Happy day to all of you who are reading this blog post
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday is make you feel warm and fuzzy day!
While I enjoyed a hot brew of coffee I perused the internet searching for something worth sharing with all of you. I've found a blog that follows Gary Rea, a mid 50's man who follows the Paleolithic diet for a year. He is from the Midwest U.S, here is the opening paragraph from his first post;
"I'm a fifty-five year old man and I was in good shape in my forties, doing strength training and walking six miles a day. Since then, I've developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and, now, just two weeks ago, I was informed that I am a type 2 diabetic. That's the bad news." Link to that blog post found here
His starting weight was 233lbs. His final post describes a Mid fifties male who has taken his body back and has given himself a fresh start. Here is the post;
"Today marks day 365 of my paleo diet experience, one that has changed my life for the better in so many ways. In the year I've been eating a paleolithic diet of meats, fruits and vegetables (no grains, no dairy, no processed foods) my weight has dropped from 233 lbs to the 160 lbs I find myself at this morning. That's down a pound from last weekend, and it appears my weight will fluctuate in that range; i.e., right around 160 lbs, plus or minus, as long as I continue to eat this way (and why would I not?).
In addition, I have gone from a body fat percentage of...who knows what (I had a gut that made me look pregnant) to a body fat percentage of only 10.9%, as of this morning - down from 11.2% last weekend.
Furthermore, a year ago, I had just been diagnosed by my doctor as a type 2 diabetic, with a blood sugar reading of 218 ml/dcl. As of seven months ago, I was no longer diabetic and this morning I'm at a normal reading of 104 ml/dcl, though my readings have been lower than this. I could get more exercise than I have been, or increase my use of cinnamon and get it back down into the 90s or 80s very easily. But, the point is, I'm no longer suffering from what my doctor falsely called an "incurable disease" that I would supposedly have for the rest of my life. I think that was just his own wishful thinking. Gotta keep up those payments on his half-million dollar house, you know.
Finally, a year ago, my blood pressure was somewhere around 180/90 and this morning it's at a normal 115/72.
So, once again, I am living proof that the paleolithic diet works and works very well for weight loss, weight control, elimination of type 2 diabetes, correction of high blood pressure and high triglycerides, and the restoration of one's natural health. Today, aside from a little more gray and a little less hair, I look and feel pretty much as I did when I was in my thirties - except that I have more lean muscle mass, less body fat and, oh yeah - I'm 56 years old.
So, the bottom line is, if you are obese, have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides and other health problems that are the result of the diet you've been eating, the paleo diet can and will do for you what it has done for me - if you just give it a chance to.
Sure, you will have to stop eating many favorite "foods," but those "foods" were never part of the original human diet, prior to the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Grain products, dairy and, especially processed foods are not foods at all. Our stone age ancestors would never have recognized them as food and none of us were ever supposed to be eating them. If you have trouble with eliminating these "foods" from your diet, just remind yourself of what you have to gain - your good health and a longer life span (not to mention looking good naked), what you have to lose (a lot of fat and, with it, all your dietary diseases) and when the temptation to eat a bagel with cream cheese or a pizza strikes, just think of how you wind up feeling after eating such garbage. I can't eat that way any longer, myself, without my blood sugar immediately spiking and feeling like crap the rest of the day.
I'm leaving this blog here, as it is, for the benefit of all who wish to change their lives with the paleolithic diet, as I have. May you benefit from my experience and from the knowledge I've gained. Thank you for reading. "
So lets break this down together:
His weight went from 233lb to 160lb. 73lb in one year! On average 6 pounds a month. Gary explained he was not exercising as much as he could have been, 73lb in 12 months is still an amazing drop of weight.
His body fat % went from having a self diagnosed gut that made him look pregnant down to 10.9%. For arguments sake, lets say his % was 25-30%, he cut his body fat percentage by more than half. Almost down to single digit body fat %!
Blood sugar level was 218 ml/dcl down to 104 ml/dcl. Gary was diagnosed as a type two diabetic shortly before he started his year on the paleolithic diet. less than half a year into eating paleo he no longer had type two diabetes. Let that sink in, read it again. Take your time, its pretty amazing isn't it? A toted "incurable" disease by many doctors is fixed by eating the way our bodies are built to eat.
Last but not least, his blood pressure dropped from 180/90 to a normal 115/72.
What more needs to be said about this? Gary didn't base his diet on eating pomegranates, taking hydroxycut, or using the slapchop to chop his cares away. He ate meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. No grains, dairy and legumes. Look where dedication, and self control took him. Where can it take you? You should find out, stop making excuses about why you can't and tell yourself you can.
