Paleo Eating
Paleo
Why we eat, what we eat, in a nutshell...or rather in a 'youtube' video.
*Below is an account of a 30 day Paleo challenge (Paleo30) taken up by some members of our gym (the diary account is in reverse order, with day 30 at the top. Scroll to the bottom for the introduction and day 1)
*Paleo Update No: 30
02/06/2010
1
Paleo Update 30...It's finally here, Day 30.
24/7, from the 4th May to the 2nd June 2010 we have all put our health before instant gratification.
How does it feel?
What if, with less than 24hours left someone were to offer you the dreamiest of dreamy chocolate fudge cake...would you eat it?
Of course you wouldn't! Despite doing without 'treats' longer than you've ever have before, your resolve is at it's highest. Remember this feeling for the future because motivation can get you through any challenge.
Talking of challenges...Normally when people set themselves a fitness challenge they take on something like the Great North Run or the Coast 2 Coast Cycle. Whilst they are both very rewarding, having done all 3 events we can assure you that the Paleo30 is by far the hardest, longest and easiest to slip up on. This is borne out by the fact that each year over 50000 people tackle the GNR, whilst thousands more enjoy the C2C.
Not only is Paleo30 the mother of all health endurance challenges, more importantly, it's also got to be the best option for your health. After all, no study has suggested cardiovascular disease (CVD) is higher in those who've not done a half marathon than those that have. Conversely, plenty research points to the link between CVD and not getting to grips with your diet.
Not only should you be justifiably pleased with yourself, tomorrow also brings a unique, perhaps once in a lifetime, opportunity. Due to the body's increased sensitivity you will be able to establish what food groups your body really cannot tolerate.
So whilst you more than deserve to eat everything in sight you might want to get the most out of this experience and introduce one potential allergy at a time.
For instance, if you wake up tomorrow and eat your 'favourist' cereal together with a slice of toast and a yoghurt, and by lunchtime your feeling bloated, sluggish, groggy, have a headache, and feel generally rubbish what will you attribute it to? The gluten in the bread or cereal, the dairy perhaps or the refined sugar?
The point is you won't know what caused the reaction and you'll have desensitised the body in the process!
We don't care how many calories you eat tomorrow, even if you have ice-cream for breakfast, just don't mix n' match different food allergens.
So, try some dairy, wait at least a few hours see how you react to it. You can then decide to rule it out of your life altogether, include it once a month, or maybe even once per week, depending on the level of reaction and your tolerance to it.
Wait a day if possible and then do the same for another known allergy such as gluten. Gluten is everywhere but toast is probably a good place to start.
Amen to that Brother!!!
Paleo Update No: 29
01/06/2010
2
Crikey just another 48hrs...we wont know what to do with ourselves! Out there in the real world, where sausages live, and where chocolate is on first name terms.
Remember guys, if you haven't written it down, it won't happen. Even if it's just scribbled bullet points, you need a written frame-work for going forward. 'Bring it in to the gym for us to help or review if it helps. Set a date in your diary for a review of your success (TIME-FRAME your goal).
Get a pen and the back of a beermat now! Do it!
Paleo Update No: 28
31/05/2010
6,5,4,3...
Hope you guys had great weather and a paleo-friendly Bank Holiday wherever you were!
We had our first Paleo Wedding this weekend...OK we admit, watching people eat cake and drink wine is not much fun, but we can honestly say we had a great time. We met some new friends and the staff were more than obliging with their two 'weird' guests demands!
Top-Tip...just don't mention 'cavemen' when you are eating out, it'll only confuse the matter. Rather you should tell the waiter/waitress that you are gluten & dairy intolerant (after all, isn't everyone!). Once you get over the, "I don't want to make a fuss" trauma, you realise that paleo, being so plain, is a very easy diet to accommodate and people are pleased (not to mention paid) to help!
Granted, it did feel a little strange toasting the bride & groom with water, but if 30 days is good enough for our clients it's good enough for us!
Paleo Update No: 27
27/05/2010
7
OK so you've figured out your nutritional goals following this paleo challenge. You've been very 'specific', and you know you can observe and 'measure' the success or failure of those goals...but just how 'ATTAINABLE' are the goals you've set yourself?
We believe a fairly faithful paleo model is achievable by most people. Indeed, you've all proven this over the last few weeks (some proving a 100% strict paleo plan is workable).
How have you made it 'ATTAINABLE'? Let us count the ways...
Bearing in mind most people find going 24hrs without some junk food (a slice of toast here, a bag of crisps there) intolerable, we think you have shown remarkable fortitude. You have demonstrated, to yourself and everyone else, that it's possible to forgo these things (for the greater good) for a month or more. It means of course that waiting just a few days for those 'treats' at the weekend will seem like childsplay!
In short, you've demonstrated that even the biggest, hardest eating plan doesn't' phase you!
However, going forward, there will be no cut-off, no light at the end of the 30 day tunnel to spur you on.
So, we need a plan that is 'ATTAINABLE', long-term, indefinite in fact. What plan will you thrive on nutritionally and psychologically for the long haul?
If foodstuff outside of paleo is a must, make sure you include them in your plan. If you don't, it'll feel like you're cheating every time you eat something not on your plan.
Perhaps plan another 30 day experiment, this time paleo plus 3 'cheat' items, or 1 'cheat' per week, and see how you function. Measure the effects of those treats and your progress on that plan (how your sleep or your performance in the gym), then make the changes as necessary.
What we need to avoid is slipping back to old habits simply through not having thought about it...(remember eating whilst driving back from the supermarket, or eating whilst waiting for dinner to cook, or plain old eating out of boredom?). Through careful consideration of what 'treats' you will allow yourself, you will be setting yourself up for a long term attainable eating plan.
Paleo Update No: 26
26/05/2010
8
Hopefully you are still working on your nutritional blueprint for the future.
Another top-tip is to make sure your goals are 'MEASURABLE'.
"I will reduce my fruit intake" might be a worthwhile goal, but it is not MEASURABLE. It's vagueness will allow you to consume any amount of fruit in reality.
A much better statement would be, *"I will eat no more than 2 pieces of fruit per day". You've clearly identified an issue and can see instantly if you're sticking to it. Of course there may well be days where you eat 3 or 4 pieces of fruit, but at least you will recognise when you've gone overboard.
Not only will measuring keep you on the right track, achieving these firm goals will spur you on for the following day.
Clearly, this is just an example, and if fruit intake is your major concern you are doing very well with you eating.
Create a statement for you, and ask yourself is it MEASURABLE? Ask yourself, How much? How many? How will I know if I've succeeded?
*In this instance, you would have to be clear with what you regard a 'piece' of fruit to be. You might define one piece as 4 oz (a small apple), in this case a banana would be one and a half pieces. A cup of fruit such as melon might be regarded as a piece.
9
When you finish this paleo challenge in 9 days time, how you choose to eat will be completely in your control and may well determine your long term health.
Having said that, your default position is the way you were eating prior to the 30 day period. So, if we leave it unmanaged there will be an inevitable creep back to this position.
It may help to write down and plan your nutritional blueprint for the future.
When you do form your blueprint make it SPECIFIC: What are you going to do? How are you going to do it? Why is it important to you that you do this now?
The following statements are not necessarily good or bad, but merely examples of how Specific you need to be...
Specific ISN'T
Paleo Update No: 25
24/05/2010
10
It's finally here folks!!! The big 10 countdown...
If you haven't already thought about it, it's time to come up with an exit strategy...you know, like the one we didn't have in Iraq (oooh political!).
Paleo Update No: 24
24/05/2010
Super-quick Salad
Click on the title above for salad the easy way..."Fat is your friend"
The list of health & nutrition 'experts' who don't actually live or look healthy is a long one, so we tend to take advice from those who 'walk the talk' and Mark Sisson ticks this box!
The easy part is throwing the salad together of course, the trick is the prep Mark's done beforehand. All the washing, peeling, chopping that just makes you want to ditch the salad and opt for that unhealthy easy option when you're hungry! Get Organised it'll make the difference!
Notice how big the salad is...highly nutritious but still light on calories. Ramp up the healthy fats...like we said, you have to work really hard to get enough calories on paleo.
*Note: Balsamic vinegar is not part of the 30 day detox phase ('till you figure out what your body can tolerate), but normally a firm favourite for our salad dressings together with olive oil.
Paleo Update No: 23
23/05/2010
10 Weeks of Paleo
I found this account of one individuals journey into paleo eating and thought you might recognise some of the experiences. With an Ivy League (Princeton University) and Oxford education the individual in question is an exceptional athlete and writes in an unbiased fashion.
Paleo Update No: 22
22/05/2010
Saturday Night
Caveman probably didn't do 'take-out' & movies on a Saturday night, but if they did, it would probably have looked like this...
MOVIE: THE FLINSTONES or possibly JURASSIC PARK
MEAL: PALEO PIZZA
25 minutes prep, 30 minutes cook time
-3 tsp olive oil, divided
-1 cup ground almonds or other nuts
-3 Tbs cashew butter (we substitute almond butter)
-1/3 cup egg whites
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-2 cloves minced garlic
-1 chopped red pepper
-1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
-1 large Italian sausage, cut in 1/2" slices (caution, sausage may seem caveman but may well contain nasties such as gluten...if in doubt leave it out...especially for this 30 day 'detox' phase)
-1/2 cup marinara sauce (Marinara sauce is an Italian red sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs (such as basil), and onion)
-1/2 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp fennel seed
Mix ground nuts, cashew butter, and egg whites in a small bowl. Grease a pizza baking sheet or similar with 2 tsp of olive oil, then spread the "dough" mixture over it, making a 1/4" thick crust. Preheat the oven to 250 F. In a skillet, add the remaining olive oil and the sliced sausage. Cook until browned, then remove the sausage to a small bowl. Add the garlic, onions, and red pepper to the skillet. Sauté the veggies lightly, making sure not to let them get too soft.
Cover the dough with the marinara sauce, then add the meat and vegetables, excluding the tomatoes. Add the oregano and fennel seed, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add the halved tomatoes, and serve! Use a large spatula to carefully remove the slices from the pan, as the nutty "dough" won't be as crisp as traditional grain dough. Makes 4 servings.
High Protein Chicken Pizza
This is a quick and convenient way to make pizza, and you won't have to eat any extra meat on the side in order to get in your protein! Here, we'll just use a chicken breast as the crust. After the basic directions, I provide recipes for two old favourites. You can make any style of pizza you like this way, just follow the basic guidelines.
