Primal Nut

It’s hard to reprogram yourself after 30 years of life.  Personally, some days I struggle to stay on track.  Usually it’s when I’m not prepared.  You know the excuses – there’s nothing good to eat in the fridge and I’m starving, or I’m at work, didn’t plan for lunch, and it’s scalding hot outside.  I don’t know why I do it, because I feel like crap immediately… mentally and physically.  That bag of chips or bun is not worth a day on the toilet (TMI?). And it doesn’t even taste that good or fill you up! Especially if you compare it to some of my LCHF (low carb/high fat) meals.

So, I’m declaring now, that I will choose LCHF over crap 100% and I will make every effort to be prepared (after all, I was a girl scout for 10 years).

I’ll tell you what makes a low carb diet practical for the long haul.  FAT.  Good fats are key to satisfying your hunger.  If I eat lots of protein and about 30-50% fat, it’s amazing how much less food I need (‘cuz it’s not all filler!).  So, I just need to keep repeating this to myself.

Rule #1: Eat lots of protein, don’t skimp on the good fats!

Rule #2: Don’t fall off the wagon, it’s a slippery slope.

I feel like once you go down that sugary road, it’s hard to make it back unharmed.  Once your body gets used to the horrible things you’re putting it through, it’s easier to make bad nutritional decisions.  So stay strong with me, and put nothing but awesomeness into your body!

(on the right) Rowing at Duke in 2002... Let's get buff again!

Zack, my partner in crime for the last four years, is 100% supportive and even excited about these new nutrition beliefs. He’s been on a modified version of Paleo for almost his entire life and is a lean 6′, 180lb man.

It makes a HUGE difference to have a partner that understands and agrees with my nutritional choices.  He doesn’t bring bad food into the house, or beg to eat out at certain places.  In fact, if I left him to his own defenses, he would probably grab some rolled up deli meat or a plain hot dog from the fridge when he was hungry.  No fancy dinner for my man, he would be satisfied with a nice juicy piece of meat.  Personally, I like to have some variety and color in my meals.  I also like to cook and experiment with new recipes (which has also helped me stay on track).

It also helps that his dad is Tom Naughton, writer and comedian.  He is also the writer/director of the comedy-documentary “Fat Head: you’ve been fed a load of bologna.” Go watch it for free on Hulu.  Since then, he’s given a few more in depth speeches and has done his research on nutrition.  I think it’s safe to say, family gatherings aren’t stuffed with SAD food items.

Love you Zack! <3

One of the main hesitations about going primal/paleo is how difficult it is to plan and prepare meals. Well, let me tell you first hand, that is a myth, a big fat myth! Yes, you have to think ahead a little bit more and eat at home most of the time, but it is easier to cook for Paleo than the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet). And when you go out to eat, there’s usually always a modified option or something the cook can prepare. Eventually you’ll settle in to a few staple dinner items and a couple restaurants that fit the Paleo bill.

Here’s our number one go-to meal. Taco-less Salad. We have it at least once a week and keep a stash in the fridge to reheat when we need a snack. It is so easy, you can’t screw it up.  The main ingredients get cooked up in one giant pan:

• Ground Beef
• Mexican Seasoning (I use an organic mix from Culinaria)
• Onions (diced)
• Peppers (diced)

Then the rest is up to your tastes.  I like to mix it with lettuce or broccoli slaw, then throw in some cherry tomatoes & organic salsa (make sure there’s nothing processed in there).  If I have it on hand, I’ll add cilantro or wrap them up in some Bibb lettuce.

The possibilities with this are really endless.  Plus, it tastes great reheated.

For more daily photos of what I eat, check out my food blog – http://abbyeats.tumblr.com

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When we go out to eat, I normally get a salad, steak or sandwich with no bread.  However, it’s kind of hard to get full on half a tiny chicken breast and it’s hard justifying the $8 price tag.  We’ve narrowed down our restaurant options to those that provide the most meat, veggies, and fat for the money.  Barbecue joints are usually great options for primal eaters because the have plenty of meat, a la carte side items, and let you control the sauce.  One of our favorites is Southtown Pub.  They have 12oz meat platters with two sides for $10-11.  They also have charbroiled wings (with no breading) for $.65 each!  I usually get those with a side of vinegar coleslaw (which probably has a little sugar in it).

Another great place is The Wicked Lady.  They have a 12oz. Ribeye for $16 and a 20oz. Porterhouse (stuffed with onions, mushrooms, & jalapenos) for $24.  And whoa is the steak good!  Their cook knows a thing or two about a medium steak.  They also have a sausage plate for $5 and their grilled vegetables are delicious.

What are your go-to Paleo meals?

*posted on primaltoad.com*

Here it is, five weeks later and I’m finally starting this blog. I’ve already learned so much about the Paleo diet and living primal. But before I jump into this head first, let’s back up and understand how I got here.

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with carbohydrates. Even as a kid, “bread” was my favorite food. Luckily, I was always active and played sports all the way through college. I didn’t really see a harmful effect until after I graduated. Minus a few drops in weight due to strict diet phases, I gained an average of 10lbs a year from 2004-2010. That doesn’t seem like a lot until you add it up. 60lbs.

With the popularity of food industry documentaries like Food, Inc. and diet documentaries like Fat Head, I was gradually exposed to contradicting science. I kept digging deeper to uncover the truth about nutrition and choose my side. Initially, it didn’t make sense to question the USDA and their simple pyramid that promotes low fat and whole grains.  But once you examine the studies and really dive into the meat of the issue (pun intended), you’ll find huge gaping holes and bad science.  Plus, I remembered my own experiences with low carb and calorie counting diets. I finally dropped all my preconceived notions about what was healthy and used my common sense.  I know carbs and sugar are bad, so the biggest mental hurdle for me was befriending natural fats.  After researching hours on the internet over winter break, I finally started to believe what I was reading.  It makes more sense that human beings are meant to live on meat, vegetables, and natural fat.  Nothing processed.

Soon after this revelation I found Paleo and have been following it as a way of life since 1/1/2011.