"I'm a fifty-five year old man and I was in good shape in my forties, doing strength training and walking six miles a day. Since then, I've developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and, now, just two weeks ago, I was informed that I am a type 2 diabetic. That's the bad news." Link to that blog post found here
His starting weight was 233lbs. His final post describes a Mid fifties male who has taken his body back and has given himself a fresh start. Here is the post;
"Today marks day 365 of my paleo diet experience, one that has changed my life for the better in so many ways. In the year I've been eating a paleolithic diet of meats, fruits and vegetables (no grains, no dairy, no processed foods) my weight has dropped from 233 lbs to the 160 lbs I find myself at this morning. That's down a pound from last weekend, and it appears my weight will fluctuate in that range; i.e., right around 160 lbs, plus or minus, as long as I continue to eat this way (and why would I not?).
In addition, I have gone from a body fat percentage of...who knows what (I had a gut that made me look pregnant) to a body fat percentage of only 10.9%, as of this morning - down from 11.2% last weekend.
Furthermore, a year ago, I had just been diagnosed by my doctor as a type 2 diabetic, with a blood sugar reading of 218 ml/dcl. As of seven months ago, I was no longer diabetic and this morning I'm at a normal reading of 104 ml/dcl, though my readings have been lower than this. I could get more exercise than I have been, or increase my use of cinnamon and get it back down into the 90s or 80s very easily. But, the point is, I'm no longer suffering from what my doctor falsely called an "incurable disease" that I would supposedly have for the rest of my life. I think that was just his own wishful thinking. Gotta keep up those payments on his half-million dollar house, you know.
Finally, a year ago, my blood pressure was somewhere around 180/90 and this morning it's at a normal 115/72.
So, once again, I am living proof that the paleolithic diet works and works very well for weight loss, weight control, elimination of type 2 diabetes, correction of high blood pressure and high triglycerides, and the restoration of one's natural health. Today, aside from a little more gray and a little less hair, I look and feel pretty much as I did when I was in my thirties - except that I have more lean muscle mass, less body fat and, oh yeah - I'm 56 years old.
So, the bottom line is, if you are obese, have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides and other health problems that are the result of the diet you've been eating, the paleo diet can and will do for you what it has done for me - if you just give it a chance to.
Sure, you will have to stop eating many favorite "foods," but those "foods" were never part of the original human diet, prior to the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago. Grain products, dairy and, especially processed foods are not foods at all. Our stone age ancestors would never have recognized them as food and none of us were ever supposed to be eating them. If you have trouble with eliminating these "foods" from your diet, just remind yourself of what you have to gain - your good health and a longer life span (not to mention looking good naked), what you have to lose (a lot of fat and, with it, all your dietary diseases) and when the temptation to eat a bagel with cream cheese or a pizza strikes, just think of how you wind up feeling after eating such garbage. I can't eat that way any longer, myself, without my blood sugar immediately spiking and feeling like crap the rest of the day.
I'm leaving this blog here, as it is, for the benefit of all who wish to change their lives with the paleolithic diet, as I have. May you benefit from my experience and from the knowledge I've gained. Thank you for reading. "
So lets break this down together:
His weight went from 233lb to 160lb. 73lb in one year! On average 6 pounds a month. Gary explained he was not exercising as much as he could have been, 73lb in 12 months is still an amazing drop of weight.
His body fat % went from having a self diagnosed gut that made him look pregnant down to 10.9%. For arguments sake, lets say his % was 25-30%, he cut his body fat percentage by more than half. Almost down to single digit body fat %!
Blood sugar level was 218 ml/dcl down to 104 ml/dcl. Gary was diagnosed as a type two diabetic shortly before he started his year on the paleolithic diet. less than half a year into eating paleo he no longer had type two diabetes. Let that sink in, read it again. Take your time, its pretty amazing isn't it? A toted "incurable" disease by many doctors is fixed by eating the way our bodies are built to eat.
Last but not least, his blood pressure dropped from 180/90 to a normal 115/72.
What more needs to be said about this? Gary didn't base his diet on eating pomegranates, taking hydroxycut, or using the slapchop to chop his cares away. He ate meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. No grains, dairy and legumes. Look where dedication, and self control took him. Where can it take you? You should find out, stop making excuses about why you can't and tell yourself you can.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Eat more, save more.
Everyone is feeling the pinch these days, money is tight and it's hard to spend money that seems to be nonexistent. Sacrifices have to be made, but one sacrifice that should not be made is eating low quality food in the hopes of saving a few bucks. Cut back on many things but eating should not be one of them. The following are a few tips to buy high quality nutrient dense food at bargain prices.