Time: 30 minutes
For the "crust":
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
Pizza sauce:
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
Toppings for the Italian sausage and olive pizza:
• 3 oz Italian sausage (caution, sausage may seem caveman but may well contain nasties such as gluten...if in doubt leave it out...especially for this 30 day 'detox' phase)
• chopped black olives
• chopped mushrooms
• chopped red onions
• 1 Tbsp tahini
Toppings for the Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza:
• 2 oz sliced Canadian bacon
• chopped pineapple
To create the "crust", use a mallet to pound the chicken breasts into flat, thin crusts. This will take a little effort - you might not want to try this right after finishing a gruelling workout of deadlifts and rope climbs! While you are pounding, preheat the oven to broil. Once you have two thin, approximately round "crusts", they are ready to bake.
Spread the olive oil on a baking pan. Brush each side of the chicken with the oil, then place the pan in the oven. Broil for 1 1/2 minutes, then flip the chicken over and broil for 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the oven, and now the pizzas are ready to top. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the pizza sauce. Warm the tomato paste and tomato sauce in a small saucepan. In a separate small skillet, sauté the garlic and onion for 3 minutes, then add them to the tomato mixture. (Basil and oregano would be good additions to the recipe at this point, as well. When I prepared this, we were away from home, and I didn't have access to our spices) Mix to combine well. Simmer on low.
Spread the pizza sauce on the broiled chicken "crusts". Add the toppings of your choice. Place the pizzas back into the oven, baking for around 12-15 minutes. They are then ready to slice and serve.
These two recipes were taken from the excellent "Performance Menu'' a Health & Athletic Performance Journal... which I believe some of the more resourceful among you have found already.
MOVIE SNACK: PALEO TORTILLA CHIPS
Serve with Baba Ganoush or Guacamole and enjoy!
Paleo Update No: 21
20/05/2010
Food Labels
Spotted some interesting food marketing on the back of a food packet the other day...
So powerful is the belief in the power of the grain, that it's listed here as a main food group! Fat and Protein are macro-nutrients, together with Carbohydrates. 'Cereals & Fibre' are not in themselves a major food group (neither are 'vitamins & minerals' for that matter).
More interesting than that, is the fact that this isn't for human consumption but it's Kip's dog food! So convinced of the wholesomeness and healthful properties of wheat and the like that we're giving it to our dogs...nothing to do with it being a lot cheaper than meat... honest!
Not only is the fact that dogs are carnivores common-, the dog-food makers themselves have used it as a separate, yet contradictory, marketing strategy.
Despite statements such as, "Chicken is our No 1 Ingredient" and, "dogs evolved from carnivores and should be fed accordingly" the meat content makes up less than a quarter of the ingredients. The next three ingredients are all grains; 'Maize', 'Wheat', and 'Sorghum'...lets throw some rice in there as well, together with things a biochemist wouldn't recognise!
Why do we feed this to Kip? Well, Kip should be eating daily fresh meat, however that's just not convenient being the urbanites that we are. In actual fact, this is one of the best commercial dog foods on the market, most others have far less meat (the most expensive ingredient).
Wheat, if it's good for your dog....(and it isn't)...it's good for you!
Paleo Update No: 20
20/05/2010
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL CAVEMAN!
Fish and butternut squash-chips...and FIRE!!!
We thought Siobhan had actually moved into a cave but she assures us it's the garden pizza oven!
Paleo Update No: 19
20/05/2010
By request here is that Jamie Oliver meatball recipe with a Paleo twist!
Meatballs
Pound ground beef -Jamie makes a point in the book to say have the butcher grind this in front of you and be sure to get hormone and antibiotic free meat
1-2 Dried chillies
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 Nutmeg, grated
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Large egg - He also points out this should be free range organic
Zest of 1 lemon - I personally think you should use a lot less, maybe a squeeze of lemon?
*Salt and pepper
This is a faithful version of Jamie's dish as the only thing we had to remove was a bit of parmesan cheese.
*As for salt, although strictly not paleo, we largely concur with the view expressed in this blog.
For the tomato sauce
Olive oil
2-3 Cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A Bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped
1 Fresh red chilli, pierced with the tip of a knife - I used a dried for this
2 x 400g Tins of plum tomatoes
*Salt and pepper
Again we stay true to the original recipe, although "a little swig of red wine vinegar" is occluded
Paleo Update No: 18
20/05/2010
More Paleo meals...
Smörgåsbord: Baba ganoush dip, carrots and raw broccoli, chicken breast, spinach and pine nuts.
Michael and Vicky's macaroon recipe
Zataar chicken with roasted vegetables
Paleo Update No: 17
20/05/2010
Things we've learnt from each other on our little Odyssey this week...
Coconut flour contains 38.5% fibre which is the highest percentage of dietary fibre found in any flour (wheat bran is 27% fibre)
As ever guys, you can share any lessons-learnt for the good of the group at 'comments' below.
More stuff we've eaten...
A Paleo-fied Jamie Oliver Tomato Meatball dish...V. Nice!
Dessert...may not look like much but when the fruit is good quality, and you've been steady away on all the sweet stuff this little morsel is a tingle-dream-fest! Indeed, some vegetables become sweet once your taste-buds are retuned.
Paleo Update No: 16
19/05/2010
Tuna Steak (again) with asparagus, mushrooms and peppers (no sauce obviously).
Chilli con Carne with green peppers (no kidney beans or rice obviously). Looks like slop (hence the small photo ;) but it tasted great.
Chicken Paprika (plenty of spices on this diet) served with roasted pine nut salad
Prawns with fresh lime, chilli and garlic served with...you guessed it...salad!
Paleo Update No: 15
18/05/2010
Fruits: A Summary
Eat occasionally, and always with protein! Berries probably most closely assimilate to the forager's diet and you may choose to eat small amounts almost daily. Top-tip: frozen blue berries will keep fresh indefinitely so keep a packet in your freezer at all times for fast easy nutritious carbs!
In order of preference:
Keep it varied. Eat what is in season and local.
Paleo Update No: 14
17/05/2010
There's nothing healthier than fruit right?
Sorry guys, fruit is essentially sugar, albeit with some good stuff such as Vitamin C and fibre thrown in. Take the humble apple for instance; yes it's high in Vitamin c and fibre whilst simultaneously low in saturated fat, or sodium, but a large apple contains approx 22 grams of sugar. Imagine you're in your favourite coffee house. On one side someone is drinking coffee and enjoying a large apple ("How healthy!"), whilst on the other side you watch in disbelief as someone opens 7 sugar sachets and pours it all into their coffee. You guessed it, the sugar in both the apple and coffee are the same!
So if you're experiencing sugar highs/lows and cravings still, fruit may well be the culprit!
This sugar in fruit comes mainly in the form of fructose. Dietary fructose has been linked as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as we were never designed to take in so much fructose. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), found in sweet drinks is the biggest offender, but it would be advisable to limit your fruit intake as well (Be sure to do your own research, but we try to limit it to no more than two 4 oz servings of fruit per day).
Didn't our caveman ancestors live off lots of fruit?
Go for a walk and see what fruit you can forage. Orchards, farms, and people's garden's aside, you just don't find an abundance of fruit out there. Chopwell Woods is an ancient environment, covering hundreds of hectares but I've yet to see even an apple tree there (though we have seen Wild Boars, but that's another story!). Berries are perhaps the one thing you'll reliably find (is it coincidence that berries are amongst the lowest in sugar of all the fruits?).
Even in more exotic locations the story is the same, think about the things Ray Mears digs up when he's left to fend for himself. He's certainly not eating the very sweet fruits the food industry has genetically engineered. I remember, on a survival exercise in Borneo being shown dozens of exotic fruits only to be told that we'd only find this stuff near human clearings (cultivated land). When we were shown what we could eat in the jungle by the native 'Iban' it consisted of surprisingly little, and it all tasted like cabbage!
Our consumption of fructose has gone from less than half a pound per year in 1970 to 56 pounds per year in 2003. Going back only 500 years, before Europeans discovered the New World, and the development of the worldwide sugar industry, fructose in the human diet was limited to a few items. Milk, the main nourishment for infants, has essentially no fructose, and neither do most vegetables and meats, which indicates that human beings had little dietary exposure to fructose before the mass production of sugar.
Although fruits are generally allowed on the paleo diet people who need to lose weight should limit consumption of high sugar fruits. Cordain suggests avoiding juices altogether and limiting dried fruits.
Paleo Update No: 13
12/05/2010
A 3 week paleo study reported in several different sources. I wonder what 4 weeks will achieve!
The Study
Österdahl M, Kocturk T, Koochek A, Wändell PE. Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Nutr 2008; 62:682-685
As Reported in the Press
Eat Like Fred Flinstone Metro
Caveman Diet Best for Weight Loss MarieClaire
Eat Like a Caveman The Telegraph
Caveman Diet The Daily Mail
Was a Caveman's Diet the Secret Express
Note: Newspapers and magazines are trying to sell newspapers and magazines of course so read with a careful eye for detail. Treat this information, in fact any information (including our own) with a healthy dose of cynicism unless you've witnessed the effects first-hand.
Check out the alternative view...
Caveman Fad Diet NHS
Our View
We know what works and what doesn't for our bodies through trial and error and suggest everyone does the same to see what works for you.
There is enough information out there to make your own mind up.
In our opinion the NHS article is more biased than the Newspaper articles! It certainly has an agenda.
Read as much as you can, and after the full 30 days, you will be equipped with the information, the research and the personal experience to make up your own minds.
Paleo Update No: 12
12/05/2010
Eating Like Kings!
Chilli Prawns, Wild-Alaskan-Salmon, Zaatar Chicken, Duck eggs, Tuna Steak...We've been eating like Kings these last 9 days...healthy Kings of course...make that healthy Kings with a sense of moderation!
Breakfast: Poached eggs with steamed asparagus and mushrooms
Michael and Vicky's Paleo Cookies with a twist of raspberries.
Wild Alaskan-Salmon Fish-cakes
Zaatar Chicken legs.
Note some Paleo Gurus advise against eating dark meat such as chicken legs because of the saturated fat content.
Dark beef meat contains about 11 times more zinc than tuna, and about 3 times as much iron than raw spinach. Chicken dark meat contain vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, minerals as selenium, phosphorus and zinc.
Fish and Chips!
Mackerel fillets with spiced butternut squash wedges
Paleo Update No: 11
11/05/2010
Some of what we've been eating these last 7 days...hope it helps!
Laura's Breakfast on the fly...
We always try to tick the three boxes of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fats.
Salmon, Toms and Almonds
Tuna Salad
We drink more fruit teas than you can shake a caveman's club at! Monkey-Mug optional!
