Category Archives: Fitness

Vitamin D, CBS and Pickle Mayonnaise

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Vitamin D and Sleep

Dr. Seth Roberts (a PhD and biohacker who presented at AHS last year) has been blogging about my Vitamin D and sleep connection for several months now and has been trying it out for himself. Seth has been trying to improve his sleep for years and definitely thinks I’m on to something. You can read about his experiments here. He’s currently writing a publication on the subject, which I can’t wait to read. He’s also been referring to the topic during some of his talks. I know some of you have tried and have had success with changing the timing of your supplementation – we believe it’s more important than previously thought and can impact the outcome.

Paleo on CBS

Paleo’s been on the news again! Dr. Kim Mulvihill at CBS San Francisco recently came to PaleoFX and interviewed some of us. There’s tons of great information, including an interview with CJ Hunt about his new movie, In Search of The Perfect Human Diet. (Spoiler alert: it turns out the perfect human diet is Paleo.) Check out the videos on CBS, or click below. I just happen to be in this one. ;)

Aired May 14, 2012: New Documentary Highlights Health Benefits of Paleo Diet
Aired May 15, 2012: Going Paleo Means Cutting Out Common Items from Diet
Aired May 16, 2012: Plenty of Options When Cooking For Caveman Diet
Aired May 17, 2012: Can the Paleo Diet Extend Your Life?
Aired May 18, 2012: Olympic Athlete Credits Paleo Diet for Healing
Aired May 21, 2012: Plastic Surgeon Prescribes Paleo Diet Instead of Liposuction

Pickle Mayonnaise

I recently went on a road trip to New Mexico to visit a friend who I haven’t seen in years. I have so much in common with this woman that we never run out of things to talk about and do together but thanks to the military we’ve been thousands of miles away from each other since 2006. Staying with her and her family really brought a point home for me – we are not meant to live alone with our immediate families, isolated in our perfect boxes. We’re supposed to have extended family and friends around us most of the time. For support with our children. For help with the cooking and cleaning. To socialize with. We shared so many ideas and tips over a one week period that I have come home with tons of new things to try, many of which I’ve already started doing. We even stumbled upon an amazing mayonnaise recipe that I’m going to share with you. If it hadn’t been for Rhonda, I never would have thought about trying this.
As a lot of you know, making your own mayonnaise is disgustingly easy. I say disgusting because it takes about 30 seconds and tastes better than anything you’ll EVER get in a store. It’s a lot cheaper too. Just like salad dressing and marinades, it uses oil and acid – the difference is, there’s a raw egg thrown in. But just like salad dressings and marinades, you can mix up the type of oil and acid you use to invent amazing new flavors.
Rhonda had recently made a batch of pickles but had forgotten to add water to some of the batch (a crucial step if you actually want to be able to eat the things without your face turning inside out). I was making mayonnaise for our trip back home and needed vinegar. She suggested using the vinegar from one of her jars of dill pickles that hadn’t been diluted so I tried it. OMFG. It was possibly the best mayonnaise I’ve ever had. It tasted like summer – for me, that’s potato salad and barbecues. Since the mayo already had a pickle flavor, we didn’t need to add pickles to our tuna or egg salad on the road which made on-the-go preparations really easy. I added a little extra salt to the batch as well so I didn’t need to deal with adding salt, either.
We came up with the idea to make the vinegar to use for future batches, which is what I’m going to do later this afternoon. All you need to do is find a pickle recipe you like, make it — but don’t add the water or the cucumbers — and pour it into a mason jar. You don’t even need to go through the canning process because vinegar won’t spoil. You could add any number of herbs to it, depending on the flavor you want. I’m going to get some fresh tarragon and try that. Having flavored vinegar will save me having to add herbs to my mayonnaise later on and gives a depth of flavor that herbs thrown in at the last minute just don’t have.

Here’s the recipe. Substitute different oils and acids for different tastes.

Basic Mayonnaise Recipe

1 egg
1 cup oil (I use extra light tasting olive oil or avocado oil)
1 1/2 tbsp acid [vinegar or citrus juice] (3/4 tbsp apple cider vinegar + 3/4 tbsp lemon juice is lovely)
1/2 tsp dried ground mustard
1/2 tsp Real Salt or sea salt (more or less to taste, but 1/2 tsp is what I like)
Optional: fresh garlic, pepper, whatever herbs you want.

