Older Bolder Life

Stronger | Leaner | Sharper | Longer - From Older Bolder Fitness

holidays

Today, More Than Ever, Enjoy Your 4th

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Today, more than ever, our team hopes that you’ll spend time with family and friends, savoring all that high summer can bring, and celebrating the 4th of July, pausing at some moment to consider many of the wonderful things that our Nation has brought forth and shared with the world. Of course there are faults to be noted in American history, and while it’s very much not politically correct to say, the good far, far outweighs the bad.

The 4th for our family, for my wife and I growing up in Texas and later raising our own kids in Montana and Utah, most often meant rodeos, either as a spectator or participant, barbecue, and fireworks under the Big Sky.

The image above is courtesy of our photojournalist daughter, taken at the Gardiner, MT rodeo a few summers back. See more of her work here.

Enjoy today and be safe out there.

Enjoy the 4th Today

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To all of our friends following along on the Older Bolder Life, we wish you and yours a happy, safe, fun, and thoughtful 4th of July this year.

Growing up in Texas and raising our own family in Montana and the West, the 4th of July very often meant rodeos (often as a spectator and occasionally as a participant), barbecues, and beautiful fireworks displays under big skies.

The image above was taken by our own horsewoman and professional photojournalist daughter Jess (of Jess McGlothlin Media) at a Montana rodeo a few years back… (see more of her work at the link above).

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Your Go-To Dozen Easter Lamb and Ham Recipes

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For those among us who for what ever reason are tuned into the ecclesiastical calendar, the Easter holiday is just a week away. For those of raised in the South, that typically meant a fancy ham would grace the Sunday table, or perhaps a leg of lamb (or even gussied-up lamb chops).

Growing up my own family leaned to the ham side of the discussion, though as we’ve raised our own clan, we’ve gravitated to prefer lamb, and in particular the Ancho Grilled Leg of Lamb listed first in the recipe stack below (and yep, I shared that recipe back in July as well). I’ll be setting that up to marinate in about a week, and grilling over oak and a bit of mesquite the next day.

There are dozens and dozens of great options around if you find yourself entertaining for the holiday; invest some well-spent time and effort in creating a tasty protein to anchor your feast next weekend. Here’s a dozen recipes we’ve kept on a “lamb and ham” short list…

Ancho Grilled Leg of Lamb

Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

Turkish Lamb Chops with Sumac, Tahini, and Dill

Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb

Olive-Stuffed Leg of Lamb

Honey Vinegar Leg of Lamb

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Salsa Verde

Mint and Cumin-Spiced Lamb Chops

Lamb Shoulder with Citrus and Fennel Salad

Libby’s Honey Thyme Holiday Ham

Honey and Rye Glazed Ham

Spicy Tamarind and Honey Glazed Ham

Happy New Year from All of Us at Older Bolder Fitness

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On one hand, we hope that the skies of your 2019 will be a beautiful tropical blue and the seas (or in the image above, the bay out of Rockport) smooth.

On the other hand, we’d much prefer you heed the advice of Mark Twain –

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.

Five Plus One Simple Suggestions for Holiday Week Success

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Last week we posted a quick read listing the benefits of pre-gaming your holiday planning; getting out ahead of the rush and bustle makes for a smoother and let’s cut to the chase – a happier and less stressful holiday season.

I suggested that you simplify, creatively meal plan and cook ahead, keep up your wellness routines, de-emphasize gifting material gifts, schedule wisely, emphasize fun, and exercise your gratitude muscles more.

Here’s five plus one more success suggestions for your holiday week…

Get Some Sun (and Up Your Vitamin D)

I know, I know, we’re at the very end of the astrological fall with solstice coming up tomorrow, marking the astrological start of winter and the shortest day of the year.

For those not outside every day, whether for work or workout, schedule some time in the sun (when it’s out!), and make sure you’re consuming enough vitamin D to make up for lost hours of sun exposure during these short winter days. Odds overwhelmingly are that you need more vitamin D in your life right now.

Double Down on Your Exercise Routines

Schedules seem to burst at the seams this time of year; make it a highly-valued priority to stay with your wellness and exercise routines, perhaps even scheduling an extra hour or two of fun physicality (you know what you like) this week and next. Traveling this holiday? Plan ahead and take whatever gear you need as well as cover gym, pool, track (or whatever) logistics before you drive or fly. You’ll be glad you did.

Dump Digital (Everything)

There’s so much good to attend to right now right at your fingertips, why waste a minute thumbing through the latest gifs, gossip, and images on social media? Put down your phone and tablet, get off your computer, and turn off the damned television.

