The Underutilized Egg

When I read the marketing slogans used to advertise eggs with terms like free-range, cage free, and organic I still am not confident I’m actually getting a quality egg. Pasture raised is where it’s at and what I want. Although, the egg is rather resilient from absorbing toxins from its mother hen, still it’s important that hen ate her natural diet to nourish her eggs. Chickens eat grass, grubs, slugs, and other insects. They don’t eat “chicken feed.”

Nutrition? Lets talk macros. Egg contains your protein and healthy fats including omega 3. This easily obtainable, underutilized source of protein is packed with everything your muscles want and need. Perfect for a snack or post workout feast as pictured below.

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We’ve all heard the bad rep the egg has.  The egg has been blamed in the American health food industry for a lifetime as raising bad blood-cholesterol and leading to heart disease. I call BS, and so did scientists. The real culprit is man made vegetable oils, transfats, and sugar. Especially refined sugar. View the new Scientific report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee from the USDA here and read for yourself. It states, under the bold headline:

Cholesterol. Previously, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that cholesterol intake be limited to no more than 300 mg/day. The 2015 DGAC will not bring forward this recommendation because available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol, consistent with the conclusions of the AHA/ACC report.2 35Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.

Foods containing cholesterol and the serum cholesterol in our bodies are two separate materials and they should have different names.  The rise in Cardiac Vascular Disease has caused fear of consuming cholesterol containing foods when in reality your body actually needs cholesterol to be fully nourished. Including, to make testosterone. So… Let the gains begin. Crack some shells!!

Pizza Day

As a kid, I remember the question “What is your most favorite food?” I also remember my response; PIZZA! Well, the pizza options usually contain gluten and sugar, even in the sauce. These days it’s not easy to find healthy alternatives. Kara Lee and I took a quick trip to Whole Foods Market where we found all of the ingredients for this delicious gluten free Paleo Pizza.

Bring on the gains because with this option you can totally remove “cheat meal” from your vocabulary. I won’t lie I would rather have a bourbon than grain-filled food that will ultimately lead to bubble guts later. My friends, it’s now possible to have a cheat meal but not actually cheat.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Preheat oven 450 degrees.

Crust:

Combine in food processor:

  • Half head of raw cauliflower
  • ½ cup almond meal/flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • 1 green onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Few sprigs of parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Form into ball and drain excess liquid with cheesecloth.

Pat flat onto pizza stone or greased cookie sheet.

Pre-cook crust in oven for 8 minutes, reduce heat to 350.

Sauce:

Combine in food processor:

  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 can organic roasted tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar

Now, the fun part. Sauce the crust, sprinkle the grass fed cheese, and add all your favorite toppings. We used rotisserie chicken, Portuguese sausage, bacon, uncured pepperoni, and black olives.

Bake for 8 minutes. Then broil on high for 2 minutes.

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Bone Broth

I’ve never experienced such an epic work out like I did my first time supplementing with Bone Broth. Think outside of the box. Think about this: What gave our ancestors the strength to fast for days when supply was low yet still have energy to hunt and survive? Jittery pre-work out formulas are full of unknown ingredients that possibly do more harm than good. Guilty! I’ve used them in the past and absolutely loved the rush of energy and the unstoppable feeling I would get from “two scoops.” I, however, did not enjoy the jitters or the crash I would have later on in the day.

It’s time to turn to Mother Nature and look at holistic/organic approaches to pre-workout supplementation geared towards the athlete. At the time I was listening to many podcasts on health and wellness and I kept hearing the buzz about bone broth and how “the liquid gold has gut healing properties and turns you into a super human.” Naturally I was curious to know more. After some research, a trip to the local market, and a stop to see Jack at http://www.healthyheritagebeef.com/ we had everything to make our first batch. Aside from the gut healing probiotics and collagen protein this stuff is also amazing if you’re feeling under the weather or even nursing a hangover.

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     Crockpot: 7 quarts

     Yields: About 10 pints

     Ingredients:

  • Low Heat 24-36 hours (DONT LET IT BOIL)
  • (Free roaming) Chicken feet
  • (Free roaming) Chicken carcass
  • ¼ Ounce Apple Cider Vinegar
  • (Grass fed) Beef knuckle
  • (Grass fed) Marrow bones
  • (Grass fed) Beef neck
  • Herbs of your choice
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Fill to the top with quality filtered water. I use a Soma water filtration system check them out. https://www.drinksoma.com

When do you consume this super power pre-workout? I take a little more than a pint with me to the gym and drink it on the way. It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to the gym and by then its doing its magic. I stretch and let the gains begin!

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Breaking The Fast

Right here, this is the way to Break The Fast.

Bacon, Avocado, and then an Egg baked right in the center.

This is what I call “Just chillin’ with my Baes.”