Put everything into a mason jar and use a stick blender to combine. You’ll have lovely, thick mayonnaise in about 30 seconds. If you’re using a food processor, add the oil in a steady stream. If you want to make a creamy salad dressing, just add some milk to thin it out, or even some more lemon or lime juice. Using balsamic vinegar as your base in this case works nicely. It all depends on what you want to do with the finished mayonnaise. If you’re making potato salad, I really suggest making and using pickle vinegar. (Don’t use pickle juice from a store bought jar, it has been diluted and your mayo will be runny.)

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I’m still writing my book and I’m really excited about how it’s turning out. As for a guestimate of when I’ll be finished — well, with toddlers, road trips, military PCS’s and life all competing for my time and attention, it could be a while but I’m optimistic I’ll get it done by the end of this year. :)

Level Health and Nutrition Classes

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Just a quick post for all you guys that are struggling to find support in your area. Like I said in a previous post, I bet a lot of you don’t know a lot of other Paleo people in real life, or if you do, they live far away. That’s the way it is for me. Other than my family, none of my friends that live close to me are Paleo.
We need support to make it, a lot of times. We need someone to guide us with advice, tips and sometimes, we just need an understanding person to vent to.
That’s why I’m teaming up with Orleatha and Chris Smith at Level Health and Nutrition. They are offering free online Paleo classes, training and support for a limited time. The first class starts this Sunday, April 1 at 3 p.m. PST. You can sign up here: Level Health – Introductory Session. Check them out on Facebook for more information. If you’re wondering where to start, if you’ve hit a plateau or if you just want to meet a group of people with similar interests, click here and we’ll see you Sunday!
Please share this post with your friends and family and help us spread the word! Thanks.

New Book: The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation

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I’ve got a special announcement today. Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, has a brand new book out called The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation. It’s a practical, action-oriented guide for how to eat, exercise and live Primally – a step-by-step, “cut to the chase” resource to make a smooth and quick transition into a Primal lifestyle. In it he tells you exactly what to do every day for 21 days to take control of your health for the rest of your life. Mark explains what this new book is all about, what’s in it and who it’s for here. Also, if you turn to the back cover, you’ll see someone very familiar – ME! That’s right, I’m featured in Mark’s new book and I couldn’t be prouder.

Mark is looking to score this book on the New York Times best-seller list to gain exposure for the Primal Blueprint message, so he’s put together a loaded special offer. Basically, you order 1 or more copies between October 18 and 24, email your receipt to a special email address and Mark kicks you back a bunch of freebies. It’s a win-win. You get a great book for less than 15 bucks, and a bunch of free gifts, and you and Mark both get to help take the Primal movement mainstream. Check out the details of Mark’s special offer below and pick up a copy of the book today.

What Do I Win for Helping Put This Book on the NYT Best-Seller List?

Order 1 Copy and You Get:

1. Access to the exclusive, password-protected ebook – “Primal Living in the REAL World”: Hundreds of Primal enthusiasts share their challenges, solutions and practical tips for how they get – and stay – Primal. It’s like having the advice of 300 coaches. In it you’ll read hundreds of answers to these and numerous other questions: What is the first thing a person should do to kick start their Primal life? What do you think is the most important thing one should understand as they attempt to go Primal? What was the biggest hurdle you experienced when going Primal and how did you overcome it? And of course, the most important one, What do you usually eat for breakfast?

2. Access to the exclusive, password-protected audio interview – “21-Day Total Body Transformation”:
Download a 60 minute, free-wheeling Q&A podcast in which Mark discusses the 8 Key Concepts that everyone needs to know to go Primal. Among many other topics covered, Mark discusses why your body prefers burning fat over carbohydrates and how you can use this knowledge to become a fat-burning beast instead of a sugar burner. Also, listen to Mark riff on why grains are totally unnecessary and why 80 percent of your body composition is determined by how you eat.

3. $10 Gift Certificate to PrimalBlueprint.com: Spend it like cash and order whatever you want, perhaps a cookbook to go with the 21-Day Transformation book? This means for a net 5 bucks you can grab a copy of Mark’s new book today.