Try a ten day digital fast and you just might never go back (we dumped TV during the holidays in 2002 and have never looked back; it’s been one of the wisest things we’ve ever done as a family).

Eschew Perfection and Have Fun Instead

You know the holiday perfectionist; there seems to be one (or more) in every family clan or group of friends. Perfection really can be (it actually is) the enemy of the good; relax, laugh more, and stress the little (particularly the inconsequential ones) details MUCH less.

Now and then I’ll actually have someone push back when I suggest they have more fun in their life, the response being something along the lines of “just what in the hell should I do for fun?” The short answer, of course, is whatever the heck you think is truly fun. Think like a kid, and play.

Have Some Fun with Intermittent Fasting

Especially if intermittent fasting is part of your typical daily routine, keep it up during the oncoming food blitz during the holiday weeks. Sure, your mother/grandmother/mother-in-law/assorted other relatives may ply you with goodies and have a carb-bomb buffet running in the kitchen 24/7, but politely stand your ground and use the WHEN principle (When Hunger Ensues Naturally) to guide your thoughtful consumption. We just did this on a quick family trip and were able to share in detail about a healthy lifestyle with family who desperately need to make a change.

Embrace Inspiring Friends and Loved Ones, Ignore the Others

Invest time with friends and family this holiday season who inspire, encourage, encourage, and motivate you. Please take a moment to thank them for their influence and inspiration over the past year, and perhaps even ponder how you might return the favor. Friends and family who like to smile and laugh belong on that same ‘much appreciated’ list.

Have friends and family who invoke gnashing of teeth, headaches, raised voices, and stress? Send a card, be polite, wish them well, but protect you and yours from their contagious angst.

Attitudes are infectious; surround yourself with happy, productive, uplifting people this season. And always be mindful of how you might encourage and inspire those around you.

Older Bolder Holiday Mains: A Baker’s Dozen for Your Table

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Though I’m guessing a lot of our Older Bolder readers have their holiday menu already planned by now, we thought it would be fun to throw out a list of suggestions for an uptown, something-different holiday meal main dish. (And yes, the list is protein-centric in terms of main dish offerings.)

We’re huge fans of flavorful, interesting, creative food, hence the inclusion of several “not your grandma’s typical holiday fare” recipes below.

And for the traditionalists out there, who can’t imagine the Christmas or New Year’s table without a medium rare Prime Rib Roast, the first link in the series is to Kenji Lopez’s Serious Eats post on Prime Rib – it’s the best we’ve ever come across; watch his video (on his site) if you’ve not before. (Image below via Serious Eats)

Break out of your routine this year and craft a culinary masterpiece that you’ve not shared with friends and family before.

The Best Prime Rib Recipe You’ll Find from Serious Eats

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Mustard-Crusted Prime Rib Roast

Ancho Slathered Southwestern Leg of Lamb

Citrus and Chile Braised Short Ribs

Roast Goose with Oranges and Madeira

Pork Shoulder Al’Diavolo

Lamb Shoulder with Citrus Fennel Salad

Seared Scallops with Brown Butter and Lemon Sauce

Spicy Tamarind and Honey Glazed Ham

Rib Rub Pork Shoulder

Roasted Pork with Sage, Rosemary, and Garlic

Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

the Older Bolder Plan to PreGame Your Holidays: Seven Essentials

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Now’s the time to proactively take some simple, readily attainable steps to make the upcoming holiday weeks something to savor and enjoy instead of “simple surviving”.

There’s nothing to follow that falls into the rocket-science level of thought, and while no doubt some of our readers are holiday season ninjas, handling the stress and frenzy of the holidays without batting an eye or breaking a sweat, there’s a useful pearl or two below for the rest of us.

Simplify (Everything)

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
– Albert Einstein

A trusted mentor years ago sat back in his chair as we sipped coffee after an early morning breakfast, and said something close to this, “…if there’s one thing I could impart to you from all the time we’ve spent working together, it would be to simplify your life. Simplify, simplify, simplify…”

My friend was also a physician, and we’d recently left busy, successful practices to together start a new practice model, the first of its kind for our specialty in the entire state (Utah) at the time. I don’t remember all the precise details of our conversation, but I’d been complaining about all the seemingly endless onslaught of ‘must do’ tasks that our new startup engendered, and how it was impacting time with my young children and my other love, fly fishing.

