My skin is turning orange
Ok, salmon can’t really do that, but I’ve had a lot of it this week:
It’s funny because way back in the dieting days, I avoided fats (even healthy fats) like the plague. I like to think I’m making up for lost time. Not only do they taste amazing, but I notice a huge difference in my skin and hair when I get an abundance of healthy fats in my diet.
Between all of the glorious fresh California seafood we enjoyed this past week, I was ready to branch out a little bit when we went to Trader Joe’s to restock our sad, post-vacation fridge.
But then, the salmon looked awesome (which says a lot for Arizona salmon. Sometimes it looks a little iffy by the time it gets here). So I bought it up, added blackened seasonings to it (oregano, thyme, garlic, paprika, cayenne and chile powder), pan-seared, baked it and served it with this ridiculous salad.
Inspired by our meal at PrepKitchen, not all of the red slices in there are beets- they’re plums!
Never would have thought to add plums to my beet/goat cheese/ balsamic combo, and they rocked my world. Such a fun, sweet surprise.
Super greens (kale, chard, spinach), sliced plums, sliced steamed beets, balsamic dressing (1 part balsamic to 2 parts olive oil, dijon, Stevia, thyme, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper), goat cheese and a dried fruit/pumpkin seed crumble.
Since I’m used to eating meals quickly, I was scarfing down my salad and then looked at the Pilot as I started to sputter and choke. I reached into my mouth to retrieve an entire leaf, with a stem, that was probably 4 inches long. Sexy. After the Pilot stopped laughing at me, he reminded me to maybe chew my food a little.
We hung out at the house, I took Bell for a walk, and then choreographed for today’s Zumba class. New reggaeton always puts a little pep in my step 😉
Hope you’re having a great weekend so far <3
See ya later!
xoxo
Gina
Something to talk about: Any other speed eaters out there? Since I’m usually doing more than one thing at a time, I often eat standing up and as quickly as possible. It’s only when I’m on a date night with the Pilot that I stop and slow down a little. This is one of the ways I could work on practicing what I preach… I always tell clients to eat slowly and savor their food.
-This article from Shape.com about 7 fitness trends with a cult-like following: How many have you tried or are regular parts of your routine? I can say I absolutely adore 4 on the list (Turbo, ZUMBA, Bikram and Insanity). I love trying new-to-me workouts and am thinking this week may be the week I actually take a CrossFit class.
Here are some Focus On posts for the featured workouts:
BodyRock (and BodyRock vs Insanity)
TurboFire (featured in the article is TurboKick but I’ve heard they’re almost identical)
Something to read:
10 Things to Remind Yourself on a Daily Basis
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i LOVE salmon too – i can never get enough! i, too, used to avoid all fats. what was i thinking?!?! now i can’t get enough! i eat salmon, avocado, and nut butters like it’s my job!
I’m starting P90X on Monday! Is it much different from Insanity? And I’m a huge ZUMBA fan! I have never tried a Bikram Yoga class, but I am looking forward to trying it!
My Grandma used to tell me to slow down when I ate. This summer I find I finish my meals very quickly because I am used to being on a time crunch during the school year 🙂
I sometimes speed eat. Ok, majority of the time. However, I always remind myself how much better I feel about myself and the food that I am eating when I eat slow, so it is something I definitely work on every day! Why not savour your food right!? 🙂 I had to laugh – I have had salmon so much this past week and I am loving it 🙂 More today!
Perfect timing! This morning I searched your blog for ‘Insanity’ workouts b/c I just started it yesterday. I was really struggling through the Fit Test and am so scared for the rest! I have to read up on your focus on post for it. I am so sore today and it is only day 2 .. plus I haven’t even started day 2 workout yet. T minus 10 minutes! lol
I liked that article “10 Things to Remind Yourself on a Daily Basis”, especially #9: Your feelings will not kill you. Sounds morbid but it’s important to remember! Thanks for posting!
