Saturday, January 30, 2016

Day 21: January 31st, 2016

CONGRATULATIONS! You have made it to Day...

T W E N T Y  O N E

Day 21 Agenda: 
1. Intermittent fast. When you wake up do not eat for as long as possible until you are 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! I'm taking mine tomorrow morning and will share with you all.

                 My BEFORE & AFTER picture May 2013      
              
 Day 1    //     Day 21

                    Day 1  //  Day 21 //  Day ~60

 3. Compare your notes from DAY 1 to DAY 21.

 4. Complete your entry for the grand PRIZE! This prize is full of all of my favorite things: primal snacks, primal treats, ceciliawong skincare products, etc. to help you continue this lifestyle! 

To complete your entry for the prize you must: 
  • have completed the 21-day challenge
  • send in a primal recipe and picture to share
  • take a before and after picture
  • send me an email telling me all about your results/primal journey {beprimalblog@gmail.com} ... I would also LOVE to see your before/after picture and, if you are willing, I will share this picture to inspire others {I can crop pic and/or leave your name anonymous}
  • I will then randomly select a winner next week, so complete your entry and cross your fingers :) 
Meal Ideas/Recipes:

Breakfast- green strawberry banana smoothie 
Ingredients:

  • big handful of spinach
  • 1 frozen banana
  • big handful of frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup full fat unsweetened coconut milk
  • handful of ice
  • 1/3 cup of water
Blend up and serve!

Lunch- fried zucchini squash with dill dip
{pic and recipe from paleonewbie.com}
Find this recipe HERE

Dinner- super easy spaghetti squash
{pic and recipe from iwashyoudry.com}
Recipe HERE!
Dessert- paleo chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour {Red Mill brand can be found in any store}
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 6 Tbs melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/2 tsp raw vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks {I used 85% due to no added sugar}
  • 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries {optional}
Set oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on baking sheet.
Mix dry ingredients well with whisk except for chocolate, coconut flakes and cranberries. Mix wet ingredients together well. Combine wet ingredients with dry and combine. Fold in shredded coconut flakes, dark chocolate chunks and cranberries until combined. Use a cookie scooper {or 1-2 Tbsp} to scoop out cookie dough and place on baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart from each other. Cookies will hold form well. Bake about 12min until golden. Remove from oven and place cookies on cooling rack to let cool completely. Enjoy!

Jot down some notes!
-total hours fasted?
-how did you increase your daily movement?
-relaxation techniques tried?
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}?
-satisfaction level with meals?
-hunger level between meals?
-struggles?
-benefits?

Here are the results I get from living primally:
  • flat stomach/no bloating
  • lost inches around my waist, knees and thighs
  • clear skin
  • alert mind/awake/focused/no sluggishness between meals
  • ZERO stomach pains/constipation
  • ENERGY ALL DAY LONG
  • no cravings
  • can go without food for a long time/no hunger pains between meals

Friday, January 29, 2016

Day 20: January 30th, 2016

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.
Meal/Snack Ideas:


Breakfast- breakfast stacks
{pic and recipe found on paleoparents.com}
Recipe found HERE!

Lunch- sweet potato sliders with homemade ketchup
{pic and recipe from nobiggie.net}
Try out this recipe HERE.

Dinner- paleo chicken pot pie
{pic and recipe from everyday maven.com}
I'm a sucker for casserole's. They are easy and tasty! Check out this recipe HERE, but honestly, I think you could do without the crust and it would still be delicious. 


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

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Day 19: January 29th, 2016

Day 19 Agenda:
  1. Max repetition 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- paleo oatmeal
{pic and recipe empoweredsustenance.com}
Check out the recipe HERE!

Lunch- paleo chicken salad 
Ingredients:
  • 4 cups baked chicken (cubed)
  • 3 cups purple grapes (cut in half)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup paleo mayo (see DAY 5...I believe...for recipe)
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 tsp curry powder
  • 1 Tbs salt
Mix it altogether!

Dinner- chicken fajita stuffed peppers
{pic and recipe from holisticallyengineered.com}
Find the recipe HERE!

