First and foremost, for anyone who lives in NJ/NYC, there is a Paleo Presentation tomorrow, Wednesday, July 23, 7:15PM at Family Chiropractic Center of Bayonne — 734 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002.  Dr. Noah and Dr. Mike will be rocking the house!  They are also starting a 30 Day Paleo Challenge on August 4…so what are you waiting for?!  Noah posted THIS video…go check it out!

So over the weekend I was hanging out with Noah.  He had made some lamb fries (aka lamb balls), and well…when in Rome.  haha!  They tasted like pork, not bad; I had more trouble getting over the fact that they were lamb balls.  I believe he said he got them from U.S. Wellness Meats, just in case anyone was interested in trying them.

Paleo is a lifestyle, not a diet (you don’t know how many times I’ve had to try to defend myself).  I have fully accepted and embraced this concept. People always pull the, “So what do you eat?  Twigs and berries?”  I usually end up just asking what they like to eat, and responding with, “I can eat that, too!”  Conversation usually ends there.   People can be such haters…eesh.  Don’t let them get you down though.

I’m working on compiling some recipes of my own.  Last night I made a beef stew!  Holy delicious!  I made sure to write it all down after I ate it and realized how good it was.  Amazing how much my cooking skills have improved.  I would really like to put together a cookbook…I have some good material so far.  I’m starting to understand the ingredients I’m using, so that’s a big help to creating recipes.

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.  All life is an experiment.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

On March 31, I turned 31 years old; I can’t even believe it.  And although it’s hard to believe I’ve spent 31 years learning, experiencing, feeling, discovering…I can believe that this past year, I’ve felt better than I ever have.  Lately, I’ve been trying to summarize all of the information I have found and the discoveries I’ve made.  I’ve learned so much, and I was able to turn everything into a positive.

I’ll try to sum this up, mainly touching on my own experiences.  I needed to start with 30 strict days…and it ended up changing my whole world.  I took small steps, and I continue to take small steps.  You have to be open minded to trying new things and changing old habits.  You have to be willing to go through trial and error.  Don’t always go by what you read on the web…you need to listen to your own body.  There’s always going to be naysayers out there, but there’s also going to be a lot of people supporting you.  Find your supporters and embrace the support they give you.

Have faith in yourself.  Believe that if you want something bad enough, you’ll make the strides, and you’ll get it. We all have our struggles, but it’s our struggles that make us who we are.  I believe nothing will ever be put in front of you that you can’t handle.  We are stronger than we allow ourselves to think we are.

So far my first week into my 30 days has been good.  Sticking to it, although yesterday was a frustrating day for me and all I wanted to eat was french fries.  (which I didn’t end up getting, but I should have)

Please share your stories with me…I’d love to hear them!!

Twitter: @paleyoblog  <—add me.

“If you never failed, you never tried anything new.”

My friends and loyal followers, I have been absent far too long…and I apologize.  I’ve been so busy over the past couple months, but…I am happy to report I am still #paleostrong, down 43lbs., and about to celebrate my 1 year of Paleo anniversary on August 9!  It’s been easy, it’s been hard, and it’s been everything in between.  I enjoy it though!  I have mastered making kombucha…but I still can’t ferment anything.  Haha  Going food shopping and cooking has become a much easier and more manageable task as well.  I’m a few days into another 30 day meal plan.  This time around I enjoy it way more than I did a year ago.  One thing still remains the same…not a big fan of fish.  Can’t win ’em all.  🙂

Another big development in my life — my dad was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes back in April.  He spent over a month in the hospital and a rehabilitation center.  Thanks to my Paleo lifestyle and all of the knowledge I gained over the last year, I have been able to help him control his sugar with diet alone!  I have even learned some other valuable things!

I still have a strong support system, and my mom loves my cooking!  (That’s saying a lot.)  I get my distaste for fish from her…she never eats my fish dishes.  I have felt pretty good mentally and physically; it’s probably the best I have ever felt in my adult life.  I’m always getting compliments from friends — “Your hair looks so healthy.” “You look so fit.”  Oh, and a couple of my former favorite shirts now fit again…thus, they are my current favorites again!  Such a great feeling!

I’m also finding my outlook on life is much better.  My mental attitude has greatly improved, and yes, I think a healthy, balanced diet is key.  I can also tell I am much more physically fit.  I can now run a mile in under 9 minutes without any struggle.

I will start to blog again.  I added something to pinterest, and I twittered to my followers that I’M BACK!  Thanks for sticking around!  Make sure you subscribe.

Follow me on twitter @paleyoblog!!!!

“We need to recognize our accomplishments, no matter how big or small, and be proud of them.”

