Nutrition Challenge - Week 2

Please post your progress on the Paleo Challenge, or feel free to post any other nutritional goals you have set for the new year here.

Comments

[BrianF]

Week 1 report:

I was extremely diligent last week, there were a few times I had to eat dinner out but every time I ordered a steak with a side of steamed vegetables. No cheat meals or slip ups so far.

Performance has been hard to monitor with my injuries but the aspect I notice the nutrition helping the most so far is recovery. I haven't taken a day off since last Monday and have had many 2/Day WODs. Surprisingly my legs aren't too bad right now. I'm looking forward to the weekend for sure though. Oh I was also able to get about 10 hours of sleep the last 3 nights which sure helps recovery :)

One thing I did find helpful was I had some frozen organic berries and instead of thawing them out I ate them frozen. It was a perfect treat/dessert if you're feeling the sweet cravings, the frozen aspect of them made them much more dessert like and satisfied the cravings very well.

Other tips, if you're going to buy canned Salmon, be ready to de-bone it. It's not a fun process and takes awhile to do. I much prefer the canned tuna I got instead.

If you're looking for something easy to bring to work or on the road with you, grab a Paleo kit from the gym or if you're looking for a bar I'd suggest a Larabar. Larabars are the best bar I've found on the market. Take a look at their ingredient list, it's like 6 things. They taste great and are gluten free, I can't say enough good things about them. Here's a link to their website: http://www.larabar.com/food/larabar/

Only suggestion with the Larabars is to stay away from the few that contain Peanuts if you're following a Paleo approach as these are Legumes and not Nuts. Their protein is low and fat is moderate so they're best as a snack but could also be a meal on the go if you supplement some beef jerky and nuts along with it.

Hope this helps, keep up the good fight everyone!

[Roxanne]

Thanks for the great post Brian! I agree, eating out does not have to slip you up on Paleo. We went to Islands this weekend so I ordered the Protein Platter- It's not on the menu but you can request it- Generous chicken breast with 1 ounce melted swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms and fresh avocado slices-comes with a salad. Order it without the swiss if you're completely cutting out dairy.
It's a great alternative to burgers and french fries.

[Roxanne]

Just tried a new protein powder from NutriMart made by Quattro. Primarily whey, milk, and egg protein isolates (no soy and no protein concentrates)- 30g protein & 2g carb per scoop- love it!!

[anthony]

I started my challenge a week later. Today is day three with no sugar or wheat and I feel great except for waking up with a headache. And I felt like I was running on empty during the rowing today. It's been a lot easier than I expected though, I think because I'm not trying to be too restrictive right off the bat.

The biggest revelation so far is how I'm not hungry at all. The ups and downs and severe hunger pangs I used to have are totally gone.

[Tank]

Anthony, I had a nice headache for the first day but by the second it had all but left. I have removed caffeine from my consumption and am only drinking water and herbal tea (Good Earth original).

Weight loss has not been my primary goal but I have dropped 4 lbs since eating Paleo for the past 8 days. I have returned to cooking on Sundays and prepping paleo friendly frittas to eat for breakfast during the week.

My body is definitely enjoying the good clean food and absence of "extras". The one thing I have noticed over the past 2 days has been a metal taste on my tongue. I think this is part of the detoxification from all of the junk I ate between Thanksgiving and New Years. I'm looking forward to that going away.

Congrats to everyone who is making nutrition a priority this year. I know you will reap the rewards.

Tank

[Roxanne]

The metallic taste is actually a result of ketosis...your body getting used to a lower carb intake. If anyone else is experiencing this (I am as well), check out the 3/24/09 Nutrition post, We Need More on Ketosis, by Robb Wolf. Don't confuse this, however, with ketoacidosis experienced by diabetics, it's different. You can help get rid of the metallic taste by increasing h20 consumption. ...read on... "the process of ketosis demands a greater amount of water than normal so dehydration is common on such diets. Dehydration lowers salivation rates which leads to an increase in the population of anaerobic bacteria"...it's also a chemical response. Here's more: "If the diet is changed from a highly glycemic diet to a diet that does not provide sufficient carbohydrate to replenish glycogen stores, the body goes through a set of stages to enter ketosis. During the initial stages of this process the adult brain does not burn ketones; however, the brain makes immediate use of this important substrate for lipid synthesis in the brain. After about 48 hours of this process, the brain starts burning ketones in order to more directly utilize the energy from the fat stores that are being depended upon, and to reserve the glucose only for its absolute needs, thus avoiding the depletion of the body's protein store in the muscles." Hope that sheds a little light on it.

