Going Paleo

Almost There

2011-11-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today some of the little family that we have made with this Paleo Challenge are done there adventure. I am not I still have 1 week to go :). Tonight we are having a Paleo Potluck to share how it was and to talk about where we go from here. This is such a great improvement of health I for sure do NOT want to be done with Paleo after this challenge is over.

My Reasons for Staying Paleo

I have had several people in the last couple days tell me how good I am looking
The food tastes great and does not make me feel like junk
My skin is nicer and my hair is smoother/ stronger
I have more energy
and well I enjoy it!

I am excited to hear about everyone's adventure and how everyone is doing now, everyone is looking so good and everyone has been having such different results.As I was looking through Pintrest (well because I am obsessed) thinking about all of this and I found this picture

This really shows how people really need to stop being so obsessed with weight. It is only a number and there are so many other factors that we can look. Muscle weighs more than fat I am sure everyone has heard that before but it also looks leaner and nicer. Different body types weigh differently there is no way that I am going to bring myself down to weigh 110lbs, not possible and I am okay with that.This girl had gained weight but obviously lost some inches and gained some strength. So before crying while standing on the scale find some other ways to look at your progress.

Here are some ideas:

Measure yourself instead of weighing, use a measuring tape and measure around your arms, chest, belly, but and legs. Do this once in a while (not all the time) to see if you are getting smaller not lighter.
Notice how your clothes feel on you, are they looser, comfier, not fitting anymore.
Look at yourself in the mirror (without clothes) often, notice how you look and if you see any differences.
Record your workouts, keep track of every workout you do, how far you ran how fast, how much you lifted how many times, and notice strength and speed increases.

Don't let the number on your scale be something you obsess over, take it with a grain on salt and know that it is going to go up and down for no reason, and something I try to do is take pride in not looking my weight. I weigh a lot more than what people would guess and that is okay I know it is because I work on my strength, and I like being strong. So be happy with how you look not what your scale says.

Again in the last few days I have tried some new things.

Chicken with Asparagus

For this I took a chicken breast and baked it. I then Pureed tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions, salsa and some seasoning. I also boiled the asparagus for about 1 min. When the chicken was almost done I then put the asparagus on the same pan as the chicken and covered the chicken with my tomato mixture and finished cooking. This was delicious. I am really starting to enjoy asparagus and have been eating it quite often.

Steak and Cauliflower

So this is a steak that I cooked in the oven ( it was a cold night and I did not want to BBQ). I coated the steak in almond flour and spices (lots of pepper). and than cooked it. I then boiled cauliflower and pureed it with seasoning and a little bit of beef broth.

Another thing that I tried out this weekend was some Yoga. I have done yoga before but this was the first time that we had done it at the Gym. There was such a good turn out I was happy to see so many people coming in to give it a go. This is something that I think I could make into a regular thing. It is always good to try new things that keep you moving. (sports, dances, exercise classes, yoga, etc.) This keeps your body learning new movements and growing into a mean lean fitness machine.

I also had soccer on the weekend. This game was a late Friday night game it did not start until 10:00 PM. This was a little different for me as I am usually not in that kind of zone at that time of night. I was a little tired from the day. We only had 9 players show up and we were all looking a little groggy. but once the game got started everyone played so well and we had a lot of fun even though we did lose and we were all very tired by then end. Once I got home one of the down falls to this late game was I was wide awake and full of energy from all the adrenaline and running around. This did take a little bit to calm myself so that I could just relax for the evening. When I play soccer or run in general this picture depicts how I feel.

As I am always looking around the Internet for different ideas and tips I found these Paleo tips from a blog eating and other stuff that is about a couple who have finished the Whole 30. So here are their tips on staying successful.

-Always have some kind of salad greens on hand. Salads are easy to make and you can load em up with anything you want (bacon, egg, veggies, leftover chicken, canned tuna, etc…).
Our lil cobb
- Learn to make burgers with grass-fed beef. A good, hot cast iron skillet, sea salt, and good meat are really all that you need. Shoot for about ¼ to 1/3 pound per patty. Cook em up, top them with virtually anything that sounds good and put it on top of some greens. Good, healthy, and EXTREMELY customizable.
- Buy a slow-cooker. These are the BOMB. You can cook big, cheap cuts of meat without much effort. We do this once a week and it makes plenty of leftovers. Try pork butt (shoulder), roasts, or short ribs.
Carnitas slow cooked
- Speaking of leftovers…when you cook, cook too much. I almost never cook a lunch, but lunch is always homemade. Leftovers are necessary for Paleo-survival.
- Buy tons of eggs. Hard boil them for portable protein.
- Feed the dessert beast. If you must have something sweet, try fruit. If regular fruit isn’t enough, try adding heat (bake or sauté) and some cinnamon.
Baked apples with cinnamon (dessert!)
- And finally, leverage the Pros. If you are running out of ideas, or if you are craving some specific dish but don’t want to cheat, chances are that someone out there has an answer. I google “Paleo (insert dish/ingredient here) recipe” almost daily. There are TONS of resources out there.

I am almost done this challenge but the Paleo lifestyle will not be ending and hopefully one day I will be a pro at it and maybe even get my Ryguy to join in.

Half Way!

2011-11-02T12:22:00.000-06:00

So I am half way through my 30 days of strict Paleo. Everything is going great all of the side effects I was having at the beginning are gone, no extreme thirst or anything like that. I have been able to find lots of yummy and easy recipes, I am not eating as often or as much as I used to and I don't feel hungry because of that. My workouts are just as strong as they were before, I am also finding that I am recovering from workouts quicker and I am not getting as sore as I used to.

The last couple days I have tried a couple of new things first is that I have noticed that I have kinda been using fruit as a comfort food, when I feel snacky or like something yummy I go and grab a handful of grapes or a couple of strawberries. I read on some one's blog (I don't remember which one as I read several a day) that fruit is like Paleo candy and you wouldn't eat candy everyday before you were Paleo so you should not be eating fruit everyday.

