Cheating...or Survival?

Cheating is wrong....right? Well here's the thing. When it comes to food, I feel like the lines can be blurred a bit.


I decided that I would limit myself to one alcoholic beverage per day (not EVERY day).  In my thinking, there were several days I didn't have a drink, so that means I can use them on the weekend, right? OK, so maybe not the best idea...but when I was enjoying my delicious clean brunch on Sunday (AFTER having done a workout) I felt like indulging in one of my allowed alcoholic beverages while cooking - a hard cider. Let me cut to the chase. I ended up having three throughout the day. Is that worst thing in the world? No. Could I have had a little more self control? Yeah, probably. Do I feel badly? Not really. I feel like I'm figuring this out as I go, and realizing I had that day to be by the pool and relax and have a few ciders gave me the restart I needed to face this week head on with super clean eating and minimal to no drinking.

Sushi with brown rice

Drinking aside, sometimes I am unclear myself on what to order when out. I was taken out to a sushi dinner (I was not in the city so I couldn't go to my old standard - Hü Kitchen) and tried to create my meal according to my "clean eating" guidelines. It wasn't incredibly difficult, but there were choices I had to make. No non-soy or gluten free soy sauce available, so I did end up dabbing a little soy sauce on a piece or two of a sushi roll. 

Another thing - I had brown rice on one of my rolls (that I ended up splitting). I have come to realize that in situations like this, do the best you can, and it won't screw up your game plan. I stayed away from mayo's and sugary sauces, and kept it simple. I'm sure there was a tiny bit of some sort of mayo in the spicy tuna tartare I had as an appetizer, but that's nothing I'm extremely worried about. I don't go out enough to sweat the small stuff. 

How I created the cleanest sushi dinner possible: 

-Ordered rolls wrapped with either just seaweed and no rice, or wrapped in cucumber

-Ordered without mayo or sauces

-Sashimi and avocado are a great way to get proteins and fats and feel satiated 

-Order a side salad or seaweed salad to get the greens in if there aren't many veggies in the sushi you order

Since being back in town, I've been completely on track and eating at Hü Kitchen every day, and making due with the fresh veggies, fruits, and eggs I receive in my produce basket. 

Soca #1 Wrap from Hü Kitchen with market veggies

Wild caught fish cakes, kale salad, roasted pineapple with cashew cream from 

Hü Kitchen

My home cooked dippy egg with sautéed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, sea salt and balsamic vinegar, with torn basil leaf

Hopefully this will give you some ideas on how to make better choices. Heck, I know I don't always make the best choices, but when you try to stay clean, sometimes you get a little dirty.

Yours in healthy (ch)eating,

-Hungry Stuntgirl

Biking and Booze

Don't worry, I'm not drinking while riding. These are just a few things I wanted to talk about today. I went for a killer bike ride this weekend while visiting the family, and also was faced with the "am I going to allow alcohol" question. 

I really like wine. I enjoy it with or without food, and it definitely relaxes me at the end of a long day; that being said, I have to remember why I am doing this challenge. It is, after all, a CHALLENGE and not supposed to be easy breezy. I also have to remember that I'm trying to clear my body of toxins, and unfortunately for me, alcohol of any sort is a toxin. HOWEVER...I have decided, with Erica (my nutritionist) that we will allow a few drinks a week, not to exceed one per day/night out, and not every day. Beverages allowed will be wine and hard cider (both gluten free and fruit based). 

So far, I had a glass of wine at a big birthday party, a cider with a meal out with a friend, and a cider with a bun-less high quality grass fed burger after a long awesome day of work with some awesome people. As the week progresses and I head into week three, I will most likely keep that number of drinks pretty low. Wish me luck!

I would just like to share some of the delicious food I've been eating both from Hü Kitchen and when I get stuck away from home on set. Enjoy.

Grass fed organic burger (no bun) with lots of greens, pickles, mushrooms, grilled onion and tomato and a few sweet potato fries (cooked in healthy fats) with a hard cider.

Bowl from Hü Kitchen: Root vegetable mash, raw veg (beets, carrots, kale), small amount of organic pulled chicken, "Hü Bread" (all veggies and egg), cilantro and a touch of their house made bbq sauce

Hü Kitchen "Bonito" mash bowl: Organic fresh made almond butter on the bottom, nut and seed grain free granola (go to Hü Kitchen for ingredients), blueberries and cashew coconut cream

Clean eating never tasted so good...

