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  • Grain Free Experiment

    We should always question our assumptions and be open to change. I’m about to experiment with going 30 days without grains. At 16, my daily breakfast was half a box of grape nuts with honey and skim milk (and I was supposedly the healthy guy). There was a time that I ate grains with every…

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  • Open Thread: Week 10

    Welcome back to our open thread, let’s hop to it. Mike: Question on your grain free experiment. Will sweet potatoes be your main/only source of complex carbs? And will you be eating more than one today? Also in regards to sweet potatoes with breakfast. I’m a big fan of cutting one open, stuffing with some…

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  • Dumbbell Snatch (with Sample Routine)

    I love the dumbbell snatch. It’s one of the exercises I perform simply because enjoy it. I dig the sensation of moving the weight fast and the sting when my feet hit the floor. Lucky for me, the dumbbell snatch translated perfectly to baseball. Picture Andrelton Simmons going from an athletic position to leaping up…

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  • Walking for Digestion

    Taking a walk after a meal burns calories, but more importantly, stimulates and improves your digestion. Dinner tonight in Milwaukee was a 10 ounce New York Strip steak covered in blue cheese, grilled beets and carrots with an evening stroll on the side. Hand in hand with my date (my laptop and work bag), I…

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  • eat this not that

    I’ve always been fascinated by those “eat this, not that” articles. Their “this” recommendations always seem to be based solely on calories and fat content, without taking into account any health implications. I’ve decided to write a semi regular post entitled, “Eat This, Not That… OR That.” In this column, I’ll give you some advice…

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  • chest

    The bench press is the most essential upper body move for overall strength, power and muscular development. It has also inspired the world’s most ridiculous question: Man, how much can you bench?This query is both embarrassing and meaningful. The amount of weight an athlete can move off of his or her chest translates directly to…

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  • allergies

    Bill Cosby: You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it. I posted a quick tweet to alert folks about the PB&J sandwiches post.https://twitter.com/gabekapler/status/477251316452818944Sometimes when I tweet, I hit send and immediately think “Why on earth would you say something so … [Read…

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  • Stressed? Consider this your official excuse to go get a rubdown. Stress kills and massage may significantly reduce stress. Booya, you’re justified. I was at the studio earlier today prepping for my work at Fox Sports Live when I received an email from tonight’s producer, Zeus (he’s not Greek, he’s Turkish). Don’t think we will…

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  • Communication

    Humans are fundamentally social animals. The ability to communicate is one of our most important skills. Our ability to express ourselves defines and shapes us. It leads to feeling understood which is essential for our mental wellbeing. To date, Kaplifestyle has been running for more than 8 months. I have shared daily to the tune…

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  • When Less is More

    In 1999, I was a rookie with the Detroit Tigers. After a game, I strode confidently into the Kansas City Royals’ weight room, rested the weight bar on my shoulders and settled in for some heavy squats.  I rocked my hips back and dropped into my form, feeling totally in control. On the way back…

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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