Nutrition - 31 Jan 2011 - Goals, Tips, and Clarification

Happy Monday, Team!

One month into 2011 and you can now celebrate taking a big step towards your health and well-being. Right now is when we start to see the New Year’s Resolution of “get in shape” and “lose weight” fade away. Health clubs that were filled to the brim just two to three weeks ago are now collecting dust on their treadmills and Nautilus machines. This is unfortunately expected yet so easily fixed. Did you set a goal for 2011? How are you doing in working towards that goal?

On Tuesday we will meet again in Building 43. Bring your questions, comments, and experiences from the weekend and we will share them with the group. Please bring your nutrition logs and your lunch.

The main topic of the day will be fitness. Specifically, your nutrition timing and functional fitness. I will be providing you with information on how, what, and when to eat regarding your fitness regimen. We will also discuss what you do for activity now and I will give you a brief overview of a fitness plan that will help you get started or update your current workout. If there is time, we will also discuss goal-setting; though this may have to wait until Friday.

Starting next week, we will begin discussions on specific food choices such as grains, beans, and dairy. We will also talk about vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Also on the docket are such topics as digestion, insulin/resistance, fructose, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, sleep, and play. Please start thinking about what topics you want to discuss first. I will present those on a majority rules basis.

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Last week, I made a slip of tongue that has seemed to confuse a few of you. I made a poor example of Apple and Nuts as a snack being a bad choice. This is not true. Specifically, what we were discussing that you do not want to consume only carbohydrates and fats at the same time. Really, what we are looking at is that it is best to not take in a large hit of glucose and unhealthy fats such as you would find in a starchy food (i.e. french fries or pasta). This can also happen with foods on the approved list as well such as dates, squash, yams, or the like. Remember, insulin is a fat storage hormone. Many of you are not insulin sensitive so your body releases a huge amount of insulin every time it senses the intake of sugar. Once it cleans out the glucose from the bloodstream any insulin left will latch onto the fats you just ate and immediately store them. Obviously, this is a bad thing.

Taking in Protein with your Carbs is okay. Taking in Protein and Fats is a better choice. Taking in all three in a balanced Zone portion is a better choice as well. Examples: Cottage cheese with berries and almonds; Hard-boiled egg with apple and almond butter.

Now – where was the confusion? It comes with Fructose. Fructose is a sugar that is naturally occurring in fruits. It is a simple sugar (which we are encouraging you to eat) that has more than double the sweetness of glucose and 1.75 the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar). Here’s the rub. It does not spike your insulin like a starchy sugar or an excess of simple sugars will. Of course, if you eat a lot of it at one time you will spike your insulin no matter what. There are other issues with fructose (it is extremely glycating) which we will cover at another time. It is best to moderate your fruit consumption to one or two servings a day. Always try to eat it with a balanced set of protein and fats until we kick your insulin resistance – possibly two months or more.

I apologize for any confusion. Please bring up any questions on this when we meet again.

Remember, take this all in stride! Do not let the tremendous amount of information available to you knock you over and cause frustration. It took me years to learn this – you’re getting it in a matter of weeks. It is best to continually learn this material on your own accord using this instruction as supplementation. You are doing the best thing for your health and your family by even making one small change. I look forward to hearing of your successes tomorrow.

To your health,

Mike.

P.S. See below for an extremely motivating post! Also, attached is a 30 day plan of meals with recipes for anyone who did not get it before and for anyone wondering…what the heck should I eat?

Copied here, in its’ entirety, is a recent post on marksdailyapple.com

This post is an extremely motivating story of one man’s experience with eating healthy. This was unique because Matt did not just say, “Hi. I’ve been doing it for six months, lost a bunch of weight, and have better blood labs.” No, Matt took real accounting of his life and came up with 97 ways his life has become better after only six months of living a primal lifestyle. (Note: Primal is the term used by followers of Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint, which includes eating whole foods and being moderately active.) Be sure to click the link and read all of the great comments people made regarding their own experiences. And of course, check out the rest of Mark’s blog. It is extensive and chock full of great information. You will get more posts from him through me in the coming weeks.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/97-bonus-changes-after-six-months-of-living-a-primal-lifestyle/

Nutrition - 28 Jan 2011 - Meeting Notes

Hi, All.

