Finishing what I started...

As the hours tick down until the new year, it's about time that I finish my 30 Before 30 bucket list. 

The Final 10:

21. Take dance lessons

22. Pick up a random person's tab (it's happened to me and made me smile the rest of the day)

23. Do enough legit strict pull-ups so I can start kipping again at Crossfit Southwest

24. Make my own stepping stones

25. Visit Kartchner Caverns 

26. Go to Ireland

27. Scuba dive (what's the point of having a cert if I never use it!)

28. Perfect my Mandeltårta (naturally gluten-free Swedish almond cake)

29. Throw a theme party

30. Treat my parents to dinner

It's time to get ready for the big night. Hope everyone has a great New Year's!

Another 10 to the List

It has been a busy week, but I finally found some time to work on my 30 Before 30 list. So here are 11-20.

THE MIDDLE:

11. Finish a 5K under 24 minutes

12. Take a short immersion class in Spanish (or at least another Spanish class)

13. Be nicer to Thomas (you know you're my favorite German!)

14. Hike Camelback wearing a weighted vest

15. Rent a ridiculously over-the-top and expensive car just for the weekend 

16. Pay off one of my credit cards or student loans

17. Do a muscle-up

18. Take an art class 

19. Trace back my dad's side of the family

20. Grow my own vegetables

Ok...that's it for now.  I've got to get up early for the 6th Annual Ghosts and Goblins 5K tomorrow morning and I still need to figure out what costume, if any, I'm going to wear. There is still time to sign up tomorrow morning if anyone wants to join me. 0700 at 56th Street and Indian School.  Maybe I'll see you there.  

Wish me luck!!

30 before 30

With my HLP's birthday tomorrow, I've been thinking a lot about my own age.  At 27, there is a lot in my life that I have accomplished and experienced, but that bucket list just seems to keep getting longer.  In honor of his 27th birthday and thanks to Bird at livingwithhealthyhunger.com, I have decided to come up with my own 30 before 30 Bucket List.

Since this is kind of a random thought late at night, I'll start with the first 10 and come up with the rest over the next week or so.  These are things I want to make, accomplish, or experience sometime before I hit that next big milestone.  I have two and a half years until I'm 30 so bear with me ;p

The 1st 10: 

1. Finish an Olympic or Half-Iron Man Triathlon
2. Take the dogs and my HLP camping at Carlsbad in a vintage trailer--hint hint Dad!
3. Become a paramedic
4. Break the World Police & Fire Games Women's Open Hammer Record. Ireland 2013 is my last chance before I move into the Senior division
5. Put a glass mosaic back splash up in my kitchen without hiring anyone (unless a certain former lion tamer wants to lend a hand...in which case, I pay in wine)
6. Watch the Denver Broncos play at home
7. Go back to Italy
8. Backpack the Grand Canyon. Mom, I would love to do this with you since we couldn't at 13
9. Finish my associates in Nutrition and Personal Training
10. Take a wine class

Wow! This is quite a list already.  I better get to sleep so I have the energy to accomplish all this stuff...and finish the list!

So happy birthday Jesse! Lub you.

Love for los perros

I just wanted to pass on this event flyer. Mayday Pit Bull Rescue is having their annual carnival to educate people on pit bulls and celebrate the breed.  It is National Pit Bull Month after all!

Hope to see you guys there! You can't say no to this face!

Fall goes Primal?

October has to be one of my favorite months of the year. I love decorating for Halloween even though the candy is lurking around every aisle at the store tempting me. Damn you fun size Snickers! The weather has finally dropped below 100 but not so cold that I'm bundled up like an Eskimo (anything below 55 requires gloves, multiple layers, and a scarf...I'm an AZ native after all.) Finally, pumpkins are everywhere and make amazing additions to any meal.


