Paleo

Since I brought up Paleo and eating like a caveman in my previous post...I thought I would fill you in on the lifestyle change that Cody and I are embarking on...

So...speaking of cavemen...Cody and I are going Paleo.  If you haven't heard of Paleo (paleolithic), it's also called the caveman diet.  Basically, we don't eat anything a caveman wouldn't have eaten.  So, we eat any kind of meat (organic, grass fed, wild caught, hormone and antibiotic free...you get the picture), all veggies, all fruit, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats.  The things you can't eat when you are eating Paleo are: dairy, grains, processed foods & sugars (we...mainly me...were already not eating this stuff...GROSS!), legumes, starches (again...not really eating this to begin with), and alcohol.  Of course, sometimes, we aren't super strict with this.  We'll have a social drink with our besties, or we may have one drink if we go on a date...but we really don't drink anyways...so the whole giving up alcohol was kinda moot point anyways.  As far as legumes go...I love me some hummus...which has chickpeas in it.  I make my own if I'm going to have it...so I will still occasionally have this.  I also love quinoa...so if I get a craving for it...I'll whip up some as a side dish and put tons of roasted sweet potatoes in it.  I would honestly say that I eat Paleo 90-95% of the time.  Cody is probably 80-85% of the time.  It's a little harder for him because he and all the guys go out to each for lunch everyday and there is really no way to get around eating foods that aren't Paleo.  Especially in Abilene.  And he also still drinks regular milk.  I've been drinking unsweetened almond milk for several years now...and I don't really like cheese, and butter is a cuss word in my book.  So, honestly, I've probably been eating 80-85% Paleo for the past several years without trying to.  I'm just extremely conscious of it now and only eat, cook, and buy foods that are typical of this lifestyle.

What I love about eating Paleo is how it makes me feel.  I can really say that I have always felt great.  I have always eaten super healthy and workout everyday.  But, Paleo makes me feel even better.  I used to always have to have something sweet at lunch, sometimes I craved something sweet after dinner too.  I would always choose a healthy option, either something organic from the health food store or something I made myself from natural ingredients at home.  Now, I don't crave sweets at all.  In fact, the thought of eating something sweet kinda hurts my stomach now.  Don't get me wrong...every once in awhile...I still get a craving.  But that's what I love about Paleo.  I can still do my baking and have my sweets, I just do it with coconut or almond flour, honey, agave, dates, coconut oil, almond or coconut milk, or nut butters.  The beauty is, is that these Paleo sweets are naturally sweetened but not so sweet you feel like your mouth is coated with processed junk that's clogging your arteries and making you feel like poo.  Blunt...but true!  Really, it's crazy how much better I feel ever since I've started eating even more healthy than I was before.  And the thing that's even more crazy...I'm never, ever hungry.  Even when I was eating super healthy and being really strict with what I ate, I would get really hungry in between meals, even with a snack here and there.  I'm eating so many more vegetables and meat, that I find myself extremely satisfied from meal to meal.  And...when I am really hungry in between meals, I eat things like raw veggies, berries, nut butter, or Larabars. 

There are so many options for all things Paleo it's unreal.  You can just "Google" the Paleo diet and the list of resources is unbelievable.  Disclaimer...it's called the Paleo "diet."  I really don't believe it's a diet.  It's a lifestyle.  It is simply a way of life and all about the choices that you make to improve your health, energy levels, and physical fitness.  You've heard me gush about CrossFit before.  Cause it's AWESOME!  It's the only thing Cody and I...and all our friends do now.  We actually joined an extreme fitness team in Abilene in August.  It's called Elite Fitness and Nutrition.  And you should all go and check it out...then join because you can't get a better workout than the workouts we do there...I promise!  We have been doing it on our own for about 2.5 years now.  But our fitness levels have improved by leaps and bounds.  I'm doing things and lifting weight that would scare some boys!  Seriously though...CrossFit is a passion of mine and part of my heart (and blood, sweat, and tears) belongs to Elite now!  But, I also feel like eating more of a Paleo diet has helped me to improve my overall fitness level.  I have tons more energy and every ounce of food that I put into my body is good for me and is fuel for my workouts.  The big time CrossFit athletes are super strict with Paleo.  I'm talking like 100% Paleo 100% of the time.  Like I said earlier...I do 90-95% Paleo probably 85-95% of the time and Cody does Paleo 80-85% strict 75-90% of the time.  Kinda confusing I know!  There is one thing that I can't seem to give up though.  Coffee.  And honestly...I probably won't ever.  I love it and it's just something that I look forward to every morning.  I'm not going to give that up for any diet or lifestyle change.  A lifestyle change is supposed to be something you enjoy, are passionate about, and something that you can do for long term.  If I had to give up coffee, Paleo wouldn't be something that I would be passionate about.  So, it's not worth it to me to give up coffee.  Plus...I can still kick some major butt and lift extremely heavy weight in CrossFit while still drinking coffee...winning!  I do like my coffee sweet and with creamer.  I have been using Stevia extract for a long time now...but I still buy the International Delight creamer...they're so yummy!  Obviously...not Paleo.  I'm probably going to try some coconut creamer soon to see how I like it.  But if I don't...I'm going to stick to my favorites for the reason I just mentioned earlier.  I do measure how much I'm putting in my coffee so that I know exactly how much I'm getting...but I measure and portion all my food...so that's nothing new!

