I don't have time to do a "real" post today, so I decided to share a few links with you. Warning: most of the links have to do with healthy eating. As if you didn't already notice, I can't shut up about this whole Paleo thing. But I have struggled with how to talk about why we eat the way we do. And now I don't have to struggle, because these people say it perfectly!
The Grain Manifesto - Whole 9 blog
My Favorite quote (which actually came from the comments section): "Our dietary recommendations are not intended to replace medical advice, and some may not apply to people with life-threatening illnesses. However, I have fun into very, very few situations where improving your overall health by managing your insulin load and decreasing systemic inflammation does not have a positive, if indirect, effect on other body systems, including those threatened by a disease process."
The Dairy Manifesto - Whole 9 blog
My own thoughts: This one makes me sadder than the no-grains post, because I thought that we Paleo freaks just cut out dairy because most of it is processed. But now I'm finding out that ALL dairy can cause the same problems that grains do. So I guess I'll be dairy-free from now on. It's going to be harder than being grain-free, but I know I'll be better for it in the long run.
The Peanut Manifesto - Whole 9 blog
My own thoughts: This is the last manifesto from their site. I promise. This one is specific to peanuts and peanut butter, but since peanuts are not actually a nut, but a bean, the science can be applied to all beans. Yup, being Paleo means being bean-free.
So now that I'm done telling you what we don't eat, I'm going to show you where you can get delicious recipes for the things we do eat.
Mark's Daily Apple
Mark is the author of The Primal Blueprint. It's the same idea as the Paleo diet. He often posts recipes, and we have tried (and loved) several of them. Here are two to get you started.
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Shepherd's Pie
CavegirlCourt
She is a member of our gym and a Paleo diet lifesaver. She decided to put together a blog just for Paleo recipes, and anyone can contribute.
Mexican Chicken and "Rice" - Art and I tried this one a few days ago. It was amazing!!
On a more serious and non-diet related subject...
AbortionFacts.com - Dr. Willke asks Eric Harrah
My cousin posted this link on Facebook, and I decided to pass it on. This article is an interview with a former abortion doctor. He gets very candid about why abortion clinics do what they do, about some of the unsafe and illegal practices that are far to prevalent in most clinics, and also gives a tip or two on how pro-lifers can make a positive difference.
And those are all the links I have for you today. Again, I'm hoping to upload my pictures from my camera to the computer tomorrow. We'll see when they actually make it on the internet...
March 6, 2010
March 4, 2010
Working Out is Like Going To Church. No, Seriously.
Well hello! Look who finally decided to post! (That would be me, in case you weren't sure).
Have I mentioned how busy I am? And I don't even have that much going on. I used to think "busy" meant "trying to cram too many things into my life all at once". And I used to judge people who said they had busy lives. I remember thinking, "why do you feel the need to be involved in everything everywhere so that you are always running around and never relaxing? Cut something out of your life and be okay with it."
Now, I'm the busy one, and I don't even have that much going on. There's really nothing I can cut out. I work, I workout, I make dinner, I do the dishes, and I shower. This leaves me just enough time to check my email, go on Facebook and read updates (I rarely post my own). And then, if I have a few more minutes, I catch up on my blog reading. After that, bedtime.
So I do have time to go on the internet (almost) every day, just not enough time to write a blog post. Not that I have much to post about, considering that I'm STILL going on about I don't have time for blogging.
Let's move on, shall we? So yesterday was the last day of the 45 Day Paleo Challenge. I did alright, I guess. I cheated a few times, and I know I shouldn't be hard on myself, because when I cheated, I cheated pretty small. But come on. My friend went an ENTIRE YEAR without eating junk food. I think I can go 45 days without cheating.
And I was right. When you cheat once, it becomes so much easier to cheat again. And again. Until you've completely reverted to your old eating habits. And I don't want to go back to the way I was eating before.
So I'm going to challenge myself again. Another 45 days. Or maybe 60 days. Or maybe an entire year. And maybe I'll allow myself to cheat, but only one meal, once a week. The longer I go without cheating, the less I want to cheat, because I lose the cravings for those things I used to eat.
I can't wait to raise our kids on a Paleo diet. They won't ever have trouble eating healthy food because they won't be exposed to processed foods and refined sugars. They WILL eat their vegetables, because I know how to make vegetables taste yummy. And I'm glad I know how to do that, because otherwise? I wouldn't eat my vegetables either. Like I said, eating healthy doesn't have to be bland or gross.
Moving on. I'm really enjoying going to the gym. I didn't think going to the gym and working out could be this enjoyable. I've become used to people saying how hard it is to go to the gym. They talk about how boring it is, or maybe that it's intimidating. Or they don't have a friend to go with them.
