Where did that come from??

Uncharacteristically quiet, after a month or more of holiday noise, the pounds have appeared in the form of a weird feeling padded middle ring around my waist and inner thighs with warmth retaining fat. How did that happen?? Wasn’t I paying close attention?? No, wait, that was November and now it is January. The month of atonement for food sins as it were. I may have gone a little over board here. We had a challenge at my gym, Step it up Studios in Pleasant Hill, to see who could do the most classes between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. It seemed like a good enough time to crank up the almost 54 year old metabolism so I jumped in with both feet. And won. I did almost 70 classes between those days. It was pretty crazy because I was hip deep into holiday catering too. Worked out though and I am sporting the new athletic shoes that were the prize to prove it. Not being content with the win I am still going to as many classes as I can and started going to a brand new strength training thing with a child teacher once a week. Being an already pretty in shape person who hikes the surrounding hills a lot I figured I got this. After the first half hour my lungs felt like they were coming out of my chest. It does pay to cross train. It also pays to clean out your system once in awhile. Holidays do something to my already wacked out mind and for some reason I feel it is ok to devour a lot of cookies and candy. And cheese and crackers. And wine, lots of wine, bubbly, red, white, whatever with maybe a martini or two just for the holidays thrown down the gullet. Maybe Baileys and coffee, but wait, I don’t drink coffee. Whatever….it’s the holidays.
Cleaning out to me means going paleo. No dairy, no sugar, no gluten. What do I eat then you may wonder if there is a you out there that is even reading this. I have a protein shake with water, protein powder, fruit of some kind, frozen spinach, a few almonds and blitz w/ ice. Tastes amazing and is a filler upper cause it is big. Works perfectly for a morning work out person or a morning donut and coffee on the way to work person because it will stay with you for a few hours. I eat a big salad with lemon juice and olive oil dressing and another protein shake for lunch along with some kale chips to take the snack edge off and act sort of like a crouton gluten thing without the bloat. That usually will last another few hours to get me through until 3 or 4. Then I have another big salad this time with garbanzo beans and avocado and cukes, whatever I have but with some protein on it, a huge portion of some kind of sautéed greens that I actually sort of steam in chicken or veg broth and then the broth from the greens. I always drink copious amounts of water but also that Good Earth tea. I’m addicted to it and drink it all day long. I hope no one tells me anything bad about it….If I feel I need anything else I have a Satsuma mandarin or some berries if they are good at the farmers market still which at this date they weirdly enough are. By getting all this in before 7 pm I always get clean and lose a few pounds to boot. I have been cleaning out for almost a week and not only am I human again but I actually have a small pimple on my chin…toxins leaving…aaahhhh. I will do this for 28 days to make my habit because I am a sugar junkie and need to retrain that beast every once in awhile and show her who is the boss of what…or who…or whatever.
Sounds fanatical you say but if you do a good organic shop at the farmers market and get some good organic broth and meats, best if it is wild caught fish or something pretty clean, organic chicken but the message is really that if you want to make a change in your life, cause this will change your life….you will feel better, look better and have better sex, is to make a plan and follow through with it. It is only 28 days or as long as it takes for you to gain control again. Did I mention that alcohol is not a really good thing to have for this month either?? Oh well just buck up and get off the nipple for a minute and it aint nearly as difficult as getting off the sugar. Actually the first time I did this a couple of years ago the hardest thing to back away from was cheese. I did lose a good 30 pounds though and have kept it at bay by pretty much trying to keep it at an 80 – 20 sort of thing. So 20 percent of the time I let the cheese, sugar and wine get in but I do feel it in my body when I succumb. I guess I just disconnected through December with my absolute drive and determination to get those shoes…..best that I get to using them now. Happy New Year.
Saturday January 7th there is going to be a health fair at my gym Step it up Studios, it is not my gym it is where I go to work out every damn day, and I will be doing cooking demo’s with the kale recipes below as well as a fun little protein bar I made. Lots of other vendors as well as some zumba and booty beat classes and weight training tours etc…
Step it up studios Health fair
2685 Pleasant Hill Road # b and c from 1 to 4 pm
925 348 1735 http://stepitupstudios.com/

Sautéed Kale
Separate and wash 1-2 bunches kale
1 T olive or coconut oil
¼ cup vegetable stock
3 cloves garlic - chopped
Slice kale into ½ inch pieces
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat and toss kale in pan. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes. Add vegetable stock and finish cooking until kale is limp but still colorful. Season with sea salt to taste. Drizzle rice vinegar over to taste if desired,

Kale Chips
Preheat oven to 300
Tear kale 1 bunch of any kind of kale into chip sized pieces, separating from the ribs as you go. Wash kale and spin dry in a salad spinner so that oil will adhere for even roasting. Toss with a small amount, 1 teaspoon or so, olive oil and season w/ sea salt. Place kale chips on parchment covered cookie sheets and bake for 12 to 17 minutes tossing chips ½ ways through to redistribute on baking tray. You can use any seasonings you like on the chips before baking as well as salt. Nutritional yeast is a great alternative to salt and adds a wonderful flavor as well as nutrients.

Fresh Kale Salad w/ Pomegranate Arils
1 large bunch kale of any kind, sliced and washed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 to 2 lemons
½ cup arils
1 Fuyu persimmon, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
Sea salt and pepper to taste or Braggs Amino Acids to taste
Toss kale, arils, persimmon and green onions in a large salad bowl. Drizzle on lemon juice, zest and olive oil and toss well. Season w/ Braggs or salt. Let sit a few minutes to gently “cook” the kale for a few minutes or up to an hour before serving.