Today I tried to "primalize" two pumpkin recipes...pumpkin spice cake and pumpkin pancakes. Both turned out pretty good except the pumpkin cake never really cooked all the way through in the very middle.  If you're interested, here are the recipes:

PROTEIN PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• coconut oil or butter for frying

Directions

1. Mix ingredients and cook on griddle like you would any other kind of pancake

PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE

Ingredients:

Maybe I took the diet too far...I'm all skin & bones!
(yes...I'm a Halloween nerd!)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour, sifted
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and blend with a mixer until evenly combined.
5. Lightly grease 13x9" pan with oil and pour batter into pan
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, check with a toothpick.

Day 16- A brief reflection

My thought for the day: An often overlooked part of our lives, unfortunately, is the relationships of those closest to us.

As part of the primal challenge, diet & fitness may take center stage, but play & family are equally as important. The first time I tried this challenge my mood was severly affected. I had a lot of "nasty" moments where even the slightest gesture would spin me into a negative mood. It was like I was enshrouded by negativity. Don't get me wrong there were some really good days, but I let the limitations of the diet affect my mood.

I am happy to say that this time around I have had a much more pleasant experience (and so has my crew & my man who bear the brunt of my moods). There have been a few negative moments this time around but much less severe and shorter in duration. So what is different? One is that after the last challenge I did not revert to a carb-fiend so this time around the limitations of the challenge seem just like the everyday choices I've been making since the last time. Second, and probably more important, is that I feel more support. Jesse has been helping me in the kitchen so it doesn't feel like so much work to cook almost every meal. My crew has adapted meals to fit my needs and even let me opt out of chow a few times. My new "Crossfit family" has been amazing. I especially want to thank Heather for spearheading our group discussion boards so we can exchange ideas and share our struggles and ways to overcome them.

Last time I tried to do this on my own. Now I realize that part of this experience is to discover that sense of community and closeness that is often missing in our fast-paced lives. Living primal means slowing down to enjoy the moment and the company we keep.

Day 12- Experimenting in the kitchen

So after a conversation at the gym yesterday about the difficulties of baking primal...I decided to rework one of my favorite gluten-free biscuit recipes into one that is also primal friendly.


The original recipe is for Pão de queijo, which is a very popular Brazilian cheese roll made with tapioca flour. The biscuits when done right are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Because they are made with tapioca flour (from the cassava root), this recipe is naturally gluten free. They are, however, NOT primal due to the cup of milk and two cups of cheese!


So this morning I decided to switch up the recipe a little to see if I couldn't render something savory and primal! 

The original non-Primal Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 beaten eggs

My attempt at Primal: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup organic butter
• 1 cup unsweetened original flavor Almond milk
• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 1 Aidells All Natural Andouille pork sausage (diced)

Baking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Pour olive oil, water, almond milk, and butter into a large saucepan, and place over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately, and stir in tapioca flour until smooth. 
3. Stir egg into the tapioca mixture, one at a time, until well combined, the mixture will be chunky like cottage cheese. Add sausage and spinach. 
4. Drop rounded, 1/4 cup-sized balls of the mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake until the tops are lightly browned, approx. 20 minutes

What to try next time:

• So the biscuits came out with the right texture (a major concern I had cooking with almond milk) but they lacked a little flavor. The sausage and spinach were a nice touch but the dough itself was a little bland. I omitted the teaspoon of salt thinking the sausage would add enough, but I was wrong. Perhaps a teaspoon or two of minced garlic or other spice will perk the dough up next time.
• I know those of you on a strict "Paleo" diet cannot eat butter. So I'll try subbing that 1/4 cup butter with either 1/4 cup olive oil or maybe some other paleo oil like flaxseed oil or pumpkin oil. Ghee is also an option.
• The protein count was a little lower than I wanted (only 2g per biscuit) so I might sub the water for low-sodium organic chicken or beef broth. That will bring it up to 3g of protein per biscuit. 

If anyone has any suggestions on how to further tweak this recipe....please please let me know.

Grain free blueberry muffins

Day 3:

So a big part of the primal challenge is to rein in my daily carb intake. It is a huge adjustment to go from eating lots of fruit and oatmeal to trying to keep my daily intake around 100-150g.  The thing that helps the most is switching to low carb veggies and berries and healthy nuts when I need a quick pick-me-up before a workout.  Another trick is to take recipes and tweak them so they meet the primal criteria: low carb and high protein and healthy fat.

