Hey! It’s Monday and I’m ready to get this week started!

So, those of you that have followed this blog from the beginning may have noticed that I like to experiment with the way I eat. I went the vegetarian route for 6 months, I gave up coffee for a month, I tried to give up alcohol for a while, and I talked about the importance of giving up sugar. So now what am I up to….?! Well, here’s just a brief overview. (I might go into more detail in later posts, )

I’ve recently been working on changing things up a little bit and it includes a little bit of the following…primal, paleo, ketosis, and intermittent fasting. Let me breakdown each of these terms and kind of share how I’m using each. (Keep in mind I’m not following any of these to their exact technical definition.)

PRIMAL BLUEPRINT

The Primal Blueprint is a program created by Mark Sisson that is closely related to the paleo diet.

The basics of the Primal Blueprint are these 10 “laws”:

1. Eat Plants and Animals – Eat natural, satisfying foods
2. Avoid Poisonous Things – aka processed foods (trans and partially hydrogenated oils, sugars, and grains.
3. Move Frequently at a Slow Pace – enhance fat metabolism and avoid burnout
4. Lift Heavy Things – Brief, intense sessions of functional full-body movements
5. Sprint Once in a While – optimal gene expression and beneficial hormone flow
6. Get Adequate Sleep – align circadian rhythm with sun for optimal immune, brain, and endocrine function
7. Play – balance stress, physical fun; brief breaks or hours can increase mental and physical well-being
8. Get Adequate Sunlight – GO OUTSIDE, help synthesize vitamin D for healthy cell function
9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes – risk management
10. Use Your Brain – engage in creative and stimulating activities to nurture mental and over all health

For now, I’m really concentrating on the eating side of this program and focusing on low-carb and replacing those carbs in my diet with fats. Basically, lots of avocados…haha.

So far, what I’ve read about this whole lifestyle is quite intriguing and seems like a good way to do life.

I’m working on reading the book now, I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in healthy lifestyles. Get it through Amazon below.

 

PALEO

The Paleo diet and the Primal Blueprint share many of the same features but vary slightly. The role of saturated fats in the diet and how much they are encouraged is a major difference between the two, or at least it was. Now that difference in the two diets based on fats has diminished by Paleo now including the saturated fats. Another difference that is still apparent is consumption of dairy products. These are included in Primal diets, but not in some Paleo. Then again, it all depends on the individual take on the diet. Really, these two are quite similar, the Primal Blueprint, however, does offer more of a full lifestyle program rather than just the diet guidelines.

You can find comparisons here and here.

KETOSIS

The state of your body being in ketosis occurs when the body uses fat for a primary fuel source rather than carbohydrates.

Here’s an idea from the Primal Blueprint resources as to how many carbs daily is associated with weight gain, maintenance, loss, and ketosis.

This curve will vary depending how many totally calories you’re eating and how much fat you intake as well. I usually remain at or just below the 100g mark.

Exogenous ketones are one way to increase the process of ketosis (that process and explanation could get pretty lengthy, so I’ll safe it for another day). Here is a product that I just recently started using a few days ago. I’m not sure if its working yet, but I haven’t had any negative side effects which is a huge plus. Find it below on Amazon.

 

I by no means believe that I am in full ketosis or know that I will be anytime soon. It’s not easy to get there. Although, I do feel as though my body is using the fat I intake and other fat stores efficiently as fuel.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

The article listed here is a great explanation of intermittent fasting and where I heard about the idea of doing so. Laura Williams was featured on the Onnit Total Human Optimization podcast where she mentioned how to partake in this type of fasting. The podcast can be found here.

Intermittent fasting is a way to encourage ketosis. I don’t do full day or every other day fasts but rather participate in giving myself an “eating window” that is about 10 hours a day. I tend to work late or eat late so I eat between the hours of noon and 10pm. I know, I know, I’m skipping breakfast, the most important meal of the day. I’m breaking all the rules, yeah I get it. BUT, even though I fast throughout the morning I don’t let myself eat unhealthy foods as some type of “reward” and I don’t over eat for my first meal. I feel that many people skip breakfast and are so hungry by the time that they get to that first meal that they eat too much. I’m no scientist and I can’t prove anything, but I do know that it is part of a plan that is working for me, so I can’t knock it too much.

 

I hope to be posting examples of meals and foods I’ve been eating in the next few weeks to give more insight. Some may be featured on the Instagram page, so stay updated!

Please post any questions or comments below!

Have a great week!