Today was an exciting day with many new faces. Thank you all for coming!

We talked at length of portion control in regards to your body’s needs. I will be giving you more information in the future, but as it was, this was a lot of information and I hope that I didn’t bowl you over with it all. Be sure to review the attached information and come in on Tuesday with any questions you may have.

Remember – you cannot start eating this way too early. Start tonight. Yes, you can! Remember – we don’t have any will power. Box it up, clean it out, and give it away. One last pizza is really too much.

Attached are three documents. The first is the Paleo Solution – Quick Start Guide written for your benefit by Robb Wolf. He authored the Paleo Solution (which I have and you can borrow) which is a super well-written and easy to understand reference about whole-foods eating and the chemistry behind it. This is a two page document that outlines the first 5 very easy steps to getting healthy.

The second are the Zone Blocks with a bunch of recipes that have been modified to fit from 2 to 5 blocks. Eat ONE of these recipes and you have your entire meal done – perfectly balanced. There are also a list of one block snacks that can be doubled for 2 block snack times if desired. I’m including the unfavorable carbs list as well since I know many of you will want some pasta or bread. With this, you must be real, real strict on your portion size. If you need more recipe ideas then you can borrow my Zone Meals in Seconds book or register and go online to Zonediet.com – ignore the advertising and just use the recipes that are listed there for free.

Remember, the women are at 12 blocks – the guys range from 15 to 18. Your kids should have 2 blocks – 4 times a day, 1 block – 1 time. Most husbands should be at 16.

Other recipe solutions are found at places like thenakedkitchen.blogspot.com, thefoodee.com, everydaypaleo.com, health-bent.com, and marksdailyapple.com.

The last document is the nutrition log to let you start getting used to using Zone blocks. Fill it out the best you can and we’ll review on Tuesday.

TUESDAY – is our next meeting. Try to make it if you can. Also, try to get me your measurements before that meeting if at all possible. And bring your lunch! We’ll be trading what recipes we made and why.

Last thought of the day, I will be sending out tips from time to time. Today’s tip is always a hotly debated topic until people just give it a shot for 30 days. That’s all I’m asking. 4.3 weeks of not eating any grains. Think of all the white and brown colored food you eat. Make some pasta – then taste it right out of the water you “cooked” it in. It has none. And the stuff that makes it “doughy” is called gluten. Google it. We’ll talk at length about this in a few weeks but for now know that this is the same stuff that makes up wallpaper paste. Yummy, yes? Replace it with delicious, flavorful foods like any of the winter squashes, or over finely chopped Cauliflower, or wilted greens, or… The more color (and less brown or white) the more natural and healthy it is – and the better you will feel. Awesome.

Have a tremendous weekend. I look forward to your questions and seeing you all on Tuesday!

Mike.

Nutrition - 27 Jan 2011 - Meeting Reminder

Hi, All!

This week Mother Nature gave us a wonderful opportunity for increased activity. I hope that you took advantage and broke out your snow shovels!

Tomorrow we will be meeting again in Building 43 at noon. You MUST bring a lunch – even if you are not hungry to eat it at that time. We’ll be discussing portion control and food choices. I will be giving out a “prescription” to everyone for the amount of food you should be eating each day to achieve our goals.

Also, bring along your food log and measurements. A pen and paper are always handy.

We’ll be having a few new club members joining us so let’s make them feel welcome! I’m truly looking forward to seeing everyone. J

Nutrition Tip of the Day:

Thinking about eating does make you hungry. It causes the body to release insulin (in anticipation of receiving food) which lowers your blood glucose which makes your brain think that it is starved for fuel (it will use glucose if it is available – otherwise it will run on ketones when it is not) thus releasing other hormones that will cause you to feel hunger.

Note: the brain does NOT control the body – rather it is a massive study in networking with all cells running autonomously – each affecting the others based upon its’ need at the time.

