Hearts on Fire

OFFAL INSTALLMENT #3

Based on the title of this post you can probably already guessed what I cooked up this time... yeah, heart. I really like it when the regional grocery stores have a whole section of offal right out in the open, no shame in selling organ meat. Liver, kidney, tripe, heart, hooves, and more. I was like a kid in a candy shop (a disturbing picture). I swear I make normal food too, this is just more fun to write about.

 This is kind of like the pork tongue I made a few weeks ago in that it is really just another muscle, only one that not many people in the US think to eat. It was extremely tough because of the large amounts of  collagen present in the tissue, so I threw it right into my crock pot. Maybe someday I'll invest in one of the sous vide water ovens and take my slow cooking to a whole other level.

Back to the recipe. I wanted something with some heat so I picked up some chiles in adobo from the ethnic foods isle while I was at the market with my friend Jimmy, another Paleo bro. He actually picked up a side of pork, which is essentially a bacon steak (eating something like that somewhat terrifies me). I had a ton of leftover cabbage so I did a quick chop on that and threw it into the crock as well.


Why eat heart? It is great for you not to mention dirt cheap. Got over half a pound for about a $1.50! Want to survive college? Learn to enjoy the strange cuts. Heart is full of protein, thiamine, selenium, folate, phosphorous, zinc, CoQ10, and B vitamins.



Ingredients

• Beef Heart
• Can of fire roasted tomatoes 
• Chiles in Adobo (add more for more heat) 
• 1/2 Cabbage 
• 1/2 Yellow Onion
• 2tbsp Chile Powder 
• tsp each Salt and Pepper
• Tbsp Cumin
• Tbsp Paprika
• 2tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 

Directions

1. Chop all vegetables into bite sized pieces and place in the bottom of the crock
2. Stir in tomatoes and spices. 
3. Place heart on top and press down so that its half submerged in liquid
4. Cook for 6-8 hours low and slow

I swear I'll do some normal recipes again soon. 

Update: Wolverine-Fit

WOW! The online registration is complete and now we are just waiting for the university's approval. Sounds like we've got a nice small group to start things off and hopefully we will quickly grow and expand as the semester goes on. I also found a faculty advisor who is a level one certified trainer who used to coach at box in St. Louis. He now in a professor in the MCDB department and will be helping to get the club running. All good news.

Bad news, I just found out that my foot is broken... and has been for about a month. Probably should have gotten it checked out sooner. There is a spiral fracture in the fifth metatarsal of my left foot (the outermost bone on the top of your foot). So now I am wearing a boot and will have to do so for about a month. No endurance training or metcons for me.... but I see it as a chance to get sick at pull ups and gain a little weight before winter Crossfit and strength training starts. I am also looking to get my own bumper plates, real expensive stuff there.

JUST HIT 500 VIEWS!

Thank you to everyone who looks at my blog..... whoever you are. I have one request from you and that is to leave more comments, suggestions on what to write about, ect. Thanks. You are all wonderful.

Paleo Poutine

Yeah it happened, paleo poutine. What is poutine? It's a French-Canadian dish involving french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. It doesn't exactly qualify as a paleo approved dish, but I was up for the challenge. With a few tips from PaleOMG and some improvising I made it happen.

Why poutine? WHY NOT?

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Ground Meats of Various Varieties (redundant?)
• Meat Seasoning (I like cumin and chili)
• Onion
• Green Bell Pepper
• Garlic
• Cauliflower
• Stock
• Coconut flower or another paleo thickening agent

Forget french fries, we went for the baked sweet potato fry. This is where it gets weird, no cheese curds. Instead, we replaced them with roasted cauliflower bites. Gravy? We added meat for powerful protein and deliciousnessness. Then we topped it all off with sautéed onions, peppers, and jalenpenos. 

I know, it looks nothing like normal poutine (probably doesn't a whole lot like it either), but it was delicious. 

   

Directions

1. Fire up the oven to 400F
2. Chop up the potatoes into french fry sized piece and cut the floretes in cheese curd sized chunks.
3. Cover your veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add some garlic or cayenne if you're feeling adventurous.
4. Bake the taters and cauliflower for about 25 minutes.   
5. Sautee chopped onions and garlic in a pan, adding in the meat mixture after they turn translucent.
6. Add your meat seasonings into the pan.
7. Start your gravy by heating olive oil, butter, or your favorite fat in a sauce pan. Add the flour and create a roux. 
8. Once the roux has been assembled add the stock (homemade is best) then reduce and allow to thicken
9. Chop and sauté the peppers, onions (and jalepenos) for the toppings
10. Assemble and enjoy.

