Workout that body!

Back in Paleolithic times our ancestors were very physically active so naturally they were in great shape. They didn't have to "workout" like we do now because they were hunting, gathering, walking all over the place, lifting and moving heavy stones and foliage.

Today, depending on your line of work, we live a pretty sedentary lifestyle so to give our bodies the physical activity it needs we have to workout. These workouts give our bodies the chance to burn carbs and use up our stored energy fats so they don't end up as, well, fat.

With this in mind here are a couple great exercise ideas that have been tried and results yielding. I haven't personally done them, but I have seen the transformation in friends who have:

• Insanity DVD set for at home workouts.
• T-25 DVD set for at home workouts in a time crunch.
• Couch to 5K App Mobile app training for those wanting to do a 5K (hint, hint), but don't forget your weight training to help tighten your body back up after losing fat from all that cardio.
• Bodyrock.tv also has a plethera of at home workouts to choose from (free)
• Fitness Magazine also has a plethera of home workouts for free

The solutions are out there, you just have to be willing to look for them (or google).

On the flip side, I've done and known others who have done Zumba without any noticeable results. Although Zumba is fun if you like to dance, it is not enough physical activity for your body. Remember in Paleo times humans were also lifting and moving heavy objects so working in a dumbbell routine/weight machine circuit/resistance band routine is crucial if a high cardio workout like Zumba is your choice for physical activity!

Paleo Lifestyle DFW Team 5K!

Have you ever run a 5K? Do you want to check it off your bucket list? Ok it might not be on your bucket list, but how accomplished would it make you feel to complete a 5K? Don't worry, I'm giving you plenty of notice to get in shape to walk/jog/run a 5K. A 5K is 3.1 miles.

The Firefly Run is coming to Dallas on March 29, 2014 and the proceeds are benefiting the non-profit Children's Medical Center. It is a Saturday evening run so for any one who is not a morning person this is a perfect 5K for you!

With that being said, this is a great way to contribute to a wonderful cause and get some physical exercise in for your health and wellness! I'm putting together a Paleo Lifestyle DFW team (4+ runners) and invite anyone to join. Team registration is $30 per person til 1/5/14, then $35 til 3/1/14, late registration is $40 til 3/23/14, and super later registration up til the day of the race is $45.

I understand that it's hard to plan that far in advance for some of you, but I'm giving you the options of early registration for those who want to make the commitment and save some money. To register under the Paleo Lifestyle DFW team go to the Active website. When you choose register you will register under the Team Timed option, then after you fill out your personal info you will choose to join a team then search for Paleo Lifestyle DFW. We are registered under a fundraising team, but you do not have to donate if you do not want to!

Please try to get in some training with your physical exercise. You can walk/jog/run this 5K as it is for your personal benefit and accomplishment! I hope to see you there!!

The Rundown...

I know it's been almost a week since I've posted, but man I've been busy! We finally got some extra help at work so I'll be more available to keep y'all updated on the Paleo lifestyle.

Here's what's currently in the works for Paleo Lifestyle DFW:
5K Team (details to come in a future post this week)
New recipes
New Paleo Lifestyle Tips
New progress report photos

Let me know what questions you have or what you want me to touch on: paleolifestyledfw@gmail.com or leave a comment at the bottom of this post!

A Very Paleo Thanksgiving

Wow, this year has really flown by! Thanksgiving is only a couple of week away and I wanted to give y'all

some Paleo options to choose from:

• Turkey: baked or smoked, not fried!
• Roast
• Ham: baked or smoked, not fried!
• Homemade cranberry sauce (my own recipe)
• Mashed sweet potatoes
• Wild rice (make sure to check the ingredients for added white/brown grain rice as it is a no-go)
• Fresh green beans
• Salad
• Fruit salad
• Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Bars (my own recipe)

For Thanksgiving this year we have 3 different meals to attend. Lifestyles of the split and unfamous families (Good Charlotte reference if you're a fan). However, our big get together with my Mom's side we have a mix of diets: Vegetarian, Paleo, and Western-American. Yikes! Sounds like a difficult spot to find something we all can enjoy, right? No! We are serving spaghetti, salad, homemade cranberry sauce, green beans, green bean casserole, rolls (not for the Paleoans), mashed potatoes (not for Paleoans), homemade salad dressing, and my very own creation of dark chocolate pumpkin bars. Our Vegetarian will get her spaghetti sauce before we add the meat and the Paleoans will have spaghetti squash instead of the pasta. A little non-traditional, but we make it work and we'll all be together!

