So... how did I get here?

I’ve been neglecting my blog, and for that I am ashamed. <hangs head in shame>

In my defense, however, my boyfriend has been in town and I’ve been *ahem* distracted. Teeheehee… ;)

So I’ve gone over WHAT it is to be Primal (at least, an abbreviated version of it), WHEN I went Primal, and HOW Primal has changed my life. What I haven’t yet covered is WHY. What was my “a-ha” moment? What sent me over the edge? What spurred the deep-seated need to change my life, for the better, once and for all? For those of you coming from MDA, you’ll find that today’s post is in response to Mark’s post about tipping points. I wanted to share my story there, but found it too long for the comments section. But since this is MY blog, I can delve into detail all I want. =)

My tipping point was a blouse. Yes, a blouse. But not just any blouse, a beautiful, flattering, ballet slipper-pink silk blouse that looked absolutely fantastic on me. One warm morning this past August, I pulled it out of my closet, slipped it over my head, and looked in the mirror, expecting to see the usual figure-flattering image of me draped in lovely, silky, damn-I-look-good wonderfulness. What was looking back at me was horrifying. I looked like a stuffed sausage. My belly protruded from under the delicate silk draping. Back fat rolls jutted out beneath the clearly visible lines of my bra. My arms looked as though they had been squeezed into- and subsequently out of- two tubes of toothpaste. Doesn’t sound all that bad… except that I had bought the blouse only 4 months before that morning. I went through a whole spectrum of emotions in that moment: astonishment, anger, shame, hopelessness, and finally, determination. I had had enough. Yo-yoing between 125- 150 lbs for 10 years had finally taken its toll on me and I was sick of it. I had tried several low-carb diets: first Atkins, then Curves, then South Beach- twice- all with some initial success, but as usual with typical “diets” the weight came back as soon as I started eating “normally” again. Additionally, I had developed seemingly random stomach problems 6 years before, which ranged from mild and infrequent to acute and numerous. I chalked it up to stress (a divorce, the loss of 2 jobs, and some other heavy things that happened over that time had me on an emotional rollercoaster), but even after things settled and I was living a happier life the “little attacks” as I called them didn’t go away. I figured there was something else wrong with me, and I self-diagnosed everything from esophageal ulcer to Crohn’s disease. Even doctors couldn’t figure it out: I got several prognoses, from gall stones (nope) to pancreatitis (wtf?), but never any solid answers. I tried cycling different foods out of my diet to see if I could pinpoint the cause: again, nothing conclusive (I didn’t even consider that grains could be the culprit).

That same day, I decided to give the South Beach Diet another go in my attempt to lose weight and get back into that beautiful blouse, which worked (sorta, I lost 7 pounds of what was probably water weight), and I applauded myself for a job well done. I celebrated with a piece of organic whole-wheat toast the day after Phase 1 was over. Oh boy, what a mistake. The stomach cramps and nausea had me holed up next to my toilet for HOURS. By that point in time, gluten-free/ grain-free had become the new “fad” diet, and I had heard bits and pieces of how wheat made people sick a la Celiac’s disease, so once I was able to lift myself up off the bathroom floor I got to surfing the interwebz. The next day at work I heard an interview with Karen DeCoster, who mentioned that she liked Mark’s plan, and I was off chasing answers, ultimately winding up at MDA and buying The Primal Blueprint that weekend. I haven’t had a single “attack” since I started my Primal journey, and I’ve been able to get back into that blouse… it’s actually too big for me now. =)

Ultimately, like so many other people in the Primal/Paleo world, it’s not a numbers thing, whether it’s the number on the scale, the number on your clothing tag, or the number of miles run, reps completed, or pounds lifted. The real reward is subjective, qualitative, and completely un-measurable by any standard of science (outside of the numbers on blood test results, of course). What we get out of this lifestyle is the overall better quality of life, the improved sleep, the elimination of medications, the happiness and satisfaction that comes from a good meal or a sweaty but fun-filled play session. My turning point was a blouse, but my sticking point is the knowledge that I’ll live a long healthy life, full of adventure and wonder, far from a nursing home, hospital, or hospice.

Supplements: What Gives?

Funny that Mark decided to post about nutrients and supplements today since I’ve been on a vitamin kick for about a week now. Mostly I’ve been wondering what I need and in what amounts, what I don’t need and why, what food sources are best and/or preferable to supplements, etc. Diving into the world of macro- and micro-nutrition can quickly become confusing (unless you’ve got a career in biology or organic chemistry). Yesterday, I turned to the MDA forums seeking answers to my questions, and as you can see, I got quite a response. 

