You may have read our posts about dietary supplements and already be familiar with our strong support of real, whole foods over pills. In previous writings, I advised moderation for folks who mine for shortcuts in the form of vitamins, bars and powders. Today, I read something that is causing me to make the same suggestion more emphatically. From sciencedaily.com: While … [Read more…]
If you’re trying to quit dipping (chewing tobacco) and you dig a little caffeine buzz, replace your Copenhagen with high quality, organic coffee grounds. Today, I sat with a former teammate and close friend in a really awful minor league clubhouse. “Kap,” my friend said, “I need a cup of coffee.” I, of course, eagerly shared the virtues of travelling with a French press and … [Read more…]
“There is nothing inherently wrong with GMOs.” My 15 year old son, Chase, made that statement. He’s a critical thinker and generally doesn’t make declarations without his opinion being well thought out and often adequately researched. Exploring the debate surrounding genetically modified crops isn’t designed to cause friction, although it will inevitably do so. Rather … [Read more…]
This blog optimizes to impact the lives of others. Sometimes we post on light topics like coconut oil and skateboards. Other days, we focus on the anti-inflammatory properties of foods. Inherently though, we aim to add value to your day, somehow, someway. Likewise, the characteristics we value in human beings and their stories remain relatively consistent. Bravery, … [Read more…]
Opting for a low-fat diet while on a training program might sound like the right thing to do to get lean, but the opposite may be true, particularly when it comes to hormone production. From marksdailyapple.com: Eat plenty of saturated and monounsaturated fat. Fat blunts insulin secretion while increasing testosterone production. Insulin may be useful for stuffing your muscles … [Read more…]
For those of you who don’t know, I grew up on a farm and gathering the chicken eggs before school was a daily chore. Although as a child I didn’t appreciate it at 6 AM on a drizzly, cold Oregon morning, now as an adult I look back and realize how blessed I was to have grown up in the country with farm fresh eggs readily available.
We’ve all heard about the many incredible health benefits of eating eggs. But here’s a little refresher on why I think eggs are so amazing: First of all they are incredibly affordable and available basically everywhere. Eggs are also one of healthiest and nutrient dense foods on the planet, containing antioxidants and vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, folate, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, phosphorus, and selenium just to name a few. Eggs are low in calories and high in protein. Did you know that just three medium sized eggs can provide up to 19.5 g of protein? Thats a lot when you consider that the average woman needs about 50 g a day. Another plus is that eggs are very satisfying and are known to keep you feeling full longer, which is beneficial at helping with weight management.
Frittatas are truly one of my most favorite foods to make. They are also, in my opinion one of the world’s most perfect foods. They are inexpensive, easy to make, and a wonderful means to use a variety of leftovers, not to mention delicious any time of day!
I prefer to make mini frittatas for a few reasons, but mostly because they are perfectly proportioned, convenient and less messy than making a large one that needs to be cut into several slices….
Another reason I love making frittatas is that it’s a great excuse for me to be creative. If my time is limited and I want to make a simple frittata, I do that by just adding mushrooms and cheese to the egg mixture, for example. Or say I want to be more creative and do more of a Mediterranean style frittata, I would instead add sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and fresh basil to the egg mixture. As you can see, the options are really endless so go ahead and get creative.
Below is my basic go-to recipe for mini frittatas. Enjoy!
1 dozen eggs
1 cup diced chicken sausages (I prefer the fully cooked ones)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup milk (I use whole or 2%, skim will leave your frittatas less fluffy)
1 cup chopped asparagus
1/2 cup orange bell pepper
1 cup grated cheese (I like the shredded Swiss/ Gruyere from Trader Joes)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Preheat oven to 350°. In a sauce pan, heat olive oil and sauté onions, peppers, asparagus and sausages. Note: If you can only find large asparagus you may want to sauté or grill them separately, as they may need a bit more time to soften.
In a medium bowl whisk eggs and remaining ingredients. Add sausage mixture and asparagus to bowl and stir all ingredients together until evenly combined.
Pour mixture into lightly greased muffin tins, approx 1/4 c each. Bake 20-22 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from cups and serve warm.
