Beef & Broccoli… it’s what’s for dinner!

by | Jun 7, 2015 | Eat Real Food Based on Your Needs, Recipes

  Sometimes, its nice to only make one entree instead of a main dish and sides. Sometimes, we just want to mess up one skillet and not a dozen. Sometimes, we just want a simple recipe. Well, this recipe does all that and tastes great! Using just one skillet, the Beef & Broccoli Dinner combines protein and veggies into one dish that is super simple. NOTE: Conventional broccoli is sprayed with tons of chemicals. So, use organic if possible. Also, if grassfed beef is not an option because of budget, use the leanest cut possible. Beef & Broccoli Dinner Ingredients ½ cup Liquid Aminos or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce ¾ tbsp Ginger 6 cloves Garlic, minced ¾ cup Water ½ cup Pure Maple Syrup 5 tbsp Almond Flour 3 tbsp Olive Oil, divided 1 bunch Green Onions, chopped 8 cups Organic Broccoli, cut into small pieces 2 lbs Grassfed Roast Meat Directions In a medium bowl combine the aminos or soy sauce, ginger, garlic, water, syrup and almond flour. Set aside. Heat 1 ½ tbsp of the olive oil, on high, in a large skillet or wok. Add the green onions and broccoli, sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from skillet. Heat the remaining olive oil and stir-fry the meat until almost done. Return the veggies to the skillet and add the sauce. Heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Serve and... read more

Supplement Series – Carbs

by | Jun 4, 2015 | Supplements

Remember, we are looking at nutritional supplements and how they can benefit us in and out of the gym. Also, remember that if your diet, sleep, and recovery are crap… supplements are a waste of money! If you are interested in improving any aspect of training, nutrition, or recovery, or if you need help finding a specific supplement to meet your needs, email me at steven@csfitlife.net. You can also connect with me through social media by clicking the links below: CSFitLife on Facebook CSFitLife on Twitter For our fifth and final week, I thought we would take a look at Carbs! Key Points: Ingesting high-glycemic carbs post training helps with recovery and nutrient delivery. To get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to post training carbs, consider taking them immediately following your training session. Vitargo is probably the best post training carb source; however, due to its cost, dextrose is a great replacement. You can purchase pure dextrose powder. Wonka Pixy Stix and SweeTarts or Haribo Gummy Bears are also great sources of dextrose. Consider taking 20-60 grams of high-glycemic carbs immediately following training. Wait… I thought these posts were about supplements?!?! While this post is about carbohydrates (carbs), it is also about supplements. Let me explain… In the protein post, we discussed that when we perform high intensity workouts (like CrossFit), we use glycogen (stored carbs) as the primary fuel. By the end of the workout, our stores are diminished. So, we need to top them off. Also, taking in fast digesting carbs post-workout can help with nutrient uptake and speed recovery. In the creatine... read more

Post-training Recovery Meal

by | May 31, 2015 | Eat Real Food Based on Your Needs, Recipes

Okay, so you just finished a hard training session. To get the recovery process started, you immediately down a shake with the all the necessary protein, fast digesting carbs, creatine, etc. But what next? Is that the end of recovery? Nope! The post-training shake is just the start of recovery. How we eat the remainder of the day and in the coming days impacts our recovery too. Personally, I like to have a whole food meal about an hour after my post-training shake. The meal should have an ample amount of protein, fats, and carbs to aid in recovery. While each person’s macro-nutrient (protein, fats, carbs) requirements vary based their individual needs, the idea remains the same… recovery! My go to meal is a Sweet Potato Omelet. The eggs provide a great source of protein and fats while the sweet potato helps replenish glycogen that was depleted during the training session. Add a side of your favorite vegetable and kick recovery into high gear! Give it a try, and let me know what you think! Sweet Potato Omelet Coconut Oil3 Eggs3 Egg WhitesSea Salt & Pepper, to taste1 Medium Sweet Potato, baked, skin removedCinnamon, to taste Lightly coat a skillet with coconut oil and set to medium heat. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper together. Once the skillet is hot, add the eggs and swirl to get an even coat on the bottom. Cover the skillet and let the eggs cook until the bottom is firm. While the eggs are cooking, use a fork to smash the potato. Once the eggs are set but still runny, remove... read more

