Convincing Re-Post!

I just have to share this incredible podcast AGAIN, especially for those of you trying this lifestyle for the first time :) This podcast literally convinced me to try the primal lifestyle for myself.

Have you heard of the book 'Wheat Belly'? The author, Dr. William Davis, is a cardiologist who wanted to find a non-pharmacological way to decrease his patient's co-morbidities because they were worsening their cardiac problems. Listen to this mind-blowing podcast where we hear from the doctor himself!

A New Year's Primal Challenge: Day 3

Day 3:

Agenda:

1. Try new primal approved meals this week. Then on Day 7,  you will make your favorite new recipe for your family and/or friends to share. Take that opportunity to get them excited about eating clean, delicious foods and feeling great!
2. Focus on making and preparing all your primal meals from home. This will take planning (maybe even days of planning), but it will help you avoid the temptation of running to a local burger chain restaurant to satisfy hunger. From Day 3 forward, plan and prepare meals from home.
3. GO OUTSIDE! Grab some sunshine and soak in Vitamin D. If there happens to be no sun on Day 3, check the forecast and plan a sunny day to enjoy outside {if it's cold, bundle up!}. To be primal is to get an appropriate amount of sunlight. Yes, tan=healthy!

Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- french omelette with chives {I just ate this tonight!}

French Omelette

• 4 eggs
• 1T fresh chives, diced thinly
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1T olive oil

Heat olive oil in pan on # 3 stove setting or low-medium heat. Ensure olive oil gets up 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 omelette from side to side in a plus sign design every few minutes. This will make little clumps throughout the omelette. Continue until omelette is still wet on top with many chunks and swirls of eggs and sides are easy to lift from 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.

Lunch- throw that delicious leftover salmon atop your green salad with seasonings; slice large chunks of eggplant and top with tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, seasonings, sprinkled with a hard fermented cheese and then bake!

Dinner- make pulled pork in your crockpot and serve with your favorite vegetables (pulled pork meat can be used for many other meals!)

Snacks- create a new smoothie using coconut milk, almond milk or water; find a primal coconut drink with pulp (check those ingredients to stay away from sugar and other chemicals!)

A favorite primal drink of mine.

Document:

-how you increased your daily movement

-new primal meal recipe(s) tried
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

A New Year's Primal Challenge: Day 2

Day 2:

How are you feeling after Day 1? You might not feel very energetic and/or have a headache. This is normal after coming off of the american high carb/sugar diet or, as Mark Sisson refers to, the SAD (Standard American Diet). During my last challenges, almost everyone who participated said it took them about 4 days to get over these side effects and then they started to feel "great" and "energetic"! So, hang in there. It will only get better:)

Agenda:

1. Continue daily movement today and throughout the rest of the challenge: park farther away from work, take the stairs instead of elevator, take a break every 30-60 min. from your desk job, or take your dog for a walk.
2. Complete a maximum repetitions workout. At the end of the challenge you will do this again to see how you have improved.
3. Eat primally {this is obvious, so I will not put this up on the agenda anymore...it's a given!}
4. Lastly, take a cognitive ability test HERE to compare with at the end of the challenge. I always feel so dumb when I eat sugar/grains and alert when I eat primally, so I am anxious to see my results, too {I indulged in holiday sweets and am feeling a little "dumb" again!}

Take about 5 minutes to find your maximum repetitions of:

• Pushups (Keep body in straight line, hands shoulder width apart, hands and toes on floor, touch chest to ground. To modify, keep knees on floor along with toes.)

• Sit-ups (Put a rolled up towel lengthways or pillow beneath buttocks and back. Put bottom of your feet together to make a diamond with your legs. When you lie back, reach back as far as you can with your hands and then crunch forward reaching as far as you can with your hands to your toes.)

• Pull-Ups or Chair Dips (Unlike the above picture, grip the pull-up bar with the top of your hands facing you, wide grip, pull your body up until your chip is above the bar. For chair dips, take a chair and sit just in front of it by gripping your hands on the edge of the chair. Your body will be in a sitting position just in front of the chair. Dip down as far as you can and then push yourself back up.)

• Plank Holds (Get into the pushup position, hold this position for as long as you can.)

• Squats (Stand shoulder width or a little wider if you have long legs. Keep your arms stretched out in front of you and lower yourself down by pushing your buttocks back, keeping your back flat, and keeping your knees behind your toes and going outward rather than inward. Go as low as you can, preferably below parallel.)

Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- egg frittata with peppers, onions, and spinach; stuffed squash blossoms; baked stuffed peppers with eggs and bison meat.

Lunch- leftover dinners; cubed avocados, sweet peppers, celery, onions, tomatoes tossed as a salad with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt.

Dinner- baked salmon with lemon and seasonings of choice (if it's a big salmon, save half and keep frozen to use later for salmon patties); bison meat patties with cooked egg on top.

Snacks- coconut milk, banana, spinach, and berry smoothie.

Don't forget to 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

If you haven't done so already, take a 'before' picture and if you are really looking to lose weight, take body measurements/weigh yourself.

Why am I doing this challenge again?

The purpose of this challenge is to change your body from a sugar burning body to a fat burning body!

In Mark Sisson's 'Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation' book he states in his key concepts that, "Even if some - or most - of your diet has been in the form of "complex" carbs, this excessive and unnecessary intake of carbs has reprogrammed your genes from an early age to make you more dependent on a regular supply of dietary carbohydrate. You are a "sugar burner" if you are trapped in this carbohydrate dependency. If you're like most people, this high intake of carbs over time has elevated your insulin levels throughout the day, and resulted in excess calories (from all foods, not just carbs) to be stored as body fat. Over the years, chronically high levels of glucose and insulin in your blood have altered your fat cells so that you can't easily burn this plentiful source of stored energy. If your body is accustomed to burning carbs as fuel instead of stored fat, your brain will crave your usual fuel source - carbs - more often. This leads to a vicious cycle of insidious weight gain over a lifetime, even if you exercise frequently." 

Once, a Nurse Practitioner that I worked with told me {after I had said it was unhealthy to eat grains}, "Briana, you NEED carbs". Our society thinks that we "NEED" carbs in order to function and they have even set a dietary requirement for carbohydrates. This is not necessary. I then explained to her that we can get carbs elsewhere, such as vegetables or meat. We have a fabulous body that can use protein and fat to pull out glucose to use when needed for our brains to function just right. This process is called gluconeogenesis, which is the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohyrates. So, NO, we do not need to bombard our body with EXTRA glucose from grains, legumes, sugars, etc to burn for energy and to stay alert. Our body does this on its own using primal/healthy/simple foods.

A New Year's Primal 21 Day Challenge: Day 1

Day 1:

Tomorrow is the start of our FIRST 2014 Primal 21 Day Challenge!

Three things on the agenda:

1. Determine meals for tomorrow and the remaining week {if you have time!} You also might want to pack a lunch for tomorrow if you have a busy day of work, school, or errands.
2. Determine different ways to increase daily movement and perform them at least 3 different times during your day.
3. Decide how you will relax before bed. 

Meal/Snack Ideas:

Breakfast- omelet cooked in coconut/extra virgin olive oil with veggies; eggs with sauteed kale and bacon that is uncured and without nitrates/nitrites; sunny-side-up eggs atop a green salad.

Lunch- spinach salad with boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives and an extra virgin olive oil dressing with sea salt and freshly squeezed lemon juice; (if you made a roast, pulled pork or other meat for a Sunday dinner the day before) put leftover meat atop a green salad along with avocados; pan cooked chicken thighs with oven baked vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper along with a baked sweet potato.

Dinner- baked cabbage with sausage and onions; vegetable soup with a side of meat; Crock Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with baked asparagus.

Snacks- celery or sliced apples with almond butter; avocado sprinkled with sea salt; boiled eggs; Sweet Potato Chips; clementines.

Increased Movement Ideas:
                         
Take a walk in the morning with your dog; take 30-60 min breaks from work to walk around, get a drink, etc; walk to the store; take your kids to the park; take a family stroll after dinner.
(Ensure this is happening at least 3x/day!)

Relaxation Ideas:

Dim/turn off lights as the sun goes down; light candles; read a book; put dimmers or download them to your computer (i.e. f.lux); turn off your TV/phone/tablet/computer at least a couple hours before bed; read to your children; spend time with family/friends.

Lastly, document!
-where you shopped for primal foods
-how you increased your daily movement during 3 different times in the day
-relaxation techniques tried
-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}
-satisfaction level with meals
-hunger level between meals
-struggles
-benefits

TO DO LIST

THE TO DO LIST:

1) PURGE YOUR KITCHEN

    This is a huge and necessary task in order to do this challenge right! Before the challenge starts go into your fridge, pantry, under your bed or wherever you are storing the goods and throw unapproved primal foods away. We are tossing everything that has sugar, wheat, soy, corn syrup, grains, or any ingredient that you cannot pronounce and/or know what it is! Check those labels. We are going back to the basics. Ensure what you are eating has simple and fresh ingredients.