Luckily for me, there are lots of people who have done the work for me and I can browse their blogs to get ideas. Today's recipe comes from fastpaleo.com.

Grain free blueberry muffins

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients and Cooking Steps

• 2 1/2 cups almond meal
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 300°. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners (or grease each cup well with coconut oil).
In a large bowl, whisk together everything but the blueberries until fully combined. Gently fold in the blueberries to incorporate.

Fill each liner 3/4 full with batter and bake for 30-40 minutes. The top should be spongey but firm when pressed and your finger should not go through into the muffin. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from muffin pans.

Per muffin:
Cal: 182
Total carbs: 12g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 8g
Fat: 12g
Protein: 7g

Day 1- Primal challenge 2011

So as usual for these challenges, I am going to start off by listing my goals.

The first goal is to make sure I get adequate rest. I'm not talking about taking days off from exercises...I'm talking about sleep. Deep, uninterrupted sleep. The kind that helps my body and mind heal.  Obviously that is not going to happen at work, but on my days off, my goal is to get into a routine where I shut off electronics and get consistent about going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday.  Oh and of course a few power naps for the days I didn't get to sleep through the night at work.

My other main goal is to work on my damn sweet tooth! The plan is to reach for veggies and healthy protein and fats instead of "carby" and sugary snacks.  Or go for a walk or pick up a fun new hobby or finish some projects to get my mind off my sweet tooth.

The goal of this challenge is not to diet but to change what my body craves and give it what will turn me into a well-oiled machine.  My new mantra is "food is fuel, not fun." Say it with me people, "food is fuel, not fun!"

Heads up! 30 day challenge starts Sept 12!

So I am an avid reader of Mark's Daily Apple, and part of his blog is an annual 30 Day Primal Challenge. It was what motivated me to really start trying to eat cleaner and give paleo a shot. Well, his annual challenge starts September 12 so I thought I would put this challenge out for everyone who might be interested. You can check out the details on the challenge here!

I encourage everyone to at least check out his website even if you don't join the challenge this time around.  He has lots of information on supplements, workouts, and of course eating healthier.

On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone who supported me and my brother during the 2011 World Police & Fire Games.  I won gold in the hammer and we finished in 7th in the Toughest Competitor Alive (TCA).  We learned a lot and saw some amazing competitors.  They are definitely going to be my motivation during this challenge. It will put me that much closer to where I need to be in two years when we make the trip to Belfast, Ireland.

So get your minds right...six days until the challenge starts!  Keep me posted if you decide to participate.

Primal can be global

Although I am not as strict with my paleo diet, especially at work, I still manage to follow most of the guidelines while at home. The other day I made gluten-free/paleo friendly (minus the dairy but at least it was organic) Swedish meatballs and Brazilian Pão de quiejo (tapioca cheese biscuits). I was inspired by my latest trip to Sweden. It was amazing how easy it was to eat organic and gluten free there. They are so far ahead of us when it comes to healthy eating. They avoid "fake sugars" and instead use beet sugar grown locally to not only promote the economy but promote all-natural and simplistic meals. Even the Coca-Cola uses real sugar and minimal dyes. It might actually be better than Mexican coke. Maybe.

Anyways...I was so inspired by my trip that I brought back a few recipes including meatballs, roasted mushrooms, & mandeltårta (almond cake that's naturally gluten free).

The secret to the meatballs is nutmeg, allspice, and almond meal (crushed almonds) as the binder. The sauce was made with organic heavy cream, potato starch, spices, & organic butter. I'll figure out how to post the recipes just in case any one is interested.

Challenge Over--ish

So the 30 day challenge was officially over on Sunday, but I was working a 48 so I'm just now getting around to writing about it. It's funny...things have not really changed all that much since it finished. I'm still eating pretty much paleo--with a few minor adjustments. I missed you oatmeal! My body seems to crave mostly protein, healthy fats (mmm...avocados), and veggies now. I feel like I am more in-tune with my body, I eat when I'm hungry and have given up the "eat every 2-3 hours, even if you're not hungry" mantra. It's almost as if the challenge hit the reset button on my body.