Yours in wine and cider,

-Hungry Stuntgirl

Leftovers and Rashes

One of the hardest parts about living alone is food shopping. Well, I think food shopping for one can be difficult. It means you have to either buy super small portions of things, or by regular portions and just eat that same thing before it all goes bad. Buying smaller portions also usually means you are paying more for extra packaging and portioning. So, this has been a challenge for me: Re-using veggies, eggs, and even seasonings and dressings that I make and keeping it interesting. This is what I did yesterday:

                                                

Two "dippy" eggs, pan fried sweet potato "fries" in coconut oil and sea salt, fresh Israeli inspired "Italian" cucumber salad with tiny heirloom tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil and sea salt

                                                

Tuna salad (white tuna in water drained, black beans, whole grain mustard, 2 small anchovies, olive oil) wrapped in huge leaf lettuce wraps like burritos, side of leftover cucumber salad

Earlier in the week I had sweet potatoes. I actually try to keep them in my diet earlier in the day because they are what is called "tubers," which are very helpful for energy, and not as starchy as a white potato.  Needless to say, you'll probably see them pop up a lot in my meals; but even though I love them, it's hard to keep it new and fresh. I decided to use coconut oil this time and just plain old sea salt since I knew I was making a little salad with vinegar.

I have a ton of vegetables but can really only conquer a few at a time. Yesterday I chose to use the rest of the cucumber I had used in my quinoa salad from a few days prior. I am definitely learning as I go, and even re-using dressings or components of the dressings like the whole grain mustard and anchovies from my "caesar"-ish dressing from earlier in the week.

These at home meals combined with my prepared meals from Hu Kitchen are keeping me on my toes, and making every meal a new experience. Eating cleaner has been a DEFINITE challenge, but when I see things like this happen to my body, I'm definitely more motivated to stay on track:

                                      

My skin on my inner thigh one week before eating clean, then again last night.

I don't know if you can see it that well, but that is a skin irritation I have (eczema) that has cleared up due my clean eating habits I am forming. There really is no other explanation. This has happened before when I have done this sort of "detox" from dairy, sugar and gluten. It is amazing how the body reacts to real, clean foods. I am still feeling the affects of this detox and feeling pretty sluggish and tired, but I just have to remember I just began and drink plenty of water. In another week or so I should be feeling back to normal (or hopefully better) - and maybe a little less addicted to sugar!

How are YOU doing on your "challenge," whatever that may be? How do you deal with leftovers? I will keep trying to make this a little more interesting as we go with my own home cooking. 

Here's to making leftovers more delicious the second time around...

-Hungry Stuntgirl

Fat, Fun, and Sugar

I like all those words. Usually, they all go together - fat, fun and sugar - it's like the recipe for a good time! That being said, that's not what we're going to talk about today. Today, I am going to respond to a few readers (I know, crazy...I have readers!) and address some points.

Fat. No, I don't think I'm fat. Do I have slight body dysmorphia? Sure. Do most people in fitness and many (mainly females, but I'm sure males also) people in the entertainment industry also suffer from some sort of body dysmorphia based on what we think we SHOULD look like? Of course. Do most people in general? Yes. I'll dig a little deeper into this in a later post. For now let's focus on why, on the body image front, I'm doing this challenge.

My everyday routine revolves around my career. I want to be the best stuntwoman I can be, and as prepared for work as often as possible. The short answer is that I know I may have a slightly askew vision of my body, however the more condensed I can get my body, the better I can perform my job and fulfill some of the more common body type requirements for stunt doubling. Which is why I started this blog - to [hopefully] show that you can create amazing clean food and work it into a lifestyle of the average hungry person, and still be able to workout and be well fueled.

Fun. I got an email recently from a lady is concerned about my focus...that I may not be having enough fun, or at least not writing about it enough. Here is an excerpt:

"You're young, living in one of the greatest cities in the country with a cool career and so much to do and experience. Maybe include some of how you incorporate such an active lifestyle while maintaining a healthy diet... MAKE IT FUN!!!"

