It's the condiments that can get you!

So you've cleaned up the diet. You only buy grass fed meat. You go to the farmers markets and get the freshest seasonal vegetables. You avoid all breads, pastas and cereals. But things still aren't quite right. You still have some gut irritation. The weight is not really falling off as quickly as you would like. There are still some inflammation issues. Maybe you have missed a key ingredient. What are you putting on your steak and vegies?

The other day I heard  one of the people trying out this Paleo thing for the first time say, "I'm not going to eat like this forever, I like Pepper Sauce on my steak." So I decided to have a bit of a look at exactly what goes in to a peppered sauce.  I choose to look at Masterfoods Cracked Pepper Finishing Sauce. Masterfoods is a popular brand found all over the country so I thought it would be one of the most commonly used. Here is a list of the ingredients.

Cracked Pepper Finishing Sauce Ingredients

Water, Thickener (Modified Cornstarch), Cream 5%, Red Wine, Onion, Brown Sugar, Food Acid (Gluconic), Salt, Glucose Syrup (from Wheat), Cracked Black Pepper 0.5%, Garlic, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavour, Colour (Caramel 150c), White Pepper 0.5%. Manufactured on equipment that processes peanuts.
 (Bold & Italics are mine)

Lets have a look at some of these ingredients a little more closely.

Gluconic Acid:

•  A naturally occuring acid found in some fruits, honey and Kombucha tea.
• Manufactured by oxidation of Glucose.
• used as a cleaning product to dissolve minneral deposits (seriously this stuff is designed to dissolve minerals!)
• Often labelled as E574 (acidity regulator)

Glucose Syrup:

• commonly made from cornstarch, but can be made from wheat, rice or potatoes.
• Used as a thickener.
• Doesn't elicit as large an Insulin response as pure glucose does, but still puts more insulin into the system.

Brown Sugar:

• usually produced by adding  cane molasses to completely refined white sugar crystals.
• Remember that Sugar is a disaccharide of Fructose and Glucose.

Modified Corn Starch:

• Starch = Carbohydrate = Insulin response .
• Some evidence of gut irritation properties.

So there we have a quick breakdown. In your yummy Pepper Sauce you have an industrial cleaner designed to dissolve mineral deposits (I'm not sure the effect this woould have on magnesium and Calcium levels - They are minerals), a nice hit of fructose from the sugar and enough insulin spiking agents in the glucose containing ingredients to ruin all your goals. Oh, and a nice does of gut irritation to go with it as well. And that's without even considering the dairy that can be found in the cream.


Sure, you may think I am being a little extreme. I mean it's not like you are pouring Pepper Sauce on all your meals. Well, I have a homework task for you. Have a look at the ingredients that can be found in your favourite condiment. Do some research on those ingredients. I'm sure you will begin to see that these things can be serious handbrakes to acheiving your health and wellness goals.

If all else fails; Remember, your paleolithic ancestors didn't have any condiments for their foods. And they were bigger, stronger, fitter, faster and more healthy than you or I. Maybe they had it right!

And there goes the coffee!

Some of you may know Bjorn Albrecht-Walker. He is a fantastic guy and an elite CrossFit athlete who was one of the 3 Australasians to qualify for the CrossFit Games this year.  Now those things are pretty special, but what really makes Bjorn rock is the fact that he is a qualified Nutritionist who really gets it. He is a Paleo advocate and an amazing source of knowledge.

I asked Bjorn to check over the blog and let me know his thoughts. He did a little more than that. He challenged me to give up coffee.

Now I like coffee.  I REALLY LIKE COFFEE! So my initial reaction was no way. I justified it like this; I have made a lot of sacrifices in terms of foods that I enjoy in pursuit of Health and Wellness, surely I could keep my coffee. Various studies and heaps of anecdotal evidence shows that coffee can in fact be a benefit to performance. Robb Wolf (Paleo Guru) loves his coffee and my consumption was in line with his prescription of no more than 4 shots of espresso per day. I have invested in an Espresso machine for home and at school, I need to drink the coffee or I willl have wasted my money.

