About Robert

Intentional eater and mover, arranger of words, mirth-loving daddy, source geek, PS partner.

Meet Nicole: finding better balance on the water

Meet Nicole D., manager at a large association in Washington DC by day, aspiring competitive rower by night and on weekends. It’s a pretty cool balance of work and play she’s got going…but one that took some shuffling of the life deck to bring about.

Seven years into her career she realized that she was on her way to getting fully indoctrinated by DC’s work culture, looking up and finding only work, wondering where all the years were going. So she flipped the script, trying out a totally new activity and getting fitter/healthier than ever in the process.

Before Changing the Script

Before deciding to mix things up Nicole was in something of a rut. She worked out periodically but didn’t have a good rhythm going or much engagement with the activity. Her eating lacked intention and interest, too, many meals starting with a box of pasta or whatever else quickly fit into a bowl. Work got the lion’s share of her attention. Routine set in. Head to office, hustle all day, and race home for a short connect with her loved one. Eat, sleep, rinse, repeat.

“It’s so easy to fall into the monotony of everyday life,” said Nicole.

Shake things up

A softball player and dodgeball enthusiast (aren’t we all on some level?) in college, Nicole wanted to do something really different this time around. “I used to always see people rowing and found the culture fascinating.” said Nicole. So at 30, when most folks stop rowing, she decided to chase a long-held dream and start.

She had to begin at ground zero. She started taking classes at a rowing school. To get stronger and in better shape she began working with a fitness trainer. And to find some time for her new pursuit she took a look at her work-life balance and started prioritizing the life part.

Eating Better Speeds Up the Process

The final piece in the change puzzle was finding a new gear on the nutrition front. Nicole and her partner Megan focused on getting more real, whole foods into the mix and worked Power Supply into their weekly rotation.

“I now understand what a portion is,” said Nicole. “The best part is that you can modify your meals, and you never really get bored with the food.”

Having a fellow traveler on the eating front helped. By sharing a similar eating approach as well as gym time, Nicole and Megan supported each other’s goals that much better and the results followed suit.

Within two months, Nicole slimmed down, her strength improved and her rowing ramped up. She finished rowing school, and felt confident enough to take the plunge (not literally) and join sculling groups.

Regattas and All Boats Rising

Once the momentum ball got rolling, it was hard to stop. Learning how to scull made Nicole want to participate in more competitive rowing.

“I plan on training to participate in a regatta,” said Nicole. “It’s my dream to gain elite athlete status. It gives me something to look forward to.” Now she hopes to actively work towards becoming part of an eight-person row-team, and will likely compete in her first regatta this summer.

Impressive stuff that you might think would put a crimp in her work style, but as it turns out the opposite has been true. With a better balance in her personal life and the confidence boost she’s gotten from rowing, Nicole finds her work improving.

“I’m a more confident and responsible manager now,” said Nicole. “I make decisions and stick to them. Not only that, I try to lead through my actions and show people instead of just telling them. It’s about being an effective leader.”

Above all, she reports feeling healthy and ready for whatever life brings. “I’m energized. The experience has helped me figure out the things that don’t make you feel well, and the things that give you energy.”

Congrats Nicole. And thanks for sharing.

Share your small wins

This month at Power Supply we are celebrating our small wins, and we want you to join us. The first step is capturing when you make a small adjustment to your day — Did you walk up the metro escalator instead of ride it? Take one more push up? Cut soda intake during lunch? Take a photo of this sort of moment, post on Instagram or send us a tweet using the hashtag #mypowermoment and we’ll reward one changer per week with a $50 Power Supply gift card. Think of us as your accountability buddy!

More on Nicole

Where she moves: Thompson Boat Center, VIDA Metropole (with Trainer Colette Beyer)

Her three tips to win:

1. Stick with it - Make goals, and even when it hurts and it’s hard, do it anyway. The reward is always worth the temporary discomfort.

2. Find an activity you look forward to - Some workouts are necessary to make the progress you want to see, even if you don’t love what is required of you. But, finding something that you enjoy and can be incorporated into your workout routine will help with motivation and make an active lifestyle more enjoyable.

3. Talk about it - It’s always great to have a gym buddy or someone to be active with, but if you don’t, there are plenty of other ways to find support. Find someone to simply talk to about fitness; Google your heart out and do your fitness research; use Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media tools to connect with individuals and information that will help increase your knowledge and maintain forward momentum. Once you have an active lifestyle, you crave talking about it with others, so surround yourself with people who want to share stories and experiences.