So let's look back on a few of my reasons for doing the low-carb paleo challenge and see if it accomplished what I was hoping:
1) Lean up. 
I may not have made the unrealistic drastic changes I was secretly hoping for, but this is the beginning to lasting changes. A few wise friends pointed out that the scale only gives us an arbitrary number and that what we see in the mirror and how we feel are the real gauges to health. So how do I feel? I still struggle with what I see in the mirror but I do appreciate my clothes fitting better and my legs and butt look especially fantastic :p I have noticed I'm getting more vascular...even the veins in my feet are starting to pop out. A fun little sign that I'm heading in the right direction.  
2) Dominate fitness/competition. 
This one for sure is improving.  My run times are slowly improving...here I come sub 25min 5K! My strength is improving...I did 7 legit strict pullups the other day!! 10 is just around the corner.  Oh, and I can still throw over 140 feet in hammer even after a year off of coaching and four years since competing.  I am less than 12 weeks away from the police and fire games and feel like I am right on track. 
3) Shake things up & tear down the mental barriers.
This is probably the most difficult for me.  I've struggled my whole life with bouts of self-doubt and low self-esteem.  Only those closest to me have really seen this side, until now that is. It is embarrassing yet therapeutic to publicize my fears and struggles. It's kind of like AA (or so I assume)...the first step of any problem is to admit you have one. The next step is to conquer my self-doubt and see myself for all the wonder that is me.  So I'd say things are shook and those barriers are slowly getting chipped away.


So what does the future hold? Guess you'll just have to check back for updates...

Day 28- Filthy 50

After a somewhat busy day and night at work, I chose to forgo a much needed nap and get my ass handed to me at Crossfit Southwest.

The morning session started off easy enough, some rowing on the erg, KB strict shoulder presses, and quadrupedal movements. QM's are great ways to increase flexibility, speed, and coordination. Think bear walks, crab walks, spider-mans, cat walks (like bear walks but hands and feet must stay in one line), and frog jumps. All very primitive but effective movements to get the heart pumping.

After the warm-up, the WOD (workout of the day) was written on the whiteboard-- FILTHY 50! For those of you unfamiliar with Crossfit, the Filthy 50 is a benchmark workout and pushes your body physically and mentally. It crosses the threshold of aerobic and anaerobic. The Crossfit Southwest website sums it up well:

The “Filthy 50″ is a brutal test of your physical abilities as well as your mental strength. If you have a weak mind, or a chink in your armor, this workout will likely exploit it. We jump, pull, push, squat, and lunge (among other things) our way to 500 reps as fast as we can.

The workout as RX'd: 

Everything was as RX'd except the wall ball...I only used a 12lb ball but went the full height--10ft. My time was 28:33! 

I blew through the swings, lunges, and presses, but the KTE's kicked my butt! One more thing to work on, I guess. Anyways...I invite you all to give this WOD a try if you haven't done it already. If you have, give it another go and see if you can't PR. 

I was dreading it at first but felt like I had accomplished something great afterwards There is no better feeling than pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and triumphing.  Plus a nap is so much more enjoyable after you earn it.

Day 27- Making strides

Just a quick blurb since I'm at work.

It was brought to my attention that the last few posts were somewhat negative or at least made it seem like I was struggling. Well I am happy to report that yesterday & today (as well as many of the other days) have been a success!

Yesterday, for example, was a day full of great workouts & tons of energy! Even better was that yesterday was an IF (intermittent fast) day! I used one of the many methods of IF and skipped a meal.

It seems like all you hear is "eat 5-6 meals a day." Well pretty sure our cavemen ancestors and even our grandparents/parents did just fine with 3 or less. Our bodies are able to adapt to stesss and change so why would we keep our eating habits on a strict timeline? Eat every two hours??! Personally I've found that this schedule has made me a food addict. I no longer eat when I'm hungry...I eat because that's what all the diet books are telling me. Well not anymore. The occassional IF is the perfect way to reset my hunger gauge and help me take back control.