When you look at the nifty food pyramid on the right side of this amazing blog (shameless self promotion I know) you should (as I do) use it as a guide food purchasing priorities. Meat is the most important, then vegetables, fruit, and lastly, nuts and seeds. The tip of the pyramid for my personal intake is a nice bottle or two of Chilean cab every month and Bud light, just delicious.
If you're bound to shopping at grocery stores there are prime hours to go. Going late at nights and weekend, namely Saturday and Sunday nights are key to purchase meats and vegetables. Most if not all meat and vegetables get replaced first thing Monday morning, which means almost all types of meat is put on sale because it's getting closer to its due date. There is nothing wrong with the meat, it can be frozen, cooked as is. The "best before" date is not set in stone, there's at least a few days in leeway. Check out websites like eatwild.org and Google local grass fed beef farms. They have the highest quality meat you can get, exponentially better than what you can get at big box supermarkets. Have a deep freezer, get a 1/4, 1/2 or custom boxes of meat, you'll save money and get better quality meat.
Fruits and vegetables are a bit trickier, I avoid all tropical fruits because its been shipped from the other end of the continent and or it's ridiculously expensive. I know at Superstore there's a 50% off shelf that usually has a good mix of apples, avocado's, and usually some vegetables. The best place to go is a local market/grocer, the store is basic and provides everything needed to eat clean and well balanced.
The cost for nuts and seeds adds up at the speed of light. Personally I can eat nuts and dried fruit to no end, but I pay the price with a huge spike and crash of energy. Dried fruit is loaded with natural and added sugar, it can be tasty in small doses but can be over consumed. The same with nuts and seeds, its a double edge sword- its tempting to eat large of nuts and seeds because they're so calorie dense with high levels of fat. The other side of that is eating lots of nuts and seeds can send your omega fats intake into a tail spin. It's best to measure fruit and nuts out and eat them in portions versus what I do, take handfuls nearly everytime I'm in the kitchen.
Make a list, check it twice and stick to it. Make good choices and your body will love you!
When you look at the nifty food pyramid on the right side of this amazing blog (shameless self promotion I know) you should (as I do) use it as a guide food purchasing priorities. Meat is the most important, then vegetables, fruit, and lastly, nuts and seeds. The tip of the pyramid for my personal intake is a nice bottle or two of Chilean cab every month and Bud light, just delicious.
If you're bound to shopping at grocery stores there are prime hours to go. Going late at nights and weekend, namely Saturday and Sunday nights are key to purchase meats and vegetables. Most if not all meat and vegetables get replaced first thing Monday morning, which means almost all types of meat is put on sale because it's getting closer to its due date. There is nothing wrong with the meat, it can be frozen, cooked as is. The "best before" date is not set in stone, there's at least a few days in leeway. Check out websites like eatwild.org and Google local grass fed beef farms. They have the highest quality meat you can get, exponentially better than what you can get at big box supermarkets. Have a deep freezer, get a 1/4, 1/2 or custom boxes of meat, you'll save money and get better quality meat.
Fruits and vegetables are a bit trickier, I avoid all tropical fruits because its been shipped from the other end of the continent and or it's ridiculously expensive. I know at Superstore there's a 50% off shelf that usually has a good mix of apples, avocado's, and usually some vegetables. The best place to go is a local market/grocer, the store is basic and provides everything needed to eat clean and well balanced.
The cost for nuts and seeds adds up at the speed of light. Personally I can eat nuts and dried fruit to no end, but I pay the price with a huge spike and crash of energy. Dried fruit is loaded with natural and added sugar, it can be tasty in small doses but can be over consumed. The same with nuts and seeds, its a double edge sword- its tempting to eat large of nuts and seeds because they're so calorie dense with high levels of fat. The other side of that is eating lots of nuts and seeds can send your omega fats intake into a tail spin. It's best to measure fruit and nuts out and eat them in portions versus what I do, take handfuls nearly everytime I'm in the kitchen.
Make a list, check it twice and stick to it. Make good choices and your body will love you!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Is it that hard?
Take a few minutes to think about how you eat. It (should be) the top of one's list priority wise. I've heard and read numerous times over that people say they can't cut out refined carbohydrates and gmo (genetically modified) food, they "need" it. When people that are say this they genuinely think they need these sources of empty calories, which is of course, nonsense. People don't need to eat pasta, "whole grains", cereal. Get that paper mache out of your mouth and change it up with a nice apple or a carrot.
Here's a sample of what I ate yesterday.
