I've learned that wellness it made up of many different parts. One of the largest and most influential being our nutrition. Now, I am by no means a registered dietitian, certified nutritionist or holistic nutritionist. But I have learned that in order to obtain optimal results, you must change your eating habits. NO questions asked. It's that simple.
Simple?
Let's break this down.
When you are exercising you are drawing from the energy sources in the body. Many different factors can equate to a great workout... hydration, sleep, proper nutrition, etc. If your body isn't given the best fuel, it won't perform at its peak performance. This goes for everyone. Not just the elite athlete whose college scholarship is riding on this weekends game.
Simple is really the best way to think of it. I once heard,
"If it doesn't grow from the ground or have a parent, don't eat it."
Meaning, if it's got additives, preservatives, coloring or can sit on a shelf and not rot, chances are it shouldn't be in your body.
Now how does this relate to me, you and Paleo? Well, the Paleo lifestyle has been popping up more and more recently. It goes off this same belief system, eat clean.
The Paleo Diet:
"is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, or Stone Age. source
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So after the suggestion of one of my fabulous clients, I decided to try out a few recipes from the book, The Practical Paleo. Here are the three I've decided to try out:
1. Lemon and Artichoke Chicken
2. Bison (or Ground Turkey) & Butternut Squash Cocoa Chili
3. Baked Beets with Fennel
Now off to the store I go!
Have you tried the Paleo diet/lifestyle? If so, what are your thoughts... pros/cons?
-TTT
This book was the topic of discussion in the teachers lounge yesterday! Two women are going to give it a try... I feel like I am way too picky of an eater to try it (I only would eat 1 of the 3 things you listed!! haha) I did think about getting the book just to read and learn more about it. Let me know what you think!!
ReplyDeleteNo way!! So far, it's got a ton of options and dishes. I got the kindle version so I can throw it in my bag for recipes while I'm at the store :)
DeleteI researched Paleo, and while it makes sense and it's easy to create delicious "Paleo" recipes, it's not something I'd do 100%. I just tend to sick with "everything in moderation." It seems to work!
ReplyDeleteI agree! So far everything is pretty easy and quick! We'll see how they taste... :)
DeleteI do crossfit, and Paleo diet is supposed to be the diet that goes along with the crossfit lifestyle!!! I try to stick closely to paleo/eating clean BUT it's very expensive for a college student like me to afford right now!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your paleo recipes, I have that same paleo cookbook, just havent tried it yet!
xoxo
Dani
www.thatfitnesschic.blogspot.com
Hi Dani! I'll definitely let you know how these turn out! My issue is cooking for one I am left with a LOT of leftovers! That's a lot of frozen meals that are the same haha
DeleteI guy I work with does the Paleo lifestyle. He preaches to us about it all the time; how you're supposed to sleep in complete darkness, grains and dairy are bad, blah blah blah. I will say though all of his meals are delicious. I don't know how much meat you're supposed eat with this, but in my opinion it seems like he eats way too much meat and not enough fruits and vegetables. I could never do it, I love pasta and legumes too much haha
ReplyDeleteP.S. love your blog Caroline. I check it everyday
Thanks Charney!! So far I'm seeing this as a 70/30 compromise with other food options. Nothing against it, but it's all how it works with your lifestyle! Hope all is well :)
DeleteLove it! Not sure if you're familiar with Mark Sisson, that's where that food pyramid diagram above is from (his website is MarksDailyApple.com, so much info on there, be sure to check out his About Mark Sisson page, bearing in mind he's 59!!!)...his book The Primal Blueprint is definitely worth a read. It's not exactly paleo but closely related; I find his discussion of carbohydrates particularly fascinating. (That was the one section I found interesting in the 4 Hour Body as well, Ferriss' discussion on "slow-carb"). Sisson also has a pretty great cookbook. Cordain's Paleo Diet for Athletes is interesting, especially for someone that runs marathons, but I think he fails to explain the why behind a lot of the ideas he lays out (mainly because he really created it as a "results based" diet). For that, Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution is the holy grail, getting into the nitty gritty details of why one should avoid grains. Its interesting to see everyone's own take on paleo as everyone's body is different. A lot of top CF athletes keep in dairy. Want to spark a debate? - ask about cashews, lol. Personally I adjust the pyramid above to have a smaller quantity of fruit than nuts, stick with veggies that are low in sugar, and (try to) eat more fish/poultry than meat.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alex! No I didn't know that... looking forward to doing a bit more reading and research behind all of this. And cooking of course :)
DeleteI agree with another commenter that I try to do this (really more clean eating that focusing on mainly fruits/veggies), but it's so expensive. I agree with you completely that if it didn't come from the ground/a plant source, you probably shouldn't eat it. I read the ingredients label of everything I buy and I try to buy organic when it makes sense. I guess you just have to take it one step at a time.
ReplyDeleteYes- I haven't really touched on organic at all. Eating clean is really the bare bones of it! Eat well, train hard and feel GREAT!
DeletePractical Paleo is a GREAT book! You should try the mustard glazed chicken thigh recipe...I'm kind of addicted.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're giving paleo a try! Let me know if you have any questions-- I'd be happy to answer them for you!
Thanks Allison!! Oohh... and I was just looking for something new to make from there this weekend. Maybe I'll get more inspiration from Saturday too :) See you this weekend!
DeleteI've been eating paleo and doing CrossFit since July/August-ish of last year. It really works for me - I've been able to gain muscle and majorly improve my endurance, which was always difficult for me in the past, among other accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part of the paleo diet for me is that I love CHEESE and I love PEANUT BUTTER, both of which are technically forbidden. I still eat those on a pretty regular basis, but try to keep everything else paleo.
You should "like" the Facebook page, "Just Eat Real Food." They post a lot of delicious recipes on there: https://www.facebook.com/JustEatingRealFood
Good luck with your foray into the paleo lifestyle! :-)
-Ann
Hi Ann!
DeleteI LOVE peanut butter, so straight paleo would be very difficult for me! Thanks for the FB suggestion, I'll check it out!
Check out Paleo OMG - she is hilarious, her recipes are delicious and she makes awesome paleo treats :)
ReplyDelete