Fiesta Pork Tongue

PARTY! Here is what I decided to make with the pork tongue I picked up at the farmer's market in Ann Arbor the other day. Because it's a tough cut I decided to braise it until it became tender and serve it up with some onions, cilantro and farmers market tomatoes. This definitely will not be the last time I get tongue.

Tongue, disgusting right? Not at all! Even though it's considered to be offal, tongue is that it is still a muscle just like steaks, chops and ribs. So it's really no different from other cuts of meat if you think about it. Since its low in fat (after removing the skin, it had a really light favor that reminded me of dark poultry meat.

Good lord, I need some new plates.

Ingredients

• 1 Pork or Beef Tongue (beef will feed a lot more people)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Bay Leaf
• Salt
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Avocado
• Chili Powder

Directions

1. Blanche the tongue with apple cider vinegar and boiling water to clean it and make it easier to remove the thick skin on the surface of the tongue
2. Remove the cuticle from the tongue by peeling it back or using a knife to cut it off
3. Add tongue, sliced onion, minced garlic, salt, bay leaf, and water to a crock pot. The water should reach half the height of the meat
4. Braise meat on low for 8 hours or until it easily falls apart
5. Remove and shred tongue meat adding chili powder
6. Plate with sautéed onions, fresh tomatoes, sliced avocado, and cilantro 

Update on the kimchi, I didn't let it ferment nearly long enough so it just tasted like cabbage with that fancy "rooster sauce." Next time I try it out, I'll have to do it the traditional way. Just wasn't the same. 

Offal

I bought tongue at the Farmer's Market today, I'll let you know how it goes. What did I get myself into?

Braised Cinnamon Cabbage

As promised here is the braised cabbage recipe. Next I'm working on a quick kimchi (not even sure if I'm going to be allowed to call it that since I'm planning on using green cabbage instead of napa pre-made can of chili-garlic sauce instead of making my own with fish sauce). I'm excited since this will be the first dish I will attempt to ferment, which is a great way to introduce probiotics into your diet. 

On the other hand, I'm also a little nervous that it might erupt into a massive bacterial colony that will take over my kitchen. But if something did go horribly wrong, its alright because I move out of this apartment in a few days. It'll be the next tenant's problem. GO KITCHEN SCIENCE!  

Ingredients

·      1 Green Cabbage

·      1 Carrot

·      1 Red Onion

·      2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

·      4 Tbsp of favorite fat

·      Tsp Cinnamon

·      Tsp Cumin

·      Dash of Salt

Directions

1.     Chop cabbage and onion into bite-sized pieces slice the carrot on the bias.

2.     Add all ingredients into a crock-pot on high for 4 hours or sauté vegetables in fat then add seasoning and vinegar.

3.     The longer you let it sit, the tastier it gets!

Wolverine Fit

Howdy,

It has been far too long since my last post, I'm not doing a great job at keeping up with this. Tonight I made some braised cabbage, which I may or may not post a recipe for. We'll see how much energy I have tomorrow.

How inspiring are the Olympics? I see what these incredible athletes do and it just makes me want to leap off of my couch and start training. GO AMERICA! Almost as fun to watch as the Crossfit Games.

Speaking of Crossfit, I am trying to start a new club at the University of Michigan. Yes, I know I'm also on the Triathlon team, but I can manage doing both. So I'm hoping that with a little luck I can get a good group of people together who are willing to show up every week to do a WOD. I've been digging through the CF archives about how to start a collegiate team/club, and it looks like it's pretty easy to become a nonprofit. We just need insurance, a website, and a level one certified trainer. Until then, we are not allowed to to use the name "Crossfit" in our title. So for now we are known as Wolverine Fit. Check out the Facebook group if you're interested at!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN! oh wait they already did.

MY BIKE

Let me introduce you to my new bike. She is a brand new 2011 Trek 1.2 with Shimano Sora and Tiagra components. I made the decision to go with a road instead of a Tri bike because I am still getting to know the sport and this is my first racing bike (I did my first Tri on a mountain bike, Not Fun). Unfortunately, that bike was stollen recently. UPGRADE. 

