Not Sure How To Go Paleo/Primal??

Are you new to the Paleo/Primal dieting concept??  Or maybe you're ready to start but struggling with how to begin? I thought this was a fantastic, reasonably priced resource that covers the "why", the "how" and also includes recipes and a 30-day meal plan to get you started on the right track!

Primal Challenge Update

Well, I didn't do a very good job of posting updates during my 21 day Primal Challenge but the good news is that it went VERY well and helped me get my life back on track.  I blogged earlier (Hitting The Reset Button) about getting into a bad place and trying to dig myself out, and that's exactly what the Primal Challenge helped me to do.

So what changes have I seen in the last couple months since I started the challenge?  Well for one, my weight is trending back down.  Weight is a slippery slope for me and I was fast approaching 140 pounds again, but I finally put the brakes on that and have gotten back down under 135, hopefully trending toward 130. This may not sound like a big deal to you (maybe even annoying if you're  battling a weight problem) but as someone who gains weight very easily and was a biscuit shy of 200 pounds at the end of every pregnancy (x5), I have to be VERY careful about trending weight gain.

The other major change is in my mood. I've entered that lovely phase of life called peri menopause, so I'm already battling hormonal imbalances. When you compound that with poor eating habits, night owl tendencies and less exercise, it's a formula for disaster!  Getting back to the Primal way of eating and living has helped my moods tremendously.  It's a lovely domino effect really! When you start eating better, you're more likely to exercise and take your supplements. When you exercise and take your supplements you're more likely to get better sleep. When you get better sleep, you have more energy.  When you have more energy, you tend to accomplish more. When you accomplish more you tend to feel better about yourself and I don't know about you, but when I feel good about myself I am A LOT more fun to be around!! (Just ask my husband!)

Primal Blueprint Shopping List

So what CAN you eat on the Primal/Paleo/Low Carb diet? Check out Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Shopping List!

Primal Challenge-Day 2

Primal Challenge-Day2
After it about killed me not to snack after dinner last night, I woke up STARVING today. I've already realized that I graze, WAY too much during the day, which does not mean good things for my insulin levels. I am clearly going through "grazing withdrawal" because every time I enter the kitchen I want to eat something but then realize, it's not mealtime yet!  Another thing I've discovered is that I often times mistake hunger for THIRST because a big glass of water seems to satisfy my "craving" to eat.

Breakfast- Scrambled eggs, chopped ham heated in a skillet, 1 cup of coffee.
Snack-Leftover scrambled eggs off kids' plate, small handful of cashews, 1/2 of a pear. I know, big snack!
Lunch-Leftover pesto chicken breast and green beans from last night's dinner.

What I Ate Today

Today was day 1 of the 21 Day Challenge.  I was dreading it because my goal was to only have one cup of coffee and be finished with it by 9am. Lately, I've been drinking one cup with breakfast and then putting the leftover on ice and sipping it all morning!  I hope to wean off completely again at some point, but at 45 years old and 5 kids 12 and under, surviving my day on just one cup would be a huge accomplishment!

Breakfast-3 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon and 1 cup of coffee (I was hungry!)
Snack-pear
Lunch-Artisan Salad at JD's Coffee House, water
Snack-big handful of salted almonds and dried apples
Dinner-baked pesto chicken with parmesan cheese and steamed green beans with butter

Today, whenever I had any sort of craving for sugar, I would grab a few almonds and drink a big glass of water and that seemed to take care of it.

2/16/13-Coffee Update:
I'm thrilled to report that I FINALLY broke free of my caffeine addiction!!  It was not an easy process. Quite frankly, I thought I might die because the headaches were so bad I thought I was surely having an aneurysm! But after about a week it was finally over.  I really never thought I would be able to start my day without caffeine but the high fat, low carb eating has stabilized my blood sugar and improved my energy levels tremendously.  And now that I'm not strung out on caffeine, I don't have to have a glass of wine to help me wind down in the evening.

21 Day Challenge

As part of my efforts to "hit the reset button", I've joined a 21 day challenge offered by Mark Sisson from the popular blog, Mark's Daily Apple.  Whether small or big, it's always better to surround yourself with a support group when making changes in your diet or lifestyle.  I've also recruited a new workout partner who has similar ambitions and physical abilities, AND she's adventurous enough to brave the early morning darkness of the Nebraska countryside with me! The accountability of a workout partner is critical for me to achieve my fitness goals.

Struggling To Give Up Wheat?.....

......or not even sure why anyone would want to? Go to this link and listen to all 6 parts of Dr. William Davis, author of "Wheat Belly:Lose The Wheat, Lose The Weight" and you'll never look at wheat the same again!

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/2012-low-carb-cruise-lecture-dr-william-davis/15010

N=1/Hitting The Reset Button

So after a year of eating pretty strict Paleo, feeling full of energy, getting down to 132 pounds (after 5 children) and receiving fantastic results back on my life insurance blood work, I unknowingly entered into my own personal clinical study to test the effects of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.).  I didn't set out to intentionally ditch the Paleo/Low Carb lifestyle or anything, but it seemed that with my baby weight off and confirmation that my blood work was great, I began to allow myself some indulgences.  Well the indulgences, coupled with a crazy summer of often dining away from home quickly became a slippery slope.  The next thing I knew I was back to consuming wheat several times a week, drinking wine 3-4 times a week and requiring coffee every morning to get my day going!  At first, I seemed to bounce right back after an occasional high-carb meal but over the course of six weeks, I began noticing the familiar consequences of the S.A.D.

