Primal at The Cheesecake Factory

Yesterday, our director sent the cast and crew of DOUBT out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory on his bill. Everyone was like, "WOOOOOO!" and I was like (in my head, of course), "HMMMMMM." I was nervous that I would have a hard time finding something primal there. TCF is one of my favorite restaurants, but let's face it, they're trying very hard to keep the nation overweight. They have 1.3 million items on the menu and not even the salads are healthy. Also, the portion sizes are ENORMOUS. One plate could feed a family of 4! I was excited to go spend time with the cast and crew, but I was feeling unsure about how the evening would turn out... after all, we would be returning from dinner to do a full run-through of the show.

After reading the novel of a menu, I finally settled on Chicken Picatta. Yum! It was served in a light lemon butter sauce with capers. The menu said it came with angel hair pasta, which I should have swapped out for veggies, but I thought that it would be, like, a little pile that I could ignore. No, it took up half the plate. Luckily I did ignore it. Everyone else got enchiladas, hamburgers, pasta, and fried foods... most of it didn't look that good anyway. My chicken was delicious! The table did order dark chocolate cheesecake, and I did have to succumb to a few small bites. I mean, hello, I live the primal lifestyle so that I enjoy life, not so I can sit there miserably while other people devour cheesecake.

Well, we got back to the theatre and everyone immediately began complaining of feeling too full. The pre-dinner bread consumed (that I ignored) was expanding in the stomachs. I actually felt pretty good and did for the rest of the night! I was a little more full than normal, but not like I would have been if I had ordered CW food. I may not have "hunted" like Grok did, but I certainly had to hunt through TCF menu for something valuable. I can't believe how much I am enjoying this lifestyle. Food really does matter. It's an investment in my life. I want to do the best I can to live the healthiest, longest life possible. I cannot control every factor in the world but the things that I can, I will. It doesn't hurt that people are noticing I'm thinner now, too.

Primal with Crossfit

I took advantage of a free week at a crossfit gym this week. It was really tough, and I'm really out of shape, but I loved it! I'm going to join full time and go 4 days a week. I went this morning and feel great. I know that gator aide isn't primal, but it helps me bounce back after busting my butt. I noticed a couple of people have "Grok" shoes, but I'm okay not wearing those yet.

"I started eating two eggs for breakfast, and this week added 2 slices of bacon to the mix, as well as switching from half and half to heavy whipping cream in my coffee. Oh, and I also add a little bit of shredded cheese to the eggs. The results have been amazing! I've had more energy, feel fuller much longer (even eating lunch later in the day or not at all), and find it easier to resist non-primal temptation. This was huge for me on Friday when I was tempted with donuts and cake in the morning, and a table full of high carb sweets that the PTO had set up in the teachers lounge. One thing that helps me is giving the sweets away when they are handed to me, or avoiding the areas of temptation (Such as the teacher's lounge on Friday.) So far I've lost six pounds and look forward to weighing in on Monday because I've had such an awesome week.

Tuscon, Tumacacri, Tubac, to Hell

Whilst in graduate school at the University of Arizona, I read an historical account of early travel between Tucson and Nogales on the Mexican border named, Tucson, Tumacacari, Tubac, to Hell. Tumacacari and Tubac were waypoints along the trail, but the last "place" characterised the trips with such impositions as desert heat and murderous attacks along the 60-70 mile journey.



Traveling from Houston to Chicago to Bismarck demonstrated the frustration of attempting to travel and stay faithful to the principles of a "primal" diet, but I found it could be (mostly) accomplished.



FLIGHTS: Airlines don't serve much, but practically none of it is "Primal". I substitute seltzer or carbonated water with a lemon for Ginger Ale or Coke. It's bubbly! I say eat before you fly and are in more control of available food.



AIRPORTS: Carbohydrate heaven (Consider restaurants with names like "Au Bon Pain"). As Beki commented when I called her from O'Hare, "Airports are not "Primal-friendly." I found that with some diligent searching, you find a lot of fruit and salads, actually, and traveling solo helped because I wasn't having to "walk in love" towards companions who might not care. I did end up with a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread in addition to an apple and banana with water to wash it down. It was then that I learned that sometimes you just have to minimize portions of meals that are "not primal" and not sweat it! I actually felt very good on the flight to Bismarck. By the way, on my return trip through O'Hare, I ate at Chili's and ordered Salmon with brocoli and more broccoli as a rice substitute.



