Archive for July 22, 2012

First Weekend Complete

Posted: July 22, 2012 in Challenge, Food
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The first weekend of Ramadan is over and am I the only one confused where the time went? I figured I would be at home on a rare unscheduled weekend and that I would be counting down the minutes. SubhanAllah, time passed and here we are at Iftar. Food time. Alright so some of you saw a teaser earlier on my Facebook page about what was for dinner:

The result, Chicken Fajita with Guacamole. The end result, or I guess the beginning before I devoured it:

This is a pretty straightforward dish to make. The guac was from the night before and made a nice addition. Here is how it was done:

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of chicken breast cut in to small pieces
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt (optional)
  • 1 Tbs of coconut oil
  • 1/2 onion sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1/2 of a lemon
  • 1/2 of a lime
  1. Combine the cumin, oregano, chili powder, and sea salt into a bowl.
  2. Mix the chicken pieces into the bowl and mix it around to make sure all of the chicken is coated.
  3. Heat up a pan and when it’s hot, put in the coconut oil
  4. Put the onions in the pan and let it saute for 3-4 minutes
  5. Add the chicken in and stir everything up. Let the chicken cook for about 10-15 minutes while stirring.
  6. Right before the chicken is done, add the lemon, lime, and red bell pepper to the mixture. Stir it up for a few minutes
  7. Serve with a mixture of vegetables and guacamole.

I usually use extra virgin olive oil but decided to switch things up today and use coconut oil. Coconut oil is known for its many benefits regarding digestion, weight loss, skin care, and immune system. Also the salt is optional here. If you do want salt, try to use sea salt. This is a lot of food so plan to store some or share with someone else. In 20 minutes, you have another Paleo friendly dish.

The Workout

Today’s workout is a body weight workout. These type of workouts are great if you are on the go or don’t have access to equipment. You don’t need a lot of room either so if you are going out and aren’t going to have time, a public bathroom should be more than enough space to get this done haha.

10 rounds for time

10 push ups

10 squats

10 sit ups

Not a lot of technical movements going on here so just make sure you warm up your major muscle groups and get your heart rate elevated before starting. If the push ups become too much or you can’t do push ups, drop to your knees and do them that way. If you still feel this will be too much, you can reduce the workout from 10 rounds to 6. Remember the goal of these works are high intensity, so push your self to do as much of this as you can unbroken (without taking rest).

That’s a wrap for day 3. I’ll be on the road for the next couple of days for work so I’ll be tackling the challenge of eating out as well as working out on the road. Stay tuned!

Making Leftovers Work

Posted: July 22, 2012 in Challenge, Food
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Last night’s Iftar consisted of the spinach and egg chicken that I made along with home-made guacamole. I made extra of both items in hopes to try to the ol’ leftover trick. It worked out well. I took the remaining spinach and egg chicken and added some more egg and veggies to it. Here is what I had for Sahoor:

  • Leftover spinach and egg chicken
  • 1 egg and 3 egg whites scrambled
  • Added some more tomato and onion to the mix
  • Piece of toast
  • A few spoonfuls of the homemade guacamole
  • 60 ounces of water

As you can see I drank a lot more water than I have in the past days. I also had some watermelon and coconut water before I went to sleep last night to ensure that I’m well hydrated today for my workout.

The guacamole I’m finding is a great add-on to any meal not to mention you can just eat it with a spoon when you want a snack. I’ll be making more of it in the coming days. It’s pretty straight forward to make too. Here is how I made it last night:

  • 2 avocados, peeled
  • 4 Tbsp of lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp of lime (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp of cumin
  • 1/4 tsp of chili powder
  • 1 clove of garlic (or less)
  • 1/4 tsp of sea salt
  • 1 diced tomato
  • 1/2 red onion
  • handful of cilantro to garnish, finely chopped (how-to)

Take all items, put them in a bowl, and mash it up with a fork. Be careful with the amount of garlic you use, its smell and taste takes over quick.

There will be a workout tonight, most likely a bodyweight workout. Should be intense nonetheless.