Here is a link to other Paleo Thanksgiving ideas: http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/paleo-thanksgiving. Now it has some great ideas, but remember almond/coconut flour wasn't really hunted or gathered in Paleo times. If you want to stay strict Paleo I would stay away from any recipes that call for coconut/almond flour as well as any sugar, be it honey or agave. If you want to be a more modern Paleo eater go right ahead and use these things. Remember to only have small portions of these items because you don't want to make yourself sick since you don't normally eat these things.

I hope this has given y'all some great ideas for your Thanksgiving meals. Have a wonderful holiday!

Blogger Info Alert!

Time for another "Behind the Scenes" with your friendly blog host: Me!

I have an exciting announcement I can officially post:
I have filed all the appropriate applications and paperwork to start going back to college to finish out my degree. But wait there's more; I'll be attaining a Bachelors degree in Nutrition with an emphasis in dietetics so that I can become a registered Dietetic Nutritionist!

Starting this blog has made me realize that nutrition and fitness is my ultimate passion. With a few little nudges and encouragement, I came to the decision to further my knowledge at a credible institution to be able to help more people with their health, wellness, and longevity.
*Special thanks to: my Mom, Nana, James (my other half), and most of all you readers/followers!

Another triumph I'd like to share relates back to an older post about my allergy to citrus (oranges, grapefruits, pineapples, mangos). Since detoxing my body from all the processed foods with additives and excess preservatives I tried an all natural mango/orange smoothie by Naked.

Results: no allergic reaction. I am so relieved and ecstatic to be able to add my favorite breakfast drink back on the menu after over a decade! The point in sharing this revelation with y'all is that what you put in your body is extremely important, so be sure to keep your eating healthy and clean.

Til next behind the scenes...

Arm Challenge Results

Ok, the results are in!!! Judge for yourself if my 30-day challenge yielded noticeable results, and keep in mind with anything you have to keep working for more results. With that being said I am continuing my pull-ups and dips to keep toning my arms because it is the most noticeable results I've seen in my arms since I started steadily going to the gym in March 2012.

These results are 100% real, not photoshopped or altered in anyway. Try the arm challenge yourself and see how it works for you! James is starting the arm challenge on Monday and in another 30 days I'll upload his challenge results for y'all. That way you can see the difference between men and women as well.

Success!

Well, after 2 months of eating Paleo I've lost 17 lbs (don't forget though, muscle weighs more than fat & I've built some muscle!) and I'm down from a size 10 to a size 7!! I'm still going to wait to put up some more bikini comparison pictures but I wanted to show you my old size 10 pants for visual effect:

Sorry I couldn't find an old picture in these pants to compare... but here are 2 pictures of me before I started down my healthy road (just a few lbs shy of 200, if you remember from my behind the scenes post):

March 2011

August 2011

These were obviously not my finer moments in the picture taking world. But! I'm showing you these because I want you to understand that I've been there and I've come back from there, you can too!!

Strength and determination will help you meet your goals. Keep this in mind when you start out with any new lifestyle change to your diet, work out regime, or projects in general. Find what motivates you and stick with it. I find that having inspirational fitness pictures on my home and lock screen on my smartphone helps remind me to keep pushing forward. I also have a collage of inspirational fitness pictures framed and hanging in my closet where I can see it every morning. And I also have y'all!

Vegetarian/Vegan- Paleoan Style

I would just like to point out that the title of this blog post is technically an oxymoron. In most Paleo circles being vegetarian/vegan is looked at as an unhealthy, hippie diet choice (don't hate the messenger). However, I know some wonderfully angelic people who happen to be vegetarian/vegan so I wanted to do a post just for y'all!

Obviously you can't be full-fledged Paleoan because you're not going to eat meat and that's ok we'll dub you a Paleovege [Pa-leo-veg-e]. What I want to focus on is your intake of protein. It's low and we need to raise it up as much as possible while avoiding too many legumes. Tofu is a great option that I want you to try and incorporate into at least one meal a day.

