Day 3: April 13th, 2016

Day 3 Agenda:

1. Try new primal approved meals this week. Try some of my recipes or look up paleo recipes online. Send me a picture of your dish with the recipe and I'll share with the group! You can also tag me on instagram (@beprimal) and use #beprimal when you post your meals! Also, on Day 7, we will plan to make our favorite new primal recipe for family and/or friends to share! 

2. Focus on making and preparing all your primal meals from home. This will take planning and preparation, but it will help you avoid the temptation of running to a local burger chain restaurant;) And if you are still feeling hungry eat more primal approved foods/dishes! Eventually, your body will become use to storing and using fat for energy, so you will be able to last longer between meals. You will be SHOCKED!

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 future sunny day to be outside. To be primal is to get an adequate amount of sunlight! Studies show that lack of the "sunshine vitamin" {Vitamin D} can actually cause cancer! But, avoid getting sunburnt because that can also cause cancer.

{my little sister and I trying to soak up some Vit D at Coronado Beach last year}

Breakfast- egg frittata 

Ingredients: {servings 2-4}

• 4 eggs
• handful of spinach
• 2 slices of bacon, chopped {nitrite/nitrate/antibiotic/sugar free i.e. applegate bacon}
• 2 Tbsp butter {kerry gold}
• sea salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• you may also add other chopped vegetables of your choice 

Set oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. In a small saucepan or cast iron pan melt butter over medium heat. Crack eggs into a small bowl, sprinkle salt and pepper, and then whisk mixture well with a fork. Once the butter is melted and pan is hot, add the egg mixture to pan. Then sprinkle in the spinach, bacon and any other vegetables you choose to add on top of the egg mixture. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook until the sides easily come away from the pan and hold together {the middle will still be runny}. Put  the pan in the oven and bake until the middle is cooked through {about 25 minutes}. Take out and let cook for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Lunch- tomato basil soup

Find my recipe HERE!

Dinner- eye of round roast with a mustard vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. eye of round roast 
• a few dashes of salt/pepper/thyme
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 Tbs olive oil

Set oven to 500 degrees. Cut the strings off eye of round. Depending on how large your roast is, season with the salt and pepper (I had a 2 lb. roast and sprinkled a tsp or so of sea salt, a few dashes of pepper and a few dashes of dried thyme.) Mince garlic and then mash into olive oil well until almost dissolved. Rub over meat and ensure seasonings are spread throughout. Place on a baking sheet covered with tin foil and place into oven to cook for 5-6min per pound, so I cooked my 2 lb. roast for 12 minutes.) Then turn off the oven and let the roast sit for two hours. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. When done, take out and slice thinly and drizzle with vinaigrette. Add a side salad or veggies and enjoy!

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tbs dijon mustard (check for clean ingredients)
• 1 Tbs white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• dash sea salt

Mix altogether and drizzle on slices of roast!

Dessert- are you still having a hard time with that sweet tooth?! Try coconut milk ice-cream. Literally, just coconut milk and coconut pieces. Check your labels or make your own!

Take some notes!

-how have 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?

Day 2: April 12th, 2016

How is everyone feeling after Day 1? Don't be surprised if you say, "I feel like crap!" Most of the first week people experience headaches and exhaustion. In fact, it usually takes 4 days for people to get over the side effects of the american high-carb/sugar diet!  THEN everyone starts to feel the benefits. I promise. 
So, stay strong!

Day 2 Agenda:

1. Continue daily movement today and throughout the rest of the challenge: park far away from work in order to increase movement; take the stairs instead of the elevator; take a break every 30-60 min. from your desk job; go 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. Lastly, take a cognitive ability test HERE {~45min test} to compare with at the end of the challenge. Many people feel groggy/sleepy at the beginning of the challenge {I like to call this a "brain fog"} and then alert/energetic even after the first week! 

Take 5-10 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. Do the best you can.

• 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. The woman in the below video doesn't reach back with her hands, but just imagine she continues backwards with her hands stretched out.

• Pull-Ups or Chair Dips - Grip the pull-up bar with the top of your hands facing you, wide grip, pull your body up until your chin 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. Back completely straight.

