November Thanks Givings

November is my month for making key commitments- this week makes one year at CrossFit and twelve years at UC Davis. Happy Double Anniversary!  Both institutions have had a huge positive impact in my life. You could say, it is how I spend my days and nights.

UC Davis has allowed me so many professional opportunities. To date, I’ve worked in 3 colleges, 5 departments and have had 7 job titles.  All that experience without having to switch employers.  It was my parent’s dream for me to be a “state employee” and they may have just been right about something. UC Davis has been there for me when I was young and into fun, when I went back to school for my MBA and now when I want a work-life balance. 

CrossFit has been an amazing transformational force.  It has given me fitness, challenge and social opportunities.  My first six months were about survival.  After I came back from Hawaii, I really dedicated effort to improving and as someone said “it is like someone turned a switch on and you lit up.”  I started thriving. I mastered some of my weaknesses (wall balls, box jumps, and the barbell), I entered a CrossFit competition, I did a strength program for 10 weeks and I ran a Zombie Mud Run with obstacles!   Doing CrossFit is just as much a mental as it is physical.  I’ve discovered I am capable of so much more than I thought. I do hard things because they are hard.  Perhaps the most unexpected gift from CrossFit has been mental fortitude, which has applied to every aspect of my life.

Stable employment, a challenging social activity, good health and having my own place are the reasons my life is so satisfying.  It gives me a strong foundation, so I can be a good daughter, sister, friend, employee, pet owner etc.  November is a month for being thankful and UC Davis and CrossFit are two things I am extremely grateful to have in my life.

Minestrone Soup

The best thing about a rainy forecast all week- soup weather! 

 Here is one of my favorite recipes from Giada deLaurentiis.

Ingredients:

1 onion

2 carrots

2 celery

2 cloves of garlic

3 ounces pancetta

1 pound swiss chard

1 potato cubed

1 can diced tomatoes

1 fresh spring rosemary

1 15 ounces can of cannellini beans

2 14 ounce cans of beef broth

Preparation:

Sauté chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil for about 10 minutes.
Add pancetta and cook another 10 minutes.
Add cubed potatoes and salt. Cook another 10 minutes.
Add swiss chard. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add rosemary and can of diced tomatoes.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Puree cannellini beans with beef broth.
Add puree and cook 20 minutes (or til potatoes are soft).
Remove rosemary.

Use salt and pepper as needed.

My Modifications:

• For the onions, carrots and celery, I cheat and buy the pre-cut mireproix mix from Trader Joe’s.  I cook them in bacon fat to give the soup even more flavor.
• If you can’t find swiss chard, try using kale.
• I’ve used dried rosemary rather than fresh and didn’t notice a huge difference.
• This recipe also freezes well, so I usually make two batches at a time. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/winter-minestrone-recipe/index.html

Good-Bye Adventures in Yumminess

     My journey into the kitchen was a loooong one... but it took me from can't cook/don't wanna cook to writing a food blog. I am sharing my story, for those of you out there who think "I can't cook," because I believe anyone can learn.

     10 years ago, I barely knew where the kitchen in my apartment was.  This was ironic, since I did the new hire training for Serv Safe, which covered how employees should handle and prepare foods.  I didn't really like to cook back then, but I loved eating good food. Having to talk about food preparation three times a week, I began to suspect, you can't fully appreciate food until you've tried preparing it. So I started trying..

     My strategy was to learn how to make at least one item from each major food categories.  I started with stirfrys because they were easy as 1-2-3:- 1. pick a protein (beef, chicken, pork), 2. pick some veggies and 3. pick a sauce and wallah- you've got a meal. I progressed to other food categories, one at a time.  For pastas- I mastered a lasagna, for soups- beef stew, for breads- my mom's cornbread recipe, etc. Soon I could actually cook something for any occasion.

     My next source of inspiration came from- of all places- the gym.  Why is it that the TV channel in gyms is always set to the Food Network? ( I still haven't figure out how being tempted with delicious foods helps with getting in shape). It did get my attention though and the Barefoot Contessa and Giada spurred me to the next level of cooking.   I learned about flavoring foods and using in-season produce.  This is when I got excited about cooking. Which is exactly around the time I met Food Muse and our first outing together was the San Francisco's Farmer's Market.  The Farmer's Market was an all-out showing of how fabulous food is and full of enthusiastic (sometimes slightly famous) kitchen magicians. 