For the most part, people know that they need certain nutrients, like calcium, iron, and vitamin C, in order to function; without them (or too much of them), there are dire consequences that can result in illness, injury, disease, and even death. What most people don’t realize is that there is a whole spectrum of vitamins and minerals (collectively grouped into ‘micronutrients’) that are vital for proper cell function. Read the above post at MDA, or, for a more in-depth look at individual micronutrients, Google ‘food sources of X (vitamin or mineral)’ and click the link that starts with 'WHFoods.' World’s Healthiest Foods is a great resource for learning about the broad spectrum of micronutrients needed by the human body for optimal cell function. [For best results on finding individual micronutrients, I suggest going back to Google and changing the search term for each one. WHFoods.com is a bit difficult to search, but Google gives you the right page every time.]

Now, let me say that I’m not a fan of swallowing handfuls of horse pills every day, especially not as many as are commonly recommended, even by Mark. Food- REAL food- is always the most ideal source of nutrients, but there are a few things we need that we simply can’t get enough of (or any) from food. For example, Vitamin D is called the “sunlight” vitamin because our bodies manufacture it readily with enough sun exposure- that’s direct sun exposure, not exposure on top of a nickel- thick layer of sunblock. But during late fall and winter, when we spend less time out in the sun either because of the shortened days or colder temperatures, we can come up short in our Vitamin D levels. This is a situation in which supplementation is not only recommended, it’s necessary simply because there aren’t any known food sources that supply the body’s needed levels of Vitamin D, and for those that do supply it, you’d have to eat platefuls of the stuff to get even a decent amount.

For those of us following Primal, Paleo, or other ancestral-style diets, we can usually get most of our nutrients through food alone. But many Americans, following the SAD and exercising way too much or not enough are selling themselves short and setting themselves up for a lifetime of chronic disease, perpetual fatigue, and an overall lower quality of life. Supplementation can be part of a healthy daily regimen, as long as you’ve got some good knowledge as to what it is- and WHY it is- that you’re taking. Here’s a fairly inclusive list of nutrients available in supplement form that are worth taking into consideration:

-         Vitamin A

-         B Vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and B-12)

-         Vitamin C

-         Vitamin D

-         Vitamin E

-         Folic Acid

-         Vitamin K

-         Calcium

-         Chromium

-         Copper

-         Iodine

-         Iron

-         Magnesium

-         Manganese

-         Molybdenum

-         Phosphorus

-         Potassium

-         Selenium

-         Sodium

-         Zinc

-         Biotin

-         Choline

-         CoQ10

-         L-carnitine

-         PABA

Noticeable Changes

Though I’m a little over 21 days into living Primally, I thought it’d be a good time to tie this post into the one I put up earlier today. Having been released only today, I haven’t been following the prescribed program in the ‘21-Day Total Body Transformation,’ but I CAN tell you that the 3 weeks Mark Sisson wants you to dedicate to making a change WILL improve your life. Just in the last few weeks, these are the noticeable changes in my life:

-         I no longer have the recurring (and often embarrassing) digestive issues I used to have. Sometimes my stomach aches would become so painful that I had to leave work, or not go in the following day because of a late-night attack. I haven’t had ONE episode of gastric distress since I started eating ancestrally.

-         I fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. I’ve been wearing earplugs to bed for well over a year, but turning my alarm clock around to smother its light has made a surprising difference. I’ve also stopped surfing the interwebz right before bed, or if I’m watching a TV show (which is rare), I make sure it’s over at least a half hour before I go to bed. Winding down slowly, with lowered light and less digital stimulation has made a HUGE difference in getting to sleep. [Note: I have been having trouble staying asleep, though I think that has more to do with my older mattress and getting comfortable than with any internal workings or excessive external stimulus.]

-         I have more energy throughout the day, and my energy remains more stable than it used to. I’m still drinking coffee in the morning, but that’s because I like coffee; I don’t use it as an energy crutch. The biggest difference in my energy levels is that I don’t get that 2pm crash that I used to get, forcing me to have an afternoon snack or another cup of coffee just to keep going.

-         Yes, the scale has been moving (I’m down about 6 pounds as of this morning), but most of all, my clothes FIT again! All my jeans go on and zip up with no problems, my shirts aren’t stretched to the max over my belly pudge, and I no longer feel my thighs jiggling when I walk! I’m still not quite where I want to be as far as what I look like naked, but I FEEL great, and that’s more important than rockin’ a bikini bod.

