Fitness

The Strictly Paleo Plan

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When I first discovered the Paleo lifestyle in February of 2011 I dove in headfirst and completed a strict Paleo eating plan for the first 30 days. My motivation was to figure out if what I was eating might be contributing to my fibromyalgia, fatigue, chronic respiratory infections and depression. I was already fairly lean but not especially healthy and I was frustrated with doctors who could not explain my symptoms. All my tests were normal and yet I was NOT okay.

During my “experiment” I discovered certain food groups had been negatively impacting my health. The changes I have seen and felt since going Paleo have been pretty dramatic. If you have any unexplained aches and pains, inflammation, allergies, skin or digestive problems, or other ailments, or if you simply cannot manage to lose weight or keep it off you should seriously consider how the food you eat may be impacting your health. A Strictly Paleo elimination diet may be just what you need to change your life.Paleo Word in Food

What is Strictly Paleo©?

Most simply stated, Strictly Paleo means eating real food that excludes certain potentially problematic food groups for an experimental elimination period of at least 30 days.

What you DO eat:

  • Meat
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Fats from nuts, seeds, and fruits

Here’s a handy guide to help with shopping.

What you DO NOT eat:

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Paleo and the City: Lululemon and The Central Park Zoo

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Over the summer I took my boys into New York City a few times. It was the first summer since going paleo so our jaunts included efforts to find paleo eats wherever we went. We were fairly successful. You can find most anything in New York so it stands to reason one could find plenty of paleo-friendly food. Afterall, paleo means eating meat, vegetables, some fruit and nuts and good fats – not really that hard. Of course, New York has its share of food temptations. We had to avoid the street vendors with dessert crêpes and falafel. We did not indulge in black & white cookies and cannoli. And we stayed away from Italian restaurants – with one exception, Mario Batali’s La Lupa. That was tough because, let me tell you, there are REALLY good Italian restaurants in New York City. Sigh.

Lululemon Athletica

I lugged my camera every time we went in and managed to get some fun shots. You can see a few of them in a previous post about our trip to Madison Square Park – Paleo and the City: Madison Square Park. That particular trip was during a week when my oldest son, Big Boy, was away at church camp and Sweet Pea and I were on our own. We took a second trip into “The City” that same week which included a stop at Lululemon Athletica (quite the yoga-wear Mecca). My husband G has gotten into yoga over the last year. He enjoys practicing when he has the time and appreciates the multiple benefits. Lululemon has a fantastic men’s line of yoga clothing. But even though G is quite comfortable in his manhood he simply cannot abide the name. He can’t bring himself to buy clothes from a store with “lulu” in the name. Maybe if they changed it to “Stevestevelemon” or “BobBoblemon” or simply “Lulemon”?? Next time I shop there I may buy him something but disguise it to look like it came from a more manly sounding athletic store. In spite of the unusual name, Lululemon sells terrific products. Everything I have purchased there has been great quality and has worn and washed well. The yoga top you see in the photo below came from Lululemon. Come to think of it, so did the hat.20111027-044307.jpg

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Paleo Spirit Fitness: willPower & grace

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In a previous post I referenced a workout that has become a favorite of mine, willPower & grace. While I generally try to keep my workouts to either 1) short duration with high intensity or 2) long duration with low intensity I make an exception for this class. Its many benefits outweigh any possible problem with intensity and even though it is very heavy on cardio it is only one hour a week for me.

I found the class while perusing the group exercise schedule at the YMCA a few years ago. When I came across the name willPower & grace I thought it was strange and it did not describe what the class would entail the way “Cardio Sculpt” or “Step Aerobics” might. But it was at a convenient time so I decided to give it a try.

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Yoga and Christianity: The Meaning of Namaste

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Paleo Spirit Fitness Yoga Namaste

Even though yoga fits in well with the Paleo lifestyle (see previous post) I am certainly not a yoga expert. In fact it was not all that long ago I was reading “Yoga For Dummies”. But finding yoga to be amazingly helpful in relieving stress and increasing strength and flexibility has motivated me to learn … Read more

Paleo Spirit Fitness: MOVE

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paleo spirit fitness

After having a fitness epiphany a few months ago I determined to create for myself a manageable workout plan. As I mentioned in a previous post, taking a cue from Mark Sisson’s “The Primal Blueprint”, there are four workout categories I try to incorporate into my life every week: MOVE LIFT SPRINT PLAY It sounds … Read more

Paleo Spirit Fitness: Overview

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paleo spirit

I have some really good news! Getting fit and staying fit does NOT mean toiling away doing endless cardio. Though it may be difficult to believe, achieving optimal health does not mean you have to be an exerholic.  Since adopting the Paleo lifestyle I have embraced the “less is more” idea with regard to exercise. … Read more