Take some notes!
-how did you increase 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, January 27, 2016

Day 18: January 28th, 2016

Day 18 Agenda:
  1. Tomorrow's  challenge is to complete a movnat workout. Click here for the workout!
Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- twice baked breakfast sweet potatoes
{pic and recipe form plaidandpaleo.com}
Find this recipe HERE!

Lunch- sweet potato nachos
{pic and recipe from crossingmylegs.blogspot.com}
Find THIS recipe on another paleo blogger's site!

Dinner- baked garlic butter carrots
{found this off of diethood.com and made minor adjustments}
Ingredients:
  • 2 lbs carrots, peeled and diced diagonally 2-3 inches
  • 4 Tbs kerry gold butter
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • sea salt
  • pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut up carrots and place in a bowl. Melt butter in skillet over stove on medium heat. Once melted, add garlic and stir for a couple minutes until it starts to slightly brown. Then take off heat and pour over carrots to toss thoroughly. Add carrots to baking sheet spreading out evenly. Season well with sea salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes tossing half way in between. Take out when carrots are tender and start to brown. Serve with an entree! 

Dessert- lemon pound cake 
{from paleonewbie.com}
Dry Ingredients: 
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 3 Tbs coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • zest from 2 lemons
Wet Ingredients:
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup raw honey
  • 2 Tbs melted coconut oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix to combine. Allow batter to set a few minutes and then mix again. Grease bread pan with coconut oil and line bottom of pan with parchment paper to fit. Pour in batter and bake 35-40minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Serve with fruit, butter, by itself, or make coconut milk cream by mixing well in mixer!


Take some notes!
-how did you increase your daily movement?
-movnat?
-relaxation techniques tried?
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}?
-satisfaction level with meals?
-hunger level between meals?
-struggles?
-benefits?

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Day 17: January 27th, 2016

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, 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. GO ALL OUT:)
Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- check out this website full of paleo breakfasts!

You can find these recipes HERE.
These recipes should be all clean, but you still want to check ingredients and make substitutions if needed. And at this point you should all be great at checking ingredients and knowing what's okay/what's not okay:)

Lunch- brussel sprout salad shared by a former participant, Marlene!

Click HERE for the recipe:)

Dinner- slow cooker lemon chicken with rosemary shared by a former participant, Lolita!

You can find the recipe HERE!

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



Take some notes!
-how did you increase your daily movement?
-sprint workout?
-relaxation techniques tried?
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}?
-satisfaction level with meals?
-hunger level between meals?
-struggles?
-benefits?

Monday, January 25, 2016

Day 16: January 26th, 2016

Day 16 Agenda: 

1. Take play breaks throughout the day! This could include getting up from the computer to play with your kids or throwing a frisbee with a coworker at work for a few minutes:)

Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- ground beef and eggs in a tomato

Ingredients:
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1/2-1 cup ground beef (depending on the tomato size)
  • 1/4 cup onion
  • 1-2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (for sautéing) 

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- almond crusted tilapia shared by Mackenzie!
 
Ingredients:
  • 2 tilapia fillets (4 oz each)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup ground almonds or almond meal
  • 2 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
  • 1 Tbs butter
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 375°F
2) Pour egg in a bowl and beat until unseparated, put almond meal onto a plate
3) Rinse and dry tilapia fillets, dip first into egg, and then press into the almond mixture
4) Put tilapia in a baking dish coated in olive oil, drizzle with lemon or lime juice and butter
5) Sprinkle with seasonings and bake until fish starts to flake (20-30 min)

Dinner- baked sweet potatoes, cooked broccoli and meat by Melanie!

Dessert- chocolate mousse recipe shared by Michelle from a previous challenge!

Michelle found this recipe via pinterest. You can find it HERE!

Take some notes!
-play breaks tried?
-how did you increase your daily movement?
-relaxation techniques tried?
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}?
-satisfaction level with meals?
-hunger level between meals?
-struggles?
-benefits?

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Day 15: January 25th, 2016

Are you ready for the LAST week of this challenge?!
I am!

