Super food and Kombucha football food

A few weeks ago I went to the Ravens game and my husband ate the standard football fare of fried chicken nuggets, French fries with some random dipping sauce and of course beer. Lots of beer. 

He was sick in his stomach for a good 24 hours post game. He often jokes that I've "ruined him"... He prefers to eat the good, healthy, clean food I cook for him! He realizes more than ever how much better he feels with good food... And how bad he feels with crappy food. 

Since it's post Thanksgiving and the pre Holiday rush is on, everyone could use a boost to their immune system. And since 70% of our immune system lies in our digestive tract, we need to eat well and add in lots of probiotics. Thankfully that's easier and more delicious than ever with KeVitas new Master Brew kombucha drinks! 

Now that I'm in health coach / nutrition school I'm experimenting in the kitchen and cooking even healthier! So today when my fave Olympian / former yoga client came over to watch the Ravens game I decided to create some healthy game day food.... 

... Super Food burgers and turmeric veggie quinoa! Aside from feeding a former Olympian, I was extra motivated to make foods with anti inflammatory properties since I just had just run a hilly 8K the day before and was feeling a little achy and sore. 

Super Food Burgers:

1 sweet potato, grated

1 carrot, grated 

1 cup kale, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped 

1 pound grass fed beef or venison

2 organic eggs

1/2 cup oatmeal 

2T mustard 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

I grilled them but you can fry or oven bake. If you're gluten free put it on a bed of greens with mustard and olive oil. Otherwise a big kaiser roll is great. The super food burger is a new football food fave!! And combined with the KeVita Komucha... I was wishing they sold stuff like this at the stadium... No one would go home feeling bloated and exhausted. 

Stay healthy this holiday season! I committ to 10-15 minutes of yoga a day, eating super foods and I am addicted to KeVita Master Brew Kombucha probiotic drinks to keep my digestive tract and immune system healthy! Cheers! 

Namaste, 

Karen Dubs 

www.flexiblewarrior.com

Raw Chocolate and Bourbon Holiday Joy Pie

This is HUGE - my first recipe post! This is not really 'fuel for warriors' but even warriors need to get into the holiday spirit! 

I am no chef. I mean, I cook all the time and lately more so than ever since I started health coach school with Integrative Institute of Nutrition. But honestly, cooking is not my greatest strength ... but like all things, with practice and patience we get better over time. And now for me to post a recipe I created... Well this is monumental :)

Coming into the Holiday season I had a little goal of creating a healthier version of my fave Bourbon Ball cookies which traditionally are made with vanilla wafers and corn syrup. The funny thing is I'm not even a drinker but I have loved Bourbon Balls since I was a kid (my Dads favorite too so guess there's an emotional attachment there too like so many Holiday comfort foods). 

Last night while prepping for a small dinner party (with a CSA farmer and a health coach who teaches raw food cooking classes - No pressure ;) I decided to make a raw cacao pie for desert - An awesome recipe I found on Mind Body Green in the summer. But I was out of dates and I didn't feel like running back to the store so creating a crust without my standard date and walnut combo was my first challenge. 

Once I figured out a crust and started on the filling I had the AH HA moment to switch out the water for ... BOURBON! I wasn't sure if could set right but sure enough it turned out perfect and was a huge hit at the dinner party. 

So now I wanted to share the recipe since it's a festive holiday desert and way healthier than the average pie! 

Crust:

1 1/2 cups Cashew or Almond Meal (I used a combo of both that I got at Trader Joe's)

3 T melted Coconut Oil

pinch of sea salt

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ginger

1T maple syrup

Mix together nut meal with baking soda and spices. Mix together coconut oil and maple syrup. Blend all ingredients and press into a pie pan. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 min. Let cool. 

Pie Filling: 

1 Cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)

3T raw cacao powder (I used Navitas Naturals) 

1/4 Cup raw honey

1/4 Cup Bourbon (I used Makers Mark) 

I have a Vitamixer so simply put all ingredients in the blender for about 3 minutes until smooth. But you could use a mixer or regular blender. Poor into cooled pie crust and refrigerate for a good 2 hours. I put mine in the garage to chill since our fridge was maxed out. It was a little hard to cut fresh from the cold garage so I'd suggest letting it sit at room temperature while you have dinner since the coconut oil firms up and makes it tough to cut. 

And by the way, one of my dinner guests made a raw pumpkin pie and everyone decided to have a small slice of each and the combo of pumpkin, bourbon and chocolate was ridiculously delicious. And most had a little after dinner bourbon with desert, so no lack in holiday joy. 

OK. Hope you'll try my recipe and let me know what you think! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Peace, love, joy and chocolate :) 

Karen Dubs

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Run, Roll and Stretch (self care for a great cause!)

Several years ago I was training for a 10k race and developed plantar fasciitis. If you've ever been sidelined with an injury you know how frustrating it is!

As a yogini I try to listen to my body and the messages it's sending me but in this instance I failed to acknowledge the little twinges and warning signs leading up to the excruciating pain that comes with plantar fascitis. So I ended up not being able to run for a good 4 - 5 months...

And that's when I started adding foam rolling into my stretching and doing self foot massage with tennis balls and a frozen water bottle. I became so hooked, I started teaching foam rolling in my Yoga for Athletes classes, and even in my Spinning and boot camp classes. Everyone looked forward to the "hurts so good" benefits of foam rolling that I even ended up filming a DVD so I could share the joy of foam rolling with even more.

Yes injuries truly stink but I try to be grateful for even the set backs because it's all a learning experience and I believe enduring and recovering from that pain has blessed me with knowledge that I can share with other runners as well as empathy, compassion and a new understanding of self care and how to stay healthier.

I'm sure you already know that the time you spend training is only half the battle. As an athlete, your performance is directly related to staying injury free, the quality on your nutrition plus how well you recover. If you're not putting attention into self care and recovery it will eventually hold you back. 

Here are two short videos with yoga inspired tips on how to heal heel pain and how to incorporate foam rolling with your stretching and recovery. 

On December 6th I'll be teaching a Foam Roll and Stretch charity class at Charm City Run in Timonium. 100% of the donations for the class will go to Back On My Feet in Baltimore, an organization that inspires men who are currently homeless to incorporate running to feel more uplifted, inspired and to create an upward spiral that will positively affect all areas of their life including employment and independent living. This is true flexibility and resilience in action. 

If you can't make the class but want to support the cause and feel the benefits of foam rolling and stretching you can DONATE $15 FOR A DVD at any Charm City Run location. See flyer for details or email me are karen@flexiblewarrior.com

As we head into the winter season, it's a great time to incorporate more cross training with Yoga, Pilates and Foam Rolling! Have a great off season.

Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com