Yesterday reset my clock and today I felt strong and not stressed about food. What a concept! Rather than stress about food, I could just enjoy it. Even better is that my natural appetite kept me well within my paleo guidelines. Winning!

Day 26- Passing the buck

I get a daily email from "Mark's Daily Apple" and read it religiously. Today, especially, his blog hit home. It was about blaming others, our situations, basically everybody and everything but ourselves for our own problems. Here's a blurb:

"Blame admittedly allows us to languish in the presumed comfort of bad habits. It allows us to wallow in laziness, to accept inertia for the sake of ongoing bitterness."

Wow! I don't tend to blame others but I can't tell you the amount of times I've blamed a situation for my shortcomings. Too exhausted from work to take the dogs out. Too broke to find a gym to swim at. Too busy to cook a healthy meal. Too hot to go for a run. Or my personal favorite: I can eat this (fill-in-the blank fatty/sugary food) because I worked hard today. All lame, no super lame excuses. All are ways for me to pass the buck onto something else since I'm not seeing the results I want in the mirror. All force me back a step (or two) and shake my self-confidence.

So what should I do? The answer is simple though difficult to put into practice. Accept that I am not perfect and that I will hit roadblocks along the way. Some will be self-created and some will be thrown at me by chance. How I recover from these setbacks will be the true measure of my progress.

Mark summed it up well:
"Life, as we will eventually come to understand (hopefully before it’s too late), will never be perfect. It will never be easy. There will always be obstacles, annoyances, and limitations to contend with on the path to health and well-being. Regardless of what our lives look like next to someone else’s, ours is still the one we go home with at the end of the day. Ours is the one we get to live – for all its possibility as well as challenge. What will you make of it today?"

Day 24- Hits and misses

I cannot believe the 30 day paleo challenge is almost over. The time has flown by.  I thought with only six days left that I would reflect back a little on some of the highs and lows of this challenge.

HIGHS:

• Lost an inch on my waist so far!
• Learned to read labels not just for calories
• Realized that most of the time I'm craving sweets it's because I haven't had enough "healthy fat"
• Learned how crappy some of my favorite foods are (talking about you mango!)
• My running is finally getting back to where it needs to be
• Learning that dairy is not my friend (or at least not my stomach's friend)
• Support from my family & friends

LOWS:

• The first two weeks my energy was non-existent
• Recovery from hard workouts has taken longer than normal
• My cheat meals (couldn't pass up a few along the way)
• Missing oatmeal, sweet potatoes, & black beans
• My bank account took a hit (nuts are expensive snacks!)
• Didn't lose as much weight as I was hoping (about 5lbs was it)
• I didn't post as often as I wanted to

With six days left, I'm going to really do my damnedest to finish strong and see if I can't turn some of those lows into positives.  I have learned a lot so far and could use at least another 30 days to really figure out how to incorporate paleo into my life for the long term.  Any suggestions?

Day 17-The Aftermath

Note to self--- 48hrs of work plus first time attempting 100g carb paleo diet DOES NOT equal a successful situation.  It amazes me how my body, or maybe it's my mind telling my body, craves carb-rich "no-no" food when I haven't gotten enough sleep.  My willpower is a super-powered maniac on a full-night's sleep, but wave some tasty carb-morsel in front of my face when I've been up all night, and my willpower does an amazing vanishing act.  

So I have a confession to make: I went over 100g of carbs and anti-paleo yesterday! Ugh...I ate some oh-so-salty yet oh-so delicious corn tortilla chips. The worst part was not going over (I ended up at 127g of carbs for the day so not that far off) but the guilt!  Yes I know the goal is to eat clean 85% of the time, but I am an over-achiever. I expect 100% effort of myself at all times and am my worst critic when I falter.  