• 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:

I included a couple of recipes that copycat regular foods you would not normally eat on a primal/paleo diet {i.e. desserts, pizza, pancakes} BECAUSE I know it's hard to come off of the high-carb diet. You may also be craving the foods you previously ate. Although I would not suggest using copycat recipes all the time and especially during the challenge, I do think it will help you during the first week, so that you don't feel like you are missing out. Remember, we want to train your body into becoming a fat burning body, so this means each meal should have a portion of at least protein, fats, vegetables, and maybe some fruit or tubers.

Breakfast- banana pancakes {copycat recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 eggs
• a few dashes of cinnamon

Mix together and pan fry in coconut oil, butter, or olive oil (I suggest making each pancake a smaller size than a normal pancake as they can sometimes be difficult to flip when larger).  Top with almond butter, coconut milk, fruit or just eat them plain because, honestly, they are delicious by themselves! Add a side veggies to make it a complete meal.

Lunch- cauliflower tortilla tacos {copycat recipe}

{pic and recipe from recipegirl.com}

Go HERE for the cauliflower tortilla recipe. Add choice of meat and toppings to make them into tacos!

Dinner- Lamb Shoulder Chop

Ingredients: {2 servings}

• 2 large lamb shoulder chops
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 2 cloves fresh minced garlic 
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Mix all ingredients, besides meat, in a bowl ensuring to mash minced garlic into olive oil well. Rub all over chops. Place into ziplock bag to marinate about an hour in fridge to induce flavor. Cook on medium high heat over stove on a pan rubbed with olive oil until it's cooked to your preference! 

Add  a colorful salad with your favorite veggies {pictured is sliced green pepper/cucumber/yellow and red tomatoes}. I love to drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, and sprinkle course salt on my salads as a simple, tasty dressing OR I use balsamic vinegar {check ingredients} OR red wine vinegar/olive oil/se salt mixture.

Snacks: sliced apples dipped in nut butter {this does not include peanuts which are a legume and not primal approved - ALWAYS check our primal food list}. Below are homemade nut butter recipes from a previous challenge participant along with picture! Thanks again, Kristina:) OR you can buy almond butter at whole foods or another grocery store where you can literally flip the switch and churn whole almonds. Therefore, you won't have any preservatives/sugars from the jarred nut butters!

Cashew butter:

• 500g organic raw cashews
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 1/2 tsp himalayan salt

Add all ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and process for a very long time, until nice and smooth. You will have to scrape the sides often, and your nuts will turn into a very thick and crumbly paste before eventually starting to release their oils and turn into nut butter. Be patient and resist the urge to add any form of liquid. Just keep going, it will eventually happen. From beginning to end, this might take a good 20 minutes of active processing, so it is a good idea to give your food processor a few minutes break from time to time. Keep your nut butter in mason type glass jars or other air tight containers.

Vanilla roasted pecan butter:

2 cups of pecans

2 tsp vanilla powder

1 tsp coconut oil {optional}

Process all ingredients in a food processor until you reach the right consistency. Pecan butter is not as solid as other butters so if you want it more solid you will add the coconut oil.

One last copycat recipe for those of you suffering! This  below recipe was given to me by a friend who tried a challenge a few months ago. She did very well and had great results, but found herself emotionally craving food even after the real cravings subsided after the first week. So, she thought it would be helpful to share this comfort food recipe with my participants and I agree with her input...the first week is rough coming off of cravings, so trick your brain by having a few copycats;) Thank you, Susannah!

Flatbread

Ingredients:
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet. Pour pancake-sized portions into the pans. Once they start to bubble, flip to the other side for a minute or two. Once they are stable, transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-15min {add garlic powder or salt to taste if you want to change the flavor!}

Take some notes!

-how did you increased your daily movement? 

-max reps for pushups/sit-ups/pull-ups/plank holds/squats?
-relaxation techniques tried?

-energy level {POOR, AVERAGE, GREAT}?

-satisfaction level with meals?

-hunger level between meals?

-struggles?

-benefits?

Day 1: April 11th, 2016

Welcome to the first day of the Primal 21 Day Challenge!

Day 1 Agenda:

1. Make your week easier by planning out meals and packing lunches/snacks ahead of time.

2. Determine various ways to increase your daily movement and perform them at least 3 different times during the day {see ideas below}.

3. Identify your favorite relaxing techniques that don't involve 

technology {i.e. reading a book, taking a walk, stretching} and start performing these techniques before bed to ensure restful sleep.

