Saturday, September 27, 2014

Sunday - Day 21

Congratulations for completing the challenge!!!
Day 21 Agenda:
  1. Intermittent fast. When you wake up do not eat for as long as possible until you are very hungry. If you have been faithful to this challenge, you will be able to fast longer than your first time or, at the least, longer than before the challenge.
  2. Take your after picture to compare with your before picture. If you see a difference {and are willing!}, please send me your pictures:) If you are even more willing and would like to share your experience, please contact me and I will post your story and/or picture to my blog! Remember my results from last year???                     May 2013
  3. Also, don't forget to document and compare your earlier notes from the challenge. It's incredible to see the difference!
Document:
-total hours fasted
-how you increased your daily movement
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

My results from this current challenge:
  • flat stomach/no bloating
  • lost inches around my waist, knees and thighs
  • clearer skin
{Ignore the rose thorn on my forehead:) I was reminiscing a childhood game!}
  • alert mind/focused
  • no stomach pains or constipation
  • ENERGY ALL DAY LONG!
  • lastly, I had noticed pains in my kidney area before the challenge which was worrying me...they are now GONE
Now go celebrate Day 21 by preparing your favorite primal dinner!
Here was BY FAR my favorite meal...

I will post Mark's 80/20 concept tomorrow, so stay tuned on how to continue this lifestyle.

Again, congratulations and thank you for taking this challenge. I hope you feel an increased feeling of health, strength and a sense of control! If you had a wonderful experience, please refer your family/friends to beprimal.blogspot.com and have them take my next challenge:)

Friday, September 26, 2014

Saturday - Day 20

Day 20 Agenda:

  1. For Day 20, you will be preparing for your last intermittent fast of this challenge. So, tomorrow night will be your last meal before Day 21 and that does not mean to pig out! Eat normally and then on Day 21 fast for as long as you can until hunger gets the best of you;)
  2. Perform a 30-60 minute moderate aerobic exercise of your choice.
     Are you sick of my Portland/Vancouver pictures??? Above is my padre walking the rose gardens...
    This is our mansion walk and if you look closely above the city of Portland you can see Mount Hood.
Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- sautéed mushrooms, peppers, onions and put on top of an omelet.

Lunch- bacon and egg salad.

Dinner- pork chops seasoned with rosemary and a side of cooked carrots and salad.

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-moderate aerobic exercise
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Lastly, a little treat:) HOT COCONUT MILK

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 tsp 100% natural honey
  • 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Put coconut milk in pot over low-medium heat. Stir until milk is hot and foaming around edges. Add honey, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Stir together and serve hot in large mug.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Friday - Day 19

Who's excited to be almost done with the challenge AND share their results?! I know Sid {my family's cat} is...it's written all over that lazy face:) 

Day 19 Agenda:

  1. Max reps workout to see how you have improved from the beginning:)
Find your maximum repetitions of...
-Pushups
-Sit-Ups
-Pull-Ups or Chair Dips
-Plank Holds
-Squats

Meal/Snack Ideas: 
Breakfast- scramble eggs up with leftover meats/veggies.

Lunch- turkey wraps.

Dinner- Click here-> Crock Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken for the below recipe! An absolute favorite of mine.

Snacks- baked pumpkin seeds or another seed of choice.

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-max reps of the above five movements
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Thursday - Day 18

Do you follow my instagram {beprimal}? If you do, then you know I have been in Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA, recently. I went to see family and be with my brother as he prepared for his two year church mission! It was beautiful back there and I was able to get in a lot of beautiful walks...
 {the plane ride over-to pretty not to share!}
 {my squinty face with Mount Hood in the background at Pittock Mansion}
 {the Japanese rose gardens}
{my cute-brother-who-is-leaving-for-two-years and I:)}

Now, let's get back to business! Below I have a guest post for a delicious salmon recipe...


Day 18 Agenda:
  1. Tomorrow's  challenge is to do a movnat workout. Click here!
Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and mushrooms.

Lunch- marinated chicken and avocado salad.
I will need to steal this recipe from my mother's friend, but for the salad we had: mixed greens, avocado, tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives and sunflower seeds. For the dressing my mom mixed up about equal parts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing!

Dinner- Salmon Coyhaiquino by Jacob Bluth {BYU college student}
Salmon Coyhaiquino

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cloves garlic
  • 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 Teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 Teaspoon course ground pepper
  • 1 juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 lb salmon filet
  • Oven set to 375 degrees F
  • Bake time 35-45 minutes
  • In a glass bowl mix together all the ingredients minus the salmon, then cover the salmon with the marinade for an hour, longer if possible. Wrap salmon in aluminum foil and pour remaining marinade over the top of the salmon and continue to wrap in aluminum foil. Place fish in a baking dish and place in oven.