…standby for a new post.

I fell 2 weeks ago and ended up bruising my kidney, so I was out of commission for a few days on bed rest (doctor’s orders).  Then I ended up with a stomach bug…but I’m starting to feel better.  I apologize for not posting!  Stick around, and I promise it will be a good one.  :c)

Thanks, friends.

“Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.”

I think I’ve just made my best discovery yet!  A little research goes a long way, let me tell you.  I literally think of things that had been bothering me, such as my leg cramps, and I Google them–that’s actually how I figured how I might have a gluten intolerance in the first place (way back before I went Paleo).  My latest research project has been my biggest ah-ha! moment yet.  I may have solved one of the biggest mysteries that I’ve been plagued with pretty much my whole life…that is until I went Paleo (apparently).  Literally, the things I mention in this blog made me miserable.  I also may be solving one of the things that’s been plaguing my brother for years, and me as well, but him much worse.

Okay, so this may not be the prettiest blog I’ve posted, but I’m going to be open and honest, and that’s mainly because I think I’m finally cured!  I’m never going to have gluten in my diet ever again because clearly, I am gluten and/or lactose intolerant.  I’m not saying this only because of my cured leg cramps, but now I’m finding out my chronic sore throats and abdominal migraines (my brother also suffers from migraines) might be caused by a GI.  Seriously though, my migraines were so bad (caused by nitrates in food; eliminated with a Paleo lifestyle), that I would spend an entire day in bed, black out curtains pulled, in complete silence.  Usually they ended with me throwing up…then I was fine.  They have finally gone away, and I think it’s forever.  I know saying they went away is a bold statement, but I am confident that as long as I am living a Paleo lifestyle, they will be gone forever.

As far back as I can remember, I had severe sore throats at least twice a year, up until before I started Paleo.  Along with the few that were debilitating, I often woke up with a sore throat, redness, and/or swollen tonsils.  I just shrugged it off to being dehydrated or just dry air, well on contraire mon frere…it was much more than that!  I would let it go for awhile, then eventually go to the doctor when I couldn’t handle it, and of course, the doctor would prescribe me that trusty z-pak (I’ve probably had 100 in my lifetime so far).  We all know that antibiotics are bad, bad, bad — especially when you get them every time and anytime you go to the doctor.  Perhaps doctors who haven’t received their medical degrees in the last couple years, maybe they just don’t know about gluten intolerance. I’ve even asked my dentist about it…they didn’t have much to say.  These sore throats were sometimes accompanied by these white dots on my tonsils (gross…sorry).  Sometimes I’d poke and prod at them with my toothbrush.  This got much worse the more weight I put on; at the time I didn’t put two and two together, but now in hindsight, I’m making the connection.  So that led me to my Googling ways, and I found out I had cryptic tonsils.  Most. Terrible. Thing. Ever.  The only way to solve the problem -according to the internet-, was to get them removed.  I know that doctors don’t really believe in taking them out anymore, I’ve inquired..multiple times.  It was just something I had to learn to deal and live with.  It became an obsession to poke back there with my toothbrush to try to be ahead of the game and prevent sore throats.  So the other day I was sitting around and I thought, “Wow, I haven’t had a sore throat or those weird tonsil things in a long time.”   Hence, leading to my current Google mission.

I went for a physical with blood work about 6 years ago with my regular doctor.  She had said that my liver enzymes were slightly elevated.  They took an ultrasound or sonogram of my liver, and everything checked out to be normal.  I then went to a gastroenterologist.  He took blood, sonograms, ultrasounds, and a few other tests and told me that everything was fine.  Slightly raised enzymes aren’t much for concern, and everything looked normal.  So I went on my way, I’ve had physicals since then and everything has been fine.  I decided to Google this…low and behold…people with gluten intolerances or celiac disease will have results with slightly elevated liver enzymes.  Now I’m not saying all these things are what was going on with me, but it’s pretty convincing.  Wouldn’t you agree?  All of these issues I had, that caused me so much stress and anxiety, lead back to a gluten intolerance!  Now, since cutting out gluten, I have been cured!  Lord have mercy (and all that jazz)!

As with the abdominal migraines …I suffered with these most of my adult life, again, until I went Paleo (gluten and dairy free).  My brother also suffers from these currently; he is not living Paleo.  After having a breakthrough with why I suffered from all these ailments, I come to find out abdominal migraines are caused by gluten and processed foods.  Now I know what you might be saying…I probably shouldn’t listen to the internet, but a lot of the stuff I’m reading is really making sense to me.  I changed to a Paleo lifestyle, and ever since, I have had none of these issues.  There’s no other way to explain how turning Paleo has essentially “fixed” me.

