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!
Wash and thoroughly dry kale. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
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.
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!
A colorful salad full of nutrient-dense carbohydrates and grilled chicken with a home-made balsamic vinaigrette.
This is about 2 cups of spinach with 1/2 cup of strawberries and roughly 5-6 ounces of chicken. (and yes its all for 1 person…me!) I make a home-made balsamic vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a small amount of honey. We grill a big batch of chicken and beef every week and keep a supply of protein in the fridge at all times so making Zone/Paleo meals is a snap. This salad took me less than 5 minutes start to finish.
This is one of my favorite lunches of all time…its like lunch and dessert all in one with the strawberries. Yummmm.
Perfectly Primal Primary Colored Breakfast: Blueberries, Scrambled Eggs, and Tomato.
Whats the best way to fatten cattle? By raising their insulin levels and feeding them low-fat grains. Whats the best way to fatten people? By raising their insulin levels and feeding them low-fat grains. Skip the toast, granola, cereal, bagels, and English muffins at breakfast and go for more favorable, colorful carbohydrates that are nutrient dense! Veggies and fruits!!!! Don’t forget the fat…I scrambled my organic free-range eggs in coconut oil. (Don’t worry it doesn’t taste like coconut, but is a wonderful monounsaturated fat! Delicious!)
This is a FANTASTIC recipe and may even have your kids asking for more!
Cut up and cook a package of nitrite-free bacon (yes I said bacon!) Drain the bacon bits on paper towels and pour off the fat from the pan. Add a large bunch of organic spinach to the pan and cook down until it wilts. While the spinach is cooking add chopped apples to the pan to cook (I used 2 organic Fugi apples.) Add bacon and serve warm with grilled chicken, shrimp or lean beef. Absolutely delicious. Enjoy. I would love to hear your feedback on these recipes. Did anyone try it? How did it go?
I am launching a new 4 week online training program and will take just a limited number of people through each session. The cost is $85 for one person or $135 for a couple. This includes an introductory 30-minute phone call for me to assess your fitness level, set goals, begin talking about nutrition, and answer any questions. I will take your credit card number over the phone for payment and your training begins. Prior to your first workout you will take measurements, write down your specific goals, and take a “before” picture. You will then receive 3 CrossFit style workouts each week with 1 endurance workout. Session 2 athletes will receive 5 workouts each week. We will discuss the value of both Dr. Sears Zone Diet and the Paleo Diet and will find a reasonable, sustainable eating plan for you.
Each workout will be accompanied by an instructional video. All the workouts are different so you will experience muscle confusion not boredom. The only equipment you will need to purchase during the first 4 weeks is a jump rope and a set of dumbbells (women 8-20lbs and men 15-35lbs.) After each workout you will email your results to me and get the following workout. Workouts will be sent out on either Sun/Tues/Thurs or Mon/Wed/Fri with the optional endurance workout to be completed on the weekends. You might consider purchasing heavier dumbbells in Session 2 or perhaps a kettlebell.
In essence you are hiring a personal trainer and I will be available to you during the week via email for any questions or concerns you may have. If you would like to schedule additional phone calls during the 4-week training the cost is $20 per 15 minutes.
I’m excited to start this journey with you and I will be here every step of the way to encourage you, hold you accountable, and spur you on to meet your goals. Email me today to start your training and set up your initial phone call! heather@heatherhodges.com
Here are a few Paleo recipes to tickle your taste buds.
For your sweet tooth: Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with almonds.
Stuff a date with a raw almond, wrap in a half piece of nitrite-free bacon and broil for a few minutes. Its the perfect salty, crunchy, sweet combination. To quote my husband, Wade, “Bacon is a hug from God!” So true.
For your green veggie/lean protein needs: Beef Wrapped Asparagus Spears with Horseradish
Steam or boil asparagus and plunge into ice water to stop cooking process and to retain crispness. Put a little horseradish on a slice of nitrite-free beef slices (I used Boars Head Brand) and wrap. Best served chilled. Enjoy!
For the last 10 months I have had the great privilege to work with the best CrossFit coaches and athletes in the world. CrossFit Central is truly a magical place populated by very special people, trainers and leaders. I’ve learned a lot, been stretched beyond my perceived limits and have had a lot of fun in the process. To the coaches of Central: you guys absolutely rock. It’s been a pleasure working with you, learning from you, sharing with you and competing beside you. I’ll see you at Regionals in May! To my friends and athletes I’m leaving behind: Its been my honor to have coached you, work out beside you, and cheer you on as you reach for your goals. Remember ladies, “Strong is Beautiful!”