Order 3 (Or More) Copies and You Get:

1. All the aforementioned benefits – the $10 Gift Certificate, the exclusive eBook and podcast, plus…

2. Audio recording of the original Primal Blueprint (released in 2009) – Listen to The Primal Blueprint on your phone or MP3 player with this abridged, digital (MP3) audio book voiced by Mark. This is the book that started it all and retails for $26.99. Grab 3 or more copies of the the 21-Day Total Body Transformation and you’ll get it for free.

3. Plus an additional $10 Gift Certificate to PrimalBlueprint.com, bringing the total to $20.

Order 8 (Or More) Copies and Help Change The World!

Oh, and do your holiday shopping early. One common frustration from Primal enthusiasts is how to get friends and loved ones on board. This book is the perfect calling card to introduce someone to the Primal Blueprint. Why not reduce the hassle of holiday shopping and give each of your deserving friends and loved ones the gift of life transformation?

Buy 8 or more books through mainstream channels and Mark will send you 50 percent of your order quantity in bonus books! Buy eight and Mark will send you four more. Buy 80 and he’ll send you 40 more – seriously…and he’ll autograph each one of the free books! And, of course, you’ll get all the aforementioned freebies.

100 copies – Personal Touch: Private 30-minute consultation over the telephone with Mark. Yes, you also get the 50 free signed books!

1,000 copies – Executive Decision: Mark will fly out to your location and spend the day helping get your employees Primal!

How Do I Win?

1. Order your book(s) online
or at your local bookstore before midnight Monday, Oct 24.

2. Email your receipt to the appropriate email address:

If you purchase 1-2 copies email your receipt to 1book@primalblueprint.com
If you purchase 3-7 copies email your receipt to 3books@primalblueprint.com
If you purchase 8 or more copies email the confirmation that your order has shipped to 8books@primalblueprint.com
To reiterate, for 8 or more books, please email Mark the confirmation that your order has shipped (not your initial email receipt) to the appropriate email address above. Also, please include your shipping address so Mark knows where to ship your free books. Please allow 30 days for processing and shipping of your free books. Mark’s going to have a lot of books to sign!

Low-techies can fax receipt copy to 310-317-4424.

3. You will receive your e-gift certificate, eBook download instructions, podcast download instructions, and all other freebies by reply email. (Please be patient. The Worker Bees will be reviewing receipts and sending you instructions on how to access all of your freebies within 24 hours.)

If you have any questions about ordering, or this promotion, please call 888-774-6259 (or 310-317-4414).

Fine Print:

Unfortunately, Kindle and other digital books don’t count toward the NY Times best-seller list, nor this promotion.
Books purchased in physical locations (e.g. a brick-and-mortar Barnes & Noble) count, too. Just scan and email your receipt to the appropriate email address above, or fax it to 310-317-4424.
This offer only applies to book orders placed in the United States.
Order Your Copy of The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation Today!

Paleo Goes Mainstream: CBS News Reports

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You may have seen the recent reports on CBS San Francisco about the Paleo movement. Dr. Kim Mulvihill did a fantastic job at covering the topic. In fact, she was the only mainstream press at the recent Ancestral Health Symposium in LA and took part in Dr. Lynda Frassetto‘s scientific study on the Paleo diet herself. Perhaps I’m a little biased, as I’m in the series, but I think that any publicity is good publicity for us! Below you’ll find links to the five videos in the series, just click on the images.

Part One: Caveman Diet Trend Starting To Catch Fire

Part Two: Surprising Results from the Caveman Diet

Part Three: Caveman Diet Shows Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Benefits

Part Four: How Realistic is the Caveman Diet at Home?

Part Five: For Some, Caveman Lifestyle Goes Beyond Diet

Conventional Wisdom Conundrum

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I’m on my way to a National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) workshop in San Francisco. For two days, I’ll be taught about the “proper” way to train clients. I’m sure that the practical side of things – learning about liability insurance for instance – will be helpful in the future, but there are some things that NASM preaches that I just can’t get over.

