Paleo Challenge 1.0

Day 30 - The Challenge is Over - Now What?!

Congratulations to everyone who made it to the finish line!  SO proud of you guys!! This is truly a monumental day and you owe it to your will power!  So, what do we do now?  Diane Sanfilippo of Balanced Bites has some really great suggestions on what to do once a Paleo Challenge is over, from reintroducing foods back into your diet to maintain a paleo/sugar-free lifestyle.  May is also National Salad Month, so check out Robb Wolf's article, "Step Up to the Salad Bar" for fun and interesting ways to make that boring salad more exciting!  I recommend you get a subscription to Paleo Magazine so you remain informed.  Signing up to any one of the paleo gurus websites like Mark Sisson's, Robb Wolf's or Chris Kresser's, etc is also a great idea - they have daily emails, articles and posts delivered directly to your email inbox!  Remember guys, although the challenge may be over, I am still here to help you with your diet!  So feel free to get at me at the gym, phone, text, email, whatever - I care about your health!!!

ALSO, it is very important that you guys get your "Helen" times in by tomorrow as well as your journals!

We are holding a Paleo Potluck Party this Saturday after the 9AM WOD - the Winner of the CFC Paleo Challenge 1.0 will be annoucned!!! A sign-up sheet will be at the gym, but feel free to post it here or on facebook!!!

Day 29 - The Paleo Template and the 80/20 Rule

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful, bad ass Crossfit moms!!!  You guys get extra brownie points today for kicking butt in the gym and going home to take care of the kids!  And now only 2 days left of the challenge!!!  So, today, I'm biefly going to mention two methods to stay on the paleo track after the challenge is over with.  Chriss Kresser came up with the Paleo Template - read his suggestions and take from it what you will in terms of your road to supreme health and wellness.  Mark Sisson also recommends and applies the 80/20 rule in his life, so check that article out as well.  My main words of advise for you are: if you find yourself one night (or two...) eating nonpaleo foods... be sure to wake up the next morning and start all over again with your paleo template.  That way you can still have a cheat here and there, but maintain a healthy outlook beyond the gym box.  Remember guys, as Les has said, you can't out train a bad diet - you have to eat well to be well!  Use your FOOD as MEDICINE so you don't have to take MEDICINE because of your FOOD! 

Day 28 - So, Can I Have Some Dairy or What?

Alright guys - so day 28, wow.  Challenge is really coming to a close, especially for those who got their "Helen" times in this morning!  Great job on everyone who PR'd - that's what this challenge was ALL about!!  Today I am going to discuss a way in which you can still maintain a paleo diet (you know, by not eating grains, legumes/beans, processed foods, crap oils and sugar) and still be able to take in a little dairy here and there.  I am not opposed to dairy as much as some would think... I am just lactose intolerant, so my dairy consumption is minimal (but I do still occasionally dine on some dairy.)  Mainly what I'll eat is feta/goat cheese, grass-fed buter (or ghee, which is a great alternative), full fat Greek yogurt, kefir, and my new favorite, raw milk.  I don't have a major problem with these dairy items, as they tend to digest well.  Why I don't think they should be consumed everyday is the fact that they raise our insulin levels (dairy is digested like a sugar), so keep your dairy consumption to a minimum.  The two links are Chris Kresser articles on kefir and raw milk - I highly recommend you read those.  I also suggest you read Mark Sisson's "The Difinitive Guide to Dairy" to learn more about lactose/casein intolerance, insulin response, and how dairy may be a culprit in causing cancer.  He then lists some safer dairy.  

Alright guys -  I don't know about you, but I am exhausted today - so this post is brief, and to the point.  Enjoy your weekend guys and see you on Monday!  ...and speaking of Monday, if you didn't get your "Helen" time in today, PLEASE do it no later than Monday or Tuesday of next week!  Winner to be announced by Friday or Saturday of  next week!  JOURNALS are due BY TUESDAY!

Day 27 - Very Variety!

Hey all!  Wow... 3 more days; I am already starting to feel a little nostalgic!  This has been one heck of a ride, huh guys?  And speaking of rides... how many have you jumped on the Paleo food monotony train?  From reviewing your journals, I noticed some of you ate the same things day in and day out... I hope Paleo doesn't seem boring to you... because if it does, let's talk about paleo food variety.  After all, isn't this why we Crossfit?  Everyday the workout is something different than the day before - it keeps us interested, motivated, and all the various parts of our bodies in check! 

