Monday, October 8, 2012

Back to basics eating...

With racing season being in full gear, life in full swing and honestly going way too fast, I am a firm believer in questioning everything as of late which led to a discovery that in apart had changed the way  I treat my body.  Do not misconstrue what was just typed as that I will be backing down from training which couldn't be further from the truth, quite the opposite.  What I meant was the fuel that I will be putting in to my body has changed drastically.

I have not always had the healthiest relationship with food, so I am not one who has to have great taste and for years my meals consisted of protein shakes and bars throughout the day and one "whole food" meal at night for dinner. In doing this to myself, I started to encounter stomach issues, skin issues and energy issues.  So I started reading ingredients and evaluating what I was doing with the "nutrients" that I was ingesting.  Upon evaluating, I started to look at energy levels in my workouts and figuring out what would be conducive to  my lifestyle, cost, availability and convenience.  

Upon such discovery I decided to dive, head first into Paleo.  It is a concept of eating whole foods, non-processed food. Meats, vegetables and fruits, and seeds and nuts.   Basically a high fat, low carb diet, devoid of grains, sugar, dairy, gluten where foods are in their purest form.  

In this quest for a balance in my life, I have been trying a different vegetable weekly to not get bored but to also broaden my choices.  So far I have tried and might I add liked the following new foods:
Spaghetti squash
Butternut squash
Eggplant 
Beet Chips
Kale
Walnuts
Almond butter
Sunbutter


The internet is a huge help with finding recipes as not to get easily tired and new seasonings for meats and salads and veggies.

Some perks I have already noticed following:

  • Once I detoxed off caffeine and sugar, I haven't had a craving for it.
  • I gave up dairy, but the other day decided I was going to have a bit on a pizza and was doubled over with stomach craps, and bloated immediately.  Not worth eating cheese!
  • I had my cycle, which before my nutrition evaluation was completely ridiculous and painful. When I had it this past month, no pain, no cramps, only knew it was on the way because I track it.  
  • My race times have improved.
  • Recovery time has diminished.
  • and biggest perk...Abdominal muscles are showing.


Let me reiterate that following the Paleo plan is not easy nor is it cheap but it is definitely worth it. It takes a lot of planning, prep work and cooking.  Organization is a must.  

Most Mondays I spend cooking my food for the week.  It is well worth the time as I am never tempted to just raid the fridge because I have healthy options available. Planning is a must.  

Anybody who is reading this blog already knows my personality, I have no gray area, so I am extreme in every aspect of my life. So if you are interested in trying this way of eating don't beat yourself up if you slip, but you will definitely feel the difference if you do. 

Nik teases me and calls me granola but whatever, I feel better than I have in a long time.  I have started making my own chicken stock, growing herbs, planning our vegetable garden for next summer and our compost pile.  

I'm pretty excited to just be able to go outside and grab fresh vegetables.  It is definitely going to be an adventure. I am excited and looking forward to starting new thing, trying even more new foods.  We now shop the perimeter of the grocery store. 

Here are some of my favorite websites and blogs for doable Paleo recipes..

www.fastpaleo.com
www.paleodietlifestyle.com
www.paleomg.com
www.paleocavemandietrecipes.com