100th Post Giveaway!

Well, this is my 100th post. It seems kind of crazy. 100 paleo posts! In honor of this milestone I'm doing a giveaway! Apparently that is the cool thing to do in the blog world. As a thank you to everyone who reads, comments, does not comment or has supported me through my transition to a cave-girl lifestyle, I've got something for you!

I love Mark's Daily Apple. He is publishing The Primal Blueprint Cookbook in Mid-May. I've been pretty excited about this for quite a bit of time. Not only am I going to get one for me, but I am going to be sending one of these fabulous cookbooks to one of YOU!

The cookbook has over 100 recipes that are paleo friendly, gluten free, low carb....everything a paleo loving person could want!

Here is what you need to do:

• Post a comment on this blog post
• In your comment tell me what your favorite paleo snack or meal is OR something that you now love that you didn't know you loved before changing your diet!
  
• Make sure to leave your first name and email address in the comment in case you are not registered on blogger and it comes up as "anonymous" when you post.
  
• This is open to EVERYONE.

One entry per person. I don't care if you have never commented before, join in! You will have until 11:59PM on Sunday, May 2nd. The winner will be picked at random. If I know you or don't know you won't matter one bit. If you are the winner I will contact you by email and get your mailing information and your Primal Blueprint Cookbook will be shipped directly to you courtesy of me!

Thanks to everyone for joining in on my paleotlithic adventure!

A Change in Attitude

I’m taking a bit of a deviation from my typical paleo post for today. My mind has been spinning the last few weeks. There are a lot of changes coming up for me in the next couple of months. We’re moving to a completely different and very cold part of the country. We’re leaving jobs, friends, family…pretty much life as I currently know it. I put on a happy face about it because I really am excited, but I’m also terrified. For some reason fear gets the best of me sometimes. I don’t like to fail. I don’t like to appear weak. I know I am a strong person, but I am human. I get insecure. I get scared.

This morning I got up and I checked the CFJ website as I do every morning to see today’s WOD. The first thing I read, 30 handstand push ups. My first thought, “Crap!” A big weakness and also something I really need to keep improving. The last few weeks my shoulder has been acting up again. It has made me fearful. Fearful of ripping into muscle ups, of pushing the heck out of the ground coming out of a handstand, of getting under heavy weight on a push jerk. I’m not normally like that. I normally have the attitude that nothing will beat me, but after being rendered useless for three months last year because of the injury that is all I can think about. I get really mad at myself for it too. I’m so much tougher mentally than that. I can do and have done all of those things before. There is absolutely no reason to be scared. It is time to snap out of this funk.

Later this morning I checked the main site and noticed our workout today was also a main site workout. Then I noticed a picture of a girl that I know I had seen before. I remember when her profile was posted on the 2009 Games site prior to the CrossFit Games last year. Her name is Amanda Miller. She died on Friday from Melanoma. She was three years younger than me. We have the same birthday. Last year she competed in the Games. There was a link to her blog on the main site so I started reading. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Here was a picture of an incredibly strong, vibrant woman sprinting up a hill with a sandbag around her neck and less than a year later she is gone. The battle she went through, how she kept pushing and pushing despite pain and also how incredibly positive and strong she sounded through the entire ordeal was amazing to read. I didn't know Amanda, but it still really got to me. Here is a link to her blog so you can read it for yourself.

I’m not trying to be dramatic or incredibly inspirational, but I wanted to share all of that because the mindset you choose makes all the difference. I know my fear and what she was facing cannot even be compared to each other, but I can take a good lesson from how she handled what she went through. I choose to be positive. I choose to not be scared. Amanda did the same thing. She lost her life in the end, but she lived. I’m sure she was terrified through the process, but from what I can tell she didn’t live like she was terrified. She continued to work and push to get stronger despite what she was going through with her disease. I'm blessed to be healthy. I should wake up everyday thanking God for giving me another day to do what I love. I can run, jump, laugh, dance when I get muscle up and live my life. Yes, I'm leaving everything I know, but I will still be me no matter where I am. Life continues. We should all be grateful for the gifts we have been given and never lose sight of what is truly important.