And then the other day something dawned on me (ironically while I was really enjoying a nice coffee). I could substitute the words Bread or Pasta or Cereal into the excuses that I have made above and they would become the excuses that I hear all the time. When I hear these excuses I often fire back with, try to go without it for 30 days. See how you look, feel and perform. If nothing changes, put it back in. If this is what I demand of the people who come to me for Nutrition advice, surely I am being a hypocrite if I don't do the same thing myself.

And now I find myself here. Pledging to go the rest of these 30 days without another coffee. Using my body as my experiment. If I look, feel and perform better, then I will have proven that Coffee is not good for me, and I will have to forgo that pleasure as I continue to strive for the best Health and Wellness.

Remember, it is not a sacrifice if it actually ends up making you look, feel and perform better. Try things out and let those markers be your judge.

I'll let you all know how I go!

The Paleo Sandwich

Another great recipe for you today. This one is for those times when you miss a good old fashioned sandwich.

Take 1 chicken breast and carefully cut it in half.
Grill or fry both pieces. (If frying, use coconut oil - it has magical properties that will make you superhuman!)
These chicken pieces become your bread. you are now free to top them with any paleo type filling you want. Tonight I used:
Bacon
Lettuce
Tomato
Guacamole (Home Made - Avocado, Lime, Chilli, Garlic)

I am going on a school excursion tomorrow and won't have access to a microwave. I'll simply stick my sandwich in a cool bag and I will be set!

This meal is obviously not that high in carbs, however it has a great hit of protein and fat if you use the avocado. If you do want to add a few more carbs to your diet, get rid of the chicken and use 2 large portabello mushrooms. The possibilities are endless.

Late Post

Hey guys,

Sorry for the late post. I coached at the gym last night and have been flat out at work today so just have not had time to get to the blog.

Instead of something from me, why don't you catch up on something from the main man when it comes to Paleolithic diet research, Loren Cordain.

This research paper is a great one to start with.

If reading research papers isn't for you, then have a read of this article on Cholesterol. I am going to do a whole blog post devoted to this at a later date. You can consider this some pre-reading.

Post any thoughts, questions and all food eaten to comments.

Why part 2 - Leptin Resistance or Why am I always hungry?

Ok, so you have now had a few days to digest the information I gave you on the key players in Insulin resistance. I've given you all of the pieces and now is the time to start tieing the puzzle together.

 

Lets start with Leptin Resistance. If you have forgotten what Leptin is then you need to click here .

 

We know that grains are a very concentrated form of Carbohydrate. We know that Carbohydrates get broken down into sugars. We know that the two main sugars in our foods are Fructose and Glucose.

 

When we eat Fructose (which is the main sugar in fruits and is also the major component of the preservative High fructose Corn Syrup which is found in nearly all processed foods) insulin acts to transport that Fructose to the liver where it is converted to Glycogen (Fructose can only be processed in the liver.)

 

When we eat Glucose, Insulin acts to transport that glucose to either the Liver (again to convert to glycogen), or it is circulated for use by the Brain, Red Blood Cells, and Muscles as a fuel source. This is a wonderful system. However, the problem occurs when we consume too much Carbohydrate.

 

Once the liver glycogen is full, the excess glucose is converted to the Saturated Fat Palmitic Acid (see how this all ties in), This Palmitic Acid attaches to other molecules to form a Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL - We will chat more about these when I do a post on Cholesterol - They're not the best!) which is then sent out as fuel and if not used, is stored as body fat.

 

The problem is that these VLDL's interact with our brain and cause a decrease in Leptin sensitivity. This affects our ability to feel full. We continue to eat even though our bodies fuel stores are full. More VLDL is formed. Can you see a circle forming here. The excess Carbs in our diet keep this circle running. Making us more Leptin resistant, stopping our satiety signals, making us eat more, making us fatter.