Supplement Series – Beta-alanine

by | May 28, 2015 | Supplements

Remember, we are looking at nutritional supplements and how they can benefit us in and out of the gym. Also, remember that if your diet, sleep, and recovery are crap… supplements are a waste of money! If you are interested in improving any aspect of training, nutrition, or recovery, or if you need help finding a specific supplement to meet your needs, email me at steven@csfitlife.net. You can also connect with me through social media by clicking the links below: CSFitLife on Facebook CSFitLife on Twitter For week 4, I thought we would take a look at Beta-alanine! Key Points: Beta-alanine is a derivative of carnosine. Carnosine helps to fight fatigue. Supplementing with beta-alanine can increase endurance, power and strength output, and muscle. Consider taking 2-3 grams of beta-alanine and 2-5 grams of creatine 30-45 minutes prior to training. Consider taking another 2-3 grams of beta-alanine and 2-5 grams of creatine immediately following training. Beta-alanine Beta-alanine is a non-essential amino acid that is derived from carnosine. It is naturally occurring in the body but is normally found in small amounts.[i] We can also get carnosine through our diet by eating chicken, beef, fish, and pork. A diet with minimal animal foods or a plant-based diet may have diminished levels of carnosine.[ii] For those who train, is that carnosine is 3-5 times more prevalent in the muscle tissues most commonly associated with sports like CrossFit, weightlifting, powerlifting, sprinting, etc.[iii] What does it do? When we exercise at high intensities (like CrossFit or sprinting), our bodies can become more acidic. As we become more acidic, it’s harder to contract the muscle,... read more

Supplement Series – BCAAs

by | May 21, 2015 | Supplements

  Remember, we are looking at nutritional supplements and how they can benefit us in and out of the gym. Also, remember that if your diet, sleep, and recovery are crap… supplements are a waste of money! If you are interested in improving any aspect of training, nutrition, or recovery, or if you need help finding a specific supplement to meet your needs, email me at steven@csfitlife.net. You can also connect with me through social media by clicking the links below: CSFitLife on Facebook CSFitLife on Twitter For week 3, I thought we would breakdown BCAAs! If you don’t care about the “why” and just want the cliff notes, I included a “Key Points” section at the start of the article and a “My Take” section at the end. Let’s Giddy UP! Key Points: BCAAs are the rock stars of amino acids. BCAAs can increase strength and muscle and decrease fatigue. BCAAs can aid in maintaining performance levels when trying to reduce bodyfat or overall bodyweight. The preferred ratio of BCAAs is 2:1:1. That is 2 grams of leucine to isoleucine and valine. Thirty minutes prior to training and immediately following, consider taking 5 grams of BCAAs. BCAAs… What the…??? Okay, we read during the first week that protein is super important. I gave you tons of reasons why we need more. Now, if you remember back to junior high science class, we were told that protein is made up of amino acids. What you probably weren’t told is that all amino acids are not created equal. Our bodies can produce certain amino acids and others have to be... read more

Supplement Series – Creatine

by | May 14, 2015 | Supplements

Remember, we are looking at nutritional supplements and how they can benefit us in and out of the gym. Also, remember that if your diet, sleep, and recovery are crap… supplements are a waste of money! If you are interested in improving any aspect of training, nutrition, or recovery, or if you need help finding specific a supplement to meet your needs, email me at steven@csfitlife.net. You can also connect with me through social media by clicking the links below: CSFitLife on Facebook CSFitLife on Twitter For week 2, I thought we would breakdown creatine! If you don’t care about the “why” and just want the cliff notes, I included a “Key Points” section at the start of the article and a “My Take” section at the end. Let’s GO! Key Points: Creatine supplementation is safe and effective in healthy individuals. Creatine supplementation can increase muscle size, strength, power and overall athletic performance. For the best results, follow a loading protocol for creatine monohydrate. After the loading phase, take 1.5-5 grams of creatine (depends on the type) prior to training. Following training, take 1.5-5 grams of creatine (depends on the type) plus 20-30 grams of protein and 20-40 grams of fast digesting carbs like dextrose, waxy maize, white rice, etc. What if… What if I told you that there is a substance that can possibly increase power, strength, and performance? What if I also told you that the substance is one of the most extensively studied and scientifically validated performance enhancing aids for athletes? Finally, what if I told you that the substance is not only safe, but possibly... read more

Supplement Series – Protein

by | May 5, 2015 | Supplements

Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at nutritional supplements and how they can benefit us in and out of the gym. This isn’t an exhaustive series by any means. These are the staple supplements. Keep in mind that nutritional supplements are just that: supplements to your diet. If you eat at the golden arches on the regular, sleep with the mentality of “I can rest when I am dead”, and don’t manage stress well, you are literally crapping and pissing your money away on supplements. Nail nutrition, sleep, and stress management down first and then you may want to consider supplements to help achieve your goals. Also, if you don’t care about the “why” and just want the cliff notes, I will include a “Key Points” section at the start of each article and a “My Take” section at the end. So let’s geek out and start with protein and protein powders. Key Points: Consuming adequate amounts of protein is necessary to recover from training sessions and to gain muscle or get faster and stronger. Those who exercise should consider protein intakes of .72 – .91 grams/lb of bodyweight per day. This is 109 – 136 grams of protein for a 150lb individual. Using protein powders can be an efficient way to meet the recommended amounts of protein. Pre- and post-workout nutrition is key! At a minimum, consider consuming 20-30 grams of whey protein about 30 minutes pre-workout and 20-40 grams of a blended protein (i.e. whey, casein, etc) within 30 minutes of finishing your training session. Consume 20-40 grams of fast digesting carbs (dextrose,... read more