Lets hear it!

The first weekend is over, are you still free from original sin? Who is going to be the first to admit to the group that they fell off the wagon? You know the punishment, back to day one. Our weekend was not without temptation and challenges. We forgot to take our camera. We were going to take pictures of what kind of paleo foods we were able to find while traveling. Speaking of traveling, we had no way of knowing back in May when we booked this seminar that the funeral for Ted Kennedy would be three blocks from us, but it was. Everything about traveling to, in , and home from Boston was a nightmare.

The seminar itself was incredible and really helped our understanding of proper movement to prevent, and fix some of the most common injuries associated with exercise. It amazes me how the more informed I become about a given topic the more I realize, it's the simple stuff done right that makes the difference.

Back to the challenge, we had a bunch of people sound off at the end of last week. Thank you! Even the simplest of posts may resonate with someone and provide the reassurance, or motivation that they need to make it through the day. We will answer a few questions that popped up and share how we managed to stay paleo on airport food. As the newness starts to wear off and you start to think, "why am I doing this? I want chocolate, beer, pizza, etc." Consider some of the positive effects many have already experienced and trust us that there is more to come. A huge part of this experience is the practice of self denial, trading what you want right now for what you want most and we hope that is a long and healthy life.

Many people have reported, as Marisa did, improvement in preexisting skin
conditions, we have heard, just from our Small group, about eczema clearing up, and warts and skin tags falling off. Don't quite know what is going on with that, but we are looking into it and more than happy to take credit for it. Dr. Cordain did write another book titled The Dietary Cure for Acne. We will have to read that one.

Marilyn & Brenda,
You will fill up much faster eating this way, Marilyn, 3oz is enough protein for you, remember listen to your body, when you are full stop eating.

Megan and Anne,
Thanks for the recipes we are going to try the bok choy this week. We want to try a new vegetable each week of the challenge.

Now for our 26 hour journey,
We got to the airport at 7:30 on Friday only to find out we would not be flying out until 11:30, because the airspace in Boston had been closed for the VIPs. Luckily we had already eaten dinner and packed our jerky and nuts for a snack. The hard part was staying out of the new Greene Turtle in the airport Friday night with the Redskins game on. We got to our hotel around 12:30am and were told we should leave early in the morning to get to where we were going because of the road closures. We found a bagel place and asked for double eggs, double meat, and double veggies on a bagel, but hold the bagel. Got a strange look on that one, but got what basically ended up looking like our usual breakfast of scrambled eggs and meat with lettuce and tomatoes. For lunch we found a small carryout that served a great steak tip salad and it was back to the airport for another long wait and dinner. We both ordered a grilled chicken BLT, it came with sliced avocado and some Asian cabbage stuff that was awesome. We both cleaned our plates (except for the buns). It took more time and thought, but it was not hard to stay on track while traveling.

That's it for your Monday check in. Let us know how the weekend went and where you are on your journey.

1st Friday Check In.

We are doing our Friday check in on Thursday this week because we are heading to Boston tomorrow night for a Sat. seminar on "Movement-Mobility & Maintenance" We have not heard much in the way of comments and we don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. We do have a few tips and warnings as we head into our first weekend. For most of us, these two days are more challenging than the other five.

First off we want to remind everyone that what you are embarking on is not some type of fad diet. It is a new way of looking at food and its role in your life, especially as it pertains to your health. Understand that what you put into your mouth is fuel for your body and how your body responds is directly proportional to the quality of fuel you are providing it. Try to move away from the entrapment of the scale. Let your body tell you what is going on, by paying attention to how you look, feel, and perform. Don't allow your focus to shift from that to the scale. The numbers on the scale will take care of themselves. This way of eating lends itself to a more calorie restricted diet than you have probably been on and the last thing you want is for a scale to tell you you need to eat less. So what we are saying is along with no sugar, no grains, no dairy, and no alcohol, we are adding in no weighing (until at least day 15). Put the scale on the high shelf next to the Oreos and forget about it.