No matter what you are going through professionally, personally, in the gym, with friends, choose to be happy. Choose to be positive. Good things will come from it. The outcome might not always be what you want or expect, but at least you can say you gave it your all and you had a good attitude. You will inspire others in the process just like Amanda inspired me today.

Paleo Brands

There is a really cool thing going on right now on the Paleo Brands website. From now until April 28th they are offering free shipping when you place a full order. A full order is fourteen meals which is quite a bit. They run $8.95 a piece. I have been wanting to try some of these for a long time. I think what Robb Wolf and company have done for nutrition and the CrossFit community is just amazing.

I'm going in with a couple ladies from my gym on a full order. Gather a few friends and do the same. I don't know about you, but I don't have $140 bucks I can just drop at a moments notice. I'm going to try a couple meals and let you know what I think! It will be nice to have some paleo friendly meals on hand if I have missed a trip to the store or if I am feeling just plain lazy. Sadly, the latter will probably be the case most of the time.

Go here to check out all the options! They all look pretty delicious. I think I may become a food photographer....

Shopping List

How are you spending your Friday evening? I plan on spending mine in a grocery store. I'm actually very excited about this because my fridge is hauntingly empty. Not a good thing when you are trying to eat good food! Here is what is on the list for purchase this evening:

• Lean ground beef (for my taco salads)
• Lean turkey cutlets
• Turkey bacon (for the Mr.)
• Broccoli
• Avocados
  
• Cucumbers (I love these with salsa. Such a great snack!)
• Spinach. Lots and lots of spinach!
• Shredded carrots
• String cheese (again for the Mr.)
• Raw nuts; cashews, pistachios, almonds, walnuts...
• Garlic
  
• Grapefruit
• Bananas
• Lemons and limes
• Salsa
• Egg. I can never have too many eggs around!

Tomorrow is the CFJ affiliate team tryout. I'm so excited! Lots of good action will be going down tomorrow morning. It should be a fun time. Good luck to everyone trying out!

I'm Not Sure What Just Happened...

...but I totally fell of the wagon.

First mistake, I went to Merritt's for lunch with co-workers. Today is bring your daughter to work day so I tagged along with a group to celebrate the day. Merritt's, by the way, is an extermlely wonderful bakery in the Tulsa area. They have great little lunch deals. I got a turkey club wrap sans ranch dressing. I got the low carb wrap. There were no salads and I could have eaten everything minus the wrap, but I was in a wrapy kind of mood. At least they had a low carb option although still not a great choice on my end.

Here is where it gets bad....

Merritt's gives you free dessert with lunch. Yes, I should have just said, "I don't need the cake." I didn't. I let them give it to me. I didn't know what kind it was. I'm not a huge cake fan so I was fairly optimistic that I wouldn't eat it. To my displeasure they gave me the one and only kind of cake I can. not. turn. down. Lemon cake.

Let me tell you about me and the lovely lemon. We love each other. I L.O.V.E. citrus. Lemon is my favorite. Lemon bars, lemon cake, lemonade....extremely hard for me to turn down. Thankfully it was a small piece and I only took about four bites. I threw the rest away. I had a few nibbles and felt satisfied.

Once I got back to the office a media rep/friend of mine stopped by just to say hi and thanks for the business. I buy media for a living. It's fun. One "perk" is that reps bring me treats occasionally. Today this particular rep brought me a really cute bowl filled with Jelly Belly jelly beans. Seriously? Jelly Belly's are my favorite. Jelly beans in general give me goosebumps. That is all I ever wanted in my Easter basket. My dad has a Jelly Belly machine on his desk at home. It is a family affair. Anyway, that just did me in. I grabbed a couple and then removed it from my line of sight. Hopefully my co-workers will eat the rest of them before I see them again. There is no telling what might happen...

What do you do when you have these kind of days? I'm not going to beat myself up. I enjoyed everything I ate. Maybe I needed a little splurge. The next few days I'll keep it good and clean to get back on track. No Larabar for me today. The ironic thing is the flavor I have in my purse right now....lemon.

