Ch-ch-ch-Chia......

All right, at CFG all the buzz has been about Chia Seeds, well that and Big-Josh's smelly feet. But I digress. Many of our CrossFitters have now read Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. Once anyone reads this book, it seems they have this uncontrolable desire to eat chia seeds and run barefoot. This book is said to be awesome and will change the way you think about running and shoes forever. So, back to chia seeds....

Here is an article, The Ancient Chia Seed - How it Can Benefit Your Health By Charlotte Bradley which fully explains the properties of chia seeds a good list of reasons they are a good addition to your diet.

Excerpted from the article:

You have probably heard how important it is to get enough essentials fatty acids(EFAs) in your diet. Some good food sources containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids include fish, shellfish, flax seeds, leafy green vegetables and walnuts. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to obtain enough of these fatty acids on a daily basis. Recently, an ancient seed has regained popularity due to its high nutritional value.
You may know Chia as the sprouts that grow on the porous clay figurines called Chia Pets, however there is much more to it than that! Chia has both nutritional and medicinal benefits. The seeds are an excellent source of essential fatty acids and are a great addition to a healthy diet.

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Recipe Wednesday----Turkey, mushroom and Leek Soup

This is brand new recipe I tried last night with great success. Everyone gobbled it up. This recipe isn't 'exact' because I don't measure anything but it's easy and anyone can make it, trust me.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil (and some butter if you're not going strict Paleo)--liberal drizzle!

Onion-medium

garlic--6-7 cloves, we love garlic, adjust for your tastes

salt and pepper and dried thyme

a bunch of fresh leeks (I had 3 stalks)--slice length wise and soak in water to clean, then chop

bunch of celery (I used it all)

sliced baby portabello mushrooms (I used two of the pre-sliced bags)

1/2 to 3/4 cup of white wine (only if you're not going strict paleo)

2 boxes Chicken stock--I use the 32 ounce stock in a box

1 fully cooked rotisserie turkey breast--pull all the meat off and dice up

bunch of italian parsely

Cook:

saute onion and garlic in plenty of olive oil (and butter which is really good with the leeks but not neccesary if you're strict paleo). Once onion and garlic are soft, add in chopped leeks, cover and cook for a few minutes. Add in celery, cover and cook again for a few minutes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Add in mushrooms and leave cover off. After a couple minutes, add in wine if you're using it. Simmer off the alcohol, then add chicken stock. Add your turkey, bring to desired temp. Serve with fresh parsely.

*Note: After I made this soup, I put it in my crock pot on low and headed off to the gym. We ate it a couple hours later.