Making Kale Chips: A Photo Tutorial

Kale is a leafy vegetable that is part of the cruciferous family. It is packed with phytonutrients that support healthy liver detoxification.

Kale chips are a healthy and delicious snack. Never made them? Here's a handy tutorial that shows you how quick and easy it can be. Feel free to skip the potato chips and dig into these crispy treats instead!

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Start out by rinsing the stalks of kale, and you can let them dry out on a towel while you work. For one person, use about three stalks. For a family, clean up the whole bunch.

Tear the leaf away from the stalk, then tear the leaves into medium-size chunks.

When you have torn all of your leaves into chunks, drizzle with some olive oil and toss. Use about 1 tsp. if you're making them for one, or use 1-11/2 T. if you're making a bunch.

Spread the leaves out in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with salt and your choice of additional seasonings.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the edges turn brown. Enjoy!

Read more about the healthy benefits and nutrients found in kale at World's Healthiest Foods

Primal Eating

I started reading a new book, "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson. I've been following his blog Mark's Daily Apple for a while now. He follows pretty closely in line with the folks at Weston A Price Foundation, which is the standard I come back to for whether we should eat something. Were people eating this 500 years ago and were they rugged and healthy. While the WAPF recommends grains and legumes which are properly prepared (soaked, sprouted, etc), The Primal Blueprint does not. If you are more than 10 lbs overfat, then I would recommend you avoid the until which point you have healthy enough insulin and blood sugar regulation to add them back in moderation.
So you have to give up grains, what do you replace it with? How about meat, chicken and seafood and lots of veggies. I came across an article on oysters and their nutritional content as well as a recipe for lemon granita. It's basically lemon juice, salt, pepper and diced red onion. A spoonful on top of a raw oyster and bingo you have a delicious snack. I say snack because oysters are so nutritionally dense and low in calories. Below are the nutrition facts for the 3 I just had.

As you can see, loaded with Zinc, Selenium, B12, and Vit D all with only 30 kcals. Zinc status is very low in this country and zinc plays a vital role in sugar metabolism via insulin. It is also required for optimal levels of testosterone in men and progesterone in women. Both hormones keep estrogen from becoming over-dominant. Men think man boobs, women think PMS and both think increased cancer risk. This is my 4th time having oysters, the first 2 I had them on a saltine and kinda choked them down. But I am willing to try about anything if it's good for me. The past two times I used the granita and I really enjoy them now. I even chew them and slurp the brine.

Gym is open

I held the first workshop at Imprimis Kettlebell this past Saturday. A small but good group of students attended. The next workshop is scheduled for June 2nd. The workshop included the Functional Movement Screen, instruction on self myofascial release aka foam rolling, the kettlebell swing, get up and goblet squat. We wrapped up with an introduction of indian club swinging. The workshop is a prerequisite for our group exercise classes which meet Monday and Thursday evenings.
If you are new kettlebells or just want to see the gym join us on Saturday June 16th from 11-1 for an Open House. There will be demos of different techniques and equipment and some snacks.

What I'm reading

I haven't posted in almost a year. I am greatly improved since last post. It was probably December or January before I really felt back to mostly normal. I'm probably 97% there now. I have the occasional tightness in the right leg but no pain. I'm moving much better than I was before the injury because I'm really working on my hip extension. I have a new kettlebell gym opening in a couple weeks and I'll be offering group classes 2 evenings a week. I've decided to post some links to the information I'm reading on a daily basis so if you are interested you can see what material is shaping my life. Here is my list for today:
2 Samuel 17
Primal eating and gout at Mark's Daily Apple
Dan John talking about training goals and fat loss
Started reading 6 pack abs 365 by Geoff Neupert MRKC

Continued progress

Yesterday I saw 6 patients. I was pretty sore at the end of the day and my back was really tired. I got a good nights rest and am back at it today. I felt stronger on my first patients this morning so that is progress. I also got a chiropractic adjustment today and some quantum neurology work which really helped improve my gait. My chiropractor made the statement that he's never seen anyone as bad as I was recover without surgery. I'd say this is a testament to the strength training I had prior to the injury and to the power of chiropractic, nutritional supplementation, an attitude of not giving up and not considering surgery an option. And most importantly the power of prayer. Though I'm not there yet, I do expect a full recovery. My patients have been wonderful and very understanding. I have the best patients ever and love and appreciate them all dearly. Thank you for your loyalty.

So here's what happened

The fourth weekend in January I experienced some tightness in my right hip. It progressively got worse as the week went on. I spent most of my nights up walking because I couldn't get comfortable. By the weekend it was excruciating and incapacitating. I couldn't sit or walk without severe pain in my right buttock and down the leg into the ankle. I usually have a pretty high pain tolerance and have pushed myself through some pretty strong muscular pain in the past and can take a lot of pressure on trigger points but nerve pain is a different beast all together. I would bawl from the pain. Tuesday I got a cortisone shot and some pain meds which didn't help. Thursday I got a lumbar MRI which revealed a disk bulge with possible herniation at L5/S1. I got flexion distraction chiropractic treatments daily for a week which only gave me minimal temporary relief. At this point I had to crawl through the house. I couldn't straighten my right leg or put any weight on it. I used crutches for get to dr appointments. At one doctors appointment my BP was 160/108 due to pain, normal for me is 110/70. After any movement (ie getting into the car, getting into the chiropractors office, etc) I required the application of a cold pack for 10-15 mins while lying on my left side to get the pain manageable. I was very blessed to be able to get pretty comfortable by lying on my left side, though sleep was difficult.
At this point I moved in with my parents because I couldn't do anything for myself. The third week I saw a neurosurgeon and we scheduled a spinal nerve root injection. They did L5 and I got no relief and it was a miserable experience. They looked at the MRI again and did S1 which almost immediately gave me relief. The second injection wasn't quite as bad because some of the anesthesia from the first one helped. After the injection I got probably 50% relief and I could at least sit for a minute or so at a time and could walk with a walker. I started using an inversion table which would get me some relief. But at this point I stalled out and didn't make any further progress for almost 3 months.
I also got acupuncture which helped balance the pelvis but made it harder to put weight on the right leg. Because of the lack of progress and the sharp pain in the right buttock I had a pelvic MRI looking for a cyst or tumor which might be causing the nerve pressure on the 2nd of May. It revealed nothing and I started to progress. I was able to do a few exercises and weight the right leg. I started getting chiropractic care again as well as Russian Stim on lumbar spine. I lost a huge percentage of the stabilizing musculature of the low back. My spinal erectors were nonexistent. I've been making steady progress since and continue to get chiropractic adjustments and cranio-sacral therapy which is really helping. The disk is mostly healed now, most of my trouble comes from lack of muscular support. I can sit for an hour at a time and drive again. I even started back to work seeing a couple patients per day.
It's been a long road but thank God for the strength to get through it and some wonderful people in my life to help me along the way. It's been a great learning experience and I'm definitely stronger because of it. I've been able to see many blessing come from what would otherwise be a miserable event.
I still am not sure what caused the problem. I didn't bend over or lift anything to trigger the pain. My best guess is that I had built strength without building the appropriate flexibility. I scored poorly on my ASLR and was working to improve flexibility in the hamstrings and hip flexors but not enough to keep pace with my other training. I think that imbalance caused a weak link. I've also been trying to heal adrenal failure for a couple years and feel that my body was tearing down quicker than it was repairing which allowed the weak link to become a problem. But the good news is I got plenty of rest and am now starting with a clean slate and can build a nice broad foundation for future strength gains.
Many thanks to all those who helped me mentally, physically and financially. The motto at the head of this blog has never been truer, I struggle and I emerge.

Cheat day

Yesterday was my cheat day. Biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast, scone for a snack, chimichanga for lunch, pizza for dinner, some morels and chocolate mousse with raspberries for dessert. Fasting from lunch today until lunch tomorrow.
Last night did a few sets of single leg DL with 16kg, mostly triples. Suitcase DL x 95# x doubles, can't remember sets. DL moves tested positive but not spectacular.
Did a couple horseshoe ISO's and they tested very well. Goblet squats x 16kg x 5 reps x 3 sets tested well too.