5K countdown!

Alright, Paleoans the Paleo Lifestyle DFW 5K team will be running/walking/jogging it's first race together in 12 days!! We have 8 official team members & have raised $20 for Children's Medical Centers of Texas. Every little bit helps. You can still sign up & donate towards the cause til race day (March 29th).

This is a great opportunity to show your support for both Children's Medical Centers & Paleo Lifestyle DFW. You can do it!! Check a 5K off your fitness bucket list this year!

Measurements

Since I've reached my goal of 150lbs & I've started a new one of gaining more muscle by strength training. Upon starting this I needed to take actual measurements & new pictures to track my progress for this goal. Here is the template if you're interested in tracking your own measurements:

*click on the picture to copy or print*

I'm big on making goals & tracking results or using motivational posters to keep my determination in check. Small goals will help you reach your end goal. It's ok to start small but dream big all at the same time! Focus on the little steps to get to the platform your climbing towards & you will keep yourself in check.

Blog host update!

Just checking in with my own progress for you guys. I'm still hitting the gym & eating clean! Still working on my flat stomach, but I am changing up my workout routine. I will be starting to lift weights. I invested in some weight lifting gloves & a weight lifting belt (to help keep your posture correct to avoid injuries). I will put up some more bikini pictures for y'all when I have an after comparison to give you on that particular goal of mine.

On another awesome note... I found this all natural bottle of tangerine juice made by Cutie's! It is yummy & Paleo approved!

Craving something sweet?

Just a quick little post this weekend, I saw this & wanted to share.

I love smoothies for my sugar fix!! You can get all the sugar you need/crave from fresh fruits & vegetables. With that being said here is a great smoothie guide courtesy of superskinnyme.com:

I hope y'all will put this guide to good use & nourish your bodies!

Supplements

*Important note: the ground flax seeds pictured above are a natural seed not a supplement & Paleo approved.*

Let's talk about taking supplements... although it is not "Paleo" to take supplements, there are a lot of people who need to supplement their healthy eating with a little extra vitamins/minerals. For example, if you have arthritis & aren't getting enough Omega-3 fats, you can supplement your diet by taking fish oil. The same goes for anyone with vitamin deficiencies that need a little boost to their natural vitamin count other than sources from food. Vitamins & minerals derived from food will always be the best & easiest source for your body to use most efficiently. 

For those of you with a time restrictive schedule, like my fiancee James, that want to get their protein in after workouts & just don't have time to make a full meal I have included the above eggwhite protein as a supplement. This is a Paleo friendly powdered protein, although it is not Paleo approved because it is still a processed protein. The only ingredient in this protein is the actual egg whites, so if you do want to use a protein powder for convenience this would be the one I would recommend. (see disclaimer to the left of this blog post) With that being said, make sure you mix it with some fruit/vegetables for flavor & natural sugars or it will not taste appetizing at all! As for the flax seeds, I would throw in 2 tbsp with your protein blend/smoothie. Not to scare you off, but this particular seed will make you gassy if you overload on it. You'll have to find a happy medium for your own body, but I took my intake down to 2 tbsp every 3 days.

You do not have to take supplements to be healthy! I want to make sure y'all understand this without taking this post out of context. This post is for those who need to take supplements. For additional information on supplements visit the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements website. Talk with a nutritionist or a dietitian in regards to taking supplements as they are the highest trained personnel in this category.

Cooking.. who has time for that?!

In today's fast paced world, cooking is virtually impossible unless you have no social life or are a stay at home parent- False! Knowing how to cook something & having things prepped will save you tons of time. It'll even leave you with some time to get something else done after dinner is finished. I came across this cheat sheet for veggie cooking the other day & wanted to share it with you:

Obviously corn & peas are not Paleo so ignore those. Hope this helps y'all save some time!