This upset me a little because I really do enjoy my fruit, on its own, with breakfast, after a workout, in my salads, but after thinking about it maybe I do need to keep my fruit intake in check and try to limit it. So I went all day yesterday with no fruit and well it was pretty darn easy actually. I just packed yummy veggies that I like instead of an apple and when I wanted to just snack on some grapes I just didn't eat anything. I have found that when I am feeling a little snacky if I just have a glass of cold water it seems to help take it away. That is something that I have heard before that most times when people are "hungry" and feel that they need to have a snack that they are really just thirsty and confusing the sensation. So this may be some explanation.

As it is half way to the end. (of the 30 days because this Paleo will not be ending) our little group received an email from our Ring Leader B. This is the email:

Hey Paleo Pals!

Wellllllll......the good news is that our 30 day challenge is at its half way mark! Is this a good thing? I ask myself this question because as all great things in life, they must come to an end. BUT do they really? I know you guys are starting to sweat, is this crazy woman going to make me do this challenge for another 30 days, will she make it worse and make it a 3 or 6 month challenge! What I am hoping is just that, that you have made it through something that you may not have been interesting embarking on solo and will continue.

With our comrades by our sides it makes it less scary AND we are more accountable to be apart of something. In this case a group challenge that has everyone doing their OWN personal challenge. Maybe it was the sugar demons that you wrestled with, coming out on top and having hog tied the little suckers! Maybe it was becoming more conscious of where your food comes from. Or realizing that your snacking was the brat that needed a time out. Whatever your reason to give Paleo a go remember what you really gave yourself: "Me time", respect, health, positive energy, self discipline, accountability......oh the list goes on!!!

So here comes the homework! I want you to reflect on the past few wks. Make some time to grab a cup of tea, a pad of paper and a pen. I want you to spend some time writting a letter to your self. Tell him/her how proud you are of the determination, amount of time spent planning meals, sticking to a plan, etc. Remind your old self of how you used to get through your days, what your sleeping patterns where like, whatever you want to tell them. THE point is that challenges and success in our lives teaches us and gives us hindsight. That's what I want you to tell your old self! Also, make a pledge to your former self that the 2 of you will never meet again! It was fun well it lasted, but like ex's......there is a reason you moved on without 'em!

SO am I implying that you will NEVER EVER EEEEEEVVVVER eat shitty, processed food or booze again..........you get to decide :0) Let me know how you do with this little task.

Cheers!

B

You can just feel the motivation pouring out of her! I love it! She really does a great job of keeping us all going! We would truely be lost without her knowledge and guidence :) But, Homework huh? she did later call it selfwork instead of homework which I enjoyed a little bit more it seemed a little less forced although I will do it as I know she could definately kick my butt so I better stay in line ;)

My Relection

Dear Self:

GOOD JOB!!!! I am so happy that you have been able to do this. I know that this is something that you have thought about doing for a long time and to finally commit to do it is great! Now for future goals I need you to stay on this road and keep not giving into temptation even when you dont have the pressure of this challlenge to help you. Stay away from all of the food you used to eat and you know makes you feel like junk. A little indulgence every now and then will be tolerated but try to keep it to a minimum okay?!

Keep up the good work and keep feeling AMAZING and more and more of your goals will be possible.

Sincerely
Jasmine

Here are some of my recent workouts that some of you may want to give a try.

WOD

100 push ups

- You can only rest in a full plank position, if you rest with your chest on the floor ( you can no longer do a push up) you immediately do 10 burpees.

Time: 5:36

WOD

5 rounds for time

- 5 Hand Stand Push Ups

- 5 Deadlifts 155lbs

Time: 3:28

* my little bother beat me at this workout and he was so darn proud of himself, he doesnt usually get that pleasure but since he does modified HSPU he had a little bit of advantage but I was still a little erked, I don't like to lose. But it is always in good fun *

I train a couple of young girls and we regularily talk about my challenge as it kinda boggles their minds a little bit on what I eat. They do not understand how I eat lunch if I cannot eat a sandwhich. This is something that comes up from a lot of people. "What can you eat? That cuts out EVERYTHING!" and as we Paleoers know that is not true in the least. You just need to start getting creative and thinking outside the box, get away from this standard meal plan of meat and potatoe or pasta thing that we all seem to be obbsessed with. This also came up today when I was listnening to the local radio Kraze 101.3. They were talking about a Paleo Restaurant (I did not hear where it was located) and they immediately were commenting on how gross that would be and criticiznig everything about is when they knew nothing about it except two dishes that they served. This upset me a little bit as they are people that people are listening to and they are giving this bad opinion about it. After I heard this I went and googled restaurants to see if I could find one as I have wished for a long time that there was one around, I would go there for sure. I did find one however it was in Berlin. A little bit of a travel for lunch.

I think that this is such a great idea and that something like this would maybe help mre people realize how good the food can be and all of the different ways you that you can cook things and make some yummy dishes and it would be great inspiration for trying things at home. So maybe one day someone will do this here. And if you know of one that is near by, somewhere in Alberta please let me know as I would love to try it out.

So while we are talking about trying new things I have tried a couple here myself. First being this Chicken and Cauliflower

This was so good I found it on a blog called "she cooks he cleans" This was a really good site, she is a mother that cooks paleo for her children and I really like children friendly recipies, they always seem less scary and definately yummy.

Almond Chicken and Cauliflower

Almond Chicken

Chicken Breast
Almond flour
Garlic Powder
Pepper
1 Egg
Water 1 tbsp

- First you cut the chicken into small pieces, than you mix the egg and little bit of water (1 tbsp) in a bowl, in another bowl you mix the almond flour, garlic powder and pepper.

- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture than in the almond mixture and place on pan

- bake for about 20 min at 375 degrees

- so yummy and easy

Cauliflower

- You boil some cauliflower, and when it is all done you put it into a food processor I use my magic bullet, you add chicken, or vegetable broth, and spices. I used Garlic, pepper, a little bit of dill and tarragon. (I have no rhyme or reason to any of my spice choices) and you puree it all together and voila!

- I really love doing things like this with cauliflower because it is easy and yummy and gives you that side that we all love, and I definitely get sick of salads. Cauliflower does not have a strong taste so it really tastes like whatever you put into it and when it was like this it has the same consistency as whipped potatoes.

Another thing that I gave a try was something that I found on Pintrest. I absolutely love this site! so for this you take your green onions (which I also love) and cut them up. you then place them into a clean water bottle. Put the water bottle in the freezer. you than have pre-cut onions whenever you need them that are not going to go bad as fast. you can just "pour" them out of the bottle whenever you need them. Brilliant. I can always use a time saver!

I was talking to a fellow Paleo Challenge goer at the gym last night and we were talking about how even though we have not weighed ourselves it definitely feels like we are losing weight. I really think I am but we will see at the end of this. This does go back to what I have said before and you can not out exercise a bad diet. Neither of us have changed out workout regime at all if anything I do less now than I have previously. This is just something to think about is you are thinking about doing this diet and need some more incentive.

Half way has brought us here and we will keep on going and I am excited to find more new things to try! I am REALLY excited for these next two weeks to be done so that I can make some Paleo cookies! At a photo shoot a while ago at the gym one of the ladies who has been eating Paleo with her family for some time made this amazing Paleo chocolate chip cookies and I can not wait to have some like that when I am done this!

Weekend Number 2- Halloween

2011-10-31T13:02:00.000-06:00

This was Halloween weekend and that means, candy, party treats, and alcohol. Lots of yummy things that I am not indulging in right now. I love Halloween so I did still want to get dressed up and go out so I did just that. I dressed up as Freddie Kruger and went out to a dance on Friday night with some friends and then headed down to Calgary to have another night out with some other friends. I still followed my rules over the weekend keeping to the good stuff and drinking water. I still had a lot of fun. And Tonight I will be handing out Halloween Candy with no worry of eating it before any of the children show up.

I was getting headaches more than I am used to (I don't usually ever get them) and I was kinda worried that I was missing something in my new diet and that was causing it. But after going to see my new massage therapist (who is amazing) for my shoulder that has been giving me some grief for some time now he informed me that it was due to my back and shoulder being such a mess that was I was getting my headaches. So that was some good news in the fact that it was not the diet that was causing them. So if something is coming up make sure you are looking at all the possibilities before giving up.

WOD

50 Double Unders
30 Kettlebell Swings (16 kg)
40 Double Unders
25 Kettlebell Swings
30 Double Unders
20 Kettlebell Swings
20 Double Unders
15Kettlebell Swings
10 Double Unders
10 Kettlebell Swings

Time: 7:56

Some new things I did try this weekend was a burger (from Boston Pizza) with no bun and just got it wrapped in lettuce. This was good the burger wasn't the greatest quality but that was expected. I also tried a new recipe from "Daily Paleo" which was chicken breast stuffed with Asparagus and Ham. I did not use the ham.

Sorry for the sideways Picture

Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

- First have defrosted chicken breast and then cut it in half but not all the way through just so you can open it up.

- Boil the Asparagus ( I used 4 pieces for one) for about 1 min.

- add all of the ingredients into the chicken with 1 tbsp of EVOO.

- bake for 20 min.

- I also fried up some mushrooms, onion and garlic and had it on top of my cooked chicken.

For my other meals I ate the normal stuff

Breakfasts

- Probable the best fried eggs I have ever made the turned out perfect :)

- eggs, peppers, onion, mushroom, bacon, Kiwi

Lunch

Taco Salad-ish

- Romain lettuce, hamburger, salsa

- I love taco salads and so this is what I came up with due to my restrictions and I have to say that I really enjoyed it!

One thing that I do quite often is skip meals, this is either because I am too busy to make something healthy so I opt out of eating, I am busy and forget to eat, or I am not hungry. Some people would say that this is very unhealthy and that you should eat a million times a day. Well I eat when I am hungry as that seems to make sense to me. Fasting gives your body time to relax and recover allowing your digestive system to take a break. It is not going to cause our bodies to start gaining weight. Mark Sisson has several articles on this and they are a good read there are health benefits to this.

Mark,s Daily Apple - Benefits to Fasting

Longevity
Blood Lipids
Compliance
Cancer
Growth Hormone
Neurological Health
Autophagy
Fitness
Mental Well-being and Clarity

There are different ways you can fast as well. Intermittent fasting is switching back and forth from eating and not instead of going through a long spurt of not eating. I also think if you are fasting you should do it with only drinking water and not on a juice fast. If you are still drinking juice your digestive system is still working.

Ways to Fast - Mark Simmon

Skipped Meal:

As Mark alludes to in his comment in the 1/3 meals post, he likes to miss meals naturally or on an unplanned basis. When we listen to our bodies rather than blindly follow routine we find we’re not always hungry when mealtime comes around. Let yourself skip a meal when this happens, or plan a meal skip during a convenient time.

(I do this one A Lot, more unplanned than planned)

Condensed Eating Window:
The day’s food intake is condensed within a set number of hours, often somewhere between four and seven hours. The timing of this window varies depending on the individual’s schedule and preferences. The time since you prior meal or until you next day’s meal becomes the fasting period.
Early and Late:
For some, this option is more easily managed than the condensed eating window. The day’s food intake and nutrients are balanced between an early meal and later afternoon/early evening meal.
Single Twenty-Four Fast:
Most people choose to have a normal dinner and then fast until the following evening. Others choose to extend the fast until the following morning. For many people, this can be a weekly routine. Others may integrate it on a monthly basis or as an occasional event based on their sense of progress/plateau.

