Books, music, and more: what I'm loving this week

Sometimes we just aren't in the mood to read a big long novel of a blog post, and sometimes I'm not in the mood to write one. In honor of Friday I'm going to keep this light and offer up some bite sized tidbits of info and recommendations.

Eating clean at a restaurant
Each time I order at a restaurant, everybody at the table cringes when it's my turn to order because I am That Girl with the custom order. I often request food combos that the waiter/waitress has never even thought to put together which often generates a, "I dunno. I'll have to ask the cook" type of response. I also may or may not be the girl that takes her own Ziploc baggie of vegetables to dump into her chicken masala at her favorite Indian restaurant in Salt Lake City (ps. don't do that. It's frowned upon. Oops.) But hey, a girl has to eat, right? Anyways, servers across the country can breathe a sigh of relief because I'm on a new kick at mexican restaurants! Fajitas (hold the tortillas, beans, and rice) with a side of shrimp ceviche. Top it all with avocado, and you have a delicious, high protein dish with colored vegetables and a healthy serving of fat. Mmmm-hmmm!

Paleo Bread
Have you tried this Paleo bread by Julians Bakery? I'm so excited! Most gluten-free breads are full of bizarre stuff which I refuse to eat, but the ingredients for this bread are: coconut flour, egg whites, psyllium, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar. That is it! When I saw this I could only think of two words: FRENCH TOAST!!!

Kettelbell snatch lunge
I can't wait to try this new move that Jen Sinkler demonstrates in this circuit workout!

It Starts With Food
I've been a reading machine lately and have so many great books to recommend but the one at the tip-top of my list is It Starts With Food by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. The Hartwigs, creators of the popular program "The Whole 30", talk about the importance of eating real food and how it affects our hormones, gut health, inflammation, and many other things. They write in a very friendly and easy to understand way, so you don't need a degree in nutrition to decipher what they are saying.
Bonus: there are recipes in the back of the book!
Double bonus: I had the privledge of running into Melissa Hartwig at the gym in Salt Lake City. She is extremely friendly and personable, which makes her book that much more appealing.

Training tunes
I can't get enough of the song "Hello Good Morning" by Diddy. I play it on repeat while I train. It's upbeat and catchy!

Chicken recipe
How about this Creamy Avocado and Spinach Chicken "Pasta" recipe by Julie over at PaleOMG? Guarantee that I'm whipping this up this weekend!

1,000 Gifts
I'm digging this app called, "1,000 Gifts" (which coincides with the book). It lets you enter daily text and pictures about what you are grateful for. While you can share your entries on Twitter or FB, you can choose to keep it private for your eyeballs only. It's nice to scroll through and remind yourself of all of the blessings in your life.


Conditioning
Currently, my favorite style of conditioning is tire slams with the sledgehammer. Most forms of conditioning are lower body dominant so it's nice to get some good upper body work into the mix. If you need ideas on how to incorporate this into your routine, check out this great article over on Mike Robertson's website.

Instagram
I can't get enough. @JenComasKeck

What are you currently loving? 

I'm always looking for recommendations on books, music, favorite exercises, etc. 

Drop me a line below!