Other great protein options:

• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Spinach (like Popeye!)
• Asparagus
• Snap peas
• Flax seeds
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Pistachios
• Pumpkin seeds
• Lentils (Paleoans this is a legume so it's a big no for you, but for Paleoveges this has a lot of essential nutritients so we'll put it on the go list)
• Peanut butter (Go for the all natural brand. Paleoans keep in mind this is for the Paleoveges only because they need protein too, but it is high in fats and carbs. Since Paleoans eat meat, that is where we get our fats and carbs.)
• Quinoa (Paleoans this is a grain, so it's Paleoveges only on this one)
• Pea/Hemp Protein Powder (use it for smoothies in the morning to jump start your protein for the day and I'll post a smoothie recipe for you soon)

Vegetarians this tip is exclusively for you: ditch the dairy! Oh yeah, I said it, ditch it. You don't need it, your body doesn't need it, and you'll feel healthier without it. Substitute it with coconut milk instead. I personally use coconut milk and absolutely love it.

You love your pastas right? Again: grains are harmful to you. Substitute your angel hair, spaghetti, egg, rotini, and whatever other noodles you're using for spaghetti squash. The consistency is remarkable close and it has better nutrients for your body. Here's another great switch out for you: wild rice is actually a grass not a grain! This is definitely on your menu, so use it up and avoid regular white or brown grain rice. I know you're big on your grain-carb intake, but tone it down. All those lectin proteins are working against you, not for you.

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables! Add more into your meals. You're Vegetarians and Vegans so you're supposed to be eating a ton of vegetables. Focus more on adding vegetables into your meals than dreading giving up the dairy and most of the grains. This is a great opportunity for you to implement:

Spices are going to be your best friend in changing up the way your meals come together. Kick it up a notch and make it spicy or add some lemon to make it zesty! It's up to you because it's your kitchen and your meals so make it to your order. I hope this has given you some food for thought (I couldn't resist).

Omega 3's vs Omega 6's

I'm starting to see an increase in arthritis and joint pain complaints going around with the weather changes. This is what I want to focus on for this post because I care about you, your health, and your pain!

Would it surprise you to know that Omega 3 fats are a natural anti-inflammatory? Or that consuming too many Omega 6 fats actually causes inflammation? Back in Paleolithic times the ratio for Omega 6 fats to Omega 3 fats was 1:1 whereas in the current Westernized-American diet it is 10:1.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are considered essential fats to our diets. Essential in the sense that our bodies cannot make it to meet its physiological needs. We are supposed to consume them in equal quantities to keep our body at equilibrium. Too many Omega 6 fats (like the current Westernized-American) can cause an uncomfortable amount of arthritis and joint pain because the intake of 3's are low and ineffective to counteract the inflammation effects of the 6's. Too much Omega 6 intake can also speed up the aging process (who wants that?!), cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and promote cardiovasular disease. Whereas a lack of adequate Omega 3 fatty acid is also linked to depression, but on the flip side a diet high in Omega 3 fatty acids has been said to protect against some cancers.

Do you see where this Westernized-American diet is starting to look increasingly worse for us as we learn more about Paleo?

So where do you get Omega 3 fats from:

• Flax seed (great addition to salads)
• Wild caught salmon
• Wild caught herring
• Wild caught mackerel
• Sardines
• Eggs (Hens that are fed flax seed lay eggs that are high in Omega 3, but don't leave out the yolk because that's where your Omega 3 is!)
• Fish oil supplements (Not as effective as getting Omega 3 directly from a food source)
• Grass fed beef

*Please note: if wild caught options are too pricey for you, regular (farm raised) fish still have an adequate source of Omega 3.

So where do you get Omega 6 fats from:

• Vegetable oils
• Peanuts
• Soybeans
• Safflower seeds
• Brazil nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Corn oil
• Corn fed beef (Any meat not labeled grass fed)
• Crackers
• Breads
• Pastas
• Grapeseed oil
• Fructose corn syrup (oh yes, this sweetener that is in most distributed flavored beverages)

So where can you get a balance of both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats from:

• Wild rice (this is actually a grass not a grain so feel free to indulge!)
• Walnuts
• Walnut oil for cooking

*Please note: I'm sure there are more that I haven't come across yet in my research.

Cited sources:

Discovery Health

Eating Well

Good Fats 101

Understanding Nutrition