The Goddess has gone Primal!

Yes, The Goddess has had enough of her Human counterpart's shenanigans! She is getting back to it "Old School!"

Since beginning this blog, I have been all over the place with eating. Yes, I will admit it, I am a Yo-Yo Dieter. Ugh. The only time I have ever felt good was when I was eating clean. Eliminating all the processed, sugar filled garbage that we as a culture have filled our bodies with for years. Obviously I love food, which is really not a bad thing. We need food. But the food I have consumed in the past 25 years has poisoned me. Hence the Insulin Resistance, weight gain, bloat, gas, oh and acne! (Acne! What the what?) the list goes on. I am not in any way a nutritionist or physician, but am someone who is tired of being unhealthy.

About a two months ago I really started researching food and health. I am a self-professed Foodie and will NOT cheat myself when it comes to taste, texture and just all around happiness in my food. I also hooked up with a local Facebook group for Holistic Moms, which really started my research. I believe I have found my niche. I call myself a Paleo Clean eater now. There are some of  my "peeps" who read this will NOT believe I am doing this. There was a time I would not even touch, let alone eat meat. Honestly I am not a huge fan, but Meat and I have come to a mutual agreement. (except for organ meats and ribs...just cannot do it...((shudder))

Switching over to eating like this was gradual process. Despite my sometimes all or nothing personality flaw. GRADUAL. I emphasis this. We used up what we had in the cupboard and gradually bought our gluten-free products. The first thing I bought was Pamela's gluten free baking mix. I started making my own bread. We read labels. We ate more veggies/fruit, nuts,  incorporated coconut and nut flours in cooking. There was a little bit of a difference  in how I was feeling, but no weight loss. Then I took a good look at what I was putting in my body. Researching more we moved into Paleo. Each grocery trip I bought one of two items that help in Paleo recipes, for instance Fish sauce, Coconut milk. Coconut oil has been a staple in our house for awhile now for cooking and as a lotion. Love me some Coconut.

My biggest concern in Paleo was giving up cheese. Ahh, cheese. Cheese was my go to snack.  I gradually stopped eating cheese and have no gas or bloating or other digestive issues. And you what I do not even miss it. I do not eat any dairy now other then eggs, butter and ghee. We have our own chickens so I have farm fresh eggs daily. I only use butter or ghee at times, usually I cook with Olive, Coconut or Grape seed oil. I have no grains in the diet now. Everything is either nut or Coconut flour. Veggies and Fruit a big component in my diet. Because of my wacky pancreas, I watch the fruit. If I do eat it, it is a glycemic fruit and it is always paired with a protein.

Recipes and Help
Can I just say I love the Internet for recipes. There are so many places to find recipes for eating this way out there. I have revamped my recipe book and added so many wonderful recipes. I am always looking for new ways to cook. Plus with three kids at home, I have be creative. I just started feeling confident enough to take some of our family's food favs. and switched them to Paleo. For instance, tonight I made Chicken Picatta with mashed Cauliflower, instead of mashed potatoes. Remember I am a Foodie! But I get there are some of you that are not, so I will link you to some of my favorite Paleo places.
Favorite Paleo places:
Paleo Parents 
Empowered Sustenance 
Nom Nom Paleo
A Girl Worth Saving 
Cook it up Paleo 
Against all Grain 
 


Where I am at today
 
Honestly, I have only been super strict eating this way for two weeks. But let me tell you I see an enormous difference. When I have cheated, the Fourth of July weekend, I got so sick. I will leave out the details but my digestive tract was not happy. Call it my "What if" experimentation, what if I eat that bun, what if I ate those cheese curds, what if I eat that s'more? Not good, not good at all! Now I know. So yes, the last two weeks I have be a very diligent eater. Not worth it to be that sick. Healthy please here! Plus as an added bonus...I lost 10 pounds in two weeks. I know it is really about health, but geez, I am trying to be the Goddess!










 

Day #1, AGAIN!

