Category Archives: Diet
What works for YOU!?!
Today Lois and I were talking about her daughter trying to change her diet and how difficult that can be.
Lois didn’t think that her daughter could make the transition to Primal like she did.
But I told her that her daughter most definitely could.
Everyone goes about starting a healthy diet in a different way. And even once we’ve settled on a healthy diet, we are constantly editing it – we are constantly changing it to fit our lifestyle better, make us healthier, help us reach a fitness goal….
No one’s diet is exactly the same as anyone elses.
For some people, making a drastic diet change is simply impossible. They have to ease themselves into it.
That is exactly what Lois’s daughter will have to do.
It may start with cutting out soda. Then vegetable oils. Then gluten until she finds a diet that not only makes her healthy but allows her to reach her goals and enjoy life.
Yes that’s right…ENJOY LIFE.
Most people don’t consider “enjoying life” when they start a new diet.
You have to create a diet that works for you! And you won’t stick to a diet that you don’t enjoy!
While you want to eat what’s healthy, you also have to allow yourself foods that you enjoy.
While you don’t want to eat a ton of bacon or a ton of cheese, if you enjoy those foods ALLOW yourself to have them. If you deprive yourself for too long, you will just fall off the wagon and have the hardest time getting back on.
If you enjoy pizza, while you don’t want to eat it every day, you can give yourself meals to eat pizza at…and I’m not talking about some Paleo/Primal pizza…I’m talking about the real thing.
I think that all out cheats once a week really work for some people.
There are just so many things that can work. You just need to find out what you enjoy the most while staying in line with what is healthy.
Only if you enjoy the diet will it really work for you!
And if a diet doesn’t work for you? You won’t stick to it no matter how healthy it is!
The good, the bad and the simply stupid
The Good
- Vin Goat is a wonderful little shop that carries artisan and farmstead cheese and cupboard essentials. They also host lectures each weekend about their products. The other weekend Ryan’s parents went to a lecture by Anne Willan, a founder of a famous French cooking school among other culinary achievements. In her talk, Anne Willan supported the use of raw milk to make cheese (saying it made the cheese better!) AND talked about cooking with butter or lard NOT vegetable oil. All in all her lecture was apparently a Primal/Paleo eaters dream. Glad to know there are people out there supporting the consumption of raw milk and fat!
- Here is a little preview of a jump rope video Ryan is helping me making for the Under Armour Challenge. It was also part of my “do something new” workout challenge for this weekend. I’m by no means an awesome jump rope-er so this was definitely a challenge! If you want to do your own jump rope slide and send it to me, I’ll add it to the video!
- Coconut oil is about as close to a magical health pill as you get. Fat-a-phobs shy away from this oil because it contains saturated fat, but what they don’t realize is that the “saturated fat” in coconut oil is a form known as lauric acid, which has been proven to protect your heart by reducing total cholesterol and enhancing HDL cholesterol levels. Even Dr. Oz says so….WOW something he is right about!
The Bad
- I like dried fruit as a treat on occasion. BUT you have to be very careful when purchasing dried fruit as many have added ingredients. Actually I was surprised by how many WEREN’T simply dried fruit when I was at Trader Joe’s. It actually is more difficult than you think to find pure dried fruit. Next time you buy dried fruit make sure you are getting exactly what you want! Read the ingredients list!
- Just another reason to take medicine! NOT! Common painkillers tied to lower skin cancer risk! Ok but to get the benefit you must take these medicines in large quantities. BUT the large quantities have proven health risks. “The drugs have also been linked to an increased risk of kidney cancer and come with known bleeding risks.” So here we have an article telling our population to take painkillers to reduce their risk of skin cancer but we still don’t know if the benefits of taking large quantities of the medicine are worth the risks that have already been linked to the drugs…Hmmm…I think I’ll pass on the painkillers…
- Every time I think Paleo/Primal is becoming more accepted I see stupid articles like this one on IndyStar.com. I can’t believe a dietitian claimed that the diet is not only low carb but also lacking in some vitamins and minerals. Uhm hello!?! When you stop wasting calories on grains, you eat more fruits and vegetables…So how can the diet be “lacking?” If it is lacking in vitamins and minerals, than what word do we use to describe the average American’s diet…Non-existant in vitamins and minerals!?! (Ok I know that doesn’t work…but hopefully you get my point.)