Breakfast- sweet potato and bell pepper egg bake

Ingredients: {servings 2}

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into small pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, diced into small pieces
• 2 eggs 
• kerry gold butter or olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. In a small pan, heat up about 3-4 Tbsp of kerry gold butter or olive oil on medium heat. Add sweet potatoes, season with S&P and cook until they start to brown. Add green bell peppers and season with more S&P. Crack 2 eggs into the middle of the pan and place in oven. Bake for about 15min or until eggs are cooked and sweet potatoes/bell peppers are soft. Season with more S&P and serve!

Lunch- skillet roasted cauliflower with whole grain mustard

Ingredients: {2 servings}

• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Turn oven on to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and sprinkle with sea salt/pepper. Toss to coat evenly with hands. Place cauliflower on the lined baking sheet ensuring cauliflower is evenly spread out. Place in oven and roast for about 25 minutes. Toss cauliflower halfway through cooking and drizzle on more olive oil if needed. Cauliflower will be tender and will start to blacken when finished. Enjoy as a side to your protein dish of your choice!

Dinner- sweet potato sloppy joe's

{pic and recipe from paleonewbie.com}

Find this recipe HERE. This is definitely a recipe that my participants love, so give it a shot! I love paleonewbie recipes:)

Increase Movement Ideas:                      

Walk your dog; take 20-30 min breaks from work to walk around, get a drink, etc; walk to the store instead of driving; take your kids to the park; take a family stroll after dinner; take the stairs instead of elevator; park far away from work.{Ensure this is happening at least 3x/day.} To BE primal is to MOVE a lot.

Relaxation Ideas:

Dim/turn off lights as the sun goes down; light candles; read a book; put on computer dimmers or download a dimmer from online; turn off your TV/phone/tablet/computer at least 1-2 hours before bed {2 hrs. is best}; read to your children; spend time with family/friends.

Lastly, take some notes!

• where did you shop for primal approved foods?
• how did you increase 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?

What does BEprimal mean?

This is BEing primal...

1) PURGING YOUR KITCHEN
   Have you done this step, yet? If not, go to my last post for a detailed list of what to throw out and what to avoid before the challenge starts on 1/11/16.  We are tossing everything that has sugar, wheat, soy, corn syrup, grains, or any ingredient with words that you cannot pronounce or understand! We are ensuring we intake simple and fresh ingredients.

2) SHOPPING/COOKING/BAKING/EATING OUT

   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 meat 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 wholesale stores and find certified organic and grass-fed products, as well as our local grocery stores. It's all about reading the label! 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 that eating primally is pretty cheap, especially when you plan ahead!

MY PERSONAL SHOPPING LIST:

• Nuts (macadamia nuts, almonds)
• Nut butters (almond, hazelnut)
• Eggs (I sometimes hard boil half the carton of eggs to keep separately for snacks or to put on salads.)
• Spinach/Romaine Hearts/Kale/Cabbage
• Bell peppers/Broccoli/Cucumbers/Tomatoes/Squash/Zucchini/Carrots/Mushrooms/Celery
• Avocados 
• Fruits (I love keeping berries around when in season. I usually keep apples around and love to dip them in almond butter. I keep oranges around, too. I also buy other fruits that are in season.)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for cooking)
• Coconut oil (for cooking)
• Coconut milk (I like to use this in smoothies.)
• Greek Yogurt (In moderation-stay away from dairy if you are trying to slim down.)
• Butter (Kerry Gold)
• Ghee
• Aged cheeses (for salads, omelets or other dishes)
• Kefir
• Milk (Occasionally...remember that you want raw, fermented, unpasteurized, unsweetened, and high fat options, but if you are trying to lean out then stay away from dairy.)
• Bacon fat (From the bacon I have cooked-I keep it in a jar in the freezer. But, I only keep it from the GOOD bacon I have cooked i.e. Applegate brand. Read the labels!)
• Chicken (I buy in bulk and keep some frozen in the freezer.)
• Beef
• Sausage
• Fish (salmon, trout, tilapia)
• Sardines and Tuna
• Onions (red, white, yellow)
• Sweet Potatoes 
• Herbs/Spices
• Dark Chocolate

Again, Here is the Primal Blueprint shopping list to use as well. It has a FABULOUS list of foods! Just print it out when you go shopping :)

When it comes to fast food and eating out (or as we call in the primal/paleo world: foraging), 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, poultry, eggs, fish, vegetables and some fruit wherever you go. You're bound to find something primal! My favorite restaurant with the freshest ingredients and best quality meat is Chipotle! 

