Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Recipe

Fish is good for you, and I'm making an effort to incorporate more fish into my diet.  Granted, I still get squeamish around seafood, but I am trying to increase my consumption of our seafaring friends.
With that said, I've always had an affinity for canned tuna.  Perhaps it was all the mayonnaise and pickles I mixed in it as a child, but I've always had a place in my heart for canned tuna fish sandwiches.  My brilliant husband thought it might be a good idea to convince me to actually eat fresh tuna steak since it's tastier than the canned stuff.  After a few tries, I've found that I love it, especially when grilled (albeit not for too long).

Enjoy this recipe that he's adapted -- it's perfect for summer grilling!

Tuna steaks:

Marinade 1 pound tuna fillet cut in two to three parts for at least 1/2 hour (1 to 2 recommended) in:

1/3 cup EVOO
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped cilantro; plus additional chopped for garnish
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
sea salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix together the EVOO, lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, paprika, chili powder, and sprinkle of pepper.  Add tuna; cover and refrigerate.

Prepare grill; grill vegetables of choosing first (although I made steamed broccoli on the side for this round).

Sprinkle with salt; grill to liking (at least three minutes each side for rare-medium rare).

This recipe is wonderful, delicious, and gentle for a non-seafood girl like me.  Enjoy!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Great Bear

This past weekend was filled with running.  Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a huge fan of running, but as I've wanted to run a 5K for a long, long time.  Whether accurate or not, I think that the ability to run 3.1 miles without stopping is an athletic accomplishment that I should be able to do.  In a way, I feel like completing a 5K solidifies and validates any kind of athletic prowess that I have recently gained.

I would like to say that I've never run a 5K, but that's not an accurate statement.  In college, I completed a 5K, but it was pretty abysmal.  I was out of shape, overweight, and did little more than the occasional elliptical or bike at the college gym.  I ran about half the race; walked about a mile, and then ran the last part.  My memory has blocked my time, but I want to say it was somewhere between 36 and 38 minutes -- maybe more.  I found it embarrassing; I didn't realize that my time would be recorded, and to me, it was just another indicator of how badly out of shape I was.  So, running a whole 5K has always been in the back of my mind as my moment of redemption.

So, some CrossFit friends suggested that I check out the Great Bear Run.  The race raises money for prostate cancer research, and the course would be partially downhill, partially a small grade incline.  My husband and I decided to sign up: why not?  This could be my chance to redeem my awful prior race!

photo courtesy of racewire.com


I really had no desire to start running, though.  Part of why I'm not keen on running is because I've found it to be painful.  The last time I started to run a couple miles on a regular basis, I started having problems with my right IT band.  Second, I find it to be dull and repetitive (which, I guess, it's certainly repetitive).  I just haven't managed to find a love of it, even though I want to complete the occasional run.

I've heard from many people that my CrossFit training would be more than adequate to completely run a 5K.  Considering the nature of CrossFit workouts (including the sprinting I've done in them), I hoped that it would be sufficient to finish in a decent time.  My goal: sub 27 minutes.  I had no idea if it was realistic, but I figured it was worth a shot.

When my husband and I arrived at the race, we registered, got our bibs, and waited for our CrossFit friends to arrive.  It was lovely to be with a group of friends at the start and finish of a race.  We warmed up together, joked around, and even took a "team" picture with the Great Bear mascot.  One friend, a frequent runner, also put me at ease for the race.  His advice: don't run too fast at the beginning because adrenaline will wear out too quickly;  towards the end of the race, find someone to follow, and slowly speed up; the last 100 meters or so, pick up the pace, but not to an all out sprint.  He also showed me the route map and talked me through it.  Brilliant.  Thanks, Mitch!

The weather was overcast and cool, which was perfect running weather.  We headed to the back of the pack, which I will never, ever do again, as it was far too frustrating to pass people when needed.  But, I was able to find my pacing and go.  The first mile was fabulous and fun -- I talked to a CrossFit friend for a bit, and then a total stranger for a few seconds.  As I passed one couple, I heard them say, "well, I'm okay with it when the young people pass me."  I couldn't help but smile.  It wasn't until almost the two mile mark where I felt like the "fun" part of the race had worn off, and I just wanted it to be over.  I had to convince myself to keep on pushing through it.  Not long after, I saw a girl who had stopped and encouraged her to run with me.  Toward the end of the race, I found two people to follow.  I tried to enjoy the route and waved to anyone who was along the way, but it did feel tedious.  I'm a person who likes to know exactly where I stand, and the uncertainty of not knowing my pacing or the remaining distance was frustrating.

As I turned the last corner, I saw Mitch, who had finished strong and was waiting to cheer the rest of the CrossFit crew on.  It was enough energy for me to keep on going.  And then, I saw the red digital clock, which read "25:40."  I was so close to finishing the race sub 26 minutes, and I knew I had to give it my best shot.  My CrossFit competitive nature kicked in full gear. I broke into a sprint, passed one person who I had been following, and finished just on the heels of the other (who was 64 years old!  I was impressed!)  At the end, I was handed a yellow ribbon with a medal.


