EMILY SUSEN

Really digging this style, esp the Mother Teresa one. Very cool/kinda creepy. More here

Okay, I never do this, post a rant or anything personal, so apologies in advance to any readers who are here for their usual dose of Emblog-ness, but I’ve been stewing lately at the gym over this things that tick me off, and I hope my fellow work-out buds can relate. I’ve been gymming it since I was 14 and have belonged to a dozen different gyms, and these are my ultimate pet peeves. So if you ever see me at one, please refrain from doing anything on this list, or I might implode.

1.) Excessive Grunting and Wincing.
I KNOW everyone has witnessed someone doing this- the exaggerated facial expressions and weird grunting noises coming from some meathead who clearly spent more time in the tanning booth than he did in school. “OMG IS EVERYONE NOTICING HOW STRONG I AM AND HOW HEAVY THESE WEIGHTS ARE THAT I’M LIFTING?? RAWWWRRR!!” No dude, everyone is just noticing that you are a huge JACKASS and should probably lower the weights so you don’t hurt yourself (not that anyone would care if you did). I’m all for pushing yourself at the gym, but if you’re struggling THAT much, just go down 10 lbs. Duh.

2.) Weighing yourself after EVERY set.
No joke, I’ve seen multiple people do this. Crank out a few heavy reps and then go over and weigh themselves. They can’t even see the numbers on the scale because their muscles have INSTANTLY bulged out everywhere! It’s like magic!

3.) Flexing in the mirror after every set.
If anyone knows of an ab workout that immediately gives you a 6 pack 30 seconds after you finish the workout, please feel free to share. Otherwise, please pull your shirt back down and refrain from doing the Arnold poses in the mirror. You look like a tool.

4.) Women who wear lifting belts/gloves when lifting 5 lb weights.
I’m pretty sure it goes without saying that men don’t want to see a chick strutting around the gym wearing a big lifting belt (I could be wrong though?) Especially when YOU ARE ONLY LIFTING 10 POUNDS. I hate when I see women strutting around, looking all MACHO wearing one, and then get all excessive with the grunts and winces as they do 10 lb. curls. Also, if you think you’re that tough, take off your gloves and get some calluses on those manicured hands.

5.) Dancing/Swaying on the Elliptical.
It’s a MACHINE, not a GD Zumba class. Please stop dancing and bopping around singing to yourself.

6.) Wearing a winter hat and a Mank Top.
BTW, “Mank Top” is my expression for a man wearing a tank top (two things that just shouldn’t go together in my opinion). If you’re trying to sweat it out and lose weight by wearing a winter hat, great, but DON’T WEAR A MANK TOP WITH THE WINTER HAT. Isn’t that counter productive?! Wear a huge sweatshirt and sweatpants if you really want to sweat it out and lose weight. What’s the point of wearing the hat if you have on shorts and a mank?? You don’t look edgy at all, and no one is impressed by your flabby arms and tribal tattoo  you got in the 90′s.

7.) Bringing workout DVD’s to the GYM.
Ummmm… isn’t the whole point of a workout DVD the convenience of being able to DO IT AT HOME? For the days you DON’T GO TO THE GYM? Omg. This might be my biggest pet peeve of them all. People literally bring their laptops to the gym, occupy an entire studio, and do their P90X routines for all the world to see. WTF? Just roll out of bed and do it at home! That’s the whole point!!

8.) Excessive Socializing.
“Dooood I was at the gym or like 3 hour last night, brah. I was absolutely CRUSHING it”. Ummm no, you were doing the gorilla walk with your juicehead friends, comparing biceps and bench press abilities, while trying to talk to girls who wanted nothing to do with you. Nice try, brah. If you’re going to the gym, go and do what you’re supposed to do at the gym, WORK OUT.

Okay, sorry, I’m done. Just had to get that out there. When I open my own gym, I’m posting this list and allowing members to make kick anyone doing any of these things.

via Sell! Sell! Blog

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It’s probably very clear to everyone that I love the 80′s, and I have no shame about it. Go ahead and judge me for listening to “I Ran” by Flock of Seagulls on repeat. Do it.

Let’s make it happen, Snoop. What would the show be called? Martha Stewizzle? Stewartizzle and Snoop? Munchies with Stew and Snoop?