Another thing I also decided to look up was eczema.  I suffer from this as well.  If you’re thinking, “You poor thing.”, please don’t.  I’m okay with it and always have been, but especially now that I have finally figured out what might be going on.  Anyways, bear with me, I’ve been reading a lot and my information is a little jumbled in my head.  So eczema can be from a gluten intolerance (I think mine is also related to heredity).  I get it mostly around my hair line and on my legs (I’ve mentioned this in other blogs), which sucks, but I deal.  But since I cut out gluten I have noticed a serious decline!  I’m also reading that all of the above mentioned ailments could mean I have celiac disease (which causes a gluten intolerance).  I don’t think I have celiac disease, but who knows.  It seems to be something that goes undiagnosed all too often.

ANOTHER THING!  I know that we have all had a canker sore in our mouth, some more than others…I suffered from these.  I thought I got them because I drank too much soda.  (For anyone bugging out, canker sores are not contagious!)  Well now through some cross researching I see that as a result of a study, canker sores are linked to gluten sensitivity.  They had people who had chronic canker sores (Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis) that were put on a strict gluten free diet, improve greatly.  I don’t think I’ve had one in a long time, but still, wonderful news!

So now that I’ve bored you to tears…on a totally unrelated topic, I made chicken soup yesterday…first time.  It was so good!  I may have just started a new tradition.  :c)

“I used to believe that we are here to teach what we know.  Now I know that we are here to teach what we are meant to discover.”

“Fitness is like marriage.  You can’t cheat on it and expect it to work.”

I know a lot of people live by the rule of having a cheat day, and there are actually articles out there that will tell you why they are good; I am against them.  Listen, if you worked a cheat day into your formula, and it’s a mental thing and it works for you, keeping you going without getting off track, then by all means, cheat away!  But for me, I’m really against cheat days for numerous reasons.  If you’re eating healthy, feeling good, and working hard…why would you want to go off track?  Back before you ate healthy, did you have a cheat day where you only ate healthy foods?  I doubt it!  It sounds ridiculous, but it’s the same analogy.  If you end up overeating on your cheat day, you’re probably going to end up being hungrier, which will cause you to eat more.  You should plan out your cheat days very carefully.  I have the fear of falling back into a black hole.  Junk food is addictive.  If I have one slice of pizza, I’m afraid that mentally I may say, “Hey, it’s okay to eat pizza every once in awhile now that I have had it.”  <—this is not okay!  When you allow your body to adjust to healthy foods, reintroducing “bad” foods for one day will definitely not make you feel good.  In fact, you cheat on a Friday, and there’s a good chance you will feel it the entire weekend.  But alas, if you plan on having a cheat day…plan ahead for it.  Perhaps go easy all week, then enjoy the cheat day.  I’m not really sure how to justify it honestly; if you think you deserve it, then there ya go!

I’m aware that there are different ways of cheating.  You can either go eat a few slices of pizza, maybe have a soda, or you can maybe eat a small piece of chocolate, or have some gluten free pretzels.  I have a very strict Paleo diet that I follow, so if I cheat, I’d have to keep it Paleo, which is hard.  (I did find this really interesting article on “Paleo Friendly Cheat Days.”  If you get a chance, check it out.)  A lot of the gluten free items you see on the shelves are not Paleo.  The farthest I went on a cheat is eating a gluten free cupcake on Christmas (that someone bought for me), oh and yesterday for my Grandmother’s 90th birthday.  My mom made me a gluten free cake with gluten free icing, and I had a piece with my Grandma for her birthday.  If cheat days work for you, cheat in moderation.  Don’t go for the entire pizza or an entire box of pasta!  It’s very easy to be counterproductive on a cheat day.  You start eating a gallon of ice cream and half way through it you may just end up talking yourself into finishing it (after you twist your own arm, of course), because you’ll say, “Why not,” right?  You don’t want to eat so much that you undo the hard workouts you did all week (yes, this is possible).

I’ve already mentioned it in other blogs, but I had developed a seriously unhealthy addiction to food.  I ate, just to eat.  I ate because for a few minutes the taste would make me feel better.  Paleo has helped me break my addiction in a healthy way.  I don’t think that I am deserving of any cheat days yet, or ever.  I haven’t earned them.  I still think about eating pizza, and while I’m strong enough to say no, I’m just not saying no the way I should be.  I believe at this point, my cheat days would be counterproductive.  I put too much hard work into it, and cheating would make me feel really guilty.  This is just a recipe for disaster.  If I feel guilty, I’m afraid I’ll eat out of guilt, thus causing me to eat more and more junk.  I get sick and anxious just thinking about that; it’s okay though, because I won’t cheat…it’s just not worth it to me.  Besides, I enjoy having self control and discipline.  I’m proud of those qualities, and anyway, I found a lot of yummy alternatives and new foods that keep me more than satisfied.  You can too!