HOTELS: It seems that every American meal is loaded with starchy carbohydrates which are tempting to me because I love 'em, especially white potatoes, skin and all! Again, I learned to substitute fresh fruit for potatoes at Breakfast.



By the way, I worked out every day and even slid down the 3-story, curved water slide in the aquatic dome (there was a winter storm warning during my stay).



CONVENTIONS: We were fed buffet meals for breakfast and lunch and there were lots of opportuities for potatoes, rice and noodles and , of course, sweet rolls and desserts. I applied Debi's dictum to the kids growing up, "Tell your tummy, no!" So I was about 80-90% primal-compliant through outright denial or severe moderation control and substitution. Do I even need to comment on the morning and afternoon breaks?! Well, yes, because there was a lot of fruit including watermelon, so no significant issue there. It requires motivation and self control which, of course, are mildly painful, but worth it!



DINNERS: Again, I found out restaurants are willing to substitute vegetables for potatoes and rice without so much as a frown. I love fish and had walleye for the first time. I've curtailed the creamy dressings for salads and am moving to vinegrettes. On my first request I got a double virgin -- olive oil that is! I also had buffalo for the entree that meal. Supposedly, for a red meat, buffalo has very low cholesterol.



So, how'd I do? I felt good the whole trip, slept well and had four of the most relaxing days I've had in a long time. Usually when I travel, I gain a lot of weight. Traveling for Anadarko to Mexico, I raised my base weight 4 pounds. On this trip I gained only one pound which disappeared in a couple of days back in Houston.



I'm inspired by the good reports from family members about a healthier eating lifestyle.



Papa John

Sometimes you feel like a nut

You all know I used to eat peanuts like crazy, by the handful in fact. They're not primal but almonds are, so I eat them now! Read the following article from this week's newsletter from Dr. Mirkin (http://www.drmirkin.com/). Do you see your favorite nuts (not you, Mark!)?

Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-ZineMay 16, 2010: Nuts Prevent Heart Attacks. A review of 25 studies shows that eating nuts (including peanuts) lowers cholesterol to help prevent heart attacks (Archives of Internal Medicine, May 10, 2010). Eating an average of 2.5 ounces of nuts per day lowers total cholesterol 5.1 percent, LDL (the bad cholesterol) 7.4 percent, and triglycerides 10.2 percent. It even lowers Lp(a), a genetic component of cholesterol that increases risk for strokes and heart attacks in young people. The more nuts a person eats, the lower the cholesterol. Those with the highest bad LDL cholesterol had the greatest lowering when they ate nuts. An earlier review of five large epidemiologic studies and 11 clinical studies showed that eating nuts reduces risk for heart attacks (Nutrition Reviews, May 8, 2001). The most improvement came from eating two ounces (four tablespoons) of nuts five or more times a week. Eating an ounce of nuts more than five times a week can result in a 25 to 39 percent reduction in heart attack risk. Nuts are a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids. Before the bad LDL cholesterol can form plaques in arteries, it must be converted to oxidized LDL. LDL formed from monounsaturated fat is highly resistant to oxidation, so the LDL is less likely to be converted to its form that damages arteries. The nuts in these studies included almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, and peanuts. Among Americans, peanuts account for approximately half of all nuts consumed.

Primal Smoothies!

Hello. As you may have noticed already, eating eggs for breakfast everyday can get old. Make a primal smoothie instead! Here's how I make it:

1/2 a banana

Handful of frozen berries

1/2 cup or so of organic whole milk (from local farm)

Spoonful of almond butter

1 Serving of Vanilla protein powder

(Dash of honey if you want to sweeten it)

Blend! Serve! Drink!

Here's a pic of a recent smoothie... I added a dollop of homemade, organic whipped cream.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Also, I've lost 5 pounds, which may not sound like a lot, but adding that to the 4 pounds I had already lost since moving to Nashville, I weigh less now than I have in about 6 years. A couple more pounds and I will be at me wedding weight! :)

Weigh-in Wednesday

Okay, so it's time for another weigh-in! This past week I lost another pound and a half bringing my total to 20 lbs! I'm excited about my progress. I'm about to turn 32 and I will do so being in the best shape that I've been in since leaving NYC.

