The Changeling

I haven't don't a movie review in awhile, and The Changeling annoyed me to the point that I feel the need to rant about it. So, The Changeling...Angelina Jolie is probably the only actor any average viewer could name, but there are plenty of familiar faces.

The general gist of the movie is woman goes to work and leaves young son at home to fend for himself, woman returns from work to find son gone, "son" is returned but she claims its not hers, woman spends the rest of her life searching for real son.

My opinion: a long and boring movie that is just Angelina Jolie running about crying. I really would love to see a 30 second Bunny short of this movie where an Angelina Bunny wails from scene to scene proclaiming "That's not my Walter!"

So yeah,...quite possibly the worst movie Clint Eastwood ever directed. He should go back to shootin' shit and smacking punks in the face.

Breading

Sometimes...just sometimes,...there are certain foods I miss. Now, I love the Primal Blueprint, especially the nutritional side of it,...but I still have my weak moments when I can't ignore the side of hashbrowns or the fries or the breaded and deep fried fish.

I found a compromise for the potato products by making sweet potato fries and hashbrowns an occasional treat. But I had truly given up on breading for fish (or really any meat product that can be breaded) until I was inspired to give an alternative recipe a try.

Last night, following detailed instruction via moi, Steve fried up some cod in coconut oil and butter that was "breaded" with chopped black walnuts, pecans, and fried scallions. It was really really REALLY effin' good. The kinda good that results in instant salivation.

We rounded out our "breaded" fish with some steamed veggies, fresh pineapple, and a banana smoothie. I would share a picture...but honestly,...it didn't last that long.

Primal Update 2.0

...well 2.4 to be exact. Since my first Primal Blueprint update on July 13th I have dropped another 2.4% of bodyfat. And that's pretty amazing when you think about 1. that works out to be about 8% of the fat contained on/in my body. and 2. I've had some not-so-healthy weekends, nutritionally speaking, in the last month or so.

I've also converted friend, Tara Smith, to the Primal Blueprint. We both voiced a little frustration at ourselves for having some nutritional slips, so we've arranged a Primal Lunch Date this week so we can swap recipes, cook primal food for each other, and act as a general source of moral support. Our respective roommates (Tara prefers to call hers "husband" but this seems so...legal) are marginally on the Primal Blueprint by proxy and I know Steve has seen some results, but he's really yet to get into it head on.

And to date, the friend who introduced me to the Primal Blueprint book (~cough cough~ YOU know who you are!) has yep to crack that thing open and give it a try. ;-P

And last but not least, I have discovered quite possibly the best somewhat Primal recipe ever...totally by accident and through the contribution of two vegans. Vegan #1 took me to a vegan restaurant in Nashville, where I ordered an almond milk smoothie. It was so good that I told everyone about it, even vegan #2 who suggested that for a homemade recipe I substitute ice for a frozen banana. The result is the Frozen Banana Smoothie, which takes on the texture of ice cream.

So a quick recipe for all to try at home, in a blender add together: one frozen banana, 3 tablespoons of almond butter (primal) or peanut butter (non-primal), and 250 mL of unsweetened almond milk....blend...and voila!

Putting Things into Perspective

So for anyone out there who has ever wondered how many cups of spinach you'd have to eat to equal two slices of whole wheat bread (queue Wheaties commercial flashback),...well consider your wish fulfilled.

Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger. blog has posted an interesting comparison between super high carb foods like rice, corn, beans, and potatoes (ya know, those foods we all eat cos they are "healthy") and pits those against your leafy greens and broccoli.

So wait...I'd have to eat how many cups of bell peppers to equal one cup of oatmeal? Only...unlike Santa's Super Sugar Puffs...this comparison works in favor of the bell pepper.

Primal Update

Let the record show that I have dropped over one percent of my total body fat percentage in six weeks.

GO ME!

Gone Primal

So I recently (i.e. about a month ago) found myself gazing down upon a friend's unread copy of The Primal Blueprint. (Side note: it remains to this day, to the best of my knowledge, unread by said friend...to losely quote his reasoning, "If I read it then I know and have no excuses." ha!). I have to admit it was a very interesting and informative read. So the general jist according to the author, Mark Sisson, is that we should eat and live more like our primal ancestors. So, eat and play like a caveman, not work and die like a cubicle-bound insurance claims representative. It's actually quite difficult to fully encapsulate Sisson's principles in a single sentence but the idea is that modern culture puts too much emphasis on eating processed carbs and grains and killing ourselves at the gym, with the result being...well, no long-term positive result. Instead a vicious cycle develops in which we gain and lose weight and in the process set ourselves up for diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and a long list of other ailments which are now inflicting humans more than every before. So The Primal Blueprint discusses how a primal existence is healthier and more enjoyable, and more true to our evolutionary development. To sum it up: turn off the television, put down that cupcake, grab a leg o' lamb and go play Frisbee with your dog. Ok, that's probably an oversimplification, but if you want a more technical explanation...buy the damn book.

Anyway, I've been "primal" for about 30 days now. I actually started primal living the day I cracked the book open and read Sisson's quick list of the primal living principles. And despite my above mentioned friend's criticism that perhaps I should read the book in its entirity before diving in head first, I think it actually gave me an advantage. First, it was so cool to notice some change in my body's reaction to this new lifestyle and then read that exact change in the book the following day or so. For example, I noticed around day 8-10 that I no longer required my usual 5-6 daily feedings and that my overall need to feed had dropped significantly; I then read something to that same effect a day or so later. Second, slowly absorbing the information in the book and applying the neccessary change to my life was easier in piecemeal, opposed to one drastic and cold-turkey stop to my previous dietary and exercise habits.

So, a month in and the results are as follows: can eat fewer meals, can actually skip a meal or two and be fine (those of you who know my previous anxiety and physical reaction to skipping a meal will understand the significance this holds for me), a steady supply of energy throughout the day that is high in the morning and slowly dwindles til its bedtime, and a stack of jeans that are a little too loose now. I pretty much have the dietary changes down, but finding the time to include fun and a daily nap in my busy schedule is a little more challenging. But I'm happy to report that I survived the 30-day Primal challenge (which is try it out for a month and see how it impacts your life). It isn't even necessary to buy the book to get started, Sisson's blog, www.marksdailyapple.com has all the information needed to successfully go full on Primal.

Trust Me...I Meant Two Years!

(Scene: Jen is sitting on the couch in dimly lit living room with what appears to be a crossword puzzle book and a pencil, sitting opposite is recently arrived guests Gabe and Emilie).

Gabe: (said with a smug intent) So...what happened to "I'm not gonna read ANYTHING for two years, not even a restaurant menu?" Looks like you're messing with words to me.

Jen: (flashes up cover of book in hand with an equal amount of smug intent) Sudoku, baby, yeah! BAM!

Emilie: (giggles amusingly).