Time for Another Whole30

Time for Another Whole30

 

This past October, my diet was pretty terrible. And by terrible, I mean I ate wheat, dairy, lots of grains and sugar. When I was eating it, I didn't think too much about it but when I really looked at the whole month, I ate way too much bad stuff. I think this was the first time since January that I let it get out of control. I don't know why it happened this particular month, but it did. October is over and I have a new mindset.

 

Determination.

 

As I begin this journey for the second time this year, I will be monitoring my daily consumption of food and liquid and see how I feel at the end of each day and in the morning when I wake up. If you'd like to start on a great health journey, start it with me today! Check out Whole 9's web page to get started on a Whole30.

 

I'm going to share with you some very helpful information, some gross information and some recipes. Let me know if you have a recipe you'd like to share so I can test it out! It has to be grain free, sugar free, dairy free, processed free.

 

This morning for breakfast I had two scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon and a smoothie that you can find here at my other blog. For lunch, I had taco meat (recipe coming soon), a large salad of romaine lettuce and some tangy salad dressing (recipe coming soon), an apple and some garlic toasted pecans which you can find here at my other blog. I also had an apple pie lara bar because I was pretty hungry before church (thank you time change for screwing up my meal time!), half a cup of coffee (the other half is in the fridge for iced coffee tomorrow) and 12 ounces of water.

I have to drink 70-80 a day to be where I want to be with that quota so I have a lot of work to do today.

My gut is pretty normal right now but I do have some itchy rashes, which I thought for the longest time was eczema, but not I believe it's a side effect of eating wheat. (I've diagnosed myself with celiac.. I've yet to get that medically confirmed). I also have acne on my back and shoulder but I think it's from sleeping in a sports bra so I'm doing my own research with that lovely eyesore, meaning no sports bras unless I'm working out. The acne on my face has cleared up thanks to washing my face with castor oil and olive oil (crazy, right?). My body goal this time is to replace the fat I have with healthy muscle and gain weight. When I work out hard and eat right, I can gain some pretty good looking muscle so I'm hoping it works out this way for me.

As for emotional/mental, I don't have too many up's and down's but I hope to have a lot more energy than I do right now. As I'm typing, all I can think about it finishing up and going to bed for a quick afternoon nap.

And for being in the gym, or working out at my home gym, I plan on 3-4 days per week with no slacking. I'm trying to better myself so why be a slacker?

I hope you join in and keep me posted on your goals. Happy Sunday!

~Angela

The Hangover

The Hangover

 

No, I'm not talking about that hilarious movie. I'm talking about a terrible feeling the next day after eating poorly the night before.

I thought it was silly that people talked about a hangover feeling; "like food could make you feel terrible the next day." Uhm, well excuse me but it happened and it was horrible! I woke up this morning with pain over my right eye, my eyelids were swollen, I had a headache (just a tiny one.. not a real hangover headache), and I woke up weighing 3 pounds heavier than I normally weigh at the end of the day. It was funny weird last night seeing myself on the scale at 139 pounds, because on a "fat" day (pms days) I only get up to about 136 pounds or so. I knew there was going to be trouble this morning for sure! (I know what you're thinking.. and guess what? The only weight I gain is when I eat poorly or when I loose fat and gain muscle, even then it's hard to gain weight. You think it's hard to loose weight? Well guess again, folks.)

 

Okay, here's the back story since I know you're dying to find out how I gained so much weight in one day and ended up in pain the next...

 

It was a dark and stormy night.. we were sitting around the campfire..

 

Sike!

My mom was throwing a cute little party for my kids and my nieces/nephew and some other children. She wanted to make pizza like we did at my sister's birthday party (grilled pizza dough ROCKS!) so she had everything set up where you make your own pizza. There were toppings everywhere and they were delicious. She grilled one side of the pizza then we put our toppings on the grilled side and then we threw it back on the grill to cook it the rest of the way.

 

Aren't these the cutest Frankenstein cups ever? Good job, Mamma!

I had a gluten-free pizza crust at my sister's birthday party a few weeks ago because I hate the adverse reactions I get when I eat wheat, but yesterday was going to be different. Gosh-Darn-It! I was going to eat a big, fat, glutenous piece of pizza.

Well. I ate two pizzas. I also had a cupcake and a slice of cake. Oh, I had a few pieces of candy but this time I didn't go bizerk on it like I did at a wedding a few weeks ago.