Some people have routines, and routines are good - heck, even doing something habitually can be a positive thing (as long as your habit is something healthy, you know, like flossing after meals), but some of us get stuck in a rut and think.... "I miss grains, I had more variety back then!"  Well guys, it's time to "spice up" those dishes.  Get CREATIVE.  Start seasoning your dishes more. Go to the store and buy a fruit or vegetable you've never had.  Get a copy of "Odd Bits" and start cooking the parts of the animal you never dreamed you would eat.  THAT's Primal dining!  

Mark Sisson touches on the aforementioned ideas along with three main reasons why it is important to have some food variety in his article, "Is Food Variety Important?"  They are:

• "Access to a wider variety of micronutrients and phytochemicals. Think of all the various antioxidants associated with the greens, reds, yellows, purples, and oranges in fruits and vegetables. Think of how vitamin and mineral content differs between foods.
• Dilution of food toxins. Food toxins usually operate in a dose-dependent manner, so keeping a variety would help keep the doses low and spread thin.
• Food enjoyment. Eating the same three things is a sure path to food boredom. Eating should come with a serving of sensory enjoyment." 

 He also points out in his article that eating the same things can lead to poor dietary choices because our brains associate certain foods with satiety.  If you are eating Primal, I think this is alright - but if Mac & Cheese is on your plate every night (or ever, haha), it's not a good thing!  So, maybe this weekend, try a dish  you've never had before.  Experiment.  If you are looking for some great recipes, try these Paleo cookbooks out: Paleo Comfort Foods, Primal Blue Print Quick & Easy Meals, Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids, and Coconut Flour! 36 Irresistible Recipes for Baking with Coconut Flour.  

Reminder: FINAL JOURNALS and "HELEN" TIMES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, the 15th!!!!

Day 26 - Slow Down and Start Fasting!

Holy smokes guys - only four more days of the challenge left!  Today I want to discuss something that is part of the primal plan: Intermittent Fasting.  If you think about it... our ancestors, due to scarcity of food and cold winters, went times without an abundance of food and were forced to fast.  So is intermittent fasting safe?  According to the Mark Sisson article, "Is Intermittant Fasting Healthy?" the results proved yes: "Numerous animal and human studies done over the past 15 years suggest that periodic fasting can have dramatic results not only in areas of weight (fat) loss, but in overall health and longevity as well.  A recent article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gives a great overview of these benefits which include decreases in blood pressure, reduction in oxidative damage to lipids, protein and DNA, improvement in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, as well as decreases in fat mass."   Mark Sisson wrote a seven part series on fasting that I highly recommend you all read (otherwise I'd be typing this up for a couple days... the research is extensive, and why recreate the wheel, right?)  He tells us why we should do it (it will help us shed those extra pounds we can't seem to lose in addition to its ability to prevent cancer, diabetes, etc!), what the best methods are (what's the right fasting plan for you), and even answers some questions from his followers (and you can ask him questions, too!).  Pretty neat huh?  

So what about those of us who work out at least four or more times a week?  Can it be good for us?  Of all his articles, "Why Fast? Part Five - Exercise"  this is definitely the one worth reading!  According to Sisson, fasting can actually improve our workout recovery after endurance training and weightlifting, and improves our overall glycogen and repletion and retention time.  However, he warns to not become obsessed with it - try it out one time and see if it works for you.  Just be sure to hydrate!!  After all, our human DNA has stayed the same for over 200,000 years and there were times our caveman ancestors hunted without a kill.  They had to fast!  Today, we are so over-loaded with food everywhere, that it really could do us some good to have self control - mind over matter, right guys!?  Isn't that how we truly get through a Crossfit workout in the first place??  You can do it! 

Day 25 - Supplements..? Really?