Breakfast- 3 whole eggs (eat your yolks), 3-4 ounces salmon, asparagus, broccoli, onion, garlic, yellow pepper. Coffee with coconut milk
a.m snack- bowl of blueberries, rasberries, 1/3 cup almonds
Lunch- leftover bbq from the night before- sausages and steamed vegetables- black coffee
p.m snack- beef jerky, granny smith apple
Supper- Rack of pork ribs, uncooked celery, broccoli
snack- walnuts, blueberries, apple with coconut milk.
That sounds terrible doesn't it? I wake up angry because I have to eat such delicious food all the time.
Step out of your comfortzone and try eating clean and real whole foods. The Whole9 has a really direct and well versed 30 day plan to change your eating habits and lifestyle. Everything is there, it's right in front of you. Think of how much better you will feel. 30 days?! I know, I'm already hearing people complain and making excuses about why they can't follow through. It might seem difficult, but it is worth it. Like anything in your life, you get what you put into it. Don't half-ass it because you're only cheating yourself. I'm going to copy and paste the "tough love" section of the whole9 30 day challenge post. Kudo's to Melissa Urban for writing such a complete manifesto.
Love you!
Here's a sample of what I ate yesterday.
Breakfast- 3 whole eggs (eat your yolks), 3-4 ounces salmon, asparagus, broccoli, onion, garlic, yellow pepper. Coffee with coconut milk
a.m snack- bowl of blueberries, rasberries, 1/3 cup almonds
Lunch- leftover bbq from the night before- sausages and steamed vegetables- black coffee
p.m snack- beef jerky, granny smith apple
Supper- Rack of pork ribs, uncooked celery, broccoli
snack- walnuts, blueberries, apple with coconut milk.
That sounds terrible doesn't it? I wake up angry because I have to eat such delicious food all the time.
Step out of your comfortzone and try eating clean and real whole foods. The Whole9 has a really direct and well versed 30 day plan to change your eating habits and lifestyle. Everything is there, it's right in front of you. Think of how much better you will feel. 30 days?! I know, I'm already hearing people complain and making excuses about why they can't follow through. It might seem difficult, but it is worth it. Like anything in your life, you get what you put into it. Don't half-ass it because you're only cheating yourself. I'm going to copy and paste the "tough love" section of the whole9 30 day challenge post. Kudo's to Melissa Urban for writing such a complete manifesto.
- It’s not that effing hard. (Yes, I wanted to throw an f-bomb in there.) Don’t you dare tell me this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Drinking your coffee black is. Not. Hard. Substituting Sunday morning French toast in favor of a giant omelet and side of crispy bacon is not hard. Eating fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables every day is not hard. So I don’t want to hear one single complaint. You won’t get any coddling from me on this one, you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”, and you won’t get any second chances. Not in my house. It’s thirty days, and it’s for the most important cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. So shut up and do it.
- Don’t tell me you “slipped”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of Krispy Kremes, you DID NOT SLIP. You made a choice to eat something of poor quality. It’s always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. You make a poor choice, even once, you’re out. You don’t get to re-start, you don’t get to keep posting. Commit here, 100%, for the full 30 days, or go somewhere else.
- Don’t lie to me. Don’t even try.
- You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no. Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your Mom’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company outing does not mean you “have” to eat crappy food. It’s always a choice, and I would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
- This does require a bit of effort, people. If you’re cutting grains and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those calories with something. You have to make sure you’re eating enough, that your vitamins and nutrients are balanced, that you’re getting enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Don’t expect me to fill in the blanks for you. Figure it out. There are a ton of good resources out there, so take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness and performance doesn’t happen just because you’re now taking a pass on chocolate milk
Love you!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Get your priorities straight.
All to often people justify eating terrible food with the following logic "buying fresh food, like meat and vegetables is too expensive, I can't afford it"
Follow the easy three step process and you'll be able to buy the right food in no time.
1. Do a few pushups, drink a nice glass of room temperature water, look in the mirror.
2. Look at what you spend your money on in the span of a month.
3. Stop making dumbass excuses and get your mind right you cretin.
As a functioning human being have to decide what's more important to you. Is it;
a) More important to you to look good
b) Eat clean food (meat, vegetables, local fruit, nuts & seeds) and feel great all the time.
If you chose answer A. Then keep eating your Special K cereal, buy your skin firming cream and keep making the same excuses you've been making for weeks, months, years.
Or, you can decide whats most important. It's never to late and everyone can always improve themselves. If you haven't figured it out yet, you should choose option B.
It all boils down to whats most important to you. You have to choose.
Here is my list of priorities.
1. Eating
2. Exercising
3. Having fun
4. Sleep
5. Striking out with girls. (I'm awesome at it, really.)
While the list might differ for most people, because we are all unique snowflakes, priorities 1-3 should be the same for everyone. You will have to sacrifice and change your lifestyle, but we both know change is needed, don't we?