BACON

Bacon. Mmmm… Sounds amazing. Bacon contains Choline which is a micronutrient that aides in brain development and has many health benefits. BUT steer clear of nitrates, make sure you’re purchasing the right bacon from the right sources. Bacon with MSG will just make you stupid.

AVOCADO

Avocado contains monounsaturated fat. It’s a healthy fat. The avocado supports nutrient absorption from other foods as well as increasing HDL, the good cholesterol.

EGG

We all know the egg is an amazing source of protein. Unfortunately, it can be underutilized due to the bad rep it received for contributing to heart disease. As it turns out, that is not true. In fact, our bodies need fat and cholesterol. What we don’t need are refined carbohydrates made from ingredients not found in nature. Carbohydrates make you fat, cause inflammation, and contribute to heart disease. We definitely do not need to be eating Egg Beaters and there is absolutely no reason to be throwing away the yolks. Nourish your body, eat the whole egg. Read Eat the Yolks by Liz Wolfe.

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BAEs

  • Half your avocados
  • Scoop 1 tsp from each center
  • Create a separation from the skin and the fruit using a spoon or butterknife.
  • Tuck bacon in the space made around the avocado creating a bacon bowl for the egg
  • Crack egg into center of the bowl you have created
  • Note* use muffin pan to keep BAE’S upright.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until your egg is done the way you like it.

Serve it as is. The skin is very easy to remove from the fruit.

Your Turn To Host? Need An Appetizer?

When I attend work events, social events, or even Kraft Services on set the snack/appetizers are unfulfilling as far as my needs, wants and goals. They are usually full of grains and unnatural ingredients. You can avoid taking these steps in the wrong direction. Remember if you can’t pronounce the ingredients you surely don’t want to eat it. If you need to take a dish to pass or if you’re hosting a cocktail party these healthy, yet delicious little veggie cakes will be a hit. You’ll be asked for the recipe and given compliments as well. Trust me when I say, “You won’t be taking leftovers home.”

Veggie Cakes

Yields: 24

Peel, steam, and chop:

  • 1 Butternut squash
  • 2 Sweet potatoes
  • 2 Carrots
  • 1 Parsnip

Sauté 1/4 yellow onion chopped

Blend:

  • Everything above
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/4 Himalayan salt
  • 1 pastured egg
  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil

Heat Grass fed butter in cast iron skillet on low-medium

  • Form mixture into 1.5″ balls and drop into pan
  • Flatten with a spatula
  • Cook each side 5-6 minutes
  • Place on cookie sheet to keep warm in oven

Goat Cheese Dollop

Blend:

  • 2 tbs goat cheese
  • 1 tbs avocado
  • few sprigs of parsley to taste
  • 1/2 pastured egg
  • Olive oil

Place in piping bag and squeeze a dollop on each cake serve warm.

Or skip the dollop and drop a few cold cakes in your salad.

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Sweet Tooth?

Don’t worry. Chocolate is a food group. And these Choconut Date Bites have organic cocoa powder. carob chips, and shredded coconut to satisfy your sweet tooth. Be sure to indulge in your sweets and carbohydrates in the evening to avoid sugar crashes during the day. Think about it, our ancestors woke up early and hunted, essentially training. They were preparing for the evening feast, which would often include carbohydrates such as fruits and berries gathered during the day. Let’s remember in a more modern day, sugar and chocolate were associated with wealth and was unobtainable to the common folk. What also was associated with wealth?… Gluttony and obesity.  So, I say eat chocolate and be rich. Just make sure to get the good stuff and THE REAL STUFF. Stay away from the drug store candy bars. 

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Choconut Date Bites:

Yields: 18

Blend (set 1/4 cup aside for the coating):

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup brazil nuts
  • 1/4 raw almonds

Blend:

  • 10 pitted dates chopped
  • 1 tbs Coconut Oil
  • carob chips

Combine the two mixtures in medium bowl with:

  • 2 tbs grass fed whey protein
  • 2 tbs cocoa powder

Form into 1” diameter balls and roll in remaining coconut powder

Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve. Store in refrigerator.

Fast Then Feast

Grass fed beef, pasture raised eggs, uncured bacon, avocado, broccoli, and melted grass fed butter in the center for dipping. All organic, of course. The bacon and eggs are from our local farmers at Healthy Heritage Beef Farms. http://www.healthyheritagebeef.com Jack brings the goodies to the local Tampa Bay markets.

The breaking the fast. Fast then Feast!

Where Athletic Performance Starts in the Kitchen

This is Your Machine Your Body. Where I post snapshots of my life, mostly what happens in my kitchen. It is important to know what you feed your body and what yields the most results across the board. Here we stay far away from slogans, trendy products, unknown chemicals and unnatural supplements. 100% all natural gains for the body and the mind.

We are taking it back to our ancestral roots and way of life.  If it is not a whole food found in nature, then you won’t find it here.

Enjoy the pictures, tips and recipes provided as your guide to a healthier lifestyle for an overall quality of life. Thanks

Justin Kucsulain
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