     When I think back, the game changing item for me was the Heirloom Tomato. I have always been a fan of tomatoes and to find out they come in such variety and color- each with their own flavor was amazing!  Inspired- I started sprinkling fresh herbs like basil and oregano on tomatoes, I started roasting tomatoes, I started making my own marinara sauce with the roasted tomatoes. Marinara sauce led to homemade meatballs and minestrone soup and on and on and on...until one day I realized that my cooking actually tasted better than eating out. With that realization, I stopped saying "I can't cook" and started my Kitchen Magician apprenticeship.

     What started this blog post was a recent article:  What's keeping America out of the kitchen?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whats-keeping-americans-out-of-their-kitchens-national-survey-reveals-the-top-excuses-for-not-cooking-2011-09-08.  

28% Can't cook

25% Don't want to clean up mess

21% Don't have enough time

     It reminded me of how far I have come in the kitchen. I have been a part of these statistics and I missed out by not getting into the kitchen sooner.  I know cooking can be intimidating.  I know it takes time. I know you are afraid of ruining food. But America, cooking is a basic life skill, which 28% of us don't possess?  Start small and keep building your repertoire.  Make learning to cook an adventure and  use it to build relationships with others (people love to talk about food). Surely, my passion for food outweighs my skills.  But hopefully, my story shows you that even the most unwilling can be converted into a decent ambassador for food. 

This was my favorite post from my blog "Adventures in Yumminess" which I have decided to delete. It tracked a year in my life, in which, I really focused on crafting my kitchen skills.  However, it also captured a relationship, which I don't really want to memorialize. It served its purpose because the kitchen is now my favorite room and I really do enjoy cooking.  If I can become comfortable in the kitchen, anyone can!

Sugar Shakedown

Confession: I am a sugar addict. Sugar is my white powder of joy. It presses all the happy buttons in my head and then leaves me with the worse headache/hangover, but I always go back to it. This is the time of year where sugar starts ruling my life. It starts with Halloween candy and continues with all the holiday treats right through New Years. I indulge and spend two months in total sugar intoxication.

I walked by the co-workers desk and saw that the Halloween candy is already out!  This means if I start right now, it will be three months of sugar time!  This is not good.   And you know what?  Halloween candy is not actually that good. I mean it was good when I was a kid, but I have more “refined” tastes now.  So I decided to boycott Halloween candy.  I smugly high fived myself for stopping the downward sugar spiral. Go me!

However, I was still eating cupcakes, raspberry truffles and chocolate cheesecake, which were not in violation “no Halloween candy” policy. Oh and there was also a dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s.  You see sugar finds its way into my life (into all of our lives) in so many different ways. It is sneaky. The sugar fixes go on and on until not eating sugar actually hurts- oh the withdrawals! As my co-worker pointed out, the best cure for sugar withdrawal is to eat more sugar. 

This needs to stop! How can I best fight this battle?  Saying no to sugar forever is not realistic. I want to be able to enjoy sugar, but not let it be in control of me. Often I let sugar be an emotional decision.  I have developed a million ways to justify why I deserve a “treat.”  A treat needs to actually be a treat, not a daily occurrence.  I don’t want to be a sugar addict.

I don’t know the magical plan for getting sugar under control, but I do know my first step is to start making smarter sugar decisions. Here are some things I’ll start with:

• Quality sugar- skip the crap sugar products.  If I am going to indulge it has to be worth it.
• No more keeping random sugar in my home.  If it is there, I will eat it. If I want sugar, I need to go out and get it.
• Plan sweet treats so I have something to look forward too.

Sorry sugar, you aren’t the boss of me anymore (I hope).

Blame it on the Barbell

I haven't blogged in almost two months...what have I been up to?

I have been on a quest to become friends with the barbell, via a ten week strength program at CrossFit.  Five days a week of  back squats, snatches, cleans, jerks, front squats, presses, overhead squats and deadlifts.  It was an ambitious undertaking because I considered myself "as weak as a kitten,"  but the in-house competition made me want to know my way around a barbell.

Week 1 was almost too easy.  I did my strength workout and then the daily WOD.  I approached Week 2 with caution but still did both strength and the WOD with a smile. Week 3 is when it finally caught up to me- I stopped being able to sleep. I would lie in bed completely jacked up. I couldn't fall asleep because of the physical pain and I was also mentally amped up all night. I tried to continue on in Week 4, but did discuss my sleeping issues with the trainer who said, "that is not good, you are over training."  It was also obvious that I didn't enjoy lifting as much as the WODs. Actually I really didn't enjoy lifting at all.