 

Meet Chris: small shifts lead to big gains (at gym, office & home)

Like many of the busy folks we come across here in the DMV, Chris Upham’s life is a juggle of lots of important stuff – building a career, raising a family (2 boys), trying to stay healthy, carving snippets of time out for fun. Somehow amidst all that action, he’s managed to get in the best shape he can remember, lose 30 pounds and find renewed oomph for job, family and fun too.

Pre-changes Chris

Before the birth of his first son, Daniel, Chris’ family life was pretty strained and his career was still feeling the aftershock of the 2008 financial crash. 30+ lbs heavier than his happy weight, he was out of shape, episodic with his fitness and struggling to eat well with any consistency. All in all he was carrying around more than he wanted to on a number of fronts.

To shake things up Chris set out on a series of small shifts that over time landed him some really meaningful results, but not without plenty of effort along the way.

For starters, moving differently

Among his first moves, along with quitting drinking and getting back to being more involved at church, was trying out CrossFit. Something about the supportive group dynamic mixed with the intensity just worked for him and he was hooked pretty quickly. Not that it came easy. For the first six months he couldn’t finish most workouts in the prescribed time. “It was really challenging (and frustrating), I couldn’t finish a workout as prescribed,” said Chris. “I was sucking wind.”

Eating differently really stokes the furnace

Chris saw steady improvement at the gym in those early months but also noticed some plateaus happening and that his body weight and composition weren’t changing like he hoped.

He’d made some changes to his diet but discovered the various traditional routes he’d tried – mainly whole-wheat grains with low-carb foods like turkey and spinach - weren’t cutting it.

“I lived the Subway diet. That’s supposed to get you fit, right?” he says with a shrug. “It didn’t work. I went on a journey of going around the mountain over and over again, trying to get healthy.”

Undeterred, he started asking around for recommendations and heard some consistent, new, themes that made sense. In particular he realized he needed something more than healthy grains and spinach in the tank to keep him rolling. So he transitioned to a Paleo-inspired approach (including PS meals) with emphasis on proteins, lots of veggies and healthy fats.

Within a few weeks, the results started arriving. More energy, better performance in the gym (starting to finish workouts in the prescribed time!), and fewer pounds on the frame… to the tune of a couple pounds a week going bye-bye.

Chris attributes his breakthrough to nutrition. “You can’t outwork poor nutritional choices. For me, it’s easiest to get into a state of being “all in” on eating clean…you simply know what you do eat and what you don’t eat. It’s much easier than fighting the “will power” battle at each meal, snack time, party, event and gathering. When I’m tempted by something that would be a poor nutritional choice, I tell myself, ‘I don’t eat like that anymore.’”

A different kind of weight vest

Birthdays in a CrossFit gym mean a hard workout for the lucky birthday boy or girl and any of their classmates who join in. On Chris’s 38th, all his changes and labors showed up in yet another milestone on his health path. His mates at CrossFit Old Town suited him up with a 20lb weight vest to add a little more kick to the already spicy workout in front of him. As rough as it was, the birthday WOD reminded him of just how far he’d come.

His eyes widen as he goes back to that sweat-fest. “When I put the extra weight on my back, wow, it was hard. No wonder it was so hard to finish workouts. I was carrying all of that extra weight on my body.”

Here an impact, there an impact, everywhere an impact

It’s been more than three years since Chris started making these changes. He maintains a healthy weight in the low 190s and can sometimes finish workouts among the first in his class. His cholesterol dropped from the 240s to below 170. Above all he talks about just how good he feels everyday now that he’s dialed in his moving and eating like he wants.

“It’s an incredible feeling to wake up and pull on your clothes and realize your love handles are gone,” said Chris, a confident smile spreading across his face. “I feel good and confident, and am in the best shape of my life. I can do things that I didn’t think were possible, and feel like I can handle anything now.”

Feeling so good physically has translated into unexpected goodness in other parts of Chris’ life too. He has more energy for all sorts of play with his two boys, including a promising guitar duo act with his three year old. He finds the work-life balancing act easier. Even as his business grows, he feels he can be really present at home and enjoys a more active family life, including the occasional family CrossFit workout. And away from the everyday, he and his wife Julie are planning a ten-year anniversary excursion to Jamaica (lucky devils!).

Looking back Chris points to an open mind and desire to learn as the keys to his successes.

“The experience made me more teachable. I didn’t know what I needed to know or where to get help. That learning attitude has impacted my whole life.”