I would encourage those people to join a CrossFit gym, if there is one in their area. We work out as a class. Everyone doing the same workout, at the same time. Every workout can be scaled to each person's ability. Every person is working as hard as they possibly can. And there is always a coach there to correct our form, but more importantly, they encourage us to keep going. Every person at the gym is so encouraging, because they know how hard you are working. They are working just as hard. So it's not intimidating at all.
It makes me want to push myself. I'm addicted to being challenged. More accurately, I'm addicted to the feeling that I get when I overcame every challenge. It's exciting. I can see where I'm improving, and it only inspires me to work harder, because I want to improve more!
It's not about showing off. It's not about being the beefiest dude there. It's about becoming more fit and more healthy. The gym is such a positive place. No matter what kind of day I've had, I can go there and workout and connect with the people there, and it makes my day better.
Gosh, the more I think about it, the more I realize it's like church! A community of people who all want to improve and grow. Some have been going for years, some are just starting out. You rejoice with others when you see them taking new steps. You suffer with them and encourage them on when things get tough. You care about what's going on in each other's lives.
You look up to and try to learn from those who are more disciplined. And everyone is completely understanding when someone falls. If someone is hurt, everyone does what they can to make sure that person heals.
Okay, so I didn't mention God. But the gym is far from Godless. The owner is a christian. There are at least 10 people there who also go to the same church we do. There is an ex-marine-turned-pastor who attends the same class I do. And there are plenty of opportunities to be a light.
Wow. I don't know that I intended for this post to go this direction, but I'm glad I finally go to blog again. I finally used my new camera and took some pictures a while ago. So maybe I'll get a chance to post them this weekend. Or at least upload them onto the computer.
Well, I'm off to shower, and then bed. Have a great Friday! (And weekend!)
Have I mentioned how busy I am? And I don't even have that much going on. I used to think "busy" meant "trying to cram too many things into my life all at once". And I used to judge people who said they had busy lives. I remember thinking, "why do you feel the need to be involved in everything everywhere so that you are always running around and never relaxing? Cut something out of your life and be okay with it."
Now, I'm the busy one, and I don't even have that much going on. There's really nothing I can cut out. I work, I workout, I make dinner, I do the dishes, and I shower. This leaves me just enough time to check my email, go on Facebook and read updates (I rarely post my own). And then, if I have a few more minutes, I catch up on my blog reading. After that, bedtime.
So I do have time to go on the internet (almost) every day, just not enough time to write a blog post. Not that I have much to post about, considering that I'm STILL going on about I don't have time for blogging.
Let's move on, shall we? So yesterday was the last day of the 45 Day Paleo Challenge. I did alright, I guess. I cheated a few times, and I know I shouldn't be hard on myself, because when I cheated, I cheated pretty small. But come on. My friend went an ENTIRE YEAR without eating junk food. I think I can go 45 days without cheating.
And I was right. When you cheat once, it becomes so much easier to cheat again. And again. Until you've completely reverted to your old eating habits. And I don't want to go back to the way I was eating before.
So I'm going to challenge myself again. Another 45 days. Or maybe 60 days. Or maybe an entire year. And maybe I'll allow myself to cheat, but only one meal, once a week. The longer I go without cheating, the less I want to cheat, because I lose the cravings for those things I used to eat.
I can't wait to raise our kids on a Paleo diet. They won't ever have trouble eating healthy food because they won't be exposed to processed foods and refined sugars. They WILL eat their vegetables, because I know how to make vegetables taste yummy. And I'm glad I know how to do that, because otherwise? I wouldn't eat my vegetables either. Like I said, eating healthy doesn't have to be bland or gross.
Moving on. I'm really enjoying going to the gym. I didn't think going to the gym and working out could be this enjoyable. I've become used to people saying how hard it is to go to the gym. They talk about how boring it is, or maybe that it's intimidating. Or they don't have a friend to go with them.
I would encourage those people to join a CrossFit gym, if there is one in their area. We work out as a class. Everyone doing the same workout, at the same time. Every workout can be scaled to each person's ability. Every person is working as hard as they possibly can. And there is always a coach there to correct our form, but more importantly, they encourage us to keep going. Every person at the gym is so encouraging, because they know how hard you are working. They are working just as hard. So it's not intimidating at all.
It makes me want to push myself. I'm addicted to being challenged. More accurately, I'm addicted to the feeling that I get when I overcame every challenge. It's exciting. I can see where I'm improving, and it only inspires me to work harder, because I want to improve more!
It's not about showing off. It's not about being the beefiest dude there. It's about becoming more fit and more healthy. The gym is such a positive place. No matter what kind of day I've had, I can go there and workout and connect with the people there, and it makes my day better.
Gosh, the more I think about it, the more I realize it's like church! A community of people who all want to improve and grow. Some have been going for years, some are just starting out. You rejoice with others when you see them taking new steps. You suffer with them and encourage them on when things get tough. You care about what's going on in each other's lives.
You look up to and try to learn from those who are more disciplined. And everyone is completely understanding when someone falls. If someone is hurt, everyone does what they can to make sure that person heals.