I’m a champ at eating like speedy gonzalez. I love food don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I feel like eating is a waste of time and I only eat to live & fuel my workouts.
I took my first two CrossFit classes this week and I LOVE IT! CrossFit will kick your butt in more ways than one. I’m stoked to get better and better with my Olympic/Power lifting and it’s nice to have someone coaching me along the way. It’s such a drag to do these huge lifts on your own at the gym.
We have this extremely nice restaurant near us that our friends told us about. I have begged my hubby to take me there and so far it’s a negative. And my super fast eating is the reason. They have a rule, when the lady at the table is finished with her plate the waiter takes everyone’s plate and brings the next course whether the guys are finished or not! haha I promised him I’d slow down but he knows me too well.
It’s so hard to savor your food and eat slowly when you have baby(ies) around! I hear ya. My normal pace of eating would be on the slower side, but sadly I’ve had to start eating faster for the most part because I have a 3 yr old and a little baby now. One day, I’ll be able to slow down more regularly again!
LOVE Bikram Yoga! I’m a long distance runner as well as personal trainer & fitness instructor. I find that Bikram really helps strengthen & tone my muscles in a different way than any other exercise. I teach a class called Hour Blast that is a 60 min cardio/strength high intensity circuit type class & it’s an awesome workout!
Hey girl! I just had to read this post because I juiced religiously when I lived at Moody AFB. Well I also went tanning in the beds. Wellllll I actually had a carrot apple juice recipe I loved and it was mainly bright orange when it was juiced. After tanning… I swear I was carrot orange! Like the carrot actually seeped thru my pores and turned me into violet from willy wonkas cousin! Crazyyyy I’ve got a pic of it somewhere!
I’m the exact opposite of you! I’m a super slow eater, but not on purpose, everyone else finishes eating and I’m still there with half my plate left. I don’t know why. ;p That salad looks incredible!
I get my speed eating habits from my dad. He can down an entire meal in under five bites. It’s not human. I’ve been trying to slow down lately—and actually enjoy my food!
Haha, I eat a lot of salmon too! so good and good for you! And i definitely am a speed eater — i’m trying to work on slowing down! haha
Oh girl, I love the fats too. I get around 70g of fat a day since I’m doing the paleo thang. And boy does my body love it!! Whole eggs with 1/3-1/2 of an avocado for breakfast and I’ve never felt better or leaner! I make sure to throw in lotsa green veggies too.
I’m sort of obsessed at the moment with this chopped frozen kale I found at whole foods…its so easy to throw into eggs and scramble. And the freeze really takes away the bitters!
Do you pan sear for a minute in each side then how long do you bake? And on what temp? Your food always looks so awesome and makes me want to cook!
Chewing rather than inhaling is always a good thing but I would have been scarfing that one down too….looks amazing! The salmon is beautiful and love the plums + beets combo!
You need to try CrossFit you will love it!!! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it! That salad looks amazing! It has all of my favorite things in it 🙂
i second this! ive been hoping you would take a crossfit class & blog about it. im curious to hear your thoughts on it!
i third this! can’t wait to see you take a class and let us know what you think! i think you’ll love it 🙂
My grandfather used to always tell us to chew 35 times before swallowing each bite. I try..but I have a problem with speed eating too. In college, I never put a “lunch break” into my schedule, so I would literally walk and eat my sandwich at the same time in between classes, or sit in class and eat during lecture-bad habit. Nowadays the only time I savor my food is at a new restaurant or trying a new dish. I think I subconciously think I know how familiar foods taste, so I just devour it like there’s no tomorrow and move onto the next task.
I’m definitely a fast eater and have been known to choke down some salad! Definitely classy.
I laughed out loud at the choking story, but only after I realized you were ok 🙂 I eat super fast– in boot camp you certainly do not want to be one of the last ones eating. The only time I’ve actually choked happened recently though, as I was sloooowly eating a bagel. I will have to pay attention to my eating speed and work on slowing down!!