Another positive that we hope you take from this experience is to be a more aware consumer. Read your food labels. You will be surprised how many items in the grocery store contain some form of high fructose corn syrup, or some other type of sugar or preservative. One of the ones that surprised us were the marinades we were using for our chicken and the amount of sugar in some types of almond milk. Be sure to read the labels of everything you are consuming to make sure there are not some sneaky non-paleo things thrown in.

How many of you are fighting a soda addiction? It's alright because its diet, right? Wrong! We will post soon about the crazy things associated with artificial sweeteners, but until then trust us that they are not good. We came across a tip for people who are suffering from soda withdraw. Mineral water

with fruit. Pour yourself a glass of mineral water and squeeze in a lemon or lime or both. Throw in some raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and you may just be able to satisfy that soda urge.

The last tip will have you racing out the door to the closest Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or in some cases Target. Lara bars(pictured up top) are a paleo friendly snack bar and they are delicious. We found some at Trader Joes, but their website says you can get them at Whole Foods and Target. There are 16 different flavors and not all of them are paleo friendly, so again you need to be the savvy consumer and read labels. We tried the apple pie, the cashew cookie, and the cherry pie. All were tasty and 100% paleo, but a word of warning they (like sunbutter) should be used sparingly as a quick snack and not as a meal staple.

We were called to task on our posting that we eat sweat potatoes after our workouts. Which surprised us because we thought Kim was the only one actually reading the blog. We wanted to clear that up with words straight from the horses mouth. Below is a quote from Dr. Cordain himself explaining that the difference and benefits of yams and sweet potatoes.
"Sweet potatoes originate from the tropics, but are now grown in Florida. Yams are mainly grown in West Africa and Asia. The USDA website suggests that unless you get your 'yams' from an ethnic store, they are probably sweet potatoes! To add to the confusion, the USDA requires that the food label yam must also say sweet potato. Nutritionally, both yams and sweet potatoes are great sources of starch, particularly for high-training athletes who need to
replenish glycogen stores.

Not a huge difference between the two as far as nutrient breakdown is concerned; but the lower glycemic load of yams is preferable if you can find a real one!
Personally, when I know I've got a long run or ride coming up the next day, there's nothing I'd rather prepare my body with than a nice, baked sweet-potato-yam with my protein and veg dinner! A more detailed discussion about root foods is available in Volume 3, Issue 2 of The Paleo Diet Newsletter available from http://www.ThePaleoDiet.com/newsletter"

We hope everyone had a great week and has their mind right heading into the weekend. Drop us a quick update in the comment section and let us know how you are making out or if you have discovered any new vegetable tricks. We made some tasty cauliflower stuff tonight. We cut the cauliflower up into small pieces and put them in a Ziploc bag, poured in some olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, then broiled them until they were slightly brown. Tasted like popcorn. Thanks Megan for that one! In a future post we are going to have some tips for making bok choy and chard. Stay strong this weekend and we will see you on Monday.

Day one in the books

Day one is just about over and hopefully everyone is still on board. We stuck to our regular routine of scrambled eggs with ham on a bed of spinach for breakfast, with a handful of nuts and black coffee. For lunch we had left over chicken sausage from last nights dinner on a salad with asparagus a sweet potato, and half a banana. For Dinner we had turkey meatballs on spinach with squash broiled in olive oil and avocado.

A word of warning for those who are switching from a high carbohydrate diet. This new way of eating will be a shock to your system and can/will result in some wacky issues. Women can compare the symptoms to PMS and Men the symptoms are comparable to how you feel after writing out the bills for the month. Irritable, cranky, headaches and stomach pains are some of the symptoms. This transition period is different for everyone and can last up to three weeks. This is why we are committing to 30 days. Here is a more sciency explanation of what is going on from a web site called Marks Daily Apple(he has his own version of paleo eating that he calls a primal diet).

...when you radically shift from a carbohydrate-based diet to a fat-based diet, you can get some pretty wild short-term acclimation issues... Acclimation takes time as new signals from the diet prompt a shift away from glycogen/glucose dependence towards greater fatty acid/ketone reliance. Hormones respond, enzyme systems are increased or decreased, transporter molecules and receptors have to up- or down-regulate. During this acclimation period which may last from two to three weeks, humans will notice loss of memory, fogginess and possibly headaches as the glucose-dependent brain still thinks 100% it’s of energy substrate will be, well, glucose. There will often be a loss of physical energy in general over a period of days as glycogen reserves are gradually depleted while gluconeogenesis ramps up to keep blood glucose stable. Once you transition to efficient use of fatty acids as fuel within a few weeks energy, cognition, memory and performance return to normal or improve beyond baseline.

