In with the health food, out with the Oreos.

Ah, the off season. That glorious time of year when I get to sleep in, try new workouts, and of course, the best part; I get to loosen the reins on my diet. Now, don't get me wrong, I try to not go completely off the rails, but I am definitely not watching what I am eating by any means. However, in the last two weeks I have started to feel sluggish, lethargic and bloated. I know my body well enough to know that my nutrition is all out of whack, and it's time to come back to reality. The race season will be here before I know it, and I plan to be my best self possible this year in every aspect.

 If you know me at all, you know that anything sweet or sugary is my downfall. Oreos, twizzlers, nutella, pop tarts, ugh, I could go on. And frankly I am getting a bit hungry just thinking of these things. But last night I made the call to throw every processed, sugary, diabetes inducing snack out of my cupboards and fridge. It was hard. Especially when I pulled the giant bag of Halloween candy out and saw how many delicious Starbursts were left. It took me a minute or two before I could part with the treats that were inside of it. But I know that, just like an addict, going cold turkey was for my own good. And sugar is just as bad as any addiction out there. When I quit smoking a few years ago, I had feelings of separation and anxiety in those first few days after kicking the habit. I anticipate the same feelings making a return as I begin to detox from sugar.

Once I ditched the garbage that was in my house, it was time to restock. Before running TC Marathon, I started using recipes from the Feed Zone Runners Cookbook, and I am planning on using those recipes to acclimate myself back to clean eating. Seriously, that book has given me so many meals that are easy, delicious and healthy. What more could you ask for? I mean, other than a brownie here and there.

I will be leaning towards a Paleo diet for the next 30 days, but honestly I do not plan to completely cut wheat out. As an endurance athlete, I absolutely need those simple carbs to function in my workouts and recovery, so I am going to follow a plan that fits my lifestyle. Most of the recipes in the Feed Zone book are close to the Paleo plan, so I will be using those recipes as a guideline.

I have reviewed a couple of the recipes from the Feed Zone cookbook in this blog. I am the epitome of a "novice" cook, so I will say that my opinion on these recipes may need to be taken with a grain of salt due to my inexperience. If there are things that didn't work out, I wouldn't immediately blame the recipe. It could very well be a case of "operator error" in some cases. Shockingly enough, all the meals I have made from that book have been incredibly easy and fool proof.

Caprese Farro Salad:

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-ravenous-runner/recipe-caprese-farro-salad

I'll go ahead and say this the best recipe I have tried out of the book so far. Farro is an amazing grain, and the balsamic gives it flavor without weighing it down. I love any sort of cheese, especially mozzarella, so this was a no brainer. You could even add chicken to this to make it a little bit more substantial of a meal.

Prep time: Minimal. Chop some basil, boil some water.
Cook time: Once the farro is cooked, it's really just a matter of combining ingredients.

Overall score: 10/10. Easy to make, filling and delicious. I've already made it 3 times in the last month.

Banana Oat Energy Bar:

I am notorious for buying bananas and not eating them all before they ripen too much. This recipe is perfect for those last 2 bananas that are too squishy to use for anything else. Plus these bars are tasty and not super heavy. I like to have one before a workout, or right after as a snack before making a meal. 

Prep time: Medium. Had to dice the walnuts and preheat the oven, but nothing too crazy.

Cook time: I let mine cook a bit longer than they recomended. I hate soggy baked goods, so I err on the side of crispy. I did an extra 5-7 minutes and they turned out great. 

Overall score: 8/10. I am not a huge fan of the cranberries in these. I would maybe skip the fruit and add something like cinnamon and apples next time. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/the-ravenous-runner/recipe-diy-energy-bars

Spicy Fish Tacos With Pineapple Slaw

http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/spicy-fish-tacos-with-pineapple-slaw

Wow. These are fricking fantastic. The prep time was a little tedious, but well worth it. I am a big baby when it comes to spice, so I dialed down the heat factor a bit. But these were flavorful and filling. I give them two enthusiastic thumbs up!! And I am normal not a huge fish fan, so this was a surprising winner. 

Prep time: Aggressive. Slicing, shredding, chopping. Plan for a solid 30 minutes to prep this dish. 

Cook time: Minimal. The fish is the only thing that takes some time to cook, but it's only pan searing it for a couple minutes each side. I toast the tortillas too, because, come on, they are wayyyyyy better that way. 

Overall score: 10/10. You could sub in walleye, or chicken and they would be just as bomb. 

Hope you get a chance to try these recipes, or even get the Feed Zone Cookbook for yourself! 

Cheers!