A Friendly Nudge - Check Your Blind Spots
...because we all could use a little encouragement!
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Whenever I was a beginner driver and my dad was a passenger he was pretty relentless about reminding me to “check your blind spots.” Over the years there’ve been countless times when I’ve almost changed lanes when all looked clear in the mirrors but a quick head turn has saved me from side swiping a car that was right there in my blind spot.
The gut issues that I talked about last week helped convince me that I’ve had a dietary blindspot that I’ve been ignoring for years.
I overhauled my diet about 15 years ago and drastically reduced the amount of sugar and processed food that I ate. Over the past 5 or 6 years I tweaked it a little more by upping my protein intake by being a little more intentional about prioritizing protein, but it still was pretty meat, fish, eggs, veggies, fruit and yogurt and cheese.
I didn’t feel a need to pay that much attention to fiber, figuring that the fruit and veggies that I ate were taking care of that.
Health issues can let you know when your assumptions are wrong.
Dr. Bill Davis’s book, Super Gut made a pretty compelling case for why I should pay more attention to my fiber consumption and gut health.
As persuasive as Davis’s book was, what sealed the deal for me was how effective his protocol was in resolving my gut issues. Abdominal pain gone.
And if that wasn’t convincing enough, reading some of the research that illuminates the role that fiber plays in supporting a healthy gut microbiome and its role in everything from muscle preservation in older adults, arthritis, eye health, cardiovascular health and cancer risk reduction was sufficiently compelling.
I’ve put on a few pounds over the past few years so I’ve decided to use the next few months to see how tough it is to drop about 10 pounds while increasing my fiber consumption to about 30-35 grams a day and making sure I’m getting at least 120-150 grams of protein daily.
I’m early into the experiment but it feels doable and I know that if it’s too complicated or restrictive it’s not something I’m likely to stick with.
My protein stacked morning coffee (AKA poodle coffee) has been replaced by black coffee accompanied by a smoothie that in addition to the protein powder also has some mixed berries, chia seeds, flax seeds, plain yogurt and some spinach.
The rest of my meals just have a few extra veggies and I’ll be adding some beans and some whole grains like quinoa here and there. I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile…
… this week’s cooking video is really simple but it’s something that I’ve been doing for years and provides the base for a lot of meal options.
Spiced Ground Beef and Shallots
I use lean ground beef for this. My local Costco sells a 93% lean in a 10 pound package and I’ll cook 2-3 pounds at once and vacuum seal and freeze the rest.
This dish will serve as a base for multiple breakfasts/lunches and the occasional dinner to be accompanied by various veggies, sweet potatoes, rice, etc and occasionally topped with a fried egg or two. I’m pausing the eggs while I’m figuring out how to dial in my protein and fiber targets within a caloric deficit.
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of lean ground beef (adjust the amount based on how many meals you’re prepping)
1 large shallot, sliced thin
Assortment of herbs & spices - I used ground ginger, smoked paprika, smoked black pepper, salt, coriander, cumin seeds and oregano
Preheat your skillet, on high to medium high heat if using stainless, carbon or cast iron since those can safely handle higher temperatures than non-stick skillets. If using non-stick, medium heat is probably the safer option.
Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef and spread it out to cover the bottom of the skillet or skillets depending on how large a batch you’re cooking. If doing more than 1 - 1 ½ pounds, use two skillets.
Add a fat pinch of salt, sliced shallots and then sprinkle on your spices and any herbs you’re using.
Stir to combine and cook until the beef is no longer pink.
We’ll put this on spinach and top it with eggs or lately I’m using avocado and kraut to round it out for a midday meal.
In next week’s A Friendly Nudge, I’ll be making an evening meal with this as the base.
Enjoy and experiment with it.
Now that we’ve got a head start on some meals, let’s explore some exercise options for this week.
Everyone is at different stages in their exercise and fitness journey. The important thing is that you find a level of difficulty that meets you where you are and supports your goals. If you’re just getting started some of these may be more than you’re ready for right now, while others feel just right.
In order to get stronger we have to challenge ourselves while also avoiding injury. I’m fond of exercise snacks because they were my path back to exercising and they’re an excellent way to work exercise into our busy schedules.
Currently I’m bundling a few of the exercises together like the legs on the bench, curl to press on the stability ball and planks on the stability ball. I’ll do a set of 10-12 of each of those going from one to the other and rest for 30 seconds to a minute and then do another round or two of that circuit. It’s a relatively quick way to push myself and when I do 3 sets like that, I won’t do those same exercises again the next day. I’ll give those muscles a day to recover and work on something else.
The critical thing is to start where you are and to be patient with yourself. If you’re feeling smoked and you're on your 4th rep that’s your signal to take a break. If you feel up to it you can do a few more when you catch your breath. We’re in this for the long haul and it’s important to remember that.
Enjoy the journey!