[Roxanne]

...I'll add to that however that ketosis is not necessarily due to insufficient carb intake...for example, I'm getting plenty from fruit, veggies, dressings, a little wine and chocolate ;)...but definitely lower than what your body is accustomed to pre-paleo...thus the chemical reaction as your body adjusts.

[Roxanne]

...I should have mentioned in the above post that it's also important to increase h20 intake while on paleo because you are more susceptible to rhabdo due to dehydration. You should notice and respond to an increased level of thirst while following Paleo.

[BrianF]

10th day and feeling great! On Monday I further reduced my Carb intake to 100g/day. All of my Carbs are now consumed post-wod except for veggies which I'll still consume throughout the day (since they have almost no carbs in them unless you eat massive quantities.)

It's hard for me to tell if I am experiencing the dip in performance that is usually seen during these first few weeks since I'm so limited on what I can actually do. Hopefully I'll be able to gauge it better over the next two weeks. I also need to start taking fish oils which I think will really help level out the occasional mid-day energy level dips (usually around 1-2pm.)

[Roxanne]

Here's an interesting read on fiber from a blog I like. This post challenges conventional wisdom -as do most paleo posts =) -but it's up to each individual to discover what works best. Some of Don's responses to the comments are worth reading...there are some random comments as well- sift through them.

http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/search/label/fiber

[Tank]

Roxanne,
Interesting article. It just shows how much we don't know about what's "good" for us. The food industry makes a lot of money through marketing (low fat, high fiber) and most will not take the time to actually do the research and then try for themselves.

I just got my bloodwork done again and am amazed at how much doctors (MDs not PhDs - no offense) don't know about nutrition. The one's I've dealt with are over weight and talk about how they are eating a low fat diet yet keep gaining weight.

"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

- anonymous -

Tank

[Roxanne]

You can change up your smoothies by adding light coconut milk as your fat. ...save a little in your budget by purchasing regular coconut milk then water it down. (light coconut milk is simply the milk with water added)

[Roxanne]

btw, I agree Steve, I'm a firm believer that a significant percentage of sickness and disease can be treated/prevented with diet. Systemic inflammation is a biggie.

[Roxanne]

Brian F mentioned he’d like to start taking fish oil (omega-3). I couldn’t agree more! I like to call fish oil WD-40 for humans =) sorry if that’s a little cheesy. Here are a couple pieces I pulled out that I saved quite a while ago…so I can’t recall the sources…but I think they are worth the read if you’re unfamiliar with the benefits of omega-3. Note at the end of the second piece they recommend NOT using vegetable oils from corn, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cottonseed, and soybeans in cooking and processing- these are primarily omega – 6s and are inflammatory. – while the omega -3s are a natural anti-inflammatory. Cutting those oils out of your diet is a simple step in the right direction.

“Omega 3’somega-3 fatty acids
What can high-omega-3 foods do for you?
• Reduce inflammation throughout your body
• Keep your blood from clotting excessively
• Maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes
• lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream
• decrease platelet aggregation, preventing excessive blood clotting
• inhibit thickening of the arteries by decreasing endothelial cells' production of a platelet-derived growth factor (the lining of the arteries is composed of endothelial cells)
• increase the activity of another chemical derived from endothelial cells (endothelium-derived nitric oxide), which causes arteries to relax and dilate
• reduce the production of messenger chemicals called cytokines, which are involved in the inflammatory response associated with atherosclerosis
• reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells)
• help prevent cancer cell growth
What conditions or symptoms indicate a need for more high-omega-3 foods?
• Depression
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Fatigue
• Dry, itchy skin
• Brittle hair and nails
• Inability to concentrate
• Joint pain
Salmon, flax seeds and walnuts are excellent food sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements. Norwegian researchers compared 71 volunteers' absorption of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from salmon, smoked salmon, cod (14 ounces of fish per week) or cod liver oil (3 teaspoons per day). Cooked salmon provided 1.2 grams of omega-3s daily, while cod liver oil provided more than twice as much: 3 grams of omega-3s per day.
Despite the fact that the salmon group got less than half the amount of omega-3s as the cod liver oil group, blood levels of omega-3s increased quite a bit more in those eating salmon than those taking cod liver oil. After 8 weeks, EPA levels had risen 129% and DHA rose 45% in those eating cooked salmon compared to 106% and 25%, respectively, in those taking cod liver oil.
In the group eating smoked salmon, blood levels of omega-3s rose about one-third less than in the salmon group. In those eating cod, the rise in omega-3s was very small.
Concurrent with the rise in omega-3s in those eating salmon, a drop was seen in blood levels of a number of pro-inflammatory chemicals (TNFalpha, IL-8, leukotriene B4, and thromboxane B2). Researchers think omega-3s may be better absorbed from fish because fish contains these fats in the form of triglycerides, while the omega-3s in almost all refined fish oils are in the ethyl ester form. Once absorbed, omega-3s are converted by the body from their triglyceride to ester forms as needed. Lipids. 2006 Dec;41(12):1109-14.”

