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  • Take the Almond Challenge

    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…

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  • The Obstacle of Imperfection

    We’ve been talking a ton about soup round here. Specifically, the health benefits of the homemade broth. Lest you think we don’t value balance, we’ll offset the healthy and savory by tossing in some sweet indulgence. You may think this post, from our know-it-all editor and my partner at Kaplifestyle, Stephanie, is about dessert. It’s actually…

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  • gaining weight

    Young athletes are constantly striving to be bigger, stronger, faster. Peruse professional sports and you’ll discover examples like Giancarlo Stanton to Adrian Peterson, from Lebron James to Lolo Jones. No matter what your girlfriend tells you, size matters.For that very reason, when a young man or woman approaches me about gaining weight, I take it…

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  • Mornings Matter

    What you do when you first wake up matters. Athletes who I’ve worked or played with often ask about the ideal breakfast for fuel in the offseason. There isn’t necessarily a one size fits all approach to breakfast. My go to menu is purple sweet potatoes, 5 whole eggs over medium, a full package of…

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  • A Better Dugout Snack

    Grasshoppers are a strong, protein rich snack and can be crushed by the handful. On a recent road trip, I broke bread with some colleagues at El Dorado Cantina, a well-regarded Mexican restaurant. The joint is known for their locally sourced, high quality food. Their menu included sautéed grasshoppers. I ordered them for the table,…

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  • failure

    Attacking areas where you’re most vulnerable to failure and rejection is an exercise in confidence building. Who gives a damn if you lose a few battles en route to winning the war?Fear of embarrassment can be debilitating. It causes folks to live a passive, risk free life with little upside of richness and diversity of…

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  • Take the Almond Challenge

    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…

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  • salsa

    You’re training hard, eating healthy and not seeing the results you desire. Ever thought about the impact of seemingly innocuous condiments like sugar-injected ketchup?On the days you’re throwing caution into the wind, by all means, cover that burger and fries with ketchup. Otherwise, stay far away from this generally processed topping, particularly if it’s not…

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  • Ketchup? Try Salsa Instead (with recipe)

    You’re training hard, eating healthy and not seeing the results you desire. Ever thought about the impact of seemingly innocuous condiments like sugar-injected ketchup? On the days you’re throwing caution into the wind, by all means, cover that burger and fries with ketchup. Otherwise, stay far away from this generally processed topping, particularly if it’s…

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  • Smith Machines

    We mused on squats yesterday. Inevitably when we broach the subject, Smith machines weasel their way into the conversation. They’re not without their virtues, but be mindful; they’re slippery suckers. As a moppet of 13, I attended a fitness center in the San Fernando Valley called “Nautilus.” The place was jam packed with state of the art…

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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