-          Last, but definitely not least, I find myself craving ancestral foods instead of sugary, carb-y, starchy snacks. Since my metabolism has been “reprogrammed” to burn my stored body fat instead of the sugar in my bloodstream, my brain tells me to crave the type of fuel that my body needs to function. The thought of sizzling bacon has always made me drool, but when I have an urge to eat a turkey leg like a barbarian, I know that good changes have taken place. =)

Overall, I just FEEL better, and not just because I look great in my jeans. My skin is glowing when I wake up. I look forward to my time at the gym. Packing lunch is so much easier. Work goes faster and is more enjoyable. I smile more, stress less, and just enjoy myself so much more than I used to. I’ll bet my sex life would be better too, if only my sweet, wonderful boyfriend wasn’t 3000 miles away- though he’ll be here in 3 weeks, so I’ll get to test that theory soon enough! ;)

I don’t mean to sound preachy, but really: I urge you all to read The Primal Blueprint, go to MarksDailyApple.com, and just TRY it. Give the 21-Day Transformation a shot; what have you got to lose, besides a lot of unhealthy habits? If it doesn’t blow your mind, at least you only “wasted” 3 weeks and not months or years… but I seriously doubt you’ll feel like your time was wasted.

GROK ON!!!!

Mark Sisson's 21-Day Transformation!

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. 
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.

Buy it now on Amazon.com!

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”: In this 130-page eBook, 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. (The coupon code is good for any single product at PrimalBlueprint.com and expires on 11/30/11.)

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 Sisson. The audio book is four hours long, and covers all 10 of the Primal Blueprint Laws and then some. 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. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to try a PEK, Primal Fuel or Master Formula on for size!(The coupon code is good for any single product at PrimalBlueprint.com and expires on 11/30/11.)

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

Buy 8 or more books through mainstream channels and Mark will send you one book for every two books you buy! Buy eight and he’ll send you four more. Buy 80 and he’ll send you 40 for free – seriously…and he’ll autograph each one of these promo books! And, of course, you’ll get all the aforementioned freebies.
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?
100 copies – Personal Touch: A 30-minute private phone consultation wherein you and Mark discuss anything you want. (Well, almost anything.) Mark doesn’t one-on-one coaching anymore so this is a rare opportunity. Yes, you also get the 50 free signed books and all the aforementioned freebies!
1,000 copies – Executive Decision: Could you co-workers use some guidance and motivation to get in shape? Mark will fly out to your location, present his Primal Transformation seminar and spend the day helping get your co-workers/employees Primal!

How Do I Win?

1. Order your book(s) online or at your local bookstore before midnight Monday, Oct 24. Here are some online ordering options:
Amazon.com Primal Blueprint 21-Day Transformation
BarnesandNoble.com Primal Blueprint 21-Day Transformation
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.
• The 8 book offer only applies to book orders placed in the United States. While international orders won’t impact the New York Times best-seller list Mark will extend the 1-2 and 3-7 book offers to anyone around the world.

Order Your Copy of The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation Today!