Jacob uses this salmon recipe to make lunches for his upcoming school weeks:
DOCUMENT:
-how you increased your daily movement
-movnat
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Wednesday - Day 17

Day 17 Agenda:

  1. Complete a sprint session! Do about 5min of a light warm-up such as jumping jacks, high knees, or jog. Then, put on running shoes {or your bare minimalist shoes} and decide on a number of sets to complete. For example, you could complete 5-8 sets of 10-30 seconds of sprinting with a recovery in between {rest for about 60 seconds or until your breathing is back to normal} doing any cardio activity: running, rowing, bicycling, stationary bike, etc.
    For example, I sometimes complete a sprint session on our rowing machine at home as follows: 8 sets x 30 seconds of work with 30 seconds of rest. GO ALL OUT!

Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- Scrambled eggs with spinach and blue cheese.


Lunch- roasted cauliflower and broccoli with mushrooms and onions.

Dinner- try a spaghetti squash or summer squash noodles with veggies!

Snacks- try some primal beef jerky from a co-op/health foods store or make your own using a food dehydrator.



Document:

-how you increased your daily movement
-sprint workout
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Monday, September 22, 2014

Tuesday - Day 16

Day 16 Agenda:

  1. Take play breaks throughout the day! This could include getting off of your home computer to play on the swings with your kids for 15 minutes or getting up from your work desk to throw a frisbee with a coworker outside for 5 minutes or whatever else your heart desires to do for fun :)
  2. Try a new primal recipe! Find a recipe I have put up on the blog, google paleo/primal recipe's, go to marksdailyapple.com to find a new recipe, or find a delicious recipe and make it primal!
Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- Ground Beef and eggs in a tomato:
Cut the top off of a large tomato, core the inside, and put in oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or more until tomato softens slightly. Sauté ground meat, onions, or anything else on hand and then put in the tomatoes after they come out of the oven. Crack an egg or two on top of the meat/onions and place in oven to broil until egg is set. 


Lunch- Shrimp Coconut Milk Soup.

Dinner- Pick a main dish to go with...
 Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pecans - recipe here.


Snacks- Guacamole and Chips {sweet potato, zucchini or another primal chip}.


Document:
-play breaks tried
-new primal recipe tried
-movnat 
-how you increased your daily movement
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Monday - Day 15

Day 15 Agenda:

1. Let's kick off our third and LAST week of the 21 day challenge by another FORAGE

You could do a real primitive forage and go out into your surroundings to find mushrooms, apples, berries {depending on the season}, etc. Last year my husband and I went out early spring to pick fiddleheads {baby fern}. It was fun to get outside and hike around and try something new!
You could also forage by finding a new shopping market with ingredients to make primal foods or even go out to a different restaurant to eat a primal meal. Remember, politely ask for substitutions as deemed necessary to create a primal meal:)

2. Lastly, perform a moderate aerobic exercise of your choice, 30-60 minutes long and 50-70% of your maximum heart rate.

Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast: eggs benedict.

Lunch- ceviche.

Dinner- coconut curry with beef.



Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-forage
-moderate aerobic exercise
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Sunday - Day 14

Tomorrow is Day 14! Two weeks down, one week to go:)

Day 14 Agenda:
  1. REST. No workouts, just a lot of relaxation and spending time with those you love. Plan on taking a family stroll or take a nap on the couch!  Work on your relaxation techniques by putting away digital media 2hrs before bed, dimming lights, etc. You might also want to make a meal list for the upcoming week to get yourself organized and prepared for your last week of the primal challenge:)
Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- fry up onions, peppers and other veggies to put with leftover meat or {my favorite breakfast food} eggs:)

Lunch- chicken salad wrapped in lettuce.


Dinner- Tomato Basil Soup with a side of oven roasted veggies or meat.
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 large can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup heavy cream (raw/unpasteurized/etc.)
  • 1 stick of butter (raw/hormone free/antibiotic fee/etc.)
  • 15 fresh basil leaves (or sage...I used sage and it was great!)
  • salt
  • pepper
 
In a large pot put in the diced tomatoes (juice and all) and put it on the stove over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble a little, turn it down to low/medium heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Take off heat add basil/sage and puree or use stick blender to blend until mostly blended (I like some clumps of tomato). Put back over heat low heat and stir in the heavy cream. Then add butter and stir until all melted without boiling the soup.
Serve!

