I spent several hours with the girls of Hendrickson High School’s Silver Dancers on Tuesday evening exploring nutrition, health, and the Zone Diet.  The girls were fantastic and it was a pleasure to be a part of their summer camp.  Thanks to Bethany Dudley, the Silver Dancer Director, for inviting me.

Defiant CrossFit is partnering with Pflugerville Schools and is proud to offer all students and employees of PISD a discount.  If you are interested in learning more about CrossFit, please email me at heather@heatherhodges.com.

Here is my first beautiful and fragrant box of vegetables from Johnson’s Backyard Garden a community supported local organic farm.  Each week they deliver a box of freshly picked vegetables and herbs to a location in Round Rock and I go pick it up.  It costs $32 a week and in my early opinion I think I’m really going to enjoy the seasonal variety and of course the freshness of the produce.  It was picked this morning so it couldn’t be any fresher!  In my box today I got Carrots, Beets, Swiss Chard, Purple Onions, Cabbage, Basil, Dandelion, Fennel, and Broccoli.  I’ve already downloaded some of their recipes for dandelion and fennel.  Stay tuned for recipes and pictures.  Elijah was the first to enjoy our CSA organic produce.

I look back on the circumstances that brought me to this point and I wonder how on earth did this happen????  Six kipping hand stand push ups got me here…..yikes! But there were 18 months of CrossFit WODs, strength training, ripped hands, nagging little injuries, and hundreds of Zone/Paleo meals before that! I tell my athletes that I train that it is the little decisions that you make every day that add up over time to yield big results.

I can say that I’ve already won, not because I know I’m going to be on the podium at Regionals (HA HA HA – or even place in the top 50%) but because I’ve won the battle over myself!  I’ve conquered  the desire to eat sugar and junk!  I’ve won the battle over pain and am no longer afraid to train hard and be disciplined in my efforts.  I have done what I thought I could not do, like a muscle up! Having a goal and deadline, like competing at Regionals, has made me more focused and disciplined than I’ve ever been in my life!  I’ve slayed some emotional, spiritual, and physical demons along the way, and I never want to go back.  So bring it on!  I’ll be ready to test myself again and stand tall on the competition field in 3 weeks, just proud and honored to be there.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

“If I want to be great I have to win the victory over myself… self-discipline.” (Harry S. Truman)

Super easy!  Left over grilled Chicken, Spinach, and Peppers stir fry.

This took me less than 10 minutes from start to finish!  Saute garlic in 1 tsp olive oil.  Add 2 sliced peppers and 4 cups of spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted.  Slice left over grilled chicken (I used 5 ozs) and warm in same pan.  This meal is a little light on fat, so I finished it off with some nuts and strawberries for dessert.  Remember my tip to cook protein in bulk?  When you have your protein ready to go this kind of meal is easy, nutritious, and leaves no room for excuses !  Enjoy!

Caleb approved – this is a big deal at our house!

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients: Kale, Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Here is another Primal snack option for you guys to try.  Get your kids involved in the process and they will be more likely to try the Kale Chips once they are done. A lot of you have asked me where do I get my calcium if I don’t drink milk or dairy – the answer is leafy greens. Kale is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. Enjoy!

1. Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
2. With a knife carefully remove the thick stems and cut into bite size pieces.  Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Lay out on cookie sheet.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Musical chicken (drumstick), cucumber slices, with plums and tangerines and water

Staying “in the Zone” is important for adults to control insulin levels and stay in that fat burning zone.  Its even more crucial for kids. Adult obesity has increased 32% in the last decade, childhood obesity has DOUBLED! I understand how hard it is for parents who are fighting our culture to give our kids a healthier future!  Sugar, salt, unhealthy carbohydrates, sodas, candy, trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, etc. may not necessarily be in your home, but its in your kids’ lives when they walk out your door.  So its even more vital that we have healthy meals and snacks at home where we can provide healthy, Zone/Paleo friendly options. (One of the side effects of keeping your kids in the Zone is controlled blood sugar levels which results in fewer mood swings, and better mental focus and clarity – who knows maybe they will even begin to listen to you and possibly start doing their homework and cleaning their rooms! – BONUS!)

After school snack ideas:

Cheese stick and fruit

Sugar-free gelatin with embedded fresh fruit and small dollop of whipped cream (protein in gelatin, fruit for carbs, and whipped cream for fat.)

Rolled up turkey or ham slices with tooth pick to hold (employ kids in getting snack ready..I don’t know why but they love tooth picks -especially the little frilly ones) a cup of grapes, and some crunchy nuts

Fruit smoothie with added protein powder to get the perfect ratio of protein, carb, fat.

What are your kids’ favorite Zone-friendly after-school snacks?

Sweet potatoes, apples, and steak!  Your kids will be asking for more!

Peel and cube sweet potatoes, core and cut up apples.  I used 3 large sweet potatoes and 2 apples (enough for a dinner for 4 and left overs for my lunch the next day).  Drizzle with 1-2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.  Cover and bake for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees.  Serve with protein, we chose grilled tri-tip steak.  Even our pickiest little eater devoured this dessert-like carbohydrate!  Absolutely RESIST the temptation to revert to the old habit of adding brown sugar or butter to this dish. You will find that its wonderfully sweet and delicious by itself.  Enjoy!