Home-made Baba Ganoush dip with carrots and cucumber
Chilli Prawns with Lime
Berry Nice Breakfast!
Tuna Steaks Yum!
Paleo Update No: 10
11/05/2010
More Cave-man Grub
This time courtesy of Siobhan.
Notice Siobhan cleverly substitutes the non paleo soy sauce and fish sauce, for lime and water. Now we're cooking!
Paleo Update No: 9
10/05/2010
Team-Paleo
Paleo Update No: 8
09/05/2010
Paleo-friendly
A lot of you have been asking what is, and isn't, allowed on this eating plan. Keep those questions coming but, here's some simple questions we ask ourselves when we come across a food we're unsure about.
If it's specifics you're after, check out the following Do's and Don't suggested by Laura Dolson (April 26, 2010).
Paleo Update No: 7
08/05/2010
Michael and Vicky have kindly squared us away with a recipe for paleo cookies which I've pulled from the comments below because everyone loves COOKIES!!!
Cookie Recipe
-------------
2 Cups walnuts
1/8 cup raw, unfiltered honey (more or less to taste)
1 Tb. cinnamon
2 egg whites, whisked till frothy
Grind nuts and cinnamon in blender or food processor. Stir in honey. Combine with egg whites. Drop by teaspoon on oiled cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Cookies will be soft; do not over-bake. Makes 18 cookies.
Hints and tips - 1/8 cup of honey is approx 50ml and cooking temp, 160 for fan assisted and 180 for gas oven or gas mark 4. ENJOY, Michael and Vicky!
We've been shown how it's done by Michael and Vicky so we thought us coaches had better represent!
Turkey Burgers with Spicy Butternut Squash
For the Squash
20 minutes
·1/2 kg Butternut Squash
· 1 Tbsp olive oil
· 1/2 tsp coriander
· 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (not quite the same but we used chilipowder)
· 1/4 tsp fennel seed
· 1/4 tsp dried oregano
· 1/4 tsp black pepper
Cut the butternut squash into eighths lengthwise, then cut each wedge crosswise in half. Put the oil and seasoning into a zip lock bag, add the potato wedges and close the bag. Mix until the wedges are coated with oil and spices, then empty the wedges onto a roasting pan. Bake between 15 to 20 minutes at 325 degrees, turning the wedges once or twice.
For the Burgers
450g/1lbs Good quality coarse minced turkey (or beef, but preferably from grassfed cattle)
1-2 Dried Chillies
A pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 a nutmeg, grated
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 large free range/organic egg
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Throw all ingredients into a bowl, mix together with hands, and roll into patties. Makes 6 small or 4 large burgers. Place on baking tray in preheated oven (325 degrees for about 20 minutes, turn if necessary). ENJOY!
Paleo Update No: 6
07/05/2010
Stop Press! Time for one last update...Who said curry was off the agenda this weekend?
Courtesy of Vicky and Michael, we bring you... Chicken Curry with Cauliflower 'rice'
I think we'll try this one ourselves, Cheers Guys!
Paleo Update No: 5
07/05/2010
Not really an update, but just wanted to point out that it's worth scrolling to the bottom of this page for people's 'comments'. Siobhan has a recipe for a tasty paleo dish you might want to use. Be sure to let us know if you do try it, and feel free to post your own recipes.
Good luck over the weekend and stay strong!
Paleo Update No: 4
07/05/2010
Having had 3 full days eating paleo, and knowing what's involved (as opposed to just reading what's involved) with this eating plan, now might be a good opportunity to take stock.
We're sure you have many more searching questions besides these few, and it's important that you take the time to answer them.
It's easy for us to offer information based on our own years of hard-won experience, practising alternate diets and observing the standard western diet in others, but that's all it is; information. You have the hard job of analysing clearly that information, carrying out your own research, and finally processing your own decisions.
We know that you guys take your own health seriously (you wouldn't be reading this otherwise), and that you take full responsibility for whatever decisions you make regarding your own health care. Remember we are all 'an experiment of one', and what works for us, isn't necessarily the plan for you.
Paleo Update No: 3
06/05/2010
"It's day 3 in the Big Brother Cave and some of the cavemen and women are having trouble sleeping" (said in exaggerated Geordie accent).
Sleep deprivation is not part of the caveman routine! In fact, an inclination towards laziness would have been an excellent disposition to have when your day was filled with hunting, gathering, staying warm and just generally trying not to be killed.
If your lack of sleep is due to anxieties about this new way of eating or possible fear of failure (not making 30 days), then all we can say is you've already succeeded. You were successful when you recognised that your current diet was unhealthy, and even better you committed to making a change. Guess what, 24hrs eating this way is a day more than you've ever achieved before.
Every day going forward from now is a bonus. This isn't my 'tree-hugging', touchy-feely side coming out, "we're all winners yeah!", rather a more pragmatic notion. If we 'fall off the wagon' on day 2 ( or day 6,10, 14, 22 or whenever) we record the day we got to, try and establish what we would do differently, and next time aim for one day or two days beyond that. Just like exercise those 10 consecutive pushups, must start with being able to do 1 and then 2 etc.
Either way, don't obsess about whether you are getting enough
of this or enough of that. Just avoid the bad, focus on the good and
it should take care of itself. You instinctively know when you are
overeating, so try not do do it too often.
Take solace in the fact that you are doing yourself a lot of good in the process - this is a very healthy way to live: the weight loss is an incidental by-product.
Here's some photos of our intake over the last 3 days...
Chinese Pear
Chicken curry
Chicken stir-fry
Salmon salad
Pepper, and chilli omelette
Paleo Update No: 2
04/05/2010
'P-Day' has arrived. How's everyone got on?
Don't be frightened to ask questions. If you're thinking it, there's probably someone else wondering about the same thing in these early days. Here's a few questions we've had already. They mainly involve 'allowed' and 'not allowed' quezzies!
Paleo Update No: 1
As 'D-day' approaches (or should that be 'P-Day') I'm sure we're all pondering the best strategy for success over the next 30 days.
One wise step, suggested by Michael & Vicky, would be to empty those cupboards of all those usual suspects...you know the ones that'll be calling your name in your weakest moments! In a bid to encourage the group they sent me this photo of the big clear-out!
Success will boil down to successful practical strategies like this one (Courtesy Michael & Vicky)
Personally I'm stocking up on herbal and fruit-infusions (otherwise known as herbal tea but strictly speaking herbal tea has caffeine), and burying this teapot and coffee maker in the cupboard, as I am giving up caffeine for the 30 days as well...gulp
.
If you see me shaking in the corner of the gym over the next week you'll know why!
Other top tips people have suggested so far...
So, don't be shy guys, let us hear your secrets for success!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Paleo, short for paleolithic, refers to a period before agriculture, about 2.5 million years ago, and heralded the arrival of modern humans around 200 000 years ago. As agriculture has only been around some 12 000 years, this 'stone-age' period is a much more substantive and formative time in mankind's evolution.
Dr Mike Stroud in his book 'Survival of the Fittest' explains how; although our intellect advanced at a fast rate once we became upright and made use of tools, genetic mutations are infrequent and considerably slower. Jared Diamond makes the point that genetically, humans and chimps are closer to each other than chimps are to gorillas. Indeed he calls us "the third chimpanzee" in his book of that name 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee', because 98.4% of our DNA is identical to that of the chimp.
In summary, we are indistinct from our ancient ancestors, and to a large degree very similar to chimpanzees, yet our diet and lifestyle couldn't be more different. With this in mind it is no wonder that we have so many modern health issues.
So why did our diet change? This is a worthwhile question, but beyond the scope of this short article. For an excellent précis of how and why we eat what we eat, may we recommend Michael Pollan's insightful 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'.
This is the rationale behind paleo eating. It makes perfect sense to us, but seems to be considered somewhat 'extreme' by most. So let's take a look at what is considered 'Normal'?
Normal is...
Take a look outside and 'normal' is also being overweight, unhealthy and generally lethargic.
If you want to opt out of 'normal', then read on...
The Paleo Approach
Cut out all the foods that could be destroying your health without you even knowing it for the next 30 days. This is NOT a "30 Day Challenge". This is the start of a new way of eating, thinking, feeling and living.
First and foremost, this will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, your habits and your cravings. It may even change the emotional relationship you have with food and with your body. This has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life.
The only way you are going to know if something is having a negative effect on how you look, feel and perform, is to eliminate it from your diet for a while, then introduce it again with a fresh perspective.
Let's take the example of pollen. If you are exposed to pollen everyday, everyday your nose is a little stuffy and your head a little achy. You probably don't even realise of how rubbish you feel, because a stuffy nose and an achy head is just 'normal'. Now take a holiday somewhere pollen-free. Allow your body to experience a month without that irritant. Then come home. Imagine how aware your would then be of your allergy. In your first few days back, you would be miserably in tune with how your allergy is affecting your everyday life.
The same concept applies here; dairy, gluten, grains, and alkaloids may be provoking a similar response in your body without you even realising it. Eliminate these food groups from your diet, give your body a break, then if you choose to do so, come back to them with a new perspective. You will be able to see immediately if and how these foods really impact on how you look, fell and perform.
There are additional reasons for doing a strict 30 day healthy eating programme. For one, (and perhaps the singular most common reason we even contemplate a change of eating habits) there is an excellent change that eliminating these foods will kick start fat loss and change body shape. Does your stomach look flat in the morning and chubby by the end of the day? Try cutting dairy. You'd be surprised how an irritated digestive tract can manifest into a 'muffin top' over those low waist jeans in just a matter of hours.
What?
So what exactly does 'strict' mean? There are different versions of Paleo eating out there, but this is what we follow;
So now that you have the basic plan, how do you implement it?
We are starting a 30 day 'Go Paleo' on the 4th of May. To set yourself up for success, go to your supermarket and stock up an all the things you can eat. This is not a restrictive 'diet', in fact you're going to have to work pretty hard to eat enough calories, so ensure that you have plenty of fresh foods freely available.
This isn't just a harsh approach. This is a fact. The only way this will work is if you give it the full 30 days, no cheating. What's 30 days out of your life?
Where?
Sign up with us and pop in to the gym or access us online as often as you need. We ask that you register on the website to post your progress, your results, share your experiences and ask questions. Tell us, and the rest of the community, how good you feel, how much energy you have and have great you look. Inspire each other.
The Tough Love Bit!
So there you have it. This is important. We want it to change your life. To help you with meal choices, we will be posting photos of what we eat every day for the full 30 days.
Please post comments and questions on the website so we can answer them for everyone.