When I first received my NASM  text book, the first thing I did was flip to the nutrition section. Of course I did, that’s what I’m really interested in. I needed to know what I would have to “fake learn” for lack of a better term. (Does anyone actually have a term for that? If so, please let me know.) Here’s how it’s gonna work:

I know certain things to be true. They’re true for myself and for a lot of you too. They’re backed up by serious science. However, the NASM text book doesn’t seem to agree with a lot of them. Or it’s stuck in 2001 scientifically. One of these things is that excess carbs jack up your blood sugar, leading to excess insulin which makes you fat. The NASM textbook states that

“Carbohydrate intake typically should be between 50 and 70% of total caloric intake according to preference, performance and satiety.”1

Let’s address this. I don’t even need to mention the 50-70% part. Most of you are already shaking your heads over that one. But the rest of the sentence interests me. Preference: So in other words, if you prefer carbs, you should eat more. What glucose-addicted, SAD-aflicted mind doesn’t prefer carbs? Seriously. Performance: okay, that one I can get on board with. If you’re working out a lot, increasing your carbs can help with that. But getting them from sweet potatoes or broccoli is much more beneficial than chowing down on bread and cake. Satiety: This one blows my mind. Everyone knows that if you eat a lot of carbs, you’re always fucking hungry. It’s when your body starts burning fat and protein for energy that your hungry regulates. It will be easy for me to remember this particular ridiculous recommendation, because eating 50-70% carbs for my total caloric intake would fuck. me. up.

But there’s more. Here’s the real problem:

I have to learn things like soybeans are good for you, peanuts are a great source of protein, fiber should be obtained from whole grains, and saturated fat causes high cholesterol and heart disease . Even that insulin resistance is caused by excess fat in the diet. W.T.F. I have to brain dump most of what I know to be true, and try to remember shit that isn’t right. Or has been proven to be wrong. The problem is that it’s so arbitrary. They’re on the mark when it comes to some things. They’re way off on others.

How the hell do I remember what is “right” in their eyes so that I can pass the test and then brain dump it again?? I seriously need help with this one. Have any of you had to do this? What did you do?

Those of you that are asking why I’m doing a NASM course in the first place, well, the military paid for it. Plain and simple. Also, it’s nationally recognized. I can walk into any gym with that cert and they could hire me. I can’t do that with a CrossFit cert, unless I find an awesome CF box that needs people. So far, I’ve found lots of awesome boxes, but so has everyone else with a desire to train for a living. I need a job. Bad.

FOOTNOTES:

1. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Third Edition (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008) p. 435

Primal Exercise: you’d be surprised how little you actually have to do

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When I went to the hospital a couple weeks ago to get tested for Celiac’s, I mentioned to a doctor that I had lost over 100 pounds in the last two years. His response, verbatim, was: “Wow! You look great! You must have had to work out like mad to have results like that.”

No. No, I didn’t. I work out about twice a week, normally. I do the bare minimum every time and I told him this. I also told him it’s all about what you eat. ME telling a doctor how it works. Something’s not right here.

www.stolenchildhood.net

Pop Quiz: should her parents A) put her on a treadmill, or B) change what she eats?

The fact that a doctor said those words to me was insane. What is wrong with the medical community? Are they seriously not getting it yet? In the battle of the bulge, “eighty per cent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by how you eat, with the other twenty per cent depending on proper exercise, other healthy lifestyle habits, and genetic factors,”[1], according to Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple and author of The Primal Blueprint. The other “healthy lifestyle habits,” including getting adequate sleep and Vitamin D, can be just as important as exercising if you’re trying to trim down.

This post is for all the people out there that think I’m a crazy fitness nut. Those who envision me on the elliptical trainer from 6 a.m. til midnight, 6 days a week. (Can I at least rest on the 7th day, in your imaginations? ‘Cause that girl would be freakin’ tired and riddled with inflammation, injuries and exhaustion. She would need a rest. She would probably gain weight,[2] believe it or not, and be  hungry all the time. All. The. Freakin’. Time.) It’s also for the people who don’t know what to do, how to work out and how to get the results they desperately want.

The Paleo Solution shoots for a variety of exercise: a little some days, a lot others, and occasionally none at all. Just like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Some of you have already given yourselves a “gold star” for working out twice per day for the last five years. You’re so dedicated you even work out while sick! Yippee! Well, no gold star for you! You are at the other end of the extreme and need to calm down. We are trying to reduce stress and cortisol. In our gym we see people, usually the endurance types, who seriously overdo their training. Are you carrying some excess chub around the midsection despite “tons of cardio”? Well Buttercup, all that cardio and getting up early to train has released more than your fair share of cortisol. And it’s made you fat.[3]

A complete and utter waste of time, the Ab Roller can be found in almost every gym chain.

