Introducing: Dave's Cave

Do you want to eat healthy, nutritious, "clean" meals, but never have the time to think of ideas?

Are you interested in the way I eat, and want to test out some Paleo meals before deciding to take the full plunge?

Do you like to cook/want to learn more technique?

The food that I eat is just too good not to share with the world. So, I introduce to you: Dave's Cave.

Each day, a "meal of the day" is posted. The meal is sugar free, grain free, dairy free, legume free, and 100% delicious. Eating Paleo does not have to be hard, or complicated.

Please, check out the site, fan it on Facebook for daily updates, and let me know what you think!

Check out this post for my results after just 30 days of Paleo.

P.s. No, I have not been hacked. Please check out Dave's Cave!

3 Months Down

Clothes that fit are SO much better than clothes that don't. Just throwing that out there.

Now, onto the fun stuff:

June 1, 2010:


September 1, 2010:


August 1, 2010:


I probably should have taken measurements, because even though there doesn't look like much difference between August and September in my face (and I only lost 4-5 lbs this month) there are huge differences in my body.

So yes, August was a successful month. I shed another 5 pounds. My treat to myself for making it through 3 months of Paleo? I'm joining Crossfit. Gulp. Yeah...I found a location near my work. I called them today. They just said to drop by and try it out. Gulp. Those people are nuts.

Paleo; Month 2 Re-cap

Yesterday, August 1st marked month 2 of Paleo for me. Here is my head shot from July 1st:

And here is my head shot from yesterday, August 1st:


Since July 1st, I have lost 6 pounds. Making my total weight loss since starting Paleo 18 pounds! Considering that I have lost 34 pounds since January, over half of my weight loss has occurred in the past 2 months.

Last week I got so incredibly busy at work, I sort of dropped off after announcing my challenge to exercise 120 minutes a day until August 31st. Imagine that, work getting in the way of my blogging...how DARE it?!

Anyway, I've been keeping up my pledge but barely. Of course work and life would go insane when I need more time to myself. What can you do?

Unqualified Product Review: Paleo Style

It's been a long time since I've shared some of my favorite things, and um...never since I have been Paleo. The following items have been staples, if not essential in the success I have been experiencing with Paleo.

Avocado
Click on the link for nutrition information on avocados. I always heard they were good for me, and always liked them, but WOW! What a wonder fruit. I have been eating approximately 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado a day since going Paleo (usually sliced on top of my meat/egg/veggie breakfast mixture). Or wrapped in bacon. Or chopped up in a salad. Or...you get the idea.

So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage


Before taking the Paleo plunge, one of my biggest worries was what I was going to do about my morning latte. I do live in Seattle after all, and well, coffee is practically religion here. Black coffee is just too harsh on my stomach, and I absolutely can not go without coffee. Paleo meant no more milk, so I quickly researched some alternatives, and found this...gulten free, soy free, sugar free, dairy free, everything not Paleo free, stuff to add to my coffee. I would not be shunned from the coffee church of Seattle!

Trader Joes Organic Broccoli Slaw- I couldn't find a photo of this, but OMG, this stuff ROCKS. Its just shredded organic broccoli stems and organic carrots, but I love it. It holds up so much better than cabbage does in coleslaw, it tastes better, and has way more nutrients. My boyfriend Dave taught me an awesome dressing recipe (1/2 small white onion, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, dash salt, dash pepper, 1/4 tsp. celery seed) throw all that into a cuisinart, stream in a little olive oil at the end, and Ta-DA! The best dressing ever. I also toss in some chopped walnuts and a handful of raisins to the slaw. It tastes better after sitting for a day or so. I eat ridiculous amounts of this concoction.

Larabars


My biggest fan mentioned Larabars to me one day, and I pretty much put them out of my mind since it seems like everything pre-packaged is out when following Paleo. One day a sale display of Larabars caught my eye in the grocery store. I picked one up, checked out the ingredients, and to my surprise, the only ingredients were fruit and nuts. I can eat fruit and nuts! So I bought one- cherry pie, and proceeded to eat it in the car on the way home. It was good. I wanted to try more flavors. I have since become Larabar obsessed...I look for them at every grocery store. My regular Safeway only carries two flavors- cherry pie and apple pie. My regular Trader Joes only carries 4 flavors...one of which is cherry pie, and another is peanut butter (which I can not eat since its a legume). So I went to Whole Foods and found the motherload of Larabar displays. My favorite flavor hands down is coconut cream pie. I love coconut though. Also, the names on these things are a little bit of a stretch, but hey, I have hardly had any sugar in 6 weeks, so they work for me! I had the banana bread one yesterday, and I like that one a lot too. Also the espresso chocolate, and the chocolate coconut...Mmmmmm...like Homer says to the donut.

