Go away, cold!

Mmmm breakfast of champions lol

I was getting back from the Vitamin Shoppe yesterday and was thinking it would be a good idea to ask you guys what kind of supplements you're taking (or have taken) and how well they are working for you?

Quantity vs. quality and cost vs. quality always seem to be the big issues for me. I nixed a lot of brands that I loved, purely because they were way too expensive for what they were. Yesterday I dropped one of my favorite protein brands and jumped on board with a new one, just because it was the same price for 2 more lbs. I'm also running out of fish oil and I know that quality can be an issue with it - but I take so much it's really hard to justify spending a ton of money on it... I guess its back on the research bandwagon for me.

This is (some of) what I'm currently taking:

multi-vitamin (cheap, works great, and no 15 pills like the last kind I took)

Fish Oil (cheap shit I know, but there is a ton and it's really inexpensive. Looking into new stuff. Any suggestions?)

Whey protein (awesome, love this stuff and have been using it for years)

Whey protein isolate (awesome stuff too, just grabbed this yesterday)

... and there is more, but I suppose those are staples.

Log from yesterday Negative the couple beers Alex and friends caught me drinking at the bar! Hey, my car got nailed by some lady on my way to LP for class last night and I needed one haha - guess I shouldn't have cheated on the West Loop, huh?

My So-Called Social Life

Obvious temptations such as Halloween candy, office potluck parties or the bread basket at the dinner table are hurdles I can anticipate and prepare for.  One obstacle that I did not expect was the reactions I received from family, friends and oddly enough, strangers.  Something about voicing your intention to start making healthy choices, such as choosing a Paleo lifestyle, can bring out the best and worst in people.

Why is it that saying I have food allergies is easier and often more acceptable than explaining I CHOOSE not to eat certain foods?  My new healthy habit has prompted me to take a closer look at my social life.

For me, food and socializing go hand in hand.  In some cases, food has helped define my relationships and friendships – “let’s meet up for coffee” – “we can catch up over dinner” – “grab a drink after work”.  My choice to change my eating habits has not changed ME.  I am no longer the gal who will always be up for nachos and beer but I am still the gal who can laugh with you, talk about how terrible the Cubs are and jump at the chance to see a horror film.  People have an image of us, some may resist our changing, some may support it and some may be inspired and join us.

HUMP DAY!!!!!!

So this Paleo Challenge has been amazing for the most part. I have had mostly ups with only a few downs. The biggest down being this past weekend when I ate and drank everything that I could for my "cheat weekend". I really regret my overindulgence because I truly feel like it set me back. Oh well, it's over and done with...now it is time to move forward!

There are two things I think I could definitely improve upon with this challenge. Number one would be incorporating more vegetables into my diet. I eat a ri-effing-diculous amount of fruit every day, but I usually only have veggies when they are apart of the meal.....like sauteeded with some meat. However, when I snack I do not munch on veggies at all. So, today I made the change and brought carrots to work along with some fruit. Veggies are so boring to me, so I spiced up my carrots with a little balsalmic vinagerette and sea salt. What are some of your tricks for making veggie snacks more interesting?

The second thing I could improve upon is exercising outside of my 3 Crossfit days. Before Paleo I would run on almost every off day from Crossfit. Unfortunately, I began Paleo the same day week I began a new job with long hours, and my energy has just not been there. I am disappointed because I know if I re-incorporated my runs into my life I would see even better results!

So I have spilled the beans on where I have room for improvement with this challenge....how about my fellow Paleo-ers? What are some things that you know you could be doing better?

HAPPY HUMP DAY!!!!!

Getting back on track...