Follow the easy three step process and you'll be able to buy the right food in no time.
1. Do a few pushups, drink a nice glass of room temperature water, look in the mirror.
2. Look at what you spend your money on in the span of a month.
3. Stop making dumbass excuses and get your mind right you cretin.
As a functioning human being have to decide what's more important to you. Is it;
a) More important to you to look good
b) Eat clean food (meat, vegetables, local fruit, nuts & seeds) and feel great all the time.
If you chose answer A. Then keep eating your Special K cereal, buy your skin firming cream and keep making the same excuses you've been making for weeks, months, years.
Or, you can decide whats most important. It's never to late and everyone can always improve themselves. If you haven't figured it out yet, you should choose option B.
It all boils down to whats most important to you. You have to choose.
Here is my list of priorities.
1. Eating
2. Exercising
3. Having fun
4. Sleep
5. Striking out with girls. (I'm awesome at it, really.)
While the list might differ for most people, because we are all unique snowflakes, priorities 1-3 should be the same for everyone. You will have to sacrifice and change your lifestyle, but we both know change is needed, don't we?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Eating margarine makes you hate yourself.
Now that I have your attention, listen in kids. One of the main reasons I'm losing faith in humanity (most of whom are well educated) is because I see people eat worthless "food" like margarine. I say it time and time again, your body is a temple. I know you're smart, so think and make the right choices.
Margarine became really popular a few decades ago with corporations and their pseudo researchers decided saturated fat and fats in general are terrible. Butter has and was used for the past few centuries as a staple in the daily intake of nearly everyone young and old. Once industry giants decided fat was the new devil they went to their labs, concocted this hydrogenated vegetable oil substitute, added some yellow coloring, some flavor extracts and hello! you've got yourself the new age Frankenstein substitute for butter. It (margarine) is a classic example of a product that makes health claims trying to promote itself. I've said it in previous posts, real food, not these bullshit gimmicks don't have to get on a soapbox to tell everyone how great they are.
Here are the ingredients for Margarine;
Liquid Soyabean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soyabean Oil, Water, Salt, Milk Solids, Monoglycerides, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Anti-oxidants (BHA, BHT, TBHQ), Butter Flavour, Vitamins E, D & A, Citric Acid, Beta Carotene (colour).
Just so you know, BHT stands for- butylated hydroxytoluene, BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid, TBHQ- tertiary butylhydroquinone. Do you know what any of those mean? Either do I.
Ask yourself, do those ingredients look natural? do you think all those chemicals going into your system do any good for you? I don't like eating "food" that has mystery ingredients. Don't get me started on Soy, if you see any Soy ingredient in food put it down and walk away.
Now, let's look at the ingredients for butter.
Milk, water, salt.
I don't need to say anything witty here. 3 ingredients versus 17. Case closed. You can also get butter unsalted which you'd need to refrigerate.
What would your great grandmother do if she saw you choosing margarine instead of butter? She'd slap you and say she's very disappointed with you as only a woman can do.
Margarine became really popular a few decades ago with corporations and their pseudo researchers decided saturated fat and fats in general are terrible. Butter has and was used for the past few centuries as a staple in the daily intake of nearly everyone young and old. Once industry giants decided fat was the new devil they went to their labs, concocted this hydrogenated vegetable oil substitute, added some yellow coloring, some flavor extracts and hello! you've got yourself the new age Frankenstein substitute for butter. It (margarine) is a classic example of a product that makes health claims trying to promote itself. I've said it in previous posts, real food, not these bullshit gimmicks don't have to get on a soapbox to tell everyone how great they are.
Here are the ingredients for Margarine;
Liquid Soyabean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Soyabean Oil, Water, Salt, Milk Solids, Monoglycerides, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Anti-oxidants (BHA, BHT, TBHQ), Butter Flavour, Vitamins E, D & A, Citric Acid, Beta Carotene (colour).
Just so you know, BHT stands for- butylated hydroxytoluene, BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid, TBHQ- tertiary butylhydroquinone. Do you know what any of those mean? Either do I.
Ask yourself, do those ingredients look natural? do you think all those chemicals going into your system do any good for you? I don't like eating "food" that has mystery ingredients. Don't get me started on Soy, if you see any Soy ingredient in food put it down and walk away.
Now, let's look at the ingredients for butter.
Milk, water, salt.
I don't need to say anything witty here. 3 ingredients versus 17. Case closed. You can also get butter unsalted which you'd need to refrigerate.
What would your great grandmother do if she saw you choosing margarine instead of butter? She'd slap you and say she's very disappointed with you as only a woman can do.
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