Also this week, Beki and I got our FitBits. I had ordered them back in February but they've been on back order until now. They're cool! I'm still learning how to figure out everything with it. So far, I really like that it measures sleep movement and duration. I'm about to start logging activities and exercise so it can fine tune its estimates for calories burned.

Also, I'm way behind on posting recipes here. This past week I made bacon-wrapped scallops, chuck roast, and protein bars among other things. I'll get those recipes up soon.

Have a good week!

Primal Status

Okay, so Monday marked 2 weeks of eating primal. Neither week was completely dedicated, but was mostly good. The main cheats I have are pizza and beer. We used to order pizza once a week, and beer has been a nice relaxer after a rough day at work, just to chill on the weekend or before church on Sunday morning.

That being said, I've lost 5 lbs! I decided to try really hard this week and go for 100% primal eating. The only cheat I am allowing myself is sugar in my one cup of coffee in the morning. Then, it's water the rest of the day.

One thing I was really good about last week was not eating those little "treats" that seam to tempt me on a day to day basis. Last week was "teacher appreciation week" so everyday I was greeted with some sort of treat in my mailbox at school. This included a giant muffin, reeses peanut butter cups, a hershey bar, and a snickers. Not to mention the food that my department head leaves laying around such as pop tarts and brownies. I was strong and gave them away with my right hand before my left hand knew it was scratching my crotch.

This morning, one of my students told me I looked like I was losing weight. I thought that was pretty cool, but I played it off by sticking my gut out and turning to the side while saying, "Really?" They thought that was funny.

After reading about "hydro-therapy" in Mark's book I decided to add a part to my morning routine. Right at the end of my shower (Sorry for the mental image) I turn the water to the coldest setting and give myself a good, cold rinse. I make sure the cold water hits all of the lymph nodes in my body that I know about (back of neck, armpits, leg pits). This must release some awesome chemicals because I have more energy in the mornings. Plus, Mark Sisson says it's really good for your lymphatic system to be exposed to the cool water.

The school wasn't thrilled about me showing up for work in a loin cloth, but whatev. They can take my spear from me when they pry it from my cold, dead hands...Or if they tase me. That would probably work too.

Weigh-in Wednesday

Another two pounds down for me, making a total of 19 since going primal. It's funny, but since my first week when I lost about 5 pounds, I've consistently hit exactly what Mark Sisson said to expect: 1-2 pounds per week. And it's been quite easy. That's just with the food changes really. I still haven't really embarked on primal fitness puruits.

As I posted earlier this week, my coconut fish was a hit and should get a regular spot in our meal rotation. I've got a good beef dish planned soon, and I should also be steaming my first artichoke in the next few days as well.

Fitness is the next big pursuit now that much of the weight is off. I'll post on that soon too.

Coconut Crusted Fish

Beeki and I just dug into some great coconut crusted fish! (Mahi Mahi to be exact.) And it was delicious! Earlier I had tried coconut crusted chicken. It didn't go as well. The secret, I've learned, is to cook it at a lower temperature. With the chicken, the crust got all cooked and then started to burn before the meat was even half-way cooked! So this time I lowered the temperature and it went very well. It was awesomely tasty. And it was a cinch to make. I stole the basic idea from here. I used coconut oil to cook these and then put it on a bed of spinach with mango and walnuts. I finished it with a light drizzle of olive oil and everything tasted great! Primal Power!

Primal Teeth

So, there are the many obvious rewards to living primal: weight loss, overall dietary health, improved standard of living, better sleep, more energy, better digestion, etc. I could go on and on. I have discovered after a few weeks on the diet, however, even more subtle treasures including an absence of migraines, a boosted immune system, and less stinky farts. One vain joy in particular has become apparent to me in the last 2 weeks as I have almost completely given up my love of Diet Coke: the whitest teeth I have ever had. Now, I have bleached my teeth periodically over the past few years but I never have achieved a truly white smile. Now that I am off soda (mostly), don't drink much coffee, and eat more organic dairy than I have ever eaten in my life, my pearly whites have become my new obsession. Yay for healthy teeth!