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  • Protein Powder Alternatives

  • Lethal Injections or Life Saving Vaccinations

    Remember when there were no immunization shots and folks prevented disease with whole foods and exercise? Me neither. There has never been a moment in our lives when that statement was totally true. Yesterday, we touched on colds. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the more serious diseases out there. This post will…

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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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  • Savor, Share and Be Happy

    If you’d like to be happier, savor your pleasurable moments with intensity. If you spend some time with me, you might get sick of hearing me talk about how much I appreciate wind.  I dig the sound it makes as it whips through the trees. I genuinely light up when I get to fall asleep…

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  • recovery

    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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  • Hiking merges two requirements of human existence, connecting with nature and exercise. Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity… The potentially prophetic John Muir was a stud. He was a naturalist and storyteller who mused on his nature adventures…

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  • Eat This, Not That…Or That – Burgers

    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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  • Pickled Jalapenos (with recipe)

    I’ve written before about my love for a huge salad. To bring the heat, I add some jalapenos. For an added flavor pop, I dig’em pickled. I’m no stranger to the Whole Foods’ salad bar. I never like being dependent on a big box store, but they make it so damn convenient to grab and…

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  • snacks

    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 summer.…

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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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  • Fred – A Final Update

    Remember my man Fred? If not, take a quick peek and meet us below when you’re ready. Today we say goodbye. Fred is leaving us, wiser and more equipped to stay consistent. He’ll be back someday. Kappppyyyyyy, So, full disclosure……this will be my last week of the Kap 5×5 program.  I have to tell you,…

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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