Crazy Brady’s Boot Camp – S1 Ep6

Last time on Crazy Brady’s Boot Camp, we said goodbye to Alex Hamm.

It was definitely a tense, emotional night at The Lodge, and we wish Alex all the best.

Grant:  Hey, Braylon! How are you feeling? You looked like you were going to keel over at one point!

Braylon:  I NEVER want to be in the bottom two ever again! I felt like I was going to die. I know I had some challenges this first week, but I was hoping that the people could see that I was really trying. And, I suppose they did. I’m still here!

Jayda:  Girl, yes! Did you even breathe?

Braylon:  No…I don’t think I did, heh. Gosh, it sucks that any of us have to go home; I just didn’t want it to be me! At least not on the first round.

Braylon:  I know people look at me and assume I don’t need to be here. I know I’m the skinniest person here, but that doesn’t mean that I’m healthy. I wish people understood that.

Brady:  This was an amazing first week! They all got such good results.

Viviana:  Yes! I am so proud of them. I hope they’re proud of themselves…Alex too!

Brady:  This first week, even though they probably think it was the hardest, this was the easiest week. Losing weight is easy when you go from being inactive to active; the weight just falls off! But, now that they are active and have dropped a bunch of pounds, they’re going to have to work even harder to lose more weight.

Sugar:  I think, at this point in the challenge, this is where we have to start tackling those mental battles or they’ll lose when they go home.

Brady:  You’re absolutely right! I know you and Viv plan on focusing on better eating habits this week, right?

Viviana:  Yep! We’re going to have a challenge today!

Brady:  Nice! Maybe I’ll be back for the results. I’ve gotta get going. The celebrities don’t care that I’m on this show, heh. Off to work I go!

Brady left the ladies, and they began to prepare for the day’s challenge. Once everyone was awake and gathered in the kitchen, the agenda began.

Viviana:  Good morning, everyone! I trust that you all got good rest and are feeling good about still being here, right?

Jayda:  I was SO excited when we saw Viv with us this morning! I love that woman! She is my hero. I know she still has her job as a doctor, and that’s why she’s not always here. But, I just think it’s amazing that she and Brady are taking this time away from their family to help us accomplish something in their spare time. No one has ever done anything like that for me!

Viviana:  Last week, we tackled the war against your muscles, getting them used to being used again. This week, we tackle the war in your mind! I think we would do you a disservice if we whipped you all into shape but didn’t teach you how to eat better. How many of you would say that this would be a lot easier if you weren’t thinking about your favorite foods all the time?

Everyone raised their hand.

Viviana:  Yep! I know. We all do it. Eventually, you all will go home whether it’s because you didn’t get enough votes or because you won. I want you to be successful in winning the battles in your mind at home. So, before we even get started this week, we’re going to have a very unique challenge. I want to see how much you understand already about nutrition. Nutrition is very important, so we’re putting high stakes on this challenge. If you’re not eating right, your exercise will amount to nothing. So, the winner of this first challenge of the week will get immunity in the next vote!

Viviana:  Now, I know some of you won’t like this and possibly won’t think it’s fair. We’re going to do a cooking challenge!

There were several “yeses” and grunts around the table.

Braylon:  Thank the Watcher! FINALLY something that I have a decent chance of winning!

Viviana:  Shug, I know you’re not feeling well. You should go rest. I can handle this challenge on my own.

Sugar:  I couldn’t do that. I’ll just keep drinking tea until I feel better.

Viviana:  Are you sure? We have a clinic downstairs. I could prescribe something for you.

Sugar:  Thanks, Viv. I like to try things the natural way before I resort to drugs. I’m fine. Really! Let’s get this show on the road.

Viviana:  Well…ok. But you let me know the minute you need to take a break. All right, folks! Here’s what we’re going to do:  you’re going to make a dish that you enjoy and explain to us how it is healthy or how it can be made healthier. Does anyone have any questions?

Viviana:  Ok! One by one you’ll make your dish, and then we’ll all eat and present. Shug here will be available for one tip if you want or need it. Nico! Would you like to go first?

Nico:  Sure. I guess.

Nico:  Now, here’s a little known secret:  I can actually cook! Shhh…don’t tell anyone. The element of surprise…

Nico:  I’m making fruit cobbler. I’m quite sure no one else is even thinking about dessert. I think dessert gets a bad rep because of all the sweets, but desserts can be done better. That’s what I’m going to show.

Sugar:  Fruit cobbler, eh? You really must know what you’re doing…

Nico:  Oh yeah. I know my way around the kitchen.

Sugar:  Well, all right! You don’t need any help from me! I’ll just be over there…drooling.

Sugar:  So, Braylon…I think I have you figured out. You don’t cook because it’s your job; you’re a chef because you cook, right?

Braylon:  Yes! You get it! I’ve loved cooking since I was a teenager. I just had to become a chef!

Sugar:  Well, then! Don’t let me stand in a professional’s way!

Braylon:  Oh, no. Please don’t feel that way! I might cook for a living, but I don’t know all there is yet. I could always learn something from you, Shug!

Sugar:  I’m flattered. What are you making?

Braylon:  Blackened bass!

