How I Got My Dad to Eat Brussels Sprouts

They were never served in my parents house.  They always carried negative adjectives with them.  Overcooked.  Soggy.  Stinky.  I suppose, as my Grandmother must have prepared them, the Brussels sprout never stood a chance.  Not knowing a thing about them (aside from the myths my parents imparted upon me), I didn't try them until my wife made them one glorious night.  It was a culinary/dietary epiphany on par with the times I (re)discovered sweet potatoes and spinach... both irrational fears stemming from "bad experiences" as a child.

So, what is different about these sprouts? 

I Am Thankful For...

I realize that I am truly blessed and I am thankful for many things.  My health... My wife... The love and support of my family... The amazing trainers and awesome community at CrossFit White Rock... and of course, bacon and eggs.

Without them, I don't know if I would have made it this far into my journey toward a healthier lifestyle.  While today is Thanksgiving, and it will filled with many indulgences, I started the morning like I have so many others this year.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Whole 30 Challenge - Results

After 30 days of eating according to the Whole 9 philosophy, I lost 5.5 pounds and 3 inches around my waistline.  Do those numbers seem a bit incongruous? I think the dramatic drop in waistline to the absence of the occasional diet soda in my routine... and possibly to my body not having to process dairy for a month.  I'll be very interested to see how my body rebounds in the next couple of weeks to the re-introduction of some of these things.

Whole 30 Challenge (Day 30) - The Final Stretch

It has certainly been a life changing 30 days... and as life would have it, not in any way I would have expected.  I didn't end up posting as often as I had planned, as I ended up interviewing and negotiating a new job that I will begin next month.  Despite the odd kinks that this process threw into my schedule, I have steadfastly remained on track with the Whole 30 Challenge.

I will post all of my statistics tomorrow after weighing/measuring in the morning.  Today, I'll recap some of the highs, lows and challenges of the past 30 days.

Roasted Autumn Medley

As the seasons change, so does the produce section.  The onset of cold weather means, “Goodbye” to some summertime favorites, but also, “Hello” to a new set of ingredients to play with in the kitchen.  When foraging through the store, looking for something to throw together for a family gathering, I started to ponder primal/paleo options for the upcoming Holidays.  Like every year before, there will be no shortage of creamy mashed potatoes or savory cornbread stuffing at my parents’ house.  With thoughts of integrating the menu this year (I’m not looking for a hostile takeover), I decided to try this one on the family at a dinner this weekend…

Egg Muffins

Looking for a quick breakfast idea that (for some reason) doesn’t involve bacon?  What follows is a versatile recipe that can be customized to your taste.  Much like I do with my Bacon Wrapped Eggs, I make a batch of these on Sunday, put them in baggies, and eat them for breakfast throughout the work week.  The recipe that follows helped me start looking at breakfast differently.  Months later, I am still experimenting with different ingredients and flavors.  But, here is my standard recipe for…

Whole 30 Challenge (Day 9) - Knowing Your Environment

One week into the Whole 30 and I’m hearing a number of interesting things from other folks in the midst of it… about the successes and their struggles... and the sources of them.  Some feel like they are surrounded by naysayers and bad influences making it difficult to succeed and maintain the course of the Whole 30 challenge.

Paleolithic man was probably more successful when hunting on land he was familiar with.  The Boston Red Sox left fielder will likely play fly balls off the Green Monster better than the visiting left fielder.  The Fighting Texas Aggie football team responds better to the cheers of their fans at Kyle Field than they do to the taunts of an opposing fan base.  Most teams and athletes perform better when they have the home field advantage.  This concept transcends sports and enters everyday life in so many ways we may not immediately recognize.  In terms of eating well and living a healthy lifestyle, knowing your environment can sometimes be the difference between success and failure.  In order to give yourself a home field advantage...