Yesterday I just told you guys that I'd rather you EAT your food than shake and drink it... so why the heck would I be telling you that some supplements are not only wise to take, but necessary?  Well, think of it this way: our caveman ancestors lived very different lives than we do now.  Most of us are sitting in offices all day, eating "inside" the box, and to boot, have had medical procedures or have been diagnosed with something (both mainly due to grain consumption in the past) that may have tampered with our ability to digest food properly (i.e. gull bladders removed, IBS, heartburn, etc.)  So, some supplements are going to help us with our modern ailments.  Without having to write an entire chapter on supplements, I highly recommend you read Robb Wolf's Chapter 13, "Supplements" in his book, The Paleo Solution.  He lists them in order of importance.  I am going to do that, but briefly discuss why for each one.  Seriously, if you want more on this stuff, get his book - it rocks! 

1. Vitamin D - we went over this one this past weekend, so not too much new to say.  Robb lists reasons why Vitamin D (specifically vitamin D3) is so essential.  It regulates: "Fat metabolism, Cancer prevention (cell growth and apoptosis), autoimmunity (regulating and normalizing immune response), fertility, insulin resistance, types 1 and 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and anti-inflammatory as a Cox2 inhibitor)" (p.273). So, if you aren't getting enough sun, take that Vitamin D! 

2. Omega 3 Fats - heard a lot about this one already too - if you aren't eating your sardines (or other small fish), you should be taking a fish oil supplement.  One of the great things about Omega 3s is it aids in post workout recovery.  So instead of taking an Ibuprofen, pop a couple fish oils.  Here's the thing though, you need a quality fish oil - Robb recommends the brands Nordic Naturals, Carlsons (this is what I use), and Barleans.  How much do you need.  Well Robb says, "As much as one gram of EPA/DHA for every ten pounds of body weight per day) (p. 276).  WHOA!  That's a lot - so take the supplement and eat your herring too!! 

3. Magnesium - magnesium always takes a back seat to calcium, but it is way more essential.  Magnesium citrate "appears to be the best absorbed" (p. 279).  It has similar benefits to Vitamin D, but it also aids in "Chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia and blood pressure" regulation (p. 280).  You can get magnesium from eating dark green, leafy veggies.  Robb recommends an ancestral amount of magnesium which is "1,200 to 2,000 mg a day" compared to the "recommended daily allowance" of "300-400 mg a day" (p. 280).  Magnesium also has calming effects, so taking this before bedtime is optimal.  

4. Digestive Aids - these come in three different forms: 

1. Protease, Lipases, and Amylases - these enzymes are normally released from the pancreas, but "due to grain intolerance abnormal gut flora, or high insulin levels can decrease the amount of digestive enzymes released into the small intestines, thus reducing the effectiveness of our digestion" (p.281).  This is a SUPPLEMENT ONLY option... so Robb recommends NowFoods: Super Enzymes product (I take it too!)  Once you start to feel a warming sensation, you will know the dosage you need to take during each meal time. 
2. Probiotics - (I take this as well!  Jarrow brand makes an allergen-free pro-biotic!  It rocks.)  There is a lot to be said on probiotics (they can also be found in kefir, full-fat yogurt, kimchi, sour krout, and kombucha).   Check out Robb's chapter 13 for more information.
3. Saccharomyces boulardi - Take this in case you have to take antibiotics. 

5. Iodine - According to Robb, "Iodine is a key constituent in thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). " Essentially what these do is regulate your hormones " and is critical in energy management, fertility... and a number of other vital processes" (p. 284).  Robb recommends the safe dose of "150 micrograms a day" (p. 285).

6. R-alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) + N-acetyl-L carnitine (NAC) - ALA is a "fat- and water-soluble antioxidant" that "helps restore the antioxidant activities of vitamins C and E."  NAC, on the other hand, "has been shown to help reverse the signs and symptoms of aging and dementia."  You can get this from grass-fed or wild meats (grain-fed has no ALA! ouch.)  NAC "is made in the body from carnitine" and again, Jarrow sells these.  Robb says we need to play around with the dosage, but he says, "600- 1,200 mg of NAC taken with 1,000-2,000 mg of ALA first thing in the morning on an empty stomach has a remarkable ability to 'clear the fog'" (p.286).  

Alright guys - if you have yet to turn in your journal from week #3, PLEASE get it in to the box!  Week #4 journals are due no later than the 15th!  PLEASE be prompt.  Thanks! 