“So what are the differences between Omega-3 and Omega-6? In essence, omega-6 is considered "bad" fat, while omega-3 is considered "good" fat.
The benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficient disorder (ADD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease. Research indicates that omega-3s encourages the production of body chemicals that help control inflammation -- in the joints, the bloodstream, and the tissues.
But just as important is omega-3s ability to reduce the negative impact of yet another essential type of fatty acid known as omega-6s. Found in foods such as eggs, poultry, cereals, vegetable oils, baked goods, and margarine, omega-6s are also considered essential. They support skin health, lower cholesterol, and help make our blood "sticky" so it is able to clot. But when omega-6s aren't balanced with sufficient amounts of omega-3s, problems can ensue. Research indicates that high omega-6 fatty acids shift the physiologic state to pro-inflammatory.
Over the past 50-100 years there has been an enormous increase in the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids with the increased use vegetable oils from corn, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cottonseed, and soybeans in cooking and processing. To balance this deficit, many physicians suggest omega-3, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, B-complex and multivitamins be added to our diets”.

[Tank]

I'm still enjoying my Paleo experience. The "need" to eat is not nearly as strong as it was a week ago. Sometimes I have to remind myself to eat something. I used to get cravings every couple of hours, but I think the increased fats have really helped to extend this.
I have not had the urge to cheat at all. Nice.

Tank

[Roxanne]

I just wanted to highlight this paragraph because I think it is so interesting- some researchers are now beginning to refer to Alzheimers as Type 3 Diabetes (at it's root- systemic inflammation)...

"Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease. Research indicates that omega-3s encourages the production of body chemicals that help control inflammation -- in the joints, the bloodstream, and the tissues."

[Roxanne]

Brian F,

Did you decide to keep or eliminate dairy for the challenge this month? I know you're a big fan of raw milk so I'm curious to hear what you decided to do...also since you reduced your carb intake...were you able to reduce your carbs and keep the raw milk in your diet?

I'm keeping my carbs <100g/day this month as well but I don't do dairy- a little cheese here and there.

Roxanne

[Roxanne]

Feeling great after the first 2 weeks! The first week I did what I'd consider a long-term sustainable Paleo diet (one that would work for me- kept in little perks every few days like wine, chocolate, etc- not overdoing it though).
This last week I tightened it up considerably to be more in line with the challenge, recorded all of my food values, kept my carbs lower. I still feel great but it seemed a little rigid and I was doing a lot of measuring to keep the carbs lower.
So...for the remainder of the challenge I'm going to keep up the strict Paleo but I'm not going to track my carbs because they are primarily fruits and vegetables. I don't feel the need to be quite so restrictive on the carbs with a grain-free, dairy-free Paleo.

Loved hearing reports this week from people who have simply chosen to reduce or eliminate sugar...and are feeling great!!

[Tank]

I just purchased a dehydrator from Cabela's and made beef jerky last night. I'm going to modify the recipe and try again but it worked great. Right now I have apples and my attempt at a fruit roll drying in the garage.
I'm going to try the beef again tomorrow. It takes about 7 hours for the beef strips to dry. I also used ground sausage to make another set of jerky and it is AWESOME!!!
Here is a great looking recipe from CrossFit Santa Cruz Central.
http://cfscceat.blogspot.com/2010/01/paleo-apple-stuffed-pork-roast.html
I want to try it this week.

Tank

[Roxanne]

Very cool, Steve, does this mean we will see some homemade jerky at the gym? =)

The prices on the dehydrators look reasonable...especially when you consider the price of purchasing jerky-with all the preservatives. I ran the idea by Matt and I think he's up for it- the thought of homemade paleo kits sparked his interest. You'll have to share your recipes!

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