Yes, again! I was fixing my breakfast this morning and suddenly realized just how many times I have had a "DAY 1." You know that could really make it or break it for me. Stinking thinking  crept in and I thought, "why even start? Here you go again, you are just going to fail." Then I realized you know, who cares? I will not know if I do not keep trying. So I decided to have a little laugh at myself, and go on about my day.

 DAY ONE:

My day started with downing a liter of water right off the bat. Oh, the refreshing taste of water. NOT! Since my body is used to it's first liquid of the day being filled with chemicals and caffeine, I felt like I was going to throw up. I had to immediately fix breakfast and eat.  I have noticed that I do better with a lot of protein right away. I fill up faster, and not get all shaky. Thanks wacky pancreas. So my favorite "go to" is eggs. I made 3 egg whites, I sliced up a whole Roma tomato, and had about a Tablespoon of fresh, clean hummus. It was a bit of sparse breakfast, since I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow, but it was delish. My next thing on the agenda, was going to exercise.

My Take on Exercise:

Oh, exercise! How I loathe thee! You hurt me, you make me feel less, you challenge me in ways that I do not really know if I want to be challenge. However...I know it is good for me, so I will do it. (grumble, grumble)

Exercise for me has to be fun. I am NOT a "get on the treadmill for an hour" kind of girl. I do better when I mix it up. For example, Circuit training. After my 3rd child, I joined a Curves fitness center. I had a neighbor that went with me. 30 minutes, cardio, resistance, bing, bam, done! I did not lose a lot of weight, but lost about 19 inches. I liked the constant movement. I am positive I have ADD, so keeping it moving and changing is the key for me.

Right after the holidays, a Planet Fitness opened up. They had an awesome sign up program. It was a $1 to sign up, and it is $10 dollars a month. I have had memberships before, heck, I use to work at a local YMCA, but because I am a "Domestic Engineer" aka House wife, when money is tight, memberships are the first to go! When that happens I bust out my Walking Away the Pounds DVD's they are by far one the best at home work out DVDs. But this membership is one we can handle! I am now a member of Planet Fitness! Wahoo!



Here is my t-shirt and cool new gym bag! Oh, by the way I did work out today. Just under an hour. A mix up of cardio and weights. Oh, and guess what? This place has a 30 minute circuit work out, just like Curves! Sweet.
 
I did pretty well. My problem is once I get the endorphins going, I am like a horse out of the gate, GO, GO, GO! So I have to really watch my pace so I do not end up on the as the latest news story: "WOMAN HAS HEART ATTACK WHILE AT NEW FITNESS CENTER" that would not be good. There was also this resistance machine that I have now dubbed it as a medieval torture device. I cannot think of it's proper name, but it basically makes you use your weight, while pulling in with your upper body, and up with your lower body. It works the abs. At first I just sat there, and then I started laughing. My dear husband says "Are you just going to sit there and take a break?" I look at him and through laughing tell him, " I am doing it!" Yeah, that good. Looks like the "Abs" need a bit more work.

The Eating

Today as I previously said, I had a pretty good breakfast. Because grocery day is tomorrow, I was not a diligent as I could be. Lunch, I had a six inch Veggie sub on wheat from Subway and a banana. Dinner I did  3 egg beaters Garden veggie omelet and fruit from Bob Evans. Normally I would eat 3 meals and 3 healthy snacks to keep my blood sugar from dipping up and down. I may eat the other half of the Veggie sub I have in there since I am a bit hungry at the moment.

Trying to detox off of Diet Pepsi and cigarettes is hard. I did great in my mind today. I only had about 4 cans of soda. Which is low for me. Even with that low amount, I am having withdrawal. I had to take a nap to get rid of the headache. The smoking today. I normally would be almost through a pack, which is 20 cigarettes. Today I have only had 5. I am sure I will have another one before bed, dang habit. But I am being honest.

I found a cool little gadget at the store today. It is a Blender Bottle. I have never seen one. So the hubby and I bought two for our protein shakes. It is BPA free too. I am such a sucker when it comes to gadgets, I love the little mixer ball!

Well that is Day #1 off the list. On ward!