Day 24 - Chewing vs "Shaking" our Food

Hey guys!  Day 24 and moving right along to the finish line... how are we doing?  I had some bacon this morning which is getting me ready for the rest of my busy day!  Hope you guys have full bellies, too!  And speaking of full... let's talk about chewing our food as opposed to "shaking" and drinking it.  The paleo/primal lifestyle condones a REAL FOOD approach, so I will always tell you that it is better to eat real food postworkout (or whenever, really) than drink it.  Some of you may hve noticed in your journals, I circled any time I saw "orange juice" etc., and told you to just eat an orange (or whatever fruit it was you were drinking.)  I say this because REAL FOOD is ALWAYS better, perioid.  We were meant to to EAT and CHEW our food (hence all those teeth!)  Whether we realize it or not, protein powders are PROCESSED foods, regardless of ingredients.  Do I think a pure, egg white protein is best, sure, but why not just eat an egg instead?  I know, I know, some of you want to hack at the idea of eating immedietly post workout, but here's the thing... all's you gotta do is get in some type of animal protein 45 minutes post workout to allow the protein to optimally rebuild your muscles.  After a heavy metcon, eat an orange or drink coconut water to put those electrolytes back in (but of course, coconut water is MEANT to be a liquid, so it works in this instance.)  ...and if you really want to take this primal thing to the extreme, check out Mark Sisson's article, "Should You Chew Your Child's Food?"  Alright guys - feel free to ask any questions!  Happy Tuesday! 

Day 23 - Remind Me Again... Why NO Grains? (And What's Up With Cavemen Dying at the Age of 30?)

Morning all!  Day 23... which means only one week left of the challenge!  So proud of those that have really stuck with it and are trying to better themselves!  Today I want to recap as to why we should not eat grains.  This point struck me as I was reading, Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life, by Nora T. Gedgaudas.  Next to Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution, this may be my "go to book" for information on the primal/paleo lifestyle.  Anyway, Gedgaudas reminds us that grains are addicting - truly - as they contain "morpheinlike compounds called exorphins" (p.15) which she believes is a contributing factor to grain mass consumption throughout the world.  So fast forward time 2,000 years and you get the "diet-heart hypothesis" - a lie that has been told to consumers to purchase grains.  According to Dr. George V. Mann, a researcher for The Framingham Heart Study states, "The diet-heart hypothesis (that suggests that high intake of fat and cholesterol causes heart disease) has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit, and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies, and even governmental agencies.  The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the century" (p. 15).  As a result of the over-consumption of grains in the diet (and, consequently not enough saturated fat), all types of "modern" diseases are becoming too commonplace.  The list includes: "Mood disorders, learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, autism, Aspberger's disorder, anxiety disorders, and immune- or autoimmune related diseases" ... as well as "heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer" (p. 14).   

So if cavemen weren't eating many grains, if any at all, (Gedgaudas reminds us that, sure, if a caveman came across potatoes, they would eat them... seasonally of course... but, keep in mind that potatoes are toxic when not cooked, and the use of fire for cooking food did not come about until "fifty thousand to one hundred thousand years ago" (p. 7) why were they dying at the age of 30? Well first off - this is an AVERAGE age... and so the calculation includes infant deaths as well.  Therefore, most cavemen were actually living quite longer, maybe even longer than us (we have found human fossil remains to prove this) and that Stone Age cavemen usually died from "accident and infection" (p. 17) not from coronary heart disease or cancer! 

A couple other great points she makes is "Our bodies can manufacture glucose, as needed, from a combination of protein and fat in the diet.  As a matter of fact, glucose is really needed only in an ongoing way mainly for fueling our red blood cells" (p. 9).  This means that we don't actually have to consume glucose for our bodies to produce it - pretty neat huh?  She also tells us, "By most accounts, it takes roughly forty thousand to one hundred thousand years for human genetic expression to adapt significantly to such a major change" ("change" as in the mass consumption of grains for energy) and that "We have yet to physiologically adapt to the agricultural revolution" that just came about roughly 2,000 years ago (p.15).  Whoa!  Man needs to slow down, right...? 

So ouch - overload of anthropology facts!  But hey folks, this stuff is the TRUTH - hope you can handle it!  ;)  Have a great start to the week - grain free and full of saturated  and monounsaturated fats!  ...besides, did you know that what separates us from other primates is the fact that our brains are made of Omega-3 fats and theirs are made of Omega-6 fats... our brains adapted by EATING Omega-3 fats, so if you haven't taken your fish oil yet today... I highly recommend doing so... for your brain's sake! ;)  

Day 22 - Workout Like a Caveman? Feel like a Rockstar!