Just stop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW and go look through Vivian Maier’s work. Ready? Ok, go

Is wine Paleo? Is tequila Paleo? Sounds about right…

Today I would like to start the day with a quick morning rant. Now, I’m not one to judge others at the gym. I don’t care how strong you are or what you wear. The fact you are there, busting your ass day after day, is awesome. But, one thing I will never understand is how or why girls work out with their hair down. Did you forget an elastic, or, are you just having that great of a hair day that you want to show it off? This seriously baffles me. Last night there was a girl that did this. I mean she had gorgeous naturally (I think) blonde hair and was, in fact, having a great hair day. But why would you EVER want to keep it down during tabada hand stand holds or max rep double unders? Doesn’t it get in your way or stuck to the sweat dripping down your face? Maybe that’s just me. Girl needs a Bondi Band like woah.

 On a side note, when I googled “girl working out with hair down” I found this picture with the caption “never trust a girl who works out with their hair down”.  I thought that was sorta funny…

Do you have any gym gripes you want to share?  We’d love to hear them!

We here at SEGR had a recent epiphany after reading this awesome post on Chef Katelyn about maintaining a blog. Sometimes, it’s really hard to find the time to research a particular subject we want to post about, or set up glamorous food shots of recipes we’ve cooked. In my perfect world, I’d be able to literally sleep, eat, cook, go to the gym, and blog. All. Day. Long. Buutttttt that doesn’t appear to be in the cards anytime soon. So, guess what. This blog is getting up close and personal. Rather than go days without posting because we can’t compose the perfect article, or find food photographers to set up lighting on our spaghetti squash, we’re going to be posting a lot more from the heart. Prepare yourselves for a whole lot of random rants, ramblings, and our day to day experiences. We’ll still be spitting knowledge on Paleo goodness and kick ass workouts, but there’s going to be a lot more personality happening. You can send all complaints to Chef Katelyn for inspiring us. Ready? Ok, GO!

What better way to get a little more personal than sharing a MySpace-style creeper shot of myself at the gym this morning. I know you all wanted to see what I look like after 45 minutes of cardio and an ab sesh at 7am. You’re welcome.

The point of this photo is to not only talk about my love for all things 80s and neon colors, but my (our) newest obsession with Bondi Bands. These things are AMAZING! I’d been searching for awhile to find something thick enough to keep my bangs out of my face so I didn’t look like Zack from Saved By The Bell (you know, when his hair spiked through the front of his hat, so hot) and wasn’t having any luck. I like the Lululemon headbands as they don’t slip or move around at all, but I was getting some serious Zack action. I love how thick these are because they hold my bangs back AND make me feel like some kind of badass warrior. FTW.

Bondi Bands come in a gazillion different colors (naturally I have only black, hot pink, neon green, and bright blue ones… 80′s for life) and you can also get patterned ones, ones with sayings, or make your own! Even though they’re thick in width, they’re really lightweight and do a good job of keeping sweat from dripping into your eyeballs. However, this means that they absorb all the sweat, so they’re pretty soaked at the end of a workout. If you’re a sweaty beast like me, just have an extra one on hand to put on after your workout if you’re trekking out into colder temperatures. They legit do not move from your head, which is awesome if you’re planning on bouncing around and moving a lot.. which you should be… because you’re working out.. remember?

These things are lifesavers. I have about 20 now and stash extras in my gym bag and purse. They’re on sale right now, 5 for $5 (normally $8 each, still a great price!) Just enter the code FIVE in the coupon code before checkout. Hope you guys enjoy!

-ES

One of the funniest things about being Paleo is all the looks you get ordering at a restaurant or eating something weird at work (like mashed sweet potatoes for breakfast). As you guys know, I travel a lot for my job, so I need to be extra careful/creative with what I order. Take for example, breakfast. Every day, I order one out of the three paleo-ish meals on the menu. The conversation with the waiter usually goes as followed:

Waiter: Would you like any orange or apple juice this morning?

Me: No thank you, I’m fine with water.

Waiter: Alright what can I get you?

Me: Can I have the western omelet cooked in olive oil without the cheddar cheese, and instead of the home fries and toast can I have the fresh fruit cup without the mascarpone … please?

Waiter: Oh, you can substitute the bread for a muffin or bagel if that interests you more?

Me: No thank you, the fruit is fine.

Thanks waiter. Thumbs up 

Thankfully, I have been at this hotel now for 2 months and they know what they are dealing with every time I order. But, once in awhile I will get a new waiter, and completely throw them off their game. Poor things, its way too early to put up with my BS.