I hope you enjoy the crossfit class! It’s a blasty!
Have you ever thought about teaching turbo kick? (not sure if it’s a format where you currently teach). I’ve been certified in it for about 3 years and it is my absolute favorite format to teach!! The cert is just a one day thing–not too crazy!
I’m a speed eater too. I’ve found that I actually feel hungry after eating really quickly so now I am trying to slow down. Didn’t work for lunch a moment ago, that was gone in less than 3 minutes. I slow down when I’m around people.
I absolutely love Turbo!! I actually took it with Chalene this morning, and now officially have a girl crush on her ha ha.
you took chalene’s class?! shut the front door.
I did!! She was teaching at the IDEA convention in San Diego this weekend. She was amazing!
I adore Insanity and am fixing to start it up again now that summer shape up (which I loved) is over
I’ve actually turned orange before. Carrots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, peaches, spinach, mangoes, papaya, etc! They are all some of my favorite foods. I have to be careful that I don’t over do it on them, as I can turn back really easily. :\ I love salmon!!! Salmon and Tilapia are AMAZING! 😀
I think I could eat salmon 7 days a week and never get tired of it. It’s that good. And I love adding fruit to salads; sweet and savory is my cup of tea. 🙂
I’ve eaten salmon twice a day!
My husband and I joke that we can’t eat out anywhere, because we eat like bodybuilders. Firstly, no matter how recently we have eaten, we always scarf down our meal like we haven’t eaten in weeks. Secondly, because the majority of our food tastes so bland, any restaurant meal is a flavour explosion. I have a weekly lunch meeting with my colleagues and they never stop teasing me about how quick I eat – I’m finished at least 10 minutes before anyone else!
Oh my gosh I’m such a speed eater! I always finish my food probably 10 minutes before my husband does.
That salad made me so hungry!!! We have some amazing strawberries in the fridge, AND plums…I will have to sneak some fruit into the salad. Looks amazing!
I notice when I eat more salmon, avocadoes, nuts etc. that I have more endurance energy…my job is physical and i’m not as exhausted.
‘Tis a good thing! 🙂
I’m a weirdo and don’t like fish, I wish I did though since its so healthy. I too, used to avoid fats like the plague. What was I thinking my skin was so ugly, gray, and dry without them. I’m actually a super slow eater, it takes me forever to eat anything. Its kind of annoying for others haha. And I think I am actually turning orange because I consume far too much sweet potato, pumpkin, and carrots. Yikes. At least its just my hands and feet though
I eat way too fast, I can’t help it when something tastes so good!
Ever since I went Paleo with my eats, I am having so much more fun cooking. Nut butter and coconut oil are my best friends now 😉
My “eat rate” depends what I’m eating. If it’s a salad or something cold, I scarf it down like it’ll disappear if I don’t. When it’s a fork-and-knife food, I eat slowly and put my fork down between bites.
I love me some Bikram! I talked the hubby into taking a class with me months ago, and he’s more addicted than I am now! It does wonders for my “computer neck” I get at my desk job.
Seriously. SO MUCH SALMON in my life right now! And healthy fats. It’s unreal how good it makes you feel.
I tend to eat too fast, too! Which is why I love having a s-l-o-w dinner with my husband. We plan a little appetizer, chit-chat a bit, then have the entree . . . to help us draw things out and slow us down. Or, I’ve noticed eating sushi slows us down as well. Maybe it’s the bite-size pieces . . . or maybe it’s the chopsticks. The combo definitely works though. 🙂
I’m a super fast eater too, unless I’m eating at my computer or while reading. If I have something to distract me, I can take as long as an hour to eat!
your speed eating story had me cracking up! i am a speed eating queen and thankfully my husband is just as worse or even faster 🙂 it is sexy no? 😉
I also have orange skin! I eat so many veggies that all the beta carotene has turned my skin an orangey glow. It’s been like this for years–lol 🙂 For a while–a few years ago I was on a major salmon kick. That’s literally all I ate–I was obsessed with Whole Foods’ wild sockeye salmon. And then one day I just couldn’t stomach it anymore–I think I Od’d on it. Now I’m all about cod and tuna! –Love it to death! But I’m sure I’m going to OD on that too and then have to move on to something else.
