Almond Flour Crusted Tilapia

                               

          Last time I updated you all, we were about to begin Open 14.2 of the Reebok Open. Now, the Open has been over for a little over two weeks and the Regional athletes have begun their training. At the end of the Reebok Open, Tom finished 11th and I finished 28th. It was a long five weeks, but we are officially registered for the Mid Atlantic Regionals. We will both be competing as individuals. We are very lucky and blessed for this opportunity, and we get to do it together! I want to thank all of my training partners for supporting me physically, mentally, and emotionally throughout the grueling rollercoaster of ups and downs of the past year and throughout the Open. I really would not be getting this opportunity if I didn't have people constantly pushing me and wanting the best from me. I also want to thank the staff and members of my gym, Crossfit Huntington. Every week of the Open, our members would come early before their WOD, stay after, or even come in their jammies (Kim!) just to watch us complete the workouts and show us some love. I am very fortunate for the kindness and support of my gym. I am honored to represent them and wear the Crossfit Huntington name at Regionals. I have the best job in the world.            
          I also want to take this opportunity to tell Tom how proud I am of him. Recently, someone asked us if we enjoyed getting to workout as much as we do. I wanted to take his time to brag. Little do most know, Tom works at minimum 48-50 hours a week at his full time job (which has been up to 64+ hours a week), coaches at CFH 2-4 hours a week, and then finds time to train and try and enjoy any spare time he can find. I am very proud of how hard he works. He is a fighter, and he deserves this Regional opportunity. He has worked so hard for it.
          It is easy as a busy student, coach, Crossfitter, etc to look at others around you and kind of give up on your diet. While I haven't fallen off of the wagon so hard that I cheat at every meal, I have cheated a lot more frequently than I ever used to. We see so many elite athletes eat whatever that want (to an extent) and we think that we can do the same thing. What I have learned, through trial and a lot of error, is that people can take both extremes of eating. Some athletes make it so strict that they restrict their training, and others eat whatever they chose and still end up displeased with their performance. I personally feel my best whenever I ate almost 100% strict Paleo, with some dressings/sauces on my foods especially when going out to eat. I am going to stick to this as I continue Regional training. My advice is to do what is best for you and what makes you feel the best about yourself. Please eat enough though! I see so many people restrict themselves so much when eating clean. You have to eat a little more to get those calories in, but do not let that discourage you. If you are working out hard, you need to replenish.
          I promise I am moving on to a recipe now. Since my training has definitely increased in volume, my school work has picked up since we are nearing the end of the school year, and I have been coaching a lot as well; cooking has been simple. At times, I think the more basic it is, the better it is. I have been eating mainly eggs and a lot of lean meat/fish.

Almond Flour Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients: (per filet)

• 4-6 oz tilapia filet (fresh or thawed)
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 1 pinch of garlic powder
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1-2 tbsp. of almond flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

1. Place your olive oil in a pan over the stove top. Warm the olive oil at low to medium heat.
2. While the pan heats, mix the spices and almond flour in a Tupperware container. I poured them all into the same container ,and then I placed the Tupperware lid on. Shake the container to mix the spices.
3. Next, take the lid off and place on filet in the container. Place the lid back on. Shake the container, covering the filet in flour and spices.
4. I said in the ingredients that this is per filet. I have experimented with these a lot, and it is the easiest to prepare one at a time. After you have one filet covered, place it in the pan and begin to cook at medium heat. Flip and be sure both sides are browned. You want to make sure you cook these thoroughly. Enjoy with some fresh veggies!

* You can add the other filets in the pan at the same time, but preparing them separately is the best option. You will need enough spices to complete the ingredients for each filet.

          One last fun and exciting thing to share, I recently became sponsored by an awesome God/Crossfit loving company, Level 1 Apparel. They are backed by a great family who love their fitness and faith. They create clothing that mean something to the individual wearing it and that is what I love most. You get to wear awesome designs that stand for something so much more. I am extremely blessed to be apart of their company, and I hope to represent them in a positive and professional manner. Here are two of their new ladies tank tops! Check out their site for new Spring/Summer workout and everyday wear. Also, if you have time, check out my athlete profile on their site, www.leveloneapparel.com!