Day 21: May 1st, 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

Day 20: April 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- beef + broccoli stir fry with coconut amino acids

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. 

Dessert- paleo peach + blueberry cobbler

Ingredients: {servings ~7}

• 7 cups of FRESH fruit {I used 4 cups peaches and 3 cups blueberries}
• 3-4 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot 
• 1 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup melted butter {REAL butter like kerry gold}
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp butter {kerry gold}
• butter for greasing pie pan

Set oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Mix fruit, honey and arrowroot in a bowl. Then pour into a greased pie pan about 9x9 inch with butter. In another bowl, mix all other ingredients with your hands {except for the 2 Tbsp butter} and then crumble on top of the fruit evenly. Cut up the 2 Tbsp of butter into about 5 chunks and place on top of the crumbles. Place in oven and bake for about 50-60min or until crumbles brown and fruit juices get thick. Enjoy!

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?

Day 19: April 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! I am posting this because there might be some of you that will like this and/or miss having your oatmeals. I was never a big fan of oatmeal growing up, so this isn't my cup of tea, but let me know if you like it!

Lunch- sweet potato sliders

Ingredients: {4+ servings}

• 1 large sweet potato, sliced about 1/4-1/2 inch width
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• 1 lb of ground beef {grass-fed is preferred or you can use bison}
• 1 egg
• a few dashes of cayenne pepper
• S&P to taste
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 white onion, diced finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• handful of cilantro, diced finely
• 1 lime or lemon, juiced
• homemade mayo

Turn oven on to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Rub sliced sweet potatoes with olive oil and sea salt on both sides. Spread out potatoes on baking sheet and place in oven to cook for about 30min, or until firm, but not too soft. Take them out and let cool. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, egg, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper well. Form balls and then flatten them some to match the size of your sweet potatoes. Grill or cook on stovetop over medium heat with olive oil for a few minutes on each side or until cooked through. Sprinkle more S&P over the top of the patties. Let cool. {You will have leftover ground beef, so you can either make more sliders or save the beef for another meal!} Mix together the avocados, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime/lemon and any other desired ingredients to make guacamole. Season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point you may finish off the sweet potato slices in a hot pan to make them a little more crispy. Then arrange the sliders by spreading homemade paleo mayo on the bottom of one sweet potato slice, adding the beef patty, dollop of guacamole on the patty and then placing another sweet potato slice on top. The mayo and guacamole kind of act as a glue to hold the whole thing together. Serve and enjoy! 

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?

Day 18: April 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- tuna salad 

Ingredients: {servings 2}

• 5 oz can of tuna {ensure ingredients are clean and contain only tuna and olive oil}
• 1/2 of a small avocado 
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 celery stick, diced finely
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and enjoy it on top of salads, in lettuce wraps, or all on its own :)

Dinner- sweet potato nachos

{pic and recipe from crossingmylegs.blogspot.com}

Find THIS recipe on another paleo blogger's site!

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?

Day 17: April 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

Click HERE for the recipe:)

Dinner- eggs + hash recipe

Recipe shared by Kristina!

4 slices of bacon chopped
1 med sized apple chopped (I used Honeycrisp)
1 med size plantain chopped
1 small onion (I used 2 Tbsp of Thrive freeze dried onion)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Eggs-how you like them

Heat the skillet on medium high. Cook the bacon until it is halfway done then add the plantains. Caramelize the plantains until they are browned and starting to soften.

Add the onion and the apples and stir together. Cover with a lid and let it sit for one minute and then add the salt and cinnamon. Reduce heat and keep stirring and cooking until the apples are softened and everything is to your liking.

At this point, if you like your eggs with a creamy/runny yolk, crack one egg at a time on top of the hash. Cover the pan and allow the eggs to cook to preference. If you want the yolks creamy, stop cooking once the whites are completely done but the yolks are still in place.

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?

Day 16: April 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 + egg baked 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- paleo chicken salad

Ingredients: {servings ~15 servings}

• 4 cups baked chicken, cubed and shredded some {I usually just bake 3 to 4 boneless chicken breasts seasoned with olive oil, sea salt and pepper in the oven at 375f  for 45min}
• 3 cups purple grapes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds {optional}
• 1/2 cup paleo mayo {you can either easily make this or buy this}
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp curry powder
• 1 Tbs salt

Mix together until combined well and enjoy!

Dinner- almond crusted tilapia

*shared by a former participant!

 

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)

Dessert- chocolate mousse 

Pinterest recipe - 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?

Day 15: April 25th, 2016

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

Below I shared recipes from former participants:) I have a few to share from current participants, but I haven't gotten to that yet. If you have a delicious primal/paleo recipe that you'd love to share, please email me!

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

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

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-lemon chicken with asparagus + mushrooms

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?

Day 14: April 24th, 2016

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT 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- 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?

Day 13: April 23rd, 2016

We are almost into our 3rd and LAST week!

Keep it up, guys! You CAN do it. Here are some motivational pictures to keep you going. The first two being my pictures and the last 3 are some of my all time favorite before/after pics of my participants:

day 1 // day 21 // day 60ish // today and almost 3 years later

day 1 // day 21

 day 1 // day 21

day 1 // day 21

day 1 // day 21

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- tropical fruit salad

Ingredients: {~15 servings}

• 3 ripe mangos, cubed
• 2 cups pineapple, cubed {I used canned pineapple, but fresh is better}
• 1 pint of blueberries
• 2 cups purple grapes
• 5 kiwis, peeled and sliced width wise then cut in half
• 1/2 cup full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1-2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes {optional}

Mix altogether and enjoy! And, in my opinion, it tastes even better after it sits in the fridge over night:) By the way, this is my coveted recipe. Everyone enjoys it, so I hope you do, too!

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?