The rest of the day and even this morning, I struggled with the feeling that I let myself down and sabotaged my goals.  Somehow one slip up meant that everything was for naught.  Then after a "forced" two-hour+ nap, I woke up with the realization that one setback does not define me or this challenge.  Challenge being the key word here.  I am a carb-addict and breaking the cycle will be difficult, but not impossible.  

Today was about recovering and finding my inner-strength.  Tomorrow I will hit the ground running with renewed energy and commitment.  

This was one of my favorite quotes in college and always helped me bounce back from a rough practice or meet:

"Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong." 

— Muhammad Ali

"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"- Groucho Marx

Day 11:
Having my carbs limited to only 100g a day (except on my intermittent fast day--50g) has really forced me to research exactly what my food brings to the table.  I was under the impression that all fruit has to be good for you, no matter what.  It's from mother nature right? No, I am finally starting to realize that sugar is sugar is sugar.  Well, except fake sugar...that is a totally other beast, which I'll get into on another day.  The point is:
               Fruit = fructose = sugar = carbohydrates = The Devil.
Wait...that last one isn't right. Carbs are not the devil.  They are just slightly wicked and need constant surveillance.

Over the last few days, I've researched the amount of carbohydrates in my fruit.  The Primal Challenge recommends berries, but there has to be more than that, right? In short, yes! Sadly, there are also a few of my favorite fruits that are on the naughty list. 

A nutritionist once told me that bananas, although delicious, are the "fat fruit."  They are high in calories (105kcal), carbs (27g), sugar (14g), and relatively low in fiber (3g) and protein (1g).  One medium banana is 27% of my daily intake of carbs!!! Talk about fat fruit.  An occasional banana is allowed but there are better options. Most people (including me) think the banana is a great source of potassium. In reality, it is only a moderate source at 560mg.  A better and lower carb/sugar option is:

• 1 cup of spinach--840mg of potassium and 1g of carbs/0g sugar

My other, go-to fruit was the mango.  I ate mango salsa, mango smoothies, raw mango.  I love it.  Unfortunately, it is now on my "only on a very special occasions when I only want to eat one thing for a third of my day" list. A mango has whopping 35g of carbs and 24g of sugar!! Just to put that in perspective, that's 7g of carbs and 2g of sugar more than a mint Klondike bar (an overtime treat at the firehouse).  Not that I'm going to eat a bar, but it blows my mind to think a piece of fruit has more sugar and carbs than an ice cream treat. 

To simplify my life, I have a handy dandy chart:

Day 8-I love Luci's

There is an amazing restaurant and marketplace near my house called Luci's Healthy Marketplace.  My brother introduced me to their amazing healthy lunches and fresh brewed green tea. Plus they cater to gluten-free freaks like me! They have a super wide variety of gluten free protein bars and other goodies.  Luci's is a weekly staple in my life, that is until I started this paleo challenge.  I have been trying to avoid  eating out because it's a lot easier to keep track of what I eat and where it came from when I know every single ingredient.

Tonight, however, I was tired and way too sun-beaten to cook after spending all afternoon swimming. So I hit up one of my favorite spots and discovered there's more than meets the eye to this place.  Little did I know that my favorite lunch spot is also a hipster jazz bar on Saturday night with live music and dinner specials that the chef whips up in the "teaching" kitchen where Luci's offers a weekly cooking class.  I ordered pan-seared chilean sea bass with asparagus and sauteed peppers and zucchini. The best part was I could sit at one of the little tables and keep a hawk eye on the guy to make sure no forbidden foods were slipped in.  None were.  The meal was paleo and cooked to perfection! Oh and the band playing "Fly Me to the Moon" in the background sent the experience over the top.

So if you end up in central Phoenix with a jonesing for healthy meals...head over to Luci's Health Marketplace on 16th St and Bethany Home.  If it's for lunch...I'd recommend the Dirty Doctor or the Zeus Burger! Oh, and order me a large iced tea and drop it off at the house will ya...It's Goodness for Goodness Sake.

Day 6&7-

Week 1 is coming to a close. The past two days have been so busy I haven't truly had time to reflect. I'll leave that for tomorrow when I'm off shift and had a nap!