So lets review,

• Grains pack a potent Carb punch.
• Excess carbs = conversion to Palmitic Acid
• PA attaches to other molecules to form VLDL.
• VLDL inteacts with brain = reduced sensitivity to Leptin = greater hunger.
• Greater hunger = eat more = weight gain and all it's inherent problems.

That's probably enough for today. Take this information away and think on it. Next lesson will focus more on Insulin.

Post food log and thoughts to comments.

Quick Meals

One of the things that stresses a lot of people out when they first go Paleo is the supposed lack of convenient meals. Whilst I don't really beleive this to be true, if you are having trouble finding things to eat then the key is preparation.

One of the things that I like to do is cook a meal for tea and then eat the leftovers for breakfast or lunch. The following meal is a great one to whip up in a hurry and then eat again the next day.

500g grass fed beef mince (I have spoken to my local Butcher and he assured me his meat is 100% grass fed!)
1 packet of coleslaw mix (Coles Brand - red and green cabbage, carrot)
1 smal tin coconut milk m- full fat variety, no additives.
Spices - choose your own. I used Garam masala, celtic sea salt, pepper, garlic granules, onion powder, chilli

Simply brown the mince with the spices, throw in the coleslaw mix and coconut milk and then let it cook down for 5 mins or so. Job done.

There is an easy meal in under 10 mins. Eat half for tea and then the rest for lunch or breakfast.

If you're looking for some great paleo meal recipes, then check out Everyday Paleo.

Post any easy, quick meals that you guys eat to comments.

Why?

So we have reached day 2. I hope that you all survived your first day without grains and dairy? The world did not end. The sky did not fall down. Let's keep it up for the second day.

I have been trying to write a post regarding what I think are the main reasons to follow a diet such as the Paleo diet. As far as I am concerned there are 2 main reasons to cut grains from your diet. The first is the role that they play in Insulin resistance and Inflammation and the second is their role in Gut Irritation (GI) and auto-immune issues. However, as I started writing I realised that these are very major issues that I am going to have to attack a little bit at a time.

I want to start looking at Insulin Resistance first.

There are some key players in this process and I'll need to do some defining before we actually begin. When you eat a meal, no matter what that meal is, your food is broken down into 3 (and only 3) macronutrients. These Macronutrients are:

Protein Proteins are what makes up our skin, muscle, hair, and nails. Proteins are made of molecules called Amino Acids. Physiologically we make use of 21 Amino Acids but 8 of these are essential and we can only get them from food. The best sources of protein come from animals. Namely fish (including shellfish), fowl, meat and eggs.

Carbohydrates Carbs are a large group of foods that include fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, rice and all other grain type foods. Basically carbs are sugars. They come in the form of monosaccharides like glucose and fructose, disaccharides like sucrose (simple table sugar that is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose), and polysaccharides such as fiber and starch. The famously healthy 'complex carbs' is just a fancy way of saying lots of sugars.

Fat Yes there it is. That nasty word. I'm sure that some people think that by just saying the word I am going to fall down dead from a heart attack! I will eventually do a whole post on fats alone but for now lets just look at the basics. Fat is a triglyceride of glycerol and 3 fatty acid molecules.We commonly refer to fats as either Saturated or Unsaturated.
Saturated fat  can be divided up into 3 groups. Lauric Acid, Palmitic acid and stearic acid. Between them they have been shown to have antiviral properties that can help with HIV, chickenpox and healing properties that can assist with Gut Irritation. They play an essential role in the working of the brain and memory, particularly in relation to forming new memories and accessing long term memories. Saturated fats have also been shown to play a role in decreasing inflammation. Palmitic acid has been shown to increase LDL cholesterol (interestingly excess carbohydrate intake leads to the production of palmitic acid!) while stearic acid has been shown to increase HDL cholesterol.
Unsaturated fat can be divided into monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and trans fats.Some of the benefits that can be derived from monounstaured fats are; Improved Insulin sensitivity, improved glucagon response, decreased cholesterol levels, prevention of oxidative damage and therefore ageing. (That's a pretty impressive list!!) Polyunsaturated fats include the fats that make up your omega 3 and omega 6 esential fatty acids. It is absolutely essential that we get the right ration of omega 3:omega 6 fatty acids as they play a huge role in inflammation. Trans fats are just shit. They should be avoided at all costs.