Happy Land Run day!

It's a Great Day to be Alive

And I mean that! Today is a wonderful day to be alive. Why? Well, there are a lot of reasons. I'm healthy, happy, employed, motivated and I get to watch GLEE tonight courtesy of my fabulous DVR. It's the Madonna episode!

OK, that is all fine and dandy, but let me get to the heart of why today is such a great day...

Today I went to Whole Foods....

I bought fourteen Larabars!

Wow! I know what you are thinking... "You're right Ginny! Today is a great day for you to be alive. You lucky, lucky, Larabar loving girl!"

I love Larabars. When I discovered them last year during my introduction to paleo it was like I discovered a hidden treasure. Not only are they gluten, dairy and soy free....but they are tasty. Scary tasty. The kind of tasty that makes you want another immediately after finishing one. I guess that also makes them kind of dangerous, but what girl doesn't like a little danger in her life?

In honor of my Larabar extravaganza at Whole Foods today, I have decided to rank my top five Larabar flavors.

5. Pistachio
4. Banana Bread
3. Key Lime Pie
2. Lemon Bar
1. Cocoa Mole

Cocoa Mole is like the goddess of all Larabars. She is sweet and spicy. Oh sweet goodness.

A quick note on Larabars...

Even though they are 100% paleo that doesn't mean you should eat them all the time. I try to save mine for post workout snack time when I need some carbs in my system. They are good to have around if you are in desperate need of something paleo friendly, but don't over eat them. They still have a lot of sugar in them from the dates. I really try to watch my sugar intake with fruit so just be aware.

What is your favorite Larabar flavor?

I Need to Make an Effort to....

...eat more fish!

I love seafood. It is a good thing I love it because it is a wonderfully healthy source of protein. Fish is also a great source of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Here is a good website about some of the benefits of fish. This probably goes without saying, but the healthiest way to prepare your fish is to either poach, bake or grill your protein.

I have a lot of wild caught salmon in my freezer. I'm hoping to not be too lazy to take time to defrost it and broil some up this week for dinner. I'm starting to get a bit burned out on some of my go to proteins so it is time to mix it up!

Do you feel a little hesitant about buying fresh fish? I was at first because I had never bought fresh fish. It can be kind of intimidating. Don't be afraid to ask you butcher questions. They are always nice and very knowledgeable. Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying your seafood. Thanks to Reasor's for the list! I love that place...

So here is your challenge for the week. If you never eat seafood...eat it! Shrimp, scallops, crab, tuna, grouper...take your pick and go for it. If you eat a lot of seafood, switch it up. If you always eat salmon and tilapia, go try some orange roughy or trout. Look for wild caught fish, not farmed raised if at all possible. Wild caught salmon is simply marvelous....

On a side note....
I have consumed more water today than I have in months. I will be on a bit of a different routine the next few weeks as I am covering a 6AM class at the gym. It is only a few days a week, but I'm making an effort to workout at 5AM prior to my 6AM class on those days. 4:30AM came early today...not like that is surprising to anyone. I keep thinking if I drink more water it will help my eyes feel more "awake". Hmmm....at least I'm staying hydrated. And yes, I went to bed early. 9Pm! I think tonight will be another early night was well.

Sancky Snacky

I love to snack. I like crunchy, munchy things. I love trail mix, but I don't usually take time to make my own so I desperately miss it right now. A friend of mine who I did my Level 1 Certification with posted what looks like a really good, paleo friendly trail mix on her Facebook page today. If any of you try it before me, let me know how it goes.

Paleo Granola

• 5 cups nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, pecans, and sunflower seeds; you can use whatever you want, but make sure you use at least 2 – 3 cups slivered almonds, as these take the place of what is normally oats)
• 1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup or any other Paleo-approved sweetener)
• 1/3 cup Paleo-friendly oil ( coconut works well)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Mix honey, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. Let it cool. Spread the nuts and seeds out on a greased baking sheet and pour the cooled honey mixture over the top. Mix it around to get everything covered, and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Allow the pan to cool slightly and then put the mixture into a bowl. Mix in raisins and coconut, and enjoy!