Its amazing how much better I feel, and how much better I function on higher quality fuel. Its like my whole life I have been fueling up with Costco 87 octane gas, and then 6 weeks ago I switched to Cheveron Supreme. I used to think those people driving beemers paying more for gas were idiots...I couldn't have been more wrong.

Big Gains

No, not on the scale...in my fitness. My run today was a HUGE improvement over Wednesday's run. On Wednesday, I essentially ran 4 X 5 min with 1 minute rests in between. Today, I ran 20 minutes straight, and felt SO much better during. I will be back up to 30-40 minute runs in no time.

I'm excited to see how regular exercise combined with Paleo turns out. How will my energy levels be? Will I recover more quickly/be able to push myself harder? Will my appetite return to pre-Paleo times?

This experiment is so much more controlled than any other experiment I have done on my body. I just realized how aware I am now of the things I eat directly affecting me. For example...the other weekend, when I mentioned I ate foods that were a little more on the salty side than I had been eating. I could actually SEE the bloat in my body. It lasted for about 2 days. When I reached my 30 days of Paleo, and I decided to have a few celebratory squares of dark chocolate, I was literally bouncing off the walls for the rest of the day. I went home after work and did housework, then painted an entire room.

Due to the instant reactions my body gives me after eating, I am in a position to really see how adding something like exercise will affect me. Right now? I feel great. Better than great. I slept well, I got my run in, I had my breakfast, I'm drinking my iced coffee, the sun is out, its Friday...I just feel like anything is possible.

Bloggers-block

I've been staring at this blank compose screen for the last hour. My head is being pulled in so many directions, and none of them equate to a thoughtful or coherent post. I guess bloggers-block happens to everyone at some point. Normally when I can't think of anything to write, I just don't. Today is different, I feel like I have something to put out there, no, something is struggling to get out, but it keeps hitting resistance.

I think I may be panicking a bit over my non-loss last week. Thoughts of Paleo-doubt keep creeping in as phrases uttered by friends and family replay in my head. "Oh, there is always some new fad out there" "eating too much protein isn't good for women" "is that sustainable?" "why can't you eat this?" "are you still doing that caveman thing?" And then to have a zero loss on the scale...has the penny lost its shine?

Yesterday after putting in a 10 hour day at work, I was hungry. I knew I was stopping at the grocery store on the way home, but couldn't think of anything I wanted to make for dinner (frozen pizza was in the back of my mind). At the last second, "turkey tacos" popped into my head. I got excited for that, but knew I would need some sort of snack to hold me over. It thought to the left over pork chop I had in the fridge...I could eat a few bites of that while dinner is cooking. Then I passed a Larabar display...I was so excited to see after reading the ingredients that they are Paleo! I grabbed a cherry pie bar and apple pie bar. They have a lot of carbs due to the high fruit content, but in a pinch (rather than splurging on pizza) they will do.

I ate the cherry pie bar on the way home, and all thoughts of pizza were erased from my mind. I know what I am doing is working for me. Yes, I could go back to my old ways of giving myself every thing I "want" but I do not want to go back to struggling to put on my jeans. Yes, not that much was different when I was eating a mainstream American diet, I still had the same boyfriend, the same house, the same car, the same dog, the same family, the same friends, the same job, but I was constantly beating myself up for things I would eat. Yes, it has been 30 days, and I only promised to try this for 30 days, yet, it's really not that hard to just keep going...

And so I did. I am. Right now I'm vowing to keep up Paleo for another 30 days until July 31st. I may have a glass (or three) of red wine on the 4th of July, but I KNOW I deserve that. And I swear my jeans are even looser.

Is This Forever?