 This is my little man, Owen.

Guess what? I'm human. I like bad food sometimes. I like knowing that the paleo way I eat almost 95% of the time makes me feel wonderful and healthy and keeps me well. The days I don't eat paleo, I really enjoy what the paleo lifestyle does for me. This is a crazy analogy but I'm going to do it anyway. It's almost like going to a party, getting wasted and thinking you're having the time of your life and then waking up the next day in the same clothes, reeking of cigarette smoke with the worst hangover of your life. (Not that I've ever experienced that.. my mom reads my blog for crying out loud!)

 

Back to being serious about food for a moment. I truly never thought I'd have such a bad reaction to food. I figured I might have the sniffles or wake up with a stomach ache but never did I think I'd wake up the way I did this morning.

 

If you're tired of waking up and being lethargic all day, or tired of being sick for half the year, or find yourself constantly battling sugar high's and/or low's, maybe it's time you do something with your diet. Maybe it's time to kick yourself in the butt and get off the couch and get some good food coursing through your blood.

 

 My other little guy in action!

Food is a healer and I'm definitely healing myself today.

Don't get me wrong, last night's food was delicious and I have been keeping that meal as a cheat meal this week but I guess my body is moving on whether I like it or not and I have to remember that wheat is not my friend. It never will be my friend again. Reminds me of that dumb song "We, will never ever ever get back together." Thanks Taylor Swift for making another dumb song to get stuck in our heads.

 

So, here's to weighing 134 pounds in the morning, a healthy start to a fitness routine and a week full of healthy food choices!

 

Don't eat this cake.. because it was awesome :)

Hope you liked the photos.. they were from the fun Halloween party my mom put together!

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones but Wheat, Oats and Candy Will Always Hurt Me.

 

I attended a wedding this past Sunday and was so thrilled that my friend of 13+ years was getting married. I was a little sad because we made a pact when we were younger that if by the time we were 30 and we weren't married, we would marry each other. Well, I've been married now for 5.5 years so that pact went out the window a long time ago and I'm madly in love with my man. It was honestly a bittersweet moment to see him marry the girl of his dreams. The wedding was beautiful and so was his bride. I couldn't have been happier for him and I know she'll be treated well. He's a great guy!

Anyways, back up a few days before their engagement photos, he asked me to cut his hair and I was petrified because I didn't want to screw up his haircut! (I'm a licensed hairdresser and mostly work on women's cut/color). The haircut looked great .. then he asked me to cut it a few nights before his wedding. UGH! I thought I'd butcher it up but his woman gave me the thumbs up so it was all good. That night I told her how excited I was to eat all of the food they were going to have and told her I was going to eat a ton of cake. Why? Because I ate 100% faithfully paleo the week working up to it and this was going to be my cheat meal. I was so excited for cake!

 

When it was time to eat, I saw the caterer bring out a huge hunk of meat. Can I get a whoop whoop for some prime rib. It was fantastic! I ate that, a roll, a few meatballs, a mushroom stuffed with sausage and topped with cheese and a lot of other stuff that is definitely not paleo. It's okay because it was my cheat meal and I deserve it, right?

Well, that's what I thought.

Dude! I forgot to mention they had a candy bar with tons of candy.. and yes, I ate a ton of it and brought a bag home for my kid. I know. I'm an idiot!

 

Okay, so after having a wonderful time at their wedding, I came home to a seriously bloated gut and a rumbly tummy. It wasn't long until I had to use "the facilities" to help rid myself of all the wheat/sugar/bad stuff I just consumed. Well, it didn't end that night. I woke up the next morning with a rumbly tummy and had to use "the facilities" again.. I know, I know.. TMI (too much info) but I need you to understand my point!

 

Ahh. My point. My point is that before I started eating healthfully, I never knew I had digestive problems or upset. I really thought it was normal to be gassy and to stink up the bathroom for hours. Gross, right? After starting the paleo lifestyle, I realized that life is so much less stinky if we just ate the right things. Not only do grains, sugar, and dairy upset our stomachs, they also upset our hormones and make us have acne, headaches, and flu-like symptoms.

 

Eat the right things and you'll feel good. Eat the right things and you won't stink it up so badly. Eat the right things and your body will heal itself and will thank you for being good to it. Eat the right things and I guarantee your body won't get as sick as it used to. I'm living proof of that!

