How was your weekend? Mine was extremely productive! On Saturday morning I went to a Yogalates class for the first time. It was not really a good fit with my CrossFit due to the fact that the instructor had us hold all of poses for a super long time. I like the recovery aspect of the Yoga class I normally attend and the music is way better. But you never know until you try!
The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning the house, writing blog posts, and doing projects for our front porch. Ryan's parents bought Ryan a tree for our front breeze way as another birthday present. We planted that with the help of Ryan's Dad and it looks great. I named the tree Trey because of the three trunks at the bottom. I like to name new members of the family :)
The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning the house, writing blog posts, and doing projects for our front porch. Ryan's parents bought Ryan a tree for our front breeze way as another birthday present. We planted that with the help of Ryan's Dad and it looks great. I named the tree Trey because of the three trunks at the bottom. I like to name new members of the family :)
I also worked on our patio furniture. The chairs were some of my Grandmother's and the table was from my old roommate. I have refinished one of the chairs and painted the table. The second chair was starting to split so, with the help of my brother, I had to glue a section of it back together. Next weekend I will finish that one!
The last project that we did this weekend was to start my herb garden. I tried to plant one in the beginning of the year on our back porch but the poor thing burnt to a crisp, so I moved the planter box to the front porch so that it could get some shade. I planted Sweet Basil, Orange Mint, and Rosemary. I am excited to experiment with the Orange Mint! The Rosemary may have to be moved to its own pot because it tends to take over, but for now this will due :)
What is Paleo?
I wanted to take some time and discuss Paleo. Many have asked me what exactly it is and if I am Paleo? Now, before you think I have some sort of illness, let me explain. Paleo is short for the Paleolithic Diet or the Caveman Diet. It is a modern nutritional plan based on the way the cavemen used to eat, before the beginning of agriculture. It focuses on fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruits, fungi, roots, and nuts. It excludes grains, legumes, dairy, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. This diet is highly recommended in the CrossFit world so I decided a couple of months ago to see what it was all about.
What I found was the research of an American science writer named Gary Taubes. Taubes has been credited for going against the medical world and defending low carb diets. Among other reasons, Taubes bases his advocacy of low-carb diets on the fact that when refined carbs are eaten, our body reacts by releasing Insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is released after we eat. The amount of insulin released depends on the individual, as well as the foods eaten, with carbohydrates triggering a greater amount of insulin than other food types. Source
After much research I decided to give it a try. I started with cutting out breads, rice, and pasta. After two weeks of just cutting out grains, I lost five pounds! Now, I have been a personal trainer and healthy eater for most of my adult life and I have never lost and maintained weight in this manner. I also knew that the weight that I lost was the good kind because I still had energy to workout 4-5 times a week and with the amount of protein I was consuming I assume that I was not losing muscle mass.
After my trial period, I did decide not to go full throttle with the Paleo diet. I love greek yogurt and have it for breakfast almost every morning. Greek yogurt has many benefits and because I do not have any issues with digesting dairy, I decided to keep it in my diet. I also decided to still have grains 1-2 times a week, if I feel the need. This is what is called Paleo with Privileges! About 80% of the time I do not have grains, dairy, or sugar but if I am at a great restaurant and feel like dipping into the bread basket or having pasta, I go for it!!
Whats great about limiting your grains, dairy, and sugar is that you automatically end up cutting out a lot of refined and processed junk that tends to sneak into our diets. That stuff does more than make us fat, it also triggers disease in our bodies. No thanks!
Also, if you are one that tends to have upset stomachs, give Paleo a try and see how your body reacts. I have had friends that have tried it and insist they will never go back because they finally feel great! My favorite blogger at Carrots 'n' Cake, just posted this today. Exactly what I was saying!
If you are still skeptical, get a blood test done before you start and again after a couple of months of eating Paleo to see how your body reacts. Your blood is the lifeline of your body, it will tell you how healthy you really are!
** Side note - many doctors are still not sold on a low-carb diet. This has to do with the fact that not many, other than Dr. Atkins, have challenged the traditional "Burn more calories than you consume" theory for losing weight, until now. In medical school, students are still learning the old school Food Pyramid that bases everything on Grains.
What I found was the research of an American science writer named Gary Taubes. Taubes has been credited for going against the medical world and defending low carb diets. Among other reasons, Taubes bases his advocacy of low-carb diets on the fact that when refined carbs are eaten, our body reacts by releasing Insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is released after we eat. The amount of insulin released depends on the individual, as well as the foods eaten, with carbohydrates triggering a greater amount of insulin than other food types. Source
- Good side of insulin - it supports muscle growth and recovery. This is why post-workout meals are so important.
- Bad side of insulin - too much of it can lead to fat gain by triggering your body to store your food as fat, and even worse, it can lead to Type II Diabetes.
After much research I decided to give it a try. I started with cutting out breads, rice, and pasta. After two weeks of just cutting out grains, I lost five pounds! Now, I have been a personal trainer and healthy eater for most of my adult life and I have never lost and maintained weight in this manner. I also knew that the weight that I lost was the good kind because I still had energy to workout 4-5 times a week and with the amount of protein I was consuming I assume that I was not losing muscle mass.
After my trial period, I did decide not to go full throttle with the Paleo diet. I love greek yogurt and have it for breakfast almost every morning. Greek yogurt has many benefits and because I do not have any issues with digesting dairy, I decided to keep it in my diet. I also decided to still have grains 1-2 times a week, if I feel the need. This is what is called Paleo with Privileges! About 80% of the time I do not have grains, dairy, or sugar but if I am at a great restaurant and feel like dipping into the bread basket or having pasta, I go for it!!
Whats great about limiting your grains, dairy, and sugar is that you automatically end up cutting out a lot of refined and processed junk that tends to sneak into our diets. That stuff does more than make us fat, it also triggers disease in our bodies. No thanks!
Also, if you are one that tends to have upset stomachs, give Paleo a try and see how your body reacts. I have had friends that have tried it and insist they will never go back because they finally feel great! My favorite blogger at Carrots 'n' Cake, just posted this today. Exactly what I was saying!
If you are still skeptical, get a blood test done before you start and again after a couple of months of eating Paleo to see how your body reacts. Your blood is the lifeline of your body, it will tell you how healthy you really are!
** Side note - many doctors are still not sold on a low-carb diet. This has to do with the fact that not many, other than Dr. Atkins, have challenged the traditional "Burn more calories than you consume" theory for losing weight, until now. In medical school, students are still learning the old school Food Pyramid that bases everything on Grains.
I like the idea of this new Food Pyramid that I found on CrossFit Dumbo. I also like the idea of joining a group of really fit people that still have the energy to perform some of the hardest workouts I've ever seen. (Have you been to a hospital recently? I have, and not only did I see multiple overweight Nurses and Doctors I also saw, more than once, them carrying fast food around the halls? What the heck is that?)
Ultimately, your body is unique and different from everyone else's, so it is your decision on how you choose to eat. But if you are having trouble losing weight, do not have enough energy to make it through the day, or have stomach issues, it might be worth a try. I am going to leave you with a couple of great videos to watch when you have the time! Very educational and very worth your time!
Disclaimer: Please remember that these are all my opinions, based on my research of the topics at hand. I am not trying to persuade anyone to do anything. I am merely commentating on what I found.
Have a great week!
Have a great week!