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  • Cooking Trial and Error

    Don’t let fear of mistakes stop you from cooking dinner. You needn’t be perfect in the kitchen; you simply need to be brave. I made oxtail tonight. I did it all wrong, and it was phenomenal. Author Jeff Potter’s take, via ivillage.com: Potter is eager for cooks to bring science back into the kitchen, and…

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  • Intermittent Fasting – Conclusions

    Y’all know Stephanie, our unusually knowledgeable editor and my partner here at Kaplifestyle. You also know she likes to use herself as a science experiment for the benefit of our readers. As we often do, she’ll talk about her learns with intermittent fasting, and I’ll chime in as the supportive (or cynical) voice of the…

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  • Buying a Cow

    I need a cow, pronto. Who hasn’t uttered those words? My growing young men, 100 pound pit-bull and I are carnivores. Between the three of us, and the dog, we consume an immense amount of animal flesh. The amount of time I’m spending in the car and store obtaining the meat has reached an all-time…

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  • Muscle Gains

    We’ve riffed briefly about gaining lean tissue in previous posts, but we’re about to take a deeper, more personal dive into the subject. More specifically, we’ll tackle adding muscle safely, effectively and naturally. Many of you will be able to punt on this post. Those of you looking to lose, not gain, weight can pass…

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  • Neck Stretches and Finding Time

    Neck stretches under running water are relaxing, particularly to the nervous system. From yogajournal.com: Many studies, including biofeedback and other disciplines, have shown that relaxation of the muscles in the neck, jaws, and face can have powerful calming effects on the entire nervous system. Fine, it doesn’t have to be in the shower, but that’s…

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  • Traumatic Brain Injuries – Sam Fuld [Guest Post]

    As with all serious issues, if we don’t talk about concussions openly, we lessen our ability to learn how to avoid and respond to them. We listen when doctors talk about them. We listen more intently when a very recently concussed MLB player tells his personal stories. When that man speaks eloquently and without filter, and…

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  • Frugal Meals – Chicken Legs

    Feeding your family on a budget can be a daunting task. The convenience and low cost of fast food presents a siren song, but that’s off limits in these circles (unless it’s part of your indulgences, and even then I don’t recommend processed shit). It can be done organically and inexpensively if you exercise a…

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  • Intermittent Fasting – Conclusions

    Y’all know Stephanie, our unusually knowledgeable editor and my partner here at Kaplifestyle. You also know she likes to use herself as a science experiment for the benefit of our readers. As we often do, she’ll talk about her learns with intermittent fasting, and I’ll chime in as the supportive (or cynical) voice of the…

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  • fat – Page 3

     Stress affects your mood, your enjoyment of life and your time with loved ones. Sounds obvious, right? But stress doesn’t just make you feel irritable; it may cause you to hold body fat as well.It’s relatively uncommon to walk into a grumpy 9-5 office and find a bunch of healthy fit people (sans Michael Scott,…

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  • Welcome to the Kap LifeStyle

    My favorite part of playing MLB was preparing for the season. I did traditional weight training, but my repertoire also included early morning swims in the Pacific, pickup hoops, football and much more. Sprinkle that with my love for quality, flavorful food and a passion for how nutrition affects performance and you’ve got a man…

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I aim to plan and consciously choose all of my indulgences. I have the knowledge and willpower to do so, but occasionally, I will have a substantial misfire.

I was in Boston, my home away from home, for the 2004 World Series reunion. I splurged nutritionally as I had intended, but I didn’t map out my large nutritional stumble while watching the game.

I had it all pre-navigated. My two men (12 and 14) and I love to experience travel through food. We think it’s the most efficient and interesting way to explore the culture of a city. We discussed the trip ahead of time and decided on three restaurants where we would fully indulge and eat like kings. We’d start with the team dinner at a fine steak and seafood house, follow it up with breakfast the next morning at a bakery, and finish it out with lunch at a tapas joint in the South End.

The first night the three of us shared bone in filets, swordfish steaks, oysters, giant shrimp, crab cakes, lamb chops, chocolate cake, apple crisps and cold vanilla ice cream. I enjoyed a few glasses of whiskey, neat, and my boys drank Sprite. We left the restaurant 1 for 1. Remember, this indulgence was planned.

The next morning, we went to a bakery suggested by a Boston-based chef friend. The boys picked up scones and French toast; I scored big with a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a crusty roll with spinach and tomato. The bite came complete with a Dijon mustard finish that struck a chord with me, managing to last all day. 2 at bats, 2 knocks.

After mobbing around on the T train all morning, making our way to Harvard and back to Downtown Crossing, we landed at our destination for lunch, Toro. Theo Epstein made the recommendation after I mentioned that my boys and I were on a food adventure. This is the guy who went out to get the “washed up” 2002 version of David Ortiz, so he’s proven his scouting mettle. If he thinks it’s a worthwhile trip, I’ll take his advice.

Back to food.

Rather than turn this post into a restaurant review, I’ll keep it simple. I had an out of body experience. Every small plate that arrived was visually captivating and stunning on the palate. We sprinted the gamut. From spicy curry beef empanadas to cauliflower with golden raisins and pine nuts to the pièce de résistance, roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and oxtail marmalade. This dish, holy fuck. Our waiter described it exquisitely as “like rich, hot, beef flavored butter.” I was now 3 for 3 and ready for my final at bat.

A theme throughout this entire trip was advance planning. My first mistake was not preparing for this final meal. I figured my boys and I would just eat at the ballpark and didn’t put much thought into it. I knew that the options would be plentiful and come in large quantities. I wasn’t necessarily wrong, but I quickly got off course.

I was running around at Fenway from this place to that, answering questions and meeting folks. My boys were on their own and already up in the suite by the time I arrived around the start of the first inning. They had eaten pizza, snacks and fruit, totally what I expected for them. I walked in starving, my second mistake.  I reached for a plate and piled on decent looking veggies, a huge mound of guacamole, and the only available protein, stale fried chicken strips. I could have reached into my bag and opened a can of wild caught salmon. I didn’t. My defenses were down. I hadn’t snacked. I ingested that garbage and suffered strike one.

You know my stance on processed foods. Those frozen chunks of flour covered meat product provide little nutritional value. I had already experienced a whirlwind day filled with emotion and exertion, and the pizza under the heat lamp began to look lovely.

I advocate indulgence, but I advocate planned, quality indulgence. This was neither. I scarfed down a piece and the drugs hit my bloodstream. I couldn’t chew fast enough. Strike two.

The final pitch of the at bat came in and I chased it. I scarfed down a few more slices, knowing even as I did so that it wasn’t my finest hour.

3 for 4. In baseball that’s a hell of a day. Nutritionally, I expect 4 for 4s from myself almost always. I’m in control, so the high bar is appropriately set. Rather than dwell on it, I’ll do what Manny tells us to do after a rough at bat. “Turn the page, papi.”

I write this from the plane the following morning. I’ve turned the page. Today, I’ve ingested steel cut oats, fresh organic blueberries, a pile of kale, a chunk of a ham steak, a few fresh scrambled eggs and organic black coffee.

In my bag, I have a large salad with tons of fresh veggies, almonds, chicken, organic Hannah yams. I also still have that wild salmon I passed over for pizza in a box.

I’m back on track. I remember last night’s at bat and will make the adjustment without carrying the emotion of yesterday over into today’s game.

I hope you’ll share your stories of strikeouts or home runs in the comments section below.

Kap