Thank you, Robb Wolf. You certainly have a way with words. If you work out too often, you’re not doing it right. Shows like NBC’s The Biggest Loser and A&E’s Heavy do more harm than good when it comes to educating the general public. They show contestants working out for 6 to 8 hours a day, losing massive amounts of weight every week. Ever wonder why most of the contestants gain back the weight they lost? First of all, you can’t keep up an exercise regime like that. It’s not natural; we were designed to exert ourselves as little as possible, thereby conserving energy for times of scarcity.[4]  Your body (and mind) will be screaming at you every step of the way to stop. I guess that’s why I feel really, really comfortable doing the bare minimum and why I’m sure a lot of you do too. Second, the contestants on those shows aren’t taught how to eat properly. Ever notice who sponsors The Biggest Loser? If you want to lose weight, know this: YOU NEED TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU EAT FIRST. Don’t take cues from TV shows; they answer to corporate sponsors, who do not have your health and best interests at heart.

That being said, exercise is still really important. It regulates insulin levels, gives you energy, helps you sleep better and releases serotonin which makes you feel great.[5]  I have to exercise for those reasons. Plus, I want to be strong. After all, strong is the new skinny. So, what do I do for exercise? I work out 2-3 times a week, for about 30 minutes at a time. That’s not very much, so I make the most of it. You’ll never catch me wasting my time on the elliptical trainer or doing bicep curls. I try to make it to CrossFit twice a week, and do something else one other time, like yoga, hiking or sprinting. I’m not tied to a rigid schedule, though. If I don’t feel like working out, I don’t. If I have extra energy one week, I’ll throw in an extra session. Here’s the workout I did this morning:

TWO ROUNDS:

  • 5 minutes running at 6.0 mph in Vibram FiveFingers
  • 10 pushups
  • 10 situps
  • 10 clean and presses 45 lbs
  • 25 jumping jacks
  • 10 back extensions
  • 100m overhead walk with 45 lb plate
  • 10 burpees

Total time (from walking in the door to walking out): 28 minutes. This was an unstructured workout. I didn’t have a coach or a trainer, I just did what I felt like based on my energy level. I didn’t even leave the main floor and head into the “meathead” section, I just used the heaviest stuff I could find in the trainer’s area and went with it. I incorporated my warm-up into the workout but did the overhead walk and the burpees at the end, once I was good and warm. (I just picked up the 45 lb plate, put it over my head and walked around the cardio machines for approx 100 m. You should have seen the looks on the elliptical monkey’s faces.) Oh, and did I mention that I did this workout in a fasted state? I like to workout early in the morning, but have less energy when I exercise after I’ve eaten. Also, I’m interested in burning fat and eating before a workout is counterproductive if that is your goal.[6]

Other days, I’ll just walk. Walking is really important and is one of the best ways to get or stay in shape. “Our ancestors hunted and gathered the energy equivalent of about 11 miles of walking per day,” according to Robb Wolf. “This activity was split among a multitude of tasks…As a result of not being overly repetitious, their activity had less negative impact on their joints and minds.”[7]

You don’t have to be a slave to the gym. If your body is telling you to sleep instead of working out, then sleep. Your body and mind

Confused by all the equipment at your gym? Me too! How about you don't go there? Workout outdoors with only your own body weight instead.

give you cues that we often ignore. Stop doing this. Listen to yourself. If you have more energy one day, exert yourself more than you normally would. Go for a walk or a hike if you’re feeling like it. Do some yoga. Or do nothing at all (just don’t do that everyday, though, LOL).

The same people who had been on the elliptical trainers when I arrived at the gym were still on them when I left. How sad for them. They could have been soaking up the sunshine instead of wasting their time.