(I have tried this one and I have trouble with it I get really hungry and I am not a big fan of that feeling)

Alternating Day Fast for Week (or more):

This approach is often credited with a deeper “cleansing” character. Some people do it once or twice a year. Others make a seasonal commitment. You can choose to drink only water or include teas/small amounts of juices during fasting days. On the alternate days, some people choose to eat normally, and some opt for reduced caloric intakes.

One tip: During your “window of eating,” however long or brief it is, don’t feel that you should eat more than you might be hungry for. It’s a unique opportunity to listen to your body’s signals. It also serves as a way to “prove” to your conscious brain that you can survive quite nicely on smaller amounts of food and that you don’t need to “make up” for those temporarily lost calories. Of course, eating according to the Primal Blueprint at all times whether fasting or not means that you are constantly refining your fat-burning skills. This, in turn, means that you are not so dependent upon regular meals to sustain normal blood sugar levels, physical energy and mental acuity.

Interested in trying IF for the first time? We’ll highlight the “condensed eating window” approach (one option among many) to get you started. This approach, particularly with a fairly extended window, is very doable and can seem less daunting as you get started. Choose your own timing and length of window based on your schedule and preferences. If you can’t decide, you can consider condensing your eating between the hours of eleven and 5:00 p.m. Look for a corresponding IF menu in this week’s installment of “Eat This Today, Feel Good Tomorrow” later on today.

So there is no need to get stressed if you miss a meal or you get a little hungry now and then that is O.K. There is also no need to constantly eating all day when you are not hungry, for me that just makes me feel worse. So look into it and see if it is for you. Fasting can help detox your body and let it recover. So why not give it a try I know I do it all the time without even meaning to and most people probably do. Does anyone else have any tips or ideas on this? Does anyone fast regularly? I'd love to hear about it.

Day 8 and 9

2011-10-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

The last couple of days I have been eating nothing special, no new recipes to tell you about. I did have a turkey dinner at Ryguys parents house on Tues night. They do know that I am doing this challenge and that makes going there for a meal quite a bit easier they had made all the normal stuff they all eat like buns, potatoes, stuffing and desserts. Ryguy's mother also made sure there was lots of different veggies too, like beats, beans, carrots and salad. They always make Caesar Salad and they did this time too they just left the dressing off of it and everyone added it themselves which I could add my own home made salad dressing and then I just picked out the croutons. It was a very good meal and it was very nice for them to be so accommodating. It is not that hard to just skip the bad stuff you don't want to eat even if you are at someone's house for dinner, it is the same as not liking something, people understand why you are not eating it. Yesterday was also the day Ryguy went back up to work so I am now back on my own. I find it difficult to only cook for one person all the time, especially since with him gone it means that I am back training at the gym which takes up a lot of my evenings and makes my meal planning hit the way-side.

Some of my meals the last couple of days:

Steak and Coleslaw(without the dressing)

Eggs and Turkey Bacon

Egg Scramble

Me and Ryguy got a room mate over the weekend. He is a very nice guy going to school and likes going to the gym, I am going to see if he will come down to Ignite Fitness with me but I am skeptical. He has P90X. . . So as we were home the other night he comes in and this is what he has with him! and man did it look good!!!

Black Forest Cake

I have to say that I am feeling really good, I my constant thirst has receded and I am feeling more alert and over all just more pleasant. There was one day that I did get a really wicked headache. I have started drinking coffee again (black) and it is not so bad I actually like it. I have cravings less and less and I am enjoying almost everything that I am eating. I do have a couple of go to foods when I need a snack (ususally at night) and they are grapes, or some kind of berry depends on what I have, and eggs if I dont really feel like cooking a meal.

Last night when I was at the gym I was talking to one of my fellow trainers (who is not on the 30 day challenge) but he does believe in Paleo. We were talking about Paleo eating and all the differences and such and he brought up a really good point. All the time we hear people say how Paleo is not a good diet how its not good to be cutting all of these things (grains, and dairy) out of your diet and its stupid and so on. Well if you look at most health books and diets those things are rarely in there. For example the book 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth by Jonny Bowden Ph.D (which is on my next purchase list) not a single one of those foods is a grain. I also found this list:

Top Brain Foods

1.Cucumber
2.Celery
3.Eggplant
4.Lettuce
5.Avocado
6.Apples
7.Banana’s
8.Goji Berry
9.Pomegranates
10.Blueberries

. . . and no grains or dairy. Even in Men's Health (yes I read Men's Health) the October 2011 issue has an article on "All Star Entrees" and in this it includes

Olive Oil
Almonds
Salmon
Farro
Chickpeas

Farro is the only grain in there and they tell you to chew on it raw, so not in a grain product and there is again no dairy. So there must be something to this (not that I never thought there wasn't) if more than one diet stems off the same concept. So all the people who think Paleo is stupid or unhealthy or just another fad diet should maybe look more into it. There is more to it there is A LOT of science, and research behind the idea and even more stories about the wonders it does for people. Paleo is a lifestyle not just a diet, so give it a try, try all of it, try some of it. Don't bash it unless you try it. and if a healthy life is what you are looking for this is a good place to start.

Day 7

2011-10-25T16:05:00.001-06:00

One week is gone and I am feeling great. I have more energy and my stomach is a lot more stable than is usually is. I am really enjoying the finding new recipes, I do feel like I spend a lot more time in the kitchen than I used to though. There are some things that I still need to work on too:

Shopping- Planning ahead with my shopping, watching for sales on vegetables and increasing my spice collection.
Organization - pre-making meals for lunches and snacks

There is always going to be ways to improve and make this as best for me as I can so that just means to learn to keep trying new things. Is anyone finding any tricks to help with these?

