Sardines - Still Trying New Things!

Howdy!  I'm still over here trying new foods like a boss.  In fact, this week I tried sardines for the first time in my life!  Why, did I do that?!  Because sardines have many health benefits including being rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.

I chose this brand...

  

...because:

1. It's BPA free 
2. They are wild caught
3. It's available at my local Kroger store (in the organic section)
4. The ingredient list looks clean: Sardines, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Water, Sea Salt, Aqueous Natural Smoke (I'm not sure what "natural smoke" is, but I'm hoping it's nothing scary)

These were actually quite good!  I'll even eat them again.  I would rather eat a can of these (or split it with my husband) a few days a week than take fish oil supplements.  I'm not sure how many sardines I need to eat in a week to equal the benefits of supplements, but I'm willing to bet the nutrients in the sardines themselves are more bioavailable than in the supplements.

According to this chart, one can of these per week would give me enough Omega 3s. 

Chart found here: http://cessh.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/how_much_omega_3_web.pdf

Progress & Whole30 V4.0

Hey y'all!  Guess what?!  I'm doing another Whole30!  This is my fourth one.  After reading Primal Body-Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas, I've decided the Hubs and I should approach this Whole30 with her suggestions in mind.  That means that we are skipping the sweet potatoes and fruit this time around in an attempt to really find the elusive ketosis.  I am a little nervous about being so low carb and doing CrossFit, but I won't know how it works until I try it.  The key here is to eat PLENTY OF FAT (for fuel) and a moderate amount of protein.  

Here I've been pushing myself lately to eat a lot of protein...  

I think with my activity level (CF 3-4 times per week plus other things like running, rock wall climbing...etc) I am safe to still eat around 100g of protein a day.  As long as I am eating a TON of fat too.

My goal is to see my abs when this over.  I've gotten stronger and leaner, but just need to remove that little layer of fat.  It's ON!  

I thought this would be a good time to take progress pictures too.  I had taken some when I first started CrossFit in November 2012 and hadn't taken any since.  My husband took them for me and I looked at them immediately said "I look the same!  Nothing has changed!"  Later I used my PicStitch app to put the old pictures next to the new ones and I could really see a difference then!  The biggest differences I noticed were in my posture and my thighs!  I'm really sorry, as much as I want to show them off, I'm too nervous to post pictures of myself in tiny shorts and and a sports bra all over the interwebs... Y'all will have to trust me that my progress has been good.  I plan to take the same pictures again in 30 days.  I can't wait!  

Oh yeah, I'm also tracking my food on My Fitness Pal.  I know that tracking during a Whole30 is a no-no, but I've done 3 of them without tracking and feel pretty confident that it won't effect how I eat.  Also, I want to be sure to keep my carbs are low enough and that I am eating enough fat.  And I'm a curious person, so I want DATA.

So, here's my menu for week 1:

1) Cabbage Goulash

2) Waldorf Tuna Salad *obviously there's a litte fruit in here, but it's less than half an apple/svg.

3) Skillet Taco Pie w/homemade guacamole

4) Whole Roasted Chicken 

5) Hard Boiled Eggs/Egg Salad

6) Smoked Sausage w/Kraut (I just fry up a little uncured smoked pork sausage from the farm with some Bubbie's Kraut) 

7) Stir-fry/fajitas 

Duck Fat Carrots

Remember when I went to Whole Foods and on impulse bought some Rendered Duck Fat that I had no idea what to do with? Well, I had purchased a bunch of carrots this week and had my prep cook (read: husband) cut half up into sticks for dipping in my homemade ranch and the other half into medallions for cooking.  I got to thinking (while in the waiting room at the dentist office) that I had carrots at home and duck fat and that there just had to be something I could do with that combination.  So of course, I googled "duck fat carrots" and found this great recipe for roasting carrots in duck fat from A Time-Honored Table.

Let me start by telling you that I have only very recently tried roasting vegetables.  I've roasted broccoli only twice and I really enjoyed it, but Husband wasn't overly impressed. I used olive oil (and garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes) for these broccoli expeditions, but I really want to get away from heating olive oil at all and I'm looking to get a variety of fats in my diet.  The carrots were good, but I'm not convinced they wouldn't have been just as good with butter as the fat?  I won't know until I try it...  I look forward to roasting a variety of veggies in both butter and duck fat.  I'll let you all know how it goes.