FOOTNOTES:

BACK TO POST [1] Mark Sisson, The Primal Blueprint (Primal Nutrition Inc, 2009) p. 66
BACK TO POST [2] Robb Wolf, The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet (Victory Belt Publishing, 2010) p. 137
BACK TO POST [3] Wolf, The Paleo Solution p. 136-137
BACK TO POST [4] Arthur De Vany, The New Evolution Diet: What Our Paleolithic Ancestors Can Teach Us About Weight Loss, Fitness and Aging (Rodale Inc, 2011) p. 92
BACK TO POST [5] The Mayo Clinic, Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity (July 25, 2009)  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
BACK TO POST [6] De Vany, The New Evolution Diet p. 90
BACK TO POST [7] Wolf, The Paleo Solution p. 123

Enhanced Water You’ll Want to Drink

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I’ve been seeing all kinds of crazy crap on the market lately. Water full of vitamins, flavors, calcium, electrolytes, herbs, and weight-loss ingredients. There’s even a fortified water for dogs (FortiFido) and one enhanced with “positive thoughts” to “raise consciousness in humanity” (Aquamantra). I can’t make this shit up.

Apparently people don’t want to drink regular water anymore. I, myself, have no problems with it, but sometimes like to “spice it up” a little and make my sports drink. I’m not going to let the industry “enhance” it for me, though; their track record isn’t great at keeping toxic chemicals and sugar out of my food. I’m certainly not going to let them mess up the one calorie-free thing I consume.

It only takes one slice of strawberry and cucumber to make this water delicious, but sometimes I like to add more for stronger flavor.

My husband and I were in a Thai restaurant a couple of years ago and the water we were drinking was the most delicious, refreshing water we’d ever had. We had no idea why, until the waitress came over to refill our glasses. In the pitcher was a slice of strawberry and a slice of cucumber. She told us that they add the strawberry and cucumber (one slice of each is enough for an entire pitcher of water) and refrigerate it for a few hours. It has the most beautiful flavor and is ultra-refreshing on a hot day. Trust me, try this one. You will not regret it. No sugar, no chemicals, no calories, completely Primal and FREE. Best of all, you’re not buying into the plastic bottle industry for $2 a drink. I bet even Fido would drink it.

Tip: You can reuse the strawberry and cucumber slices a couple of times. You’ll know when you need to put fresh ones in; they’ll lose their color and the flavor won’t be as strong. Enjoy!

Body Image: When You’ve Met Your Goal But You Still Feel Fat

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This post is really as much for me as it is for you. It has taken me almost a month to compose. It is disjointed, all over the place, and yes, I whine in parts. It’s a glimpse into the mind of someone who has a mild case of body dysmorphic disorder and it may be hard for those of you who have high self-confidence or who have always been fit to relate to. To those of you that are struggling with your body image, I hope this post helps you feel less isolated. Everyone has something they struggle with. Some of us are luckier than others and I realize I am one of the blessed ones.

********************************

Hi, I’m Tara and I’m fat. Wait, no I’m not. I am 5’9″, weigh 150 lbs and am a size 6/8. People who haven’t seen me in a while compliment me on how great I look. Women shoot me glaring looks in coffee houses, clutching their husband’s arms, seeing the new me – not knowing who I really am. Or was.

I’ve always thought of myself as “the fat girl” but I’ve never really been that big. I’ve lost almost a hundred pounds in the last 2 years. For the last 6 months, I’ve been at my goal weight, but my body has been transforming further: toning up, tightening up, fat being replaced by muscle as my body fat percentage falls. I haven’t lost a pound since October, but somehow I’m a size smaller.

I remember first feeling fat when I was 8 years old. When the insults were handed out by the boys, some girls got “dog.” I got “cow.” Therefore, I was fat. No need for debate – 8 year-old boys don’t lie. My 4th grade PE teacher didn’t help, either, by telling me I was out of shape. Body image complete.

My mom did everything right. She didn’t have a body image problem, nor was she overweight. I have never known her to be on a diet. She exercised regularly for her health, took time for herself and pride in her appearance. She passed on all the right messages to me, but I still had a body image problem. I thought I was bigger than I was, because of a few off-hand comments from idiot children and a retarded teacher.

All during high school and university, I thought I was fat. I only weighed about 160 lbs at the time (I honestly didn’t weigh myself during high school but I’m sure I was about the size I am now). I had the lowest self-esteem of anyone I knew but tried to hide it. That resulted in some destructive patterns I won’t go into that have been difficult to overcome as an adult. I thought I looked like a Beluga Whale, and had the confidence to match.