One thing that I wanted to talk about today was sleep/ rest. These are both very important. I was listening to Rob Wolf's Podcast and he had Mark Simmon on there as his guest and Mark brought up the importance of sleeping and resting. Sleep is when our body recovers and grows. Not allowing our bodies to do this can have negative affects, we will not get the results we are seeking. Just as important is rest in between our workouts. Our bodies need time to recover so that we can get stronger, and faster. It is important to take days off even when you feel fine your body is still recovering. Mark did make a stab at crossfitters in this instance that we tend to go go go everyday into the gym breaking ourselves down and that does happen a lot I have done it/ do it, and so so do many others. We need to think about how much rest we are actually giving our bodies to recover and is it enough. If it isn't we could be getting injuries, or even over training.

Sleep is key, essential, absolutely downright necessary for our basic physiological operations – with special support for neurological performance, endocrine balance, immune system functioning, and musculoskeletal growth and repair. For one, you wouldn’t be half the man or woman you are without the physiological feats sleep achieves. I mean that both literally and figuratively, since sleep spurs the release of human growth hormone (HGH), an essential player in cellular regeneration. - Mark Slimmon

I think that a lot of people take sleep for granted or just don't have time to get the proper amount of sleep that we need. This is caused by our lack of organization causing us to stay up late before our early mornings, and from not being able to get a good nights sleep (solid REM sleep). There are a lot of possible reasons to why people do not sleep well stress, distraction, poor diet, and many others but here is a help full list from Mark Slimmon to help get some better sleep. "5 tips to Get a Great Nights Sleep Tonight!"

1. Eat a light dinner tonight.
Keep the portions small this evening. Going to bed on a full stomach is not healthy, and it also keeps you from getting the deepest possible sleep. You don’t have to go to bed hungry. But do not stuff yourself simply because it is now the weekend

2. Have a glass of wine.
One fine glass will relax you and help you unwind from the week’s pressures. More than that may cause you to have intermittent sleep at best. It’s tempting to go out and let loose a bit on Friday, but practice moderation so you’ll feel your freshest tomorrow. If you’re typically a Friday night reveler, just try this – it will change your whole weekend.

3. Toss back a handful of nuts.
The magnesium and tryptophan in nuts – just before bed – can help you get to sleep faster. Just a small handful, though, and choose salt-free.

4. Write it out.
By Fridays many of us are frazzled and stressed out. We want to relax and sleep peacefully, but we’re still wired and thus wake up feeling crabby Saturday morning. Take just five or 10 minutes to write out everything from your week – the accomplishments, the tasks, the stress, the worries, the pressing concerns. It’s easier to arrive at solutions if you don’t try to consciously force them. Get them down on paper. Let your sleeping mind do the work for you. You’ll wake up feeling clearer and more positive.

5. Watch instead of read.
Reading is better for your mind than watching television. But sometimes it’s a wise idea to intentionally do something mindless. So tonight, if you were planning to dig into that new book or finish up paperwork, maybe a movie rental is in order. Of course, if reading helps you fall asleep, do what works for you.

You can also check out his post on "17 Ways To Improve Your Sleep"

My day

Breakfast:

The usual Scramble of eggs turkey bacon and green onions.

Lunch:

Chicken Salad

- fried chicken (that I did the night before yay me!)

Shredded cabbage, lettuce, and carrots

Dinner:

For dinner we tried a new recipe that I had found it was Strawberry stuffed Chicken. It was a marinated chicken breast rolled around cooked (all fried together) strawberries, spinach, and onions. We then made mashed cauliflower to eat with it. I did not like this chicken so I then made myself a couple of fried eggs and bacon. But My boyfriend definitely did like this so it is not that it wasn't a good recipe it was just me that didn't like this one and this is going to happen sometimes. Trial and error and that one was an error for me so note to self.

After Dinner I made a Crumble that was in my newest purchase "Everyday Paleo" by Sarah Frgosco. This is a great book. She has lots of good recipes that are quick, and kid friendly and really if kids will eat it than its gotta be good. There is also some added bonuses to this book it has some exercises in the back that are perfect for beginners, some exercises that can be dome with your children or with your partner, there are kids exercises and even meal plans and shopping lists. This is a perfect buy for anyone looking into getting into the Paleo world I highly recommend it.

The recipe I tried was easy and yummy.

- First take 3 cups of fresh or frozen berries and put them into the bottom of a baking dish

- Than take 2 cups almond meal, 1 egg, and cinnamon and mix together until crumbles

- by hand crumble the almond mixture on top and bake at 350 degrees for 35 mins.

Top with Coconut milk and serve. This was a great and easy dessert.

So that is all for today. Let me know your thoughts :)

My First Weekend

2011-10-24T11:59:00.000-06:00

Well It is Monday and the first weekend in my challenge is over. To start I have to apologize ahead of time as I got a new phone this weekend and that is what I take my pictures with so I don't have many pictures of meals to show for this post.

My Weekend

Friday:

Breakfast - I had my normal eggs, turkey bacon and green onion mixture.

Lunch - Leftovers from Thursday's Dinner

Dinner - Slow cooked Chicken, making sure that I only had white meat, and a spinach salad with strawberries and grapes.

I also had a indoor soccer game on Friday. I am glad that I do not feel a lack of energy because I surely need at in these games. There is a lot of quick sprints and shift changes. We did loose our game 4-3 :( but that is okay we did play very well and learned what where our weaknesses are. It was only the first league game of the season. This is my first time playing indoor soccer for a league and I have not played outdoor in years, so this is still very new to me. But it is always good to learn and play new sports, it helps with coordination body awareness and fitness. Also it is FUN!!!

