Zone Chili

There is very little if any fat in Zone chili, so you will need to add fat to balance this. I generally add shredded sharp cheddar, however, I am trying to avoid dairy. I grabbed a handful of cashews to balance this, but just be aware that fat is needed. That being said this is one my favorites and the leftovers are great!

Paleo/ Zone...

I have been cutting way back on my intake of dairy...however....this burger was just crying for a piece of Swiss cheese. Minus the cheese this meal is much more Paleo than Zone, so if you want to Zone it you will need to add fat and a few more carbs. As is this 3 blocks of protein and about 1 block carbs. Post thoughts to comments.

Turkey Meatloaf

I have not posted the recipe for this one in awhile, so here goes!
Turkey Meatloaf: 1 lb lean ground turkey; 1 egg, 2 pieces Orowheat Light bread (I soak mine in milk to make mixing easier); 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup ketchup, 3 TB Worcestershire sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Once mixed transfer to bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
4 1/2 oz meatloaf (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups green beans (1 block carbs)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 blocks carbs)
Handful of cashews (2-3 blocks fat).

Taste of the Season

Summer is such a great time of year for fresh fruit! If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has organic farms and produce take advantage of it. Berries are an ideal carb source that can used in a variety of ways...or just eat them plain! Enjoy!
Block Amounts
Strawberries- 1 cup= 1 block carbs
Raspberries - 1 cup= 1 block carbs
Blackberries- 3/4 cup= 1 block carbs

The Perfect Egg

This may seem like a silly post to those of you who do not eat many hard boiled eggs. However, for those of us who do...a good hard boiled egg (not overcooked, easy to peel) has it's merits. Annie Sakamoto of CFSCC passed along this "recipe" for the perfect hard boiled egg. So far, it has worked wonders for both of us! To make: Place desired number of eggs in a pan and fill until eggs are covered with cold water. Place pan over medium heat and bring to slow boil. Boil for 11 minutes at a slow rolling boil. Remove from heat and drain water from pan. Refill pan with cold water and add ice to the water to cool eggs. Let cool in ice water for about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until needed.

Breakfast for Dinner

My kids love having "breakfast for dinner". Nothing fancy here, but it gets the job done.
2 eggs (2 blocks protein)
3 strips turkey bacon (1 block protein)
1 apple sliced (2 blocks carbs)
1-2 TB natural peanut butter (2 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Italian Chicken

In a blender add 1 can stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning to taste (about 1 tsp but more if you like it stronger), salt and pepper. Blend until pureed. Cut two large chicken breasts into pieces and brown on both sides. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour puree over the top. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Serve with side of your choice.

Turkey Taco Salad

I have been cutting way back on my dairy intake, however, this salad just is not the same without a little cheese!
3- 4 cups mixed greens (2 blocks carbs)
1/4 cup kidney beans (1 block carbs)
4 1/2 oz ground turkey taco meat (3 blocks protein)
1 oz shredded cheddar cheese (3 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Rachel Frankl of CFSCC gave me this recipe and it was delicious! If you have fresh Rosemary (thank you Michele O'Koomian) this is a good one to try. In a ziploc bag combine: chicken (whichever cut you like), about 2 TB olive oil, 1 sprig of fresh Rosemary, salt and pepper and the juice of one fresh squeezed lemon . Combine all ingredients and let sit refrigerated for about 1 hour. Grill and serve with side of your choice.

Crockpot Pork Roast

Place a pork roast cut (I used shoulder) of your choice in your crockpot. Pour 2 TB liquid smoke, 1/2 TB Red Hawaiian sea salt (regular sea salt will work as well), black pepper and 1-2 cups of water over the roast. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 9-10. Once the meat starts to become tender, shred meat with a fork in large pieces to allow it to cook in the juice (about 3 hours into cooking).
3 oz pork roast (3 blocks protein)
2 cups mixed green salad (2 blocks carbs/ 2 blocks fat)
1 1/2 cups broccoli steamed (1 block carbs)
Post thoughts to comments.