Yesterday, I was catching up with a friend of mine, and she had so many questions about my new way of eating. Her questions followed in line with pretty much every other person I have told, as if everyone has a script to read off of once they hear someone has "gone Paleo." Once she grasped the concept fully (which is more then I can so for some) she asked me "...as you got to your ideal weight, can you allow other things in.. or relaxing to a point where it's part paleo, part.. other things like hummus or sugar in your coffee.. or whatever, know what I mean?"

Yes, I knew exactly what she meant. For me this whole process is about regulating my insulin levels and finding out what foods my body has adverse reactions to. Now, since I went sort of crazy and eliminated everything at once, I have no idea if my body was reacting to sugar, grains, dairy, legumes, or a combination of some of those items. I'm not interested in finding out for quite awhile. When the time comes, and I feel ready (solid, strong) I will one at a time introduce those elements into my diet and see what, if any reaction occurs. The more time I give myself without them, I'm hoping that the more pronounced the reaction will be.

If I find from all this "testing" that I can isolate gluten as my problem, do you know how excited I will be? That means sweet potatoes, hummus, quinoa, lattes, and chocolate can be welcomed back into my life! However, I am prepared to face a life of strict Paleo if it turns out that my body can not deal with grains or any of the other eliminated foods. I'm interested in whatever it is that keeps me feeling this way, and keeps me from that mind-prison of food obsession and cravings.

Oh, and funny side note- my sister sent me a text yesterday saying she had spoken to our mom the day before. My mom asked her if I was still doing that "caveman thing." It was less than a week since I had returned home. What the eff did she think, that I was just doing it for attention when I was visiting? I explained to her when I was there that this was for life. Again, with the votes of confidence! Luckily, my sister keeps up on my blog, and was like, "hell yes she is!" This is, or some version of this, is forever.

Last night I made quite possibly the best Paleo meal so far:




I washed some gorgeous Romaine leaves (inside leaves), chopped some green onion, sliced some lime and some avocado, picked up some all natural Pico de Gallo...






Turkey Tacos. I seasoned the ground turkey with fresh garlic, onion, and green bell pepper, then added some cumin, chili powder and black pepper. Ta Da!

Testing Paleo, Take #1

If you don't know me, there are a few things you should know about me before I continue with the rest of today's post:

-I like to tell people what to do, and what is best for them. Especially if its something that works for me (i.e., Paleo) So, I might be a little overly excited about the effect/benefits of Paleo when explaining to people. I've noticed this tends to have the opposite effect, and make them think I'm lying.

-I am competitive, and do not like losing.

-Rarely will I ever turn down a bet.

-I am always right (heh).

Yesterday I got home from work, and it was my boyfriends day off, so we were chatting in the kitchen about our days. Somehow (ha) paleo came up, and I mentioned how I still couldn't believe that my allergies disappeared. He gave me a look like "I'm listening to you because I like you, but I don't believe you." So then the following exchange took place:
Boyfriend: "How about we test out that theory of yours?"
Me: "How?"
Boyfriend picks up our cat, Zoe, and says "Let's rub Zoe all over your face and see."
Me: Already face deep in soft white cat fur "Sure thing!"

So there you have it. Last night, in order to prove to my boyfriend that Paleo has in fact rid me of once bad allergies, I let him rub our cat all over my face. What happened to me after that? Absolutely nothing. Not one sneeze, not one swollen eye, not one sniffle, not one cough. I just don't know what else to say, this is phenomenal.

Oh, and check out this dinner last night: Beef Meatloaf with Oven Dried Tomatoes, and Roasted Cauliflower.

Holy S*#t...

I'm sure many of you have noticed I sort of fell out of my habit of reporting the results of my weigh-ins on Monday mornings. About the time I stopped reporting them was oh, about the time I stopped losing weight regularly, as my routine got tossed out the window. That doesn't mean I wasn't still weighing in every Monday.

I've been strict Paleo for 6 days now. I've lost 8 pounds. Never, ever, ever have I lost 8 pounds in one week, on any other sort of "plan" or "diet" or "kick" or "new lifestyle" change. I know its most likely water that I was retaining from my previous bad habits. Whatever. I'll take it. Today I saw a number on the "scale" (my Wii) that I haven't seen in 2 years.

