So I don't know if you could tell, but I was feeling slightly paniced in my last WIAW post. I was feeling lost last week, and I was floundering. I found myself wondering why I signed up for a Marathon? And why I agreed to allow a camera crew follow me while I do this? I was feeling the pressure of everything I signed up for. And all I could think was "What if I fail? I have no clue what I am doing?! Oh my goodness!" PANIC! PANIC! PANIC!
Nutrition has never been my strong suit. I know enough to consider my diet relatively healthy and balanced. But nutrition has always been an after thought for me. My focus has always been training and exercise. But the truth is nutrition is important, and it is one of the areas I can improve and control. As we all know, my body has certain physical limitations, so my training will only take me so far. Nutrition is is the other piece of the puzzle. And I think focusing on eating clean and fueling my body will help enhance my performance and training.
I know all that in theory, but I have no idea how to translate that to real life. Enter the fabulous Bill - of Collingwood Crossfit fame and founding member of Team Pain. Bill is a hardcore crossfit-er and a nutrition enthusiast. He is serious about food and training, so he came to my rescue last week, and mailed me a copy of "It Starts with Food".
I tore through my copy this past weekend, and a lot of the what was said made sense to me. I loved their focus on whole unprocessed foods.
But taking their Whole 30 challenge was going to be BIG change for me, because this meant taking food very seriously and making nutrition a priority. Part of me was hesitant. But the other part of me was excited. I felt like I had a plan. I had a direction. So first thing Monday morning I started the Whole 30 program.
I won't go through all the details, because I won't do it justice, and I can't condense all the material into one blog post. But if you are interested in the program and all the science behind it all you can check out their website http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/.
In a nutshell for 30 days you have to commit to eating whole unprocessed foods - with meals generally consisting primarily of protein and vegetables (note: its heavily paleo inspired). And you are asked to cut out a lot of the extras and things that could be potential causes for digestive issues. You eliminate for 30 days and then reintroduce those eliminated foods gradually to see how you body reacts and note any sensitivities. So for 30 days you cannot have...
Is this plan intense? Yes. Am I crazy? Perhaps, I know my husband sure thinks so. Am I grasping at straws because I am feeling paniced? Also possible, but this straw does have science and results to back it up. So I am gonna go for it. This is just for 30 days. And I perfer to think of myself as - dedicated, committed, motivated, pick a word, - rather than crazy. And I am mostly hoping that by shaking things up for 30 days that I will gain a new perspective on food and fuel. Time will tell if this plan will really work for me. And if this will really help my marathon training, but I am going to give a try and let you all know what happens.
It is time to take my nutrition a little more seriously - I am trying to run a Marathon after all?!?!
Wish me luck!
Love Your Favourite Darwinian Fail,
Krysten
Wow! sounds hardcore, in a good way. Good Luck!!!
ReplyDeleteI became a vegan 2 years ago and it has really helped my running and training. My recovery time is quicker, weight management is easier, and I feel much stronger and lighter overall. I am not saying vegan is right for everyone, but it has certainly been the right choice for me. It has been a lot of sacrifice, and has been difficult at times, but I find the rewards are worth it. Krysten, good luck with the challenge, I will be rooting for ya! Stay strong girl!
ReplyDeletegood luck lady!!
ReplyDeleteI've been doing this for years... sometimes for long stretches and sometimes just for a few months at a time. In the end, I love my sugar... so HARD!!! But it gets easier, and you'll feel amazing. My energy is not pretend :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteAlright if this Bexi approved, then it's gotta be good!
DeleteYep, definitely intense but totally worth it! It's not unlike the 30-day paleo challenge (mine here- http://dareyouto.blogspot.com/2012/04/pretend-youre-paleo-for-30-days.html ) . I also read It Starts With Food (and many of the awesome resources on their website) and think it's an incredible readable, relatable book, that lays out the science in terms we layfolk can understand, and I really like their stress overall on HEALTH and on a positive relationship with food. Like Bex says, it does get easier with practice, PLUS as the Hartwigs write, it's not about giving up these items forever, but rather to learn about how they affect us and then make more informed choices about eating.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! All your instagrammed meals look delish, and hope this continues to work for you.
Great post! I really don't think its crazy at all to eat foods like our great grandparents would of eaten, nothing with a label!
ReplyDeleteWhile it may seem hard at the start - it does get easier to the point it just becomes second nature.
Keep us updated on how it goes!
I agree. Initially I thought it would be worse. Admittedly for me this is a big change, because for years I was a vegetarian. And my diet was pretty reliant on grains - I probably ate some form of them at every meal. It felt like a big crazy shift at first, but I think I am going to learn a lot!
DeleteI think its great, but I still don't get and don't know if I could do without legumes and grains. To me they are part of the whole food chain. but sounds like a great book. I'd give the challenge a try. ;)
ReplyDeleteI am with you Christine. I was VERY skeptical as well, because legumes and grains are a huge part of my diet. So they don't ask you to cut those out of your diet forever. Just for 30 days. And then you reintroduce those foods and see how your body reacts. A lot of people have gluten sensitivity and also have a hard time digesting beans, etc. so when you reintroduce those foods you have to note how your body digests those foods and you can make an informed decision about how often to have those foods in your life.
DeleteOh wow. Sounds like a great challenge and I can't wait to hear how it all goes for you. Please share what you learn along the way. Wishing you the best!
ReplyDeleteAfter my 30 days, my eating habits have never gone back. I treat myself here and there but generally, I am hooked. It's really easy to believe that grains and especially whole-grains are actually good for us, especially because we are fed that idea so much in the media. The truth is - once it is cut out, your body will thank you. I've never felt better, stronger and my digestive issues that I have struggled with for YEARS are finally under control. So I'm a huge enthusiast obviously and so excited to hear about your journey!!
ReplyDeleteMy fiance just finished this up and loves it. It just going to be weird trying to mesh here extremely paleo diet and my extreme vegan diet. Yea we're both crazy.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to hear how (great hopefully!) you feel after this challenge is over.
ReplyDeleteSo is that basically paleo? I'm not entirely sure what Paleo entails (if it allows beans etc) which is why I'm asking :)
I love sugar, SO much.... this would be so hard for me.
OMGoodness! I would really struggle with this challenge.
ReplyDeleteGood luck ;)
Good luck with the 30 day challenge! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it!
ReplyDeleteYikes, I am currently trying to cut down to just one "sweet" a day as opposed to 2-4. I know, yikes! This is such an amazing undertaking. Cannot wait to hear how it goes!
ReplyDeletei think you can do it. Just takes patience and planning, right?
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I'm betting you'll feel so good on it that you'll make it a long-term habit. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about this! I saw all of your photos on Instaram and got really curious. I have heard really good things about the paleo lifestyle so I think this will definitely bring about some positive changes. Can't wait to hear how it goes!
ReplyDeleteI also read the book and am in the middle of the Whole30! I am totally loving it and have never felt better! I definitely plan on keeping the Paleo lifestyle beyond the 30 days, with the occasional treat of course ;) Good luck to you!
ReplyDelete