Now lets look at some of the hormones that are released when we consume these macronutrients.

Insulin Insulin is a storage hormone that is released primarly after consuming carbohydrates (although some is also released after eating protein and even after consuming coffee!) It tells your body where to store the glucose it has consumed (muscles or liver) and sends the fructose straight to the liver.

Glucagon Glucagon is the opposite of Insulin in that it releases glucose from the liver. It is also responsible for freeing up fatty acids from fat cells. Insulin and Glucagon work like a team to ensure that we have steady energy levels through storing and releasing nutrients when we need them. However, too much Insulin can inhibit the way that Glucagon works.

Leptin Leptin is a satiety hormone. It tells us when we are full so we can stop eating. Leptin's satiety signal can become disrupted by Palmitic Acid.

Ghrelin lets us know when we are hungry or running low on energy. It prompt us to consume food. Your body can overproduce Ghrelin if you do not get adequate sleep.

Peptide YY (PYY) is another satiety hormone. Eating Protein and Fat releases a large ammount of PYY. Carbohydrates do not. PYY improves your bodies ability to sense Leptin.

Cortisol is a stress hormone. It is released in response to stress . It increases blood pressure, lowers the immune system, decreases the body's ability to sense Insulin, decreases bone formation and can cause a loss of collagen in the skin (hello wrinkles!). I know it all sounds bad but things are not as they seem. Cortisol is essential and acts as a potent anti-inflammatory. However, like all good things, we just need to make sure we get the right ammount. Lack of sleep, excess coffee consumption and over exercising can all play a role in excess cortisol production.

Ok. So that is probably enough for today. My head hurts just writing it down. You will need a good strong Black coffee to help you get through it. The next few posts will be quite simple to allow you time to get a good handle on these main players in Insulin resitance. Don't forget to click on the links if you want to research deeper into each, and don't forget to post your days eating.

Day One!

OK. So day 1 and we are off. The video below is for a great breakfast recipe. I make a batch of these little 'Paleo Muffins' every Sunday night and then use them for breakfast throughout the week. They are especially handy on the morning where I have to get up at 4:30am to coach at the gym!



Dallas and Melissa from over at Whole 9 have made a Whole 30 Success Guide It sells for $40US which is only about $2Aus with our wicked exchange rate. If you think you are going to need some guidance to do this properley why not buy it. It's an ebook so you can download it immediately.

Remember to post your days eating to the comments section at the end of the day.

Eat well!

Some thoughts.

"You can have results or excuses......Not both"

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!"

The journey starts tomorrow. The information is out there. It's up to you. Choose to be as you are now, or choose to get better. It is your choice. Sick or well. Strong enough to commit. Too weak to change.

Whatever you decide to do tomorrow, remember YOU chose.

I hope you make the right choice.

Behaviour

I'm working on a long post at the moment regarding Insulin resistance, Inflammation, Gut Irritation and Auto immune disease (basically a post on why we should avoid grains!). It's a long one and I won't get it out today. I may make it a 2 parter over the next couple of days.

Instead today, I thought I would post about behaviour. There are 2 issues I want to look at here. One is people's response to the idea of changing thier diet. I am always amazed that people will go to a doctor. The doctor will prescribe them some medication to deal with their high blood pressure or any other number of ailments that are brought on by their crappy diet. They will then run straight out of the surgery, go to the chemist, get their prescription filled and then start taking the medication that will treating the symptoms rather than the cause of their issue.

These same people, when considering a change in their diet (that might actually fix the cause of their problem, rather than just treat the symptoms!)always find a reason to procrastinate. You always here the excuses, "Well, I'll start next week." or "I have (insert random event here) coming up and I'll just start after that." The only problem is that there is always something else coming up.