My husband finished in 24:53 with an average pace of 8:00 per mile; I finished with an average pace of 8:21 in 25:57.  I also found out that the yellow ribbon meant that I had finished third in my age group of 25-29, which was something that I was not expecting.

After the race, I felt amazing.  It was so lovely to have it over, but physically my body felt great, and mentally I felt a whole lot stronger!  I definitely hope to run another 5K in the future, and am toying with the idea of eventually running a 10K.

Crappy college 5K -- you have officially been defeated.  I can run, and I'm so thrilled that CrossFit got me to this point.  It was also a lovely experience to share with my husband and friends.  

So now, I debate my next running step.  Do I try to PR a 5K?  Do a bit more distance running?  How would I have to prepare for a 10K?  I do want to try and improve my running through the POSE Method, but that's a blog post for another time.

For any runners out there, any thoughts on a next (literal) step?

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Is there a benefit to lifting only three pound weights?

I was absolutely horrified and mortified when I saw this video, courtesy of Oprah's website.  I encourage everyone to watch it, but in a nutshell, it's Gwyneth Paltrow of promoting her "pint-sized miracle,"personal trainer Tracy Anderson, for helping her "stay thin." Paltrow exercises six days a week for two hours a day, focusing mainly on cardio.  Oh, and Anderson only allows Paltrow to lift three pound weights, because, according to Anderson, "no woman should lift more than three pounds," as lifting more will make a woman "bulky."  (Perhaps I should send Anderson some before and after photos so I can show her how much better I look.  And Anderson, having muscles and muscle definition does not mean I'm "bulky" -- in fact, it means I'm healthy, physically fit, and strong).

Paltrow, you look seriously emaciated.  

Honestly, I think I'm mostly disappointed in Oprah for posting this crap on her website and airing it on her show.  Oprah, women all over the world look up to you.  How could you feed them even more bad, baseless information?  I really would love to see Oprah cut out processed foods and try CrossFit!
Well, the joke's on Gwyneth, who has developed osteopenia, a pre-cursor for osteoporosis.  The irony of the situation -- current research has shown that weight training prevents bone loss, and may even help build new bone.  For Tracy Anderson, I'd like to ask -- how is it realistic for a woman to never lift more than three pounds?  Even Gwyneth makes a flippant comment about lifting her 30 pound son all day, so I don't understand how she can claim that there's a benefit of lifting such a puny weight.  Wouldn't being able to lift more weight be much more practical for her lifestyle?  From my own personal experience, strength training has made daily tasks much easier, from carrying in groceries or kitty litter, organizing the desk and chairs in my classroom,  and gives me more energy to get through my day.  I think I find Anderson's workouts to be so disturbing because they are anti-feminist and reinforce an idea that women are supposed to be frail and weak.  
I highly recommend Graeme Thomas's article on why being "skinny fat" is unhealthy and unattractive.  He does a great job of describing how trainers like Anderson perpetuate the myths and misconceptions about female weight lifting.  My favorite part of his article is where he analyzes what Paltrow eats in a day, which averages out to less than 1000 calories.  Clearly, Paltrow's diet is less than ideal.
Ultimately, I hope that women realize that trainers like Anderson are bogus and unhealthy, and I want women to know that being strong is beautiful.  So, how to we debunk the myths that Anderson, et al. spread?  How can we convince women to stop being scared of weights?

P.S. Gwyneth: if you did CrossFit, you wouldn't have to work out for two hours, six days a week.  Just sayin'!


Tuesday, May 3, 2011

One size fits... none?

As a kid, I remembering hearing all the time that Marilyn Monroe was a size 12/14/16.  Point being, the sexpot of the 1950s was a "real" woman with curves.  But the reality is, what was a size 14 in 1955 is probably closer to a size 6 today.



A recent NY Times article, reposted on MSNBC, discusses the difficulties women face in trying to figure out what clothing sizes will fit them in stores. It's an issue that all women (and even men) find all too familiar -- at one retailer, a woman might be a size 4, and at another, she might be a size 10. Even more frustrating: being different sizes at the same store.

While companies are trying to streamline the clothing size dilemma, part of the problem is "vanity sizes." Stephanie Clifford writes, "As the American population has grown more diverse, sizes have become even less reliable. Over the years, many brands have changed measurements so that a woman who previously wore a 12 can now wear a 10 or an 8..." So, vanity sizing has been a huge marketing ploy to get women to buy clothing by making them appear "smaller" without losing an inch.  Essentially, it enables women feel better about themselves because they can wear a smaller size.  A huge part of the problem lies in the fact that most people (and I fall victim to it as well), place too much self-worth on clothing size.  It's a very ugly, messy self-esteem battle.  Much like BMI, an arbitrary number has been given far too much credence and weight (pun intended).