Why Primal? An Intro

When most people think of the "primal" or "paleo" diet, they tend to get an image of the Geico cavemen sitting in a fancy restaurant ordering some nearly unpronounceable dish and a glass of imported wine... no? That's not what you thought? Oh, that's right: most people would probably think of… well, CAVEMEN. I'm here to tell you that this couldn't be further from the truth. Though the Primal Lifestyle is based on how our "caveman" ancestors ate and lived, it has been adapted to fit very neatly into our modern lives by utilizing technology, convenience, and especially medical knowledge and philosophical wisdom to give us a better way to live. The end result, backed by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of first-hand testimonies and success stories is an overall better quality of life via better sleep, better health, less stress, and more fun. This is the end result that I am seeking.
I started my Primal journey after hearing this interview with Karen DeCoster, a "real foods" activist whom I highly admire. I Googled The Primal Blueprint, written by former world-class marathon runner Mark Sisson, who now owns and runs a vitamin and supplement business in addition to his enormously successful blog, MarksDailyApple.com (affectionately dubbed MDA by its thousands of followers). Though I had already grasped the concept of the 'low-carb diet'- how excess dietary carbohydrates is ultimately what makes people fat and unhealthy- I was completely unaware of the numerous catastrophic side affects of ingesting the wrong kinds of carbohydrates, and I don't just mean processed foods and sugar. Mark was able to break down technically, but in a very readable way, the biochemistry of what food does once it passes our lips and how our bodies react to the different types of fuel we take in. I won't get into the full scientific explanation here, though I highly encourage everyone to visit MDA at the above link, and to get a copy of The Primal Blueprint on Amazon.com either in hardcover or in Kindle format. I tore through it in a single weekend, and spent hours reading numerous success stories of fellow "Grokkers." Never before have I been so eager to jump right into a lifestyle change and start making my life better.
The main idea behind the Primal Lifestyle is centered on what has been called the paleo diet, the hunter-gatherer diet, or the caveman diet, but also the ancestral diet, which is the term I like to use. [Note: When I use the term ‘primal,’ I use it to refer to the entire lifestyle itself; ‘ancestral diet’ as used in this blog refers only to food.] The ancestral diet as defined by Mark Sisson (and I’m paraphrasing here), is to eat the foods that our ancestors ate: natural fats such as those found in animal meat, nuts and seeds, and certain other foods (like avocados and olives); animal meat and products including eggs; and vegetation (that’s fruits and veggies, folks, not your oleander bushes). What the diet does NOT include should be obvious: processed food (which is just about every “food” in a typical grocery store) including chips, crackers, snacks of all kinds, etc., and anything with added sugar (sodas, cookies, baked goods… you get the idea). The less obvious things not included in the diet are grains, including cereals, pastas, bread, rice, and corn (yup, corn is a grain, not a veggie); processed vegetable oils such as canola, corn, and peanut oil; and (this trips outs a lot of people) legumes: soy, beans, and peanuts- that’s right, peanuts are a legume, not a nut. These are left out of the diet because the human body was not designed (or has not evolved, depending on your personal philosophy) to digest those foods. Grains became domesticated by humans only within the last roughly 10,000 years, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the nearly 100,000 years that humans have been on this planet. Our bodies aren’t meant to process the nearly-pure carbohydrate load of grains, and the “recent” development of grains as a staple food has lead to the epidemics of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, and all sorts of other ailments now plaguing modern society. Mark does a great job of explaining why this has happened, and his background as a biochemistry major gives him the credentials to know something- and to say something- about it. Processed oils, the kind extracted from most vegetables, are, well, PROCESSED. Big time processed. (If you’re not too squeamish, check out this video on how canola oil is made.) Though I’m not quite clear as to why beans are a no-no, I can understand peanuts (one of the most highly allergenic foods known to humanity) and soy (they’re loaded with natural estrogens, which can be good for post-menopausal women I suppose, but not so much for the rest of us). Additionally, though dairy products are not technically considered ancestral, and some purists avoid dairy altogether, they’re full of good fat, protein, and the just-right amount of carbohydrates necessary for minimum cell function. I choose to keep dairy in my diet just because I loves me some cheese, which is another great part about the Primal Lifestyle: It’s personal for everyone. There is no one way to do it. There’s no one list for everyone to follow. YOU decide how ancestral you want to be, and you get out of it what you put into it- or should I say what you put into YOU. =)
Though I don't introduce myself as Grok Chic, nor do I come right out and say "I'm Primal!" but if anyone asks, they'd better be ready for an empassioned tale of my daily doses of butter, bacon fat, and red meat as well as generous helpings of olive oil poured over fresh greens and topped with full-fat, raw cheeses. Yes, you read that right- BUTTER. The real stuff, not that overly processed wannabe known as margarine, which is often made from canola oil. (Remember that video on canola oil? If you don’t, watch it again.) To put it in a nutshell, my diet consists of all the stuff we're not "supposed" to eat, like butter, bacon, red meat, eggs, and full-fat dairy, and does NOT include the stuff we're "supposed" to eat, like grains, vegetable oils (other than olive and avocado), and soy. Confusing? Maybe at first. But when you read the book and the blog, you'll see that not only are the things that have been banned by Conventional Wisdom (CW) good for you, they're actually BETTER for you than the stuff that CW pushes. Natural, whole, raw, and yes, fatty foods are what nature intended for us to eat, not the processed, fortified, packaged crap most Americans shove down their throats on a daily basis.
The purpose of my blog is to share my Primal experience with others, but also to educate people on why the existing USDA food pyramid is completely upside-down; why the lipid hypothesis is a load of bunk; how the Food & Drug Administration, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and other such organizations are actually RESPONSIBLE for the obesity and Type II diabetes epidemics; and what we can do to reverse and eventually prevent the extensive damage we've done to our bodies through poor diet and chronic exercise (or complete lack thereof). Again, I won't get into the science (I'll let Mr. Sisson explain that for you), but I will share my experiences with the PB lifestyle and related topics in the hopes that it changes the way we see food, for the better.