Another favourite of mine, "Well I'll need to do some research on that before I commit to it." Really? You want to research it? That's brilliant! That is a fantastic atttitude. Hang on a minute, did you research the chemically manufactured drugs the doctor prescribed to you? Did you research the ailment that he is treating your for? No? Why not? Where is your consistency. Why is it that a change in diet, simply asking you to eat Meats and fish, Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts and Seeds, requires rigorous research, but asking you to swallow down some totally unnatural chemical concoction that may have some sideaffects requires no research?

The other issue of behaviour that I want to address is the effect that diet can have on behaviour. The video that I have attached below is a long one. However, as a father to a wonderful son and as a teacher I found it one of the most fascinating things I have ever watched. Check it out and then post thoughts to comments.



Finally, I hope you have got rid of all the rubbish in your cupboards and stocked up on plenty of fresh produce, meats, fish, and good fats. This journey starts with breakfast tomorrow.

It's like a drug, man!

Ever wondered why you never got sick of the same old breakfast every day for years on end? Chances are it's because you are addicted to it. From biologists Greg Wadley & Angus Martin:

“Cereals have important qualities that differentiate them from most other drugs. They are a food source as well as a drug, and can be stored and transported easily. They are ingested in frequent small doses (not occasional large ones), and do not impede work performance in most people. A desire for the drug, even cravings or withdrawal, can be confused with hunger. These features make cereals the ideal facilitator of civilisation (and may also have contributed to the long delay in recognising their pharmacological properties).”

Wait a minute. Surely this is a mistake. Cereals are foods not drugs!

Well apparently that's not the case. And the news only gets worse because I'm about to tell you that dairy products are also not all that they seem. You see milk contains the protein casein and certain grains (wheat and related species, including barley and rye) contain the protein Gluten.

Now you may have to hang in there for a while here as I am going to give you a very basic biochemistry lesson here.

Proteins are made of molecules called amino acids. There are eight essential amino acids that we must get from our food. Amino acids get together to form peptides or polypeptides.

Casomorphin is a peptide derived from the milk protein casein. Casein is one of the major proteins in the milk of all mammals including cows, goats and humans.

Gliadorphin (or gluteomorphin) is a peptide derived from the wheat protein gluten. Other related grains such as rye, barley and oats also contain the sequence of amino acids found in gluten. Gliadorphin is very similar to casomorphin.

Now for the big news. The peptides from gluten and casein are important because they react with opiate receptors in the brain, thus mimicking the effects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine.

Your innocent breakfast of cereal, milk and toast is actually your morning hit. You begin to come down by mid morning so you top up with another quick hit (maybe a muffin or a biscuit). Again you start to come down again at lunch. But don't worry a sandwich is around to give you your next hit. By mid afternoon your brain is starting to rebel and just like every stoner on the planet you have 2 choices. A mid afternoon nap or another hit (perhaps a biscuit or a piece of cake). Then you top off your night with a big bowl of pasta and you are happily stoned again.

And the really strange thing is that you have been stoned for so long that you don't know what it feels like to be straight. The excuse, "I don't need to change my diet. There's nothing wrong with me." Doesn't hold up when you start to think about the fact that you've been stoned for so long that you don't have any clue what it feels like to be normal. Your view of 'normal' has become twisted and until you get out of your current stoned state, you won't have anything to compare to.

So what does this mean for us on our 30 day journey together. Well firstly, like any addict trying to give up an addiction this may be hard. And like beating any addiction, this won't work if you don't commit to it. You will probably suffer some withdrawal symptoms. You may get headaches. You may feel generally pretty shitty for a week or so.

However, just like a reformed addict, you will begin to see things clearly for the first time. You will experience steady energy levels throughout the day. Your thought processes will be clearer. Aches and pains will begin to disappear. Skin conditions will clear up. Respitory problems will improve. Digestion problems will improve. You will have so much more energy than you do now. You will, for probably the first time since you left your mothers breast, actually experience what it feels like to be normal. Sounds pretty good to me!

