Kickass Cod

Filed under: Nutrition, Recipes

Last week I talked about an easy way to eat more fish, because of all of the wonderful health benefits associated with adding fish to your diet, especially wild-caught fish. I hope some of you gave that salmon recipe a shot, as it is absolutely delicious.

That same product also has a wild-caught cod that my wife and I both tried recently as well, and it was also excellent. Though cod is a much leaner white fish, you can add your own healthy fats to it and that way you completely determine the fatty acid content of the meal.

Cod is a mild-flavored fish and it is available throughout the year, which is nice. Cod is in the same fish family as haddock and pollock. Cod is also a natural source of vitamin D (hence cod-liver oil), it is also high in selenium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, vitamin B12, potassium, niacin, magnesium and some omega-3 fatty acids to boot (~500mg in 8oz).

More often than not the vitamin content of food gets overlooked today. Overshadowed by nutrients like omega-3′s and calcium. But vitamins like B6 and B12 are needed to lower homocysteine levels, which is important because homocysteine damages the blood vessel walls and elevated levels greatly increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Cod is also high in niacin (also a B vitamin), which is often used therapeutically to lower cholesterol levels, and is one of the few things that may lower lipoprotein(a).

Anna came up with an awesome recipe to spice up the mild-flavored cod, and add even more nutrition to its already stellar profile.

Kickass Cod

• 1lb cod
• 4 tbsp pasture butter
• 2 pieces of sesame Ezekiel bread
• lots of garlic powder (to taste)

Directions: Toast the two pieces of Ezekiel bread. Place in a food processor with 1/2 tbsp melted pasture butter and some garlic powder and make bread crumbs out of it. Place the fish in a large pyrex dish. Melt the rest of the butter and drizzle half over the fish, then sprinkle the bread crumbs onto the fish and drizzle the rest of the butter over the bread crumbs. To top it off, sprinkle garlic powder over it all to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until done. Enjoy!

101 Cookbooks

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

Most people looking to eat healthy often have a hard time coming up with good recipes. The reality is, there are websites everywhere (including mine) that provide you with all the tools you need to become a healthy cooking whiz, as well as providing you with tons of kick-ass recipes.

Recently a CP client told me about a new site called 101cookbooks.com (thank you Natalie). It took me a while, but I finally checked it out this morning, and it rocks!

Now these recipes are all vegetarian, but adding some meat to them is as easy as 123. There are tons of categorized recipes to help you make anything you can dream of. They are all beautifully photographed and are written about in great detail to lay out exactly how they are made.

The most recent recipe, Carrot Almond Salad, looks absolutely delish, just toss a little chicken in there, and we are really talking! Check it out.

Peaches & Cream

Filed under: Nutrition, Recipes

It has been a while since I posted a smoothie recipe, so I thought with the heat wave that we are experiencing up here in New England, this is as good a time as ever to post a delicious spring/summer style smoothie.

I know for myself I am a huge fan of peaches (and all stone fruit really – plums, nectarines, apricots, etc). They are one of my favorite parts of summer, as they are incredibly sweet and juicy.

I highly recommend that you purchase organic peaches, or at the very least wash them thoroughly with a veggie wash, as they top the list of the most contaminated produce, with over 92% of peaches containing pesticide residues.

Peaches are a rich source of vitamin A (carotenes), potassium, flavonoids and other phytochemicals, such as lutein and lycopene. Plus they are just freakin’ delicious.

Peaches & Cream

• 8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peach slices
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp walnuts
• ice cubes if desired

Nutrition Information: 350 calories, 26.5 g protein, 15 g fat, 29.5 g carbs, 8 g fiber

If you want to make it a bigger smoothie, and maybe even more of a treat, adding a 6oz peach Greek yogurt would be a nice touch. You could also add some actual organic cream or replace the walnuts with some coconut oil if you are in the mood for a more tropical feel. Really you are only limited by your imagination!

Tropical Awesomeness

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

This is a recipe I concocted on the fly not too long ago. With the vanilla almond milk and protein, the coconut and the pineapple it has a slight ring of pina colada to it, and the touch of mango and strawberry really thickens the shake and gives it a slightly sweet flavor and meatier texture. It is absolutely delicious. The chia seeds add some omega-3′s and some soluble fiber, which is especially important since this a slightly higher carb smoothie than I normally post. This would be a great smoothie to enjoy on a hot summer day. Enjoy!