The Simply Stupid
- Dennis, Ryan’s brother, sent this to him. Definitely a healthy breakfast…NOT!
The back of a Nutella jar.
Ok this isn’t simply stupid…It is actually awesome…
Diet books – BLEH!
Don’t waste your money on diet books. Go buy some grass-fed beef!
So yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to get a Paleo/Primal diet book for one of my clients to read. After seeing the Crossfit games, and my long lectures, she finally decided to give the whole “caveman eating thing” a shot.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
But when I got to the store I was overwhelmed by a whole lot of crap. All of the “advertised” books were fad, low-fat diets!
The book that I wanted, that they CLAIMED to have in stock was nowhere to be found.
I was overwhelmed by all of the conventional wisdom/fad diets lining the shelves.
I had the desire to run through the diet aisles knocking every book off the shelves and then sprint out of the store.
Or I wanted to grab an armful of the stupid books and throw them in the trash.
Either one would have felt really satisfying.
Of course I probably would have gotten arrested or something, but still….It would have felt good!
I didn’t do it though. Instead I managed to focus enough to find one of the HEALTHY DIET books I was looking for.
With that huge load of diet crap out there though, no wonder Americans are confused about what the right diet is!
Actually it is almost kind of depressing that we turn to brightly colored books with neon words stating “Lose 15 lbs in 2 day!” instead of just eating the foods that come naturally from the earth!
I mean honestly it is simple. Just do an experiment. Eat all the crap they recommend for 30 days and then go eat all of the natural foods that I recommend for 30 days.
Which makes you feel better? Which do you think you can maintain for longer than the 30 days?
I think I know the answer….
Actually I’ve lived the answer. Heck I used to buy diet books and read every article in all of the women’s health magazines looking for some secret new trick.
BUT IT DOESN’T EXIST!
Anyway, don’t take my word for it. Try an experiment yourself. You’ll see.
Oh and just a random side note…
While I complain about all of the crap diet books there were lining the shelves, there definitely were more Paleo/Primal/Caveman books out there than ever before.
I could make a very cynical comment about how there are now books being published about this healthy diet because there is now a market to make money off of….but I’ll keep my mouth shut.
What is next though? A Caveman Lifestyles magazine? Or maybe even a Caveman Vogue?
Hey I’m not saying I don’t get it. But I just think everyone needs to realize that everyone out there who is pushing something has an agenda.
Even me.
I obviously want you to believe that eating my way and lifting heavy weights is the BEST way.
And of course it is…. 🙂
The good, the bad and the simply stupid
So I want to start out by saying…I’m not sure if this article/interview about Paleo belongs under the good or the simply stupid.
Am I happy that the Paleo diet is getting more positive mainstream attention? Yes.
But really? Paleoista? Bleh!
The Good
So I mentioned the other day that I had Buffalo Flank Steak from The Meat House. The Meat House gets its supply from Wild Idea Buffalo Co. AMAZING! Grass-fed, free roaming buffalo! It was delicious, tender, juicy and HEALTHY! Plus the animal was raised in a natural way that actually helps keep the Great Plains healthy and thriving!
Here is a great article courtesy of Man Biceper Heather. If you haven’t already, make sure to check it out! This guy is spot on!
This post by Fit and Feminist also made me smile. Have I mentioned before that I hate Barbie weights?
What exercise is she even doing!?!
The Bad
So while I agree that how you “fuel” is very important to your performance (and health for that matter), eating a stupid, processed “chew” isn’t any better than all the crap shown all over the ground. Sorry Gatorade.
The Simply Stupid
Wearing skinny jeans that are too tight can cause health problems. My question is: How can you possibly get those jeans that are “too tight” on? Sometimes I have a hard enough time getting my non-skinny jeans on over my quads and butt!
Ok…those jeans are a bit too tight…
Getting our Vitamin D
It has been nice outside the past few days so Ryan and I have gone outside to workout. A great way to get our Vitamin D for the day! (More about the importance of Vitamin D later!)