Yesterday was day 6. Most of it was spent driving back to Phoenix. I learned from my drive down that going four hours without snacks leads to a very grumpy cavegirl. This time I was better prepared. Thanks to some tips from the Guru of Gorgeous, Danielle, the car was stalked with healthy almonds and other low carb, high fat nuts and the drive was much more enjoyable.

It still seems counter-intuitive to eat "high fat" but the Susan Powter death grip of "stop the insanity" is starting to loosen up. It's not the fat that's killing us...it's the added sugar lurking in our favorite foods. Hmm...more on that when I'm rested.

Here's to week 1 down!

Day 5- Family fit

Quick blurb because it's late and it's been a long and fun day. Played tourist in Tombstone and got called out to a duel with the street re-enactors. It was super fun! I even got to fire a real gun! Would definitely recommend the Helldorado guys over the "OK Coral" actors.

When we got home, my dad treated us to a paleo-friendly home cooked meal: top sirloin, broccoli, cauliflower, and a yummy salad full of mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions, and zucchini.

After dinner, my nephew challenged me to Wii Fit. He even busted out a real hula-hoop to use during super-hoop. I kicked his butt in everything but skateboard. That kid is a freakin skateboarding ninja.

I've hit a few lows mentally during the first week of the challenge, craving carbs, getting irritable, and not getting adequate calories. Today those lows were almost none existent thanks to the support of my family and the distraction of wandering through Tombstone. Think having such a strong support group and staying busy will make this strict carb-restricted paleo challenge very doable. The results are already starting to show...the gunslingers called me "svelte!" winning!!

Day 4- Brotherly advice

Yesterday was a busy day so my entry is 12hrs late. Oops. Got up at 4:30 to row, packed, then drove to Bisbee for belated mother's day. We went to Santiago's for dinner. Had a delicious 8oz lean cut of carne asada (prime rib) and a salad that I drenched with fresh pico de gallo.

While at dinner, I talked with my brother Erik about my paleo challenge. He's dabbled in Paleo a bit, although he can't give up his once a week addiction to the Dbl Whopper plain with cheese. He was surprisingly encouraging but lectured me for not eating enough that day. With my go-go-go schedule I only had one real meal before dinner at 8:30. A few paleo snack throughout the day weren't enough to stave off the grumpiness and general lethargy. My bro made the point, which I already knew but chose to ignore, that if you workout hard you have to make time to refuel your body. Otherwise you'll end up losing muscle and be too tired to hit the gym, track, or lake hard the next day.

The other important advice my brother gave me was about guacamole. During his Level 1 Crossfit Cert training, a nutritionist spoke of the amazing benefits of avocados. In her words, "it's like green butter, put the stuff on everything!".

A little lesson on avocados: Avocado is a fruit, one of the only fatty fruits. It contains loads of vitamin E, B vitamins, potassium and fiber. Its fat content is mostly monounsaturated, so it's a healthier option than eating a ton of nuts or nut butters, which are higher in omega 6.

Dinner and a movie

Day 3-

Saw "Thor" today.  Loved it! Was definitely feeling inspired to kick ass afterwards.  That and look for an awesome set of armor.  There is just something about comic book movies that get me pumped up to workout.  Maybe it's the skimpy costumes or six-pack abs of the heros, but I watch those movies and think, "if only I pushed myself a little harder, ate a little cleaner, I could totally pull off that costume for Halloween!"

Today I am happy to report I did push myself.  Physically, I hiked all over Dreamy Draw and wore the pup out.  Eva, my pit-bull, was down for the count all afternoon!  Diet-wise, I pushed my luck at a new restaurant (new to me...not new to this earth) and stuck to my new paleo regime.  The place is called The Phoenix City Grille.  It's right down the street from me and might be a new favorite spot.  They had a ton of wine (sadly it'll have to wait for now) and lots of paleo options.  Lots of different proteins to chose from and most importantly, lots of paleo-approved sides.  I ordered the cedar plank salmon and swapped out horseradish potatoes (which my friend reports are amazing!) for grilled asparagus and beets.  Normally I'm not a beet person, but these were pretty damn good. Plus they only had 9g of carbs along with 2g of fiber and 2g of protein.