Take charge of your health and do this for you.
Why we eat, what we eat, in a nutshell...or rather in a 'youtube' video.
*Below is an account of a 30 day Paleo challenge (Paleo30) taken up by some members of our gym (the diary account is in reverse order, with day 30 at the top. Scroll to the bottom for the introduction and day 1)
*Paleo Update No: 30
02/06/2010
1
Paleo Update 30...It's finally here, Day 30.
24/7, from the 4th May to the 2nd June 2010 we have all put our health before instant gratification.
How does it feel?
What if, with less than 24hours left someone were to offer you the dreamiest of dreamy chocolate fudge cake...would you eat it?
Of course you wouldn't! Despite doing without 'treats' longer than you've ever have before, your resolve is at it's highest. Remember this feeling for the future because motivation can get you through any challenge.
Talking of challenges...Normally when people set themselves a fitness challenge they take on something like the Great North Run or the Coast 2 Coast Cycle. Whilst they are both very rewarding, having done all 3 events we can assure you that the Paleo30 is by far the hardest, longest and easiest to slip up on. This is borne out by the fact that each year over 50000 people tackle the GNR, whilst thousands more enjoy the C2C.
Not only is Paleo30 the mother of all health endurance challenges, more importantly, it's also got to be the best option for your health. After all, no study has suggested cardiovascular disease (CVD) is higher in those who've not done a half marathon than those that have. Conversely, plenty research points to the link between CVD and not getting to grips with your diet.
Not only should you be justifiably pleased with yourself, tomorrow also brings a unique, perhaps once in a lifetime, opportunity. Due to the body's increased sensitivity you will be able to establish what food groups your body really cannot tolerate.
So whilst you more than deserve to eat everything in sight you might want to get the most out of this experience and introduce one potential allergy at a time.
For instance, if you wake up tomorrow and eat your 'favourist' cereal together with a slice of toast and a yoghurt, and by lunchtime your feeling bloated, sluggish, groggy, have a headache, and feel generally rubbish what will you attribute it to? The gluten in the bread or cereal, the dairy perhaps or the refined sugar?
The point is you won't know what caused the reaction and you'll have desensitised the body in the process!
We don't care how many calories you eat tomorrow, even if you have ice-cream for breakfast, just don't mix n' match different food allergens.
Top-Tip: Ben & Jerry's ice-creams are gluten free (except the obvious ones with cookies etc.), gluten ingredients will be clearly identified on the label by the words "wheat flour" or "flour."
So, try some dairy, wait at least a few hours see how you react to it. You can then decide to rule it out of your life altogether, include it once a month, or maybe even once per week, depending on the level of reaction and your tolerance to it.
Wait a day if possible and then do the same for another known allergy such as gluten. Gluten is everywhere but toast is probably a good place to start.
By the way, hate to break this to people what with the World Cup about to start but, beer contains gluten. Do your homework and you can find gluten-free beer though.If you can do this, and rule out of your diet what you body fights against, then this Paleo30 might just be the most significant single best thing you've done for your health...ever!
Amen to that Brother!!!
Paleo Update No: 29
01/06/2010
2
Crikey just another 48hrs...we wont know what to do with ourselves! Out there in the real world, where sausages live, and where chocolate is on first name terms.
Remember guys, if you haven't written it down, it won't happen. Even if it's just scribbled bullet points, you need a written frame-work for going forward. 'Bring it in to the gym for us to help or review if it helps. Set a date in your diary for a review of your success (TIME-FRAME your goal).
Get a pen and the back of a beermat now! Do it!
Paleo Update No: 28
31/05/2010
6,5,4,3...
Hope you guys had great weather and a paleo-friendly Bank Holiday wherever you were!
We had our first Paleo Wedding this weekend...OK we admit, watching people eat cake and drink wine is not much fun, but we can honestly say we had a great time. We met some new friends and the staff were more than obliging with their two 'weird' guests demands!
Top-Tip...just don't mention 'cavemen' when you are eating out, it'll only confuse the matter. Rather you should tell the waiter/waitress that you are gluten & dairy intolerant (after all, isn't everyone!). Once you get over the, "I don't want to make a fuss" trauma, you realise that paleo, being so plain, is a very easy diet to accommodate and people are pleased (not to mention paid) to help!
Granted, it did feel a little strange toasting the bride & groom with water, but if 30 days is good enough for our clients it's good enough for us!
"It is important that you give this the full 30 days. Any less and you are selling yourself and the results short. You may start to see and feel improvements within just a few days, but the healing process takes significantly longer. Just one 'slip' could irritate your digestive tract and promote an inflammatory response and upend your insulin sensitivity. It will ruin the 'reset' button you are trying to push."
So, back to our nutritional blueprint. Soon it will be 3,2,1 GO! and the real work begins on your new lifelong programme. Time to take a last look at your blueprint and ask yourself, "Is this really REALISTIC?"
Being realistic, does not mean a goal needs to be easy. An exceedingly difficult goal can be realistic providing the right level of motivation is there. In fact, a high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one, because a low goal exerts a much lower motivational force.
To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you
are both willing and able to work. You've already proven that you are able to make this diet work, so ask yourself how willing am I to do this for the long haul? (Remember we're not talking about strict paleo here, we are talking about your plan).
The sad fact is, most people wait to get sick before they decide they are willing enough to radically change their diet.
People are motivated by weight-loss in the short term, but if weight-loss was a strong motivator in itself, we'd all be slim
already. 'Looking good', may provide a very high motivational force, but only if 'looking good', pays the bills. If you had a million pound photo-shoot coming up then you'd be pretty motivated!... 'not eating cake' is a profession for some.
Realistically though, the health implications of not watching what we eat should be enough to motivate anyone. Here come the scary stats to motivate you...
*Coronary heart disease (Cardiovascular Disease or CVD) is the leading cause of death in men and women worldwide. It's worth re-reading that sentence. Even if we combined all deaths from all cancers, cardiovascular deaths would come out on top. Far from just a male problem, CVD is women's main killer (despite polls telling us their biggest fear is breast cancer). In the UK and Europe, one woman dies every six minutes of heart disease. In fact, in Europe, cardiovascular disease kills a higher percentage of women (55%) than men (43%).*
These statistics may sound more demoralising than motivating, but remember the major CVD risk
factors are completely under our control.
'Llifestyle' choices such as diet, exercise, and smoking are all major
contributors to CVD. The key word here being 'Choice', so, choose your choices carefully!
*British Medical Journal (BMJ) 2005;331:467-468 (3 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7515.467
Paleo Update No: 27
27/05/2010
7
OK so you've figured out your nutritional goals following this paleo challenge. You've been very 'specific', and you know you can observe and 'measure' the success or failure of those goals...but just how 'ATTAINABLE' are the goals you've set yourself?
We believe a fairly faithful paleo model is achievable by most people. Indeed, you've all proven this over the last few weeks (some proving a 100% strict paleo plan is workable).
How have you made it 'ATTAINABLE'? Let us count the ways...
- Attitude: You've mustered the attitude to cope with a very prescribed eating plan.
- Skills: You've developed abilities and skills to cope with cravings and maintain motivation for extended periods of time.
- Real Food: Eating plenty of food that the body recognises, keeps you fuelled up.
Bearing in mind most people find going 24hrs without some junk food (a slice of toast here, a bag of crisps there) intolerable, we think you have shown remarkable fortitude. You have demonstrated, to yourself and everyone else, that it's possible to forgo these things (for the greater good) for a month or more. It means of course that waiting just a few days for those 'treats' at the weekend will seem like childsplay!
In short, you've demonstrated that even the biggest, hardest eating plan doesn't' phase you!
However, going forward, there will be no cut-off, no light at the end of the 30 day tunnel to spur you on.
So, we need a plan that is 'ATTAINABLE', long-term, indefinite in fact. What plan will you thrive on nutritionally and psychologically for the long haul?
If foodstuff outside of paleo is a must, make sure you include them in your plan. If you don't, it'll feel like you're cheating every time you eat something not on your plan.
Perhaps plan another 30 day experiment, this time paleo plus 3 'cheat' items, or 1 'cheat' per week, and see how you function. Measure the effects of those treats and your progress on that plan (how your sleep or your performance in the gym), then make the changes as necessary.
What we need to avoid is slipping back to old habits simply through not having thought about it...(remember eating whilst driving back from the supermarket, or eating whilst waiting for dinner to cook, or plain old eating out of boredom?). Through careful consideration of what 'treats' you will allow yourself, you will be setting yourself up for a long term attainable eating plan.
Paleo Update No: 26
26/05/2010
8
Hopefully you are still working on your nutritional blueprint for the future.
Another top-tip is to make sure your goals are 'MEASURABLE'.
"I will reduce my fruit intake" might be a worthwhile goal, but it is not MEASURABLE. It's vagueness will allow you to consume any amount of fruit in reality.
A much better statement would be, *"I will eat no more than 2 pieces of fruit per day". You've clearly identified an issue and can see instantly if you're sticking to it. Of course there may well be days where you eat 3 or 4 pieces of fruit, but at least you will recognise when you've gone overboard.
Not only will measuring keep you on the right track, achieving these firm goals will spur you on for the following day.
"Have I eaten no more than 2 pieces of fruit today?
"Yes I have...well done me!".
As opposed to;
"Have I eaten less fruit today?
Less than who? Less than yesterday, or last week, less than I'm supposed to?...how many pieces am I supposed to eat anyhow!? Sod it, give me the damn banana!
Clearly, this is just an example, and if fruit intake is your major concern you are doing very well with you eating.
Create a statement for you, and ask yourself is it MEASURABLE? Ask yourself, How much? How many? How will I know if I've succeeded?
*In this instance, you would have to be clear with what you regard a 'piece' of fruit to be. You might define one piece as 4 oz (a small apple), in this case a banana would be one and a half pieces. A cup of fruit such as melon might be regarded as a piece.
9
When you finish this paleo challenge in 9 days time, how you choose to eat will be completely in your control and may well determine your long term health.
Having said that, your default position is the way you were eating prior to the 30 day period. So, if we leave it unmanaged there will be an inevitable creep back to this position.
It may help to write down and plan your nutritional blueprint for the future.
When you do form your blueprint make it SPECIFIC: What are you going to do? How are you going to do it? Why is it important to you that you do this now?
The following statements are not necessarily good or bad, but merely examples of how Specific you need to be...