A new chapter is beginning. I have decided to build up my garage gym in Round Rock and apply for an Affiliation with CrossFit. I’ve encouraged many of you to live big and reach for your goals, now its my turn! Thanks for your prayers and support in this new venture. More to come……
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)
“I remember hating my body and wanting to lose weight since middle school. I wasn’t over weight then but more so ahead of the development curve than other girls my age, so I thought I was fat. In college, I actually started to put on weight and hit 170 pounds for my 5′6” frame. I was a modern dancer all my life but the weight never seemed to come off. I started using trainers at the gym, scaling down what I ate, etc etc and I finally shed to 155lbs. It wasn’t until a year or so later I was able to drop to the 140s and then eventually 130 while I was dancing intensely in NYC. However, when I came back to Texas, i was suffering from depression, a serious breakup, and a dead end in my career with no job to back me up. The weight crept back on. In August 2009 I had reached back to 155. I was so ashamed because my previous weight of 170 was just a jump away. It broke my heart that after all that hard work and the obstacles I had been through to slim down, I had gone right back to where I was. I couldn’t get control and I became more and more depressed about it. I started with a nutritionist for a mild eating disorder and distorted body image. That’s when i started CrossFit in August 2009.”
“I went to a free Saturday workout with my roommate and fell in love with the gym and the coaches (I met Heather here at the pull-up bar station!). I had never lifted weights, butI knew after that first workout that this was a gym who saw results! Most obvious, the amazingly sculpted and beautiful coaches that led the work out. Wow, this place must work if all the coaches look like that!!”
“Since starting CrossFit I have dropped to 145-149 pounds, but most importantly I have gone from 32% body fat to 20.7%! I’ve seen the most results in my upper body, arms, and waist. My booty and legs will be the most difficult, but I have finally started to see results there and I can’t wait till it melts off! Crossfit has given me such an empowerment over so many things in my life, especially food. I have a “no way am I eating that” attitude because I can see the work that I’m doing is paying off and I’m anxious to see how far the rabbit hole goes. While being restrictive and depriving in your food habits doesn’t always have positive effects, in fact most nutritionist frown upon this, the change for me was to not use food as a solution to everything. If I fall into depression, instead of using food to comfort, I go do a workout to give me strength. I also have realized that I can have that Mexican food and those desserts whenever I want. There’s no restriction necessary. But now I am choosing to eat healthy (and not fighting it) because my body functions better. Not because “I’m dieting.” Mentally I’m better focused mainly because I’m getting up everyday to do something very active. It keeps my mind clearer throughout the day. It allows me to access the enjoyments in life by working out my anxiety through workouts. When you’re a CrossFitter, there’s no room for BS in your life. period.”
“Sectionals came about because my wonderful trainer said “Hey I’m competing in this competition. Hey you should do it too.” The mere suggestion by her showed me that she actually had the confidence in me to compete in this thing, and she saw the spark and the drive that I had really sunk into the few months before. If it was an option for her, it was an option for me. Once I started thinking about it, I was like “cool, I’m a weightlifter competing in a weightlifting competition. I’m badass. “ I became addicted to the thought and thus began the journey.”
“Sectionals for me was bittersweet at first. I was immediately disappointed with my performance (classic Lindsay). My goal was to finish all the workouts and I didn’t finish two. But I left with a fire and a desire to rip someone’s head off next year. As it sank in, I started examining the things I learned at Sectionals about my body, my weaknesses, recovery, strength training, endurance, nutrition, and injuries. The truth is, I learned a whole heck of a lot and I wouldn’t change the experience for the world. I saw amazing performances by some amazing people. I want that. I can taste it.”
My future goals are to drop to 16% body fat, put on some mega muscle mass in the upper arms (I want my muscle up!), get that 6 pack I’ve always wanted, and slim down those legs!! I’m an actor and I want to be red carpet ready! So now my body won’t keep me from booking a job (like before) but will instead help me book the job. My cardio still suffers (i’m an asthmatic) so just getting through long workouts is always a challenge. I’d like to compete at Regionals next year (who knows, maybe even the Games)! In life, I want CrossFit to continue to promote healthy/conscious eating habits and a healthy state of mind. The clearing of the mind and the perspective CrossFit gives me will help me pursue my life goals as an actor and, some day, as a wife.”
Lindsay, your story is empowering and very inspirational. I’m honored to be your friend and coach. You have tenaciously stuck to your training and made enormous gains in strength and fitness and have met goal after goal. I know your final goal is not far away! I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am that you took on the challenge of training for and competing at Sectionals. You did what thousands didn’t have the courage to do! Well done! Now, “On to the Next One!!!”
This is a FANTASTIC recipe and may even have your kids asking for more!
Lindsay, your story is empowering and very inspirational. I’m honored to be your friend and coach. You have tenaciously stuck to your training and made enormous gains in strength and fitness and have met goal after goal. I know your final goal is not far away! I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am that you took on the challenge of training for and competing at Sectionals. You did what thousands didn’t have the courage to do! Well done! Now, “On to the Next One!!!”