The extra 30 pounds I’d been carrying around since graduation had become part of who I was. I was on a neverending quest to lose those 30 pounds, but couldn’t succeed.

Until, suddenly, I did.

And now what? I’m still the same person inside. I still care about strangers, have deep emotional connections to friends, would rather be hiking up a mountain than shopping, but I am viewed differently by society at large. People make assumptions about you based on how you look. I’m not sure how people used to view me, honestly, but I can tell you it’s different now. They don’t know I’ve battled endocrine disorders, infertility, and lost all this weight. They see me as someone who has the perfect life and I get way less empathy from them. Fat people can’t relate to me anymore. Oh, if only they knew I still identify with them. If I were to draw an outline of my body, I guarantee you it would be several sizes bigger than what I really am.

Let me tell you – ALL of you that have been thinking, “Oh, if I could only lose that weight, A would be better, B would be fixed, C will love me and D will fall into place” that once you do lose that weight, NONE of those things will happen. Unless D happens to be a modeling contract and C is a shallow prick.

The problems are still there. They’re just more in focus now. I don’t have the added layer of protection that so many of us don to cover up how we’re feeling inside. Now I need to deal with the real issues at hand. My self-esteem. My confidence. My self-worth. Now that the constant struggle to lose weight has been removed, it’s really easy to start concentrating on all the tiny little things wrong with my body and my psyche that I never noticed before because the fat was the main target of my anxieties. I have become hyper-critical of the smallest, imperceptible flaws that no one notices but me.

My head has to catch up to my now bangin’ body. I have to learn not to blush and look at the floor when someone tells me I’m cute. ‘Cause until about 3 months ago, I had never experienced perfect strangers coming up to me and telling me how beautiful I was. I’m sure my reaction surprises them, I’m not used to compliments like that. Or any compliments at all, other than from my husband, girlfriends and parents, and they HAVE to tell me I’m beautiful. The comments have increased as my self-esteem increases. When I feel good, I think other people notice.

I’m sure some of the women I’ve met in the last 2 years think I have an eating disorder, or am a compulsive exerciser. I’ve been told that some of the moms in the Mom’s Group  I was (briefly) in talk about me occasionally. They have tried and failed to become fit and healthy, so obviously anyone who is able to succeed must have some sort of a problem. This is also something that is hard to take. I DON’T have an eating disorder. If I don’t eat breakfast or dinner on a particular day, it doesn’t mean I’m starving myself. It’s called Intermittent Fasting and it’s actually quite good for you. I workout 2-3 times a week, with CrossFit being the bulk of my exercise program. Sometimes I take weeks off just to rest and relax. I’m certainly not a compulsive exerciser – in fact, I do the bare minimum every time.

It has taken me a month to write this, and I have noticed subtle differences in myself in the interim. My self-worth is starting to improve. I feel like I am worth something now, that I can contribute to a conversation, that I am desirable, that others would be drawn to me for a myriad of reasons. It’s still hard, because it seems that all some people want to talk about is how great I look and all I want to talk about is something else. Anything else.

I am becoming a new person. Someone I like very much so far. A person I would like to hang out with. One that is vibrant and fun and wants to do active things, like adventuring and looking for treasure anywhere it can be found. I love to smile at perfect strangers and see their faces light up. I talk to the bus driver and make eye contact with people I find intriguing. I want to know their stories. I’m tired of talking about myself. Yes, I look good. Thank you. I FEEL good. How are you?

Easy Sports Drink Recipe

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A couple of years ago, shortly after I had started on my Primal journey, I ended up in the hospital. I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke. Here were my symptoms: heart palpitations, numbness in my arms and legs, convulsions/seizures, pain in my left shoulder running down my arm, slurred speech, general confusion. It started after a particularly grueling workout with a new GlobalGym trainer that didn’t realize how out-of-shape I was at the time. I started to “black out” while I was still at the gym – the symptoms I usually get when a migraine is coming on: impaired vision, black spots everywhere and extreme sensitivity to light. Somehow I made it home, where things got worse. My dad rushed me to the ER.

I spent about 5 hours in the hospital, pretty sure I wasn’t going to make it (I’m a complete drama queen, I know.). After ensuring I wasn’t having a drug overdose or a heart attack, the doctors took some blood, gave me fluids and left me to recover.

