i've had a chance to get home, settled and ready to eat a real meal. obviously cavemen weren't drinking whey protein after a long hike through the desert, but it works for me. i chose this brand because it's all natural and has no artificial sweeteners.

supper: usually a hunk of meat and some vegetables.

if i'm really craving a sweet after supper i'll have frozen berries with some heavy cream over the top. what do i drink? water and maybe a cup of black coffee twice a week.

september 2007 @ about 185 pounds

late 2007 i weighed 186 pounds. i currently weigh between 158-160. i've never been stronger and i'm only looking to the future.

july 2010 @ about 160 pounds with a few visible abs...???

i'm eating between 1,400 and 1,800 calories a day. i'm getting about 100 grams of protein a day. i perform at my best on a high fat-high protein diet. i've finally found what works for me.

"...we’ve seen that we don’t reject neolithic foods solely on the basis that caveman didn’t have them, but prefer to have evidence as to the health effects of our food choices." -thepaleodiet.net

"ask Old Santa for a squat rack..."

my crossfit inspiration: miranda oldroyd

heavy squats and bench presses were on the menu wednesday night... here are our results:

Squat

Annie-70-90-115@6-105@7

Kerri-85-115-145@6-130@7

Matt-145-195-245@9-220@7

Mark-205-275-345@5-310@6

Bench

Annie-45-60-75@10-70@11

Kerri-50-70-85@8-75@8

Matt-125-170-210@6-190@7

Mark-155-210-260@4-235@5

this was followed by a met-con of wall-balls, push ups, and suicide sprints: 21-15-9. try doing pushups after heavy benches... nearly impossible!