Before I sign off on this post, I just want to make doubly sure that you all know what you are getting yourself in for. Just click on this link to view the original Whole 30 program. This link will take you to this years version of the Whole 30. However this site won't be totally up and running until closer to the 24th. Read these carefully and make sure that you know what you are in for. This will be a life changing experience for you. As my friend Angus would say, "Keep getting awesome!"

Breakfast! Let's get the day started right.

An odd thing happens when you first introduce people to Paleo eating. When you tell them that they can no longer have their cereals, milk and toast their faces cloud over.

"Well what am I supposed to eat then?" They ask.

When you tell them that they could have some Bacon and Eggs their eyes light up. They literally can't believe it. A meal that has been taken away from them by misguided nutritionists and dieticians who fell for the whole "Ahh the cholesterol will kill you!!!" has been returned to them. They rush home and stock up on bacon, buy dozens of eggs and get down to a good old fashioned fry up.

Now the odd thing usually happens after the first week. They have now had bacon and eggs every morning and the gloss is starting to rub off. It's like groundhog day. (Note: does anyone else find it unusual that they were more than happy to eat the same cereal/bread based breakfast every single day for years on end and never got bored - if you want to know why that is, stay tuned for tomorrow's post)

Every thing gets boring if you do it over and over again repeatedly. I've been to some great parties in my time. They were great because I was only there once. If I had to go back to the same party every night I'm pretty sure that the gloss would soon rub off. I'm sure that at some stage watching Collingwood win the Grandfinal will become a little less interesting than it is at the moment.

Variety is the spice of life. Try something different. Eat your dinner/tea for breakfast (don't be one of the stupid people who thinks you can only eat certain types of food at certain times of the day. That is just plain dumb. I'm sure your paleolithic ancestors were not turning their nose up at some freshly killed beast just cause it was breakfast time and that was a meal more suited to the evening!) Cook your eggs a different way, have a fruit salad and some cold meat on the side. The choices are endless. I am your self appointed guide on this journey. However, I am not here to hold your hand. We are fortunate to live in the age of the internet. A quick google search for paleo breakfast recipes just turned up 76, 100 hits in 0.16sec. Get off your butts and do some research. Find some great recipes or ideas, try them out and then post to comments so we can all try them.

Now just before I let you go I wanted to wet your for tomorrow's post by telling you that there will be opiates involved. Shocking I know!

See you tomorrow!

Now is the time to get prepared!

So there are only 4 days to go till we get started. Now is the time to begin preparing. The following information is taken from the doyen of Paleo information in the CrossFit world (well he used to be in the CrossFit world!) Robb Wolf. (robbwolf.com)

1. Clean out the Pantry
2. Go shopping
3. Cook!
4. Go for a walk
5. Sleep!


1. Clean out the Pantry
We do not have self-control. PLAN AHEAD! Don’t have tempting foods in the house. Remove the bread,
rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, puddings, ice cream, waffles, juice, sodas, cereals, oatmeal, artificial
sweeteners, yogurt, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, canned soups, apple sauce, noodles…all refined,
packaged foods. Bag it all up, take it to a food bank or homeless shelter. No, the kids do NOT need
crackers and Goldfish. They might actually be healthier if YOU are healthier!


2. Go shopping
Now it’s time to fill your cupboards with food worth eating.

Protein.
Ideally these options are grass fed or wild caught. If you cannot find those should you eat a bagel? No!
Conventional options are fine. Beans and rice do NOT count.
Land: Pork, beef, lamb.
Sea: Trout, salmon, shrimp, crab. You know…fishy type stuff!
Air: Chicken, turkey, duck, ostrich. I know, ostrich is flightless don’t get cheeky.
Round things out with some good quality bacon, omega-3 enriched eggs and some items like chickenapple
sausage to help you with breakfast on busy days.