Kudos Chris. And thanks for sharing.

Share your small wins

This month at Power Supply we are celebrating our small wins, and we want you to join us. The first step is capturing when you make a small adjustment to your day — Did you walk up the metro escalator instead of ride it? Take one more push up? Cut soda intake during lunch? Take a photo of this sort of moment, post on Instagram or send us a tweet using the hashtag #mypowermoment and we’ll reward one changer per week with a $50 Power Supply gift card. Think of us as your accountability buddy!

More on Chris

Where he moves: CrossFit Old Town

Daily regime:

7am - Progenex shake, banana and cup of almonds after my morning workout

10am - I eat my Power Supply lunch meal

2pm- I eat my Power Supply dinner meal

6:30pm - I eat a paleo dinner meal with my family consisting of meats and vegetables, often from the grill

9pm - I’ll often curb my pre-bedtime munchies with another Progenex shake and banana

Good-for-you eating tip:

Keep a handy supply of clean snacks and eat it before you find yourself reaching for less healthy comfort foods. For me, that’s a handful of plain almonds, a banana or a Progenex shake. Others might like a fruit, carrots, cucumber, etc.

Getting REAL

With all the terminology twister out there in the food world, we get pretty excited about efforts to help people navigate the silliness and easily understand more about where their food comes from.

So we’re proud to share this week that we’ve become the first prepared meal outfit to be REAL Certified by the US Healthful Food Council (USHFC).

Standing for Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership, Real Certified is the emerging national standard for food companies committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship.

Basically a set of values, practices and commitments related to sourcing, sustainability and nutrition, REAL Certified has a bunch of impacts we’re excited about:

  • Customers have a new and objective tool for figuring out if organizations share their commitments to these principles
  • We get a great yardstick to measure our own progress
  • And we have a clear language for communicating these values and practices to aligned chefs creating meals for our customers

We’ll be building REAL Certified commitments into our onboarding process for new chefs, and all 6 of the independent chefs we already work with in the DC area are now REAL Certified for the work they do with us.

You can learn more about REAL certification at http://eatreal.org/ We’re thrilled to be supporting the spread of this cool screen for consumers.

Meet Karen: bucking a trend & busting cholesterol at 50

Karen Hughes approached her 50th birthday with more than your typical dose of health worry, and with good reason.

“My father passed away of a heart attack at the age of 51. So when I turned 50, I was kind of freaking out.”

1 year later, after taking a series of small but determined steps, she had engineered a major turnaround and was on her way to feeling better than ever. Here’s what she did:

Starting with a simple, personalized game plan

“Every year my cholesterol kept going up, kept going up. The doctor said they’d have to put me on some kind of medication. She told me to go on a bunch of different diets, but they really didn’t fit with my lifestyle.”

Knowing she needed to make changes but wanting something that fit her life, she crafted a simple plan for shaking things up her way with three specific and manageable steps:

  1. Cutting back on dairy – Instead of removing dairy wholesale, she focused on a main intake moment, the morning coffee. Pulling back from half-and-half to just milk.
  2. Upping her intake of real, whole foods – On the food front, she focused on getting more of the good stuff into her weekly regimen with three Power Supply lunches each week.
  3. Changing her workout routine – Already a regular exerciser, Karen threw functional fitness into the mix with CrossFit, adding new movements for her body to respond to.

12 months, 20 points, and an impressed Doctor

“So I go to the doctor’s on my 51st birthday, and I go back for my results, and the doctor comes in and says, “what did you do differently this year?!””

In just a year, pursuing her three-part plan, Karen had knocked a full 20 points from her cholesterol, taking it from 219 to 190. Seeing those initial results added more logs to the motivation fire for Karen and she’s since taken things further.

“I have never ever felt better in my life. Once you get some positive results, it pushes you to want to do better too.”

First steps, then a sustainable routine

For Karen the biggest thing was getting started, getting a taste of how much better you can feel and the results you can achieve. Those are the ingredients lasting routines feed on.

“Once I started on a routine, it was so easy. You just have to stick with the routine. The hardest part was getting onto a routine but the thing is, I didn’t take big steps.”

Here’s a look at the expanded routine Karen’s now working on to keep the momentum rolling:

  1. Cutting back caffeine
  2. Getting more conscious of portion size and balance on the plate
  3. Going off white flour and cutting back on bread
  4. Exercising more and starting to track

Kudos Karen. And thanks so much for sharing.

