Paleo Recipes and Nutrition Resources

New to Paleo/Primal eating or need some new recipes and nutirtional motivation?! Check out these blogs and websites for a whole mess of good info:

Whole9 Blog
Eat Clean Live Strong Blog
Paleo Food
The Label Says Paleo Blog
Everyday Paleo Blog
Robb Wolf Blog
The Clothes Make the Girl Blog
Mark's Daily Apple
Living Paleo
Primal Eating Modern Table

Ok, now you have no excuse to "go Paleo/Primal". Eat real food and be healthy!

Got any other resources to share? Holler at me!!

My Spartan 300 Food Log

Next week I begin the Spartan 300 Challenge, which involves some serious food logging. To help keep me organized and accountable, I will be publishing my Spartan 300 Food Log on Google Docs and giving my Coach, my team, and all of you all access to view it.

Since I will be Zoning during the challenge, I will have to count Zone blocks daily. I'm sure I will get direction on how to change up my Zone blocks during the challenge, but for now I've set a target of the following daily blocks: 12 protein, 10 carbs, 20 fat. This is the formula I've been following for the past 3 months with good result. I'm betting that I will up the protein and lower the fat just a bit during Spartan - maybe resulting in a 14-10-18 block day. We'll see.

At any rate, I encourage you to keep me honest and track my progress. I'll post weight and body fat next week when I get that measured. At the end of the challenge, we'll see how far I've come! Yay, challenges!

Nutty no more

I've been on the Paleo nutrition plan for 6 months now and can say that I am a successful convert. I have more energy, less inflammation, don't get sick as often, and am not suffering from IBS symptoms any longer. Some people think my diet is crazy, but it really works for me and I don't feel deprived at all! My body thanks me by performing and looking better. Who could ask for anything more? :)

At any rate, about 3 months in, I made a change to increase my daily intake of fats to help power me through my day. This included cooking with coconut oil, eating avocados, drizzling olive oil on veggies (after they are cooked!), and eating nuts (almonds, walnuts, almond butter, and hazelnuts mostly). My nut consumption went from being fairly low - I treated them like a treat - to being an almost daily staple in my diet.

What began happening was strange...when I would eat too many nuts or too much almond butter I'd have stomach aches similar to how I felt when I used to eat grains: bloated, full, almost nauseous. I'd even get headaches sometimes. I'd often over eat nuts in the evening, and it made it difficult to sleep. I started to journal what I was eating and how I felt and noticed that it must be the DAMN NUTS!

I've never had a known allergy to nuts, but by consuming them almost daily, I could have been over-doing it and perhaps my body was telling me to cut it out. It's amazing what you can learn if you just listen to your body!

So, from now on, I'm kicking the "almond-coconut- sun-butter" habit and going to eat raw nuts sparingly. Maybe only 2-3 times per month as a treat. I will get my healthy fats from avocados, coconuts, olives, and their oils.

As I said about the purple band in a previous post: Almond butter and its evil cohorts coconut butter and sun butter are dead to me, DEAD TO ME!

Paleo, primal, local, organic, sustainable, FOOD!

Call it what you want...this is my nutrition philosophy and my savior:

I was introduced to all things Paleo in September 2009, by the wonderful coaches of CrossFit Central at a Level 1 Nutrition meeting. In that meeting, they presented this theory of nutrition for performance and overall health sustainability as acclaimed by Robb Wolf, CrossFitter nutritionist extrodionare. The next day, I went to Barnes & Noble on my lunch break and bought the book, The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain. A few days later, I was ready to subscribe to the theory and test it out. All I had to lose was some body fat and perhaps an addiction to sugar. I had no idea how much I would gain...

Over the last 6 months, I've soaked up more inforation on nutrition, athletic performance, supplementation, overall health & wellness, and food industry missteps than I thought possible. With every new blog I discover, friend I speak with, or new article I read on the subject of this paleo/primal eating trend, I solidify my resolve to be healthier. I'm on to something BIG!

My friends, family, and co-workers have taken an interest in the changes that I am making and have started seeking my advice on their workout/diet routines. Understanding that my nutrition philosophy is now much more "deep", I find it tough to explain it. It's easier to tell someone that you're not eating bread and pasta so you can fit into a swimsuit/wedding dress, or giving up candy for Lent. Telling them that you are eating as you were genetically programmed to do for optimal health, typically evokes some sort of judgement or denial. So, here's my dilema: How can I explain something that completely goes against what they have been taught their whole lives?

