Day One - Primal Diet

Starting weight: 140.6 lbs
Starting body fat: 31.5%

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1/3 c liquid egg whites, scrambled with 1/2 cup quinoa, handful of mushrooms, spinach & chopped broccoli. Cooked in olive oil, not butter. And coffee, black.

Green smoothie: a nectarine, frozen strawberries, half a banana, large handful of spinach, coconut milk (full fat), alkaline water & pea protein powder (vanilla, sweetened with xylitol & stevia).

Lunch: sauteed kale, dover sole & a baked sweet potato with coconut oil & cinnamon.

Second Lunch: green salad with tuna salad. No other dressing.

Protein shake: pea protein & water.

Dinner: egg & egg white scramble with veggies, cooked in bacon grease.

I am drinking tons of alkaline water (ph 9.5) also.

I love what I'm eating, I had about 11 cups of fruits & veggies today. That feels AWESOME. Lots of kale, which is my favorite.

I did a pretty good leg workout sans my usual plyos, 30 mins of cardio & foam rolled with a client. I am still pretty sore from running on Sunday.

I reserved a bunch of Paleo & Specific Carbohydrate Diet books at the library. They are evidently VERY popular, hopefully I'll get to read a few before I'm done with my 90 days. ;) Just kidding, a few are available on Kindle so I can read them on my droid. Love that!

I got ketosis & glucose reagent strips to monitor what's happening (at least what's happening in my urine) and was negative for both tonight, which is as expected. One of the things I'm super curious about is how this will affect my blood sugar, and learning more about those connections.

I feel super sleepy & emotional. PMS? Detoxification? Not sure. Going to bed early anyway. :)

Here we go... (August 6th entry, out of order)

Well, as much as I despise to the core of my anthropology-loving soul the actual name of this diet, I'm starting it tomorrow.

Paleo. Caveman. Primal. Grain-, dairy-, legume-, sugar-, chemical-free foods. Only.

Basically, a lot of meat, a ton of greens, other vegetables (the only "approved" potato is a sweet one), and some fruit.

I'm excited and nervous. I know there will be some carb withdrawal, which won't be helped by my uncharacteristic helping of beans & rice at dinner tonight.

I'm taking this on for the next 90 days to see if it makes a significant difference in my blood sugar, bodyfat percentage, and migraine frequency.

I'll be blogging to keep myself accountable, and to document my progress and any ensuing changes. I'll include lots of links & resources in the future when I'm not blogging from my smartphone, but there is a particular idea that I want to leave you with, from one of my heroes, Gary Taubes.  He asserts that a high-carbohydrate diet actually causes a sedentary lifestyle, not the other way around. So maybe my fatigue issues will disappear as well. Seems almost too good to hope for, but given how miraculous my life has been as of late... I almost have no choice but to be severely optimistic.

Be well,
M

Big Fat Lies with Gary Taubes

An awesome lecture that I could watch over & over again - there is so much good information here!! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4362041487661765149

"When you die of starvation... you consume your muscle tissue, and you consume your heart tissue, and you die of heart failure, that's what happens."

Mock Rye Bread

So it's snowing in Seattle. And sticking. A lot. Which makes me want to snuggle, and eat, and well... bake.

I've been craving rye bread for weeks now, and the versions I first learned to make when going gluten free are super high-glycemic, and don't have a ton of nutritional value.

Today was the perfect day to experiment and the first loaf turned out perfectly...

Thanks to Gluten Free Greenie, whose modified recipe from The Medicine Woman was the perfect base.
http://glutenfreegreenie.blogspot.com/2010/07/flax-seed-bread.html
http://bearmedicineherbals.com/golden-flax-bread.html



1 c flax meal
2/3 c almond flour
2/3 c quinoa flour
1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt

4 eggs at room temperature
1/4 c melted butter, olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 T molasses

1 TBSP caraway seeds
1 tsp celery seeds or dried dill

up to 1/2 c room temperature water

(optional, for top)
1 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp sea salt

preheat oven to 375

1. sift together almond meal, quinoa flour, baking powder, sea salt & cocoa. whisk in flax meal.

2. in a large bowl beat together eggs, melted butter or oil and molasses.

3. slowly add dry ingredients to egg mixture, 1 cup at a time, while mixing.

4. sprinkle 1 TBSP caraway and celery seeds evenly over batter & mix in.

5. add water until batter appears somewhat "pourable".

6. pour into loaf pan lined with parchment paper, or greased.

7. use a wet or greased spatula to smooth the top of the loaf, and sprinkle with desired toppings.

8. bake for 30 mins in a metal loaf pan, 40 mins in a glass pan, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

notes:

if you want a lighter bread use golden flax and honey instead of molasses.
you could totally make this savory bread with other flavors, for instance omit the molasses, caraway & celery seeds and substitute 1 TBSP rosemary, 1 TBSP chopped garlic and 1/4 c grated parmesan or romano cheese. or chopped greek olives... you get the idea.

I figure this is about a 12-slice loaf, so here is the nutrition info per slice:

Per serving: 190 cals, 13g carbs, 14g fat, 7g protein, 499mg sodium, 5g fiber

Grain-Free Dairy Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Freestyle Grain Free Baking, watch out! I whipped these up today when I had a chocolate banana craving! Kind of made up the recipe on the spot so I may add updates if I feel it needs work. :)

1/2 c coconut flour
1 1/2 c almond flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

3 eggs (room temperature)
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c (trans-fat-free) shortening and
2 TBSP coconut oil (or equivalent combination of fats of your choice)
3 TBSP Coconut Nectar or Raw Honey (or sweetener of your choice - can also be omitted)

2/3 c mini chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

preheat oven to 350 & start with all ingredients at room temperature.

1. sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
2. in a separate bowl mash the bananas, add the eggs & vanilla & blend.
3. in a separate bowl blend the fat & sweetener, then add to egg mixture & blend.
4. while mixing, add dry mixture to wet mixture one cup at a time until blended & fluffy.
5. FOLD in chocolate chips with a spatula until just mixed - do not overmix.
6. spoon into greased or lined muffin tins & bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.


notes:
they will rise quite a bit, fill cups about 3/4 full with batter. watch for the tops getting too brown! makes 10-11 muffins. I know, 11. but that's what happened.

Per serving: 302 cals, 24g carbs, 23g fat, 7g protein, 257mg sodium, 14g sugars

Happy New Year; poem from John O. Donahue

Poem For a New Beginning

In out of the way places of the heart
Where your thoughts never think to wander
This beginning has been quietly forming
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire
Feeling the emptiness grow inside you
Noticing how you willed yourself on
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the grey promises that sameness whispered
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is one with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

Secrets of life I have learned from my cat:

Secrets of life I have learned from my cat:


Sometimes it will feel like you are running around in circles. Don’t worry about it, you probably are.

It is important to look out the window as much as possible. There are strange and wondrous things outside your world, and if you don’t look, you will miss them.

If magic bubbles suddenly appear, stop whatever you are doing & chase them.

People like it better when you cuddle them than when you bite them.

Sometimes you will want to bite them anyway. Give people a warning when you want to fight. Then they can choose whether or not to engage with you.

Always drink as much fresh water as you need. Don’t be ashamed about searching high and low to find it.

If something seems scary, even if the people around you aren’t disturbed by it, feel free to freak out. Then go figure out what it is in case it’s a monster you need to fight. It’s usually not as bad as you think, and you never know, it might be food.

Eat when you are hungry. It doesn’t matter if it’s not at the “normal” times.

If an opportunity arises to eat green leafy vegetables, jump at it.

Sometimes the simplest things are the best entertainment. You don't need to spend a lot of money on fancy toys to be happy.

When you first wake up in the morning, it’s important to roll around and stretch before attempting anything strenuous, like finding water, or eating, or playing.

Try to look at things upside down at least once a day.

Continue to grow. It’s okay if it amazes and confuses the people around you. They’ll get used to it.

Napping is vital to survival.