Share your small wins

This month at Power Supply we are celebrating our small wins, and we want you to join us. The first step is capturing when you make a small adjustment to your day — Did you walk up the metro escalator instead of ride it? Take one more push up? Cut soda intake during lunch? Take a photo of this sort of moment, post on Instagram or send us a tweet using the hashtag #mypowermoment and we’ll reward one changer per week with a $50 Power Supply gift card. Think of us as your accountability buddy!

Meal container update

Heads up on the meal container front folks. After two months working with new containers for Standard and XL size meals we’ve decided to return to the previous option (which we currently use for Boost) for the time being while continuing the hunt for yet more sustainable and durable delivery options.

Short story, while we liked the new containers’ feel and that they used less material, they fell a little short on the delivery durability front as any of you who encountered a smushed lid can attest.

Both of these container types are recyclable #5 plastics, so no change there. And the one we’re returning too is widely used for its combo of relative sustainability and toughness.

But our long term goal here is to go beyond the standard on the innovation front so our investigation into both containers and advanced delivery practices will roll on. And our testing regimen will emerge with some new elements too.

The container shift will commence with meals for the week of January 19th. As always shout with questions, comments. And thanks for your patience as we hunt for always better options.

Share your small wins - win a $50 gift card

It’s resolution season 2015 (the year btw that Marty McFly visited in Back to the Future II, no hoverboards yet alas) and self-improvement suggestions abound… Top 10 lists, elaborate how-tos, tricky new gadgets and other would-be flux capacitors promising to get us to wellness faster.

Michael J. Fox admiration aside, we lean a little more down-to-earth this time of year. Give us some real examples from real people and we like the odds for sparking sustained change. Throw in the catalytic power of a well-run nutrition challenge and we’re downright bullish that good stuff’s going to happen.

So this month we’re embarking on a 2015 resolution to share more change stories (here’s mine) from customers and do more to support challenges.

Join us! Take a fun photo to highlight your small wins in the name of sharing the steps you take on your way to bigger changes. Once a week, a photo will be chosen to win a $50 Power Supply gift card.

#MyPowerMoment
How to play and win a $50 gift card:

  • Snap a photo of a small win you’ve achieved this resolution season, post it to facebook or instagram with a quick description and hashtag #mypowermoment
  • We’ll share out your cool examples so more can benefit and also pick a weekly winner of a $50 PS gift card.
  • Anyone can play. Can be about food, fitness or other resolution-ey areas. Post as much as you like, the more examples for others to draw inspiration from the better.

I’ll go first. Here’s a snap of my first ever batch of bone broth (beef and lamb bones) brewing in the old slow cooker this past weekend. Always heard I should try it, finally took the step. Small win. #curiouslystrong #mypowermoment

What small wins are you up to?

Chef Amanda and her Peppermint Patties

This week’s dollop of DIY recipe goodness comes from baked (and unbaked) goods whisperer Amanda Smith of Out of the Box Bakery. What’s not to love about a better for you version of that delightful holiday union… chocolate and peppermint?

Follow Power Supply on Instagram for more videos, and check out Amanda crafting her quick-and-mighty peppermint patties below (written out recipe after the vid)! You’ll find Amanda’s treat bars on the PS menu every week. Refer a friend to share the gift of a free PS meal with a friend or, if you’re new to PS, get a free meal with your first order.

Here’s more from Amanda on the inspiration for this recipe and the written instructions:

“I love hosting people for holiday meals; cooking is one of the ways I am truly able to express my love to friends and family. So relax a little and have fun with it - put on Stevie Wonder and know that not everything has to be perfect. But, to make it extra stress free, reheating a handful of things is much easier than making everything from scratch the day of. Make a few items in advance and store in your refrigerator until the big day. This is one of the main tricks for my no-bake peppermint patties.

Nothing says the holidays more to me than peppermint and chocolate. My mother and I used to eat boxes and boxes of peppermint bark so I wanted to find a healthier alternative to those comforting flavor profiles. I think this is a recipe she would be proud of!”

