I was experiencing a lot of reluctance and resistance to going full out Paleo but then I got into Mark's Daily Apple. His way of life is what he calls Primal and I just love it. He put up one of his typical days of eating on his site, and it showed he had an ounce of Gouda, a glass of wine, and tons of veggies with some great cuts of meat. I was like, I CAN DO THAT. And I fell in love!
Paleo fanatics are intensely strict about what they can't eat. No gluten or grains (corn included), no legumes or cheese, no sugars outside of fruit, no alcohol or caffeine, and we all just died inside a little, am I right?
But what I love about going Primal, a la Mark's Daily Apple, is that the major emphasis is on grains and gluten. Get that shit outta here. Dairy is pretty heavily restricted, especially if you have intolerance towards it, but if you can handle it, as in, if your body doesn't react poorly to it, go ahead. Don't go nuts, but enjoy.
And I'm like, YAY because parmesan. That is all.
I highly encourage you to check out the site and subscribe to get his daily newsletters. They're informative, motivational and humorous. Sure, I have my cheat meals, as evidenced by last night's amahzing fried chicken with omg gluten, but by and large I've been grainless since January 4th. I was only going to do this a month but I don't want to stop. Thanks to Mark Sisson, I really think I can handle it. There seems to be a much more laid back approach with the Primal method. I'll admit the second I read "gouda" on his FitDay meal tracker I was sold like bakelite at a jewelry auction.
Another thing that he discusses is the Primal way to get in your exercise. He goes into it here about how endless cardio workouts just get you nowhere. Now, we all know these days that strength training, intervals, etc, are far more beneficial than ever before considered, but Mark really drives home what is best, and I'd like to share the pyramid he lays out for the visually driven.
While I am a huge fan of running, and know first hand how well it can keep you in shape, I am very interested in this perspective, especially considering how intensely fit and in shape he is for a fifty-something. Plus, since my feet are so jacked up from plantar faciitis and since I somehow significantly injured my right ankle/heel this past weekend, this stuff is super doable. I'll already have logged over 26 miles on my bike this week and I did a great Todd workout last night so I'm already right in there with the Primal thing.
I've been really enjoying switching over to more veggies and meat and fats, less carbs, and little to no grain. I've enjoyed making dog walks a top priority to my late afternoons and focusing on getting my workouts in. After the intense training schedule I did for the triathlon, I really lost my steam and omg-gotta-get-to-the-gym mentality, because I was drained. I was sick of swimming, biking and running. I wanted to take a nap.
I don't currently have a gym membership either. I have a bike, I have weights and kettlebells and stability balls and jump ropes and yoga mats at home. All the tools are in my hands, and I've got Mark's Daily Apple to thank for lighting the fire under my butt to get healthier and get back in the game, both with fitness and with my diet. As one contributor to his site said, it's better to be a fit dad (or mom) than a fat dad (or mom) for not just yourself but for your whole family. And by fat, I don't just mean physically, but mentally as well.
Anyways, I guess I'm done fan-girling over here.
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