 

I don't have any awesome pictures from the wedding but I had a great time watching two people be united as one and I'll always remember their special day!

P.S. DON'T EAT CRAP!
the.end.

~Angela



Schedules. Schedules. Schedules.

Schedules. Schedules. Schedules.

  

Photo Courtesy: Women's Health

 

I find that if I do not have something written down in plain view, I will be a slacker. I won't finish my goal or that looming project. I was listening to a radio station the other day and the host said "I love my planner. I take it with me wherever I go. I love to touch it; write in it; and check off my lists or goals I've taken care of." She went on to say how she hates the digital age and refuses to use her calender on her telephone to sync her and her husband's schedule.

I kind of snickered at this because I teeter on having a physical schedule and a schedule on my telephone because it's so handy. I list all of my medical or work appointments on my phone because it does give me a chance to set up reminders.

In order for me to accomplish daily tasks though, I need a physical schedule or calendar. I have a cleaning schedule listed on my fridge of morning and nightly chores along with a chore of the day (I will be happy to post that if anyone wants an example).

I also will be making a workout/healthy/motivation schedule. Sometimes I go throughout the day only drinking 16oz-20oz of water. My mind is slow and I'm stiff from not fueling my body properly so I set a goal to drink 60oz-80oz of water a day (if not working out .. more if I'm working out). By 8:00am, I need to have finished 20oz of water. By noon, another 20oz and by 4pm, another 20oz-30oz.

I don't really cheat throughout the day because I know if I eat something with wheat in it, my belly will rumble, bloat and cause some pretty stinky stuff!! I have sweets in the house but they're all in my freezer so it's not too readily available to consume. The healthy stuff is in the fridge or on my counter and is quick to grab so if I really need something sweet, I'll go for some grapes or an apple instead. It's all about mind control with me and if I can control what I eat by placing my items in the freezer, so be it.

 

Some people like to schedule cheat meals or cheat snacks. That's awesome if you can schedule something like that. If you can, go for it and write it down. Put it on paper and work hard towards that goal.

 

One other physical reminder I am doing is placing money (or IOU's if I don't have cash/change) into a mason jar (I'm slightly obsessed with mason jars right now). Once I've worked out that day, I will put a certain amount of money into it and when I've reached the end of the month, I can go spend that workout money on whatever I want. I can save it for something big or use it when I want to. Each workout I will put $1.00-$5.00 in the jar depending on how intense the workout was. If it is just a stroll around the block with the toddler, I'll put in $1.00. If it is a heavy lifting day, I'll put $3.00-$4.00 in it. If it's a PR (personal record), I'll put $5.00 and so on.

You make the rules to your money jar collection.

 

You control what you do with your time, money, and health. If you work M-F 8a-5p, try to get up 20 minutes earlier and do a quick 10-15 minute home workout. See how many push-ups you can do in a minute then see how many sit-ups you can do in a minute then move to squats. After your initial 3 minutes or testing, try to match those minutes again until your 15 minutes is up. Then start on the rest of your day. Hey, you'll be more energized today than you thought you would be!

 

Be happy. Be healthy. And most of all, do something good for yourself today. You deserve it!

 

~Angela

Paleo and Holistic Cold Remedy

Paleo and Holistic Cold Remedy

 

"Let food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be food." - Hippocrates

 

My kids have been sick a lot this year with colds and ear infections. I'm not a fan of sickness (but who is?) and hate it when my kids get sick. I hate it even more when two of them are sick.. and I hate it even more if they get sick and then heal and then I get sick. HATE IT!

I was on a quest for finding a holistic and paleo cold remedy and luckily, I had the mixture right inside my pantry. Fresh, local honey and ground cinnamon. I usually find anything I want to make on pinterest. Everyone said it worked so I tried it early this year when the kids got sick. My throat started feeling scratchy and my lower back started to ache - which for me is the ultimate sign of sickness coming on.

I took the specified concoction and I was surprised that it worked. It warded off the cold and I only had a few aches the first day and I was more tired than usual on the second day and by the third day, I felt normal again. No cold! 

 

So, how does honey and cinnamon work to heal you? Well, let's take a look at the two elements.

First, honey is the only food in the world that will not spoil. Did you know that? I didn't until recently and thought, "wow.. those bees sure do know what they're doing!"
Second, honey is an antimicrobial, which means that it kills microorganisms that carry disease. In other words, it will feast on the germs and kill them before they spread into your body.

