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  • Nutritional Strength – Brandon Warne [Guest Post]

    When I was in Minneapolis this past summer working the All-Star game for FOX, Brandon Warne waited patiently through our post-game coverage to say hello.  I knew through twitter that he followed the blog, but his desire to shake hands made the interaction human. It was this same humanness that has made his nutritional adjustments…

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  • cocktails

    The other day, I received a box in the mail. It was from Kaplifestyle’s superstar editor, Stephanie. I’m generally opposed to gifts on holidays. I prefer the art of giving whenever the mood strikes, but that’s a philosophical post for another day. Steph’s was a present of my favorite variety, homemade. In the box were…

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  • Break the Addiction – Stop Sugar Crashes

    If you’re looking for a quick fix to lead you to better health and well-being, I’ve got you. Remove all processed items from your home and office. If they don’t exist, you can’t consume them. When we were teenagers, Lisa, my darling ex-wife, and I used to spend hours at her mother’s home during the…

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  • Strong Minds

    If you’ve known me at all over the years, you know I frequently talk about how vital it is to have a strong mind. This post offers no advice. It’s simply an ode to the characteristic I respect most in human beings. During my MLB career, I paid close attention to the psyche of the…

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  • mental

    Conquering the work we most despise may be difficult, but provides the opportunity for fulfilling rewards.My younger son, Dane, is struggling in his Algebra class. He is a hell of a math student, but hates it with a passion. Last night in the car, he said, “Dad, when I sit down to do my algebra work,…

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  • strong mind

    We are about a week into the baseball season. Players are starting to peek up at the scoreboard and either a) digging themselves because they’ve popped a couple home runs, or b) beginning to panic because they gave up a few bombs and their ERA sits at 18.00. Whether they’re hitting .810 or .180, they,…

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  • muscle building

    The other day, I broke bread with a very good (and very strong) minor league baseball player. Over the meal, we discussed lifting. He shared his off season routine with me, and I realized how much more efficiently players are training these days. They are far better educated than when I was a moppet, and…

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  • I appreciate all the great questions. Take a look at my previous posts if you’re curious about supplements, general workout routines or how I structure my workout days. Jeremy asks, “Gabe, can you give us an example a sample one day diet outline for yourself?” Love this question. Here’s an ideal day. 6:45am: Tall glass of…

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  • Diving Deeper Into Supplements

    If you’ve followed the blog, you know my take on supplements. I’m not a fan. They’re dangerous, because they’re highly processed and poorly regulated. They’re expensive. These supplements also have a more pernicious effect. Taking supplements lulls you into a pattern of poor decisions and subsequently diminished health. If I believe I can get my nutrition from…

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  • I woke up this morning feeling like telling a couple of stories. You should gather by now that I’m not a doctor, so don’t browse for medical advice in this post. I’m simply sharing a few of the things that came up over the course of my professional baseball career. Hopefully you can extract a…

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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