Yes, that means no pizza, pretzels, ice cream, pasta and cereal for 21 days!

    What to throw out:

• Beverages- bottled juices and refrigerated juices; almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, flavored milks; powdered drinks (i.e. hot chocolate); powdered juices (i.e. lemonade); sodas and diet sodas; sports drinks (i.e. gatorade, vitamin water); designer coffees; energy drinks; sweetened cocktails; sweetened teas. Stick with water (which you can flavor!), herbal tea or plain coffee for you coffee lovers!
• Baking Ingredients- starches and syrups; corn meal; flours; powders (i.e. milk, gluten); yeast; sweeteners and sugars. Personally, I kept my flours and sugars due to baking for church functions and birthdays. I just kept it high up in the back of my pantry and away from my view:)
• Condiments- honey mustard; jams and jellies; ketchup; mayonnaise and light mayonnaise; salad dressings and low-fat dressings; soy/tabasco/worcestershire/barbeque sauce is okay in moderation, but stick with the highest quality with minimal sugars and PUFAs; and other cooking items containing high-fructose corn syrup, sugary sweeteners or PUFA oils. My favorite dressing to put on salads is extra virgin olive oil with fresh lemon juice and sea salt.
• Dairy- processed cheese and spreads; ice cream; nonfat and low-fat milk; frozen yogurt; sweetened non-fat or low-fat yogurts. Stick with unpasteurized or raw dairy, fermented dairy (i.e. yogurt), organic/GMO/hormone-free dairy and with the highest fat content (whole milk). I'm telling you, unpasteurized/raw milk is to die for! 
• Fats and Oils- trans and partially-hydrogenated oils; butter spreads and sprays; canola, cottonseed, corn, soybean, safflower, sunflower, and other high polyunsaturated oils; margarine; vegetable shortening.Stick with ghee, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, butter and other saturated animal fats.
• Fast Food- all genetically changed industrialized food, such as, burgers, chicken nuggets, french fries, hot dogs, tacos, etc.
• Fish- fish caught from polluted waters; fish caught by methods that are environmentally unpleasant; large fish (i.e. sword fish); farmed fish (except for a few). 
• Grains- ALL grains, such as, bread, pasta, flour based products, crackers, cookies, corn, cereal, rice, tortillas, breakfast foods (i.e. oatmeal and cream of wheat), chips, cooking grains (i.e. barley and rye), pretzels, donuts, pizza, and puffed snacks.  
• Legumes- peanuts and peanut products; soybeans; lentils; peas; alfalfa; beans; and tofu. Legumes, especially along with grains, contain anti-nutrients. They also stimulate high amounts of insulin.
• Meat- all pre-packaged meats processed with harmful chemicals and sweeteners (i.e. sliced lunch meat); smoked meats; cured meats; meats containing nitrites and nitrates. We don't want to eat meats from animals that ate a lot of grains! Do your best to stick with grass-fed or organic meats.
• Processed Foods- granola bars; protein bars; snack products; frozen packaged breakfast/lunch/dinner products; energy bars; fruit bars/rolls.Stay away from packaged, processed foods which are almost all full of sugar and grains!
• Sweets- sugars; cakes; cookies; brownies; donuts; pie; evaporated cane juice; honey; chocolate syrup; trail mixes; powdered sugar; raw sugar; molasses; HFCS; popsicles; frozen desserts; chocolate. This challenge will help get rid of your cravings and sugar crashes! 

2) SHOPPING/COOKING/BAKING/EATING OUT

    

{Picture from the 'Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation' by Mark Sisson}

Here is a closer look of the above Primal Food Pyramid:

Herbs/Spices/Extracts

Sensible Indulgences (dark chocolate 75% or higher)

Supplements (omega-3, probiotics)

---

Fruits (in season and locally grown)

High Fat Dairy (unpasteurized, fermented and or raw)

Starchy Tubers & Wild Rice (sweet potatoes)

Nuts, Nut Butters & Seeds

---

Animal Fats

Butter & Coconut oil

Avocados

Olives/EVOO

Macadamia Nuts

---

Vegetables (locally grown/organic)

---

Meat/Fish/Eggs/Fowl (stick with pastured/grass-fed/certified organic/free range)

As you can see, the bulk of your food comes from the protein and vegetables. The other spectrums of this food pyramid are with moderation. You can find the best produce and sources of animals from farmers markets, co-ops, Community Supported Agriculture, Whole Foods, or simply look carefully in your local grocery store. I am able to go to our BJ's Wholesale store and find certified organic and grass-fed products, as well as our local grocery stores. It's all about reading the label! Ask around and google to find stores with the best products available. Do your best with what you can find and with the financial situation you are in. If you cannot afford all grass-fed meat, then by all means, just eat the best meat you can find! Without spending so much money on bread, bagels, cereals, snacks, etc. you will come to find eating Primal is pretty cheap and especially when you plan ahead. 