Let us know how things went with you on your first day. What cravings are the worst and what are you doing to address them? I know for me(paul) sugar was the worst. I had what felt like a physical need for something sweet after meals, even if I was full. I used our night time snack of sunbutter and grapes to get me past it. Now I can pass on everything ,but my Mom's ginger snaps. Tomorrow is her birthday, so if you are reading this tonight mom, happy early birthday.

Ready or not...It's on!

Hope your fridge is filled with lean meats and fresh vegetables and that you got your final cheats in. Dawn and I topped off a rough couple of days eating with a Jimmy Cone last night and felt like such garbage we decided to start our challenge today.

A quick reminder of what the expectations are. We want you to go 30 days eating nothing but lean meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, & SOME fruit. That's it. Don't make it harder than it has to be. Our gauge of success rests in three areas, how you look, how you feel and how you perform. If over the course of the next 30 days you look better, feel better, and perform better, it has been worth it. If not, accept our apologies and move on to the next diet. Our money is on you having success, and not needing another way.

Remember, this challenge is just like anything else you endeavor in your life. You will get out of it exactly what you put into it. A half assed, cheating effort will earn half assed results. Not just from a diet standpoint, but from a self discipline stand point as well. It always amazes me how often people will attend to the finest detail of material things like their car, home, clothes, etc., but when it comes to their health, McDonalds will suffice. Don't be that person, at least for the next 30 days. We are here to help. We will have posts up every Monday and Friday evenings and will scatter more in as time permits. Please use each other and the comment section to pass along any tips, successes, or struggles you are having. We will all help out. We are excited that this challenge has energized a lot of people and look forward to sharing the experience with you.

Good Luck,
Dawn & Paul

Enjoy it now!

This is how we spent our last Friday before the challenge. We took a boat ride with our friends Pat and Mary Brigid, who are both in on the challenge, to a nice little waterfront bar called Mikes and listened to a band play some Buffett.

We have had a few questions pop up we wanted to address. We will put up a final pre-challenge post on Sunday. When the challenge starts, our plan is to post info and encouragement on Mondays and Fridays. If questions pop up, please feel free to post them to the comments and we will answer them. It will help everyone if you post your questions to the comment section of the latest blog. It will be easier to follow.

One question was about not wanting an afternoon snack. This is normal. Listening to your body is going to be a big part of this challenge. Most of our eating is emotional and we will talk about this in a coming post. If you are not hungry, do not eat.

Gui, welcome to the challenge, we have searched and searched and cannot find other examples of dry mouth associated with the paleo diet. We will continue to look, but please stick with it, there are many side effects of changing your way of eating and it may take a couple of weeks to work itself out.

Enjoy your weekend!

Why are you doing this?

We like to throw in some of the why with the how every now and then. The Paleo Diet Web Page we have linked to on the right of the posts has a wealth of information to help you in this journey. Here are a few of the health benefits that you can expect to see along with the weight loss and looking good naked part of why you are doing this.

What are other health benefits that may occur with The Paleo Diet?
The carbohydrates in The Paleo Diet are of a low-glycemic index, meaning that they cause slow and limited rises in your blood sugar and insulin levels. Excessive insulin and blood sugar levels are known to promote a cluster of diseases called Syndrome X (obesity, hypertension, undesirable blood cholesterol and other blood lipid levels, Type 2 diabetes and gout). The high fiber, protein, and omega-3 fat content of The Paleo Diet will also help to prevent Syndrome X diseases.
Because of the unlimited amounts of fruits and veggies permitted on The Paleo Diet, your body will be slightly alkaline -- meaning that diseases and disease symptoms of acid/base imbalance (osteoporosis, kidney stones, hypertension, stroke, asthma, insomnia, motion sickness, inner ear ringing, and exercise-induced asthma) will improve.
The high soluble-fiber content of The Paleo Diet will improve most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the high omega-3 fat content will improve most of the "itis" or inflammatory diseases.