But I stuck with it- why?  Because the results were undeniable. I was lifting heavier, with better form and with more confidence.  I did alter the program to focus on the lifts that were most important to me (back squats, cleans, snatches and deadlifts).  By Week 7 my efforts were noticed- a trainer said I had made "light years" of progress. That almost made me cry, partially because I was so ground down physically, mentally and emotionally. I really really wanted to call it good and just go back to WODs, but I decided to continue for 3 more weeks.

I just finished up Week 9.   I broke down and got a massage to help alleviate the constant pain I've experienced. The knots in my back were so bad, I have bruises from the massage.  What do I have to show for all my efforts- lots!  My deadlift increased by 50lbs, I can lift half my weight overhead and  back squat my entire body weight. I can execute snatches and cleans without injuring myself (some of the bruises were hard to explain!). I approach the barbell with confidence.  I didn't quit and I also didn't kill myself.

I can't wait to get through next week and be able to say I did it!  CrossFit is never easy, but damn this was hard. So that is why I haven't blogged, I've been battling with the barbell, but we are friends now :)  What doesn't kill you makes your stronger.

Best Huffington Post Article Ever!

When I came across the article, "The Truth is Out There Ladies: Long Hair is Killing Your Career," I was fully prepared for eye rolling and loud sighs. Not another pseudo- study on how some trival physical characteristic will ensure woman will never achieve equality in the workforce. Of course, I couldn't look away from the trainwreck, so I clicked on the title and braced myself.

I wasn't prepared for the author's brillant use of sarcasm and sterotypes to bring home a valid point (a.k.a my personal opinion).  She had my full attention right at "pre-dead lady husks"  and long hair being bad for business.  I thought it couldn't any better but she takes it a level up: "But how will this affect my chances of getting a man? Because science has proven that men prefer women with long hair. They just do. It's science." 

So wait- now the length of your hair determines not only your career, but also your fate in love!!! At this point, I am screaming with glee at how masterfully fabulous this article has become. You can't have it all ladies- either you cut it for your career or grown it out to get a man.  This author perfectly captures the conflicting social messages, women get throughout their lives.

Fortunately, Maria de Cesare is not just about ranting, she actually has a message and in her closing paragraphs she brings us back to reason:  "If you get the sense that your employer is concerned about the length of your hair -- and you have a job as anything other than a hair model -- time to get the hell out of that job, sweetness."

Amen! The only thing wrong about this article is I didn't write it. Here is the link to the full article- Enjoy!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-de-cesare/long-hair_b_1710646.html

Overvaluing the "Struggle"

Doing a handstand is one of the rare athletic skills I have been blessed with. I pop up on the wall and hold my ground.  Others struggle- really struggle.  For some reason, both the yoga and CrossFit worlds in my life have decided the ability to do a handstand is of the upmost importance.  Of course, they take completely different approaches. I have been observing the advice they each give and how successful they are at getting people into a handstand.

At CrossFit there is only one step to doing a handstand: Get on the wall-Now!  Can't throw yourself up on the wall? Climb up the wall with your feet. Do it- Now!  Keep doing it until you get on the wall.

Yoga's approach is very gentle and there are multiple paths.  You can start with a familiar pose like down dog or dolphin and try to climb youself up a wall. You can move from goddess to crow to the beginnings of handstand. You can pair up with someone and take turns helping each other into handstand. I watched an instructor lead a class through 10 minutes of preliminary poses to the handstand.  By the time is was time for the big finale of attempting handstand, everyone looked worn out? I didn't know handstand could be turned it into a 27 step process?

So which method is more successful? Based on my (limited) observations, the CrossFit method gets more people in handstand and gets them there faster. I think this comes from the assumption behind the instructions. CrossFit treats handstand like a skill you need to do,so just do it already. Yoga marinates in the the "struggle" of getting to handstand.

I had a eight month "struggle" with box jumps. My CrossFit trainers repeated the same two part instructions over and over- look beyond the box and jump.    I couldn't get myself to jump on the 20 inch wooden box. So I got the mini-boxes and jumped on one, then stacked on another mini-box and jumped on two. I slowly built my confidence to 4 boxes, which was slightly higher than 20 inches.  I knew I could clear 20 inches, but I still couldn't jump on the wooden box.  So I focused on my feelings. I screamed and had melt downs in WODs, trying to get myself up on the box.  Eventually, I realized "struggling" was getting me no where. I forced myself on top of the box over and over until there was no more struggle, only success.

It is true, you can learn alot about yourself in the "struggle."  However, at some point, focusing on the struggle impedes progress.  You can only learn so much from your failures, evenutally, you need a success. Sometimes you have to stop investing in the struggle and leap onto the box or plant your hands on the ground and kick yourself up onto that wall.