Then comes lunch. I go food shopping at Whole Foods on Mondays and stock up with everything I need for the week. For some reason, everyone thinks its weird that I choose to make lunch every day (since the company pays for it when I travel) rather than just to go out to eat. That’s when I usually have to explain to them that, although Mexicana Fiesta and Pizza Palace sound delicious, I’ll stick to my grilled chicken salad, thank you very much.

And finally, let me start off by saying I’m not proud of what I am about to tell you. I know lying is bad and rah rah, but sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Anyways, one time at work, my boss decided to order pizza for the office. (On a side note, it was freaking Upper Crust Pizza, my ALL time favorite. If you haven’t had Upper Crust, you simply haven’t lived. Seriously, its that good). SO, since I was doing the Whole 30, I REALLY could not cheat. Knowing my boss would not understand the first thing about being Paleo and why I did not want pizza, I lied to him and told him that I had a gluten allergy. I know I know, lying is bad and you especially should not lie to your boss (my mom already told me that it will probably bite me in the ass someday). BUT, if you knew my boss, you would agree this was the best way out.  When I told him I had a gluten allergy, he told me next time he would order gluten free pizza. Then I sorta felt bad. But whatever, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Have you guys run into any situations like these? What do you normally tell people? Do they look at you like you have three heads?

-EB

As mentioned before, Erica and I were super psyched about our Paleo baking sesh. We were looking forward to a night of baking, watching House Hunters, and having one glass of wine each before passing out (sweet lives). Unfortunately, I ended up going to the Celtics game Friday night (I say unfortunately because they suck this year) so our magical night didn’t turn out quite as planned. Erica got lost driving back from the airport (don’t ask her how) and I ended up staying out late and indulging in one too many Jack and gingers. Fantastic.

So we planned for Saturday at 10am. Perfect. Except a snow storm decided to hit Boston and no one decided to plow the streets, or the highways. Great. So Erica was stranded at home while I cooped up in the spin studio trying to sweat out my misfortunes from the night before. So we rescheduled AGAIN for Sunday morning, this time at 8:30am. Because it’s never too early to start baking treats.

Moral of the story- stay in on Friday nights and watch House Hunters and your life will be a whole lot better.

But! We were successful! We swung by Whole Foods and loaded up on almond flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, vanilla, honey, unsweetened coconut flakes and cocoa powder, and stevia. Our mission for the morning was to make chocolate nut butter, coconut bars, and grain free granola. Here are the recipes:

Chocolate Cashew Butter (from PaleOMG)

Ingredients:

2 cups dry roasted cashews
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla e1 teaspoon sea salt

Slash/make me really angry! My sister just sent me this article from Livestrong and I literally wanted to throw something at my computer. I have no problem with people not wanting to do Paleo, but to blatantly lie about the dangers of this kind way of eating reallllllly makes me mad. Below is the article, with my flipping out comments following. Please feel free to throw things at your computer as well and add any additional info you have in the comments!

Too Much Saturated Fat

The Paleo diet centers on meat consumption and, as a consequence, is high in saturated fats. Eating too much saturated fat can result in high cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. It can also lead to obesity and increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer. The Paleo diet limits healthy fats, such as olive oil, because they were not available during the Paleolithic.

Low Energy

Bacterial Infection

Some versions of the Paleo diet recommend eating all the food raw, including meats. Advocates of raw Paleo diets believe that cooking foods kill the nutritional enzymes they contain, rendering the meat more difficult to digest and less nutritious. Raw milk and meats can carry E.coli, salmonella and other dangerous bacteria. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially susceptible to the bacteria and should avoid raw animal products.

Lack of Calcium

Paleo diets ban all dairy products. Obtaining enough calcium in your diet without eating dairy — or fortified soy milk, which is also prohibited because it’s a processed product— can be tricky. Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and okra contain calcium, but you will have to eat them regularly in order to obtain enough calcium. Because the Paleo diet is focused on meats, with vegetables being just a complement, calcium deficiencies may occur.

(This is what I imagine the person who wrote this article looked like)

Okay…. HERE WE GO. (Sorry this is a long one guys, hopefully you’re as revved up as I was!)

1. Saturated fats – if you eat lean meat/unprocessed meat like you’re supposed to, you don’t have to worry about this. That being said, if you are going to eat poor quality 60% fat beef, no shit this would be the case.  However, since Paleo focuses on LEAN cuts of meat, this is not a problem. AND, according to new studies recently published in the Scientific American, there’s no relation between saturated fat and increased cholesterol and heart disease. And, quoting one of the commenters from this article, “Can you please reference the work that shows saturated fat consumption leads to obesity? – even better, I challenge you to find one testimonial from a paleo dieter that GAINED weight unintentionally.”