Putting It Together

We are going to share how we take $200 of SAMS goods and make food for the week. Keep in mind that we are in on this challenge also. We eat close to a paleo diet now, except for some dairy and Pizza night, which is usually followed by ice cream. This starts off a weekend where we usually end up eating out a couple of times and possibly imbibe in one or two or several adult beverages, before begging to get back on track Monday because we feel like garbage.

Here is our secret to success, we are boring. We have a rotation of food and we stick to it and that is going to be our plan for this challenge.

Breakfast - Its the same everyday, we do switch up the meat we throw in our eggs but basically we have scrambled eggs with some sort of meat(bacon, ham, sausage, shrimp) on a bed of spinach, with a handful of nuts. We took a picture today, it is at the top of the post. Dawn's on the left and Paul's on the right in a to go bowl as it usually gets eaten in the car on the way to work. We often hear, "I don't have time to make something like that." I timed it this morning and it took me 7 minutes to make both. That could have been shortened if I had beaten my eggs and made the bacon the night before. We try to get our kids to eat Paleo also. A pic of their breakfast is posted as well.(Kylie thought this was very cool!)

Lunch
Another trick we have come up with for lunch is to make extra at dinner the night before and pack our lunches for the next day as we clean up dinner. We take a Tupperware bowl line it with salad, throw whatever meat we had for dinner on top, along with the leftover vegetables, and some nuts. When we do not have enough leftovers ,we grab a can of tuna or canned chicken, which I forgot to put on the shopping list of this mornings post. This is what I did today in the picture up top. It is left over shrimp with tuna, sprinkled with old bay a few carrots and almonds. This will hold me over till about 3 when I eat a snack.

Snack: 2 or 3 pieces of deli turkey or Ham, a handful of frozen blueberries, and a spoonful of Sunbutter.

Dinner:

Here is where we change things up slightly. We have a different meat and vegetable each night. It varies, but looks something like this.

Monday: Steak and broiled asparagus

Tuesday: Shrimp and steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Top round roast and broiled yellow squash

Thursday: Grilled chicken and Cauliflower

Friday: Usually pizza night, but now we are going to go with taco meat and chard

Saturday: We usually try to clean out the fridge and eat whatever we have left over

Sunday: We sometimes go out on a limb on Sunday's and try some type of fish or if we are feeling lazy, it's burgers and dogs or some of the chicken sausage.

We pretty much rinse and repeat each week. Many people have gotten much more creative with their meals, but time and money are two things we are short on these days and we have found that this works. We hope with your help we will come up with some more ideas for quick and easy meals. Feel free to share any that you have come up with.

We would love for some of you to share what has been working for you so far. Brenda and Kim have been following a loose paleo diet for only a few days and have been very pleased with the results. Not everyone will feel so good right out of the gate. When you change your eating habits especially cutting carbs, your body has to transition from burning always available carbs as energy, to burning fat as it primary fuel source. For some people this transition is accompanied with fatigue, low energy, and irritability. This is normal, and should pass after the first week.

Shopping List

We wanted to give you a peak into what your paleo shopping cart will look like. If you are planning on stocking up for the month, forget it. The idea is that you are eating fresh and fresh does not last long. You may have to change your shopping schedule around to allow for more trips. You can geek out on paleo eating as much as you would like, in terms of food quality (grass fed, no nitrates, no antibiotics, no hormones in your meat, all organic produce etc.) If you stick with some form of this way of eating after the thirty day challenge this is a natural road to head down, but for the purposes of the challenge you will have enough to worry about, so simple is better in this case.

At our current location we have easy access to four main stores, SAMS, Whole Foods, and Giant/Safeway (they are interchangeable). Costco is my favorite, but we do not have one close, and if you are lucky enough to have a Trader Joes nearby it could help.

Sams/Costco-
We used to be intimidated by the size of the fruit and vegetable servings here, but now we find ourselves stopping in more than once a week. Here is what our list looks like.