Okay, so I didn't mention God. But the gym is far from Godless. The owner is a christian. There are at least 10 people there who also go to the same church we do. There is an ex-marine-turned-pastor who attends the same class I do. And there are plenty of opportunities to be a light.
Wow. I don't know that I intended for this post to go this direction, but I'm glad I finally go to blog again. I finally used my new camera and took some pictures a while ago. So maybe I'll get a chance to post them this weekend. Or at least upload them onto the computer.
Well, I'm off to shower, and then bed. Have a great Friday! (And weekend!)
February 13, 2010
Hooray For Health!
**Warning: This post contains some discussion about how a healthy lifestyle has improved my menstrual cycle. If you would rather not read those details, feel free to move on from here.**
Art and I are 31 days into our 45-day healthy eating challenge that we are doing with the gym. That also means that I have been an official CrossFitter for 31 days. And I am loving it.
To recap, Art and I follow the Paleo diet, and we workout at a CrossFit gym. I was a little nervous about working out because it seems so tough (which it is) but everyone at the gym is so encouraging, all the workouts are scalable to your own level of ability, and it feels so good to do something tough that I didn't think I could do.
The diet was tough for the first couple of weeks. I was craving EVERYTHING. But now? I don't crave all that bad food anymore. No, seriously. I don't even want all that sweet, unhealthy food that I used to eat.
I will admit, I cheated at a Super Bowl party. I had two small cookies, and a brownie, and I felt like CRAP. I felt so gross and full and.....gross! It was not worth it, and it only served to solidify my decision to eat this way. I love how great I feel all the time. I have energy all day, my skin doesn't break out anymore, and here's the part where I talk about my period.
When I got my period this month, I had No. Cramps. Since my very first period I had cramps and bloating and that I-feel-so-gross-because-it's-the-first-day-of-my-period feeling. Now? No cramps, no bloating, no gross feeling, no moodiness or PMS of any kind. I also had a shorter, lighter period. We're talking 7 days to barely 4 days. I can hardly believe it! I'm so excited about this awesome change, I just want to tell everyone! But this is not the kind of news that you just announce to the world.
So instead I announce it on my blog. What's the difference? I have no idea.
Anyway, I love eating this way, and I am now completely convinced that this is not just a 45-day diet challenge. This is a life change. I'm addicted to it, I'm excited about it, and I want to keep going for the rest of my life.
(Just in case the enthusiasm wasn't coming through. Really excited).
So I haven't blogged in three weeks and I feel so bad, and I've been wanting to write about this, for a while, so now I'm finally (and frantically) spitting it out so I can get to bed (because it's already past our bedtime). Forgive any spelling errors or other things that don't make sense. I hope you are all having an awesome February. Hopefully I won't go nearly a month without blogging next.
:D
Art and I are 31 days into our 45-day healthy eating challenge that we are doing with the gym. That also means that I have been an official CrossFitter for 31 days. And I am loving it.
To recap, Art and I follow the Paleo diet, and we workout at a CrossFit gym. I was a little nervous about working out because it seems so tough (which it is) but everyone at the gym is so encouraging, all the workouts are scalable to your own level of ability, and it feels so good to do something tough that I didn't think I could do.
The diet was tough for the first couple of weeks. I was craving EVERYTHING. But now? I don't crave all that bad food anymore. No, seriously. I don't even want all that sweet, unhealthy food that I used to eat.
I will admit, I cheated at a Super Bowl party. I had two small cookies, and a brownie, and I felt like CRAP. I felt so gross and full and.....gross! It was not worth it, and it only served to solidify my decision to eat this way. I love how great I feel all the time. I have energy all day, my skin doesn't break out anymore, and here's the part where I talk about my period.
When I got my period this month, I had No. Cramps. Since my very first period I had cramps and bloating and that I-feel-so-gross-because-it's-the-first-day-of-my-period feeling. Now? No cramps, no bloating, no gross feeling, no moodiness or PMS of any kind. I also had a shorter, lighter period. We're talking 7 days to barely 4 days. I can hardly believe it! I'm so excited about this awesome change, I just want to tell everyone! But this is not the kind of news that you just announce to the world.
So instead I announce it on my blog. What's the difference? I have no idea.
Anyway, I love eating this way, and I am now completely convinced that this is not just a 45-day diet challenge. This is a life change. I'm addicted to it, I'm excited about it, and I want to keep going for the rest of my life.
(Just in case the enthusiasm wasn't coming through. Really excited).
So I haven't blogged in three weeks and I feel so bad, and I've been wanting to write about this, for a while, so now I'm finally (and frantically) spitting it out so I can get to bed (because it's already past our bedtime). Forgive any spelling errors or other things that don't make sense. I hope you are all having an awesome February. Hopefully I won't go nearly a month without blogging next.
:D
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