Tropical Awesomeness

• 8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• ½ cup frozen halved strawberries
• ½ cup frozen pineapple
• ½ cup frozen mango
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp extra virgin unrefined organic coconut oil

Nutrition Information: 450 calories, 23 g protein, 20 g fat, 45 g carbs, 8.5 g fiber

Also a quick reminder. Eric Cressey and Mike Reinold’s Optimal Shoulder Performance has been getting rave reviews. Due to a problem with their shopping cart software they are extending the introductory price of $97 until this Wednesday at midnight, EST. When it comes to shoulder health and performance, this DVD set is at the top of its class. After Wednesday at midnight the price will go up to $127, so act now.

Lisa’s Wheatberry Salad

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

This amazing recipe is courtesy of CP client Lisa Gussak. It combines wholesome wheatberries with some healthy fat and veggies. Wheatberries are the entire wheat kernel, minus the hull. Due to the fact that they are not really milled or processed, they have less of an impact on blood sugar and contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Lisa’s Wheatberry Salad

• 1 cup hard winter wheatberries
• Redmond Real Salt
• 1 cup finely diced red onion (1 onion)
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 red bell pepper, small-diced
• 1 carrot, small-diced
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stalk celery, small-diced
• 1/2 cup cranberries

Power Green Soup

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

Being the Nutritionist at CP, a lot of clients like to give me recipes to try, which is a nice perk. Or they make the recipe for me, which is an even nicer perk! Anyway, one CP client just gave me a recipe for a soup that sounds delicious (thanks Lisa).

Now I will say that I have not yet tried the soup, I plan on making it very soon, but I do trust Lisa’s judgement. She also gave me a wheatberry salad recipe that is to die for, and at some point I will post that up as well. I just thought that given the cold rainy weather we have had for the past few days up here in New England, that a nice warm soup would really hit the spot!

Green Power Soup

• 1 bag each organic frozen: broccoli, green beans, asparagus, spinach (can be frozen or unfrozen)
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 clove elephant garlic, or 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 containers organic free range chicken broth
• Redmond Real Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/2 can coconut milk or 1/2 carton unsweetened almond milk

Throw all ingredients in pot, heat until tender. Puree soup. Then, if desired, add 1/2 container of almond milk or coconut milk. (I pureed the soup and stored it without the milk; to each individual bowl, I decided whether to add some almond/coconut milk when heating it.)

Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

DSV Ultimate Cookies

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

After yesterday’s monster post, I will give all you guys with short attention spans some love. CP client and fitness enthusiast (to say the least) Danny Verna has come up with an incredible cookie recipe that I thought I would share with you guys.

These cookies are not for the faint of heart, but can be modified in many ways to suit your needs/food availability.

DSV Ultimate Cookies

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup natural almond and/or peanut butter
• 1 cup wild frozen blueberries
• 2 scoops chocolate protein powder
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp cacao nibs (dark chocolate for you chocaholics)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened hemp or almond milk (flavor of choice)
• 2 whole omega-3 eggs
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 servings of Biotest Superfood
• 1 tbsp Udo’s Wholesome Fast Food

BSP Domination and Buffalo Burgers

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

First off I want to say that I am happy to be back. My wife and I returned late Saturday night from a relaxing week long vacation in Florida. Although the weather was not as warm as we would have liked, it was still sunny and, most importantly, stress-free.

Anywho, I wanted to bring a little attention to something that Tony Gentilcore briefly touched upon a few days ago. As he mentioned we usually have a “Poll of the Day” on the door exiting the facility for people to vote on before they leave. Invariably these poll questions have gotten more ridiculous as time as gone on, mainly due to our pro baseball guys. Below was a recent question put up before I left for Florida.

I just want to point out, mainly because it will drive Eric crazy, that I demolished the field, and I am pretty sure I ended up with a few more votes after Tony took this picture. Sorry EC. To be fair Tony actually had a couple of votes before the CP Olympic champion decided that Tony is a giant teddy bear and would end up broken. I mean he did play football…for a day. Sorry Tony.

