Meatless Pemmican

Making your own trail/workout food

One of the problems I have run into as an "endurance" athlete is that most of what is used to fuel oneself on the trail might as well be poison for what it does to my blood glucose.

The modern gels, goos and power bars are designed to dump a lot of calories into your system VERY quickly. This is hard enough on your metabolism if it is "normal" but for a diabetic, It's way too much.

So I have taken to making my own trail/running foods and drinks and testing them to make sure that I get sustained calories that are released at a sane pace and real nutrients to boot.

One of my favorite running foods is "meatless pemmican". Pemmican is a traditional Native American food that contains fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It has been used since forever as a travel ration and as a food that can be easily stored for months. As a ration it can keep you going for weeks. Along with a little pinole and beans, people have walked from one side of America to the other with pemmican as their main food source.

Traditionally, the protein in pemmican comes from dried meat, and the fat is rendered from bone marrow. Being as the quality of commercial meat is more than a little dubious, and I am not set up to properly dry the wild meat I get, I have developed this recipe that is vegetarian, (vegan even)

You will need

Piñones (pine nuts) 1/2 cup
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds, hulled) 1/2 cup
Almonds 1/2 cup
Pecans 1/4 cup
Dried Cherry 1/2 cup
Dried Blueberry 1/4 cup
Dried Apricot 1/2 cup
Dried Apple 1/2 cup
Salt 1 tsp
Coconut Oil 1 tsp

Note: the best pine nuts are from the "Pinus Edulis" (Colorado Pinion Pine) and are harvested mostly in New Mexico. A quick Google search will turn up several sources. Any of the other pine nuts will do in a pinch though. CostCo sells a large bag for a very good price.

The first thing you will need to do is dry roast the Piñones and Pepitas. I use a wok, but a cast iron frying pan works as well, or an oven for that matter, though it is a bit harder to get the right roast in my experience.



I roast the seeds very lightly, just enough to improve the flavor. If you want an all raw food you can eliminate this step, But I don't think it tastes as good.

At the end of the roasting, when the seeds have taken on a light golden color, I add one rounded teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan and stir it until the seeds are covered in the oil.


Next, add the seeds, as well as any other nuts you are using (almonds etc) and the salt to a food processor.. (one of the great inventions of the 20th century)

And grind them into a fine meal.

Then add your dried fruit.
Note on dried fruit: Be sure to read the labels when you get your dried fruit. Much of the commercial stuff has sugar added, which is really unnecessary (and potentially harmful). I get my fruit from the local healthfood store which sells certified organic with no sugar added.

Grind everything together. You may need to stop and use a spoon to get the mis off the side of the processor as it tends to be a bit sticky at this point.

Cut sheets of wax paper into appropriate size take a couple of spoons of the mix and shape it into a bar.

Wrap the bar tightly. When you have enough, seal them in an air tight bag or other container. If you keep them in a freezer they will stay fresh like this pretty much forever.

You can experiment with different seeds and nuts to develop a flavor that pleases you. I will sometimes add sunflower seeds, chia seeds or ground flax seed to the mix with good result.

Note: If you are diabetic avoid using dates. Date sugar has a higher glycemic index than glucose (date sugar is 103 to 106, glucose is 100) Dates will always spike my blood sugar.

There you have it, a trail food that will keep you going all day, that tastes good and that most children think is great.

If you try this do let me know what you think.

DC Green Muslims

How Kewl Is That?

Visit Their Blog

Musical Interlude

Yo Yo Ma and the honkers (for the child in everyone)

Getting Fit (For Sabi Honom and the Ladies of the Ummah)

I've had a house guest These last few days.

It's my dear friend Carey Rockland. Carey is one of the more successful fitness coaches and personal trainers in the Bay Area (a place with fierce competition, there's a personal trainer under every rock in SF) She is one of the people that I go to for advice on how to improve and refine my own fitness program. Over the years she has never steered me wrong.

One area that she is particularly good at is helping people reclaim the health and fitness that they have lost, so when Sabiwabi made her post on reclaiming her own health and fitness, it occurred to me that I had an interesting opportunity to do something useful.

So I pointed Carey at the various posts by Sabi and the other ladies of the Ummah and asked her to put together some useful advice for women who want to reclaim their health. (and Carey is a much better coach than Jillian Michaels)


What you see below is the result. If there are questions, you can direct them to Carey either here or on her blog.

=====================

Hello There! Mushtaq has been raving about how wonderful it is that you are all getting together to get fit! I am a fitness trainer from San Francisco, and he has asked me to write a guest blog with you in mind.