When the results of the blood tests came back, I seriously couldn’t believe them. My potassium was slightly low? Really? That was all it was? Slightly lowered levels of electrolytes in my body were causing me to think I was DYING? WTF. The doctors suggested I drink Gatorade before and during workouts in the future and to “take it easy.”

Well, that wasn’t going to happen. I knew that sports drinks contained more sugar than soda, and since I was living Primally, I knew there was a better, more natural solution than high fructose corn syrup, yellow 6 and brominated vegetable oil. Being the proactive type of person I am, I started researching electrolytes.

Here’s what I found: there are four basic electrolytes your body needs: potassium, sodium, chloride and bicarbonate. Plus I needed water. Potassium was easy – it’s found in lemon and lime juice. Sodium and chloride were even easier – sea salt is sodium chloride. Done and done. Bicarbonate was a little harder, until I discovered that your body actually produces this for you – from potassium rich foods. The beauty of adding lemon or lime to your water is that it is tasty, refreshing and best of all, alkalising. The juice raises the alkalinity of the water so even with standard tap water you can make your drink pH neutral. The sea salt seems to “soften” the water. It doesn’t make the drink taste salty; if it does, then you’ve added too much. You shouldn’t be able to taste it.

(Practically) Free Sports Drink Recipe:

32 oz (750 ml) water, preferably filtered
several squeezes of organic lemon or lime juice
1 pinch of sea salt
(optional) small amount of 100% pure, organic stevia, to taste

I buy organic lemon juice in the little plastic yellow lemon bottles, but be careful which brand you buy. The popular (cheap) ones are full of preservatives and chemicals. The one I buy has only lemon juice and lemon oil in it. I buy fresh lemons and limes sometimes, but I get tired of picking the seeds out. The juice is easier for me, and travels better. I also picked up some packets of salt from a restaurant, which I keep in my purse along with my lemon juice. I can then make my “drink” wherever I am. In a pinch, ask a restaurant for a glass of water, no ice and a slice of lemon on the side. Add the salt yourself, and squeeze the lemon in. Even bars and clubs have sliced lemons and limes. Make sure you use room temperature water. If the water is too hot or too cold, your body will have to use energy in order to process it. And that’s not the point here.

Since I was only drinking water during my workouts, electrolytes were being flushed out of my system when I sweated. I had had a banana (high in potassium) before I went to the hospital – but it didn’t make any difference. I have also been plagued with chronic dehydration during my life – resulting in leg cramps at 4 a.m., cramping during and after workouts, dry skin and chapped lips. Chapped lips were always the first symptom for me.

My mom had gone to the doctor repeatedly complaining of leg cramps waking her up in the middle of the night. We thought maybe it was something hereditary. The doctor told her to increase her calcium and magnesium intake, which she did. It didn’t make a lick of difference. The day she started making my “sports drink,” the leg cramps stopped and she hasn’t had any since. I’ve also spoken to other women who have brought this same symptom up with their doctors and have been given the same prescription: increase your calcium. (But don’t drink milk or eat cheese. That contains fat. Take supplements. Great advice, medical community, pat on the back to you.)

I drink a bottle of this stuff every day. I don’t get chapped lips anymore. I don’t have leg cramps. My muscle soreness after workouts has significantly decreased. It gives me more energy than coffee. Plus my skin is softer. It’s completely natural and it doesn’t have any sugar in it. It costs pennies to make, and can be made anywhere.

My mom and I have been experimenting – eating lemon with our food, or eating something with salt in it, and drinking plain water. It just doesn’t have the same effect. I think adding the lemon juice and the salt to the water helps your body absorb the water, where as taking it separately would only help you absorb the water from the food you’re eating. And if you’re dehydrated, which most of us are, that’s just not enough.

Note: I’m not advocating large amounts of citrus; it can be rough on your teeth. However, a couple squirts of lemon juice in a liter of water are not going to hurt you in any way. Here are some benefits of lemons:

  • Lemons are antiseptic
  • Lemon water has excellent digestive properties and can ease heartburn, bloating and other digestion problems
  • Lemon water cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys
  • Lemon juice contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
  • Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma
  • Lemon water (hot) offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C
  • Lemon juice is a great skin cleanser

Try this for a week or two and let me know how it works for you. At the very least, it tastes great and is a refreshing drink.