Tomorrow will be Day 1 of the Primal 21 Day Challenge. Start to decide today what you will eat tomorrow for meals and/or snacks, determine different ways to increase movement, and decide how you will relax before bed. Then tomorrow, DO those things!
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 with sea salt; boiled eggs; Sweet Potato Chips; macadamia nuts.
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
Let's Talk:
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 this woman that we can get carbs elsewhere, such as vegetables ormeat. 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.
Congratulations to those who finished their challenge today!
Please contact me about your overall results and what you liked/did not like about the challenge, so I can make it better.
Now for the promised post regarding the 80/20 rule...
After you have hit your weight loss/health goal from living the primal lifestyle {so for those of you who have not yet hit your goal, continue the challenge until then} then consider the 80/20 rule, which is to have a 100% personal commitment in the primal lifestyle plan with 80% or more physical commitment to the plan.
This doesn't mean on a daily basis to eat primally 80% of the time and the other 20% like a typical american! You will definitely not succeed this way. It means, to look at the bigger picture. Look at a month's worth of your primal lifestyle and if you're living primally 80% of the time, then you're going to sustain health/wellness. Don't beat yourself up over the 20%! It's neither healthy to be strict/hard on ourselves and let ourselves go little by little until we fall down the slippery slope.
However, there is one thing to be fully committed on in order to have the primal benefits, which is to avoid processed carbohydrates at all costs.
Here is an excerpt from marksdailyapple.com:
That said, some aspects of the Blueprint do call for consistent adherence in the interest of meaningful impact. Particular among these is avoidance of processed carbs. The fact is, the physiological effects of processed carbs simply are harsher and harder to recover from – especially when they’re a regular player in the body’s daily functioning. It’s not that your body can’t bounce back. It’s just an unnecessary detour in your progress – a diversion and interruption (albeit temporary) in the physiological homeostasis that maximizes hormonal balance, fat burning and energy consistency.
Even I feel these effects and it is NOT FUN. I literally will feel sick to my stomach, have a pounding headache, bloating around my abdomen, and a foggy mind. At some point, you won't want to go back!
Again, look over the course of months and if you are eating primally 80% of the time while avoiding processed carbs, consider yourself PRIMAL:)
Good luck on the continuation of your primal lifestyle and feel free to leave a message or contact me!
Who's in for round 2 of the challenge???
I'm thrilled to be doing a second challenge after ending my first, especially with all the amazing results the last group had:) I will post those results, as well as, personal stories for those who'd like to share.
{But for now, to read my story go here and for my sister's story go here.}
This is how the challenge will work:
Everyone will take a before and after picture. This will be for you personally and, if willing, to share with me. If you are even more willing, I will post your picture along with your story on my blog (hopefully soon I will have some from the last group for you to see!)
Go shopping for primal approved food!
The day before the challenge starts {or the day of--whichever is more convenient!}, 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 of the why's.
I encourage comments for the purpose of asking questions, expressing accomplishments and difficulties. This will make for a great support group!
Before we begin, please listen to this 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!
THE TO DO LIST:
1) PURGE YOUR KITCHEN
This is a huge and necessary task in order to do this challenge right! Go into your fridge, pantry, under your bed or wherever you are storing the goods and check those labels to determine if it needs to hit the garbage. 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! 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, 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! Stay tuned for tomorrow's agenda and challenge(s) later this evening.
For your last day of the challenge you will be doing an intermittent fast, so 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.
Be sure to 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! I will be starting another challenge on Monday December 2nd, so this would be very helpful to those who are preparing for the next challenge.
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
Lastly, celebrate Day 21 by preparing your favorite primal dinner {assuming you will be able to fast through the typical american breakfast and lunch schedule!} with your loved ones:)
Congratulations!
I will share 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 starting Monday December 2nd!
We had a lot of leftovers from our fabulous turkey that my husband made:) I also had my leftover double baked sweet potatoes and salad. Can we be primal for Thanksgiving and post Thanksgiving? No problem!
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 to see how you will do during your fast. Then on Day 21 fast for as long as you can until hunger gets the best of you;)
Also perform a 30-60 minute moderate aerobic exercise of your choice.
How was your Thanksgiving dinner? What primal meals did you make? I made...
This is a Cranberry Orange Salsa with Cream Cheese.
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pecans.
My husband made the turkey and it was Deeeeevine! He used a method called spatchcocking where you take out the back bone and then lye the turkey flat on the pan. This ensures it cooks evenly. Then cook it at 450 degrees for about 80 minutes. It was so juicy!
Tomorrow try another max reps workout to see how you have improved from the beginning:)
Exercise:
Find your maximum repetitions of...
-Pushups -Sit-Ups -Pull-Ups or Chair Dips -Plank Holds -Squats
Meal/Snack Ideas: use your leftovers from Thanksgiving!
Breakfast- scramble eggs up with leftover meats/veggies.
Lunch- turkey wraps.
Dinner- use remaining meat for a soup or another shepherd's pie.
Snacks- leftover sweet potatoes or veggies.
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
For Day 18 your challenge is to plan a PRIMAL THANKSGIVING MEAL :)
The second part of tomorrow's challenge is to listen to your body during your meal. We can still eat a big, primal feast for Thanksgiving and still come out feeling well, but we have to be listening to our bodies when we are starting to get full. The key is to listen and then stop ;) Afterwards, go for a family walk or throw a football or whatever active activities you enjoy doing for Thanksgiving. We can still live a normal, happy life by adopting the primal lifestyle!
Unfortunately, I did not have the time to try out primal Thanksgiving recipe's for you, but I hope this helps and I think I might try some myself:) I figure you will have protein {turkey or ham or another family favorite!} and vegetables, but here are some side dishes that you might want to make, too!
Thanksgiving Primal Recipe's:
Try this Chocolate Chip Cranberry Pecan Breadhere.
Try this Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Pecans here.