*These delicious frittatas can be refrigerated and easily reheated in the toaster oven (or microwave)
The other day, I ran over a squirrel. You know by now that we range far and wide on this blog, exploring many themes. Today, we’re pondering guilt. When I ran over the squirrel, I didn’t feel any. Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t take any pleasure in it. I simply didn’t really feel anything, and it only stood out in my mind as an inspiration for this post. As is our usual … [Read more…]
There is only one New England Patriots franchise. Inevitably, and with good reason, businesses, sports organizations and families across the country will be looking to Bill, Tom and the Pats for the “tricks” to make their companies and teams stronger. Innumerable stories will be written featuring sound bytes like “culture over strategy” and quotes from guys like Bill who … [Read more…]
I have a tree right outside my bedroom. It stands outside my window, its palms reaching meters from my bed. When it’s rainy and breezy, my tree is a percussion instrument. There’s only one on earth like it. A thousand tiny hands drumming and shaking; a symphony of one. Each night, two paths present themselves to me. Sleep deeply and soundly by tightly sealing the window … [Read more…]
If you’re an athlete, there’s real value in learning how to “grind it out.” However, we should optimize to be at least as equally efficient and measured as we are gritty. I vividly remember a muggy 2002 spring training day in Port Charlotte, Florida. I had come to the realization on that Mid-March morning that my pop (power) was missing in action. The ball wasn’t jumping off … [Read more…]
Spinach is nutritionally dense, as are leafy greens generally. We know this. But while spinach gets a good rap for its iron content (largely overstated), there is a much more critical component to be mindful of. Because of the abundance of organic nitrates contained within the leaves, our muscles perform more efficiently when we’re regularly consuming it. This, we don’t discuss … [Read more…]
I love squats. I truly believe that they are the most important weight training move we can perform. If there was only one lift you could do, I wouldn’t hesitate to make it the squat. Far beyond simply improving your power, squats have a beneficial effect on your hormones.
Testosterone levels are also influenced by the amount of muscle mass activated in response to exercise. Overhead squats, jump squats and free-weight squats all produce large increases in testosterone.1,2 As much as the bench is considered a power movement, to get your testosterone levels skyrocketing, get under a squat bar. Although most people would rather perform a bench press than jump under a squat bar, the bench press is not going to increase testosterone production like a squat.
I also hate squats. If you’ve been reading for any length of time, you know that my state of being for the last 12 calendar months has been one where my hip flexors are tight or impinged. I’ve powered through, which has rendered a significant percentage of my workouts a mental and physical grind. The anticipation of (and ultimately, experiencing) pain equals less productive, less enjoyable sessions, obviously.
I know my body well. There are times when it sends a strong signal that continuing on with my current move will cause damage. These are not those times. I’m not making it worse, but I’m certainly not doing my overall state of well-being any favors.
A few days back, I lifted with my friend Cassidy. She and have performed various workouts together over the last few years and without fail, between sets we discuss our respective ailments. She complains about her shoulder from some paddle boarding or spear throwing incident and I bitch about my hip flexors. She talks about her bulging disk (or whatever) from running 34 miles then teaching two spin classes, and I, once again, bring up my hip flexors.
Due to the lack of variety in my ailments, Cass has gotten sick of listening and sick of watching my squat depth get shallower and shallower. Like the good friend she is, she asked me if I’d follow a mobility plan if she were to write one for me. What a doll.
I answered affirmatively. I didn’t have much of a choice. We often talk about taking a step, and clearly my strategy of doing nothing and complaining about it isn’t making a difference. It’s time for some trial and error.
Yesterday, she delivered on her plan.
Hey Gabe,
I hope this email finds you less grumpy than the other morning 😉
I thought of a million variations of mobility routines you could do for 15 minutes including bands, balls, barbells and all sorts of kinky things but then I thought to myself, this is Gabe. So instead I came up with something shorter that you can do AND can be on your lap top at the same time!
Couch Stretch- 2 minutes each leg
Elevated Pigeon- 2 minutes each leg
Sitting Bottom of the squat like you see me doing all of the time. Sit in your heels pressing your knees out with your elbows keeping a tall spine. 2 minutes here.
I dare you to do this errry day and tell me your hips ain’t opened up.
Too bad I missed you here in Utah, Its super amazing. I’m going to get my picture taken crawling in some mud and climbing some ropes now.
Talk soon,
Cass
Challenge accepted. Last night, I performed the work out and sent her a quick reply.
“Just did the routine. Squat position was hell.”
Sitting with her number 3 form, attempting to keep a tall spine, was no fun. I’m committed to this. I’ll keep you posted.