Don’t believe me on the hunger thing? Think of the last time you left in the morning and got so busy that you went until much later (evening perhaps?) before you realized you didn’t eat a thing (or someone mentioned it to you). It is then, and only then, that you “realize” how “hungry” you are. Or you worked through a hunger only to not be hungry again until many hours later when you thought about missing that earlier meal. The fact is that your body was actually not hungry or starving. Your body did exactly what we wanted it to do – turn on the fat-burning engine and start converting stored fat into ketones for energy.

SO – don’t think about what you’re eating or when. Just keep doing your daily tasks. The moment you start to think of food, you will become “hungry.” Instead call one of your club buddies and go for a brisk walk or bury yourself in another task. With this week’s prescription, you will have a finite amount of food for each day (it’s plenty, trust me) – but if you eat it all by 10 AM you’ll probably go to bed with an empty belly.

See you tomorrow!

Mike.

Nutrition - 26 Jan 2011 - Food for Thought

Hi, All!

Here’s a timely post on one of the blogs that I follow regularly – everydaypaleo.com

Sarah does a great job of talking about making the decision to eat well even when you have a lot of other things on your plate.

Bring your comments on Friday.

It is literally food for thought!

-Mike.

It’s Too Hard!!! And a not so hard recipe…

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Sarah

I might be a lot of things, but one thing that I know I am is a pretty gosh darn compassionate person. I know it sounds kind of corny but I really do care. So here’s my life: I have this blog, now a podcast, wrote my book, I answer questions, take care of three kids, help my husband run a business, train at Norcal, work-out, clean my house, walk the dogs, do the laundry, make the beds, wash the dishes, oh and wait – I COOK PALEO MEALS!! Is it hard? Well, I guess so, but so is everything else on my list but I don’t stop taking care of my kids because “it’s hard” or boycott the laundry because, “it’s hard.” There has not been a week when I have said, “You know what kids, getting you to bed on time is really hard, therefore, just stay up late, sleep in, and miss school.” That might sounds like a decent plan except the next day, what would there be?? Consequences. So why do folks slide when it comes to making healthy food and by using the “it’s too hard excuse?” Going to work is hard, getting out of bed is hard, cleaning up is hard, but we do THOSE things without looking for an easy way out. How do we manage everything else and then decide to forgo the eggs in the morning and reach for the instant oatmeal because somehow it’s “easier?” Sorry folks, but this is when my compassionate self goes a little bonkers and I want to grab you by the shoulders, shake you hard and say, “Suck it up!!” The reality is, I am not any less busy than you and neither are thousands of other families around the globe making a paleo lifestyle happen. I could give you several tips, and I have, and I will continue to because I love doing that, but the biggest piece of advice is this: If you want to make it happen YOU WILL!!! There are excuses for everything in life and it’s up to you to justify your actions by giving in to those excuses that might be “easier.”

This will begin a possible series of blogs for getting it done, so let’s start with tip #1.

1. First, make a commitment by doing the following: If you really want to feed your family paleo GET THE CRAP FOOD OUT OF YOUR HOUSE!!

I recently received an email from, let’s call him, “Phil” and one of his comments went as follows, “A paleo lifestyle involves a lot more cooking, and a lot more planning than SAD (standard american diet). Plain and simple. You can pre-cook a lot of things, if your good at planning ahead. But a lot of people, especially those with kids, have incredibly tight schedules in the morning, and cooking, beyond throwing together a couple of pieces of toast is something completely foreign to them, especially in the morning. Combine that with the pre-conceived notion of “breakfast foods” and you’ve just increased their anxiety levels unbelievably. In short, they now believe
they can never succeed with the paleo plan, it’s just too much.“

“Phil” said it best when he mentioned peoples preconceived notion of what breakfast food should look like. If a family followed rule number 1 by getting rid of all the crap, even on the busiest of mornings, a family would not have any other option but to figure out how to scramble a few eggs in the same amount of time it would take to toast, butter, and jelly several slices of bread. My bet is that eggs are even faster and that if the toast is non-existent, after a few days, eggs might not start to look so “foreign” after all. Or, make a triple batch of egg cupcakes on the weekend and you won’t have to cook at all, which is even EASIER than relying on the “normal” toast.