Specific ISN'T
"I'm going to eat mainly paleo foods and loose some more weight"Specific IS
"I will eat only paleo foods with the exception of dairy and dark chocolate" (list every food item you wish to still eat outside of paleo)All just examples, you need to think about your personal blueprint...after all, nobody else is going to...Do it now.
or
"I will eat strict paleo all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and most of Friday. I will have a window where I will not restrict foodstuffs from Friday 1800hrs, through Saturday, until mid-day (1200hrs) Sunday. Even during this unrestricted period i will not eat High Fructose Corn Syrup and gluten"
or
"I will eat paleo 80-90% of the time and not worry about parties, functions, or eating out. I will know I'm eating at least 80% paleo because my blood pressure will remain under 120/80 when I measure it on the first of every month (list reasons you proscribe to; my 5km run time will remain within +/- 15 seconds, my fasting blood glucose will be in the 'ideal' category )
or
"I will not follow the paleo plan but continue to avoid all highly processed foods. I consider highly processed food to be...(list)
or
"I will put 'food quality' at the top of my list when grocery shopping. I will buy seasonal, fresh produce, unprocessed food and drink only water, tea and some wine."
or if you've got the time write a full blueprint for life
"I will eat plenty fresh, organic, unprocessed food and no junk (list junk foods). I will take some form of daily activity - whether it's the gym or walking the dog, it all counts. I will ensure that I get plenty of quality sleep. I will drink plenty of water, no pop or sweetened drinks. Maximise my antioxidants intake (the key to limiting stress), regularly take a good fish-oil supplement, eat lots of essential fats, reckless amounts of vegetables, and clean protein (not factory farmed, preferably grass fed, when possible wild game). I will make time for fun - don't take anything too seriously. I will live to my own ethics because what goes around comes around. I will take responsibility for myself and my life and remain open to new things and ideas"
Paleo Update No: 25
24/05/2010
10
It's finally here folks!!! The big 10 countdown...
If you haven't already thought about it, it's time to come up with an exit strategy...you know, like the one we didn't have in Iraq (oooh political!).
Paleo Update No: 24
24/05/2010
Click on the title above for salad the easy way..."Fat is your friend"
The list of health & nutrition 'experts' who don't actually live or look healthy is a long one, so we tend to take advice from those who 'walk the talk' and Mark Sisson ticks this box!
The easy part is throwing the salad together of course, the trick is the prep Mark's done beforehand. All the washing, peeling, chopping that just makes you want to ditch the salad and opt for that unhealthy easy option when you're hungry! Get Organised it'll make the difference!
Notice how big the salad is...highly nutritious but still light on calories. Ramp up the healthy fats...like we said, you have to work really hard to get enough calories on paleo.
*Note: Balsamic vinegar is not part of the 30 day detox phase ('till you figure out what your body can tolerate), but normally a firm favourite for our salad dressings together with olive oil.
Paleo Update No: 23
23/05/2010
I found this account of one individuals journey into paleo eating and thought you might recognise some of the experiences. With an Ivy League (Princeton University) and Oxford education the individual in question is an exceptional athlete and writes in an unbiased fashion.
New Years Eve Paleo
"I am nearing the 10 week mark since my shift to a more Paleo form of nutrition. As we are approaching the New Year and many of us will be contemplating changing the way we eat for 2010, I figured this was the time for some reflection and honest evaluation of what impact this diet has had on me personally.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Paleo concept, it's essentially the idea that the evolution of human digestion was anchored around foods that could be easily found and caught (fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, etc). Only very recently have grains, legumes, dairy, and refined sugars entered into the mix through the ascension of standardized agriculture and farming. This diet proclaims that our bodies have not adapted to these alterations and are still best equipped to process and utilize the foods of our prehistoric ancestors. (This is a rudimentary explanation. For more, visit http://www.thepaleodiet.com/).
My reason for adopting this plan was equal parts logical reasoning and curiosity. The basic premise made sense to me, so I had no issues accepting the scientific claims made by many of its leading proponents, and I was curious to see how much of the buzz around this diet was rooted in tangible benefit and how much of it was hype.
Going in, my concerns centred around the grain question. For the past 3 years, brown rice had been a staple of my diet, forming in my mind the perfect complex carbohydrate. It was cheap, full of fibre, and tasted good with just about everything. I was sceptical about what my meals would look like without the likes of brown rice, quinoa, lentils, etc, and wondered where I would make up the carbohydrates and the calories I would lose from their omitance. Actually, this hasn't been so difficult to deal with. I've made up the difference by eating a lot more fruits and nuts than ever before (which I like), and during breakfast and dinners I eat potatoes and yams. Honestly, I haven't missed the grains.
Dairy was a similar issue. I was used to eating Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, and drinking milk. With the exception of hard cheeses, I've completely eliminated dairy from my diet without much trouble. Cheese has remained to some degree because it's so prevalent in Holland and for some variety between meals.
Overall, adapting was much easier than I expected. The biggest issue is that which I just mentioned: variety. I do feel that I eat the same things over and over again, and that gets a bit boring. But this may be more a factor of my situation (no money, small market, small refrigerator) than of the diet.
As far as the effects go, they have been subtle but significant. Within a few weeks I could see a difference in body composition. My muscles were harder, leaner, and more defined. I've also felt generally less tired during the course of a given day. Those random exhausted moments I would feel just after lunch no longer exist. I actually didn't even realize this development until I was out of town one weekend and resumed eating the way I used to. Felt like I needed a nap while touristing--not convenient.
I've felt some measure of increase in my work capacity during exercise. For example, during metabolic conditioning workouts I find that I'm able to work further into the routine before taking a breather than I used to. Now, it's tough to say this is more a result of fuel than just the progression of my training, but I figured it's worth noting.
Where I was initially disappointed was the strength gains everyone talks about. Actually, until very recently I had seen/felt no real improvement in strength exercises. But, in the last 2 weeks something has happened. Everything feels stronger. I've set PR's in Power Clean and Power Snatch. I am deadlifting more weight for repetition than I ever could before, and my bodyweight skills have felt easier and more controllable. Again, this could be completely unrelated but it's worthy of mentioning.
The biggest challenge, for me, is eating enough. I have to remember that while the quantity of vegetables I'm eating looks like a lot of mass, it's mostly water. When I eat the proper quantities for the amount of calories I burn, things work better than they ever have.
I read an article from the Paleo page the other day regarding how strictly one must adhere to see results. They advocated an 85/15 split, which seems more than reasonable to me. Most diets require exactness and precision otherwise all bets are off. I respect this practical approach, and think that it is proof of the confidence users feel in its effectiveness. Given what I've experienced, I see no reason to change back to the way I ate before. My impressions are positive."
Paleo Update No: 22
22/05/2010
Saturday Night
Caveman probably didn't do 'take-out' & movies on a Saturday night, but if they did, it would probably have looked like this...
MOVIE: THE FLINSTONES or possibly JURASSIC PARK
MEAL: PALEO PIZZA
25 minutes prep, 30 minutes cook time
-3 tsp olive oil, divided
-1 cup ground almonds or other nuts
-3 Tbs cashew butter (we substitute almond butter)
-1/3 cup egg whites
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-2 cloves minced garlic
-1 chopped red pepper
-1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
-1 large Italian sausage, cut in 1/2" slices (caution, sausage may seem caveman but may well contain nasties such as gluten...if in doubt leave it out...especially for this 30 day 'detox' phase)
-1/2 cup marinara sauce (Marinara sauce is an Italian red sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs (such as basil), and onion)
-1/2 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp fennel seed
Mix ground nuts, cashew butter, and egg whites in a small bowl. Grease a pizza baking sheet or similar with 2 tsp of olive oil, then spread the "dough" mixture over it, making a 1/4" thick crust. Preheat the oven to 250 F. In a skillet, add the remaining olive oil and the sliced sausage. Cook until browned, then remove the sausage to a small bowl. Add the garlic, onions, and red pepper to the skillet. Sauté the veggies lightly, making sure not to let them get too soft.
Cover the dough with the marinara sauce, then add the meat and vegetables, excluding the tomatoes. Add the oregano and fennel seed, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add the halved tomatoes, and serve! Use a large spatula to carefully remove the slices from the pan, as the nutty "dough" won't be as crisp as traditional grain dough. Makes 4 servings.
High Protein Chicken Pizza
This is a quick and convenient way to make pizza, and you won't have to eat any extra meat on the side in order to get in your protein! Here, we'll just use a chicken breast as the crust. After the basic directions, I provide recipes for two old favourites. You can make any style of pizza you like this way, just follow the basic guidelines.
Time: 30 minutes
For the "crust":
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
Pizza sauce:
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
Toppings for the Italian sausage and olive pizza:
• 3 oz Italian sausage (caution, sausage may seem caveman but may well contain nasties such as gluten...if in doubt leave it out...especially for this 30 day 'detox' phase)
• chopped black olives
• chopped mushrooms
• chopped red onions
• 1 Tbsp tahini
Toppings for the Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza:
• 2 oz sliced Canadian bacon
• chopped pineapple
To create the "crust", use a mallet to pound the chicken breasts into flat, thin crusts. This will take a little effort - you might not want to try this right after finishing a gruelling workout of deadlifts and rope climbs! While you are pounding, preheat the oven to broil. Once you have two thin, approximately round "crusts", they are ready to bake.
Spread the olive oil on a baking pan. Brush each side of the chicken with the oil, then place the pan in the oven. Broil for 1 1/2 minutes, then flip the chicken over and broil for 1 1/2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the oven, and now the pizzas are ready to top. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the pizza sauce. Warm the tomato paste and tomato sauce in a small saucepan. In a separate small skillet, sauté the garlic and onion for 3 minutes, then add them to the tomato mixture. (Basil and oregano would be good additions to the recipe at this point, as well. When I prepared this, we were away from home, and I didn't have access to our spices) Mix to combine well. Simmer on low.
Spread the pizza sauce on the broiled chicken "crusts". Add the toppings of your choice. Place the pizzas back into the oven, baking for around 12-15 minutes. They are then ready to slice and serve.
These two recipes were taken from the excellent "Performance Menu'' a Health & Athletic Performance Journal... which I believe some of the more resourceful among you have found already.
MOVIE SNACK: PALEO TORTILLA CHIPS
- 2 cups Ground Almonds
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp sea salt (see update 19)
- 1/2 tsp each: cumin, chilli powder, cayenne, ground coriander,
ground annato, ground dried orange peel (we omitted annato and orange peel)
- 1 tsp onion powder and garlic powder
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Mix all the ingredients together to from a firm but supple paste.
Roll out the mix between two pieces of parchment as thin as you can, think paper thin. The thinner the paste, the more 'crisp' like they are. Peel off the top parchment and gently cut.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. You're looking for light golden brown, dark means nasty bitter, if some chips colour faster than others, use a flexible spatula and take them out.