We often develop our appreciation for things based on the habits of somebody we love and respect. Our hobbies, the food we like, the activities we enjoy…we are computers, and our programming is largely influenced by the people closest to us beginning from an early age. For those of us in leadership positions (and that’s all of us in various capacities), we often find … [Read more…]
Two posts connected by a straight line. Electric sizzle. Back with you again, my familiar friend. I missed you. A world away, square blocks, where we originally met. You ruled the land. Reigning over tagged alleys and the Reseda wash. Here in paradise, you’re out of place. An abrasive old man in a quiet lounge, flaws on full display. You’ll be gone soon. A cityscape’s … [Read more…]
For athletes, chili is an underappreciated meal. An all-encompassing, well balanced dish, chili features animal flesh for protein and fat, beans (a natural protein-carb combo), veggies and spices to cover all our needs in one savory, satisfying bowl. Heather Downey, our resident expert on nutritionally dense, powerful, flavorful meals designed for those of us with goals to be … [Read more…]
I recently visited Idaho Falls for work, and rather than rest my head at the local corporate hotel, I slept in a yurt in the local mountains. I had no shower and no bathroom, but it was among the most powerful travel experiences I’ve had. I was surrounded by some of the most jaw dropping scenery I’ve experienced on US soil. The research suggests that I was more productive … [Read more…]
This blog provides as much gratification as anything else I work on in life. Among the many fulfilling components, I derive great satisfaction from providing others with the platform to share their gifts. Heather Downey’s gifts are many. Today, we illuminate her ability to prepare fresh, healthy, satisfying meals. More importantly, we learn about her “why.” As you well … [Read more…]
When I was playing, my teammates often asked me for my thoughts on fitness. I’ll blatantly and unapologetically stereotype here. Professional baseball players tend to be looking for abs or big arms. Maybe they’re searching for improved power at the plate or more velocity on the mound, but either way, it’s the same set of questions. Almost all of the inquiries I fielded revolved around or related to these themes.
However, my “advice” scope has substantially widened recently. I have friends and colleagues hitting me up with vast array of health and well-being questions. One of them is a weekend warrior, but not of the athletic variety. Her weekend drinking binges are no joke, and they deprive her of sleep. She hit me with this text.
I want to learn more about what you think on the matter of weekend partying, drinking and aging.
We all know the type; perhaps it describes you. You put in egregiously long hours Monday through Friday and then need to unwind and decompress. But this cycle of working all week, getting smashed all weekend then returning to work a zombie on Monday morning will wreck your health, long term.
You know we stress planned indulgences around here. I can navigate a good bottle of Scotch, and I can expound on the texture of a well-prepared cheesecake with anyone. This post has nothing to do with cutting out those pleasures. Rather, it’s the cycle, the consistency and the undeniable fallout of regular hard running, which will fuck your shit up.
Here’s what happens. You work all week at your office job, perpetually daydreaming of 5:00pm on Friday. It finally comes and you hit happy hour for a bit at a cool little joint like this. A few hours and 3 Monkey Shoulders later, you’re home and showering up to meet your friends for drinks and dinner. When you arrive at the restaurant, you’re starving because you didn’t eat after work and its 9:00pm. You didn’t choose the restaurant, it’s not your fault the menu has mozzarella sticks and nachos as their signature appetizers. You decide to pair with ice cold beer. I don’t blame you. Done with your meal and now mildly inebriated you find yourself a smoky club or bar (you live in an archaic state, sorry). Inhaling copious amounts of tar and sucking down cocktails, your decision making becomes increasingly cloudy. By the end of the evening is 2:45am, you’re numb and only mildly aware of the person sharing your Uber.
You fall into bed, not bothering to wash your face now covered in cigarette residue. You sleep like shit because you’re dehydrated and log about 2 hours total before waking up starving and looking for sugar to soak up that alcohol. Pancakes. Syrup. You crush breakfast, washing it back down with a Gatorade because you think electrolytes will help. Maybe you down some B vitamins, because you’ve heard it will cure your hangover. By the time late afternoon rolls around, you still feel awful, and the only choice is the hair of the dog. You don’t want to waste your weekend, after all.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who work more than 48 hours per week were more likely to engage in risky drinking behaviors than people who work fewer hours.
If people are [engaging in] risky drinking, they don’t sleep well, they’re not as socially engaged
Being out at a bar getting collectively wasted may or may not make for a meaningful social connection, independent of how many people you’re surrounded by. But my friend specifically wanted to know about aging. Obviously, while we care deeply about the inexorable progression of time, my friend may have been focused on the appearance of aging. We’ve discussed the importance of sleep for health and well-being. Sleep deprivation, especially on a consistent basis, encourages your body to produce more cortisol, a hormone associated with everything from abdominal fat storage to skin breakouts, bloating to wrinkles. The overconsumption of all those sugars may not be optimal if abs are your aim. The alcohol binge over time may destroy your skin, too.
When alcohol is metabolized, it works as a vasodilator in that it widens the blood vessels that bring blood to the face. This can cause redness as well as puffiness or swelling. When you consume a lot of alcohol over a long period of time, the blood vessels just continue to grow and enlarge. This will eventually lead to a loss of skin tone and/or permanent redness including skin that is blotchy and similar to rosacea. This redness can also turn into broken capillaries or vessels that can burst, especially around the nose and face.