Tip from the creator: “Your biggest key to success with this (and really any) recipe is to go a little crazy. Add your own twist to it or branch off in another crazy direction. The granola you see in the picture, for example, was mixed with almond butter, pressed into a brownie pan, and is now chilling in the freezer to make granola bars.”

Thanks to Jennifer at CrossFit Fort Hood!

In other news, I finally knocked one of my pre-regional goals off the list. I got my muscle up! Not only did I get one muscle up, but I got two. You might remember at the end of March I set some goals for myself. I have improved in most of these areas so far. Here are the updates:

(muscle up used to be #1...but it is gone now!)
275lb deadlift - I hit 250 (5lb PR) last Friday. I'm maxing out next week. Going for at least 260.
40 consecutive pull ups - Did 36 in the first round of Nicole a couple weeks ago. Prior PR was 35.
Improve my 400 m run - I've been doing extra sprint work and hill runs. Getting there.
Improve my flexibility - I haven't made a good enough effort here. Shame on me.

Making Excuses for Myself

That is what I am doing today. I'm not one for making excuses, but I actually have a good one.

Yesterday afternoon I sat in the dentist chair for two hours. First, I think if anyone sits in a dentist chair for any amount of time you should get to do whatever you want. It can be completely traumatizing. Sorry to any of you that may be dental professionals, but it just isn't my favorite place to hang out. I have a great dentist. She is super nice and is really great at what she does. Her office also gives free pedicures while you are getting worked on....no lie. My toes look so cute today.

I'm in the process of getting some crowns replaced. I will be making a few more lengthy visits in the next few weeks. The bottom line is, I left the dentist after two hours of drilling at 6:30PM. My face was numb, my head was pounding and I was just in a flat out bad mood. Nothing sounded appetizing, but I was starving. Starving to the point of dizziness. The idea of chewing made me cringe. I needed something soft and easy.

Jamba juice popped into mind, but I had already had my fruit for the day.

What to do....

What to do....

Then it hit me. Tomato soup. I love tomato soup. The Mr. had been talking for days about the tomato soup he had been eating at the hospital. Apparently he makes it himself somehow. That is another story. I sat and pondered a little bit more... What place has the best tomato soup in the world?

Panera.

That was it. I was done. The minute the idea popped in my head I was a goner. I waited for the Mr. to get home, I looked at him with my "feel sorry for me my mouth hurts bad" face and we jumped in the car.

It was not paleo. I knew that. But I did know that all 370 calories and 23 grams of fat of that creamy tomato soup made my mouth feel so much better. Seriously, creamy tomato soup is not the worst you could do....right? This morning I thought I would take a gander at what exactly was in the soup I ate. Normally I never have to wonder what is in what I'm eating. Chicken is chicken, almonds are almonds and cucumbers are cucumbers.

Here is what was in my soup:

Creamy Tomato Soup (tomatoes [tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, citric acid], water, cream [cream, milk], onions, seasoning [sugar, modified corn starch, salt, spices], butter [cream, water], corn syrup [light corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, salt, vanilla], pure olive oil, garlic puree [fresh garlic, citric acid], Croutons (unbleached enriched flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], water, Asiago crouton mix [margarine {soybean oil, water, mono- and diglycerides, salt, whey, soy lecithin, sodium benzoate, natural and artificial flavor, vitamin A palmitate, beta carotene (color), asiago cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], contains less than 2% dehydrated garlic and onion, spices and salt], enriched durum wheat flour [durum flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], Asiago cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], enriched semolina wheat flour [semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], Parmesan cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], salt, Romano cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], yeast, dough conditioners [ascorbic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch]).

Maybe I won't make any excuses anymore. That ingredient list straight up shocked me. Sheesh! I think I will just try to make my own from now on....

I Did Some Research

I found a couple websites that are going to teach me how to cook eggplant. Apparently I was doing it all wrong. In my defense, I'm an eggplant newbie. I will try again. I'm not giving up. Here are some websites with some good tips on how to prepare eggplant in different ways:

How to Cook Eggplant to Tender, Silky Perfection
Learning How to Cook Eggplant
Best Ways to Cook and Prepare Eggplant

There you go. Have some fun with the reading. Go buy some eggplant and try it this week. I will probably make another go at it after I use up the rest of my veggies.