Just my luck! I found these gems out there in the websphere. They sum it up nicely:





From now on, I can just send people these links to give them an idea. It's up to them to put the work in by reading the books, blogs, articles and testing it out on themselves. :)

Paleo Nutrition: "So Easy, A Caveman Did It"

This is the title of an article published in the Washington Post this week about Paleo diet and CrossFit. Read it here. Need more info on the diet? Check out the Paleo Diet blog here. Or Robb Wolf's blog here. But, basically, it consists of meat, eggs, veggies, fruits, and nuts - no grains, legumes, dairy, or processed foods. The Paleo food pyramid looks like this: I'm back to Paleo this week after being a little "liberal" with my diet for the past 2 weeks (Christmas cookies, endless amounts of booze, cheese, and not eating enough protein). I noticed a few things over the holidays that renew my faith in the Paleo Diet again: One being I had significantly less energy, and 2, all the old GI problems I used to think were normal, came back. Not good! I also thought I had a hangover from booze, when I probably was just stuck in a carb-indused coma after eating a bagel on New Year's Day. I spent the entire afternoon watching football on my sofa wearing my snuggie. LAME. After a brief bout of intermittent fasting, I am now back on track and feeling fabulous. If you're considering going "primal" too, I say: Just do it already. Your body will thank you by performing like it should. Also, play around with intermittent fasting (or IF) to help get you back on track and feeling better after a night (or week) of over indulgence. And, Cavewomen are hot!

Paleo crack

Beef jerkey+ almond butter + any fruit/vegetable = mad snackage!! Perfect combination of protein, healthy fat, carbs, and deliciousness. Not all in one bite (gross!), but together, as a snack.

I buy this kind, since I like organic beef. I also like the Turkey Jerky.

I am officially loving the Paleo program. Can't imagine how I made it through with so little protein and veggie goodness before. Food is not just there to help you sustain life - it can help you thrive too!

Help! Need more energy!!

I'm almost at the end of my second week of clean Paleo eating and 5x week CrossFit training, and I'm starting to notice my intensity is suffering a bit. Have the workouts gotten harder? Do I need more than 8 hours of sleep a night? Should I eat more carbs? Probably all of the above...at any rate, I'm finding myself tired when I first wake up and at AM workouts, tired again late afternoon, and then sucking wind through my PM workouts. I have been eating fruit with my afternoon snack in the hope that the sugar will help fuel my workouts. I get through the warm up and the first half with no problem, then its like I hit a wall. My muscles just don't want to work and I can't keep up the intensity. I'm going to talk to Crystal to see what I can do to remedy the situation. I'm thinking it might be time to tinker with the diet or add in some supplements (alchemy, bitches!) In general, I am really happy with the Paleo diet. Its not as hard as I thought it would be, I am enjoying the veggies, and I am definitely getting leaner. I think if I add starches or dairy back into my diet, I might stop progressing. Plus, my allergies and stomach problems are better thanks to Paleo! Yay! Speaking of hitting a wall - I see that Kettlebell torture week continues at CrossFit! CrossFit Women's WOD: Sumo Deadlift High Pull with the Kettlebell (16 kgRX) This is a partner workout where we have to complete reps in increments of 2s, per minute until one team remains. Meaning, minute 1, 2 reps. Minute 2, 4 reps, and so on...should be fun! Hopefully my partner and I will kill it. The SDLHP is one of my favorites for the legs. I love to feel that burn! Just two more workouts to get through, then its R&R time! The weekend can't get here soon enough!

Week 2 - Still Going Strong!