Our favorite outdoor workout spot is down by the Charles River. There is a little outdoor workout area with pull up bars and places to do abs, push ups, inverted rows, plyometrics and more.
Last year we did the Murph down there.
This year our first outdoor workout was:
1 round as fast as you can:
50 Pull ups
50 Push Ups
50 Inverted Rows
50 Dips
50 Burpees
50 Sit ups
The 1.5 mile walk down to the river felt good, but the 1.5 mile walk back wasn’t near as fun. The workout was definitely a bit harder because we aren’t yet used to the heat and humidity.
What made the walk back more rewarding was a nice BBQ meal with some delicious Cider Sangria.
We grilled up some delicious Grass-fed Buffalo Flank Steak courtesy of The Meat House!
No sauce needed! Just seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper!
SOOOO GOOD!
To drink or not to drink? That is the question…
I get lots of questions about alcohol and whether or not you should drink it and in what quantities.
This question is always slightly difficult for me to answer because I’ve never been a fan of drinking alcohol.
I’ve had a few run ins with drinking and I’ve always come out the worse for wear. So for me drinking often or a lot just doesn’t sound appealing. I prefer to wake up each morning feeling wonderful and ready to take on the day!
But I do understand that some people really enjoy drinking. While binge drinking still isn’t healthy, a drink or two a few times a week can be good for your health.
Of course there are definitely alcoholic beverages that are better for you than others.
While I loved watching Sex and the City (and still enough the repeats on TV), I wouldn’t recommend that you consume any of those girly drinks near as often as they do. Cosmos, Sex on the Beach, Margaritas, Daiquiris all have WAY too much sugar in them to be consumed more than every once in a while (aka when you are on vacation or during a full on cheat day).
However, if you would like to have a glass or two of red wine a couple of times a week, I fully support that.
Red wine is probably one of the best alcohols you could consume. By best I mean, lowest in carbs with a healthy antioxidant punch! With about 3-5 grams of carbs, red wine contains a ton of antioxidants, including resveratrol, a super antioxidant that is touted as being able to combat cancer and reduce signs of aging among other things.
So if you enjoy a glass or two of wine a couple of nights a week, I say why not?
Of course no matter how “healthy” red wine is that doesn’t mean you can binge on it. It still contains carbs and calories that could slow weight loss if that is your ultimate goal.
White wine is also not a bad indulgence occasionally. It doesn’t contain resveratrol and has fewer phenols, but it still packs a healthy amount of antioxidants in for only 3-5 grams of carbs.
Not a wine drinker though? Prefer hard alcohol?
Well if you enjoy Brandy, Scotch, Whiskey or Cognac, especially on the rocks, you can indulge in a glass or two. Zero carbs and a kick of antioxidants. Actually research has even shown that whiskey may contain more ellagic acid, a free radical fighter, than red wine!
Hey, if you can stomach any of these alcohols, I say go for it!
However, Vodka, Gin and Clear Rum do NOT measure up to Brandy, Scotch, Whiskey or Cognac. None have the antioxidant bonus even though they lack carbs.
Not a hard alcohol drinker or a wine-o? Prefer beer?
Well if you like light beer, you can get a nice antioxidant boost with fewer carbs. Light beer actually holds its own against white wine with a nice dose of antioxidants for only around 3-6 grams of carbs. Be careful though, some light beers do have more carbs than that!
Now regular beers and creamy, dark stouts….Sorry about 10-25 grams of carbs for not near the antioxidant punch you get from red wine. In my opinion, not worth it. But hey, if you really love a beer after a hard week, indulge. Just maybe get in a nice workout either earlier that day or the next to make sure you use those carbs.
Beer is definitely more of an indulgence than red wine.
Now my favorite alcohol. Hard Cider.
I LOVE hard cider. I like wine on occasion and of course indulge every once in a while in a daiquiri or margarita. But if I’m going to have a drink, most of the time I’ll have a hard cider.
Is it the best thing I could drink? Definitely not.
While it has an impressive amount of antioxidants, it comes with a cost – about 15 grams of carbs per bottle.