And how about the cinnamon? What does that do internally?

Cinnamon treats antiviral infections. Research has shown that it is an antiviral remedy which will kill the cold and flu virus internally.

We put the antiviral (cold fighter) and the antimicrobial (germ fighter) together and the most precious sickness fighter you can imagine has been created.

 

I've tried this twice this year and the benefits are amazing. I am proof that this does work and will continue reaching into my pantry instead of a medicine cabinet from now on. If you look for naturally safe solutions, you will find it. Just keep looking and digging and experimenting.

Cold Remedy Ingredients:

Makes 3 servings (take 3 times a day)
1Tbsp local, raw honey
3/4tsp ground cinnamon

 

Directions:

Stir the honey and cinnamon together in a small container and take 1tsp 3x's daily until all cold/flu symptoms are gone.

 

I mixed up several days worth of this mixture and gladly ate all of it.

I am not a medical professional. This is my own assessment and I will not be held for any misuse of this remedy.
 

Please let me know if you try this and how you like the results!

~Angela

Water. How much do you drink?

Water. How much do you drink?

Photo Courtesy here

Click on this link to watch the video concerning water consumption as well as an answer to countering caffeine consumption.

Did you know that our bodies need a lot of water to keep our muscles and joints lubricated? One 8oz. cup a day isn't going to cut it. Let's be real for a moment. If you sit at a desk at your job or are constantly on the computer, do you make the time to drink water? Do you drink a cup of coffee on your drive to work, then realize it's time for lunch and drink a soda or a cup of water and then not drink anything until late that night at dinner? Well, that's what I used to do and I can't believe that I functioned properly.. well, I functioned whether it was properly or not.

When we drink the right amount of water our bodies need, we help to ensure our entire body systems, inside and out, are functioning properly. I love how this website shows exactly what happens when we drink water and what happens when we don't drink enough water.

Some great benefits of drinking water are: detoxification, supplies moisture to the air in our lungs, and the one I like the most is is lubricates our joints.

Some bad things happen when we don't drink enough such as: dehydration, tiredness, headaches and/or migraines, and constipation. Check out that link above to visit the website and check this one out as well. I love this information!

So what happens when I don't drink enough water? I'm cranky, my head hurts, I'm hungry, I'm tired. Everything is more exaggerated when we don't feel well and most of our problems could be avoided if we simply drank enough water during the day.

"I don't like the taste of water" is what you'll tell me if you don't drink enough water... or... "It makes me pee too much." Well, DUH it's going to make you pee. Hey, that means your urinary system is working properly. Know how to rid the "yuckiness" of water? Squeeze a lime or a lemon in it.

DRINK. WATER.

"Well, how much do I drink?" is your next question, isn't it? If you're inactive (meaning not doing any exercise that day), you should drink half your body weight in ounces. So, if you're 150lbs., you should drink 75oz. of water a day. If you do exercise that day, add another 8-10oz. of water per hour of exercise.

If you're afraid you'll be up all night peeing, drink the majority of your water during the morning hours then have the last 10-20 ounces after lunchtime.

Maybe a goal for you to start with is drinking half your body weight in water daily. Start out by drinking 10-20oz. before eating breakfast then the rest will be easy from there. Personally, I like my water nice and cold but when I exercise, I like it to be room temp.

Try it. It may be hard at first. You may forget to drink enough several days in but just give it a try. Monitor how you feel before you start then monitor how you feel during the day when you are drinking enough water.

Either way, drinking water is by far the best liquid you can consume so just give it a try. You may like it!

~Angela

Ouch!

Ouch!

Today's workout at the box was hard. Going from 3-4 days a week of crossfitting to hardly anything in the past 4 months has taken a toll on my body. When we choose to eat poorly and make no time for exercise, we are destined to muscle fatigue very early on in our workout routine. I'll say that with the humidity and the lack of motivation in the past, today's WOD (Workout Of the Day) was hard. We were tasked with 24" box jumps, 85# deadlifts and hand-release push-ups. It was only a 12-minute WOD but it was hard.

If we want to achieve a certain physic, or mindset, or goal, we must give ourselves enough time to attain it. I remember working out last year and having to do push-ups on the wall because I couldn't do girlie ones and now I can do push-ups on my toes (aka, the male version). I remember not being able to lift 45# overhead a year ago and now I can do 85# on a good day. I remember not being about to do a 65# deadlift and now my PR is 185#.

