Thanks to everyone for filling out their goal sheets! It is so encouraging to see you all take the time to put pen to paper and write down what you are hoping to achieve in the coming months.
I noticed that the common theme throughout all of the goal sheets is nutrition. For most of us, we have a desire to eat “better”. We want to focus on protein, vegetables. We want to get as close to the Paleo diet as we can. For many, the goal includes weight loss. For others, it is about feeling the best you possibly can.
With this in mind, you have given me the opportunity to focus in on diet a little bit more over the next four weeks. I want to provide you with tools that will serve you well in this busy season of parties, outdoor BBQ’s, and late night parties.
I love that on most of your sheets you were aware of the need for balance! We should be allowed to enjoy our occasional cheat snack, but it is so important that it is in moderation. Let’s tackle the beast of nutrition together – I would like this section of our lifestyle coaching to be very interactive.
I saw a quote the other day on my software that I use to design your corrective programs. It read “don’t add strength to dysfunction”. By utilizing correctives in your training that is our goal. Work on the foundation until it is strong AND THEN, add strength. I then got thinking that the relationship of diet and exercise is really the same thing. Why workout and stress our bodies if the foundation is not solid? We should focus on having a functional diet that alone, without exercise, makes us feel good, allows us to lose weight, and keeps our body in balance. Exercise then, is the icing on top of the cake. It is the ingredient that makes you even stronger.
Common is not normal. Repeat that phrase to yourself. Unexplainable weight gain, lethargy, achy body parts, headaches, lack of activity is common – we often attribute it to aging…but it isn’t normal. It is the result of lack of exercise and eating foods that don’t support a healthy body. There are many conditions, illnesses, lifestyle factors that affect our ability to exercise and eat good foods greatly. I don’t want to minimize the importance that the whole wheel of wellbeing (psychological, emotional, physical) affects us. However, when you break it down to its basic, most simple parts, food and exercise are key. Our bodies are designed to feel good. We should strive to feel good everyday, and do everything in our power to make it so! Let’s find health in beautifully simple, unprocessed, whole foods. Know this; we are not smarter than nature. We cannot make food better than nature. We need to each real, whole food.
What We’ve Been Fed: Eat Your Grains!
Our Food Guide suggests that we have grains on a daily basis, half of which are whole grains. Keep in mind that if it is popped, puffed, flaked, floured, shredded or instant it is refined. Whole grain products are still refined foods.
The Recommendation for Legumes:
Legumes are a lot more like grains than they are like any vegetable or true protein source. They don’t have as many vitamins and minerals as vegetables, and don’t provide a significant source of protein; especially in comparison to animal foods.
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The Recommendation for Dairy:
A lot of people believe that by removing dairy from their diet, they will be at risk of calcium deficiency and will be at higher risk for osteoporosis and other bone density disorders. Let’s explore this a little further;
- Calcium is present in many non-dairy foods such as sardines, sesame seeds and dark green leafy vegetables
- To absorb and utilize calcium we need other nutrients such as vitamin D (liver, egg yolks, grass-fed dairy), and K2 (cod liver oil, fermented grass-fed dairy, chicken breast, ground beef and fermented meats). It isn’t about how much calcium you ingest, but rather how much you absorb.
- This is the mind blowing one – grain consumption can inhibit calcium absorption. Grain products contain phyates, which bind to minerals and keep them from being absorbed by our body
- All dairy isn’t created equal. Raw grass-fed milk would be the right way to go as long as you don’t have any sinus congestion, sneezing, digestive upset or signs of chronic inflammation after ingesting.
Recommendation for Cholesterol:
Eating cholesterol does not increase the level of cholesterol in your blood. Only about half of the people who have heart attacks have elevated cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is only one piece of a larger puzzle – obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, stress and lack of exercise all work together to cause heart disease and other ill-health effects.
Keep these ideas in mind over the next week – and in the meantime you can take some time to try out this complete Paleo dinner (you’ll want to double the recipe so that you have lots of leftovers!)
Thai Green Curry & Lime Chicken
grain-free • gluten-free • dairy-free • nut-free • 21DSD-friendly
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste
- 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 Lime zest & juice
- 2 cloves Garlic grated or minced
- 1/2 inch Ginger grated or minced
- 3 dashes Fish Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 10 Chicken drumsticks
- 2 tbsp Ghee melted
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Mix the Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, lime zest and juice, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken drumsticks and toss so the chicken is fully coated.
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Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Take the chicken from the refrigerator and spread the drumsticks out evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and brush each chicken drumstick with the melted ghee, then bake for 30 more minutes.
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Serve with lime wedges and a sprinkling of sesame seeds and cilantro.
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