The Cost of CW Beauty Standards Part I

“What is your beauty tip/secret you can share with our audience?”  - Entertainment Interviewer

“Drink plenty of water and apply sunscreen every day.” –Celebrity

BARF! If I have to read/hear this response one more time…I’m going to rant. Sorry to those who believe this garbage, but hanging out in the bathroom all day smelling like coco-nutty chemicals doesn’t make you beautiful. 

You don’t need to drink 8 glasses of water a day.

Remember, there is water in food and if you eat healthy food (whole/unprocessed – NOT GRAINS) you will not need as much water as you would if you ate a standard American diet. So where did we get the 8 glasses a day myth? In the 1940’s the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine stated we needed to drink 1ml per calorie consumed while promoting the need for 2000 calories a day = ~2 liters or 8 eight ounce glasses. What was not as widely advertised: most of that water comes from our food. It gets better. The more water sucking grains and carb (sweet tasting) you consume the more water you will need/crave. Drink water when you are thirsty – don’t guzzle it down to make your quota for the day.

You don’t need to apply sunscreen every day.

But the sunscreen companies would like you to. So women are supposed to shower, exfoliate, apply lotion and sunscreen, and then put on makeup? Every day? Hmm, sounds time consuming and sticky to me. How about a real answer: eat foods high in lycopene (tomatoes, carrots, watermelons, and papayas) to protect your skin from the sun rays. 

Over the summer I was out on the lake boating with my family. I’d been consuming tomatoes and carrots for several weeks and while they were slathering on the sunscreen, I was already out on the inner-tube soaking up the sun. No sunscreen. No sunburn.  In fact, I had a nice tan, but that was probably built up from spending time outside walking/sprinting/playing. Now I do think sunscreen has a time and a place. If you have fair skin, haven’t been outside for a lengthy period of time in a while, or are going near the equator for a vacation then sunscreen is a good idea. You don’t need it if you are going to be outside for 10 minutes going to and from work.

You may be investing more money into your food by being Paleo/Primal, but you are saving on sunscreen and your water bill. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of a stretch, but it will definitely help you on my next topic: Makeup.

Krista

The Science Behind How Paleo Works

Have you seen Dr. Robert Lustig's speech on Sugar: The Bitter Truth? It's quite long, but worth it. It explains the science behind why low carb diets work for the majority of people. Be sure your brains are turned on (coffee) before you watch or you will doze off like I did the first time.

It's refreshing to hear why Paleo/Primal work in relation to chemicals and hormones in our body rather than "it's how the caveman ate." You will win a lot more arguments with those influenced by Conventional Wisdom and be able to convince more people to try Paleo if you can explain the scientific background.

If you feel like snoozing through your Monday or want to clarify some points in the speech, see below:

• Eating low carb will lower insulin (hormone released to regulate carbs).
• When insulin is low, you will not crave carbs (not as hungry) and have better leptin sensitivity.
• Insulin blocks leptin, thus making you feel hungry when you body is not (example: eat Chinese Food, you will be "hungry" 1-2 hours later).
• Lepin regulates hunger and energy - so by being more leptin sensitive you will be able to better control your appetite and have increased energy with less insulin.

Hopefully, the video will help you to better explain why Paleo/Primal works without referencing our ancestors (ensuing rolling eyes and saber tooth tiger comments).

Have a good Monday!
Krista

Family Matters

Sorry I haven’t updated in a little while. It’s been a busy week at work, at home, trying to get a template (that I like) to work, and updating the blog with static pages (menu bar). Hope you like it! Also, I didn’t feel inspired by any topics until I had dinner with my in laws.

Questions from family & friends

Ever since I went Primal successfully, several family and friends have thought about trying it. They ask a lot of questions that get me to think and look up answers. I’m terrible at explaining things – you don’t want me to tell jokes or funny stories…it’s just bad. For some reason I can’t put stories/explanations into words successfully without getting word vomit. You don’t want that in your carpet so I send links to websites or books to explain. 