PS: I saw that Shape article and was actually thinking of e-mailing it you–but you beat me to it! Yes–I too am a Turbo girl!
I love bikram! I’ve been going for a little over two years now and have averaged five classes a week! I’m pregnant now so I have reduced it to 3-4 a week so I can really stay hydrated. My husband goes with me and we are trying to figure out how we will fit it it with a baby. We might have to find something more time-friendly to become obsessed with!
I used to be the SLOWEST eater ever. My friends would always get annoyed with me at restaurants because they’d be done and I’d only be half way through my meal. Busy college life has speeded up my eating habits though, now I eat at a more normal pace.
Random question. back when you were using a lot of maca did you feel like it helped regulate your hormones?
Your chocking story made me laugh because it’s something I would do, but from laughing or something. You know, I used to eat so slow that my family would tease me about it but after having my twins, I eat at a normal rate now.
Love the salmon recipe; a little different than most. Hope “K” gets the recipe; cause she’s missing out! Ha!
not that you chocking on a 4 inch piece of greenery is funny, but I nearly choked on MY salad greenery while reading this. I am THE worst stand-up-scarf-it-down eater. here’s to slowin down (and sitting down!) while enjoying our meals. and ps, there is a puerto rican place here in seattle that makes the best blackened salmon. I always say I’m going to try something different when I go but can’t help it – I MUST get the salmon 🙂
hahah no worries, i thought it was hilarious when it was happening too
and don’t blame you at all- if something is good, i’ll always order the same thing 🙂
I have to laugh at this post because my husband and I were JUST talking about eating quickly. I can eat slowly (if I put my mind to it — I can choke on food a lot!), but my best friend is the slooooooowest eater I’ve ever seen. When we eat sushi, she eats the rice GRAIN. BY. GRAIN. It makes me feel like I’m going through a slow torture! 🙂
I’m SO BAD with this! I’m ok at focusing on my food when I’m with the boyfriend/friends, but when I’m eating by myself I just can’t savour it! I’m usually either standing at the counter or on my computer. Then, I look down and am completely astonished to see that I only have like, 3 bites left.
Definitely something to improve on!
I am a true speed eater. I know you are supposed to relax and take it slowly etc etc, but there is always so many interesting things to get on with! I just accept that this is my eating style. DIG IN. NOM< NOM< NOM.
Wine, however, I have learned to linger over.
hahah i’m right there with you. i can sip wine like quite the lady after i inhale my food 😉
I should add that I think this comes from my short-lived TV career. As a kid (3-4 years old) I was on a TV program called ‘Romper Room’ and they would give us a snack part way through filming. You had to eat the whole thing (it was on camera), within a certain period of time. I always struggled to eat fast enough. See, I’m traumatised …
Since I had my girls I shovel food so much faster because it is hard to get time to slow down and eat. I also notice a huge difference when I add healthy fats to my diet!
It is pretty impressive just how much food I can consume in a short amount of time since having children. I think I may attempt starting Turbofire again tomorrow. How do you keep up your energy for working out at night? I’m pretty beat by 7pm and have no desire to work out even though I need to and night workouts are really my only option since my girls aren’t on the same nap schedule yet during the day.
My son was born five years ago. In those first several months when I was nursing and when he was a tad cranky, I started to eat like an animal. I started to eat really fast because I never knew when I would get a chance to sit down again. It took some time to unlearn this habit. Now I love to sit down and savor my meals. Babies make you appreciate the small things…like savoring a meal, watching a whole TV show at once, ect. They really put things into perspective.