I signed up for my first Olympic distance triathlon, which will be on August 12. I'm pumped for the race, but it means that I'm going to have to cut back on the Olympic lifting training to get more endurance workouts in. Hopefully I'll still be able to meet my lifting goals by the end of the summer. I'm also going to be running in the Crim, a 10 mile road race in downtown Flint (aka F-Town), with my family later in August. 

She still needs a name and I'm open to any suggestions. 

MEETZA!

I have been craving pizza lately, so I made this. Everyday I have to walk by a delivery pizza joint on the way home from work, the gym, etc. There are way too many pizza places in Ann Arbor.

 You can't see it (because of a gratuitously heavy helping of sauce), but the crust has been replaced by a layer of baked meat. Personally, I think it's a huge upgrade from your everyday delivery pizza. Some people might look at it and see a meatloaf covered in fancy toppings, but it's just more fun to say MEETZA! 

Ingredients:

·      Ground meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb, or any mix thereof)

·      Eggs

·      Basil

·      Red Sauce (I used a homemade Bolognese)

·      Mozzarella Cheese

·      Parmesan Cheese  

·      Toppings (Peppers, onion, olives, artichokes, pineapple, and more meat all work well)

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 350F

2.   Mix meats with eggs and basil and shape into crust, bake for about 10 minutes

3.   Liberally apply sauce, cheese and toppings.

4.   Bake for another 10-15 minutes  

5.   Devour

Flourless Banana Bread Muffins

I have been lazy lately, but I think this post will make up for it. I went home for my little brother's birthday this weekend and had a great time with the family. There is always a surplus of bananas at our house and they are usually all devoured within a few days. Every once in a while, we must subconsciously get sick of them an stop eating them, which results in an over ripened pile of brown bananan mush. That means only one thing... it's time to rekindle our love of bananas by making banana bread. There is no beautiful picture of this recipe because they were eaten before I could even pull my camera out.

For the people who want to go full paleo, skip the oats and double the amount of almonds + substitute your favorite fat for the peanut butter (ex. butter or almond butter)

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup almond flour (almonds in the blender)
1/2 cup oatmeal flour (oatmeal in the blender)
2 eggs
Tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
Cinnamon
Cake spice
Dark chocolate chips.
Dash of salt
Tsp Baking soda and powder

Directions:

1.    Blend almonds and oatmeal together in a blender

2.    Combine the rest of the dry ingredients with the oat and almond mixture

3.    In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients

4.    Fold the two mixtures together until just combined.

5.     Bake for 15-20minutes at 350F

Shredded Beef Ragout over Roasted Broccoflower

Roasted Broccoflower

 

Ingredients:

·      1 Head of Broccoflower

·      Olive Oil

·      Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1.     Lightly coat broccoflower with olive oil

2.     Salt and pepper to taste

3.     Roast at 400F for about 25 minutes

Shredded Beef Ragout

Ingredients:

·      1 Carrot

·      ½ Onion

·      Garlic

·      Canned Tomatoes

·      Olive Oil

·      Slow Cooked Beef or Slow cooked beef leftovers

·      1 tbsp A1 Steak Sauce or Worcestershire  

·      Red wine

·      Oregano

·      Salt

·      Pepper

·      Bay leaf

Directions:

1.     Coarsely grate carrot, chop onion and sauté both in olive oil

2.     Add minced garlic after onions turn translucent

3.     Deglaze with red wine and cook off the alcohol

4.     Add tomatoes, shredded beef, steak sauce, and seasoning.

5.     Simmer until content. 

Pumpkin Waffles

Ingredients

·      ½ Cup pumpkin puree

·      1 egg

·      1 Scoop of vanilla protein powder

·      ½ Cup Almonds or Pancake mix

·      Pinch of Salt

·      Pinch of Baking powder

·      Pumpkin Pie Spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger)

·      2 tbsp Milk

Directions

1.     If using almonds, use a food processor or blender to chop almonds to a powder. This will be your flour substitute.

2.     Mix dry ingredients (minus baking powder if using pancake mix) before adding to pumpkin puree

3.     Mix pumpkin, milk, and egg together, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Don’t overdo it! It will result in a heavier waffle that will stick to the iron, especially if you’re using pancake mix.

