Tuesday 02.26.13

Mmmmm. STEAK.

OMG. Our Paleo Challenge ends SATURDAY night when the clock strikes midnight. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? How do you carry all of this new healthy clean eating knowledge forward into your non-challenge life? Well, you're not the only one who asked. Here is a question that landed in our inbox today:

OK, so I realize this is probably a stupid question, and it's probably already been mentioned... How do you come off a Paleo diet?

To be totally honest the Paleo challenge was an experiment for me. I wanted to see how my body would react and I didn't have any illusions that I would be Paleo for life after this. That being said, other than my post-workout supplement I took for the first week an a half of the challenge I was strict the entire way through, so far.

I learned a lot about what to eat and processed food, but I do plan on reintroducing dairy and grains (and some sugar... and alcohol) into my diet. I haven't seen a good resource for how to go about that. [I want] to reduce the number of variables and be able to qualitatively and quantitively analyze my reactions to dairy and grains.

I was thinking of starting with grains, giving it a week, and if no adverse effects then introduce dairy.

Thoughts?

Here is my response:

Here a post from The Whole30 that deals with this issue specifically. You can certainly start selectively re-introducing "forbidden" food groups to see their effects. When you go to add in dairy, you take out the grain again, so you're looking at only dairy effects, not dairy + grain effects. You keep the variables changed to N = 1 for a while before let's say, adding in pizza, which is dairy, grain, bad oils, and sugar (it's in the sauce!). Same for each successive "non-Paleo" food; add in legumes, but keep out everything else, etc.

I advocate more of a qualitative than quantitative view of most things. Look at the following. What habits changed? What did you find that it's not so hard to go without? When given a choice, what is the healthier option? If it's not something that is hard to go without, then why bring it back in?

Clearly, the post-WOD protein shake is a habit you are not willing to give up entirely; however, you might think of trying a "cleaner" protein shake. One formulated from more "whole" or "real" ingredients such as egg whites versus whey, or one that contains less sugar. Same with other food habits - is there a way to get the same satisfaction but in a cleaner way?

That's the whole point of this Paleo exercise. It really is more about eating real food -- things that don't require 50 ingredients with unpronounceable names, processing, labels, or stabilizers for long shelf lives -- and less about "dieting". I view it more as a training challenge -- a movement progression -- to better, cleaner eating. Jacob and I are at a point where we've done this so many times that my "cheats", especially as a pregnant lady, are things like Grape Nuts instead of Lucky Charms. Rolled oats instead of instant oatmeal. Nuts instead of chips. All natural peanut butter instead of Jif or Skippy, which are loaded with sugar. In the end, are you eating more things you recognize as real, whole FOOD (i.e., things from the perimeter of the grocery store) than things that are highly processed or refined? It will be easier to keep up "the diet" if you look at this way.

If you really, really, REALLY like taking the fun out of food, buy a kitchen scale and go Zone.
Sarah

There you have it, guys. Now eat squeaky clean this whole last week, and think about how you would like to move forward after Saturday.

WOD

Front Squat Tuesday

--

Tabata HSPUs

--

20 min AMRAP

Run/Row 240 m

10 OHS (95/65)

10 pullups