Diet Coke Marinated Chicken Breasts

So I ran across a recipe forum that talked about marinating chicken in Diet Coke, but no one posted a recipe. I thought I'd try it out- there is no shortage of Diet Coke at our place. Diet soda really helped curb sweet cravings while I was dieting for the show; I've since cut back to maybe one a week, but we've got a lot left over.

Diet Coke Chicken Breasts

8 chicken breasts

2 cans diet coke

1Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4c soy sauce

Dump all ingredients into a large freezer ziploc bag, or marinating container of your choice (I have a nice tupperware meat marinator). Stir or swish until well combined, add chicken. Refridgerate at least 8 hours. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and place on broiler or grill. If broiling in oven, cook at 350F for 25-30 min (depending on the size of your breasts :)) and if on the grill, about 6 min per side.

I make a bulk pack every Sunday, chop into slices as you can see and put in salads, on top of rice or in wraps over the week.

Today's Training

Another Crossfit workout, modified. See the original Workout of the Day here.
5 rounds for reps:

Bench Press: 65lbs for 62 reps
Pull Ups: Assisted for 88 reps
I modified the workout because I cannot yet bench my body weight, nor do unassisted pull-ups...but there is hope that with continued strength training I will. The beauty of crossfit is that today it's a strength exercise, tomorrow it could be speed, and the next, endurance. A nice balanced training regime for functional fitness- and it's fun!
This AM I ran my scheduled 3k for 1/2 marathon training and then after weights I hopped on the treadmill for 10min incline treadmill walking. Limited to 30 min cardio overall today and sticking to it. Must continue to heal from overtraining and exercise addiction. Feelin good!

Cooking with Coconut Oil

Lately, I have been cooking with coconut oil. The taste is mild, but one can definitely taste the coconut once foods have been cooked in it- which I think is great, but others may not. In the morning, I use 1-2Tbsp to cook my Egg White (EW) omlette in and it tastes fantastic. On Friday night I used it to fry up some beef strips for a coconut-ginger stirfry and it was also a nice, subtle flavour. I have totally switched from olive oil, to coconut oil; for vinagrettes, cooking and soon, for baking it will replace my vegetable oils and perhaps butter, depending on the recipe.
Organic Facts quotes the following heatlh benefits to using organic, virgin coconut oil in your diet:

• Less calories than other oils
• This natural fat does not accumulate in your heart or arteries
• Increases metabolism
• Controls blood sugar
• Strengthens the immune system
• Improves digestive health

Go to your natural health store and get some...really...do!