4.     Grease up your waffle iron and pour in the batter. This is a very wet batter so make sure the iron is really hot.

Oh yeah, mine have dark chocolate chips. 

Lifting for Triathletes: Power Cleans

Swim. Bike. Run. We do a lot of this, and maybe it's time to throw in something new and exciting. No, I'm not talking about your core workout or high rep sets. I am talking about CLEANS. Yeah, they are pretty intense and take some time to learn but there are a ton of benefits.

• Core Stability
• Neuromuscular Coordination 
• Stimulate Release of Growth Hormone for Recovery 
• Build Powerful and Explosive Movements
• Increase Functional Strength
• and they can get you JACKED!

There are lots of different types of cleans including the power clean, hang clean, and squat clean. They each offer something a little different and emphasize different parts of the movement. My favorite would be the squat clean since it has the largest range of movement. Remember cleans are all about getting the form correct and being able to perform them safely. Cleans are a great off season workout that can help any serious athlete to make gains in their respective sport once mastered.  

Remember that proper form is CRITICAL

Next installment, THE DEADLIFT.

Chili Lime Fish en papillote

 Ingredients

·      Whitefish (cod, tilapia, pollock)

·      Lime

·      Red Onion

·      Salt and Pepper

·      Cilantro

·      Olive Oil/Favorite fat

·      Chili Powder (or Chili Lime rub)

Directions

1.     Lightly coat the fish with fat and season the fish with salt, pepper, and chili powder or chili lime rub.

2.     Slice the limes into slices, dice the red onion, and chop the cilantro

3.     Place the fish, limes, cilantro, onion, and other vegetables if desired in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil and fold to tightly wrap.

4.     Grill for 15 minutes flipping occasionally or bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Pictured with guacamole, salsa, and grilled sweet potatoes. 

Got 7 Minutes?

POWER WOD

7 minutes of burpee pull-ups, AS MANY REPS AS POSSIBLE! 

Do this with a partner, take turns or find two bars and push each other. The beauty of this workout is that it can be done almost anywhere, all you need is a bar that is about 6 inches of your reach. You can do this on a tree, at a playground, or even at a gym. 

GO HAM!

Dark Chocolate Banana Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

·      2 Bananas

·      2 Tbsp Almond Butter or Peanut butter

·      1 Scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder

·      1 Egg

·      Dark Chocolate chips

Directions:

1.     Mash the banana, nut butter, and egg until smooth

2.     Mix in protein powder and dark chocolate chips

3.     Cook until browned on each side

4.     Let sit for 5 minute to firm up

Overachiever: 

You can separate the egg and whip the egg white until it forms peaks on a mixer, then fold it into the mixture for extra thick and fluffy pancakes.  Mix in the yolk during the first step. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY, it’s like a multivitamin and is packed with extra protein. I put Greek yogurt on it to make it fancy. 

Triathletes need more carbs after a workout? Soak 1/2 cup oatmeal in a little milk or almond milk and substitute for one of the bananas.  

Power WOD + Getting Competitive

The W.O.D.

10 Hand Release Pushups
20 Deadlifts 235/145
30 Burpees
40 Box Jumps 24"
50 Kettle Bell Swings 45/30
60 Ab Mat Sit-ups
70 Air Squats
800 meter run
1 Chest to bar pull-up
... and do this as fast as possible

The Challenge

Find someone to do this workout with and race them to the finish. Find someone who will make you work harder than you ever could have alone. Find someone who sparks your competitive drive.

It's the weekend of Memorial Day and I came home to spend time with the family. Today my sister and I went to the gym and did this workout together and let me tell you, a little sibling competition can go a long way. This summer I have been doing a lot of workouts on my own but nothing compares to having someone to push you through your workout.

I understand that when life gets hectic, it can be hard to schedule workouts with a friend and it is easy to head to gym alone to get a quick workout in.  I would strongly encourage you, whenever you have time, to do a competitive workout with a friend or a complete stranger for all I care. All that matters is that you find someone who will make you work harder than you ever could have alone.

If you are an endurance athlete, the best way to get faster is to do high intensity workouts with someone who can push you. If you are a crossfitter or are strength training, bring a friend who will make you lift heavier and go harder. The more the merrier. Having a workout partner also makes you more likely to show up to show up to the gym, have better form, and make healthier choices in general. I can validate that. Get competitive and make improvements.

Here are the results from the workout today, I dare you and a friend to try and beat our combined time.