Pita Crusted Pork Loin

I do realize that in the Zone sweet potatoes are not the greatest choice (although better than french fries right???). However, there are times I get REALLY sick of salad! Sweet potatoes are a much denser carb source and therefore should be eaten in less quantity.
3 oz pork loin (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups green beans (1 blocks carbs)
1/2 sweet potato with drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (2 blocks carbs)
Handful of cashews (3-4 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

How Ya Feelin'?

The Zone (or paleo for that matter) are not a one size fits all nutrition plan. I think it is really important to do a "self check" every so often. Minor tweeks can make a big difference! So...that being said....how are you feeling? If you are low on energy, check your fat. If you are hungry all the time, check your blocks. If you are lethargic, check your carbs. As you get more familiar with your eating you need to make the changes necessary to get the most benefit from it. Post thoughts to comments.

Leftovers!!!

Tonight was a "baseball night" in my house, which means little time for dinner. I used some leftover steak and chicken pieces with broccoli, cauliflower and broccoli slaw and stir fried the whole thing. I added garlic, onion and salt and pepper. That is it! Sometimes simple is great!

New York Steak Salad

4 cups butterleaf and baby spinach (1 block carbs)
1 red bell pepper sliced and sauteed in garlic (1/2 block carbs)
1/4 cup kidney beans (1 block carbs)
3 oz New York steak sliced (3 blocks protein)
1/4 cup pecan pieces (1 block fat)
Olive oil/ balsamic dressing (2 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Athlete Profile...Kelly Greco

One of the suggestions when I asked what bloggers wanted on the site was to have athlete profiles. These are athletes at CFSCC that have had real, marked and noticeable results with changing their nutrition. The first person that came to mind for me (and many others) is Kelly Greco. Kelly began Crossfitting less than a year ago, and did very well. However, when she began zoning she took off! Here are some of her stats:
Pull Ups- started with zero and now has 17 kipping;
Push Ups- started on knees and now has 40 chest to deck
Clean and Jerk- 105# (she does not weigh much more than that!)
Back Squat- 141#
Fran- Pre-zone 16:14- Post-zone 12:12
400 meter run- pre-zone 1:48 post-zone- 1:38
HSPU- 3
Multiple no feet rope climbs!!!
Kelly has come a long way, but her current goals are: muscle up, body weight clean and jerk, 10 HSPU, and a sub 10 min Fran. I think she will be checking off a few of those very soon!
Thanks for being such and inspiration to so many Kelly!

Summer Grillin'

3 oz tri-tip (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups broccoli slaw with snow peas (1 block carbs)
2 cups spinach salad with apples, pecans, feta and raspberry vinaigrette (2 blocks carbs/ 2 blocks fat). Post thoughts to comments.

Paleo Breakfast

This was sent to me by Jon Varese of CFSCC. He attended the nutrition certification with Robb Wolf recently and has been experimenting with "Zone-Paleo" meals. Basically Zone-Paleo would entail eating Paleo type foods but still weighing and measuring your portions. This is an example of a 4 block breakfast.
4 eggs (4 blocks protein)
1 cup strawberries (1 block carbs)
1 yam (3 blocks carbs)
grassfed butter (2-3 blocks fat)
Thanks Jon for the great photo and let us know how you are feeling! Post thoughts to comments.

A Little Quiz...

One of subjects that we discussed at length with Robb Wolf was the effect of gluten on the body. Gluten contains celiac which can cause a variety of intolerances in the body. These can vary in severity, but all effect the immune system of the body. If you would like some more information regarding this please visit Robb Wolf's website (www.robbwolf.com). Ideally we should be gluten free, however, decreasing the amount of gluten in our diets is a great starting point.
Quiz: How many of the products pictured above contain gluten?
A: The bread
B: The bread and the pita
C: Steel cut oats
D: Soy Sauce
E: All of the above
Post your answers to comments.

Old Standby

Turkey Meatballs (3-4) (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups green beans (1 block carbs)
2 cups mixed green salad (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.