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  • Gabe Kapler

    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…

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  • Long-Term Success: What You Can Learn from Corey Kluber – Eric Cressey [Guest Post]

    I may be attempting to predict the future, but Eric has one-upped me. The @Indians & @CKluber over King Felix tomorrow? @gabekapler predicts the future in The Kapler Courier! #WhipAround pic.twitter.com/Rv9xiVdgbY — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 30, 2014 He knows I’ve consistently sung the praises of the right arm of Indians pitcher Corey Kluber.…

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  • guest post

    I love leftovers, mostly because I inhale half my meals standing over a computer or driving from one meeting to the next. Bottom line, for athletes or for business people, food to go is a critical part of life. When that food is dense with both flavor and nutritional value, we’re optimized for rewarding experiences.You’re…

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  • Nutrition and Meals

    We should eat more goat.Goat is one of the most popular red meats in the world. Relatively speaking, we barely eat any. In the States, we mostly eat cows, pigs and chickens. I’ve raved about the benefits of all three before. We trust the health benefits of the omega 3s we get from salmon and…

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  • Fitness

    I’m never fully explored yoga, but I’m devoted to the pursuit of supreme health and well-being. I’m convinced of the applicability of power posing after reading the studies and I’m ready to take it a step further by incorporating an ancient practice.As a twenty something in the midst of my playing career, I flirted with…

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  • Nitrates

    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…

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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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  • Stand Tall

    I get it. You’re too busy to meditate. I am too. You’ve got too much shit going on to train. Me too. Working on kickass posture, obtaining the highest quality animals and veggies to eat, it all sucks up bandwidth. It’s not that you don’t aspire to. You trust all the benefits. From NAU.edu, reporting…

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  • Skin Deep

    The post below was a collaborative effort between Stephanie, our superstar editor, and me. We discussed and debated on the phone, then quickly hammered out a draft. What you’re about to read is an accurate representation of our collective view on the appearance of vegetables. Laugh at us. We deserve it. We’ve got to dig…

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  • Less Is More: Focus

    More is better, right? I used to lift with ferocity daily for hours at a time. As I learned the value of appropriate rest and recovery, as well as having different obligations and priorities (like wanting to spend time with my sons), I was spending about 90 minutes 3 days a week. From jasonferruggia.com: When it…

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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