Now lets talk about people either being “good” or “bad” at planning ahead. As “Phil” mentioned, some folks are not good at planning ahead, but they appear to only lack this ability when it comes to FOOD. We have to plan ahead to be successful at anything. Remember that thing on my long list of stuff do called laundry? If none of us “planned ahead” and made sure that our PG&E bill was paid, the laundry soap and dryer sheets were purchased, and that a few minutes were set aside to wash, dry and fold, there would be a lot more nakedness going on than normal.

Everyone I know, smart, not so smart, or middle of the road ends up going to the grocery store now and then. This is again when folks can choose to either buy a few useless items or they can take the opportunity to look at my blog, pick out three or four meals, buy the stuff they need, and cook those things for dinner throughout the week. Put some meat and some spices in a slow cooker, get home and eat it, eat the leftovers for breakfast or lunch or both, and move on with life. People can totally plan ahead, what people CAN’T do is ditch their relationship with sugar and processed foods. That it is what makes eating paleo hard and that is every one’s hang up who comes up with 10 million excuses why they “can’t.”

I’ll say it again, what it really boils down to is if you WANT TO! If you don’t want to, that’s 100% fine, but if you do want to, than use the tools and resources available to you and do it. If you cave in and order a pizza, MOVE ON!! Don’t drown in the leftover sauce on your plate, just shake it off and start fresh, don’t start over, just start fresh. We make food a guilt trip ride that we can’t get off and that really screws with peoples heads thanks to our media and the “diets” and the images of either doing something right or wrong. It’s really all about living, eating good food, loving, and making choices. I’ll say it one more time, even though it’s “hard” you can still do it if you REALLY REALLY WANT TO!!

Here’s what I have in my slow cooker right now. It took me about 5 minutes to throw it in and I’m sure it will be delicious.

Mexican Stew

1.5 lbs beef stew meat

1 onion, sliced

Handful of whole garlic cloves

1 carrot diced

5 celery stalks, diced

1/2 head of purple cabbage, chopped

1 280z can El Pato Enchilada Sauce

Dump it all in a slow cooker and cook for 6 -7 hours on low.

Enjoy!!

Nutrition - 21 Jan 2011 - First Meeting Notes!

Ladies and Gents;

Thank you for joining me today. I do hope that you were able to gain a little insight into the mysterious world of nutrition that will help you unlock the mystery of your health, weight, and fitness.

We went over a lot of things today – most of which very lightly, and a large number of topics. I anticipate you to have many more questions now than you had before we started. As you go through your weekend, please write these down and send them to me. I will do my best to address your questions and concerns in the coming weeks.

Take some time to really decide how deeply you are committed to the health of you and your family. “The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it as long as you really believe 100 percent.” Or as Virgil put it, “They are able because they think they are able.”

Taking this step is the most important – and most scary. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said “Faith is taking the first step – even when you can’t see the staircase.”

Congratulations on becoming committed and taking the first step.

Your homework this weekend:

• Try at least ONE new recipe from the booklet I gave you or the thousands of recipes available on the web (marksdailyapple.com or everydaypaleo.com are good sources)
• Continue to log your food

• Add to your log the numbers I asked for
• Start to notate how you feel, when you became hungry, and how much sleep you got

• Open the pantry and mark, in some way (may I suggest skull and crossbones?), the foods that you will not be eating – yes, that will be most of it.
• If just easing into it, choose one food to cut out of your daily fare (milk, cheese, bread, etc)
• Talk to your family about what you are doing and why
• Increase your physical activity by 15 minutes

That shouldn’t be too much to ask! Next week we’ll answer your questions and make more progress into the what’s and why’s. I will decide on our topics based upon the questions you present.

We’ll meet again on Tuesday and Friday of next week. I’ll be bringing meals for everyone on Tuesday so no worries there!

Have a safe and brilliant weekend!

Mike.