2 liters of extra light virgin olive oil
2 cases of water
1 pound bag of dunkin donuts coffee
Large bag of raw almonds
Large bag of bacon bits(we have since phased these out because of the nitrates, but they helped make the morning eggs go down easier in the beginning)
1 bag of medium cooked shrimp
2 large bundles of asparagus
1 pound box/bag of spinach
1 pound box/bag of mixed salad greens
1 large bag of broccoli
Large package of 90 eggs
1 bag of avocados
1 bunch of bananas
1 watermelon
1 package of strawberries
1 package of blueberries
2 packages of boneless skinless chicken breast
1 package of ground turkey
2 packages of deli turkey
2 packages of deli ham
1 bottle of fish oil
Occasionally we will pick up chicken wings, or a roast, as well but for the most part this is what we get each week at SAMS.



Whole Foods/Trader Joes -
Whole Foods is an awesome store, unfortunately you pay for that awesomeness. We only go in there for a few things and still end up spending a hundred bucks. Most of what we get at Whole Foods can be found at Safeway or Giant, (we have progressed on the geek scale mentioned and prefer to pay more)

Chard -a spinach like vegetable found in bunches in the produce section.
Yellow squash and zucchini
Beef jerky - they have the kind without sugars
Sunbutter
Spicy Italian chicken sausage
Coconut and Almond milk
Dried fruit and bulk nuts & seeds

We use Safeway and Giant to supplement our shopping. Filling in what is on sale there with what we get from SAMS ,usually vegetables. This summer we have had the added benefit of a fresh vegetable market just up the street from us and use Safeway and Giant for the Redbox.

Everything we get at SAMS is also at Giant/Safeway in smaller quantities if you do not have as many mouths to feed. Remember this works for us. Your tastes and preferences will be different, find what works for you.

There will be another post tonight with a more detailed explanation of what we do with all of that food, as well as some more science to support our challenge. Hope you are still motivated and ready to change your life. You have 5 days to sneak in any last cheats, but don't go crazy, it will make that first week harder!

Melissa Byers, the person who inspired this challenge for us has an awesome post on her blog about how to deal with one of the toughest challenges you will face in the coming weeks. It is meant to help those who have finished the challenge but will be a big help for you along the way. You can see her blog by clicking the link below. If you have the time, there is a wealth of info from people who have completed 30 days in her comment section.

http://www.byersgetsdiesel.com/2009/08/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-paleo.html

Fish Oil & Portion Sizes

Our last post caused a few questions that we want to clear up here. Just a friendly reminder, we will crank out several posts this week leading up to the challenge, in an effort to get everyone on the same page before we start. Our numbers have grown since our last post to include both of our mothers, so the pressure is on for us to perform.

One aspect of this challenge that will help alot and is under used, at this point, is the comment section at the end of each post. Kim has it figured out, but we are getting many questions either by phone or e-mail and many are the same. If you ask them in the comment section we can answer them and hopefully help everyone out.


In our last post we talked about supplementing with fish oil. Fish oil is good for many things and is the only supplementation we recommend. Fish oil contains omega 3 fatty acids, as well as the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. These essential fatty acids have been proven effective in reducing inflammation, reducing the clotting tendency of the blood, improving the profile of fats circulating in the blood, optimizing brain function (DHA is a major constituent of cell membranes in the central nervous system) and inhibiting abnormal cell proliferation, thereby reducing cancer risks. All of this translates into significant disease protection.

On the subject of portion sizes, it is really very simple. You eat until you are full. It sounds crazy, but it works. If you are eating the right foods, your body naturally lets you know that you are full. During this challenge you are no longer eating those empty carbs that will keep you coming back for more! We found some great information from a post on the blog of Dr. Micheal Eades, author of Protein Power Life Plan (http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/). This might explain some of your cravings and binges.