Veggies.
Ideally these are local and organic, but again, this should not be a deal breaker. Our local mega-food
chain actually has the best produce outside of the farmers market, and at an amazing price. Shop with
the season, which typically means what is on sale. Mix up the colors.


Fruit.
Limit fruit to 1 serving per day if fat loss is your goal. A serving is not a whole watermelon. If you want
to screw things up and not make progress, eat all the fruit you want, it’s your nickel, ride the ride as
you like. In order of preference: Berries, melons, citrus, apples, pears. Bananas, papayas and mangoes
are great for athletes post workout but dodgy for folks who want to lose weight.

Fats.
Olive oil (extra virgin) coconut, avocado (oil and whole), macadamia (whole and oil), almonds, walnuts.
If fat loss is a goal limit nuts to 1-2 oz. per day.
 
Odds & Ends.
Marinara sauce, herbs, spices-curry powder, garlic, ginger, cilantro, garam massala, chili powder, black pepper, lemon zest, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and basil. Get at least 20 herbs and spices to keep your cooking lively. Stock up on espresso, teas and mineral water as these are your beverages of choice.
 
3. Cook!
The majority of your meals look something like this:
• 4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.
• Several servings of vegetables, either raw, steamed, or lightly cooked.
• Finally, round out the meal with good fats from Avocado, olive oil or a handful of un-salted nuts
such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts. 
Keypoints:
• Protein every meal
• 3-4 meals per day
• Limit fruit to 1 serving if fat loss is a goal
• Limit nuts to 1-2 oz if fat loss is a goal
• Beverages are coffee, tea, minearal water. Unsweetened, this includes stevia.
 
4. Go for a Walk!
Get outside and move. Gauge your fitness level and act accordingly. If you need help, find a trainer or
coach.
 
5. Sleep!
Black out your room. No, REALLY black out your room. No LED lights from alarm clocks, fire alarms,
TV’s etc. Do not watch TV or check email for at least 1 hour before bed. Go to bed early, get at least 8-
9 hrs of sleep. You should wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed.

For more information check out Robb's blog or get your hands on his book - "The Paleolithic Soloution" an invaluable resource and one that I will draw heavily on in this blog.






Robb and his sidekick Andy Dees also have a podcast that you can subscribe to via itunes. There are 50 episodes of Nutrition, Health and Fitness information for your aural pleasure. Check out the link to the podcast when you visit Robb's blog.

So what now?

Ok, so we are going to do this thing but what is the purpose of the blog? Well, this blog is to help you stay accountable. If you buy into this thing and decide to commit to the Whole 30 (http://whole9life.com/2010/05/whole-30-v2/) then this is where you let us know, publicly, how you are going. Starting Sunday night you will be required to post to comments your food log for the day. Simply tell us what you ate for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snacks, and what liquids you consumed for the day. Tell us how you are feeling, any changes you have noticed in the way you look, feel and perform, any struggles you are having, any tips for others. If you have a great recipe, post it here. If you have any questions, guess what? Just post them here and I will try to answer them.

Sounds easy right? Well here is the kicker. You have to be honest! If you mess up or fall off the wagon, be honest and put it in your food log. No one is going to judge you. This is a place for supportive people (however, I do reserve the right for some tough love). In my career as teacher and coach I have found that people tend to be much more accountable if there is a public forum where others can see what they are up to. Push one and other, guide one and other, support one and other.

PS: I originally set up this blog just for my family. However, if you want to join in then please jump on board. The more people travelling on their way to awesomeness with us the better. If you're in or have any questions, just post to comments.

The journey Begins.....

I'm a Strength and Conditioning coach, a CrossFit Coach, and a school teacher with a growing interest in nutrition. On the 24th October my family will begin a journey together. To start with this will be a short journey - 30 days of Paleo eating following the guidelines set out here http://whole9life.com/2010/05/whole-30-v2/. However, hopefully it will be the beginning of a lifestyle change that will see my family do more than just survive. We will become a family who thrives!