Snacks- olives, grape tomatoes and fermented cheese of your choice mixed with olive oil and basil.

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Friday, September 19, 2014

Saturday - Day 13

I apologize for the delay...I flew to the west coast to visit family today:) Go to my Instagram {beprimal} to check out the beautiful area!
I hope the today's fast went well and that you were blown away by how long you can go without feeling hungry! If this was the case, this means that YOU are becoming a great fat-burning human being. Congrats!

Day 13 Agenda:
  1. Write down everything you eat throughout the day. Mark Sisson recommends using a great website called fitday.com that website will calculate your daily nutrition: protein, carbs, fat, and calories. This will give you a great idea of how much you are intaking in a day and what you will need to eat more/less of. If you are trying to lose weight, its recommended to have a daily carb intake of 50-100 grams/day.
  2. Lastly, complete a push-up tabata workout. Remember, this is 8 sets of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Count your total repetitions. If you need to keep your knees on the ground that is fine, but be sure to maintain good posture: flat back, hands to the side of shoulders, and ensure your chest hits the ground first {if you cannot make it that low, then use a pillow beneath your chest.}

Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- zucchini egg bake with sausage {for the recipe click HERE}.

Lunch- chicken breast, sweet potato, and veggies!

Dinner- roast in the crockpot with veggies.

Snacks- bananas with a spread of almond butter.


Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-your fitday.com calculations
-total push-ups from tabata workout 
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Friday - Day 12

Day 12 Agenda: 
  1. Primal fast. Please don't forget to eat a nice dinner tonight {remember, do not over eat with the knowledge of Day 12's fast/carb overload}. So, tonight will be your last meal and then tomorrow go as long as possible without food until you get very hungry and then eat a very primalicious meal:) Today I fasted until I got hungry which was not until 12 in the afternoon!

Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- eggs with tomatoes and avocados...my favorite!


Lunch- cobb salad.

Dinner- Turkey, baked sweet potatoes, and baked asparagus wrapped in bacon.

Snacks- parsnip fries.

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-total hours fasted 
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Thursday - Day 11

Tomorrow is Day 11 which means the end is near!!! Just 10 days...
How did you all enjoy the podcast from yesterday? Would you like to hear other favorites from other incredible individuals?! 

Day 11 Agenda:
  1. Complete a favorite aerobic exercise and invite someone to do it with you. Do your exercise for 30-60 minutes and with a heart rate of about 50-75% of your maximum.
  2. Limit the carbs you eat all day. This is to get us ready for the following day {Day 12} where we will practice intermittent fasting. After a normal primal dinner on Day 11 you will fast for as long as you can until you feel famished or energy depleted. Record how many hours you went without food.

Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- sausage patties with cooked vegetables and eggs.

Lunch- Taco Salad!

Dinner- Cucumber Salad {to go along with your main dish!}
Ingredients:

  • 2 large cucumbers sliced
  • 3 large tomatoes cubed
  • 1/2 purple onion sliced into thin rings 
  • 1/4 cup chives chopped finely
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 3 Tbs red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients together and serve as a side! Psst...it tastes even more delicious a day later in my opinion:)


Snacks- kale chips (sprinkle sea salt and olive oil over small pieces of kale on a baking pan and pop in the oven at 350 until crispy).

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-aerobic exercise with a partner
-carbs cut out in preparation for intermittent fast
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Wednesday - Day 10

Want to stay motivated?! Listen to this impressive interview of the author from 'Wheat Belly'. His name is Dr. William Davis and he had his patients go without wheat to see the effects... check out what happened HERE! This was also another interview that persuaded ME.

I hope these links help you to stay focused. If you're not seeing all of your results just yet, be patient. I will also talk more about Mark Sisson's "80/20" concept when we get towards the end of the challenge for you to incorporate or you may want to continue to be strict for a while until you hit your goal weight.

Day 10 Agenda:
  1. Eat whenever and whatever you want! Mix up your meal, get crazy:) Eat whatever sounds good that falls in line with the primal food pyramid. Now while doing this, get rid of any guilty feelings from eating or other emotions tied to eating and just enjoy your food. For the remainder of this challenge, ENJOY PRIMAL FOOD.
  2. Complete a sprint session! Do about 5min of a light warm-up such as jumping jacks, high knees, or jog. Then, put on running shoes and decide on a number of sets to complete. For example, you could complete 5-8 sets of 10-30 seconds of sprinting with a recovery in between {rest for about 60 seconds or until your breathing is back to normal} doing any cardio activity: running, rowing, bicycling, stationary bike, etc.
The benefits of sprinting: slight increase in human growth hormone {HGH} and testosterone production, increase in muscle fiber growth, toned muscles, and metabolic advantages.