Forgetting about all the metabolic events that carb intake precipitates that we all know cause obesity (i.e., increased blood sugar, increased insulin, etc.), let’s focus on simply one of the brain processes that carbs affect. The satiety center, located in the hypothalamus, is the part of the brain that tells us when we’re full. Unfortunately, it runs about 20-30 minutes behind our actual eating pattern, so we can stuff food in for a good while before our brains tell us we’ve had enough. Fortunately, it works a little more quickly (thanks to the help of cholecystokinin and some other gut hormones) when we eat primarily fat. If you eat a big steak, you feel full more quickly than if you eat a lot of carbs. Carbs tend to override the satiety center, allowing you to eat more. Let me describe a situation we’ve all experienced, and you’ll see what I mean.
Your at a restaurant. You’re just at the end of a big meal and you’re stuffed. One of your dinner partners asks you to try a bite of his wonderful swordfish. It’s the best he’s ever tasted, he tells you. You say, I just can’t eat another bite. If I do, I’ll be sick. Then appears the waiter with the dessert tray, loaded with wonderful gooey treats. You look them over and say: I’ll take the carrot cake (or the chocolate mousse or whatever). How can you eat this calorically-laden dessert when you’ve just refused a bite of meat because you were so full? Because your brain’s satiety center is overridden by the carbs. And you haven’t even eaten the carbs yet. But experience has taught you that no matter how full you seem to be, there is always room for carbs. And fat, since most desserts are pretty high in fat as well. But it’s the carbs that do the satiety-center-blunting trick. It’s the reason dessert is always at the end of the meal. If you ate the dessert first, you would never be able to eat all the steak. And this carb overriding of the satiety center is why people don’t binge on steak, eggs and bacon. They binge on cake, chips, cookies and other high carb treats because they can stuff them without their satiety center telling them they’re full.
Keep this in mind next time you feel like cheating.

Gearing up for the big day!

We are getting closer to the start of our challenge and we want to offer up some advice to help make the transition go more smoothly.

First things first, we need you to be honest with yourselves and in order to do that you will need a camera. We want you to take a picture of yourself, biggest loser style(sports bra and undies for the ladies just undies for the guys). You can do whatever you want with that picture just don't lose it, we want you to be able to put it up next to the one you are going to take at the end of the 30 days. You will be able to feel the effects of the diet almost immediately(mental clarity, energy, better sleep, looser clothing) but it is sometimes hard for you to notice changes in yourself both when gaining or losing weight.

We have included our "ahh haa" moment picture. It was taken on vacation at Topsail Beach back in 2005. The funny thing is, we thought we were models of health. We were eating our "healthy" carb filled, processed diet with plenty of protein and working out as much as we are now, but the puffiness from the inflammation still amazes both of us.

Now for the transition into Paleo eating. You are going to need to get used to shopping in a way that is probably different than you have in the past. It is actually easier. All you need to do is circle the perimeter of the store and everything you need to follow the Paleo diet is found there. Only on rare occasions will you have to venture down an aisle where all of the processed food hangs out.

Below we have listed the types of proteins, carbs and fats you are looking for when shopping. Remember you have to make this thing work for you and your schedule and budget. You want to get the highest quality of each of the foods listed that you can afford and that are palatable for you. It is our hope that you will go out on a limb a few times over the next thirty days and try some new things but start with what you know you like.

Animal Source Proteins & Fats

- Poultry (chicken, turkey) Deli meat is acceptable but not preferred, buy the highest quality you can afford for minimal processing.

- Fish (tuna-canned or pouch, salmon, whitefish, halibut)

- Seafood (shellfish, mollusks)

- Beef (lean cuts are preferred)

- Pork (again lean cuts, barbecue is out because of the sauce, but Chipotle pork salad is an option, try and get nitrate free bacon and or Canadian bacon)

- Eggs (organic with omega 3's are the best but out of our budget)

Vegetable Carbohydrates & Fiber

- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy)

- Leafs (spinach, Romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, kale, endive, chard)

- Greens (mustard, turnip, collard, beet)

- Stems (celery, rhubarb, asparagus, bamboo shoots, ginger)

- Roots (carrots, parsnips, beets, radishes, turnips, burdocks)

- Bulbs (onions, garlic, shallots)

Fruit Carbohydrates & Fiber (remember the challenge calls for SOME fruit)

- True berries (tomatoes, eggplants, guava, pomegranates, Kiwifruit, grapes)

- False berries (bananas, cranberries, blueberries)

- Aggregate fruits (blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries)

- Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes)

- Melon fruits (pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, cantelopes, melons)

- Multiple fruits (pineapples, figs, mulberries)

- Accessory fruits (apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, pears, strawberries, plums, mangoes, lychees)

- Peppers (red, yellow, orange, green)

Fats

- Nuts/Seeds (walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, Brazil nuts)

- Coconuts- Avocados

- Olive Oil

“Foods” to avoid:
- Sugars

- Grain-based products

- Peanut-based products

- Soy-based products

- Dairy products-

Trans or hydrogenated fats

- High fructose corn syrup

- Processed foods

- Acidic foods and beverages (especially soda)

Costco and SAMS are great places to load up on many of these things. In our next post we will share our shopping list,but we promised a day of eating paleo for this one so here it goes.

Breakfast: Omelet 3 eggs for Dawn 5 for Paul with bacon, tomato, and spinach and a handful of almonds.

4 fish oil capsules

Lunch:

1 can of tuna fish sprinkled with old bay on a mixed greens salad, some asparagus from the night before, several strawberries 6-8, and a handful of almonds

2 fish oil capsules

Snack:

3 pieces of deli turkey meat rolled up with spinach and more nuts

Dinner:

4-6 ounces of grilled chicken breast seasoned with Texas Pete, on mixed greens, topped with mashed avocado,& yellow squash sliced and broiled with seasoned olive oil.

Snack: Beef Jerky & grapes in a bowl with sun butter

We are sure there will be some questions and feel free to ask in the comments, but remember this is what works for us, not necessarily what your meals will look like. We will put up other days as we progress. The hope is that as we get going all of you will post what you eat each day as a way to stay motivated and get feedback from us and each other.

Until next time,

Dawn and Paul

No Excuses

We are gearing up for the launch of the 30 day challenge, we have several confirmed participants and have talked to many people who are on the fence about making the commitment. They offer a number of excuses as to why they can not do it, but ultimately that's all they are, excuses. We are asking for you to commit for thirty days to help improve the most important thing in your life, the body you are living in. Stop thinking about the things you can't do and start to focus on the things you can do to make it through the thirty days. We promise that the sacrifice will be worth it in many ways.



Examples:



Instead of these can't do's:

1. Drink coffee without cream and/or sugar


2. Give up alcohol for thirty days


3. Fix these meals, I have no time


4. Cut out all Carbohydrates


5. Cut out all sweets

Focus on these can do's:

1. Try almond or coconut milk, go black and never go back, switch to tea.


2. Get professional help you need it!


3. Cut down your facebook time, fantasy football, the T.V, whatever it is that is sucking your time and make a meal.


4. You are not cutting out carbs you are rethinking what carbs are. Your carbs will come in the form of vegetables and a little bit of fruit now.


5. This one will be tough. The trick is to find a fruit and fat combination that can satisfy your sweet tooth until you break the sugar dependency. This is usually about a two week process and we have a few options.

We will provide you with several resources to help you plan and prepare meals for this challenge. But, we will not just, "tell you what to eat and when" another thing that has been asked several times. This is for you to take control and it will involve some work. How many times have you tried a diet plan that spelled everything out for you, lost a few pounds, and as soon as you stop that diet, you find those lost pounds? None of your old habits changed. We hope to help you change your habits, but it will involve some work on your end.


We have also heard several times, to our surprise, "what do we get if we make it?" Besides your health and well being, which apparently was not enough for most, we are offering our stylish New Dawn Fitness tanks for the ladies and t-shirts for the guys, who can stick it out for thirty days.


Our next post will focus on the how, with approved foods, and an example of a day of Paleo eating. We are still waiting for the on the fencers to jump in. Post a comment to let us know you are in and tell all of your friends, the more support the better your chances for success.
P.S. A quick note on posting comments. If you do not have a g-mail account and do not want to set one up just pick the profile of anonymous and post that way, but be sure to put your name in the body of your post. The system will ask for a word verification, this is to keep out any spam.
P.S.S. One other clarification that needs to be made. The nutrition information that is found on our website is separate and different from this Paleo Challenge. It will serve as a maintenance guide once the challenge is over.