Serve with Baba Ganoush or Guacamole and enjoy!
Paleo Update No: 21
20/05/2010
Food Labels
Spotted some interesting food marketing on the back of a food packet the other day...
So powerful is the belief in the power of the grain, that it's listed here as a main food group! Fat and Protein are macro-nutrients, together with Carbohydrates. 'Cereals & Fibre' are not in themselves a major food group (neither are 'vitamins & minerals' for that matter).
More interesting than that, is the fact that this isn't for human consumption but it's Kip's dog food! So convinced of the wholesomeness and healthful properties of wheat and the like that we're giving it to our dogs...nothing to do with it being a lot cheaper than meat... honest!
Hands up anyone who thinks that dogs are descended from the Wolf?
Keep your hands up if you've ever seen, read, or been told about, a Cherrio/Weetabix/muesli-eating wolf! I've been fortunate to see a timber wolf in the wild and I can assure you, he wasn't harvesting any grains!
Not only is the fact that dogs are carnivores common-, the dog-food makers themselves have used it as a separate, yet contradictory, marketing strategy.
Despite statements such as, "Chicken is our No 1 Ingredient" and, "dogs evolved from carnivores and should be fed accordingly" the meat content makes up less than a quarter of the ingredients. The next three ingredients are all grains; 'Maize', 'Wheat', and 'Sorghum'...lets throw some rice in there as well, together with things a biochemist wouldn't recognise!
Why do we feed this to Kip? Well, Kip should be eating daily fresh meat, however that's just not convenient being the urbanites that we are. In actual fact, this is one of the best commercial dog foods on the market, most others have far less meat (the most expensive ingredient).
Wheat, if it's good for your dog....(and it isn't)...it's good for you!
Paleo Update No: 20
20/05/2010
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL CAVEMAN!
Fish and butternut squash-chips...and FIRE!!!
We thought Siobhan had actually moved into a cave but she assures us it's the garden pizza oven!
Paleo Update No: 19
20/05/2010
By request here is that Jamie Oliver meatball recipe with a Paleo twist!
Meatballs
Pound ground beef -Jamie makes a point in the book to say have the butcher grind this in front of you and be sure to get hormone and antibiotic free meat
1-2 Dried chillies
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 Nutmeg, grated
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Large egg - He also points out this should be free range organic
Zest of 1 lemon - I personally think you should use a lot less, maybe a squeeze of lemon?
*Salt and pepper
This is a faithful version of Jamie's dish as the only thing we had to remove was a bit of parmesan cheese.
*As for salt, although strictly not paleo, we largely concur with the view expressed in this blog.
For the tomato sauce
Olive oil
2-3 Cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A Bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped
1 Fresh red chilli, pierced with the tip of a knife - I used a dried for this
2 x 400g Tins of plum tomatoes
*Salt and pepper
Again we stay true to the original recipe, although "a little swig of red wine vinegar" is occluded
Combine the meatball ingredients, form small meatballs. Put garlic, basil stalks, and chile in olive oil in saucepan. 5 min later crush and add plum tomatoes. Simmer half hour or so. Fry meatballs just to brown edges. Let them finish cooking in the sauce for another 15 min or so. Done.
PS: Jamie says serves 4-6 but this is with pasta. I'd say it serves 2 Athletes!
Paleo Update No: 18
20/05/2010
More Paleo meals...
Smörgåsbord: Baba ganoush dip, carrots and raw broccoli, chicken breast, spinach and pine nuts.
Michael and Vicky's macaroon recipe
Zataar chicken with roasted vegetables
Paleo Update No: 17
20/05/2010
Things we've learnt from each other on our little Odyssey this week...
- Coconut is very high in fibre...you may want to introduce it slowly
- Fruit, just like all the other sweet stuff, will promote cravings...unless we keep intake levels fairly low and ingest it with protein
- This group support network seems to work...keep up the correspondence!!!
- We can perform at high levels of intensity on relatively low amounts of carbs...as witnessed by some Level 2 goals and PBs smashed on the rower this week...hence you do not need 'sport drinks' or pasta to fuel your workouts!
- Although well intentioned, helping your kids make chocolate brownies whilst on this diet might not be a good idea...we all need the support and understanding from the people at home to make this work
- It would appear that we are far enough into this 'experiment' to have sensitised the body to at least some food allergens...i.e. one client, following a tiny 'slip' (a fingers width slither of cake), immediately incurred a migraine.
Coconut flour contains 38.5% fibre which is the highest percentage of dietary fibre found in any flour (wheat bran is 27% fibre)
As ever guys, you can share any lessons-learnt for the good of the group at 'comments' below.
More stuff we've eaten...
A Paleo-fied Jamie Oliver Tomato Meatball dish...V. Nice!
Dessert...may not look like much but when the fruit is good quality, and you've been steady away on all the sweet stuff this little morsel is a tingle-dream-fest! Indeed, some vegetables become sweet once your taste-buds are retuned.
Paleo Update No: 16
19/05/2010
Day 16 with 14 to Go...Over Half-Way!!!
...sorry Bev not you :(
Tuna Steak (again) with asparagus, mushrooms and peppers (no sauce obviously).
Chilli con Carne with green peppers (no kidney beans or rice obviously). Looks like slop (hence the small photo ;) but it tasted great.
Chicken Paprika (plenty of spices on this diet) served with roasted pine nut salad
Prawns with fresh lime, chilli and garlic served with...you guessed it...salad!
Paleo Update No: 15
18/05/2010
Fruits: A Summary
Eat occasionally, and always with protein! Berries probably most closely assimilate to the forager's diet and you may choose to eat small amounts almost daily. Top-tip: frozen blue berries will keep fresh indefinitely so keep a packet in your freezer at all times for fast easy nutritious carbs!
In order of preference:
- all berries
- melons
- oranges
- grapefruit
- tangerines
- apples
Keep it varied. Eat what is in season and local.
Paleo Update No: 14
17/05/2010
Fruits: A Word of Caution
There's nothing healthier than fruit right?
Sorry guys, fruit is essentially sugar, albeit with some good stuff such as Vitamin C and fibre thrown in. Take the humble apple for instance; yes it's high in Vitamin c and fibre whilst simultaneously low in saturated fat, or sodium, but a large apple contains approx 22 grams of sugar. Imagine you're in your favourite coffee house. On one side someone is drinking coffee and enjoying a large apple ("How healthy!"), whilst on the other side you watch in disbelief as someone opens 7 sugar sachets and pours it all into their coffee. You guessed it, the sugar in both the apple and coffee are the same!
So if you're experiencing sugar highs/lows and cravings still, fruit may well be the culprit!
This sugar in fruit comes mainly in the form of fructose. Dietary fructose has been linked as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as we were never designed to take in so much fructose. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), found in sweet drinks is the biggest offender, but it would be advisable to limit your fruit intake as well (Be sure to do your own research, but we try to limit it to no more than two 4 oz servings of fruit per day).
Didn't our caveman ancestors live off lots of fruit?
Go for a walk and see what fruit you can forage. Orchards, farms, and people's garden's aside, you just don't find an abundance of fruit out there. Chopwell Woods is an ancient environment, covering hundreds of hectares but I've yet to see even an apple tree there (though we have seen Wild Boars, but that's another story!). Berries are perhaps the one thing you'll reliably find (is it coincidence that berries are amongst the lowest in sugar of all the fruits?).
Even in more exotic locations the story is the same, think about the things Ray Mears digs up when he's left to fend for himself. He's certainly not eating the very sweet fruits the food industry has genetically engineered. I remember, on a survival exercise in Borneo being shown dozens of exotic fruits only to be told that we'd only find this stuff near human clearings (cultivated land). When we were shown what we could eat in the jungle by the native 'Iban' it consisted of surprisingly little, and it all tasted like cabbage!
Our consumption of fructose has gone from less than half a pound per year in 1970 to 56 pounds per year in 2003. Going back only 500 years, before Europeans discovered the New World, and the development of the worldwide sugar industry, fructose in the human diet was limited to a few items. Milk, the main nourishment for infants, has essentially no fructose, and neither do most vegetables and meats, which indicates that human beings had little dietary exposure to fructose before the mass production of sugar.
Table 1 - Sugar content of selected common plant foods (g/100g)
| Food Item | Total
Carbohydrate |
Total
Sugars |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||||||
| Apple | 13.8 | 10.4 | |||||
| Apricot | 11.1 | 9.2 | |||||
| Banana | 22.8 | 12.2 | |||||
| Grapes | 18.1 | 15.5 | |||||
| Peach | 9.5 | 8.4 | |||||
| Pineapple | 13.1 | 9.9 | |||||
| Pear | 15.5 | 9.8 | |||||
| Vegetables | |||||||
| Beet, Red | 9.6 | 6.8 | |||||
| Carrot | 9.6 | 4.7 | |||||
| Corn, Sweet | 19.0 | 3.2 | |||||
| Red Pepper, Sweet | 6.0 | 4.2 | |||||
| Onion, Sweet | 7.6 | 5.0 | |||||
| Sweet Potato | 20.1 | 4.2 | |||||
| Yam | 27.9 | 0.5 | |||||
| Sugar Cane | 13 - 18 | ||||||
| Sugar Beet | 17 - 18 |
Although fruits are generally allowed on the paleo diet people who need to lose weight should limit consumption of high sugar fruits. Cordain suggests avoiding juices altogether and limiting dried fruits.
Paleo Update No: 13
12/05/2010
A 3 week paleo study reported in several different sources. I wonder what 4 weeks will achieve!
The Study
Österdahl M, Kocturk T, Koochek A, Wändell PE. Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Nutr 2008; 62:682-685
As Reported in the Press
Eat Like Fred Flinstone Metro
Caveman Diet Best for Weight Loss MarieClaire
Eat Like a Caveman The Telegraph
Caveman Diet The Daily Mail
Was a Caveman's Diet the Secret Express
Note: Newspapers and magazines are trying to sell newspapers and magazines of course so read with a careful eye for detail. Treat this information, in fact any information (including our own) with a healthy dose of cynicism unless you've witnessed the effects first-hand.
Check out the alternative view...
Caveman Fad Diet NHS
Our View
We know what works and what doesn't for our bodies through trial and error and suggest everyone does the same to see what works for you.
There is enough information out there to make your own mind up.
In our opinion the NHS article is more biased than the Newspaper articles! It certainly has an agenda.
Read as much as you can, and after the full 30 days, you will be equipped with the information, the research and the personal experience to make up your own minds.