The call to simplify of course fits perfectly with the tsunami of activities we all face during the holiday window at year’s close. I personally find the call to simplification quite liberating, opening the door to not pursue perceived perfection (events, food, gifting, and so on) but think out of the box, uncouple from (at least some) burdensome traditions, and engage with friends and family in the moment.

One easy way to simplify? Put down your damned phone, and take a several week hiatus from social media. Watch out, you’ll probably find that social media isn’t doing anything useful for you, and never go back…

Creatively Meal Plan and Cook Ahead

For many aspiring primal and ancestral eaters, the holidays present a particular challenge when it comes to making optimal choices to fuel their bodies for the activities of the day. Carb bingeworthy, insulin-spiking treats seem to pop up everywhere, and many feel undue peer or family pressure to participate.

One simple practice that’s revolutionized the way my wife and approach our meals is to plan out our menu a week or ten days at a time. I like to do this at a time during the day when my creative and planning processes are firing on all cylinders (somewhat ironically, that’s almost always in a fasted state for me). Thinking through our favorite meals in the rotation and planning their timing according to our schedules (and even the weather forecast) shuffles all the “what should we eat decision making” into one convenient window, and saves significant time (and stress) during the week.

Our adult daughter from Montana is joining us for the week around Christmas; she’s been keto now for several weeks, and we’ve already planned out a deliciously tasty and largely keto compliant menu for her stay. Yep, there’s one not-quite-keto dessert planned, but we’ll be 97% on target (give or take a percent) otherwise.

Easy peasy, and I’ll even cook Christmas Eve’s Boeuf Bourguignon a few days ahead (it only gets better).

Cling to Your Wellness Routines, Especially Exercise and Sleep

I know, I know, this one is easier said than done, particularly if you’re in a part of the country where winter has already locked the countryside in its icy grip. Be uncompromising about your regular workouts, and perhaps it’s now time this month to treat yourself to that extra yoga class or extended hour or two in the gym/on the slopes/on the road.

Most of us, given the drastically shortened day length in December (solstice on the 21st!), feel the circadian tug to sleep longer this time of year. Don’t fight it, and there will be an event or two this month that you need to forgo to recharge your own sleep batteries.

Just do it.

Shift Mental Gears on Gifting

Probably the most cherished Christmases we experienced with both of our children at home were the years we decided as a family to hand-make all gifts. The first time we did this our kids were late-elementary school age, and we were amazed at how creative they were, and how invested they became in the process.

It’s purely my opinion, but I’d argue anywhere, anytime that the best gifts we can give are gifts from the heart, markedly personal, and (keeping with my theme) often beautifully simple. Don’t shop just to “shop and find the perfect gift”. This might just be the year when you buy/make gifts in batches (ornaments, a primal/paleo/ancestral food treat – get creative here, candles, and so on…).

Be a Crafty Scheduler: Who, When, and Where

For many, time demands escalate dramatically during the holiday season, sometimes to the point of being ludicrous. We try to approach social demands during the holiday pragmatically; there are events that are ‘must do’, we try and make those as fun as possible and invest time wisely.

There are, however, always a flock of event invitations, some no doubt by winsome folks and worthy organizations, that for what ever reason, that don’t resonate with you or present a conflict or unnecessary drain of time, effort, or holiday cheer. Don’t hesitate to say ‘no thanks’; saying no can be very empowering, gets easier the more you do it, and you need to be making the best choices with your time you possibly can. Choose the best (over the good and not so good) for you and yours this season.

Make This Month Fun

It’s amazing to me how many people look and feel stressed and harried this time of year. Seeing someone, a couple, or a group of friends, talking, laughing – obviously having real fun – is something of rarity it seems.

Have a friend or family member who always make you smile and laugh? Make a special effort to spend time with them in the next few weeks. Carve out time every week to do something you really enjoy, crank up your favorite music, and invest time with people you care about and love.

Cultivate a Sense of Gratitude

There’s a remarkable body of scientific work that’s been collected detailing the health benefits related to perceiving a sense of gratitude. We’ll delve into the science of gratitude, and its impacts on human physiology and the human psyche in detail in coming months; here’s a decent recent summary with links to pertinent research if you’re skeptical.

For many this time of year invokes a spiritual connection; if you’re one of those, embrace it, and revel in the time of celebration and fellowship. (We’ll spend some time this next year looking at the impressive health benefits of spiritual practice…)

For some, looking at life through a lens of gratitude and appreciation isn’t one that they understand well, nor is it one they’ve practiced often. It doesn’t matter, your gratitude capacity grows markedly with repeated use; start flexing those gratitude muscles today, and keep it up through the busy holidays (and beyond).