How do I feel about Paleo? I love it. I've been eating bacon wrapped avocado, skin-on chicken, cauliflower "pasta", turkey meatloaf, not counting calories (just protein and carbs) and still losing weight. Yes, I had to give up latte's. Yes, I had to give up bread. Yes, I had to tell my co-worker today that made me a birthday cake (from scratch) I couldn't eat any because of my new diet. Yes, I sat at dinner last night with my boyfriend and watched him eat dinner rolls and then have chocolate cake for dessert. As long as I see results like I did today, all of this doesn't matter. I've had enough of that stuff to last me a lifetime.

Yesterday I went for a LONG run. It was my first attempt at cardio activity since starting Paleo. I was unsure how my body would perform under its new energy sources (I've heard it takes a little while for your body to convert from using carbs as energy to using fat). My run was nice. Definitely a difference in my energy levels, but I think I can fix this by carrying some nuts with me. The more I get into the Paleo lifestyle, my energy will return. Probably the most noticeable thing is that I ran for 60 minutes, and then walked for 45 minutes after that (did 8 miles total), and then painted my bathroom, and I'm not sore today. At all. I was definitely wiped out yesterday and could not quench my thirst for the life of me, but like I said, I think I will adjust.

Here is another meal I was quite proud of. With food like this, who needs grains, dairy, sugar, salt, or legumes?
Cauliflower "Pasta":

Getting Un-spoiled

Seeing as how I have a fairly unhealthy relationship with food, its rarely something that I'm not thinking about. What am I going to have for breakfast? What's next? What about dinner? Always thinking, planning, wanting. Part of this I know is learned, because that's how it was growing up in my house. Nothing could be done until we knew what the menu was.

Eating healthy has always been a challenge, because in addition to thinking about what and when my next meal would be, I had to factor in that it had to be "good" for me too. A few years ago I began eating oatmeal every morning for breakfast because as far as I knew, it was healthy, and that was one less meal I had to plan. Unless I had ready to go, planned out meals for lunch and dinner, my choices tended to stray from better to worse. I can't count how many times I said "oh, we have nothing to eat, let's just go out." When, in reality, there was plenty of food to eat, I just didn't want to eat it.

Enter in more awareness of our Paleolithic ancestors: Did they have choices like this? Could they pass up the kill they had been feasting on for the past 2 days because they were "sick of it?" No. They ate what they could, when they could. So basically, I've been being a whiny baby when it comes to food, and giving into my every whim and desire. Spoiled.

This experiment is much more then giving up sugar, grains, dairy and legumes for 30 days. This is about re-learning many of my behaviors regarding food and food choices. There are fewer choices of what I can eat. I will be eating a lot of the same foods, day in, and day out. Because I am a Generation Xer I will inevitably get bored of this at some point. Well? I'm going to just have to tell my brain tough shit, and get over it. Perhaps that can be when I re-try lamb, or a kohlrabi, or buffalo. But I think the real solution to the problem is learning how to be happy with what I can have, which is more than enough to keep me alive, and certainly WAY more then my ancient relatives had.

This week has worked out pretty nicely for me. Making my breakfast for the whole week in one big batch has taken the guess work out of that meal. My lunches have been leftovers from dinner the night before, so, in reality, I'm only thinking about/preparing one meal a day. Last nights dinner, and today's lunch:

Skin-on free range, hormone free chicken thighs with pepper, dusting of sea salt, and lemon. Asparagus tossed in olive oil and pepper, with lemon slices on top (I used to use balsamic vinegar). Yes, it was as good as it looks.

Day 3 Observations

I feel good
(I think I was expecting a heroin style withdrawl- shakes, pains, the full deal).
For the past 2 days I have had NO problem getting out of bed
(normally I have to snooze 3,000 times).
I've been waking up in the middle of the night to pee
(I'm mentioned before that usually means weight/excess water is coming off me).
I haven't missed sugar/salt/carbs as much as I thought I would
(my food has been really good!).
So far, this diet seems sustainable for quite a long time
(again, my food has been really good, and I feel good).
Each day I have more energy than the previous day
(I didn't want to attempt a run on day one or two, but I'm ready now).

I know, I know. I've only completed 2 full days. It could be placebo effect. But whatever it is, I guarantee you its going to get me to do another 2 days. That's what it is all about right? Being able to keep going. I don't feel deprived, at all. I like (really like) the food I've eaten so far. Preparation for eating this way hasn't really been any harder then any other time I've been careful about my food choices.