Let's just get one thing straight: If I'm not having fun, what's the point? The reason I do stunts is because I love everything about it and can't see myself doing anything else. Yes, I'm really hunkering down and making a choice to eat clean as a lifestyle, but I am by no means making this a daunting task, or refraining from being social. I am most DEFINITELY going to keep doing the things I love. HOWEVER, I will be approaching things form a clean standpoint and making better choices. I am eating clean not only for my physique, but also for the longevity of my body inside and out. So, thank you, reader! I will definitely try to share with everyone how I manage to make fun out of every single day; but just so you know, I think gymnastics and skateboarding are pretty fun.

Sugar. It has come to my attention that the types of sweeteners I'm allowing is a little unclear. So let me break it down:

-NO Refined (white or processed) sugar - this includes standard table sugar, syrups, or anything processed to death

-NO Cane sugar - this means no raw sugar cane, or any sugar from the cane due to it's extremely high glycemic properties

-NO Artificial Sweeteners - this includes Splenda and Equal

- NO Corn products - no corn syrup of any sort - high glycemic and hard to digest

-YES to stevia in the Raw, honey, maple syrup, agave (limited), and coconut sugar (lower on the GI)

Although I do have some natural sweeteners on the the list, I will use them sparingly, along with my daily fruit intake. Sometimes, I just need a little more sweet! 

Hope this clears some things up, and keep those emails and questions coming! Off to go throw some barbells around now...

With sugar (and by sugar I mean natural unprocessed sweeteners) and spice and everything nice,

-Hungry Stuntgirl

Gymnastics and Chia Seed Pudding

Today was great. Still becoming accustom to my clean eating habits, but feeling great after two pretty decent training sessions. I've noticed that when I get hungry or feel tired, I would - get this - EAT! Not a bunch, and not anything crazy either... I found myself hungry shortly after my amazing lunch (made by me) so I grabbed a few almonds and blueberries and I waited to see what would happen - and POOF! I'm good! I had energy and felt totally satiated. Plus, my organic blueberries are so tasty and sweet.

Breakfast: Matcha latte, seasoned sweet potato fries in coconut oil, 

pan steamed asparagus, and a dippy egg.

Lunch: Kale and red lettuce salad topped with 1/4 cup black beans,

1/4 cup left over quinoa salad, homemade dressing, and a fried egg and bubble water

Snack: This made my day! Chia seed pudding (chia seeds soaked in coconut milk, vanilla and chocolate), strawberries, and toasted coconut clumps

Dinner: Endive filled with Kipper salad (organic smoked kipper with whole grain mustard, 2 small anchovies), snap peas and hummus

After an amazing gymnastics session at Chelsea Piers, I had a KILLER spin class with the one and only Ms. Kira Stokes at Revolve cycle studio in Union Square...and I think it was that snack that kept me going after an hour of high intensity sweating and cycling. 

Time for a tall glass of water and bed time...

Think happy thoughts....

-Hungry Stuntgirl

And So It Begins...

Day one of this challenge: DONE-ZO! I did a nice balance of veggies in my produce basket and an awesome and delicious meal from Hü Kitchen. First days are always fun and you still have those goals right in front of you so motivation is super high, no matter how unfulfilled you are by your sugar cravings. I am fully aware that each passing day, at least in the beginning, will be increasingly difficult as I figure out what foods to eat when and maintain my energy levels and calm my cravings.

I made an amazing quinoa salad...although I don't have exact measurements. I realize now I should probably keep track of these things in case one of you out there reading this wanted to try it. Here is the basic idea:

Red quinoa, diced cucumber, orange bell pepper, asparagus, zucchini, and home made pesto (basil, parsley, walnuts, pine nuts, olive oil and safflower oil, garlic and sea salt) and some balsamic vinegar to taste.

My Summer Veggie Red Quinoa Salad

Had a great lunch at Hü Kitchen (Grand Master Veg - I will explain this dish in another blog) and along with the quinoa salad, made an amazing Kale salad with home made eggless caesar dressing (lemon, whole grain organic mustard, local honey, olive oil and safflower oil, and 3 small anchovies). 

I was hungry at the end of the day (surprise) because I had been taking in so many extra calories and sugars this past month, so I treated myself to one row (two small squares) of Hü Kitchen's chocolate with sea salt (THREE ingredients: cacao, coconut sugar, and sea salt). I left my cravings at that for the day, had a nice big glass of water, finished up some work on my computer and headed to bed. I still have those goals clear in sight, and want to empty my body of toxins, yay!

