June 2014

We have trained ourselves to reach for a sweet snack between meals. Break this behavior chain and you will find yourself with a world of convenient options for that 3pm craving. You know I rarely review products, but I do enjoy the tasting process. When I discover a new commodity that captures my attention, I dive in, teeth first. In this case, the Epic Bar positions itself squarely between beef jerky and a Snickers bar, standing superior to both. Bars of all varieties are processed. If you have the option to go for a perfectly spiced steak and a… I promised to pitch (see what I did there?) some suggestions on what to pack in that soft cooler when you head to the yard. My aim is to get you through batting practice and 9 innings. You go into extras, you’re on your own. I’m assuming you’re headed to a night game, but you can always hit me up for day game tweaks in the comments section below. First things first, eat before you get to the ballpark, please. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are non-negotiable. When you arrive, you’re surrounded by familiar smells and have those nostalgic emotions… I haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet Kavita Channe in person, but I’ve experienced her powerful vibes through social media and her sharp TV persona. She’s an exceptionally hard worker and positive energy spills from her vessel. Her post is brave. Sharing personal stories with the world isn’t easy. By putting herself out there, she’s offering up her roadmap for others facing similar challenges. Bravo, Kavita, and on behalf Kaplifestyle’s readers, thank you. Find Kavita on Instagram and Twitter. I am a girl that is constantly on the go. I drink my green cocktails, eat nutrient dense foods, and work out daily –… Sometimes, the best wheels are stolen ones.  No, I’m not suggesting Grand Theft Auto as a lifestyle. Instead, I took a leaf out of my ten year old self’s playbook, stole my son’s penny board, and split. Skateboarding in place of driving can be yet another tool in your bag of healthy goodies for achieving an improved lifestyle. A 38 year old man on a skateboard is generally viewed as one of two things – totally pathetic or totally fuckin’ rad. I’m assuming you can figure out my take. It took me a few minutes to get comfortable with… We are all unique beings, but we can’t help but be shaped by those in our lives.  Lately, I’ve been having the urge to go and just get lost. The call to travel with no real destination in mind, living moment to moment in quiet solitude, is powerful. I fantasize not of the final resting spot, but of how I will make my way there. I just want to lose touch, to not carry the burden of responsibility, to fall completely off the grid and answer to no one. I don’t have to wonder where these desires come from…. Maimonides: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I’d love the lesson, teacher, but sometimes figuring out what to do when someone simply gifts you the fish is challenge enough. This time, I aced the oceanic pop quiz. Most folks plan out their meals with recipes in advance, then head to the grocery store to get the required supplies. Some of my most rewarding meals invert this concept and force me to plan dishes based on the marvelous ingredients available. Cassidy sent… Bill Cosby: You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it. I posted a quick tweet to alert folks about the PB&J sandwiches post. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren’t for everyone. Wait, that was silly. Yes, they are. http://t.co/BPCJSRz42S — gabe kapler (@gabekapler) June 13, 2014 Sometimes when I tweet, I hit send and immediately think “Why on earth would you say something so .” I ain’t gonna lie to you though, this was not one of those times. I was feeling sexy…

If you’re looking for a quick fix to lead you to better health and well-being, I’ve got you. Remove all processed items from your home and office. If they don’t exist, you can’t consume them. When we were teenagers, Lisa, my darling ex-wife, and I used to spend hours at her mother’s home during the summer. Being a typical teenage boy, in addition to the usual sleeping, watching television and posting up in the sun in the backyard, there was a lot of eating. Lisa’s childhood home was stocked to the ceiling with love…and sugar. The variety of her… Next time you’re at the store choosing a peanut butter, please grab a natural, organic jar. Your PB should have only one or two ingredients, either peanuts alone or peanuts and salt. Remember those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from your childhood? The ones with the creamy Skippy on Wonder Bread with the Smucker’s jelly that tasted more like fruit punch than fruit? Cool, that means you were the kid that I envied. I was the boy staring with stars in his eyes, pining to be you. My dad made his own peanut butter at home and it didn’t… Life gets crazy. When you’re out and about tackling daily activities, sometimes you need to make a pit stop and grab easy nutrition. Ideally, this should just be to tide you over until your next meal. You know that the big fast food chains are loaded down with artificial ingredients and no redeeming nutritional value, but you spy a smoothie chain up ahead. Jamba Juice, Robeks, Smoothie King and the like have done a splendid job marketing their products as “healthier” alternatives to gas station snacks and such. Fresh fruits and veggies can’t be unhealthy, right? Take a peek… All sugars are not created equal. The sugar in an apple pie from McDonald’s is not even a distant cousin of the sugar in a crisp, organic apple. I’ve preached time and time again on this blog – fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar does. You may have noticed, however, that I advocate apples, blueberries, and Japanese yams. All of these items contain sugars. I even use them to curb any sweet cravings I experience. Runts candies may be shaped like fruit and contain fructose and glucose like fruit, but that’s where the similarities end. Grab Comstock’s “More Fruit”… If you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you know my mantra: fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar makes you fat. However, the health benefits of dark chocolate make it a worthwhile indulgence. Valentine’s Day is my least favorite holiday. Do we really need an appointment on the calendar to express love to another human being? C’mon, that should be our daily practice.  Now, there is a competitor for most ridiculous day of the year – February 15, “Half Price Chocolate Day.” I don’t need an excuse to indulge in the occasional delicacy of high quality chocolate. The… Are you up for the almond challenge? My man Joe from New York spends a portion of every day at Penn Station. Penn Station is the nation’s largest candy vending machine (oddly, folks also get on and off trains here). Joe loves Skittles, so every day is a temptation. You can’t really blame the guy for his sweet tooth. He’s overworked and has difficulty finding time to get consistent, quality nutrition. After finally shuttling his kids off to school in the morning, he whips up a meal replacement shake and throws the blender in the sink, stuffing his tie… A friend recently asked me if I have a sweet tooth. The answer is unequivocally yes! What I’ve found, however, is when we change our lifestyle to remove nearly all the added, refined sugar from our diets, real food begins to taste sweet. We can satisfy our desire for decadence in a manner consistent with our fitness goals. Low carb eating plans are a popular fad, but I am not a fan, particularly for athletes. We are not solely dependent on our bodies for high-level athletic achievement. A sharp, strong mind is instrumental to our ability to compete successfully…