Last night I made my first attempt at Paleoturkeymeatloaf, and some caveman broccoli as a side. It was good, and my boyfriend even ate it too (after a ketchup bath).
Paleoturkeymeatloaf:
Ground Turkey
2 eggs (cage free)
2 tbps ground flaxseed
1 small onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 pieces uncured, all natural, beef bacon cut finely
zest from one lemon

I mixed all these together and placed in a 8X8 glass pan and cooked at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (or until thermometer reads 165).

Caveman Broccoli:
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 small heads broccoli cut into pieces

Heat olive oil, lightly toast garlic, add broccoli to pan and cover. I accidentally ended up carmelizing (read: burned) some of the broccoli, so I added some water to the pan to get a little more steam effect. But, I kinda liked the taste of it a little toasty, and imagined if I were a caveman, and all I had was fire to cook with, that is how my broccoli would be.

Next time, I may place some oven dried tomatoes on top of the cooking meatloaf. Meatloaf really does need some form of tomato accompaniment. I forgot to take pics, next time!

What I'm Eating

Yesterday I was 100% Paleome (a word I made up, meaning me eating Paleo). I'm sure that every single person who decides to eat similar to our Paleolithic ancestors has their own way of interpreting the diet. Some people (like me) include coffee, even though by just about every definition, it is not Paleo. Some people use sea-salt, or cane sugar, or honey, or cream or other minimally processed naturally occurring items (for me cream is out, but I may occasionally use the others). I took a few photos yesterday of some of the things I was eating, how I interpret Paleo:


This is my "breakfast scramble." I heated up some olive oil in a pan, added chopped red onion and galic, sauteed till soft and clear, then browned ground beef on top. I dumped the mixture into a separate bowl when it was done browning, and poured 6 beaten eggs into the same pan (didn't need to add any additional oil) and scrambled those. When the eggs were almost done, I put the beef mixture back in, ground pepper, and added a whole bag of spinach. I mixed it up, let the spinach wilt, and divided it into 4 portions for the week. At work, I brought an avocado and sliced 1/4 of it over the top. It was good, and honestly kept me full for over 4 hours. Something my oatmeal did NOT do.


Throughout the day, I snacked on a few walnuts, and ate this incredible organic peach from Whole Foods after my lunch salad (didn't take any pics of the salad).


When I got home last night, my boyfriend had this flank steak marinating for me in olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, and garlic. I grabbed some fresh rosemary from outside, placed it on top, and cooked the steaks. I ate a whole unpeeled organic carrot while I was waiting. But...it was strange- I got home a little later then usual last night, and I wasn't ready to rip someone's head off with hunger like usual. I patiently ate my carrot, prepared and cooked the steak, and didn't hunt through the cupboards looking for anything else. Sometimes if I'm so hungry when I get home, I'll snack on a whole meal while dinner is cooking, then eat! I'm not sure if it was day 1 strength, or the actual diet.

I put my daily food into my iPhone app, and got the following summary:
June 1, 2010:
Fat- 80.2g (yikes?!)
Saturated Fat- 18.5g (phew)
Sodium- 451.2mg
Carbohydrates- 36.9g
Fiber- 14.3g
Sugars- 17.5g
Protein- 102.9g
Total calories- 1,272

I flipped back through my log to find a day previously with similar calories consumed for a comparison:
March 3, 2010
Fat- 35.2g
Saturated Fat- 6.1g
Sodium- 1954.2mg (holy crap)
Carbohydrates- 160g (ummmm...)
Fiber- 16.6g
Sugars- 38.1g
Protein- 82.6g
Total calories- 1,284

Quite a difference. Actually, it is kind of cool to have a log to go back through. I found that my sodium intake was ranging between 1200 mg and 3000mg! My carbohydrates were never less than 150g and my protein averaged around 60g. My targets for Paleome are slightly different...protein- over 100g, carbohydrates- less than 50g. I don't have any targets for the other various nutrients since the elimination of foods will take care of keeping those in check.

Introducing: Paleome

Hello! As I logged in to begin this post, I noticed that I was about to write my 100th post. On June 1st. On the day I decided last week that I would try going Paleo for 30 days. That just seems cool to me for some reason. Anyway...so far so good. I've got my breakfast scramble and coffee under my belt, and I'm just going to wait until my stomach growls before I eat my lunch (salad with chicken, nuts, avocado, roasted red pepper, and lemon-olive oil dressing). Normally I see 12:00 and I just eat. I don't think cavemen had watches...