For our Friday evening me and the boy had been invited out for some drinks with some friends. On our way to the pub our friend texted us asking if we would like anything to drink. My man asked for a Kokanee and I asked for a black coffee. As we got to the table our drinks were there and before i even got into my chair my very good friend asks "Are you pregnant?". This seems to be assumed as soon as a girl is not going to be having an alcoholic beverage. This went on for the rest of the evening. There was also a lot of peer pressuring into getting me to have a drink but I was quite content with my coffee and than water. It was amusing to watch them get a litle tipsy and being completely sober. Another bonus of me on this challenge is that for the these 30 days there is a given Designated Driver.

Mark's Daily Apple: Alcohol

Alcohol is a subject among the Paleo and Primal population that gets discussed regularly whether there are health benefits, if it fits the Paleo mantra and what is and isn't okay to drink. Here is a link to Marks Daily Apple of a discussion where he talks about alcohol in the Primal Diet. It is a personal choice to indulge in alcohol or not but it is good to hear some different opinions. I know that after my 30 Days are up I will be bringing wine back into my life, I enjoy having an occasional glass of wine. I also like beer but that is something I will try to completely stay away from as it is a liquid carb.

Saturday:

Me and my man decided to head up to Edmonton for some us time. we spend the day shopping at West Edmonton Mall. This also meant that we did end up eating out at some restaurants. I did follow the Paleo steps to eating out which can be frustrating. My man is not Paleo and is not planning on going Paleo at any time soon. This also makes things a little more difficult as he eats whatever he likes and when I am craving some crappy food its right there, but I also feel proud of myself every day that I do not give into any temptations. Hoiw do you deal with the tempatations? Do they go away over time?

Sunday:

Still in Edmonton we went for breakfast at this very cute little cafe. I must say that ordering breakfast is a lot easier. My dish did not look too much like it said in the menu but it was still good. I have also noticed that as soon as you ask for no milk or cream or cheese the waitress tends to assume lactose intolerance and say "no dairy at all right?" and that makes things very easy.

Dinner

We did come home and make some yummy coconut chicken bites and yam wedges.

Chicken bites

egg yolk
ground chicken breast
onion powder
almond meal
garlic powder
Pepper
coconut

- you mix the chicken, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, almond meal and pepper together. in a separate bowl mix almond meal, pepper and coconut.

- make small balls our of the chicken mixture and than roll in coconut mixture.

- fry in frying pan to brown the outsides than place in oven at 375 degrees to cook all the way through.

Yam wedges

Yams
Olive Oil
Cinnamon
Cyan Pepper

- cut the yams into wedges. in a bowl mix oil, cinnamon, and cyan pepper mix well and then add the yams till coated. place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees till tender.

All in all it was a good weekend and I would love to hear about any new things you tried out this weekend.

Day 3

2011-10-21T11:22:00.001-06:00

I know by now everyone know that fat is GOOD for us, it is nto fat that makes us fat. When going Paleo this is something that is very important to realize! Fat is one of our main sources of energy and make us happy. Our body is designed to run off of fats so we should learn how to use them and what fats are good fats. I found this artivcle that is very good on what fats are good fats and I think everyone should check it out and see if there is anything there you didnt know.

Paleo fats

I have to say the the the Paleo food is quite tasty. I am trying new things that I never thought I would like and am really enjoying them!

My man was home today :) and he was so kind to get up with me as I had to go to work and make me a nice Paleo breakfast. How sweet of him!

Breakfast

Eggs
Spinach
Turkey Bacon

- all mixed together in a scramble

At work my friend here is also doing this challenge, I am always getting calls like, "I woke up this morning craving a milk shake" or when someone comes by with treats " I really like croissants" she is doing very well though and it is nice to have someone close to share recipes and work together.

Lunch

- I had fried up some chicken with mushrooms and onions and spices the night before. I then had bought a salad mix that was an Asian mix I think. It had cut up lettuce. cabbage, and carrots. I then just mixed the two and added a home made salad dressing (That my work friend had made me as that is not my department. . . yet)

After work me and my man went down to Big Bend Market to get some VERY yummy sausages for our dinner.

Dinner

Sweet Potato - 1
Green Pepper - 1
Sweet Onion - 1/4 of a large onion
Sausage (wheat free) - 4
Apple - 2 crab apples (its what I had at home)
Coconut Oil
Oregano

- You first cut everything up into cubes or smaller, than cook the sausage and Sweet Potato in seperate pans, once the potato is just starting to go soft and you can just start to pierce it with a fork (about 10 min) add in the applem green pepper, onion and keep cooking that until they are all soft. You than add the cooked sausage and top with Oregano.

This was so good! I really enjoyed all the different flavors and it made ALOT! more than enough for the two of us. I had only ever had sweet potatoes in the fries form and I was never a fan but I must say I really liked this so I may need to go back on my sweet potato opinion.

For Dessert I made the same fried bannanas that I had made the other day and this time I added Cinnimon on top and they were very good. such a nice little treat.

I am always looking for new recipies, I am finding that there are alot of good websites one of the ones I use alot is http://www.pintrest.com/ and http://www.fastpaleo.com/ . The only thing you have to watch is that some people's paleo is different from others so look at the ingrediants to see exatly what is in it and if it fits into your Paleo. If something does not quite fit into your style of Paleo don't give up on it try to get creative and substitue out the igredients you don't want with ones you do, or try just simply eliminating the ingredient. I also do this if I do not have all the same ingredients on hand, imporvise with what you have and take some of the stress of always having to have the "right" ingrediants all the time. I think it is more fun to look at recipes for inspiration and than working from there as oppose to going step by step through it. Mix things up, make them your own and you are sure to enjoy them more.

I hope that everyone is finding good Paleo eats and has a great weekend.

Happy Paleoing!

Day 2

2011-10-20T13:20:00.000-06:00

Well all is going well in the land of Paleo. Day 2 was another successful one.