Examples of staples to keep in your fridge/pantry:

• Nuts in bulk (great snack)
• Nut butters
• Eggs (hard boil some and keep separately for snacks or to put on salads)
• Vegetables (best to eat within a week and be sure to store/freeze appropriately)
• Fruits (keep apples around because they last longer and, again, store appropriately for lasting results)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Coconut oil
• Coconut milk
• Meat, Fish, Fowl (keep stored in freezer and some in fridge a couple days before eating)
• Onions
• Sweet Potatoes

When it comes to fast food and eating out, find places that serve fresh ingredients and the best quality food. If needed, ask for your food to be cooked in olive oil or ask for lemon and olive oil as a side dressing to ensure you're sticking with the Primal challenge. Just tell them you have an allergy and they won't mind too much! Look for meats, eggs, fish, vegetables and some fruit wherever you go. You're bound to find something Primal!

{This was a forage night for my family at Moe's Southwestern Grill.}

3) MOVE AROUND, LIFT HEAVY THINGS, & SPRINT

    To be primal is to move A LOT. Move frequently at a low-level pace whether you're engaging in exercise or just walking to the bank down the street instead of driving. Find ways to increase movement. If you're going to work, park farthest away in the parking lot in order to walk a longer distance into work. Instead of taking the elevator, go up those stairs! Find times to take walks with your family after dinner or go on a Saturday hike. If you have a desk job, take breaks throughout the day to get up and move around. 

To be primal is also to take a couple days a week to perform high-intensity strength training sessions that last 30 minutes or less. This includes: pushups, pullups, squats, planks, situps, etc. So, NO, you don't need to go out and run 10 miles to look good! What you eat makes up most of what we look like physically and exercise is just the extra bonus. 

To be primal is to sprint every now and then! Go out with your kids and do 20 meter sprints for about 5 times or if you're on a bike do some sprints every 20 seconds for a couple minutes. There are many benefits to performing sprint workouts about every week or week and a half, such as, muscle fiber growth. 

To be primal is to PLAY! Another great way to move around, to get in sprints, and to spend time with your family and/or friends. Go to the park and play on the playground, play tennis, participate in a basketball game, throw a baseball with your son, chase your kids around the yard, throw a frisbee, go slack lining, or go kayaking. 

4) SLOW DOWN & ENJOY LIFE

    Lastly, take time away from the craziness of daily life. Take time away from your computer, phone, TV and spend time with family and friends to build relationships. Also, too much digital stimulation is not good for our health, so put down media at least an hour or two before bed, so you ensure a better nights sleep. While we are talking about sleep now, make sure you get in plenty of sleep each night to let your body repair itself and to get your REM cycles in. It is also important to prepare for sleep. Dim lights as it gets dark, turn off the TV, and do something relaxing. This will help you have a more restful night and feel refreshed in the morning. 

That's it for now! 

Questions?

New Year, New You

A New Year's Primal 21 Day Challenge

Monday - January 6th, 2014

{Based off of 'The Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation' by Mark Sisson} 

How it Works:

• Everyone will take a before and after picture. 
• You will go shopping for primal approved food.
• The day before the challenge starts everyone will clean out their kitchen of all un-primal foods. I would recommend the entire family engage in this lifestyle for your support, but for those of you with children and/or husbands who will not participate, I suggest keeping their food separate and away from your reach or temptation.
• Everyday I will post the following days agenda, so that everyone can mentally and physically prepare.
• I will post workouts, recipes, and outside resources to help you along the way and to increase your knowledge. 
• I encourage comments for the purpose of asking questions, expressing accomplishments and difficulties. 

Before the challenge starts, please watch this short video about the challenge I took last year:

...and listen to this INCREDIBLE podcast:

This podcast is of Tom Woods interviewing 'The Primal Blueprint' author, Mark Sisson, and is what first intrigued me about this Primal lifestyle. 

It has literally changed my life!

Read MY story HERE and my sister's story HERE.

Next up is our TO DO list...