Ok, on to some actual nutrition content. For quite a while last year I would enjoy the awesomeness that is buffalo (or bison, whatever you prefer) just about every week. For some reason I fell off that habit, even though I had enjoyed it immensely. Well upon my return, I promptly decided to resurrect that delicious habit. So on Sunday I made the greatest Buffalo Burger the world has ever known. It was a breathtaking taste explosion.

I really should have taken a picture of my burger

BSP’s Buffalo Burgers

• 8oz ground buffalo
• 1 Ezekiel English muffin
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil mayo
• ketchup or salsa to taste
• spicy mustard to taste
• 2 tbsp guacamole (the magic maker)
• large handful of spinach
• Redmond Real Salt, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, Garlic Powder to taste

Directions: Sprinkle on as much of the seasonings as desired, I use quite a bit, and roll them into the patty. Place patty on George Foreman or any grill of choice. I highly recommend only cooking buffalo burgers to about medium, going beyond that can really dry out the meat and destroy the flavor.

While the burger is cooking toast the English muffin (like all sprouted-grain products) and then spread some of the home-made mayo on both sides. Next add the ketchup or salsa, the mustard and the guacamole as evenly as possible. Last, add the spinach. Toss the cooked burger in and savor the awesomeness.

I recommend enjoying the burger with a side of baby carrots and hummus. This meal provides some very high quality protein, some high quality carbs and fiber, some saturated and monounsaturated fats, and some vegetables all in a delicious package. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

I hope everyone had an excellent Valentine’s Day. My wife and I relaxed all day, watched movies and made a deliciously huge breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, and some awesome buckwheat pancakes. We also took our puppy (her name is Lucy by the way) to her first puppy kindergarten, she rocked it. Anyway, back to delicious blueberry buckwheat pancakes.

Many, many blogs ago I wrote about the awesomeness that is buckwheat. Buckwheat rocks, as it tastes delicious, is a complete protein, is gluten-free and has minimal impact on blood sugar. In that blog I also mentioned how much I love buckwheat pancakes, especially loaded with Maine blueberries. A reader asked for a recipe, and today I am coming through, as I finally decided to come up with one!

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt
• 2 packets Truvia (or 2 tbsp sugar)
• 1 large omega-3 egg, beaten
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tbsp melted Organic Valley pasture butter
• 1 cup Wyman’s Maine wild frozen blueberries

Mix all the dry ingredients together until well blended. Then add one wet ingredient at a time, mixing well after each addition. The batter make look a little thin, but this is how it is supposed to look. Makes 2 large or 4 small pancakes.

Nutrition Facts (per 1 small pancake)

• Calories – 235 calories
• Protein   – 5 grams
• Carbs     – 29 grams
• Fiber      – 5.5 grams
• Fat         – 11 grams

Enjoy with a delicious veggie omelet and you have a breakfast of champions!

New CP Website

On another note CresseyPerformance.com has had a face-lift. The new site, created by Dynamic Diagrams, is phenomenal. A completely interactive site; chock full of videos, a sweet blog that you should definitely subscribe to, and a weekly-updated news feed, you will be sure to find some cool stuff. Check it out now!

Vanilla, Nuts & Flax Smoothie

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Recipes

As many of you know I have always been a fan of Dr. John Berardi and his Precision Nutrition system. His work and website are what got me into this industry in the first place!

Many of the smoothie recipes that I have come up with have utilized the recipes from Precision Nutrition, just modified BSP style.

One of my favorite Precision Nutrition smoothies is the Nuts & Flax shake. It is absolutely delicious. The problem is that it utilizes cottage cheese, which is a food I have limited and no longer encourage. I have modified this smoothie to meet my specifications, ie – be awesome.

BSP Vanilla, Nuts & Flax Smoothie

• 6-8oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 6oz vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 tbsp milled flax seed
• 2 tbsp almonds and pecans
• cinnamon to taste
• ice cubes if desired
• Enjoy!

Give it a shot and let me know what you think. I will note that this smoothie is the rare exception that does not contain any fruits or vegetables, so I recommend having a serving of choice with it.

PS – I am currently adding many blogs to my Recipes category, as well as updating my Resources page, so keep an eye out!