Quickly wrapped, a night of partying isn’t likely to do irreversible harm. Please indulge occasionally. It’s critical for your mental well-being. Hitting the streets hard every weekend and recovering (sort of) during the week, on the other hand, is going to do you no favors in terms of your health or appearance. Seek the healthy balance between relaxing and grinding. Your body will thank you, and maybe you won’t need to lose yourself entirely on the weekend.
When I decided to begin an open thread and invite your questions, I anticipated that there would be some challenging ones. I knew I’d have some that would require research and a few that simply didn’t have enough couth to address. I also figured there were inevitably going to be questions that would allow me to impact another in a difficult situation. Here’s one of those … [Read more…]
Last week, I invited your questions and promised to reply to some of them on Saturday. Well, here we are. I wish we could do this in person over a cup of coffee. A man can dream. Here goes. Mike says: Kap, great news on the Q&A, I seem to only ask questions that may only be relevant to your older mass gaining train of thought, but do you or did you ever monitor total … [Read more…]
We are starting to develop quite the community, you and I. The comments section is beginning to take shape with regular readers bringing consistently strong takes. We’re witnessing a sincere reflection of the blog in the replies. The guest posters have been showered with affection. Of equal importance, they’ve reported back to me on their substantial growth as an unequivocal … [Read more…]
Ever see greatness in someone, almost so much that it doesn’t seem fair? Sometimes others can see it in you before you see it yourself. I watch the way Cassidy Watton approaches her work, and I know she can assist us in becoming stronger, more physically confident, less anxious, fitter and bolder. She’s finding her way at her pace. I know she’ll get there, but I’m a bit … [Read more…]
I’m in a heap of trouble. I might have just made a very bad decision, so the first thing I decided to do was to come share it with you, my partners in this adventure. You remember my friend Hunter? Well, after my rather pitiful showing last week with the “Jackie,” he decided to inspire me with a little friendly competition. On Friday, June 20th, he and I go toe to toe with … [Read more…]
I just completed my 5 x 5 workout with a new twist, and I’m anxious to share the results. As you might remember, I recently decided to press the pause button on my squats after my right hip started cursing like an inebriated seaman. It’s been about a calendar week since I last dropped my hips back with any significant quantity of weight bearing down on my shoulders. Instead, … [Read more…]
Friends, Sometimes the discussion taking place in the comments section is powerful enough to deserve a post of its own. I can be more efficient with my replies and give new readers a glimpse into the conversation. On Wednesday, I posted about Crossfit and introduced my friends, Cassidy and Hunter. As expected, the topic was somewhat controversial and there are those on … [Read more…]
Crossfit is the workout I’m asked about most often. For those of you unfamiliar with the trend, here’s the definition used by the company’s founders: CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional … [Read more…]
Dear inquisitive and intelligent drinker, Liquor is like cheesecake – rich and delectable, an extraordinary sensory experience if the quantity and quality is spot on; downright nauseating if the quality is poor and the amount gluttonous. I can’t think of a single reason why a healthy minded and bodied adult of legal age shouldn’t enjoy these intense pleasures as part of a … [Read more…]
[Editor’s note: I requested that Gabe allow me the use of this platform once again. I wanted to share my thoughts on obstacles on the path to achieving our goals. He generously agreed to the request. The words below are all mine. –Stephanie] If we had to pick a motto at Kaplifestyle, it would very likely be “take the first step.” While I’m not yet ready to get it tattooed … [Read more…]
Trial and error is a fundamental method of solving problems. I especially appreciate a person’s determination and commitment to the process when the terrain becomes treacherous. That’s why I respect Stephanie, our editor and my partner at Kaplifestyle. She’s about to use herself as a scientific experiment and share the results with us. Can’t wait, Steph. Willpower is a … [Read more…]
I’ve always trained in the morning after a big breakfast. My thought process was simple; I’d be providing high quality fuel for maximum muscle building. There is at least some degree of truth to my methodology. Recently, however, I’ve found that my larger meals consisting of five whole eggs, a giant sweet potato and several cups of black, organic coffee have not led to my … [Read more…]
Wearing a wet suit to stay warm in frigid water, I get. Wearing this while working out? The idea of wrapping yourself in neoprene while working out makes me cringe. Apparently, the goal is to assist in long-term weight loss. However, y’all know we don’t just go with an initial gut reaction here at Kaplifestyle. I could be wrong. What if the simple act of sweating more is … [Read more…]
I know I said I’d address open thread questions on Saturdays, and I will. However, there are no rules to this blog, and a question came up that inspired me. Char says: Gabe, can you give me a word of encouragement? I’m trying to lose 25 pounds and get back in (reasonable) shape. I lost 9-10 pounds with workouts and avoiding sweets/alcohol, but the last couple of weeks I … [Read more…]
