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  • Protein Powder Alternatives

  • Training While Fasted

    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…

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  • Core Strength Moves

    You don’t need fancy exercises to build core strength. If your desire is to inspire the muscles around your spine and midsection to fire, squat. A Kaplifestyle reader reached out to me to ask about a good core routine for beginners. Waltz into any fitness center and you’ll find folks twisting with cables, doing various…

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  • Food Energy and Eggplant

    The energy of food, just like its attractiveness and tastiness in general, is subjective. Don’t believe the hype. I love my friend Susie, Boston’s best health coach. You remember her from our popular post on the many benefits of coconut oil. Susie is all holistic and stuff. She once told me that eating apples after…

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  • Kicking the Coke Habit

    One of the best catalysts to jump start your 2014 healthy living program is removing soda from your daily eating plan. Whether your goal is to lower body fat, improve vitality or just generally be healthier, replacing the sugary, carbonated artificially flavored beverages with water will drastically increase your chance for success. Everyone knows that…

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  • Sweet Thursday – Bananas (with recipes and the Java Bananza!)

    A sweetener doesn’t have to be dripped, scooped, sprinkled or shaken. Bananas are my first choice to add a sugary pop to my food if the flavor profile fits. Most smoothie makers understand the delightful benefit of adding a banana to the mix, but what about mixing one up in oatmeal or baking into your…

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  • Body Image and Goal Setting

    A bucket of folks visiting this blog are doing so because they are displeased with their current state. Occasionally, when they reach out to me, they assume I will judge them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today, I’m inspired to celebrate the human body, every shape and size. I invite you into my…

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  • Benefits of Naps

    This morning, I sat at my kitchen table exhausted from working late last night and waking up at the crack of dawn to get my young men off to school. My workout loomed large. I scheduled a tough one with a spotter, so I knew I’d be pushing myself exceptionally hard. I didn’t look forward…

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  • Sweet Thursday: Honey

    I’ve learned over the course of my studies and experience that nearly all sweeteners have their downfalls, and the state in which we consume them is immeasurably important. I don’t use any sweeteners in my food anymore unless I’m purposefully indulging. I understand, however, that folks are looking for healthier options when it comes to…

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  • Sweet Thursday: Honey

    I’ve learned over the course of my studies and experience that nearly all sweeteners have their downfalls, and the state in which we consume them is immeasurably important. I don’t use any sweeteners in my food anymore unless I’m purposefully indulging. I understand, however, that folks are looking for healthier options when it comes to…

    0Comments

    Read More

  • Body Image and Goal Setting

    A bucket of folks visiting this blog are doing so because they are displeased with their current state. Occasionally, when they reach out to me, they assume I will judge them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today, I’m inspired to celebrate the human body, every shape and size. I invite you into my…

    0Comments

    Read More

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