Meal/Snack Ideas...all mixed up, of course!:
Breakfast- a dinner favorite or leftovers from last night!

Lunch- cheesy omelet and spinach.

Dinner- a lunch favorite or breakfast again like... cutting the top off of bell peppers, take out the pit, put in an egg or two and stuff with bits of meat/bacon/etc. and pop in the oven to bake until cooked.

Snack- Sweet Potato Chips

Do you own a mandolin?! We just bought one about a week ago and it has changed my life:) I can now cut sweet potatoes to the perfect size for a chip! I have been using it on everything now...

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • sea salt
Cut up your sweet potatoes to a chip width {I hope you have a handy device, too;)} and toss in a bowl with olive oil and sea salt. I then use a cookie rack to place on top of a baking sheet to spread the chips out on, so they cook evenly OR you could flip the chips halfway through baking. Then I bake in the oven for 15 min at 350 degrees.


Dessert- apples dipped in hazelnut butter.


{Please try to find one other than this brand due to the sugar content!}

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-how you did with cutting ties between food and emotions
-sprint workout
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Monday, September 15, 2014

Tuesday - Day 9

Day 9 Agenda:

1.   Avoid eating foods that have a label. This might mean you will need to find fresher foods from co-ops, farmer's markets or other whole food stores. This will give you the opportunity to learn how to make your own dressings, dried fruits, or nut butters!

{We go to our farmer's market a couple time a month and this summer I can't get enough of these colorful, juicy 'maters!}

 2.  Avoid media. We spend so much time in front of computers, phones, our TV, etc. You may have to be in front of a computer all day at work, but if that is the case then limit the extra media. Set a time limit of twice a day for extra media. Focus on the most important things {email, news, etc.} and then close the device. Turn devices off a few hours before bed to ensure a good nights rest {here I am posting before bed...shame, shame}. Also, try to put on screen dimmers/filters, such as f.lux, if not done so already to protect your eyes.


Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- crack in egg in each half of a pitted avocado, sprinkle a favorite fermented cheese or pieces of bacon and bake in the oven until egg is cooked.

Lunch- fry/grill bison patties and add a fried egg on top with salsa.

Dinner- Sausage and Cabbage
This is my easy, go-to meal when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen AND it is tasty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cabbage, cut thinly
  • 1/2 onion, sliced into rings
  • 1-2 packages of kielbasa sausage, sliced ~1/2in thick pieces
  • 3 Tbs water or stock
  • salt/pepper
  • butter/fat
Grease 9x11 baking dish with butter, fat or coconut oil. Put the cabbage and onions in the dish and mix with salt/pepper. Pour 3 Tbs of water or stock on top. Put a few dabs of butter or fat on top of cabbage. Add sausage on top. Cover with tin foil and put in oven at 350 degrees for 45min. Take tin foil off last 10-15min to brown some. Add more salt/pepper to taste and enjoy!
Snack- make your own primal trailmix!

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-how you did with avoiding food labels and media
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Monday - Day 8

How was your primal meal with your family and friends?!
Here was our meal tonight:

Recipe for the main dish below...

Day 8 Agenda:
  1. Complete a very short, yet intense, tabata air squat workout. A tabata workout is usually 8 sets of a specified movement being performed for 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between. It is an amazing workout that you can get done in just minutes! Below is a large group of people performing this tabata style workout, so feel free to do it along with them or you may do it on your own:) Count your total reps and document.


Meal/Snack Ideas:
Breakfast- mixed eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes poured in cupcake pan(s) and baked.

Lunch- find hot dogs/sausage that are antibiotic/nitrite/nitrate free and dab primal approved condiments on top {read those labels if not making your own condiment!} Add a side of greens.


Dinner- NY Strip Steak with an Avocado Tomatillo Dressing
My husband made the steak on the stovetop and this was the Avocado Tomatillo dressing...

Ingredients:
  • 4 tomatillos, husked and diced
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 jalapeño, diced
  • handful of cilantro chopped finely
  • 1 tsp of salt
In a blender {or stick blender or food processor} mix ingredients together until smooth. That's it! Then pour on top of your steak:)
We then had a side of cucumber/tomato salad and sweet potato chips. Recipes for the side dishes to come!


Dessert- have you made/tried coconut milk ice-cream? Literally, just coconut milk and coconut pieces. Check your labels, or better yet, make your own!

Document:
-how you increased your daily movement
-tabata air squats total reps
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits