I’ve recently stumbled upon Jacques Pepin’s YouTube channel and his “cooking at home” videos are so relaxing!
Each one is 2-8 minutes long, he chats away telling stories about his family, or his decades long career while he prepares a simple, delicious dish. I feel like I’m sitting at the counter with a friendly grandpa, him watching him work.
Every time he cracks an egg he talks about how when he was young he made sure to scrape all the white out of the egg with his fingers, not wasting a bit.
Sometimes he will say “this is how my mother made this dish”.
His French accent is music to my ears, and love how he’s not bothered by anything. Added too much cream, oh well, keep moving. You don’t like cumin, just use another spice, no big deal.
Have you tried any of Jacque’s recipes?
~Anne
Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers nutrition tips to help her clients look and feel their best. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.
Our Fall Reset is in full swing! Follow along as we explore nutrition, movement, and JOY!
This week can you consume:
30 grams of protein per meal
30 grams of fiber per day
30 different foods each week
Why so much protein?
If you want to continue doing all the things you love – hiking, biking, traveling, dancing, playing, working in the garden…you need to build and maintain as much muscle as possible.
How do you get this much protein?
Start your day with a high protein breakfast.
Spread your protein consumption out throughout the day.
Aim for a high protein snack.
Why eat fiber?
Fiber does two things: it adds bulk to your stool (fluffs your poop) and pushes it out like a tiny poop bulldozer. If you’re not eating much fiber right now START SLOWLY. Add a few grams per day to avoid gastric distress.
Why eat different foods?
Your gut microbiome thrives on a varied diet. We need a balanced bacteria population for optimal health.
How do I do all of this?
This sample menu will get you close to 130 grams of protein, at least 20 different foods, and at least 30 grams of fiber.
Breakfast: Three eggs (6 grams of protein per egg), bell peppers, potatoes, and one ounce of cheese (another 6 -7 grams of protein). Lunch: Salad with spinach (6 grams of protein per cup), quinoa (8 grams of protein per cup), chicken (26 grams per 3 oz breast meat), corn, black beans (8 grams of protein per 1/2 cup), and salsa. Afternoon snack: Small handful of nuts (5-6 grams of protein per oz), and an apple. Dinner: Roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots (broccoli has 4 grams of protein per cup), salmon (23 grams of protein per 3 oz), and pasta (8 grams of protein per cup) with basil pesto. Before bed snack: Banana
Can you think of this as a new way of eating rather than a “Diet”.
Can you have an abundance mindset?
Every day, look for something green, purple, or red to eat. Prioritize protein and fiber then if you still want a sweet treat, have one!
When you eat this way, your blood sugar will stabilize, you will experience fewer cravings and have fewer crashes (I’m starving! Now I need to go lie down).
But seriously, who has the time?
I get it, it’s hard to prepare meals from scratch. If you’ve ever worked in a commercial kitchen, or watched a cooking show, you know that there’s a whole crew of people doing behind the scenes prep work. When it’s time to actually fire a dish, they have bins of chopped veggies, marinated meat, and sauces mixed and ready to go.
Your today self can make things easier for your future self by prepping in advance.
Use the buddy system. Ask a friend to go food shopping, or do meal prep with you. Make a big batch of something and send your friend off with the leftovers, or freeze them.
Do it immediately! The second you come home from the store, rinse, chop, parboil, steam, slice, marinate or otherwise prep everything you’ll need for the next 2-3 days. If I don’t do this (especially any produce that ends up down in the doomed crisper drawer) my veggies die a sad, slow, neglected death.
Make it fun. Turn on some music. Listen to a podcast or audiobook. One of our ladies tuned in to our zoom kick off meeting last week, muted herself, and spent a half hour in her kitchen doing her meal prep while she listened to me talk about our plan.
Need help? Reach out to me directly. I am here for you!
Anne @ FluidPortland.com
503 – 705 – 4762
A note about these suggestions: I am a personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. I am not a nutritionist. I am not YOUR doctor.
I offer these suggestions as a way to support you in your journey to optimal health. If you have a medical condition that is not supported by this type of diet, please see your health care provider professional prior to making changes to your diet.
Do you find pleasure in daily activities? Are you giving yourself rest breaks? Can you move with ease and confidence? Do you feel calm, centered and energized?
If the answer to any of these is no, it’s time for a reset.
Join us this fall as we explore these themes:
Protein + Produce
Walking + Weights
Rest
Faith
JOY!
Meet once (in person or Zoom) for an overview of our program, then follow along each week via email. Call me anytime you get stuck, and I’ll nudge you in the right direction.
No special diets, no crazy intense workouts.
Yes to small, consistent steps towards the most loving, caring version of you.
Who: YOU!
What: 5-week series with weekly assignments to help you take good care of you!
When: Kickoff meeting Saturday, September 6th, or Friday, September 12th.
Why: You want to look and feel your best.
How much: Free for Fit Club Members. $25 for guests.
To sign up, call or email me (503) 705-4762 Anne @ FluidPortland.com
Pick your preferred meeting time for our kickoff –
Saturday, September 6th at 11 am on Zoom, or
Friday, September 12th at 2 pm in Vancouver, Washington (Hazel Dell neighborhood, I’ll send the address once you’re registered)
I hope you join me on this self-care adventure!
Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington-based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers one-on-one strength and balance training in person and online. She helps her clients prioritize themselves, encouraging them to get comfortable saying no to anyone or anything that does not support their joy and wellbeing.
This time of year, I love making soups, curries and stews. They’re versatile, easy to make and easy to freeze. Keep your eyes peeled here for more winter recipes coming soon…
This Chicken Curry recipe is in our regular rotation because it’s quick and easy and I can throw everything in the crock pot and a few hours later dinner is served!
If you choose to do a stovetop method instead of using a crock pot, follow the recipe and just simmer the curry in a pot for an hour or so on low.
You’ll need a large bowl, large pot, crock pot, and rice cooker or small pot with a tight-fitting lid.
1 small head of broccoli florets, chopped (about 1-2 cups)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed
1.5 cups water
Directions:
Place chicken in large bowl and rub with spices (salt through cayenne).
In large pot, heat oil over medium/ high heat.
Cook onion for about 5 minutes, stirring it often to keep from burning. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the chicken and sear it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots, potatoes, bell pepper, coconut milk and curry sauce and bring to a simmer.
At this point I put my curry in a crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Please use caution when transferring hot liquids from one pot to another. Once the potatoes are almost cooked (meaning, when I press then with a fork, the outsides give, but the insides are still a little hard) then I add broccoli. Cook for another half hour or so. If you like your veggies really mushy cook longer.
If you’re not using a crock pot, just keep simmering the curry on the stove until all the veggies are cooked.
Cook rice (click here if you need help with that).
Serve curry over rice, with fresh cilantro on top.
Super quick n easy version:
Dump the first 15 ingredients (everything from the chicken through the curry sauce) into your crock pot. Turn it on low for 6 hours, high for 4 hours. Poke the potatoes and when they’re nearly cooked, add the broccoli and cook for 30 minutes more.
Cook a pot of rice.
Ladle the curry over the rice and top with cilantro.
*The sauce used in this recipe (in the photo above) is from Costco. I’ve tried this curry sauce from Trader Joe’s, as well as this one from Safeway and they are both delicious. These are not affiliate links, meaning I make no money off you going to these sites, just wanted you to see what I meant by “1 jar of curry sauce” in the above recipe.
I use full fat coconut milk because it tastes better and has less additives than the reduced fat versions.
I’m Anne McCranie, a Vancouver, Washington based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. I love sharing good food and healthy recipes with you. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.