Paleo and CrossFit are becoming major parts of our lifestyle.  CrossFit has been part of our lives and important to us for a few years now and eating healthy has always been important to us.  It's just even more important to us and has become our lifestyle now that we have joined an extreme fitness team and want our overall fitness level to improve even more than it has.  Elite Fitness and Nutrition and the sweet couple that own it, Jeremy and Chanon Siglock, have helped us improve in so many ways...and they have become amazing friends!  I can't say enough about Elite or the coaching we get from Jeremy and Chanon.  It's truly a community.  You are competeing against one another and yet, you are still motivating, encouraging, and guiding one another through the workouts.  I'm obsessed!  If you live in Abilene, check out the Elite Fitness and Nutrition page on Facebook...you won't regret it!  Also...I'll post some Paleo resources at the bottom so you can see what it's all about.  Cause...what I told you is only a tid bit of all there is.  I'm still learning myself!  Have an amazing Monday!!!  Until next time...XOXO!!!

PaleOMG - All Paleo Recipes
Civilized Caveman Cooking - All Paleo Recipes
Health Bent - All Paleo Recipes
Paleo Comfort Foods - All Paleo Recipes
Paleo Holiday Meals - All Paleo Holiday Recipes...Plus tons of other Paleo Recipes
Paleo Parents - All Paleo Recipes
The Food Lovers Kitchen - All Paleo Recipes
Primal Home - All Paleo Recipes
TGIPaleo - All Paleo Recipes
The Unrefined Kitchen - All Paleo Recipes

The Urban Poser - Tons of Paleo Recipes
Clean Food, Creative Fitness - Tons of Paleo Recipes
Multiply Delicious - Tons of Paleo Recipes

Robb Wolf - Amazing Resource for all things Paleo
Everyday Paleo - Recipes and Resources
The Clothes Make the Girl - Recipes and Resources

Side Note:  This is seriously the tip of the iceberg.  These are just food blogs and resources that I have personally looked into and used myself.  There are so many more you can check out for yourself if you Google or go to any bookstore!

My Life Lately

Happy Fall Ya'll!!!  I know, I know...the first day of fall was on September 22nd.  But, I've been so busy enjoying all that fall has to offer, I haven't had any time to post about it!  Well...that's not entirely true.  I've had time...I've just been spending it doing other things!  I feel like I say that every season is my favorite.  And I guess in some ways...they are all my favorite because there are so many different things to enjoy when it comes to every season.  But, there is just something about fall.  It's football season, hunting season, the weather is cooling off, I can take the girls for a run and Sarge for a walk without fear of them overheating, cute fall/winter clothes can finally be pulled out from the back of the closet (thank goodness for leggings, skinny jeans, and long shirts and sweaters!), the time is getting ready to change, it's always beautiful outside, the leaves are changing colors, snuggle time increases because it's cool enough you don't sweat to death, and of course...Starbuck's has their pumpkin spice lattes!  Cause let's get real...coffee is my crutch in the mornings (or afternoons, or evenings...just whenever really)!  But really, there is something in the air with fall that smells and feels so good.  I also love that it's time to pull out the crock pot and make yummy soups and chili.  And...I bake like a maniac because everything is pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon and it just makes the house smell yummy!  I usually don't eat what I bake...but I'll whip something up just to make the house smell like a bakery...or Cinnabon.  Whatever floats my boat that day!

Cody and I have honestly been enjoying fall.  He's been going hunting here and there...which is his passion.  He actually shot a beautiful 8 point buck with a drop tine.  It was his first buck to shoot with his bow!  We were both super excited about that...it will definitely be up on our wall in the office soon!  He's shot lots of doe, both axis and white tail.  But, he's never gotten the opportunity to shoot something worth mounting before.  They've always been too far away to shoot with his bow or they would smell him and take off before he got a chance to draw on one.  He, my dad, and brother lease a place out in Noodle.  That's where this buck was taken.  They go to the lease on some weeknights and most weekends.  They go out early in the mornings, come home for lunch, rest, then head back out to the lease until dark.  Then come home and eat dinner and turn around and do it all again the next day!  Of course, we have our ranch in Comfort, but it's 3.5 hours away.  So, they actually have to plan and make a trip out of going down there.  So, it's nice they have this lease so close to home.  While the boys hunt, I usually just do stuff around the house.  You know...the weekend chores.  Run errands, clean house, cook, shop a little, hang out with my besties.  If mom is also in town, I usually go run some errands with her too.  Hunting season is fun.  We get to enjoy just taking in God's beautiful creatures and His beautiful creations in nature with the changing landscapes...and the freezer gets refilled with yummy, healthy, lean, and natural meat.  Sounds a little contradicting I know.  But, it truly is amazing just to be in a deer blind and take everything in.  Hunting is just part of how we feed our family and also how we do our part to manage the deer population.  I mean...the cavemen did it!  I've got a post coming up talking about a lifestyle change for Cody and I relating to how we're eating like cavemen...it's called Paleo! 

All of this said...we are LOVING fall, our new Paleo lifestyle, and falling even more in love with CrossFit because of our amazing Elite team...more on that in the Paleo post!  We are having so much fun enjoying the cooler weather, watching lots of football, hunting, taking our loves for long runs and walks, nights by the campfires with our besties, and all things fall.  I hope I peaked your interest with my little teaser about Paleo and Elite Fitness and Nutrition!  Until that post...XOXO!!!

Here are some pics of Cody's deer!!!