3) MOVE AROUND, LIFT HEAVY THINGS, & SPRINT

{This was our christmas present in 2015! Rubber weights for our barbell. I am slowly gaining my crossfire muscles back;)}

    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. 

{My sister paddle boarding during a summer here in North Carolina. Aren't iPhone pictures the BEST?!}

4) SLOW DOWN, ENJOY LIFE AND SLEEP WELL

    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. 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 (8 hours). 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. 

5) GET TAN

   You heard me, go out and get some sun. It is healthy to get sunlight (vitamin D) and it actually prevents cancers. However, burning your skin will cause cancer, so just get enough sun to get color and then get out!

Also, my name is Briana Elise, so the "BE Primal" has another meaning in there, too ;) 

Quick Checklist for those of you doing my challenge:

• Send me your email to let me know you are game! I will use this email to keep in contact with you to let you know when each daily agenda is posted up on the blog. Feel free to email me anytime for comments or questions:)
• Take a before picture of yourself including problem areas (my first challenge I took a picture of my skin because I was breaking out badly.)
• Purge your kitchen of non-primal approved foods! Go to my last post to see exactly what to throw out.
• Go shopping for primal approved foods! Again, the link for the primal shopping list is HERE.

First things FIRST!

First things first, if you have not listened to this podcast please do so if you want to do this challenge!
It will change your life and hopefully eventually it will change your life literally...
This is what convinced me to try this lifestyle, so I hope it convinces you, too!

Also, if you didn't catch my WELCOME post, please go back and read it {the post before this!}
And, if you are still being lazy, here is my conclusion: "Our challenge starts on November 2nd April 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, April 11th:

1) Email me! If you are planning on participating in this challenge and you have not informed me yet, please email me at beprimalblog@gmail.com by Sunday, April 10th! 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 body. 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 before, 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, April 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!

And this is me today on the far right!

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.

Welcome + Challenge Details

Welcome to the Primal 21-Day Challenge starting Monday, April 11th!

Hello! My name is Briana and I am a Registered Nurse. My passion for nutrition began over three years ago when my husband told me about an interesting podcast he had heard about the primal/paleo lifestyle (I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to this because this is what convinced me years ago to try the primal lifestyle! You can find it HERE). I then did my own research, tried the lifestyle, and have not looked back since! It has completely changed my life for the better and what amazes me about this lifestyle is that it is so easy! The primal lifestyle is not another rebound diet where you lose weight at first and then gain it back later or where it's so restricting that you are starving and crave more than usual. No, THIS is a diet with NO pain, NO suffering and MINIMAL effort. I'm here to get you through the first 21 days so that this becomes a habit. I promise that if you adhere to my challenge 100%, you will look and feel better than ever before! You will be on your way to a long, healthy life :) 

Q: Briana, why are you doing this challenge for others?

A: When I completed Mark Sisson's 21 day challenge, I saw incredible results and my life was completely altered (read my personal journey HERE)! Since then, I have become passionate about helping others change their lives because I now know what works! I know this through my own experience, the experiences of others and through research. Everyone is uniquely beautiful and I want everyone to FEEL this from the inside-out :) 

Q: What makes your 21 day challenge different from Mark Sisson's?

A: What makes my challenge different is that I post daily recipes and meal plans. When I did the 21 day challenge a few years ago, I wanted some hand holding. Okay, I really just wanted to be told what to do! This blog will give you day-by-day hand holding by including meal plans, workouts, and other daily 'to do's'. 

Q: So, what am I going to eat?

A: You are going to eat a lot of vegetables and protein, some fruits, nuts, seeds, nut butters, healthy fats and oils, herbs, spices, extracts, supplements and a few sensible indulgences (dark chocolate, red wine). I thought probably the same thing you are thinking now, "okay, but what am I going to eat then?" I assure you that everyone that has completed my challenge has been satisfied and happy with their primal meals! Oh, and so am I...still ;) Just trust this process and remember I am going to hold your hand and help you with meals!

(From Mark Sisson's 'Primal Blueprint')

A closer look at the primal food pyramid...

Our challenge starts on April 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 very 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 :)

Later today I will put up a post that will give you more details of what to buy (including a shopping list you can print out), what to throw out, and more details! If you are still interested in participating and have not emailed me yet, please email me at beprimalblog@gmail.com!