Below I shared a lot of recipes from former participants and I was hoping to share all of the recipes from our current participants, but they are still scattered at the moment. I WILL share them throughout the week though. So, if you have not sent in a recipe yet, do so now before the end of the challenge:)

Day 15 Agenda:

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

Meal/Snack Ideas:


Breakfast-
 paleo pancakes shared by last month's participant, Susannah!


Ingredients:
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder {don't use store bought due to the corn starch and other bad ingredients, but you CAN make your own baking powder by mixing 1 part baking soda and 2 parts cream of tartar and then use quickly! So, for 1 tsp mix 1/4 tsp baking soda with 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar.}
  • dark chocolate chips ~70% or higher
  • cinnamon

Mix together and, well, you know how to make a pancake;)

Lunch- cream of broccoli soup shared by Molly from ninjakitchen.com!

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 2hrs, drained
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, divided 
  • 6 cups broccoli, steamed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
In a blender, pulse cashews a few times with 1/2 cup broth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth by gradually increasing speed of blender. Transfer to a pot, adjust seasonings and simmer on stove until heated through.

Dinner- creamy lemon chicken with asparagus and mushrooms recipe shared by a former participant, Tammy! This was found on wholesomelicious.com. 

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 large chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 8 medium sized asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 8 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 3.4 cup coconut milk
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • salt to taste

Begin by heating up a large skillet to medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Place chicken in pan, heat about 2 minutes per side, and set aside {chicken will not be cooked through}. Add remaining coconut oil if needed. Toss in crushed garlic, asparagus, and mushrooms. Salute until asparagus is crispy, and mushroom are soft and fragrant {about 10min}. Return the chicken to the pan. Add in coconut milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. With the skillet on medium high heat, cover with lid. Wait until the mixture bubbles, then lower to medium low heat. Cook for an additional 3-5min or until the chicken is cooked through. Salt to taste. Serve!


Take some notes!
-how did you increase 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, January 23, 2016

Day 14: January 24th, 2016

ONLY ONE MORE WEEK LEFT!

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- butternut squash frittata

{pic & recipe from healyeatsreal.com}
Skip the cheese if you want to lose weight, otherwise, use hard, aged cheeses. Click HERE for the recipe!

Lunch- shrimp scampi

{pic and recipe from sweetcsdesigns.com}

Head over HERE for the recipe:)

Dinner- grilled salmon with avocado salsa

{pic and recipe from the cookie rookie.com}
Try out the recipe that I found from HERE!

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


Take some notes!
-how did you increase your daily movement?
-relaxation techniques tried?
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}?
-satisfaction level with meals?
-hunger level between meals?
-struggles?
-benefits?

Friday, January 22, 2016

Day 13: January 23rd, 2016

We are almost to the end of our second week!
Keep it up, guys!
YOU CAN DO IT.

Day 13 Agenda:
  1. Write down everything you eat throughout the day. Mark Sisson recommends using a great website called fitday.com to 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- french omelette with pesto, chives or other topping


Ingredients:
  • 4 eggs
  • 1Tbs fresh chives, diced thinly
  • 1Tbs olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
Heat olive oil in a medium sized pan on medium-low heat. Ensure olive oil gets up on the sides of pan. Beat eggs vigorously with all ingredients until batter has a smooth consistency. Pour in heated pan. Take spatula and gently scrape the middle of the omelette from side to side making a plus sign shape every few minutes. This will make little clumps throughout the omelette. Continue until the omelette is still wet on top with many chunks/swirls of the eggs and sides are easy to lift form pan. Loosen sides of omelette and fold in half. Cook for another minute and then serve on plate. Sprinkle more salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with more chives!

Lunch- egg salad 
{picture from pinterest}
This is another paleo recipe I found on pinterest that I have tried and LOVED! Go HERE for the recipe. 

Dinner- chicken tikka masala 
{picture from pinterest}
Yet another...go HERE! Oh, and substitute the vegetable oil for a more acceptable oil {olive oil, coconut oil, etc.}, as well as, the rice for cauliflower rice.

Take some notes!

-how did you increase 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?