I Had a Theory...

...that anything would taste good if it was roasted in olive oi and garlic. Seriously, garlic is a life saver. I don't want to say I would eat garlic by itself, but I actually might. I love it that much. Last night I had the last of my grilled turkey cutlets and roasted some eggplant. Instead of using olive oil I used avocado oil. The bottle said it was supposed to be good on salads and tomatoes so I assumed that meant it would be good on roasted eggplant as well. Hmmmm....

I'm not sure where I went wrong. I have had eggplant before, but I grilled it on my George. Maybe roasting eggplant isn't the way to go? It got very mushy, but it was a spongy mushy. Off the grill it had a firmer texture which I enjoyed more. Or maybe it was the avocado oil? Maybe I should have stuck with the EVOO. The garlic was wonderful...nothing went wrong there!

Needless to say, I had to force myself to choke down my veggies last night. That is the worst feeling. Maybe I just thought I liked eggplant last time I had it? Maybe I like the idea of eggplant more than the actual act of eating eggplant?

They are a gorgeous looking vegetable. Anyone have some suggestions on how to prepare this little wonder? I want to really branch out with my veggies and I'm very disappointed in my taste buds today!

Saturday Night...Oh No

I normally eat very clean. I'm usually spot on during the week. Saturday nights, however, have gradually become a different story. I don't go crazy, but I do splurge. I think this is completely healthy and many times necessary so you can stay pumped up about eating clean. If it becomes a tedious task and something you dread then why are you going to continue doing it?

This Saturday is different. This Saturday is the first Saturday during the challenge. This Saturday night I'm without the Mr. who is working. He would never know. I could totally go steal some of his oatmeal or string cheese right now. I could be sneaky...

Nope. Not going to happen. Why? Because I just grilled up 1.5 pounds of turkey cutlets. Yum. I really do love those things. Super lean and a nice change from a turkey burger. Plus, I have a fridge full of fresh veggies. I have a good variety so I can keep it different this week. On Friday I purchased eggplant, asparagus, squash, and some cucumbers. Cucumbers with salsa are a great treat if you are craving something crunchy. Treat them like your chips!

What is your Saturday night routine? What "treat" are you going to miss this most while keeping it clean? After almost a full week of the challenge, are you craving anything? Pay attention to how you feel. Find ways to fight the urge to splurge.

On a different note, I'm climbing 50 flights of stairs next Saturday with the CrossFit Jenks team in the American Lunch Association's 2010 Fight For Air Climb. I need to raise $100 in a week. Yikes! Here is the link to my donation page if you are interested in supporting me.

Keep up the good fight!

Don't Neglect....

...Your bed!

I preach about this a lot and I'm not always the best about keeping it in good practice. Get your sleep! I need to take my own advice this week. My life right now is in a bit of a whirlwind. We are gearing up for our move to Michigan. That means lots of free time is spent cleaning out closets, boxing up stuff, cleaning and trying to get our house ready to sell. Not to mention, the Mr. is working nights in the ICU which means even if I do get in bed a decent hour, I wake up when he gets home. On top of this, I'm working my full time job, training for regionals and trying to get in my eight plus hours of sleep a night.

This week it has not been happening.....

I've been lucky to get in six and a half hours. I'm not a girl that functions well on lack of sleep. I need my full eight or more. I am not writing this so you will feel sorry for me. I am writing this because I need to remind myself that the one thing I absolutely cannot neglect is my sleep!

You're eating clean, you are getting in your exercise, but are you ruining all of it by not getting your shut eye? The body is an amazing thing. The next few nights challenge yourself to get at least eight hours. I promise you will feel a difference.

Take the TV out of your bedroom and cut the caffeine out before bed. I hope you are cutting most caffeine out of your diet anyway! If you are not, don't have it with dinner. It will make a difference.