The very first sign was a decrease in energy.  With low energy I began reaching for coffee not only in the morning but late afternoon as well.  Deadlines, big events, long trips.....I was crutching on coffee to get me through.  However being very sensitive to caffeine, I often became TOO wired and sleep began to escape me in the evenings.  A harmless glass of wine to quiet the effects of the caffeine turned into practically a nightly ritual, but due to all the entertaining and family gathering this hardly seemed like a big deal.

So now you add caffeine, alcohol, poor sleep quality, the S.A.D (full of grains and sugar) to an already full and hectic schedule and bad things begin to happen.  My joints started to ache with inflammation and I started getting migraines.  My feet actually hurt when they first hit the floor in the mornings!  Of course with low energy and achy joints I didn't feel much like exercising so I quickly began losing strength and muscle mass.  My digestive system  tormented me with unpredictable bouts of constipation,  followed by untimely episodes of the other extreme. Bad moods and negativity seemed to overshadow more and more of my day. The more I strayed from my usual Paleo/Low Carb choices, the worse I would get.

At first I didn't notice any weight gain but because I wasn't feeling well, I kept telling myself, "Oh , I'll get back on track after this trip", or '"As soon as this happens or that happens, things will settle down and I'll get back on the wagon."  Weekend after weekend, family gathering after horse show after holiday after cook out after short trip after celebration..........suddenly I'm staring at nearly 10 pounds of weight gain on the scale! So now I not only don't feel well, I get to add "feeling uncomfortable in my clothes" to my list of woes!  But honestly and truly, the weight gain is NOTHING compared to having  knees so sore I can't crouch to the ground, sleep-wrecking low- back pain, aching hands, foggy memory and crappy moods!!!

Thanks anyway America for your Standard American (grain-filled, sugar laden) Diet (S.A.D.).  My N=1 experiment, while not full of specifically quantifiable data, was enough to convince ME that I WAS on the right track with the Paleo/Low Carb lifestyle and THAT is where I shall return.  I have far too much going on in my life to be burdened with aches and pains and negative thoughts!........sigh.....It is time to hit the RESET button.

Subscribe to FDA Recalls and Safety Alerts

Would you like to be alerted whenever there is a Recall, Market Withdrawal, or Safety Alert for a product, food or drug?  You can receive safety alerts from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration(FDA) by registering HERE.

Kid Friendly Natural Sweetener

If you have young kids and you're trying to avoid sugar in their diet, Sweet Leaf Liquid Stevia is a  must have for your pantry. Our family favorite is the Vanilla Creme flavor.  I was able to wean the kids off sweetened yogurt by adding a few drops to plain yogurt and topping with blueberries. The kids LOVE it! My other personal favorite is the English Toffee flavor. Perfect if you like a little sweetness in your coffee or tea!  Stevia is simply an herb. It has zero calories, zero carbohydrates, zero glycemic index and is a healthy prebiotic for friendly bacteria in the gut. You can Google hundreds of ways to use it in your cooking.

Fresh Seafood in Nebraska?

YES!  I finally connected with who I believe to be the freshest, most reliable and direct source of fresh, flown-in, wild caught, seafood in Nebraska.  The man’s name is Andrew Vounv and he used to own Midwest Seafood in Lincoln. He knows all of his fisherman personally and the fish arrives fresh on Friday and is delivered to you on Saturday morning. He is a small scale distributor so even if you are only wanting enough fish for one meal each week, he is happy to provide it. He is also willing to vacuum pack for freezing if you won’t be able to eat your fish right away.  Andrew is the salmon provider for a select few specialty stores in Lincoln, so there is some cost savings by buying direct from him. Right now there are 2-3 customers ordering from Seward so if we get this going and there is a large enough customer base out here, he will consider delivering to Seward.  Until then, orders must be picked up on Saturday mornings at the Casey’s gas station on HW34 by the Kawasaki plant.  He delivers all over Lincoln on Saturday so if you can’t meet him at the designated time, you can meet up with him elsewhere in Lincoln.

He sends out an email each week letting you know what he has coming in that week. You simply reply with your order.  If you want to be on his email list, please email him directly at andrewseafood@neb.rr.com.  If you have additional questions, you can call him at 402-310-7781. I will forward a price list as soon as I get it.  I would be interested in taking turns to make the Saturday morning pick-up so please let me know if you are interested.  Also, please forward this message to anyone you know in Seward who may be interested in fresh seafood but is not a member of this yahoo group.

Paleo 101-Doesn't Get Any Simpler Than This!

Mark's Daily Apple has been such a tremendous resource to me.  The site is jammed pack with information on  how to make the transition to a Paleo/Primal lifestyle, including the exciting 30-Day Challenge! Whether you're just stumbling onto this or you're a Primal Pro, Mark's site has resources and support to fit your needs!