So do I have to make sure to consume it in moderation? Most definitely.
I love it so I refuse to give it up; however, I also keep my consumption to about 1-2 ciders per weekend, if even that often.
So after all of this rambling, my point is, consume in moderation and try to be aware of what you are consuming. If you love beer, you don’t have to give it up. Just know that you are consuming a decent amount of carbs when you do drink it so you may want to limit how many you have each week.
If you enjoy alcohol, you don’t have to give it up! Alcohol can be a part of your healthy lifestyle!
Here is a great “Sangria” recipe for your Memorial Day weekend BBQ. Definitely not something you want to make too often since it is slightly high in carbs (and contains a diet soda), but boy is it loaded with antioxidants!
Cider Sangria:
Yum!
Ingredients:
1 Hard Cider
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup blood orange vodka
1 can diet pomegranate soda from Trader Joe’s
1/4 cup berries
1 cup mango
4 slices of pineapple
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and let sit a few hours so that all the flavors have time to blend together. Serve chilled over ice! You get 4-6 serving out of this.
Protecting Big Business
Yesterday Ryan showed me an article that began:
The founder of the Organic Pastures business in California is reporting that government health officials have begun tracking down the names and addresses of natural-foods customers and showing up at their homes, demanding to confiscate any raw milk they might have.
Government officials have actually gone to people’s houses requesting people turn over the raw milk in their refrigerators.
NaturalNews quoted from one of McAfee’s reports:
“I received a phone call yesterday morning from a wonderful young gal, a 36-year-old mom out of LA County. She’s one of our UPS customers that we deliver overnight raw milk to her house. When the CDFA was in here the other day on our recall, they demanded to have all our delivery addresses for overnight UPS delivery. We screwed up and [inadvertently] gave it to them, they got it from one of our secretaries here. The LA County health department started calling her, six or seven times, demanding that she give up her raw milk from her own home to the health department.
She refused, then they showed up at her house and demanded that she give her raw milk to them. She was getting ready to call 911 for the sheriff’s department and have them removed from her front doorstep, and she was threatening to use her camera to take a picture of them and post it on Facebook for harassing her over her raw milk… The investigators left after she told them she was not going to give them the raw milk and to get the hell off her property.
This is what’s going on, it’s like food Nazis, it’s incredible what these people are doing, trying to collect food from people’s houses, that have not made them ill!
Then the San Diego health department called me up and said oh we want a list of all your buyer’s club members, and I said no… and they said we want all their addresses and their names, because we want to go to their homes. I said it ain’t happening, we aren’t going to give it to you.”
Is it just me or does anyone else find this whole story just a bit ridiculous?
Someone is going to come to my house and tell me what food I can and can’t consume!?! I don’t think so! I don’t go into people’s houses and stop them from eating their nasty freezer dinners or McDonalds!
The government is going to stop people from consuming PERFECT NATURAL RAW MILK, but not stop them from eating McDonalds!?! I mean I don’t really think the government has a right to control what we eat in either case.
And on top of that, how can the government put farmers on trial for supplying their communities with fresh, locally grown food!?!
“It is absolutely outrageous that during this time of economic crisis our state government is investigating and sending warning letters to mothers and putting farmers on trial who are helping provide communities with fresh foods. It is my right to contract privately with a farmer for the food of my choice just as it is the right of every American,” said Melinda Olson, a mother and recipient of one of the MDA’s warnings.
So what is going on here? Why is the government so against RAW milk?
The government claims that raw milk isn’t healthy – that you are at a great risk for disease. BUT there have actually been more incidents of disease from pasteurized milk!
Just take a look at this table about why you SHOULD go raw!
So if raw milk really is good for you, why would the government be trying to stop the sale of it?
Maybe because the government is more interested in protecting big business than it is in the health of the consumer!?!
What do you think?
WhoNu? – Healthy cookies my a**!
I was waiting for my laundry to dry and watching some TV when I saw a commercial for WhoNu? nutrition rich cookies.
WHAT!?! Ok so these PROCESSED COOKIES are NUTRITIOUS but my GRASS-FED, FATTY STEAK ISN’T!?!