I've had plenty of time over the past week to mentally prepare myself for today and the rest of this month. I think perhaps the most prevalent/annoying thing will be explaining it to people. There are a lot of gray areas wrapped into this diet, beginning with the name. Nobody can say with any accuracy what a Paleolithic man REALLY ate, the assumption is that they hunted meat, foraged for nuts and berries, and had occasional vegetables and fruit. Because I live in the 21st century, a true/complete "Paleolithic" lifestyle is not practical. Enter the gray areas. I will be getting my food at a grocery store. I will be sitting at a desk for at least 8 hours a day. I will be driving in a car. I will be wearing clothes from the GAP. I will be using my iPhone to tell me just about everything...you get the point. However, I do not need to be eating overly processed, cultivated, genetically modified, preservative laden, nutrient lacking foods.

Food is fuel for my muscles, fuel for my body to function. Doesn't matter what term is coined for this way of eating, I'm putting in only what my body needs and what it was designed to eat. End of story.

Information, Preparation, Clarification

Information:
Over the past 2 days, I have been doing a lot of research on the Paleolithic diet. The theory behind the diet is that our bodies are not designed to eat foods post-agricultural revolution (agriculture has been around in some form or another for over 10,000 years). The goal of the diet is to normalize insulin levels.

INSULIN AND FOOD:
When you eat food, it raises your blood sugar, which in turn raises the level of the hormone insulin. The basic food components- Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates all differ in the amounts they raise your blood sugar/insulin. Fat- no change, Protein- very little change, and Carbohydrates- a lot of change, depending on complexity.
When you ingest too many carbs or bad carbs, your blood sugar spikes causing your insulin level to spike, as mentioned above. Consistent insulin spiking causes your insulin sensitivity to decrease, meaning you cannot control it.

INSULIN AND YOUR BODY:
Insulin: 1) controls the storage of fat; 2) directs the flow of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbs to tissues; 3) regulates cholesterol; 4) is a growth hormone;
5) involved in appetite control; and more...

Consistent, long-term insulin resistence leads to the inability of the body to shed extra fat; the inability of the body to absorb nutrients; and leads to hyperinsulinemia. Hyperinsulinemia is a condition that can be passed through heredity and eating too much carbs, a body becomes insulin resistent. Your pancreas cannot tell or control how much insulin is being secreted. This consistent and high level of insulin in the body leads to hyperinsulinemia. This condition can be linked to almost ALL diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, myopia, PCOS, gout, acne, excess fluid retention, immune disorders, diabetes, arthritis, and more!

Based on the information above regarding insulin, the Paleolithic diet removes the following mainstream items, and focuses on protein, healthy fats, nuts, vegetables, and a little fruit.

NO SUGAR:
Sugar raises insulin levels. Period. Even sugars found in fruits have this effect, so fruit is eaten in moderation.

NO GRAINS:
In short, grains contain no nutrients, and are not suitable for our digestive system. They are known causes of weight gain and bloating. Grains and legumes contain anti-nutrients called phylates (see NO LEGUMES). Grains contain lectin (a grain protein that causes gut irritation) and can be traced to things such as gluten intolerance (celiac disease) destruction of villi in intestines, and a vast array of digestive/gastrointestinal problems: constipation, heart burn, colon disease, IBS, varicose veins, indigestion, colitis, gall stones, hemorrhoids, appendicitis, hiatal hernia, and duodenal ulcer. Gluten found in wheat and oats disrupts insulin signaling (1 in 33 people have celiac disease)and can lead to carb addiction...hmm, sounds familiar.

NO LEGUMES:
Phylates bind w/ bone minerals and rob you of nutrients (hence anti-nutrients).

NO DAIRY:
Dairy products are high in sugars and spike insulin levels. Dairy products are nutrient deficient (cows are fed grain) and loaded w/ antibiotics and growth hormones.