Here are few great articles on the importance of sleep. I promise it is just as important as your diet and workout routine. Maybe even more important. We put our bodies through a lot. Give it the rest it needs and deserves.

Six Reasons Not to Scrimp on Sleep
How Sleep Works - This one has some pretty interesting info!
How Fatigue Can Negatively Affect Your Athletic Performance
The Importance of Sleep for Athletic Performance - Good sleeping tips in this one!

Angie:
In response to your question about almond butter, I try to keep it to a serving (2 tablespoons) which is extremely difficult because I L.O.V.E. almond butter. Of course, I might eat my almond butter with three different meals as my fat. I like to spread it on cut up apples or just eat it with a spoon. Don't worry, I don't share my jar with anyone else! Complete sanitary, right?

Stir Fry Prep!

Like I said in my last post, the Mr. and I spent Monday getting prepped and ready for the paleo/zone challenge. Since I have been doing paleo since last August, I have a pretty easy time just cooking my protein and figuring out what carbs (veggies or fruit) I'm going to eat with my protein. The Mr., on the other hand, is the kind of person that needs it to be easy. Since he has a busy, unpredictable schedule sometimes he needs to be able to have snacks and meals ready to go. He is zoning, but trying to keep his carbs mainly veggies with little fruit. He is not giving up dairy.

To help him out we spent the day chopping veggies and cooking chicken to make ready to go stir fry that he can grab out of the freezer and just heat! It was his idea. So smart. Here is what we did:

He chopped and chopped veggies. We ended up with three huge Pyrex bowls full of squash, zucchini, red and green peppers, onion, mushrooms, carrots and spinach.















I was in charge of the protein. My specialty! I had a five pound package of chicken that only cost me $9.50! Ziploc bags are also a must when portioning out your snacks. We stocked up.















This is my George...my best friend. Look at all that fat it gets rid of. Marvelous! I love my lean, mean grilling machine.















The finished product! We made thirteen freezer bags full of six ounces of protein and three cups of veggies! We used the chicken I cooked and also some frozen mini shrimp and scallops.















If you are interested to know what meal that I eat looks like, here is today's breakfast. I have a four ounce chicken breast, a half cup of black berries, my glorious jar of almond butter and a full bottle of water. I have a bag of three cups of veggies including celery, carrots, tomatoes and cucumber that I will munch on during lunch and throughout the day. Prepared!

Let The Games Begin!

Yesterday was the official kick off for the CrossFit Jenks Paleo/Zone 12 Week Challenge. We all know I love a good challenge. I'm not in it to win the money, but I did get all my measurements taken so I can see the before and after. I was pleasantly surprised to know my weight has stayed steady since the end of my two month strict challenge last year. I hardly ever step on a scale. I despise scales. If my clothes fit and I feel strong then I am happy. Numbers mess with your head too much. The only numbers I care about are my PR's.

Yesterday, the Mr. and I ventured to the store to stock up for the next two weeks. Luckily, I had the day off on Monday so I was able to get prepared. Keep that word in your mind during this challenge everyone...preparation! If you are prepared you cannot be defeated! If you leave yourself open to go off course sooner or later it will happen.

Every other Sunday is now food prep day! The Mr. has two weeks worth of lunches prepped in the freezer. Individual servings of stir fry! Too cool. I have pictures to post later tonight. Very exciting stuff.

Since I had the day off, yesterday was a little bit odd. We slept in (I never get to do that) so breakfast happened about 10:30. By the time we got back from the store and done prepping it was almost 3PM. I had not had lunch and was going to be going to be doing "Fran" in about two hours! I was feeling week and needed food pronto. Honestly, yesterday I ate about half of what I should have quantity wise. I managed to hit a decent PR on Fran. Amazing what you can make your body do when you don't let it stop. I will admit, I was not expecting anything great after the weekend of Easter goodies and a Mexican meal of quesadills on Sunday evening. Sheesh. Can't wait to see what happens in 12 weeks.

Good luck everyone! Feel free to post questions, thoughts, random comments of joy or frustration on this blog! Give it a couple weeks to start feeling normal. Don't give up. You can do it! Your body will thank you!