Time 1 12:27
Time 2 14:40
Combined Time of 26:57

No cheating on the burpees, full extension on the box jumps, and no joking around with that last pull-up.

Squats on Squats on Squats

30 Squats at 80% of your 1 rep max. Do in small sets taking no more than 30 seconds of rest between each set. Complete as quickly as possible.

then 4 rounds of....
20 pistol squats
15 calf press
10 Pull ups

Liver Meatballs

Here is a recipe I borrowed and adapted from a friend of mine.  After introducing the idea to me, I knew I would have to try it.  It might sound a little scary at first glance, but eating organs is not nearly as bad as it sounds and this is a great way to give it a try since the liver is mixed with ground beef. This is not liver and onions, and there is no reason to be afraid.

Not only does it add a ton of flavor to the dish, but buying organs is extremely cheap and is a very sustainable way to utilize meat.  Would a caveman have wasted organs? Probably not, he/she would've used every last bit the animal, so why should you?

On top of that, liver is nature's multivitamin and contains huge amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin, folate, iron, selenium, and protein.  It also contains a number of trace elements that the body needs to function.

Liver Meatballs

 

Ingredients

• ¼ lb of liver
• 2lbs of ground beef/turkey
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Clove of Garlic
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Put liver in the food processor and blend until finely processed
2. Mix ground meat, liver, sauce, paprika, salt, crushed garlic, onions, and pepper in a large bowl
3. Form meatballs and bake at 350F for 15-20 Minutes (make sure the baking sheet has sides to avoid dripping) 

These are fantastic with spagetti squash and tomato sauce or with rice. Really, you can use them anywhere you would normally use meatball.  Next time you use ground meat try adding in a little liver to boost the flavor and add a few vitamins and minerals to your diet.  Next time, we cook beef heart.... maybe. 

Cauliflower Primal Paella

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Cauliflower 
• Chicken/Pork
• Shrimp
• Onion 
• Bell pepper
• Frozen Peas 
• Tomato Paste
• Canned tomatoes
• Chicken Stock 
• Saffron 
• Oregano 
• Favorite Fat
• Salt and Pepper 

Directions: 

1. Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces and pulse in a blender until the pieces are rice sized.
2. Sauté chicken/pork in a large pan
3. When meat is nearly done, add onions and bell pepper. Cook until slightly browned
4. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes
5. Add peas, salt, pepper, oregano, and cauliflower continue to cook and mix through
6. Add heated chicken stock with saffron and shrimp to the mix (cauliflower does not have the absorbing power of rice, you will use much less than standard paella)
7. Cook until shrimp is done and liquid has been reduced 

Power WOD

20 Minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of....

500m Row
15 Burpees
25 Wall Ball Shots

Runner's High and Evolution

After being at home for a little over a week, I'm back in Ann Arbor and have just started my summer research project on neuronal degeneration. Hopefully I can find some way to tie evolutionary or nutritional studies into my research. But since I'm back in Ann Arbor, I thought I would talk about getting high.....off of running. Every athlete doing some kind of aerobic training has felt it. It's that great feeling of accomplishment and relaxation you get after a long run, and it repeatedly motivates you to hit the pavement or trail.

This elevated feeling is due to endogenously produced cannabinoids, which are chemically similar to the molecule THC which is the active component in marijuana. These molecules act on cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, leading to a decrease in the perception of pain, regulation of the stress response, and a change in a number of other cognitive effects. In other words, sustained aerobic activity leads to the production of natural pain suppressants that act in a similar manner to marijuana. 

This has been proposed to have EVOLUTIONARY significance because it would have encouraged early mammals, including humans, to run long distances. Running, as we know, promotes increased aerobic performance by increasing stroke volume and improving the efficiency of oxygen metabolism. In addition, running increases bone density and increasing neuronal proliferation. Some research even suggest that humans were built to be long distance runners because of the way our feet and joints are constructed, but that's a topic for another day. Because of all of its positive effects, running may have increased the reproductive success, and therefore getting a runner's high would have been evolutionary beneficial.  

Any triathlete will tell you that the term "runner's high" should be expanded because you get this feeling after practically any type of endurance workout. It helps keep you motivated and push through pain day in and day out, even when training gets rough. Unfortunately, when injury results as a product of overtraining, the lack of endocannabinoids can lead to a feeling of depression and stress. But don't worry, anaerobic exercise also produces that great feeling. So when injured and feeling down, take a break from the cardio and do some resistance or strength training to brighten your day.