Family successes & spreading the word

The other night my Mother-in-law was telling me of her success on Paleo. She read the links I’d sent her and changed her diet/workout accordingly and lost 6-7 pounds in a few weeks. This is really great for her because she has tried so many diets over the years, until recently she would practically starve herself (600-800 calories/day + chronic cardio) just to drop 1-2 pounds in a month.  We were so proud of her and now she wants to start cooking this way for my Father-in-law – great! Now he is in great shape for his age and he is concerned with his cholesterol and eating saturated fat than losing weight. To avoid word vomit, I just told them how I’d read several examples on Paleo/Primal lowering cholesterol for many who live by the diet. I don’t find it very convincing telling someone that you read something somewhere, because you can read about Elvis being abducted by aliens, probed, and is now back among us but that doesn’t make it true. So I followed up with some links today (click here if interested).

My Mother-in-law also told me about how she is pickier with what she eats. They were just returning from a class reunion and she told me that she is now thinking more about what is available and asking herself, do I really need that or maybe I should wait and see if a better option is put out. Like comparing instant mashed potatoes out of a microwave to having Paula Dean make them for you herself with all the fixin’s (I know which option I’d choose).  I laughed as she was telling me this, because the other day my Mom was telling me about how she is pickier about the carb options she consumes. My Mom has been going as low carb as possible, not fully Paleo, but she has seen the benefits and believes it can work (lost a total of 12lbs in 6 weeks) - great results for not a full 100% effort.

How to get your family interested in Paleo/Primal

Nothing speaks louder than actions. If you would like to get your family started on the Paleo/Primal lifestyle, the best way is to lead by example. Do not approach them about what you are doing and what they should be doing. No one wants someone else’s beliefs shoved down their throat. People want to make their own decisions. Wait for them to come to you – trust me, if they care about their health they will come.

How are you doing with Paleo/Primal? Has your family questioned your “diet?” Do you try to get them onboard?

Krista

Please excuse our mess....

...I'm working on a new template. Html has decided not to be my friend, but I will try to convince it by tomorrow!

Coming soon: A better template with a menu bar to static pages (not blog posts) that will describe what paleo is, FAQ's, Recipes, Before and After shots, etc.

Krista

Weak moments

We are human. We are going to have weak moments and make mistakes. Some days those extra donuts your co-worker brings in is just going to keep screaming at you until you silence it in your belly. Other days you are going to be stressed and cooking a meal may not be a priority on your list of things to get done. Guess what. It’s okay.

When we start a diet, we get it in our heads if we cheat or mess up once that we have to start completely over. That’s not how it works. You just start where you left off. :) Many people, including myself at one time, think that once cheat then you may as well cheat the rest of the day because you blew it. Wrong again! If you are going to give in and indulge, the most important thing is not to feel guilty – enjoy the indulgence! Otherwise it isn’t worth it. Don’t use one treat as an excuse to over indulge the rest of the day either, that’s coming from guilt. 

Yesterday my boss brought in mini pastries for everyone in the office in appreciation of our hard work. I enjoyed them for about 30 minutes. I slowly ate the croissant and black berry turnover – savoring them since it is a rare treat to have pastries. After about 30 minutes, my stomach wasn’t happy with me. I had an ‘ache’ that wouldn’t go away for a couple hours. A good reminder of why it is good to rarely treat yourself to pastries.

Normally, I would’ve ignored the carb loaded free breakfast garbage to save my 20% for other treats I enjoy more (chocolate, ice cream, etc.), but it was a special time of the month. I don’t know what it is about that time, but I always have a little less self-control, which sounds pathetic but it’s true.  Because you are in some pain (cramps) and have some additional emotions expressing themselves, you feel like ‘what the hell, I deserve this.’ Maybe we do deserve the treat, but recognize (and I did) why you are letting yourself have something you normally wouldn’t and enjoy it.

Again, Paleo/Primal isn't a fad diet, it's a lifestyle. You can treat yourself once in a while, but not everyday. So be sure to enjoy it and then go back to your regular meal plan on the lifestyle. That's what makes Paleo/Primal work for me.