Tell me about how you feel about cheat days!

“Don’t let the weekends ruin your progress.  Fight hard towards self control.”

Sunday, March 9th, will be 7 solid months of Paleo…I can tell you I feel nothing like I did before this change.  I am blessed to have such wonderful support from the people around me.  I gave up things that I thought I’d never be able to give up (e.g. pizza and pasta).  I have proved a lot of things to myself over the last 7 months.  I have accomplished and overcome things physically, emotionally, and mentally.  If I got this far, anyone can.  I’m no super hero; I don’t have special powers.  I can share my knowledge and experiences, and hope that it reaches someone.

I am truly blessed.

I’ve stripped this Paleo business down to the basics.  I’ve figured out the formula (still have a lot to learn).  They say your mind gives up long before your body will…and I suggest if you’ve never tested that theory, you should.  Push yourself until you’ve pushed beyond the first feelings of what you thought were your limit.  Make yourself proud.

Making my meals from scratch everyday has been rewarding.  Don’t get me wrong, it often tests my patience, but it’s like those days you don’t want to go to the gym, and you go anyway.  You get home and you have a overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.  I kept saying weight loss and feeling better was a goal, but now having my mentality in a much more positive place is an amazing thing.  I view every situation with positivity and just want to spread it to everyone!  Changing my diet has helped me change the way I feel and think.  I was in a dark place before I made the change, and now I’m so glad I made it.  I was really missing out on a lot of things.  I felt so terrible, but had grown so used to it…I just wasn’t treating myself fairly.  It’s a whole domino effect.  I felt terrible, which then put me in a terrible mood, and everyday became a struggle.  I treated myself badly, I treated others badly…that’s just not who I am.  I took a leap of faith, and I succeeded.

All of this was made possible the day I decided to make a change.  I took a risk, bought a book, and embarked on this journey.  I’m here for anyone that wants to contact me for support, questions, or comments.  You can reach me on twitter @PaleYoBlog or e-mail me at PaleYoBlog@gmail.com.

Just one other thing I want to touch on really quick…my goal for this blog is to document my journey.  I have it to keep record of my struggle and successes.  If anyone happens to come across it and read it, they may be able to relate and know that they are not alone.  It started out as mainly for Paleo, but I think it’s much more than that now.  My positive mindset I have about life now is something I should not keep to myself.  Too often we chose the shortest path to our destination; this is not always the best path.  We walk among the best, the heroes, the dreamers.  And although we may not make it as far as we would have liked, realize that you were one step closer than the guy behind you.  Don’t give up on your goals, your hopes, your dreams.  Use every situation as a tool to get where you want to get.  Believe that you will succeed…and you will.

“Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.”

It’s one of my favorite Green Day songs, but it’s also how I’m feeling about getting really strict again and working out hard.  The weather is warming up, bathing suit catalogs are coming to the house, and I got a trip to the Caribbean on the horizon!  I’m happy with my progress so far, but I want more!  I haven’t fallen off the wagon or anything, just kind of lolly-gagging around.  In two weeks the clocks will go ahead one hour, which means the sun will set later in the day.  This will be good for me since I usually go to the gym after I sleep after work, around 6 or 7 PM.  (I work overnights)  <—-and Paleo has been a Godsend, just FYI.

Cooking meals is becoming second nature now, and food shopping has gotten much, much easier.  I can’t believe I haven’t had bread or pasta OR PIZZA since the beginning of August.  Incredible.  It’s amazing what our bodies are capable of, and the things we can adapt to.  It’s also amazing how we get so comfortable with how we feel (even if we feel bad).  People, we have to stop this behavior!  Prior to August, the way I was with eating and things I ate, I have completely abandoned for a new way of life.  There’s no possible way.  Being Paleo is beyond gluten free, so all those cute little gluten free snacks you see…yeah, I don’t eat those either.  I have to make things from scratch.  My “bread” is the pizza dough I make.  I had an egg sandwich the other day…it was amazing.

It’s the weekend, enjoy it!

“Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.  So, love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t.  And believe that everything happens for a reason…if you get a chance – take it; if it changes your life – let it.  Nobody said that it would be easy…they just promised it would be worth it.”