Exercise has many benefits, and the one that comes to the front of my mind as it relates to you, is the benefit of increased self-care. The simple act of making time for yourselves to get into shape does wonders for how you feel about yourself in every aspect of your lives. Being mothers, it likely often seems counterintuitive to choose to prioritize yourself any activity.

The choice to make time for your fitness will help you show up for those you love with more presence and efficacy. As your self-esteem grows alongside your increasing level of fitness, you will start to connect with yourself at this stage in your life.

In reading over your blog posts, I see an element of surprise at losing connection with yourselves while being overwhelmed with the demands of parenting. This is a completely normal occurrence. Recognizing the need to care for your health and fitness offers you the possibility of slowing down the pace of your life, refocusing on who you are right now, and can ultimately allow you to be fully present during these wonderful years of child rearing.

Your commitment to yourself and your family is the ultimate incentive to exercise. Knowing that you are preserving your health so you can be there for your children, and live long enough to see theirs, is a powerful motivator. Our minds get in our way more than almost any scheduling obstacle, because they are wired to resist physical discomfort.

Getting back into good physical condition typically includes some degree of discomfort. When the worry about discomfort arises, keep moving, and focus on the ways you are empowering yourself. Rather than engaging with inertia, move right past it. As long as you are committed to putting the time into physical movement, and you do so on a regular basis, everything else will fall into place, you will also find greater appreciation for what you see in the mirror.

One solution to finding time for fitness within a parenting schedule is to take 2 or 3 breaks during the day for 10 minutes of exercise. There are plenty of exercises you can do at home, that can be incorporated into kid time. Here's a sample schedule:

8:00-8:10 AM - March around your home carrying your child for 5 minutes alternating between 20 normal steps and 20 high knee steps. Then complete 10 squats holding your smallest child, then bend over, keeping your spine long, bend you knees and carefully pick your child up 10 times (pay close attention to your form), then lift your child as high as you can 10 times. Repeat x 2. If your child is too heavy, use two 1 gallon milk or water jugs.

12 - 12:10 PM - 5 plank walk-out push-ups (from a standing position, bring your hands to the floor (this is often taught with straight legs, I don't mind if you bend your knees), hand walk out until you are in a plank position, if you need to, drop to your knees, do one push-up, and walk yourself back up to standing. Next, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and step your left leg out to your side, perform a lateral squat step, then step back to standing where you began. Repeat on the right. Perform 20 repetitions per leg. Lastly, use the edge of a sturdy chair to perform 10 triceps dips, you may bend your knees to make these more manageable. Repeat this sequence twice.

4-4:10 PM - 25 jumping jacks, 10 one gallon jug biceps curls (or baby curls), 10 forward hops, 10 backward hops. Repeat x 3 Stand with feet shoulder width, holding gallon jug or baby, keep arms relatively straight, turn and pivot your body to the left and then right x 20 reps, one time through. Lastly, lie down on the floor on your back with knees bent, elbows under your head, eyes up, perform 25 upper ab crunches (upper abs and shoulders come off the floor) then release your head and perform 25 reaches toward your feet with your arms just above the floor, then flip onto your stomach and reach your hands and feet off the floor simultaneously for a 2 x 10 count. Repeat this ab sequence twice.

When squatting and lifting, keep your spine neutral and long - avoid any sort of rounding of the back. Keep your knees behind your toes, approximately over your ankles. When rotating, keep your spine upright, resist the urge to lean forward or back! Proper form is vital, if you are in doubt search Google and Youtube for more detailed instructions. Lastly, it is important to change your program every 4-6 weeks to avoid a plateau. If you do this program, search online for something to do once you have spent an adequate amount of time on it.

The most important thing to remember is: move! Three ten minute walk breaks during the day will serve you well if you cannot accommodate resistance exercise. If you fall out of your routine for some reason, jump right back in as soon as possible. It is better to accept short term set backs and move on quickly, rather than dwell on them. Your cumulative work over the long term will pay off.

Community is a tremendous asset. Use your network to create accountability and support for each other's exercise participation. You might try having a buddy system within the group in which you let your buddy know you have completed your daily workout.

Keep up the good work, keep communicating with each other, and do let me know if there is anything I can do to keep you moving!

Best wishes,
Carey Rockland

A Must Read

Our own Sabiwabi Honom gives a brutally honest account of what it takes to get your health back.

This is a "must read" for anyone interested in reclaiming their health and fitness,

Check It Out

Articles On Running From The New York Times

With a tip of the hat to M.M for pointing them out.