This weekend I went overboard with the cheating. Once Sat night rolled around and the drinking started, it was all downhill from there. All day Sunday was spent trying to sleep and eat off the crappy feeling that came from drinking too much and staying up too late. I even made a cinnamon crumb cake and justified it by thinking that my roommate and friends from out of town would eat most of it. Unfortunately, I was the one that nibbled on it all day. I also felt the need to do my part in eating the candy that was laying around for the trick or treaters. I gave myself a pass to eat whatever I wanted Sunday thinking once Monday came around, I would gladly trade in my bad eating habits and eat better because I know I feel better when I do. So Monday happened. And it was much harder than what I thought it would be to get back to eating healthy. Its like the junk stayed with me and I craved more of it! So once I got home, I again had to remove all temptation. The cinnamon crumb cake, chips, leftovers and candy all had to go. I love food and can't pass it up if it is laying around. So in order to keep me from sabotaging myself another day, it had to go.

I guess what I learned from this weekend is that it is ok to indulge a little, but I can't keep tempation around my place because I can't say no. I will eat it until it is gone or I am in a food coma. And not only was I already feeling bad from Sat night, but I made it worse with all the unhealthy food and then another night of tossing and turning and bad quality sleep. Since I have cleaned up diet on Monday and slept really well last night, I feel 100 times better.

On the Road...

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a good Halloween and have fully recovered from it! Here's one of the many awesome pictures taken from the CFC Halloween Party!

Today is the day that I embark on my roadtrip to the Carolinas and I am sooo excited (but I will miss you guys!). For one week I'll be traveling with my friends through North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee! My friends have never been to the South so I'm excited to show them a world of rednecks and mullets.....haha just kidding, but not at the same time....

Anyway, so as I was preparing and packing up for the long 12 hour drive, the first thing that came to mind was how I was going to keep eating Paleo on the road? Snacks are a must on long car trips, so I immediately started brainstorming some good Paleo snacks....so far I have prepared some hard boiled eggs, bought fresh fruit, beef jerky, almonds, turkey meat, and I baked some Paleo apple muffins (check the recipe out on www.everydaypaleo.com). That's pretty good for snacks right? So snacks I think I've got under control, but what about actual meals? I'll be driving all morning and through lunch time with minimal breaks which means I will need to find a quick place to eat and my friends will probably want to just get fast food....so what do I do? I guess I will be put to the test today and see...hopefully wherever I go will have atleast one good Paleo friendly option for me....What would you do to stay on top of your Paleo diet when on the road?

Happy Halloweener!

Tis the season for some treats!...paleo treats, uh?....they are definitely hard to come by at times.

Considering I grew up with a Polish mother, a house never free from baked goods, and now, my older sister is a phenomenal baker (non-bias opinion), I have a terrible sweet-tooth. Yet, ever since I started the Paleo diet, treats/baked goods have been viewed as cheats. Recently, though, I have branched out and started looking for paleo options to satisfy my sweet-tooth (probably one of the reasons I still eat a lot of fruit). First, I started with almond butter and bananas. Delectable and easy, what is not to like? When it was hot in the summer, I also tried frozen mango slices. Those were OK, but they actually lose some of their sweetness upon freezing. Next, my girlfriend made me frozen banana popsicles that had been coated with almond butter and sprinkled with coconut shavings. Finally, and my favorite thus far, paleo pumpkin bread (recipe from crossfitchicago.com, but if you are going to attempt to make it and like cinnamon, add more than suggested). It is not overpowering with regards to pumpkin flavor and has the consistency of pumpkin pie more so than bread. All-in-all, delicious.

So, with the holiday upon us, what is you favorite paleo dessert/treat? Please share, I'm dying (pun!) to try them.

p.s. Guess who in the pic...he should never change his costume, ever.

Friday... finally!

So I was thinking last night, while making my 3rd batch of some crazy ground turkey mixture, what are some of my "staple foods?" Naturally I realized it was turkey. Turkey in many forms. I've always enjoyed the way it tastes and it tends to be one of the leaner meats available. Recently I've been making a lot of ground turkey and mixing in different things for variety. Yesterday it was roasted red peppers, green peppers, garlic, olive oil, and some seasoning. I could eat this daily! It was super easy to make and saves for a couple days, which is another reason I'm a huge fan. So, what are some of your staple foods?

Log from yesterday