2. Sluggish Feeling – Are you kidding me?!?!?! I have more energy now than ever before. I wake up before my alarm at 5:15 every day and have tons of energy until I go to bed around 9:45/10pm. I am NEVER tired during the day and never have to have a second cup of coffee to wake me up.  Since when did carbs = energy? Never. If anything, processed carbs cause you to feel tired with the effect it has on your digestion and brain.  Plus, you get all the carbs you need from fruit and veggies. There is absolutely no reason for processed carbs to be in your diet. Plus, since our bodies cant process that stuff to begin with, it leads to leaky gut and backed up systems. (This is why my mom had bad cramps when she ate Kashi, which is supposedly really good for you…)

3. Bacterial infections – Ew, last time I checked no one ate raw meat?  Why would you do that? Paleo diet is NOT the same as a raw diet. Duh.

4. Lack of calcium – Humans are the ONLY animals that drink milk after infancy. There is absolutely no reason for it. The only reason the government had such a big “drink milk” campaign in the 50s (or sometime around then) was because of a HUGE grant from the dairy industry. I watched a documentary on this Christmas day. PLUS, you get PLENTY of calcium and vitamin D from veggies, especially leafy greens. Last time I checked, we totally have this covered. I actually read an awesome article on dairy this morning on Paleo Weight Loss Coach. (I won’t post it here and make this any longer!)

SO, take that!! PALEO FOR LIFE!

Phew.
-EB

Do you ever crave veggies like there’s no tomorrow? Big, green, leafy veggies, any shape or form. In my belly. ASAP. Am I alone in this?

Anyhoo, the other night, during one of my crack head raids of the produce section, I loaded up on kale, spinach, and carrots, and came across this wicked easy, delicious recipe on Ask Georgie that combined everything. This might have even been easier than throwing the kale into a food processor and injecting it directly into my bloodstream.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. carrots, sliced lengthwise, then cut on diagonal
5 ounces kale, washed, thick stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Vidalia onion (or any kind of onion, Vidalia’s are my favs)
4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop kale finely. I do this by running my knife through it in one direction, then turn the cutting board 90 degrees and cut again perpendicularly. Chop the onion.
3. Combine kale, carrots, onion, garlic and olive oil in a large bowl and use your hands to mix it well. Make sure all the kale gets massaged with oil.
4. Spread in a 13 x 9 baking dish and cook 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. (The carrots should be tender and the kale wilted and brown in spots.)

I took this picture before putting it in the oven.. it didn’t look as appetizing after since everything was a little brown and wilted. I ended up adding spinach to this as well because l wasn’t messing around when I said I wanted greens. I definitely recommend this recipe, especially if you’re looking for a way to take the bitterness out of kale- the onion really adds some sweetness.

Enjoy!
-ES

This morning we did an awesome warm-up that, if intensified, could be an awesome leg and butt workout. All you’ll need is either a kettle bell or barbell. The workout includes regular kettle bell swings, sumo-stance swings, side lunges and one leg dead lifts. We used 35 lb kettle bells, but feel free to scale up or down.  Anyways, here it is…

4 rounds of:

15 kettle bell swings
15 sumo-stance swings
15 side lunges (each leg)
15 one leg deadlifts (each leg)

Now for an explanation of the movements….

Kettle bell swings:

Star with your legs hip width apart and hold the KB or barbell with two hands fully extended in front of you. Squat and bring the KB back slightly between your legs and thrust your hips forward. As your hips come forward, your arms raise locked in front of you over your head. (Yeah, I look this calm doing these.. naaahht)

Sumo-Stance KB Swings:

This is very similar to the regular KB swing, but you start with your legs in a very wide stance, with your toes pointed out. This should deepen your squat as you bring the KB back. You should feel it in your inner thighs.

Side Lunges:

There are two different positions for this move. You can either hold the KB close in front of your chest or you can maintain the regular KB swing position and hold it with your arms fully extended in from of you. Start with your legs hip width apart and step one leg out latterly (as far as you can comfortable go) and squat into the unextended leg. Pull the extended leg in back into the start position and switch legs.

One Leg Deadlifts:

These are my favorite as you can really feel the burn doing it. Start with legs hip width apart and either hold the KB in with one or two hands fully extended in front of you. Slowly bend at the hips and bring the same leg (that is on the side in which you are holding the KB) back behind you, keeping your leg straight. As you bring your leg back and bend at the hips, bring the kettlebell down across your body to the stationary and let it touch the ground. Slowly reverse the movement by bringing the extended leg back in and raising the KB back into the start position.   In order to keep your balance, try to focus on a stationary object. I think balance is definitely the hardest part of the movement.

