"Walk the Walk"

So I have made the commitment to "walk the walk".  My pregnancy excuses are over and I am now back to disciplined eating for a few reasons:  1. I know that my body feels better when I am eating clean.  2.  I want to set a good example for athletes at Atlas as well as my family and 3. I am anxious to get back to both pre-baby performance and body composition... nutrition will be the MOST important way to get there.

We have had almost 10 challenges at Atlas since we have started and I will say with confidence that when the emphasis is on the "quality" of food vs. the "quantity" of food... the results are significantly better!  What does this mean?  Well... everyone that has sat through one of my nutrition lectures knows that I like to teach balance FIRST in terms of nutritional guidance, ie... "Zone" eating.  However, I think after you have a basic knowledge of how much food your body needs to be properly fueled, the emphasis should be placed back on what you are shoveling in your mouth, and that emphasis should be grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood, lots of veggies and some good-quality fats.  Wheat in any form does not have a place on an athletes table, period.

With that being said - and my challenge to myself of taking on the "I Am CrossFit" challenge with my team, I picked up two good Paleo recipe books last week.  "Everyday Paleo" by Sarah Fragoso and Sisson's "Quick and Easy Paleo Meals" I have since made literally a recipe from them everyday, if not two!  I will share them with you guys, as well as reviews.

First on my list is the Pecan Crusted Chicken from Everyday Paleo.

Pecan Crusted Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup organic spicy brown mustard

2 tbsp raw organic honey

1 cup pecans

sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a medium sized mixing bowl blend together the mustard and honey.  Toss the pecans in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.  Pour the chopped pecans either on a plate or in a pie pan if you have one.  Using a paper towel, remove any excess moisture from the outside of your chicken breasts.  Taking one chicken breast at a time, first place the chicken into the mustard/honey mixture and coat on both sides.  Transfer chicken to the chopped pecans and again cover both sides.  Place coated chicken into a greased glass baking dish (I used a little olive oil spray to cover the bottom of the dish) and sprinkle each chicken breast with just a little sea salt.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

Verdict:  It was a little messy, but seriously the best chicken I've had maybe ever.  Seriously, it is that good... or maybe it is because I couldn't stand the thought of chicken when I was pregnant, but it is definitely worth the prep time!