Next time your training calls for a LSD (long slow distance) run, remember the powerful effects of enocannabinoids.

Power Wod

15 Minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

5 Power Cleans 

10 Pull-ups

15 Burpees  

Red Wine Braised Shanks

Here is an easy recipe for braised beef that I came up with one weekend.  I chose shanks because I was in the mood to experiment and they were dirt cheap (great collegiate triathlete meal). I served it with baked acorn squash and threw some other vegetables into the dutch oven as well. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare but does require some waiting, probably best to start it in the crock pot before heading to work, class or your morning workout, and enjoying that evening. The longer it cooks the better it tastes because it allows the fats and collagen in this usually tough piece of meat to melt away in the sauce. Bone marrow from the shank is easily the best part.

Ingredients:

·      Beef Shanks

·      Large Spanish onion

·      Red wine

·      Canned Tomatoes

·      Garlic

·      Salt and pepper

·      Favorite Fat

Directions:

1.    Caramelize onions in fat

2.    Add shanks and sear  

3.    If using a crock pot add all ingredients in and cook for more than 6 hours, if using a Dutch oven add remaining ingredients and cook for more than 3 hours at 350F  

Swimming

Many triathletes are natural born swimmers with smooth, efficient strokes that runners and cyclists envy. It is the first of the three sports and can make a huge difference in your time, even though it is the shortest leg. It offers a great advantage to efficient swimmers because they exhaust much less energy than a swimmer with a sloppy stroke. This is why many triathletes who don't come from a strong swimming background choose to focus on training to improve their technique, rather than endurance.

I think this is the right way to go about it and is my preferred method of training. Being the Tri Club at UM has made me realize that the real advantage gained by being an efficient swimmer is not always time but energy. Coming from a running background, swimming is not my strong suit, but it has quickly grown on me.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FORM. Swimming is arguably the most technical of the three sports and it takes time to master the technique and build the working muscle memory required to become efficient. I am trying to overcome this barrier by breaking up the components of the stroke into drills, because it is easier for me to build my stroke one piece at a time.

Triathlon Swimming Technique

Benefits

• Swimming is a low impact, high resistance sport.   
• It is a good alternative to running, which can take a serious toll on the body through constant impact with the ground which stresses the joints. 
• This makes it a great workout not only for aerobic endurance training, but also a good alternative during injury. Swimming works well for rehabilitation by removing the stress from joints, while retaining the resistance needed to obtain results. 
• GET FAST & JACKED! Swimming increases aerobic performance while increasing muscle mass. 
• In a twelve week study performed on middle-aged men and women experienced significant improvements in oxygen consumption and stroke volume (heart strength). 
• An 8 week study on men showed a nearly 24% increase in the mass of the triceps muscle. 

http://www.medicinenet.com/swimming/article.htm#intro

Red Pineapple Curry

Ingredients:

·      Chicken

·      Red Bell x1

·      Orange/Yellow Bell Pepper x1

·      Small Eggplant x1

·      Pineapple ½Cup

·      Coconut milk 1 can

·      Red Curry Paste 1-3tbsp

·      Lime Zest 

·      Fish Sauce 

·      Sweet Basil (fresh or dried) 

Directions:

1.    Sautee chicken and bell peppers for about 10 minutes

2.    Add eggplant in later with chili sauce. Mix well and cook another 3 minutes 

3.    Add first ½ of the coconut milk and simmer until reduced by ½

4.    Add remaining coconut lime zest, basil, fish sauce, and pineapple.

5.    Simmer until creamy. 

Power WOD

Core  

6 Rounds of...

25 GHD

25 Back Extensions 

and 4x10 Stiff-Leg Deadlift

 

Butternut Squash Frittata

Ingredients:

• 8 Large eggs
• Bell pepper
• Roasted butternut squash
• Olive oil
• Onion 
• Oregano
• Basil
• Salt and Pepper
• Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1.  Sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil until it begins to brow
2.  Add in cooked butternut squash and heat through
3.  Add scrambled eggs, oregano, basil, and pepper to vegetable mixture. Cook for 5 min on low heat
4. Finish cooking eggs under broiler
5. Add cheese, salt, and more spices if desired. Melt cheese under the broiler.