After finishing my very first Tough Mudder I arrived home hungry for more. I want to do it again and I want to be better, faster, and stronger. Despite my best efforts training and dieting correctly I've been unable to get the scale to budge. This combined with some other health issues I've been having led my doctor to do some blood work to check on how my thyroid is doing. I'm still waiting on the results but in the mean time I'm going to do everything I can to ensure I'm nourishing my body properly.
I've started back on a multivitamin and extra iron (per doctors orders for anemia) and I always find myself wondering what I can do to take better care of my body while still staying focused on my goals of losing body fat and increasing muscle mass.
It was through following Crossfit that I first heard about the Paleo diet. I brushed it off saying (I quote) "The idea of cutting out any food group entirely is just stupid. Why would anyone ever do that?" As time has gone on I've heard more and more about it, noticed some tasty looking recipes, and learned that a handful of elite athletes I admire embrace the Paleo lifestyle, so I decided to dig in and learn a bit more.
It was through following Crossfit that I first heard about the Paleo diet. I brushed it off saying (I quote) "The idea of cutting out any food group entirely is just stupid. Why would anyone ever do that?" As time has gone on I've heard more and more about it, noticed some tasty looking recipes, and learned that a handful of elite athletes I admire embrace the Paleo lifestyle, so I decided to dig in and learn a bit more.
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| Andrea Ager- Elite Crossfit Athlete and Paleo Princess |
According to Thepaleodiet.com this is paleo in a nutshell:
"The Paleo Diet is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, the time period from about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. These foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game meat, if you can get it), fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu."
This gave me a pretty good picture of what I could eat, and also a pretty good idea of what I couldn't but just to be sure, I searched a little further. Sure enough, this is what I found. In huge red letters the words "DON'T EAT" followed by this list
-cereal grains
- legumes (including peanuts)
- dairy
- refined sugar,
- potatoes
- processed foods
- salt
- refined vegetable oils
As the daughter of an Iowa diary farmer my hackles immediately rose. What do they mean no dairy!? I grew up milking cattle and drinking whole milk fresh from the bulk tank morning noon and night. Not only that but I love yogurt, cheese, and milk. Raising two sons, they are food staples in our house. Admittedly I haven't been consuming as much dairy lately, but I certainly haven't cut it out of my diet entirely.
Also included in the great loves of my life are salty snacks. You can take my sweets, I might complain a little but take my salt? You've got to be kidding me. I've always clung to an old school bodybuilding mentality of clean eating. Avoiding sugar, and pre-packaged processed food is a given. However healthy grains such as oats, quinoa and brown rice are a staple of clean eating. Is it really possible to excel as an athlete while cutting out grains and legumes?
That being said the health benefits boasted by Paleo speak for themselves. Converts who follow the prescribed diet are nearly entirely free of many of the diseases plaguing western civilization including obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and acne just to name a few. There is also a nice list of what you should eat when following Paleo. Included are a few favorites of mine, namely meat and eggs as well as nuts and seeds.
It was enough to give me pause and make me reconsider brushing it off so quickly. Honestly, at this point what have I got to lose? (besides body fat) That being said, I am excited to announce I will be giving Paleo a trial run for the month of October! I am allowing myself 2 "cheat" meals for the month that may include ingredients from the list of forbidden foods (as I have so fondly named it) I am going to be taking before and after shots (which I may or may no share with you) as well as measurements to help me keep track of my physical progress. I am also going to keep notes on how I feel and any special improvements or drawbacks that I notice in my health and general feelings of wellness.
I did find the website http://thepaleodiet.com to be a fantastic resource, and seeing as I am not an expert I would highly recommend checking them out if you would like more information. I'd also like to mention http://civilizedcavemancooking.com as a wealth of delicious recipes. Either way I look forward to sharing my little experiment with you! Here is to hoping for some fantastic results!
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