Today I was in line for coffee and a large woman in front of me ordered a Double Skinny (skim milk) White Mocha Latte and asked if the scones had blueberries – they did – so she purchased one as well. She was trying. With the skim milk in the latte and the blueberries in the scone, this is an example of CW affecting our health choices. I wanted to reach out to her, but most people don’t want you offering health advice unless they ask for it. 

And hey – I could be wrong. Maybe she is following a healthy lifestyle and she had her weak moment of indulgence today, just as I had mine yesterday. I didn’t say anything. I let her have her moment, just as I would want someone to let me have mine. Sometimes we need to stop being so overly critical of what others are doing. Step back – you don’t know their situation or what they are going through.

Life lesson I need to follow more often is not to judge another person buy their actions.

Okay, enough sappy crap. Where’s my 3^rd challenge?! 

Krista

Day two begins with a picnic

Today US Wellness is donating a whole cow to the winner of this challenge! That's awesome - except I have no storage space for a cow, dead or alive. :-P

Have you heard of US Wellness meats? They sell only grass fed products for a great price and ship it right to your door. You must order a minimum of $75.00 of product to purchase, which I'm still trying to convince my husband about. I really want to try Pemmican (like a primal candy bar, but with meat). ;-)

"The winners will receive sirloin, brisket, short ribs, back ribs, rib-eye steaks, T-bone steaks, NY strip steaks, Delmonico steaks, filets, bottom round roasts, center cut roasts, chuck, tongue, liver, heart, kidney, beef tallow, marrow bones, beef stock, and an oxtail."

Since the prize has raised the stakes, the challenge can't fall short. Somehow I need to gather eight friends and have a primal food picnic with a fun primal activity. Yowza! I don't even have 8 primal friends (that live in Iowa). May need to involve the family for this one!

Luckily, the submission isn't due until October 3rd...I can do this. :) 

Are you up for the challenge? Any primal 'activity' ideas? So far all I got is climbing a tree or beating my brothers with sticks.

Krista

Now is the time

Have you been thinking about joining the Paleo/Primal lifestyle? Now is the time to jump in and go for it!

The 2011 Primal Blueprint 30 day Challenge begins today!

30 day challenge includes:

• 30 days of contests
• Thousands of dollars in prizes $$$$
• Motivational articles
• You will have increased energy
• You will start to lose fat
• You will put on muscle
• You will be proud of yourself!

If you don't want anything from the list above, this contest is not for you. If you are interested in anything from the list above, then start the challenge with me! I will take on this challenge and blog the progress along the way.

The more the merrier - this should be a fun challenge to achieve a healthier lifestyle!

I have been Primal for almost 12 weeks now, but that doesn't mean that I can't improve my personal blueprint. This challenge should give me the motivational tools to get those lifting workout in (now that my strength training inspirational shows are over - The Jungle & Expedition Impossible).


Read the challenge flyer below for more details and watch today for the first challenge (not posted yet).

Who's with me?! *Insert Rocky Training Montage Music*

Krista

UPDATE:

The 1st challege is a retweet for Vibram shoes. I have been wanting a pair of these!! :)

I had to create a twitter account. Follow me (@PrimalKrista)!

Beautiful Morning...

It's rare to wake up to mornings like this. Gorgeous sunrise, perfect temperature, and it's FRIDAY! Wish I could just lay in bed and enjoy, but alas, I must get up and walk Gizmo before work.

The scale reads: 134.5lbs (again, don't remember the last time my weight was that low...early college or late high school).  The problem is now that I need a new wardrobe because now all of my clothes are too big. Not a terrible problem to have, but I don't have hundreds of dollars laying around for a new wardrobe either.

Note: Sorry for the lines (screens on the window).

He enjoyed the walk this morning too.

Plans for the weekend? I'm watching football, catching up on shows from the week, playing video games, running Gizmo around the neighborhood, making paleo cuisine, and just enjoying life.



Which college football team are you cheering for this season?