Peppermint Patties

Makes about 12 patties

Ingredients

  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup agave nectar
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • ½ to 1 cup chocolate chunks (Enjoy Life)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and peppermint extract, mixing with a spoon
  2. Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth
  3. Freeze mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer
  4. Use a 1.5 teaspoon ice cream scoop to measure out little balls onto a parchment paper lined plate
  5. Place plate in freezer to firm up mint balls; when firm, remove from freezer
  6. Squish balls down into flat little patties on parchment paper
  7. Melt chocolate over very low heat; allow to cool slightly
  8. Dip patties into melted chocolate (use spoon to drop patty into melted chocolate, dip and remove)
  9. Place patties on parchment paper to harden, refreeze if needed

Meet Chef Amanda

I grew up with a tasting spoon in my mouth, and always loved to experiment with cooking and baking. However, it wasn’t until I started following a grain-free lifestyle that I wanted to share my baked goods with the masses. So I took a risk, quit my job in the DC tech world, started managing food trucks, and eventually found my way to Out of the Box Bakery.

Don’t be fooled into thinking your typical stereotypes about bakers — I love to workout! As a former NCAA heptathlete, staying fit is a huge part of my daily life. I swapped out my running spikes and javelin for barbells and rowing machines, but make getting eight hours of sleep and staying hydrated my priority. It also doesn’t hurt when your boyfriend is a super-talented fitness guru who can program all your workouts for you!

What keeps me going, other than staying healthy and active, is a positive attitude. Knowing that life is a journey and everyday is a lesson. Whenever I seem to get into too much of a routine, I try to shake things ups and learn something new or create new goals. Life is more exciting when there are hints of the unexpected.

Hope you enjoy our energy boosting treat bars which you can order through Power Supply and the sweet treats we sometimes brew up to be included with meals.

And for a simple but delicious dessert treat you can whip right up yourself, check out my no-bake peppermint patties.

New to PS and want to try it for yourself, get a free meal with your first order. Or refer a friend to share the gift of a free PS meal with a friend.

Chef Tony and His Blackened Fish

Many of us could use more fish in what we eat but finding easy and yum ways to prepare it can be tough. Enter Chef Tony who’s not only bringing his fish-pertise to the Power Supply menu but also has a super simple and tasty recipe to offer for folks who want to get their seafood on at home with a minimum of fuss.

Great for a quick weeknight dinner or playing lead on a weekend bill, this blackened fish dish is all about fast and flavorful without the spice mixture investment.

Follow Power Supply on Instagram for more videos and check out Tony on his day off cooking up his quick-and-mighty blackened fish recipe below!

Blackened Mahi Mahi

  • Mahi Mahi Fillets
  • Black Peppercorns
  • Fresh Lime Juice
  • Tamari

Grind up some good quality peppercorns and press them into the fish filets. Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan (preferably cast iron skillet) over medium high heat. Cook fillets, without oil, for three minutes per side. Turn off the heat, immediately pour the lime/tamari mixture over the filets in the pan. As the mixture evaporates, rapidly turn the filets over several times. This is where the smoke comes in so be prepared for a little window opening!

Garnish with lime wedges, serve and savor.

That’s it, Real Blackened Fish.

Want to try Chef Tony’s creations for yourself? Get a free meal with your first order.

Meet Chef Tony

Chefs draw inspiration from all sorts of interesting sources. For me the wellspring was travel, something I did plenty of in my life pre-kitchen. For 20 years I criss-crossed the globe as an international journalist with extended stays in Tanzania and Costa Rica. After a nasty scrape with an explosive device in Nicaragua and quite enough hospital time for my taste, I turned to organizing think tanks around the world in 50 different countries.

Wherever I went as the miles piled up, I fed my passion for cooking, talking to chefs, studying recipes and generally sponging up as much knowledge as I could absorb. Along the way I also became very interested in food policy and sustainability. Then when it came time to set down the passport I picked up the chef’s knife and Sunnyside Gourmet was born.

Flying under the banner of “Global Food from Around the Corner” (coined by my son who works for public radio in NYC), we specialize in full flavored dishes from around the world like tagines, paellas and simple but bold fish preparations. All with a sustainable bent that influences how we see food and presents an important and worthwhile challenge we think everyone should tackle….

How to create good, creative foods to serve to your friends and family that are thoughtfully sourced and served with love. For me that means focusing on unique flavors, emphasizing sustainable seafood and working in plenty of fruits, and vegetables.

I’m very happy to be bringing that mix to Power Supply, helping them provide new options for people who want delicious, good for you and sustainable foods.

I hope you enjoy the flavors I’ve brought back from my many travels to the Power Supply menu. If you haven’t tried us out yet, get a free meal with your first order by following my chef link. And for a simple dish you can make on your own and please your guests, check out this video of me cooking up a simple blackened fish recipe at home on my day off.