Thanks very much for visiting From the Athlete’s Kitchen!  I’m Allison, known to many as Alli.  I love to play in the kitchen and make healthy, yet tasty and satisfying dishes, and create appetizing presentations for food.  Almost as much as I love to eat!  I am almost always hungry, partially because I am physically active and partially because I think I am just wired that way.

The recipes and ideas featured here are meant to be delicious and nutritious choices.  My experience has been that one is better off eating enjoyable meals that offer sensible nutrients.  This seems to be the best solution for portion control and good health – when food is not satisfying, we may actually reach for more of it, and when we don’t have well rounded, naturally occurring nutrients, health suffers.  There are so many food theories and diets, and many of them have great components – that’s why I find it impossible to shoehorn into just one.  For me it’s not about being a certain diet (e.g. “I’m Paleo”) although if a recipe happens to fit into one, I do try to call it out for those who prefer to follow specific guidelines.  If there are any unifying attributes, they are 1.) that I try buy local and seasonal ingredients whenever possible.  They are by far the most delicious, plus, it’s great to support local community as well as the environment at large by sourcing from small producers.  Also, eating seasonally tends to yield a greater appreciation for food and a sense of slowing down as we enjoy what’s available now.  And 2.) that I am relatively ingredient conscious.  Not so much in the sense of calorie/fat/carb/etc count, but more in the sense of whole and naturally derived foods.

I look forward to indulgences as well.  Ice cream. Pastries. Pizza. I just love it.

A disclaimer, I am not a professional athlete.  The good news is, going pro isn’t a requirement for being an athlete, or for having a sense of appropriate nutrition (or for that matter, an appetite).  The idea for this site came to be because after years of colleagues and friends asking ‘what do you do’ in regards to fitness and general habits, it dawned on me that I may be on to something. I have had office strangers ask me for workout suggestions and even had a friend ask me to write a meal plan for his daughter (which I declined!).  For years I have listened to these comments and questions with incredulity, thinking, it’s my genes or, that person saw me at a good angle but this is not really me.  Finally, after a wonderful colleague at my last job sat me down to ask some fitness questions, I accepted that maybe I have some compelling ideas and habits to share.  Full disclosure, I thank my lucky stars to have a decent metabolism and what appears to be the ability to strengthen quickly.  That said, this type of blessing only goes so far and plenty of experience has taught me that what may seem to be easily gained fitness-wise is even more easily lost!  I’ve also realized that perhaps the gains are actually not that easy, but when you’re having fun (or for most part having fun) work doesn’t feel like work.

I have completed five marathons and several shorter running races, one Olympic distance triathlon, have a handful of respectable rock climbing accomplishments under my belt, have cycled through and over the Pyrenees mountain range in too-short a time span, and hiked the John Muir Trail in 8 consecutive days.  I am also familiar with the ups and downs of athletics – I made a full recovery from a debilitating shoulder injury through six months of focused physical therapy.  When not training for something specifically, I try to get my heart rate up for at least 50 minutes over half the days of each week, plus incorporate strength and flexibility training.   Staying fit makes life easier, more fun and perhaps most importantly keeps options open.

 

I hope you’ll enjoy the food, photos and ideas!  I do all of the baking/cooking and shoot all of the photography featured on the site, and do my best to acknowledge the bones of any recipe when appropriate.  If you feature or share anything you see, please link back to this site.

Please visit again soon and in the meantime, here’e to your health!

Xo,

Alli