Here is a hint. :)

Go Bucks! And go Hawks (he doesn't have a jersey for them).

Krista

Baked brats...say what?!

Now before you call me crazy and stop reading the blog, you must at least give the recipe a try - you will be surprised when you take that first bite!

It was 100° outside and I absolutely loathe wasting food so I got creative with what I had in the fridge.

Ingredients:

4-6 bratwurst
1/2 cup onion roughly chopped
1/2 cup apple roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped bacon 
6-8 whole garlic cloves peeled
2 medjool dates roughly chopped

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Sear the brats in a medium saute pan over medium high heat (get a nice crust).
3. Spread out all remaining ingredients on a foil lined 9x13 baking pan. Use enough foil so that you can tent the brats later during the baking process.
4. After the brats have a nice sear, add them to the baking pan.
5. Tent the foil ( /\ = like that ) over the pan and bake for 45 minutes.

With this recipe you get the full spectrum of flavors: sweet n' salty, sweet n' tangy, mixed with savory goodness.These brat are perfect for tailgating, when it's too hot or too cold outside, the grill is out of order, or even for a nice simple dinner with family.

Note: I didn't sear my brats when I tried this, which is why the picture leaves much to be desired. Recipe directions were adjusted for searing.

Enjoy,
Krista

Food this week...

Say Cheese

At the store this week I found some interesting cheese from England, right next to the clotted cream, and decided to give it a go. What a treat! This Wensleydale cheese was so soft and laced with cranberries - it paired perfectly with a dry white wine.

  

This 2nd cheese is a 5 layer mix of delicious different traditional English cheeses. I call this my 'Hawkeye' cheese (Black and Gold for those that aren't fans) - very appropriate for the football game tomorrow! It's fun to taste all of the layers though and goes better with a red wine. I still prefer the Wensleydale with cranberries (above). Hard choice, but the flavor won me over. If you see these at your store, snag them before someone else does! I'm on the hunt tonight!

What goes better with cheese and wine than some candied pecans. Oh yeah, nothing! Another simple Paleo/Primal snack you can throw together and trick your taste-buds into thinking you are indulging in the forbidden. See recipe below.

Ingredients:

2 cups pecan halves

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh crack black pepper

Dash of sea salt to your taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450°

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Pour and spread out over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Back in the oven for 5-6 minutes - watch closely or they will burn and taste awful.

Enjoy!

On to real food.

Problem: You have brats that needed to be eaten before they go bad and it's 100° or -100° (uh oh, you've got bigger problems than brats!) outside.
Solution: Bake 'em! Say what?! That's sacrilege (I can hear my mother now)! Yes, I seared and then baked the brats and they were fantastic! Better than grilled - IMO. Here's a preview, recipe to follow.




Have a great weekend!
Krista

Autumn is Coming

OK so that’s not as powerful as the Game of Thrones version, but I couldn’t help myself.

Fall has always been my favorite season in the past. The smells, warm cider, spice candles, pumpkin and apple pie, the sound of crunching leaves, the colors, Halloween movies and parties, football games, the holiday drinks that come out at coffee places, need I go on? As you can see I’m a big fan of autumn. 

This year I have mixed feelings since going Paleo/Primal. I’ve been spoiled by fresh foods from over the summer, which now will be more expensive to get through the fall and winter. The farmer’s markets pack up to hibernate until next spring, it cools down to make exercise outside more uncomfortable (ugh snow eventually), and the holidays are coming to bring treats and excuses. 

Fall will be a challenge, but let’s take it on head first. Enjoy the season, but know how to: smell the candles, drink some homemade cider, go to the parties (eat before), watch scary movies, admire the leaves, and maybe have a sliver of apple/pumpkin pie over the holiday. Watch for Paleo/Primal versions of some favorite fall treats....(hint: hot, yet cold and warm, yet crisp). :)

Personal update: Still down 19lbs since my peak weight. I’ve been at 136 for a few weeks now so maybe this is my optimal weight since it takes no effort to maintain. 

Any guesses?

Krista