Sugar:  Ooooh! One of my favorites!

Sugar:  You, my friend, know exactly what you’re doing. Anyone who is brave enough to mess with a bird is a cut above the rest.

Acacia:  Thank you! It’s really not hard. As long as you clean it well and cook it all the way through with drying it.

Sugar:  You make it sound so easy! I’m going to get out of your way.

Grant:  I don’t know anything about cooking! My fiancé does all the cooking in our house. Good thing it’s not based purely on cooking! I’d surely fail.

Sugar:  You look perplexed, Grant. Can I help?

Grant:  No, I want to figure it out myself.

Sugar:  Sure. May I ask what you’re making?

Grant:  Just eggs and toast.

Sugar:  Alrighty then. I’m near if you need help.

Jayda:  I don’t cook either. Well, I don’t cook like that. Obviously I do something for my family. They don’t starve! I do easy stuff like frozen vegetables, rotisserie chicken from the store, and packaged foods.

Jayda:  Ahh! Plummit!

Sugar:  Are you all right?

Jayda:  Yeah, I’m fine. Just getting too fancy with my knife work.

Sugar:  We have good knives here, so slow down and be careful. I assume you’re making a salad?

Jayda:  Yes indeed!

Sugar:  Do you need any advice?

Jayda:  You’ve given it. I think I can handle chopping a few veggies without losing a digit.

Sugar:  Ooookaaaaay. Well…you know where I am…

Viviana:  Ok, everyone! I hope you’ve thought about your dishes and how you will present them. Brady, Shug, and I will deliberate your answers tonight and announce who the winner is in the morning!

Sugar:  First of all, I just want to give everyone a hand for an awesome job done! All this food smells wonderful, and I can’t wait to dig in.

Viviana:  Nico, you went first. Go ahead and tell us about your dish.

Nico:  Well, I made fruit cobbler. Fruit is obviously good for you. It has natural energy from the sugars, and a lot of fruits have a lot of fiber. Ummm…you can make this healthier by using whole grain oats instead of the flour breading on top. The sugar can be traded for a little honey, or maybe even small amounts of pure maple syrup? Oils are a good butter substitute, so in a dish like this, extra virgin coconut oil might be good.

Brady:  Well done, Nico!

Brady:  Wow! I really wasn’t expecting that from him! I can see this is going to be a tough decision for the three of us.

Viviana:  Braylon…

Braylon:  I made blackened bass, which I think is already quite healthy! Fish have good fats that we need–omega 3–and is also a good source of protein! It can be made healthier by not blackening it so much because char isn’t really good for us. Maybe skip the blackening part and just broil or bake it.

Sugar:  Very good, chef! Ms. Bough…

Acacia:  I have prepared roast chicken served with carrots and mashed potatoes. Chicken is the most versatile meat, and is an excellent source of protein. It is relatively low in fat–if you don’t eat the skin that is. Chicken is one of those foods that can be done hundreds of ways, and is very economical. A roasted chicken can provide multiple healthy meals for a family. They can slice it up and have it with side dishes one day, dice some up for a salad the next, and an array of other possibilities.

Viviana:  Wow! You’ve made chicken sound so enticing. Thank you, Acacia. Grant, you’re next…

Grant:  Oh…soowy…

Jayda:  Seriously, Grant? At least swallow first!

Grant:  I’m sorry. I was just so hungry!

Viviana:  It’s quite all right! Everyone is free to eat. We’ve been at this all day…

Grant:  So, ummm, I made eggs and toast and bacon because I’ve never cooked before and that’s all I could manage to do. Eggs are a good protein source too. Probably the healthiest option would be to boil them or poach them. Go easy on the salt, obv. For the toast, whole wheat is always the best option. I’m a fan of bacon myself, but to make this a healthier plate, I should probably just leave it alone…or use turkey bacon if I really need it.

Brady:  Good observation, Grant.

Grant:  Thank you, Brady.

Sugar:  And, last, but certainly not least, Jayda! I see you still have all your fingers.

Grant:  And she laughed at me?

Jayda:  Yes! No Jayda finger salad tonight! I made tossed salad. It know that it’s easy to do, and it’s the first food you think of when you think about healthy eating, but you can do so much with salad. You can add almost anything you want to suit your nutritional needs. You can take some of Acacia’s chicken here, some of Grant’s boiled eggs, and even some of Nico’s fruit and have yourself a delicious and nutritious–and filling–meal! Oh, so I hope this was ok to do, but while I was waiting for my turn, I looked up some stuff on my phone. Green leafy vegetables are apparently high in fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, iron, and calcium! You can’t go wrong with salad!

Brady:  Excellent work, Jayda! Excellent work! And everyone! You all have done very well with this.

Sugar:  Ok, folks. Dig in! Well, if you haven’t already. We are done for the day. We will deliberate tonight and let you know in the morning who will win immunity in the next vote. Good night!

So, readers! What do YOU think? Help Brady, Viv, and Shug decide who should be immune. Which one of our contestants has the best understanding of preparing healthy meals and why? Write a name in the comments and why you feel this person has the best understanding. You could help influence the coaches’ decision! You may choose more than one contestant this time if you wish.