This thought has struck me a few times:  "what would it be like to be a real caveman..?"  Then this morning I woke up  with a lower back full of pain as if I had been sleeping on a cave floor.  Did this ever happen to caveman?  And I highly doubt they had licensed massage therapists in their time... and  to my dismay anyway, my Structural Integration Therapist is on vacation all next week... so, looks like I will have to duke this one out myself - like a caveman.  

That said... let's talk about ACTIVE RECOVERY.  So, we lift heavy things and run really fast (like caveman did) - so something is bound to get tweaked and feel like crap eventually.  What do we do about it?  We MOB.  Mobility is the key to staying injury free.  On mornings like this one... I hang over the edge of my bed and give myself a nice spine and rib stretch.  I then do a couple side bends and walk over to my foam roller and roll out for a good, solid minute or two.  Then I just lay there and feel my lower back getting a stretch - all the while, I try to relax and breathe.  Finally, I grab my lacrosse ball and rub my lower back out with it... feeling each muscle around my spine loosen.  I work my way up to my shoulder and back down again.  I do this for a couple minutes until the pain is so excrutiating that I need to stand up and shake it off.  Rinse. Repeat.  Mark Sisson mentions the importance of the lacrosse ball in his article, "7 Low-Tech Tools for Primal Living." 

We must learn how to perform maintenance on ourselves - it is the same reason as to why we eat clean: to remain inflammatory free and perform better at the box.  And you can bet right now that I have upped my Omega-3 content (I'm not just eating my can of anchovies, sardines, or mackerel today - I am also popping two fish oil pills that supply me with an extra gram of EPA and DHA.)  I am also adding turmeric to everything I eat. Check out Mark Sisson's article, "My Top 6 Anti-inflammatory Foods" for more advice.  

Another way to prevent sore muscles is to stop sitting all the time.  Lay down.  If you need to "relax" try to lay with a pillow under your legs to take the pressure off of your lower back/hips.  Or Stand. As I write this, I stand so I don't sit and feel worse.  Sitting gives us bad posture, so if you have a type of sore muscle, try to keep moving, standing and MOBing.  I highly advise checking out Kelly Starett's website "Mobility WOD" for MOB videos for any particular muscle ailment you may have.  

Last but not least, let's remember to MOB before we WOD and MOB after we WOD - in other words, I recommend rolling out for a couple minutes (back/quads), doing a warm up and some light, flexible stretching before you workout and then stagnant stretching and rolling out again after the workout.  That way you can still Workout like a Caveman and Feel like a Rock Star.  Happy Sunday guys! 

Day 21 - Even Cavemen got out of the Cave (Vitamin D!)

Hey guys - for those that showed up for this morning's WOD - thank you for working so hard!  It really puts a huge smile on my face when I see people accomplishing goals!  Today's WOD was great too because we all got a little sunshine, or as I like to call it Vitamin D!  So why is Vitamin D so important?  Well for one, it can ellivate our mood.  20 minutes of sun exposure a day helps relieve stress!  So next time you are annoyed or upset... take a deep breathe and let mother nature take care of you!  What's the science behind it?  Robb Wolf, the paleo-geek that he is, has a really great artcile that explains how and why Vitamin D works in his article, "Let a Little Sunshine In." 

Vitamin D is also important because it helps us absorb calcium.  We have healthier, stronger bones if we are getting an adequate amount of natural sunlight a day.  If you are stuck inside in an office all day like me, be sure to get a Vitamin D3 supplement - one of the only supplelements I recommend if people aren't getting enough sun time in their day.  Mark Sisson helps you figure out how much sun you should be getting and more in his artcle, "Vitamin D: Sun Exposure, Supplementation, and Doses."   He has a couple other articls on Vitamin D ; he really breaks it down from generaly explaining why it is important to  factors that affect the sun and our exposure to it: "Deconstructing Vitamin D" and "Vitamin D: Counfounding Factors."   So now, enjoy your Saturday - get outside, play, and get your dosage of Vitamin D - you deserve it!