UHM…I DON’T THINK SO!
Do people actually believe this crap is good for them!?! I mean look at the ingredients! You can’t even pronounce half of them!
What even is CALCIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE!?!
But who cares about the ingredients, right? All that matters are the vitamins and minerals the cookies have!
My only question is, why not just eat the things listed above instead of these cookies? All of the things above don’t have a ton of ingredients that you can’t pronounce!
Also, just look at all the sugar and carbs in these cookies!
All in all these vitamin and mineral enriched foods just aren’t near as good for you as eating the real thing. Just check out this article called “Are vitamin-fortified foods healthier?”. This quote from the article says it all! (And this article is even from the mainstream media!)
In other words, eating a cereal containing a plethora of vitamins does not equate to eating fruits, vegetables, legumes, or lean meats. (Ok so I don’t agree with the LEAN meat part but you get the idea!)
The Difference Between Diet and Lifestyle Part II – No end date
When most people go on a “diet,” they usually want to lose weight or look good at a specific time in their life. Most of the time there is an end date in which they must accomplish this goal. And after this end date, usually people plan on returning to their previous eating habits.
A lifestyle has no end date. Yes, you may have short-term goals – events that you want to look good for. Yes, you may start a lifestyle because you want to lose weight.
But unlike a diet, you aren’t going to go back to your old eating habits once you’ve reached your goal.
Yes, you are going to cheat. Heck cheating will probably even be a part of your lifestyle. BUT you will cheat on your terms and always return back to your healthy lifestyle.
Making a “diet” into a “lifestyle” means that you don’t just give up your healthy eating habits at the first sign of adversity.
It means sometimes not cheating while everyone else is indulging.
A prime example of this is Ryan’s dad who started a version of the Man Bicep diet a little over two months ago.
Ryan’s dad started the diet so he would be healthy and active when his first grandchild is born in August (Congrats Jamie!!!). He has lost over 20lbs and has increased his energy level.
While he would still like to lose more, Ryan’s dad has basically accomplished what he set out to do – he feels better than he has felt in YEARS.
And because this is more than a DIET, because this is a LIFESTYLE, Ryan’s dad has stayed committed even though he could be tempted to eat badly every day!
His co-workers invite him to eat out almost every day. And when he goes out, he could cheat. It would be easier. But he doesn’t. He sticks to his healthy eating habits.
He could cheat every time he has to make food for parties for his children and their friends. He could have cheated the entire time Ryan and I were out in California.
But he didn’t.
He doesn’t cheat at every opportunity because his healthy eating is about MORE than losing weight – it is about being HEALTHIER and FEELING BETTER.
And I’m so proud of Ryan’s dad. Not because he didn’t cheat, but because he truly has created a new, healthy lifestyle for himself.
So now take another look at your eating. Are you eating well with an end date in mind or will you forever stay committed to your healthy lifestyle because it has improved your quality of life?
If your eating hasn’t improved your quality of life, is it really worth continuing or should you start experimenting with other diets?
Is your eating program merely a diet or is it a lifestyle?
P.S. If you’ve emailed me and I haven’t responded, I’M SORRY! I will get to emails this weekend!
The Difference between Diet and Lifestyle – Part I
You’ll run into people who have adopted a new eating/exercise plan who will claim they’ve made a “lifestyle change.”
But have they really?
Because I change my diet and exercise program doesn’t mean I’ve changed my lifestyle. I’ve changed my diet numerous times throughout my life and I’ve even changed my opinions about what is HEALTHY, but I’ve NEVER changed my lifestyle.
My lifestyle has always been one focused on health and activity.
Even on vacations the things I want to do the most revolve around this.
Farmers market – FRESH, LOCAL, ORGANIC
Hiking along the beach looking at the tide pools.
Barefoot is better.
So next time you think about saying you’ve changed your “lifestyle” because you’ve adopted a new diet, take a really good look at whether or not things have truly changed. Have you truly changed your “lifestyle?”
And if you haven’t changed your lifestyle, do you really think you’ll be able to stick to this new healthy diet if the rest of your life doesn’t reflect the same beliefs?
Man Bicep 