Preparation:
Today I made a day by day menu plan for next week (Day 1 is Tuesday, June 1st) and a shopping list:
Tuesday
Breakfast: scramble eggs/ground turkey/garlic/spinach/onions/pepper/sea salt/avocado, coffee with coconut milk “creamer”
Nuts
Lunch: Pork/veg (broccoli w/ olive oil and garlic)
Fruit
Dinner: Salad w/ chicken/nuts/avocado

Wednesday
Breakfast: scramble, coffee with coconut milk “creamer”
Nuts
Lunch: salad/avocado/chicken/nuts
Fruit
Dinner: Turkey meatloaf (grain and dairy free) and veg

Thursday
Breakfast: scramble, coffee with coconut milk “creamer”
Nuts
Lunch: chicken breast/veg
Fruit
Dinner: Spaghetti squash “pasta” with ground beef tomato sauce

Friday
Breakfast: scramble, coffee with coconut milk “creamer”
Nuts
Lunch: salad/avocado/chicken/nuts
Fruit
Dinner: meat and veg

Saturday
Breakfast: bacon and fruit, coffee with coconut milk “creamer”
Nuts
Lunch: salad
Dinner: meat and veg

Sunday
Breakfast: bacon and fruit, coffee with coconut milk “creamer”
Nuts
Lunch: salad
Dinner: meat and veg

I'm actually kind of excited about this, because after I wrote everything out there, my week didn't look so bad food wise...there is a lot of room for creativity and variation. My boyfriend is already concocting ideas on how to make my food taste better (roasted garlic, carmelized onions, spices, etc.)

Giving up my morning latte with a splenda is going to be tough, but I will adjust. I've given up sugar in my coffee before and survived. Salad dressings without honey and vinegar are going to be another challenge as well, but I'm going to replace vinegar with lemon juice and see how that goes.

In ALL of the readings I have done, "cheating" is encouraged! Hello! I think this was my first clue that this is actually a legitimate diet. Many people recommend easing into it, and occasional cheat days/meals since the process of completely changing the modern way we eat is not accomplished over night. The cheating "go-ahead" came with the caveat of- the more you cheat, the longer it will take to see results. Ha! Of course! My goal is to be good 95% of the time.

Clarification:
I mentioned in my previous two posts that I would be 'giving sugar and bad carbs a funeral' on Monday, May 31st. This does not mean that I will be gorging myself on anything and everything that I can no longer eat. I will literally be giving items in my cupboards a burial (in the trash) complete with a eulogy (I never said I wasn't lame). I think its silly when people eat "one last meal" before a diet, because then you have that one last meal to burn off in addition to all the other crap that got you fat in the first place!



References:
The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain
The Omega Rx Diet by Barry Sears
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden
CrossFit Journal #15 by Greg Glassman
Damn Dirty Grains by Robb Wolf
CrossFit Nutrition Seminar (live event) with Robb Wolf
Monique Ames, Crossfit Evolution

Don't Talk About It, Be About It

With my decision to begin eating Paleolithic on June 1st, came extreme excitement. I couldn't focus on anything else all day yesterday once I made up my mind that I was going to be removing sugar, refined carbs, dairy, and legumes from my diet for at least a 30-day trail period. I began doing research on the foods I can eat, the science behind eating SO much protein, and if there were any major BAD reviews out there. I found 95% good stuff, 5% bad. I'm ok with those odds. So, I practically busted through the front door last night after getting home from work, because I couldn't wait to share my new plan with my boyfriend. Actual conversation:

Me: *excited* So, I've decided I'm going to start a new way of eating.
BF: Oh, yeah? What's that?
Me: Paleo. I eat what early man ate...no refined crap. Meat, veggies, nuts.
BF: So, Atkins?
Me: NO. Not at all. Atkins is no carbs. This is no refined carbs.
BF: *Blank stare*
Me: Ready to go to dinner?
BF: Well, what can you eat there? Nothing?
Me: Whatever I want, I'm starting June 1st.
BF: So, you are just going to give up till then?
Me: *RAGE*
Me: No, what the fuck are you talking about "give up?" *Begins silent treatment*

Arrow through heart...I was crushed. I took a moment to reflect on why this conversation had gone so badly, and why I was so upset. There is a lot going on here. First off, my boyfriend is not new to me. In the past five years, he's seen that excitement in me before. He's seen me go on kicks where I lose 20 pounds, and then slowly gain it back and more. He's seen me give up meat, try more fiber, join at least 4 different gyms, train for numerous running events...etc. I understand, he thinks he's seen this before. Sometimes (heh) I'm all talk, and my follow through is poor. Secondly, he's been skinny his whole life. He is a 7-foot tall chef who weighed only 6 pounds more than I did when I started this blog (I'm 5' 5") and constantly eats, loves to eat. His metabolism is ridiculous. Lastly, he doesn't know anything about nutrition/exercise/sugar/insulin/carbs/protein. He doesn't need to.