Exercise is also very important, so I started my day of coaching CrossFit very early, and was able to work on some olympic lifting and later in the day did some fight training. I definitely need energy to get through my workouts, or else what is the point, right? 

Just a little post to jump start my 30 days...here's to 30 days (and hopefully beyond) of clean eating!

Yours in skateboarding and eating,

-Hungry Stuntgirl

The Hungry Stuntgirl

Hi. I'm Heidi. I like food. A lot. I am also a professional stuntwoman and a part time CrossFit coach. I enjoy cooking almost as much as I enjoy eating - which can be a problem in my line of work. Although I work out several different ways and quite often, what one puts in their mouth (food) is really up to 80 percent of the body battle. I would like to think I have a pretty sophisticated palate, and I am always going out and trying new foods at new restaurants (when the wallet allows). Often times, I would post food I would find or cook on my other social media outlets (twitter and instagram @stuntgirlheidi) and get messages almost daily from friends and followers to start a blog. I have only attempted one other time to create a blog, and I think I successfully posted four times...whoops.

So, to be sure that I follow through, I have decided to launch this blog with a challenge. Being that I am a very active individual, injuries are bound to happen from time to time. Recently, I have been taking SOME time off of training and taking it easy for about a month or so and not doing the high intensity workouts I'm used to. Problem was I kept eating as if I were still working out to that intensity, and put on a few extra pounds. This is not that big of a deal for most, however, I'm sure I could get a bunch of women to agree - those extra pounds seem to appear so fast, and seem to take forever to get rid of.

Here is the challenge - 30 days of clean eating. What is clean eating you ask? That may sound boring, or uninteresting perhaps; but I have decided to make it my mission to show you how interesting and delicious and creative clean eating can be with the help of my good friends at Hü Kitchen in the West Village/Union Square area of Manhattan, and certified nutritionist (MS, RD), trainer and CrossFit coach Erica Giovinazzo. After sitting down with both the owner of Hü Kitchen and Erica, I discussed my concerns and foods I wanted to avoid and foods I wanted to keep to a minimum, and we came up with a plan for my specific, personal dietary needs. I am NOT a nutritionist, and NOT a chef, rather, an enthusiast and creative home cook.

Here is my 30 day plan in regards to food:
-No grains - exceptions: Gluten-Free Steel cut oats, quinoa (technically sprout I believe)
-No Dairy - exceptions: the OCCASIONAL addition of sheep or goats milk cheese as garnish
-No refined sugars, NO exceptions and NO cane sugar
-LOTS of fresh veggies and the occasional fruit - less fruit than veggies
-Minimal meat - little to no beef (personal preference)
-Fish and other seafood
-Only farm fresh organic eggs from either Hü Kitchen or my local produce delivery farm
-Beans (black, lentil), vinegars and high quality oils (no canola oil) are allowed
-Nuts and Seeds are OK

This is just my basic outline of what foods I will be eating. Exceptions besides no refined sugar may creep in here and there as I do more research and as Erica plots my meals and portion control.

Directly from the Hü Kitchen website:

EAT CLEAN

Ensure that your food is as free as possible from foreign, toxic chemicals and genetically-modified ingredients. Be smart about what needs to be organic. Demand the organic seal or verification of organic practices on food items where you feel susceptible to ingesting an unhealthy amount of toxic chemicals. Our lettuces, thin-skinned fruits, coffee, wines, beers, poultry, and eggs are 100% organic and everything at Hu is non-GMO and always will be.

Plus...Hü Kitchen has some pretty amazing and tasty treats that fit into all of my guidelines, so I'm pretty stoked.

In addition to the food aspect, I will be posting most workouts and physical activities; however, the focus of the blog will indeed be on food and my attempts at cooking food as good as the stuff I will be eating from Hü Kitchen.

I encourage you to do a challenge with me, and post any comments to this website or to photos I will post to instagram or twitter (@stuntgirlheidi). I will be posting some pictures and meals every day on this blog, and completely welcome any input. At the end, I will post before and after pictures of the transformation of my body, but don't want to spoil anything by posting sports bra and short shorts pictures too soon...

Challenge starts NOW!

Until next time...

-Hungry Stuntgirl