Stop Everything!

First off, if you still don't know what this lifestyle is about STOP everything you are doing right now and listen to this podcast! No, let's make this a mandatory...if you want to do this challenge, you MUST watch this first;)
But, in all seriousness, it will change your life.
This is what convinced me to try this lifestyle. I hope it convinces you, too!

Also, if you didn't catch my link from the last blog post of my Q&A about the challenge go HERE.
And, if you are still being lazy, here is my conclusion: "Our challenge starts on November 2nd January 11th and we will focus on EATING PRIMALLY for the full 21 days, MOVING a lot, SLEEPING well, getting SUNshine, and doing a few WORKOUTS each week (these are short workouts that can be modified if needed). More info will be provided on each of these aspects, but the biggest aspect is eating primally. It does matter what we put in our bodies! Our body composition comes from about 80% of what we eat, so let's train our bodies to be FAT burners instead of CARB burners by eating primally :)

Now that you are ready to start this challenge, let's talk about the TO DO LIST that should be completed before Monday, January 11th:

1) Email me! If you are planning on participating in this challenge, please email me at beprimalblog@gmail.com before Sunday, Nov 1st, so that I can enter you into the challenge and in for the prize! Just a short email letting me know that you're in:) Also, take this time to ask any questions you may still have. Everyone will be kept confidential!

2) Purge your kitchen! (see below) Get rid of all processed foods, sugars, wheat/grains and anything with preservatives. If you read a label and don't know what the ingredient is and/or are unable to pronounce it, then it's probably a preservative and you don't want that in your system. I would recommend the entire family engage in this lifestyle for your support, but for those of you with children and/or spouses who will not participate, I suggest keeping their food separate and away from your reach or temptation.

"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."  -Mark Sisson

 The above quote was an eye opener for me. Things started to make sense. Before I got rid of all the grains, sugar and processed food in my diet (which was all I ate, really) I had to exercise ALL THE TIME to maintain my ideal body weight. I used to run 5-15 miles a day, lift weights, complete body work out programs like Insanity or P90X. But, once I stopped, I put on extra inches, became bloated, and felt gross immediately. When I completed the primal 21 day challenge by Mark Sisson, I lost all those inches and TONED up without working out hard. In fact, I think I might have done an extremely short work out once or twice a week. Even when I'm NOT working out I still maintain a slim, toned look. But, that's not even the half of all the benefits I felt and saw. You can read my story transformation story by clicking HERE.

Now are you ready to throw out all that junk and see YOUR benefits? Here is a detailed list of what to throw out, give away or binge eat BEFORE Monday, January 11th:

• Beverages- bottled juices; almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, flavored milks; powdered drinks; powdered juices; sodas/diet sodas; sports drinks; designer coffees; energy drinks; sweetened cocktails; sweetened teas. Stick with water, herbal tea, black coffee for you coffee lovers, etc.!
• Baking Ingredients- starches; syrups; corn meal; flours; powders (i.e. milk, gluten); yeast; sweeteners; sugars. {Personally, I kept my flours and sugars in case I needed to bake for a church function or birthday. I just kept it high up in the back of my pantry and away from my view or reach!}
• Condiments- honey mustard; jams and jellies; ketchup; mayonnaise/low-fat mayo (I have a mayo recipe!); salad dressings/low-fat dressings; other cooking items containing high-fructose corn syrup, sugary sweeteners or PUFA oils. Soy/tabasco/worcestershire/barbeque sauce is okay in moderation, but get the highest quality with minimal sugars and PUFAs.(You can also make delicious primal sauces/dressings etc.!)
• Dairy- ((zero dairy in your diet is best because it causes a spike in insulin and it's also a good idea if you are trying to lean out)) 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). 
• 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, real butter (we like kerry gold 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; large fish (i.e. sword fish); some farmed fish. 
• Grains- ALL grains: 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, so TRY to stick with grass-fed or organic meats. But, that can become hard to find or pricey. Just be sure to check the ingredients.
• Processed Foods- granola bars; protein bars; snack products; frozen packaged breakfast/lunch/dinner products; energy bars; fruit bars/rolls.
• 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! 

This list is from 'The Primal Blueprint 21 Day Total Body Transformation'.

3) Take a before picture! You will also want to take a picture at the end of each week to compare, but especially on the last day of the challenge. When I first did the 21 day challenge I was struggling with hormonal acne. I thought, "what the heck, I'll take a before and after picture of my face to see if this primal lifestyle makes a difference!" And it TOTALLY did :)

This last picture was from a few months after the challenge. 

What a complete difference!

4) Go shopping for primal approved foods. On the right hand side of this blog I have my own personal shopping list and snack list, but go HERE for a pdf of all primal approved foods.