The Human Body Is Built for Distance

The Roving Runner Goes Barefoot

Barefoot Running video
An interview with Christopher McDougall

Then there are my own favorites

Along with the ones that people read the most, here are the things I have written that I rather like.


Slicing Time and Slicing Ego
I wrote this as an answer to a question from a friend, it's part of my "slicing time series".

Martial Arts and Self Defense
This is an essay on the false dichotomy that some people make (usually in order to promote the thing that they think will make them some money) between the two.

The Fine Print
Being a short story with a slightly Lovecraftian flavor.

Training and Recovery
This was some of my thoughts on how to train in such a way as to stay healthy.

Getting Behind the knife
Some of my thoughts on effective knife combat training.

The Dance of the New Moon
A Sufi story designed as either a test, or a conundrum.

The Real Origins of George Bush's Power
Another short tale drawing from the traditions of Lovecraft, Gurdjieff and Sufism.

I just got back from the 12th annual Sufism Symposium
There is a bit of mental nourishment found here.

The Descent of Inanna
A translation of a very old and interesting poem.

Did Someone Say Sex?
This one really pissed off the stuffed shirts (or stuffed djellabas as the case may be) making one of my favorites.

Enjoy.

Turning a solar power garden light into a cheap battery charger

I have always liked the idea of a solar battery charger....

But they are pricey. Most of them are between $50 and $90, but......


I just ran across this article. I am going to have to try this, being as I only use rechargeable batteries, and I hate giving money to the electric company.

Speaking as an Old Hippy

I found this rather interesting.

Looking inside the brain of someone who is tripping, from the National Geographic Channel.

Got tagged

Boy, it's been a while since that's happened.

Tagging is a game bloggers used to play back in the early ages of writing these things. These things often took the form of a series of interview questions, or just asked for a list of things.

Well Sabiwabi Honom (for the person asked why I always add that word to her name, it's a term of respect, a little like the English Ma'am) tagged me with

“5 (Random) Things That I Love.”

OK, let's see....... There's my cat

This is Wingnut. I'm not really a cat person but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was originally a kitten brought home by one of my old house-mates, but he decided that I was his human, and spent most of his time hanging out with me. I have to admit, he is a pretty amusing critter.

Then there's Frybread!

today I cooked Indian Tacos (Buffalo chili served on frybread) for my friend Steve. He is going to have surgery done on his shoulder this week, so we had a little dinner party for him after training. Yeah Frybread!

Dune, by Frank Herbert.

It's one of my all time favorite books. His whole series of Dune books was some of the best fiction I have read.

I read Dune for the first time in '65 or '66. It was the first book I read over again the moment I finished it.
Herbert created one of the most compelling universes I have ever read in and I have found the stories of Dune to be at the level of modern mythology.

Here is the song "Inama Nushif" written in the Chaksobsa language of the Fremen, sung by the incomparable Azam Ali

Inama nushif
Inama nushif (She is eternal)
Al ­asir hiy ayish (No malice can touch)

Lia-anni (Singular and ageless)
Zaratha zarati (Perpetually bound)

Hatt al-hudad (Through the tempest)
Al-maahn al-baiid (be it deluge or sand)
Ay-yah idare (A singular voice)
Adamm malum (speaks through the torrent)

Hatt al-hudad (Through the tempest)
Al-maahn al-baiid (be it deluge or sand)
Ay-yah idare (A singular voice)
Adamm malum (speaks through the torrent)

Inama nishuf al a sadarr (Forever her voice sings)
Eann zaratha zarati (through the ages eternally bound)

Kali bakka a tishuf ahatt (Sacrifice is her gift)
Al hudad alman dali (one that cannot be equaled)

Inama nishuf al a sadarr (Forever her voice sings)
Eann zaratha zarati (through the ages eternally bound)

Kali bakka a tishuf ahatt (Sacrifice is her gift)
Al hudad alman dali alia (that Alia will one day equal)

Inama nushif (She is eternal)
Al ­asir hiy ayish (No malice can touch)

Lia-anni (Singular and ageless)
Zaratha zarati (Perpetually bound)

Playing with sharp pointy things.

What can I say?

and finally there's Tanzanian Hip Hop





Largely unknown outside of East Africa The Hip Hop movement of Tanzania is gritty, down to earth, socially conscious music (unlike its competitor "Bongo Flava") Some of the very best comes from Arusha.

so there's my list.

To pass it on I tag
Janet
Tiel
(both of whom I challenge to do their lists as poetry)
Steve Van Harn
(who will need to be doing something while he recovers)
And Steve Perry
(because he will come up with an interesting list)