Breakfast

Eggs
Green Onion
Turkey Bacon
Spinach

- All mixed together in a scramble.

This is pretty much my favorite way to eat eggs and I have been doing this long before this challenge started. I like being able to just mix a bunch of things I love all together for a quick and yummy meal.

At work today I was surprised by my boss that all the office staff was being taken out for lunch at Earls. I knew that this would happen eventually but I was not thinking it would my second day into this. I did go with the knowledge of how to choose properly off of a menu as I have read up on this in the Whole 30 Survival Guide and on other Paleo like sites. I ended up choosing a steak with fried mushrooms. Originally this came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables so I asked the waitress if we could scrap the potatoes and add extra veggies and to make sure that the veggies were not fried in either butter or vegetable oil. The Steak was amazing and the veggies were just as good (carrots and beats). I know that ordering from a restaurant is never as good as home cooked meals but I am not in this challenge to lose out on the social aspect of my life and become a hermit, I know I am still going to go out and eat at restaurants so I am not going to kid myself by thinking it's not going to happen. There are ways to choose healthy while eating out.

Avoid eating out. I’m kinda kidding, but it goes without saying that eating out at chain restaurants on a regular basis probably isn’t a good idea.
Lobby for restaurant-picking powers. If you’re deigning to eat out, the least your companions can do is let you pick the place. Pro-tip: don’t use the word “deign” when trying to pick the restaurant.
Don’t eat. Treat this as an Intermittent Fasting day. If you need visualization, imagine Grok happening across a rotting, stinking carcass. Doesn’t sound so different from most restaurant fare to me.
Be a super modern forager. Scan the menu for anything that might work. If you’re eating Mexican, get the fajitas and lose the rice, beans, and tortillas while upping the veggies, meat, and guacamole.
Make special requests. Yep, you’re gonna have to “be that guy” who customizes his order so much that the final product is completely unrecognizable from the original. Expect eye rolls and audible sighs, but those are a small price to pay for eating right. You can always claim gluten-intolerance or various food allergies if you want to avoid the hassle; they can’t ignore you then.
Remember the 80/20 principle. Think of this as your “20.” As long as you’ve been eating and exercising right consistently, one random meal isn’t going to throw you off. Besides, you’ll probably wake up regretting it and will be even more strict with the food and the workouts.
Make substitutions. All restaurants have vegetables. Most of them will be happy to swap out the starchy foods like rice, bread, or potatoes for steamed or grilled veggies.
Get stuff on the side. For sauces and dressings of indeterminate origin, ask for them on the side. That way you can control their distribution rather than letting the cook slather your food with it.

This list is from Mark's Daily Apple which is actually one of my favorite websites Mark Sisson in my eyes is brilliant. This website has lots of tips on all aspects of health, and he is pretty funny sometimes. Mark talks about Primal Living which is close to Paleo it has its little differences which you are going to find even within Paleo. Everyone has different opinions and ideas about how things should be done and what works best and this is okay. It is actually a good thing this allows you to be able to look at all of these different ideas and mold them all into your own master plan of what works best for you. Everyone is different so there isn't going to be a guideline that fits everyone. So do your research, don't just settle for one person's opinion, look around to see what everyone else out there in the Paleo world is coming up with.

After work was soccer practice. These practices are quite a bit more relax than the workouts that I am used to but they are still fun. There is some running around and it does work up a sweat but it is nothing super intense. Being able to run around outside is also something I like to try to get as much as possible before the snow come because I know I am going to miss it over the long winter months, even though I am NOT a runner in any sense.

When I got home I decided to make some mini egg pizzas. They were a recipe that I found and I like the idea of pre-making them and then being able to reheat them for a quick and easy breakfast.

Mini egg Pizzas

Tomatoes ( I used Cherry Tomatoes)
Mushrooms
Green Onion
Turkey Bacon
Spinach
Eggs
Basil, Oregano
Coconut Oil

- First I cut up and fried the turkey bacon, then I put the tomato's, mushrooms and green onion in the food processor, putting the tomatoes in first to get them into a paste and then adding the rest and just using the pulse to chop the onion, mushroom and spinach up but keeping them chunky.

- When the bacon was done I then added the tomato mixture to the frying pan and continued to saute that.

- I then took the eggs ( I used 7 to make 9 pizzas) and cracked them into a bowl and whisked them until fluffy and added the Oregano and Basil.

- Then grease a muffin tin, put about 1 tbsp of the tomato mixture into the bottom and than fill 3/4 with egg (the eggs will fluff up in the oven)

- Bake at 325 Degrees for 10-15 min (if you leave them a little underdone then when you re heat them they will be perfect)

I had two of these for dinner last night and they were very good, and I am not a big tomato fan! My man even had one when he come home and he like them, and he does not like tomatoes or mushrooms.

I am really enjoying eating Paleo, the food is good and it feels nice to know that I am doing something to make my lifestyle a healthier one. I have noticed that I am probably drinking Red Deer dry. I am much more thirsty than I have been before. I have been told this goes away.

I found this as such a simple and cute way of explaining Paleo

Happy Paleoing!!

Day 1

2011-10-19T11:56:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Day 1 of my challenge and was a success! I did not have any difficulty finding things to eat, I was not hungry, and the food was delicious. I will be letting you guys know what I am eating so that you can get some ideas of meals to make for your own Paleo self, however I do not measure things when I cook so it will just be ingredients and pictures and you can use your creativity.

I am finding myself a bit thirstier than I normally I have been drinking several bottles of water throughout the day but nothing unbearable. I also do not feel any more tired or uneasy. so so far so good! But as my man comes home tomorrow and the weekend is coming it may be a little more difficult as I know he will probable like to enjoy a nice cold beer and some junk food but hopefully he keeps it to a minimum and enjoys the Paleo food I will need to eat and I will be able to resist ALL temptations. Wish Me Luck!