Paleo Update No: 12
12/05/2010
Eating Like Kings!
Chilli Prawns, Wild-Alaskan-Salmon, Zaatar Chicken, Duck eggs, Tuna Steak...We've been eating like Kings these last 9 days...healthy Kings of course...make that healthy Kings with a sense of moderation!
Breakfast: Poached eggs with steamed asparagus and mushrooms
Michael and Vicky's Paleo Cookies with a twist of raspberries.
Wild Alaskan-Salmon Fish-cakes
Zaatar Chicken legs.
Note some Paleo Gurus advise against eating dark meat such as chicken legs because of the saturated fat content.
They do however contain two groups of essential fatty acids (EFAs): omega-3 and omega-6. 'Essential' because the body can't manufacture them, and so they must be consumed in the diet.
However, in the typical UK diet the amount of omega-6 - good for lowering blood
cholesterol and for the skin - outweighs omega-3 several times over. Hence we advise eating plenty fish (and fish oil supplements) for more omega-3.
Dark beef meat contains about 11 times more zinc than tuna, and about 3 times as much iron than raw spinach. Chicken dark meat contain vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, minerals as selenium, phosphorus and zinc.
Fish and Chips!
Mackerel fillets with spiced butternut squash wedges
Paleo Update No: 11
11/05/2010
Cave-man Grub
Some of what we've been eating these last 7 days...hope it helps!
Laura's Breakfast on the fly...We always try to tick the three boxes of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fats.
CHO: Grapefruit and an appleThis may not look too appealing but this is what we consider fast-food. Really, how long does it take to boil an egg and peel a grapefruit? Fast-food...there are no excuses!Protein: Duck eggs
Fat: Almonds and walnuts
Salmon, Toms and Almonds
Tuna Salad
We drink more fruit teas than you can shake a caveman's club at! Monkey-Mug optional!
Home-made Baba Ganoush dip with carrots and cucumber
Chilli Prawns with Lime
Berry Nice Breakfast!
Tuna Steaks Yum!
Paleo Update No: 10
11/05/2010
More Cave-man Grub
This time courtesy of Siobhan. Notice Siobhan cleverly substitutes the non paleo soy sauce and fish sauce, for lime and water. Now we're cooking!
Paleo Update No: 9
10/05/2010
Team-Paleo
It's easy
to get lost in the negatives when you're adapting to a new diet.
First of all, there are the 'treats' that we
miss, then there's the possible indigestion as the body adjusts to the new stuff and
gets it's gut flora in order, and finally there may even be withdrawal headaches as the
body cuts it's addiction to carbs and/or caffeine.
So, with
all this negativity it's easy to get dragged down and forget about why your
putting yourself through the mill. With
that in mind, we would like you to focus on some of the positives over the next
24hrs.
Here's a
start to your positive list...
- I'm taking charge of my own
health and I feel empowered.
- I've lost ___kg/lbs in the last
7 days
- I've witnessed my performance improve
(despite the weight loss there have been some big KettleBells thrown
around these last few days!)
- My clothes fit better.
- My summer holiday will be more
rewarding.
- I have learned valuable
lessons/skills for a longer/healthier life.
- I have successfully completed a
week of what has to be one of the World's strictest food protocols.
- Not only was I able to cope
with this tough régime but I was able to come up with successful
strategies to enjoy it (Caveman-Cookies, who'd have thought it!)
I'm sure
you guys have many more personal notes to add to that list. Maybe write them down and keep them handy for
reference.
Finally we'd just like to say a BIG-"Well done
guys, 7 days down!!!"
If we can get
through just this next week you'll have achieved half of your goal so STAY
STRONG and PLAN SMART!
Paleo Update No: 8
09/05/2010
Paleo-friendly
A lot of you have been asking what is, and isn't, allowed on this eating plan. Keep those questions coming but, here's some simple questions we ask ourselves when we come across a food we're unsure about.- Does it contain Wheat?
- Does it contain Dairy?
- Is it a grain (rice, barley, oats, wheat, millet, rye)?
- Is it gluten free?
- Will it send my blood sugar into orbit?
- Is it highly processed?
If it's specifics you're after, check out the following Do's and Don't suggested by Laura Dolson (April 26, 2010).
The following categories of food are forbidden on Paleolithic-type diets, with a few caveats:
Refined Sugars
Some paleo-authors allow small amounts of honey or pure maple syrup - but this would have been a rare treat.
Sugar in it's many forms...
- Agave Nectar
- Corn sweetener
- Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
- Dehydrated Cane Juice
- Dextrin
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Glucose
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Invert sugar
- Lactose
- Maltodextrin
- Malt syrup
- Maltose
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Raw sugar
- Rice Syrup
- Saccharose
- Sorghum or sorghum syrup
- Sucrose
- Syrup
- Treacle
- Turbinado Sugar
- Xylose
Remember, your body doesn't care what the label says, it's all just "sugar"!Grains
Yes, there were wild grains, and a few roasted kernels have been found in ancient fires. But really - how much wild grain could have been collected at a time? Answer: not much. By the way, corn is a grain not a vegetable.Starchy Tubers
No starchy tubers, including
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Yams
- Cassava
- Manioc
- Some say beets
- Legumes (Beans, Peas, Peanuts)
These are usually outlawed on the premise that most of them can't be eaten without cooking. Much is made of the lectins in legumes, which some people may be sensitive to (research into lectins is in its infancy and not a lot is known about this with any certainty).
Dairy Products
Early people did not eat dairy products before animals were domesticated. It has been pointed out that there has been adaptation to dairy products in some genetic lines, but no author of this type of diet endorses eating dairy including milk, butter, cream, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, etc.
Some Meats
Most processed meats (made with nitrites and additives) are not allowed, including hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and lunch meats, although sometime more healthy forms of these can be found. Paleo guru, Cordain does not allow fatty cuts of meat, including poultry skin and dark meat. Evolutionary Fitness says: You can bet your cave-man forefathers ate all of any animal he was lucky enough to kill, so we're assuming this is on the premise that wild animals were a lot more active and hence leaner than our factory farmed variety. See exercise is key, even for our supper!
Oils
Definitely avoid the following:
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Peanut oil
- Soybean oil
- Rice bran oil
- Wheat germ oil
This includes products, such as mayonnaise, which include these oils.
Salt
Most authors of this type of diet advocate not adding salt to food or buying heavily salted food.
Other
- Vinegar - Lemon or lime juice is preferred over vinegar; no pickled products.
- Yeast is not allowed
- It's worth mentioning again that peanuts are not nuts at all but legumes
Paleo Update No: 7
08/05/2010
Michael and Vicky have kindly squared us away with a recipe for paleo cookies which I've pulled from the comments below because everyone loves COOKIES!!!
Cookie Recipe
-------------
2 Cups walnuts
1/8 cup raw, unfiltered honey (more or less to taste)
1 Tb. cinnamon
2 egg whites, whisked till frothy
Grind nuts and cinnamon in blender or food processor. Stir in honey. Combine with egg whites. Drop by teaspoon on oiled cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes. Cookies will be soft; do not over-bake. Makes 18 cookies.
Hints and tips - 1/8 cup of honey is approx 50ml and cooking temp, 160 for fan assisted and 180 for gas oven or gas mark 4. ENJOY, Michael and Vicky!
We've been shown how it's done by Michael and Vicky so we thought us coaches had better represent!
Turkey Burgers with Spicy Butternut Squash
For the Squash
20 minutes
·1/2 kg Butternut Squash
· 1 Tbsp olive oil
· 1/2 tsp coriander
· 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (not quite the same but we used chilipowder)
· 1/4 tsp fennel seed
· 1/4 tsp dried oregano
· 1/4 tsp black pepper
Cut the butternut squash into eighths lengthwise, then cut each wedge crosswise in half. Put the oil and seasoning into a zip lock bag, add the potato wedges and close the bag. Mix until the wedges are coated with oil and spices, then empty the wedges onto a roasting pan. Bake between 15 to 20 minutes at 325 degrees, turning the wedges once or twice.
For the Burgers450g/1lbs Good quality coarse minced turkey (or beef, but preferably from grassfed cattle)
1-2 Dried Chillies
A pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 a nutmeg, grated
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 large free range/organic egg
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Throw all ingredients into a bowl, mix together with hands, and roll into patties. Makes 6 small or 4 large burgers. Place on baking tray in preheated oven (325 degrees for about 20 minutes, turn if necessary). ENJOY!
Paleo Update No: 6
07/05/2010
Stop Press! Time for one last update...Who said curry was off the agenda this weekend?
Courtesy of Vicky and Michael, we bring you... Chicken Curry with Cauliflower 'rice'
I think we'll try this one ourselves, Cheers Guys!
Paleo Update No: 5
07/05/2010
Not really an update, but just wanted to point out that it's worth scrolling to the bottom of this page for people's 'comments'. Siobhan has a recipe for a tasty paleo dish you might want to use. Be sure to let us know if you do try it, and feel free to post your own recipes.
Good luck over the weekend and stay strong!
Paleo Update No: 4
07/05/2010
Having had 3 full days eating paleo, and knowing what's involved (as opposed to just reading what's involved) with this eating plan, now might be a good opportunity to take stock.
- "Am I doing this for the right reasons? (presumably health)"
- "Am I confident there is enough quality research in this area for this to be beneficial and indeed, not harmful?"
- "Will I be ultimately better off/happier having done the 30 days?"
We're sure you have many more searching questions besides these few, and it's important that you take the time to answer them.
It's easy for us to offer information based on our own years of hard-won experience, practising alternate diets and observing the standard western diet in others, but that's all it is; information. You have the hard job of analysing clearly that information, carrying out your own research, and finally processing your own decisions.
We know that you guys take your own health seriously (you wouldn't be reading this otherwise), and that you take full responsibility for whatever decisions you make regarding your own health care. Remember we are all 'an experiment of one', and what works for us, isn't necessarily the plan for you.
Paleo Update No: 3
06/05/2010
"It's day 3 in the Big Brother Cave and some of the cavemen and women are having trouble sleeping" (said in exaggerated Geordie accent).
Sleep deprivation is not part of the caveman routine! In fact, an inclination towards laziness would have been an excellent disposition to have when your day was filled with hunting, gathering, staying warm and just generally trying not to be killed.
If your lack of sleep is due to anxieties about this new way of eating or possible fear of failure (not making 30 days), then all we can say is you've already succeeded. You were successful when you recognised that your current diet was unhealthy, and even better you committed to making a change. Guess what, 24hrs eating this way is a day more than you've ever achieved before.