The car ride to the restaurant was quiet. I think at some point my boyfriend realized he may have hurt my feelings and began asking me more questions about the plan. He was looking at it more from a perspective of what he is going to have to start cooking for me and what I can no longer eat. After more explanation, he says "well, I guess we'll be doing a lot of grilling!" He was almost excited about helping me invent good tasting Paleo recipes for my blog. I tried to explain to him the hold that sugar and carbohydrates have over me. How they make me a monster. I told him about the funeral, and he shook his head. He thinks its silly, but he loves me, and he will support me.

Anyway...I'm very stubborn, and I have made up my mind. I will stick to this plan for 30 days just to prove to him that I can do it. I come from a family of talkers, always with these great plans and schemes, but perhaps we spend too much time talking, and not enough time doing. This blog has done wonders for me and my accountability, for the past 5 months I have been honestly putting my money where my mouth is. When I write down here that I'm going to do something, I almost always actually do it.

That's right, don't talk about it, be about it. (courtesy of Busta Rhymes)

Decisions, Decisions

As I find myself in this holding pattern, I have been reading a lot of weight-loss/health blogs, searching for the post that will speak directly to me...the post that will make my attitude go away, and renew my commitment to myself.

I think I have mentioned it before, but now I'm giving serious thought to a Paleo-lifestyle. Deep down, I know it is the best thing for me. I have observed the way my body reacts to sugar and refined grains. They are toxic, addicting, and keep me from being the best me I can be.

I want so much more for myself then this up and down, on-again/off-again lifestyle. I've always had visions of being such a fitness bad ass, trail running 10 miles one day, biking 50 miles the next; knocking out 50 push-ups every morning, having ripped arms and 6-pack abs. Its this fantasy that always gets me to start, but somehow fades after a few days/weeks/months, and I realize what a joke it is- cause the food always overpowers my will to be fit.

For me, food and exercise have always been separate things. Exercise is something one does to compensate for the food that they have consumed. There is a major flaw in this thinking...one can eat anything they want, as long as they exercise enough to counter act the calories. But what about the composition of meals? I've learned by paying attention to my body that eating a bagel for lunch (300 calories) versus a chicken breast and a piece of fruit (300 calories) is NOT the same thing. Not necessarily because of the nutritional content, but because of the way MY body reacts to refined carbohydrates and sugar. If I eat a bagel, I'm more likely to crave more carbohydrates, and make poor decisions. I'm more likely to get lethargic, skip a workout and fall into a off-again cycle. I'm convinced that not everyone is like this. I think there are plenty of people out there that can eat a 300 calorie bagel everyday for lunch and be fine. I however, am not one of them, and for that reason, I need to shift my thinking from food and exercise being separate things to them being ONE thing.

Food is about to become fuel for my exercise. Exercise is not going to be something I use to remedy my food intake. See the difference? Each thing I put into my body will have a purpose, and I will only put in what I need for my muscles to perform. It sounds so simple that way. If I have learned anything at all from maintaining this blog, it is that I cannot keep up the way I'm going. Something has to change fundamentally. Decisions have to be made. Things must be forever removed from my life.

My biggest dilemma is deciding when to start this new lifestyle. Sure its so easy to say NOW! But, for me, (and I know this is a HORRIBLE parallel) its like a loved one with a terminal disease on their death bed. I know I can never taste or eat these food items again, they will be gone forever. I think of all the good times we had, and how much I *love* them. I know they must go. I know I will live once they gone, but I will be sad sometimes, and miss them. What is an acceptable amount to time to prepare myself for their absence? What is an acceptable amount of time to stand by their bed (aka eat them) before I let go for good?

Do I really need to give sugar and carbs and all the other things I'm giving up a funeral? I think I might. So...lets say tentative funeral is Monday, May 31st, and June 1st is Paleo all the way. Yikes. Oh, and in case you are curious, here is the blog post I found that "spoke to me."