I've been Paleo for one week now, and overall, I've been doing pretty well. I did "loosen my menu" on Friday night and Saturday night, but I didn't cheat all weekend. In fact, I toned it down significantly from what I used to do. I'm proud of myself for making it through the holiday weekend with no regrets. I just kept thinking about all the hard work I'm putting in, and how happy I will be once I hit my goals. I finally trust myself to stick with it. Spent most of my Sunday cooking and prepping meals for this week. On the menu for lunch all week - homemade chicken soup with veggies. Delish. My second batch has less fat and more veggies, to go along with my personal nutrition plan. Check out the original recipe. Also made squash pie - a Paleo version of sweet potato pie using butternut squash and grapeseed oil. It is so yummy - I am using it as a dessert! I also plan to make this in place of the traditional sweet potato side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. On a side note: Peas, mashed potatoes, and yams/sweet potatoes typically make up our "veggie" options at this meal. Unless we partake in a family Crossfit WOD right before dinner, there will be no way our bodies will be able to healthfully process all that starch/sugar. So, I plan to have other Paleo-friendly, low GI options available for those of us who are eating clean. Besides, if I'm going to cheat it will be on pumpkin pie, NOT on some stinkin' potatoes. Moving on... I'm looking forward to a great workout today. We're kicking the week off right with some heavy lifting. I'm sure Crystal will throw some sprints in there too - just for fun! CrossFit Women's WOD: 5 Rounds for time 10 Dumbbell Chest Press 10 Dumbbell Hang Squat Clean (35 lbs dumbbells is Elite weight Rx) This weight will be heavy for the chest press, but right-on for the squat cleans. I'll start as prescribed, then adjust if I have to. I'm not too concerned with finishing first - I'd rather be able to lift the Rx weight for all 5 rounds. I can work on time once I've built the muscle. :)

Paleo Zone Jackpot

I spent a good portion of the afternoon researching some Paleo recipies to add to my routine. I need to eat more veggies, but am not clever at all when it comes to preparing them. I might jump off my balcony if I have to eat another serving of steamed broccoli again this week. I mean, I know its good for me and all, but barf! Give me some variety, please. I found a shit load (zing!) of yummy paleo recipies utilizing some new veggies that look freaking amazing. Or maybe I'm just really hungry (I take a huge gulp of water and feel better) - Nope, I was just thirsty. I digress...so, these sites are really awesome for Paleo/Zone-friendly recipies. Actually, these recipies are good for any nutrition plan - just plain yummy. Check them out: Fellow CrossFitters:

• Mel's blog: http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/
• Erika's blog: http://eatcleanlivestrong.blogspot.com/

Gourmet gluten-free cooking: www.elanaspantry.com I'm going to cook my ass off this week - literally. Which brings me to the workout report... Yesterday's CrossFit Women's WOD was a good one. Got to practice my squat cleans (75 lbs) about a million times, and had some fun sprinting. All that work on the thighs and butt made this morning's bootcamp a little tough - especially b/c we did more sprints. Sprints, sprints, and more sprints. I felt like freakin' Flo Jo. I'm ready for the festivities this weekend. Tonight, its Beatles Rock Band (yippeee!!!) and wine in a can (I get real expressive when I play). Should be ridiculously fun. Here's one of my fav Beatles song for you - enjoy! Tommorrow, its HALLOWEEN!! Its nice to be able to loosen up for a few days since I've been good all week. I like rewards. Look out for the 6'2" Goldilocks. She means business about that porridge.

Day 3 - Strict Paleo/Zone...

Its Day 3 of my strict Paleo/Zone nutrition program. So far so good! I've got lots of energy throughout the day (I used to crash around 3 pm), and don't feel overly hungry between meals. I'm getting used to the real flavor of food when its not processed or overly seasoned - its actually good just the way nature intended it to be. So far today I've had egg whites, almond milk, a peach, some pineapple, celery, almond butter, some tuna, Paleo chicken soup, and 5 glasses of water. Tonight I will enjoy some fish tacos with mango salsa (wrapped in lettuce, of course!). Yum! I'm amazed at how many different foods I am getting to enjoy everyday. Its a lot of prep work, but well worth it! In training news... My first day with Coach JDP was tough! All those deadlifts suuuucked, but on the positive, I was able to do the 20" box jump without stepping up for the first time! Looking back, my fear was just irrational. A little encouragement was all I needed. ;) Deadlifts and pull-ups are still a work in progress, but at least I feel like I've got the movement down. Just need to keep practicing so I can get stronger! After that workout, I wasn't suprised that I woke up tired and sore this morning. I really had to push myself to get through the boot camp workout: Part 1: 3 rounds for time Dumbbell Front Squat (10 lb) 50 walking lunges 20 WallBall (6 lb) 400m run * My time was 16:31 Part 2: 3 rounds, 20, 15, 10 Tricep dips Pushups MedBall Slams (6 lb) Part 3: TABATA 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off - 8 rounds each Russian Twists with MedBall (6 lb) Sprawls Dude! Just writing it all down makes me tired. On the agenda for tonight - 5 mile Row and stretching. I'm soooo looking forward to the stretching part.