Every day going forward from now is a bonus. This isn't my 'tree-hugging', touchy-feely side coming out, "we're all winners yeah!", rather a more pragmatic notion. If we 'fall off the wagon' on day 2 ( or day 6,10, 14, 22 or whenever) we record the day we got to, try and establish what we would do differently, and next time aim for one day or two days beyond that. Just like exercise those 10 consecutive pushups, must start with being able to do 1 and then 2 etc.
Either way, don't obsess about whether you are getting enough
of this or enough of that. Just avoid the bad, focus on the good and
it should take care of itself. You instinctively know when you are
overeating, so try not do do it too often.Take solace in the fact that you are doing yourself a lot of good in the process - this is a very healthy way to live: the weight loss is an incidental by-product.
Here's some photos of our intake over the last 3 days...
Chinese Pear
Chicken curry
Chicken stir-fry
Salmon salad
Pepper, and chilli omelette
Paleo Update No: 2
04/05/2010
'P-Day' has arrived. How's everyone got on?
Don't be frightened to ask questions. If you're thinking it, there's probably someone else wondering about the same thing in these early days. Here's a few questions we've had already. They mainly involve 'allowed' and 'not allowed' quezzies!
How many Eggs?
Eggs are described as the most perfect protein as it has eggceptional bioavailability (readily absorbed by the body). Not only do they provide all nine essential amino acids, the egg yolk contains thiamine vitamin, as well as the Vitamin A and Iron. It even contains some Vitamin D and beneficial antioxidants, such as, lutein and zeaxanthin. These help fight dangerous free-radicals in our body.
There are those who try to tell us that cholesterol is bad, and that too many eggs will increase your cholesterol level. How would these same people explain the case of this man who, for psychological reasons, ate 25 eggs a day for at least 15 years.
- Normal Plasma Cholesterol in an 88-Year-Old Man who Eats 25 Eggs a Day: Mechanisms of Adaptation (1991) Kern Jr, New England J Medicine 324(13):896-899.
Personally, I will regularly eat 3-4 eggs per day and occasionally half-a-dozen or so.
Is fruit juice allowed?
Generally, fruit juices are high in sugar, and thus it is preferable to eat the whole fruit, which provides fibre and a lower glycemic load.
Citric acid?
Allowed. Citric acid is a natural preservative typically found in things like tinned tomatoes.
Spices?
Allowed. Just make sure they are salt-free.
Any more questions or comments, just keep them coming. Day one complete...well done team!
Paleo Update No: 1
- 03/05/2010
As 'D-day' approaches (or should that be 'P-Day') I'm sure we're all pondering the best strategy for success over the next 30 days.
One wise step, suggested by Michael & Vicky, would be to empty those cupboards of all those usual suspects...you know the ones that'll be calling your name in your weakest moments! In a bid to encourage the group they sent me this photo of the big clear-out!
Success will boil down to successful practical strategies like this one (Courtesy Michael & Vicky)
Personally I'm stocking up on herbal and fruit-infusions (otherwise known as herbal tea but strictly speaking herbal tea has caffeine), and burying this teapot and coffee maker in the cupboard, as I am giving up caffeine for the 30 days as well...gulp
.If you see me shaking in the corner of the gym over the next week you'll know why!
Other top tips people have suggested so far...
- Keep a food diary so we can catch any 'mistakes' early (ie consuming too few calories or going way overboard on fats)
- Don't watch TV commercials!
- Drink plenty of water (just like a smoker it might
pay to keep your hands busy and a bottle of water will give your hands
and belly something to think about!)
So, don't be shy guys, let us hear your secrets for success!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Act Like Our Ancestors - Go Paleo!
Introduction
Paleo, short for paleolithic, refers to a period before agriculture, about 2.5 million years ago, and heralded the arrival of modern humans around 200 000 years ago. As agriculture has only been around some 12 000 years, this 'stone-age' period is a much more substantive and formative time in mankind's evolution.
Dr Mike Stroud in his book 'Survival of the Fittest' explains how; although our intellect advanced at a fast rate once we became upright and made use of tools, genetic mutations are infrequent and considerably slower. Jared Diamond makes the point that genetically, humans and chimps are closer to each other than chimps are to gorillas. Indeed he calls us "the third chimpanzee" in his book of that name 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee', because 98.4% of our DNA is identical to that of the chimp.
In summary, we are indistinct from our ancient ancestors, and to a large degree very similar to chimpanzees, yet our diet and lifestyle couldn't be more different. With this in mind it is no wonder that we have so many modern health issues.
So why did our diet change? This is a worthwhile question, but beyond the scope of this short article. For an excellent précis of how and why we eat what we eat, may we recommend Michael Pollan's insightful 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'.
This is the rationale behind paleo eating. It makes perfect sense to us, but seems to be considered somewhat 'extreme' by most. So let's take a look at what is considered 'Normal'?
Normal is...
- eating foodstuffs that have so many preservatives that they will never rot,
- eating 20kilos of high fructose corn syrup every year,
- eating things we can't even pronounce such as the tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) that is sprayed onto some foods to preserve freshness. TBHQ is derived from petroleum, a form of butane (i.e., lighter fluid).
Take a look outside and 'normal' is also being overweight, unhealthy and generally lethargic.
If you want to opt out of 'normal', then read on...
The Paleo Approach
Cut out all the foods that could be destroying your health without you even knowing it for the next 30 days. This is NOT a "30 Day Challenge". This is the start of a new way of eating, thinking, feeling and living.
First and foremost, this will change your life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, your habits and your cravings. It may even change the emotional relationship you have with food and with your body. This has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life.
The only way you are going to know if something is having a negative effect on how you look, feel and perform, is to eliminate it from your diet for a while, then introduce it again with a fresh perspective.
Let's take the example of pollen. If you are exposed to pollen everyday, everyday your nose is a little stuffy and your head a little achy. You probably don't even realise of how rubbish you feel, because a stuffy nose and an achy head is just 'normal'. Now take a holiday somewhere pollen-free. Allow your body to experience a month without that irritant. Then come home. Imagine how aware your would then be of your allergy. In your first few days back, you would be miserably in tune with how your allergy is affecting your everyday life.
The same concept applies here; dairy, gluten, grains, and alkaloids may be provoking a similar response in your body without you even realising it. Eliminate these food groups from your diet, give your body a break, then if you choose to do so, come back to them with a new perspective. You will be able to see immediately if and how these foods really impact on how you look, fell and perform.
There are additional reasons for doing a strict 30 day healthy eating programme. For one, (and perhaps the singular most common reason we even contemplate a change of eating habits) there is an excellent change that eliminating these foods will kick start fat loss and change body shape. Does your stomach look flat in the morning and chubby by the end of the day? Try cutting dairy. You'd be surprised how an irritated digestive tract can manifest into a 'muffin top' over those low waist jeans in just a matter of hours.
What?
So what exactly does 'strict' mean? There are different versions of Paleo eating out there, but this is what we follow;
How?
- Eat real food - poultry, game, meat, fish, eggs, vegetable, fruit, nuts, seeds and oils (extra virgin olive oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable, or with no ingredients listed at all because they are fresh and natural.
- Do not eat dairy. This includes butter, cheese, yoghurt and milk (even in your tea/coffee)
- Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasts, corn, oatmeal, and all of those gluten free pseudo grains (they are not real food)
- Do not eat legumes. This includes all beans, lentils and peanuts (including peanut butter)
- Do not eat sugar of any kind, real or artificial
- Do not eat processed foods, including protein bars/shakes
- Do not drink alcohol
So now that you have the basic plan, how do you implement it?
We are starting a 30 day 'Go Paleo' on the 4th of May. To set yourself up for success, go to your supermarket and stock up an all the things you can eat. This is not a restrictive 'diet', in fact you're going to have to work pretty hard to eat enough calories, so ensure that you have plenty of fresh foods freely available.
A week's worth of fruit and vegetables for two adults
Given
the amount you'll get through it's worth researching the cheapest
option. Having tried supermarkets, farm deliveries, and local greengrocers, we finally settled on Newcastles' 'Grainger Market' for value and quality (although it has to be said the Walkers of Whickham Grocers is top notch quality).
It is important that you give this the full 30 days. Any less and you are selling yourself and the results short. You may start to see and feel improvements within just a few days, but the healing process takes significantly longer. Just one 'slip' could irritate your digestive tract and promote an inflammatory response and upend your insulin sensitivity. it will ruin the 'reset' button you are trying to push.
This isn't just a harsh approach. This is a fact. The only way this will work is if you give it the full 30 days, no cheating. What's 30 days out of your life?
Where?
Sign up with us and pop in to the gym or access us online as often as you need. We ask that you register on the website to post your progress, your results, share your experiences and ask questions. Tell us, and the rest of the community, how good you feel, how much energy you have and have great you look. Inspire each other.
The Tough Love Bit!
This is for those
of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren't sure
you can actually complete it for a full 30 days.
1. It's not that hard. Don't tell us this is hard.
Giving up heroin is hard; war is hard... Drinking your coffee black is not hard!
Substituting Sunday morning croissant in favour of an omelette, with crispy
bacon is not hard. Eating fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables every day is
not hard. So we don't want to hear one single complaint! Its thirty
days, and it's for the most important cause on earth - the only physical body
you will ever have in this lifetime. So just do it.
2. Don't tell us you "slipped". Unless you physically tripped
and your face landed in a box of chocolate éclairs you DID NOT SLIP. You made a choice to eat something of poor
quality. It's always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident.
You make a poor choice, even once, you're out. You don't get to re-start, you
don't get to keep posting. Commit here, 100%, for the full 30 days, or don't do
it.
3. Don't lie to us. Don't even try.
4. You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don't
want to eat. You're all big boys and girls. Learn to say no. Learn to stick up
for yourself. Just because it's your Mum's birthday, or your best friend's
wedding, or your company outing does not mean you "have" to eat poor food. It's
always a choice.
5. This does require a bit of effort, we know that. If
you're cutting grains and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those
calories with something. You have to make sure you're eating enough, that your
vitamins and nutrients are balanced, that you're getting enough protein, fat
and carbohydrates. Visit www.thepaleodiet.com
for unlimited resources and information. Take responsibility for your own plan.
Improved health, fitness and performance don't happen simply because you're giving
up junk.
So there you have it. This is important. We want it to change your life. To help you with meal choices, we will be posting photos of what we eat every day for the full 30 days.
Please post comments and questions on the website so we can answer them for everyone.
Take charge of your health and do this for you.
No TrackBacks
TrackBack URL: http://www.evolutionaryfitness.co.uk/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/40