Food & Drink
Practical Paleo & Primal – How to Sustainably Eat Better to Look & Feel Better
If you follow my blog, you know that I competed in a Paleo Challenge back in January 2011 with the rest of my CrossFit box. I was pretty darn strict with myself: No sugars of any sort (even honey), no grains at all, and no dairy products of any sort. I was very happy with the results. I lost body fat, gained muscle, have more energy, enjoy clear skin, have no more stomach troubles, and just generally feel great when I eat Paleo. It is pretty amazing. My body definitely became leaner and my muscle definition increased considerably. I even got my six pack back! And my strength kept up pretty well, so I continued to see gains in my weightlifting and improvements in my CrossFit WODs. But, the biggest benefit is how I feel. I always knew that I had issues with dairy and had reduced it considerably in my diet. But now I know that I also have issues with wheat. When I finished the challenge, I had some celebration meals that weekend that included grains and dairy. Ouch. I felt lousy for 2-3 days after that. So, I’m staying Paleo and for the best reason of all: I simply feel great when I eat Paleo and avoid grains, dairy, and sugars. It’s pretty easy to avoid those foods now and I don’t feel like I’m denying myself anything. Because it doesn’t matter how good something tastes, if you feel lousy afterwards.
Numbers Don't Lie – Focus on Performance. Not the Mirror or the Scale
I can’t tell you how many times I hear or read; “I want his/her body!” or “How do I get that body?”. The focus is entirely on their physical appearance and they just want to hear how to achieve that “look“. Well, I have a shocking revelation for you. You don’t get that body by focusing on how you look or how much you weigh. That body is the byproduct of focusing on something else entirely: Your Performance. Take a look at the people below and tell me what they all have in common.
|
|
|
|
|
|
My Body Fat is at 9% Now. CrossFit & Paleo work!
I started testing my body fat % a few months ago, mostly out of curiosity as I finished a Paleo challenge. About 3 months ago or so, I was at 12-13% which is solid. I knew I had a few more “soft spots” that were lingering. I believe that our love handles love us so much that they have a hard time letting go. For us guys, they seem to be the last ones to leave the party. Well, mine are finally going bye-bye.
My Homemade Paleo BBQ Sauce Recipe
I have had a lot of questions about my homemade Paleo BBQ sauce, so let me try to recreate the recipe here. I am a bit of an experimental cook, so I play around with spices and ingredients that strike me in the moment. Feel free to add or remove ingredients and have fun with it yourself!
It's that time of the year! Paleo grilling and oven-roasted veggies
Is there anything better than fresh, high-quality meat simply grilled? I’m so glad that the weather has finally turned nice enough that I can grill more often. I usually add an oven-roasted veggie to the mix too.
How Many Carbs Do You Need if You're a Paleo CrossFitter?
I found this article by Lyle McDonald on Bodyrecomposition.com very interesting: How Many Carbohydrates Do You Need? It’s a question that I have been asking myself a lot, since I have been following the Paleo diet and actively do CrossFit every week. I wish there was an easy answer, but there isn’t. The answer is “It Depends“. It depends on who you are, your activity level, and what you want to accomplish (e.g., weight loss, endurance running, muscle building, etc.).
More Training for Tough Mudder
I’m still ramping up my training for the Tough Mudder event in NorCal this September. I’m wearing my Vibram FiveFingers much more regularly and did another 4 mile trail run in a pair of the KSOs. You may recall that I did buy a pair of the KSO Treks earlier and did a trail run in them as well. The fit was a bit too large. They felt fine for walking around, but my smaller toes kept slipping out of their pockets as I started running harder and climbing. So, I bought a size smaller of the KSOs, which are a bit different (better for water, thinner sole). Now my big toe is a bit cramped. Guess I have weird toes.
Paleo Recipe for Mango Coconut Milk Pudding
I was playing around with some mangos a few days ago and made this Paleo recipe for Mango Coconut Milk Pudding. I love mangos, but they are a pain to peel and slice up due to the pit inside. So this isn’t a super fast recipe, unless you’re much better at dicing than I am (and you probably are). Enjoy!
I Completed the Paleo Challenge!
Well, today was the last day of my Paleo Challenge. So we took photos and measurements in CrossFit this morning. We won’t know who the winners are until next week. But, I wanted to do a quick post and share my after photo. The Paleo diet helped me bring out more definition. I lost about 4 pounds that I just couldn’t seem to gain back, but maybe that’s ok.
Celebrating 2 Years of a Fit and Healthy Lifestyle Change
It was a little over 2 years ago (Jan 2009) that I committed to a lifestyle change. I began making wiser food choices and walking and running again. About 1 year ago, I started P90X and finished it. Then about 6 months ago, I started CrossFit. 7 weeks ago I began the Paleo Challenge. Basically,…
Read More