Paleo at the firehouse?

Day 2-
I started the day with some serious trepidation...how I could possibly keep eating Paleo while on shift. Typical firehouse food is loaded with carbs, cheese, and salt. I'm used to having to pick around meals...hard to make seven other hungry firefighters avoid gluten, but ask them to eat Paleo? That's crazy talk!

Luckily for me I have an awesome and somewhat understanding crew. I talked with them while PT'ing this morning and told them about my challenge. First they laughed, then they teased me about being a cavegirl, followed by a few serious questions about making sure this challenge wouldn't negatively affect my health. After explaining myself, my Captain said he's behind me 100% (as long as I still pay in to the chow fund).

I am happy to say that all my worries were unfounded. It was my truck's turn to cook, and my Captain suggested grilled chicken fajitas with a ton of sauteed veggies. The guys ate black beans and rice, and I had a side of extra peppers and some diced avocados! Who knows...maybe I'll even convince them to say no to rice & beans next time too! For now though, I'm just happy to have the support of my crew (even with the teasing).

Day 1-A reflection of why

So today was the start of my 30 day Primal/Paleo Challenge! Now I'm sure you're wondering 1-why am I doing this, 2-why am I blabbing about this online. The second question is much easier to answer so I'll start with that. I'm keeping a "public record" because it's a way to make sure I'm held accountable and sticking to the challenge. It also gives me a chance to meditate on what is happening in my life. Too often the days fly by, and I'm left with only a faded memory of what really happened.  My mom (happy early Mother's Day) always told us to live in the present so this is my attempt.

Ok...so now the big question: why the hell am I going Primal? Or maybe you're wondering, what does that even mean? Well on a very basic level, eating primal or paleo means eating things are readily available from nature and not overly processed.  The idea is to eat like our ancestors did before agriculture turned us into sedentary creatures. Obviously I'm not going to turn my back on convenience and the advances of modern science...the occasional protein shake (low-carb of course), supplements, and the grocery store are all acceptable during this challenge! So not only am I going to eat "cleaner" but also going to readjust my carb intake. As a whole, our society eats way too many carbs!! Most of us aren't training for marathons so why do we carbo-load almost every meal? So the plan is to focus on getting ample lean protein, healthy fats, lots of veggies and fruit, and avoid added salt and carbs. Did you know they even sneak carbs into deli meat? Most is full of wheat filler so that they can save money.  It's a carb and gluten conspiracy!

Ok...so now to really answer why! I am doing this for a myriad of reasons. Here are my top three:

1) Lean up. I feel like my body has become accustomed to carrying a little extra fat (damn you thrower's diet) and I need a serious kick to reach my goal of 15% body fat. Last time I had the fat caliper test, I was at 18.9%.  The plan is to be at 15% by the time my brother and I compete in the 2011 World Police and Fire Games in September.
2) Dominate fitness/competition.  I'll be throwing hammer and shot, running a 5K, doing max rep strict pull-ups, and swimming 100m in the Toughest Competitor Alive. I also plan on running various 5Ks throughout the year and hopefully be in a position to compete in next year's Crossfit Open. Not to mention my very physically demanding job! I have an awesome and very fit crew that inspire me to push myself physically and be not only one of the top females, but one of the top overall fittest people on the department.
3) It's been a while since I have had to really challenge myself.  Things have gotten a bit stagnant lately and as a result, I've lost a little confidence and have avoided really looking at the reasons I've been stuck on this mental and physical plateau.  So this is going to be my 30-day self-reflection and kick start to a happier and healthier life.

If you want to join me...check out these websites:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-blueprint-30-day-challenge/

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/one_hundred_gram_carb_cure

P.S. Today was a success!! Today was a "fast" day so I kept my carbohydrate intake right at 50g. I'm surprised how much you can still eat.  I'm also surprised at how many "healthy" foods are super high in sugar and low in fiber.