After four rounds of this, you will definitely be feeling it. As always, take breaks as needed in between sets to make sure you maintain proper form. Good luck!

-EB

We’ve been meaning to post about these ridiculously amazing smoothies for awhile now, but usually in the morning I am rushing out the door/spilling smoothie all over myself that I forget to take a picture. I can barely put my pants on and find matching socks and you expect me to remember to take a picture? Let’s be realistic. However, this morning I took the time to compose a BEAUTIFUL shot on my iPhone and was late to work. Just for you SEGR readers, just for you. You’re welcome.

Anyways, these smoothies are bomb. Really filling and full of goodness. And relatively quick to make, unless your blender explodes and gets all of the walls, ceiling, floor and cabinets in your kitchen….

Yes, that happened to me. No, I don’t want to talk about it.

Ingredients:
-8 oz. coconut milk (low fat or full fat)
-3-4 ice cubes
-1 banana
- Handful of berries of choice (strawberries and blueberries rule)
-1 tablespoon almond butter
-1/2 scoop of protein (optional)

Directions:
Throw that good ish in a blender and get down on it! Blend until desired texture is reached. I prefer mine really thick, but if you like yours smoother, add a splash of water.

-ES

Posters and a website for Slumpbusters.com.  For those unfamiliar with the term, a “slumpbuster” is someone who breaks your slump or dry spell, and is usually not the most attractive woman (see more eloquent,  Urban Dictionary definition here) The posters explain the various states of a slump, and the process of how to “bust it”, while encouraging men to join the website to share their experiences with busting a slump. The site is a social networking site, and also offers support and encouragement for men to bust their slumps, while also suggesting the best bars to pick up busters, and a chance to be in the Slump Hall of Fame.

UPDATE: Slumpbusters won a Bronze Award at the Hatch Awards in Boston!

Print campaign for Zildjian- a high quality cymbal manufacturer. The ads highlight the best drummers from different generations, including Buddy Rich, Keith Moon ofThe Who, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica. Zildjian cymbals have been in production since 1623, and the top drummers in the industry have and will continue to use Zildjian.

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An iPhone application and microsite for Posh Hostels, luxury hostels for college students who are “backpacking” through Europe (and when they say “backpacking”, they mean jetsetting all over Europe with Louis Vuitton luggage on their parents’ dime) The iPhone app helps Posh Hostel guests remember their nights with a GPS locator, bank statements, and a list of top tourist attractions they can tell their parents they went to see. The microsite allows guests to connect with other guests and  find the best clubs and restaurants to check out.

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Print ads for Nutella, “White Bread’s New Mistress”, which suggest that White Bread is cheating on Peanut Butter, and having a racy affair with irresistibly tempting Nutella.

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Seventh Generation are eco friendly cleaning products designed to keep the environment and your family safe by using natural, non toxic materials. The goal of this campaign was to get consumers to “Make the Switch” to 7th Generation products by providing easy and fun ways to dispose of their old cleaning products. The microsite hosts contests for consumers to come up with the most creative and effective uses for their old plastic bottles, and the iPhone application is a GPS locator for the nearest Hazardous Waste Facility. The print ads would be placed next to existing advertisements that highlight the negative effects of toxic cleaning supplies.

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360 degree campaign for Percept Sunglasses- sunglasses that have camera ability.  Our target audience was for people who are always on the go, particularly those who engage in activities such as bike riding, skiing, mountain climbing, skateboarding, etc. These people see a lot of amazing things, but have missed opportunities to capture their experiences because of the hassle of having to dig for their camera.  Percept Sunglasses allow them to “Live Without Stopping”. Campaign included teaser print ads, product design, logo design, reveal campaign, website, and viral video.

(please click on images to enlarge.. actually, no “please” on these ones..you sort of just really need to click the images to enlarge)

Print Campaign for Naked Juice. Concept is showing that unlike many other things in life, such as boobs, nails, or handbags, Naked Juice is 100% real.

A visual map portraying the pyschopath in Stanley Kubrick’s films. While the pyschopath appears to be a normal, functioning member of society (i.e Jack Nicholson in The Shining, or Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut) they are obsessed with thoughts of violence, sexual dominance, and control.

Cover concept for “Too Much Technology” article for Wired Magazine.