Breakfast:

Eggs
Turkey Bacon
Green Onions
mushrooms

- All mixed together in a scramble.

Lunch:

Chicken Breast
Klamatta Olives
Artichoke Hearts
Seasoning (mixture of whatever I had available and smelled yummy)
Salad Dressing (home made, extra virgin olive oil, vinaigrette, pepper)
Romain Lettuce

- Chicken, Olives, an artichoke hearts I had pre-cooked the evening before and than I just added them to the lettuce to make a pretty yummy salad.

Late Afternoon Snack: I had brought a bigger snack than I normally would as I was heading strait to the Gym after work.

Cauliflower - mashed
seasoning (sale as lunch)
turkey bacon
mushrooms

green onions

- I had made the Cauliflower and than just removed some of the bacon, onions and mushrooms from my breakfast before I had added the eggs and mixed it in with the Cauliflower. I love cauliflower, especially all mashed up.

I had also brought some grapes and almond slivers to snack on when needed.

I work in a hotel as a Sales and Catering Coordinator and this entails me going into the kitchen to talk with the chef's frequently and I must say it is a little difficult to always be in there and smelling all of their fabulous food that they are making for the day and not being able to have any. I used to always grab a little something just to "taste test" whatever they were working on and it was always very yummy so this is a little difficult for me. I may need to spend more time in my office and calling them as oppose to going down there.

At the Gym yesterday B arranged for a very nice young lady to come over from Big Bend Market South here in Red Deer and tell us a bit about what they have there are why they are so amazing. So the rest of the 30 Day Challenge Paleo Family and I that is Ignite Fitness all got to come listen and learn and it was great what a wonderful little place they have there. Big Bend Market is a specializes in LOCAL Fine meats and Deli. All of their meat is local and are guaranteed to have no injections, and are grass fed. They have beef, pork, chicken, turkey, bison, and game. Meat isn't all that they have available though they also have fresh free range farm eggs, fish, organic milk and cheese, fresh farm vegetables in the summer and they are always getting in new things and they also do take requests so go in to see what all they have. They are like an all year round farmers market. I would suggest that everyone go and check these guys out and try some real yummy clean meat. You can go to their market at Southpoint Common Red Deer, you can catch them on Facebook and at http://www.bigbendmarket.com/.

After our very informative session it was workout time.

WOD

400m run

20 pull ups

400m run
30 push ups
400m run
40 sit ups
400m run
50 squats

Time: 13:28

Since it was one of the lady's birthday the girls also brought in beer and Baby Cakes cupcakes which was awesome since all I was able to do was drool. However I was not the only one I had some fellow Paleo's there with me to help me stay strong. I am much too competitive to be the one to cave.

When I got home it was late but I still needed a little something to snack on so I found a recipe that looked good and tasted even better

Fried Bananas

1 Banana
Coconut Oil
vanilla

- fried the bananas on both sides and then sprinkled with walnuts and it was very good.

All in all it was a very successful start to these 30 Days. It is so nice to have the group all doing this together our little community is all getting healthy together and it is great. It makes it easier having people to relate to and share this experience with. Everyone is so good about sharing recipes and how they are feeling and doing through this. There are some people who started a week before me so they get to share how they felt through the first week and there are definitely different responses, but everyone is different.

This makes me think of a quote that was in the Whole 30 Survival Guide.

It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”. YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. http://www.whole9life.com/

Happy Paleoing!

Going Paleo

2011-10-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

What is Paleo? well it is pretty simple actually. It is eating all good healthy food.*Whole 30 Program - http://www.whole9life.com/*

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed."
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial

Do not eat processed foods

Do not drink alcohol

Do not eat grains.

Do not eat legumes. Do not eat dairy.

Do not eat white potatoes.

Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold

So essentially you take out all the bad foods. No sugar, no processed foods, no dairy, no grains. Simple right? Well we will see about that.

Going Paleo... this is what my goal is. My name is Jasmine I am 22 and I have been doing Crossfit at Ignite Fitness www.ignitefit.ca for some time now I have had great increases in strength, speed and power but I am still missing something. I know what the problem is it is just not until now that I have had the courage and dedications to do it. I need to change my diet, it is not possible to out exercise a bad diet and I know that so here I go.

The Plan: To adopt the Paleo Diet.

Step 1: 30 Day Challenge

The 30 Day Challenge was shown to me by my friend at the gym B. With her help I am going to power through these 30 days of eating strict Paleo with no cheating (hopefully). I start Today and to get myself ready I went to see B last night to get all the insider info on what I am in for. She was a plethora of information and tips to help me get started and stay on track.

To get ready for Day 1 I have gotten on the scale, taken some pictures and some measurements. After some consideration I have come to the decision to share this info so that everyone can get a better idea of if this did wonders for me or not. I am also not going to re-measure or weigh myself until the 30 days are complete.

10.17.2011
Bust- 38"
Arm (thickest part) - 11 1/2"
Belly (at bellybutton) - 33 1/2"
Leg (top of thigh) - 27"
Weight- 170.4 lbs

Before Pictures

I have also gone grocery shopping last night to get all my paleo good food and I did notice that my total was ALOT higher that it usually is. I have heard that this does get better. I am really hoping that it does!

My workout regime will not be changing throughout this challenge, I will continue to do crossfit and play soccer and try not to make any drastic changes so that my results will show how the paleo diet was for me and not my changes in activity. I will also be posting my workouts and how I felt through them to see if it is any different than it was.

So I will post again as I go through my 30 days of Paleo.

Going Paleo

Almost There

Half Way!

Weekend Number 2- Halloween

Longevity

Blood Lipids

Compliance

Cancer

Growth Hormone

Neurological Health

Autophagy

Fitness

Mental Well-being and Clarity

Day 8 and 9

Top Brain Foods

Day 7

My First Weekend

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

Going Paleo