Oh, vanity sizing.  For years, I justified weight gain as long as I could still squeeze into my size 6 Ann Taylor pants.  Had they been a size 12 or 14, would I have pushed sooner to lose weight?  Perhaps.   I don't really know.  But clearly, fitting into size 6 clothing didn't mean I was at a healthy weight or leading a healthy lifestyle, but it enabled me to hide behind the label.  Even though I was overweight, I could justifying it by saying, "but I'm a size 6!" And if a size 6 was ever too snug, I just didn't buy the garment.

But I've lost weight and body fat, and while I've been excited to buy smaller clothing sizes, my elation has worn off quickly.  It feels too arbitrary and artificial, and honestly, I have no idea what "size" I am.  What I do know is that I have a lot of muscle, strength, and I'm healthier than I've ever been.  At the same time, it's hard not to feel connection to the number on the clothing tag.  But I'm determined to just buy clothes that fit my body, regardless of what a random number tells me.

Thoughts on vanity sizing?  Brilliant marketing ploy or a pain in the butt?  Self-esteem boost or self-esteem bust?

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Make Our Garden Grow

"Make Our Garden Grow," the finale of Leonard Bernstein's Candide, is perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.  Sung between the main characters, Candide and Cunegonde, and the ensemble, the gist of the song is that the best possible life is one that is personally industrious and hardworking: "We'll do the best we know/ we'll build our house and chop our wood/and make our garden grow."  I tear up every time.  And while I've always loved listening to this song, I never thought of literally applying its message to my life until recently.
When my husband and I bought our house this past fall, we thought the small garden patch box along the fence was cute and endearing.  "Maybe we'll plant a garden!" we exclaimed, although I felt that it would merely be a passing fancy; just something to point out as another reason for why our soon-to-be house was wonderful and charming.
But the more my husband and I have read and talked about leading a clean, healthy lifestyle, the more it made sense to try our hand at growing a vegetable garden.  I'm happy that our house already has a special place to do this.
First, our own garden is the most local way we can get our own food.  We decided to buy seeds and plants from a nearby, family owned farm, and after that, all care, maintenance, and consumption would be on our own property.  Very sustainable and environmentally friendly indeed.
Second, if successful, this should cut down somewhat on our summer produce grocery bill.  The rising cost of fuel is driving up food prices (this article claims that five staple foods are rising in prices, but it essentially translates to the fact that all the foods my husband and I consume, and then some, are rising in cost).  Saving money while doing a small part to limit fuel usage seems like a win-win situation to me.
Third, while it may sounds self-righteous and obnoxious, there is something exciting and slightly romantic about the prospect of eating foods that we've grown all by ourselves.  The idea of literally reaping the fruits and vegetables of our labor makes me feel like we're productive, self-reliant, and competent.  Instead of expecting food to magically appear in the produce section of Roche Bros., we'll work hard to produce it.  Gosh, I hope I don't accidentally kill this garden.
Yesterday, we picked our produce -- some, we planted indoors from seed packets, and others went straight into our little garden patch.


Thyme, cilantro, basil, and tomatoes.  Hopefully we'll see sprouts soon!


Our other purchases from Tilly's, our local farm: an assortment of lettuce, brussel sprouts, and yellow onions.  On the right is a willow tree from dear family friends which we'll plant in our yard.


My husband began weeding our little garden patch.  The bucket to the right will be for our herbs when they're ready to be transplanted.


Nothing better than getting my feet dirty!  I took over the weeding process and cleaned out the pot as well.  Honestly, if I never had to wear shoes again, I think it'd be a very happy individual.  And while I don't have much of a green thumb, there is something very therapeutic and satisfying about weeding.  I like it because I don't have to think very hard about it, and I can see tangible results from it.  Excellent.


My husband has such a knack for making things look beautiful.  Our purchases, including some squash, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, and garlic, which he planted in our little garden.  

Cunegonde sings to Candide, "I thought the world was sugar cake/for so our master said/But now I'll teach my hands to bake/ our loaf of daily bread."  These lines carries so much sentiment for me.  I'm learning how satisfying it is to prepare our own food and cook our own meals.  While I'm not making a loaf of daily bread, if I did eat bread, I'd probably try my hand at it.  Why?  In short, it's partially self-serving, but I also help it's a small step to conserving resources.  Food was never meant to be pumped with corn derivatives, processed with unrecognizable ingredients, shaped to an aesthetically pleasing circle or oblong, and wrapped in coloring packages to be sold with expiration dates nine months from now; it was meant to come out of the earth, beautifully rich in color and imperfect shape, by our own hands.  So, we will see how this garden grows, continue to buy food from our local farmers market, and try our best to be clean and healthy eaters.

Any tips for our garden over the next few months?  What have you done lately to lead a clean lifestyle?