Who doesn’t love some french fries once in awhile?  Sure, they aren’t the healthiest food we can eat, but assuming you bought a potato from the store and made some homemade fries, it’s still better than any other processed-sugar loaded snack.  Right?  Well, yeah.  Truth be told, 1 cup of white potatoes have a heck of a lot less calories than 1 cup of almonds; on the contrary the glycemic index of the white potatoes is way higher than that of the almonds.  Since becoming Paleo, I noticed that I don’t even worry about calories anyway, plus my carb intake is substantially lower than when I wasn’t living Paleo.  As far as how many carbs one should consume, I’ve said it before, you have to figure out your own formula for what works for you.  Don’t listen to what anyone else has to say.

Potatoes are mainly starch, a complex carbohydrate, that supply a small amount of protein.  They do have many micronutrients though, so let’s not hate.  White potatoes are fairly low calorie, high in fiber, and have certain properties that will help protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. They are excellent sources Vitamins B6 and C, copper, manganese, potassium, and fiber, it’s just that the carb load is what makes the spuds not so good.  The amount of carbs in a white potato causes it to be digested quickly, thus causing a spike in insulin levels.  The insulin is then secreted, and your blood sugar levels drop.  Paleo has made me not miss that carb overload crash.  Now remember, if you’re a diabetic, or have had any kind of metabolism issue, maybe potatoes aren’t the best choice for us.  They are insulin resistant, but still they are better than some other things we could be eating.  I am trying to lose a few more pounds, so after doing some research, I think I’ll be sticking with a non-potato diet (the way I started out).  I’ll see how my body reacts.  I haven’t been over doing the potato thing, but I certainly made some questionable choices about fries or extra veggies.  If you do eat white potatoes, but you only enjoy them in chip and french fry form covered with salt, you are being robbed!  juss’ sayin.

Avoid white potatoes at all costs if you are:  1) trying to regulate blood sugar, 2) trying to lose fat and gain muscle, 3) new to Paleo, 4) sedentary, 5) deal with an autoimmune condition, or 6) feel crappy after eating them!  If you really want some potatoes, go for the sweet potatoes.  Enjoy white potatoes every now and then (make sure you peel them), but don’t eat it in place of your veggies!  Oh, and BTW, if you are looking for an alternative, try plantains!

“People will judge you no matter what you do, so you might as well do what you want.”

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I’ve just been really busy trying to get to the gym more often, help with family issues, work, snow…snow…and more snow!  (Whoever is praying for snow, please stop.  Thank you.)

Still dropping weight, just much more slow than I was.  That’s okay because I feel great, plus I’m building more muscle.  My progress pictures are proving to be a very awesome thing (Keep taking your own!).  I have come so far, and getting back to where I want to be.  In a few months, I will be speaking briefly at a function about my paleo journey.  When I get more information about the function, I’ll post it and you are all welcome to join!

Been much more strict about buying grass fed and organic foods.  I am still aiming to be at my optimum health, and this is a major factor to me.  If there is one thing we owe ourselves, it’s to feel great!  If you feel great, you’ll look great…that’s just how it works.  :c)  I ordered my meats off of the U.S. Wellness Meats site.  If you haven’t checked that out, I highly suggest it.

Having been paleo for 6 months now, it has gotten much easier, as far as having the knowledge and discipline to know what and what I can/should not eat.  I’ve really been able to break it down to fundamentals (still have a lot to learn).  For example, if someone says, “Here have a chicken parm sandwich.”  Well, I can’t have the bread, the cheese, or the breading on the chicken.  So they would respond with, “Well take it off the bread, take the cheese off, and take off the breading.”  My next response is that I’m unsure of what it was cooked in…and it goes on from there.  It’s just not the bread or the gluten or the cheese, it’s more than that at this point.  Maybe that only makes sense in my head (like most things).

If I’m put in a situation where I am unable to prepare my own meal, or I’m out for dinner, I don’t freak out thinking, “I don’t have options!”  I always have options, it just takes a little work.  And now I don’t have many temptations anymore.  I also don’t have the appetite I was fooled into thinking I had a year ago.  I was a bottomless pit, searching for comfort in the things I ate because it was the only satisfying aspect to my life (or so I thought).  When in reality, I didn’t realize how much damage I was actually doing to myself and all the amazing things I was actually missing out on.  I paid for it, but finally there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I am seeing so many changes in myself.  My view of the world has gotten a little more clear.  Quoting Willy Wonka, “If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.”  Ain’t that the truth?  If you haven’t gotten there yet, don’t give up.

Tell me your stories…I’d love to hear them.  Be sure to follow me on Twitter, too!  @paleyoblog

“The greatest gift you can give to anyone is speaking and sharing your story.” 

-Noah De Koyer-