With goals in place, we can achieve (in our minds) victories. So maybe you should write out your goals. Write out a daily goal of stretching or doing an ab routine or a quick 5 minute arm routine or do a weekly/monthly/yearly goal. Where do you want to be in a week? A month?? A year??? It can be anything from a monetary standpoint, a personal standpoint, a physical standpoint. Making yourself better all around is something we all need to work on.

For this week, my goal is to cook all paleo meals.

For the month of September, my goal will be to have the dishes cleaned/put away at the end of each night and to cook paleo meals. When I have cheat meals, it's usually when we eat out, which is typically once a week.
My second goal for the month of September is to work out at least 20 times.. might sound like a small amount of work outs but this is huge for me since I'm getting back in to it.
For the year.. Well, I'll have to think about that and post back later.

I think setting goals helps us all around in our lives. Personally, it helps me to plan great meals for my family, set a time to work out, set a time for quietness. Without goals, I don't look forward to things. I don't look forward to a cheat meal or a cheat dessert. I don't look forward to putting a big fat line through my goal and saying "I did it!"

I don't know about where you're at in life but I know we can always make ourselves better. I plan on bettering myself and my family this year by being at my best so they can be at their best. Goal-setting may not be 'paleo' ... but it is to me.

Do you have any goals? If so, write them down and share with me! I love hearing about goals and successes.

~Angela

How About It?

I love feeling my best. Waking up early; not hitting the snooze button; having a smile on my face instead of a frown. Life is good when we feel good. Am I right? You know I am.

 

I've been eating paleo since January 2012 when I experienced a Whole30 with my Crossfit box, CrossfitFiveFlags. This new learned eating pattern turned into a habit which you don't ever want to break. The behavior of eating whole foods: green, leafy vegetables; orange, red, purple, blue, yellow veggies and fruits. Eating zero grains. Eating zero sugars, unless is was in a vegetable or fruit already. Eating fats. Hey, guess what? You need fats to keep you going. They last longer than carbs do and keep you fuller longer. Avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, tree nuts - those are all fats that we should be eating at every meal, including snacks. Also incorporating healthy proteins such as eggs and lean meats at every meal.

 

So, the Whole30 that I mentioned earlier is a little bit different than paleo. When you've completed a Whole30 (and I totally recommend doing one before going paleo), you eliminate all the bad foods and drinks you normally consume. Hey, that whole wheat you think is so good for you will bloat your stomach, make you gassy, and could very well give you the sniffles (like having allergies or a cold.) When you transition into paleo eating, you can add back things like honey or maple syrup or dairy. You test each food for a few days and see if you have any negative reactions to it. If not, it may be safe for you to consume. What's 'safe' for you won't necessarily be safe for someone else. For example, I tolerate wheat (although I bloat after consuming it), but my sister's world turns upside down.. meaning, her stomach is heavily affected by wheat.

 

What I consider paleo, you may not because of your intolerance to what I'm tolerant to. I occasionally eat cheese. I occasionally eat a sugar-infested cookie. I occasionally eat a bowl of cereal. But most days, I try to be as paleo or as whole-food-eatin' as possible. This works for me and it may or may not work for you but I encourage you to try this lifestyle.

Everyone that I know who has tried the Whole30 or the paleo lifestyle absolutely loves it. They notice a change in their physique, their mentality, their alertness, their sleep is better, and they overall just feel great.

I staved off a cold this year when my kids were sick with fevers and ear infections by consuming honey and coconut oil. Sounds crazy to some, but to most of us paleo/homeopathic/whole-foods consuming folks.. well, we all know there's healing properties in foods.

Keep coming back to this blog, because I promise you'll learn something new. You'll get tid-bits of knowledge that you may not have thought about before. I also host a blog called Easy Peasy that has a lot of paleo recipes in it so feel free to browse it. I'll be posting paleo recipes here as well.

Are you living a paleo lifestyle? If you are, please let me know why you made that choice. If you aren't, wouldn't you like to start feeling better? Join with me! It's not only an investment in your health, it's an investment in your longevity and future.

I worked out today and I feel great. I did my kettle bell video today. What did you do to get stronger in case the zombies come?

 

~Angela