You know that New Years Eve jingle that we always hear but never really know the lyrics to? Well its called Auld Lang Syne and it's a Scots poem written by Robert Burns (Thanks Wikipedia). "Should old acquaintences be forgot, and never brought to mind?" The translation is very strange but in a way makes sense to sing at the start of a New Year. Out with the old, in with the new. I see it as the idea of "cleansing" the last year and building new relationships and friendships in the year to come.
My New Years resolution is to continue the Paleo diet and try to cut out ALCOHOL. Ok, not completely but definitely tone it down a bit. I have multiple reasons for this: hangovers suck, too many extra calories, long term affects, memory loss, alcoholism runs in my family, oh the list goes on. Let's see how long I last. The irony of bringing in the New Year generally involves having a drink in-hand. In order to go skiing the next day, that means I need to put the drink down and walk away. :)
Here is a list of the top ten most common New Years Eve Resolutions according to about.com. Did yours make the list??
1. Spend more time with friends or family.
2. Make fitness a priority
3. Lose weight
4. Quit smoking
5. Enjoy life more
6. Get out of debt
7. Learn something new
8. Help others
9. Get organized 10. Quit drinking (Bingo!)
Starting Paleo and/or Crossfit can easily knock off 4-5 off that list. Let me know when you're ready to start!
Happy New Years everyone! Hopefully I will be skiing (I know, old school) in Mammoth while I ring in the New Year and learning to put my drink down when I've had too much. ;) Cheers!
I have always been fascinated with Anthropology and the study of indigenous tribes. I remember in one of my college courses we studied the book, Yanomamo. It was an interesting account of the anthopologist, Napoleon Chagnon's journey to live with the Yanomamo tribe. Sounds cliche, but the book enforces the fact that Chagnon came to study and learn about them but in turn learned more about himself.
Humans have similar goals and wants, no matter what era or part of the globe we live in. We all need to survive, and we all want to be happy. Sometimes in our current society we are so clouded by material objects and luxuries that we lose a sense of connection to what our soul truly needs. To this, I have found a couple outlets that I'd like to share.
-Buddhist Teachings, and the idea that pure happiness comes from a pure mind. We cannot achieve this through material things, success, money, jewels, the iPad, even. To this idea, I suggest watching The Gods Must Be Crazy. An excellent film that helps prove this point. We have to rid ourselves of want and desire.
If we have control over our mind, we can control our reality. Seems easy, right? Well, I truly think the caveman were alot closer to that than us, despite the millions of years between us.
-Get Closer to Nature. Might sound a little dumb and far-fetched to most but I honestly think we have lost that connection. Most of us wake up (with an alarm), get in our car, sit in traffic, get to work, sit in air conditioning, go through a drive thru for food, get home, watch tv then sleep. Our only real connection with nature is maybe the seconds spent in the sun getting in and out of our cars. We try to expend the least amount of energy possible, yet we work 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week which is crazy compared to the small amounts of "work" a caveman did. Kids don't play outside anymore, there is a fear associated with "outside", plus why go outside when there are tons of video games inside?
-Humans are Social Creatures, true or false? Well if you look around, it is clear we are social beings. We build relationships, we remain in contact with blood relatives, we find happiness in friendships. I have always wondered, however if we take the human out of the social setting would we survive? Would we be happy? It reminds me of an Orson Welles quotes: "We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone".
Another story that has perplexed me since it broke in 2009, still has me questioning the fact if we absolutely need others to survive. To a solidary man in the amazon of Brazil, apparently not. Feel free to take a look at this faschinating story about the last surviving man who has outlived his tribe for 15 years. He has lived without communication and in complete solitude.
Staying true to our history's past, this true solitary man has been attacked by Brazilian gunmen trying to get more territory. Luckily, he has thought to have made it out alive, and the Brazilian government is trying to protect him. For one man to occupy such a huge amount of land, it can be difficult to monitor. He deserves to live out his life the way he has for the past 15 years, alone, if that is what he wishes. So, if he can do it, can we all do it? We can take the society out of people but can we take the people out of society. Ok now that's just confusing, but you know what I mean.
It really irks me when people say that men in tribes like this are "uncivilized". What qualifies as civilized? Being able to read? Driving a car? Knowledge of the past? Well it's all relative. In my opinion, all humans are created the same. With the need to survive and the desire to be happy. Everything else is relative.
Now go let that stew for a while. Life is short. If the lone tribal man can survive 15 years of predators, food scarcity, and amazonian weather (amongst other things) while alone, surely it would be hard for us to complain about a hangnail. ;)
I came across an ad for the new Cirque Du Soleil show coming next year and I really, really, really want to go. It's called Totem it tells the story of Mankind. I LOVE the premise, the only thing is it's not coming to my area :( Looks like I might have to stop by the UK or the closest one is Charlotte, North Carolina.
What a great gift this holiday season! The Vibram Five Fingers is the barefoot alternative! Everybody's doing it!
When I started my Paleo journey, I saw a lot of articles about how being barefoot (like cavemen) had a better health advantage to wearing shoes. The creators or Vibram saw the benefits and created these shoes, that you can use to trek, run, hike or just go to the grocery store!
I took this straight from the Vibram website but it does a great job explaining the benefits of the shoes:
"The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.
Many experts believe the shoes we wear not only cast the foot in a protective form, but also weaken our foot and leg muscles, leaving them underdeveloped and more prone to injury. And while there are many occasions where traditional footwear is essential for protection, safety, and security, it is equally important to stimulate and exercise the foot in a more natural state on a regular basis.
That’s why we recommend wearing FiveFingers for exercise, for play, and for fun. Stimulating muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception."
They are definitely an attention getter. I have been hearing a lot about them lately, popping up in convos and everywhere on the web. Be careful of imposters! Here are a couple pics:
Ok so a lot of you have been wondering why I've decided to do the Paleo diet. Is it because I want to lose weight?? Well, the answer is NO, it's more of a lifestyle change,a more healthier approach to food. Here I will answer a lot of questions I've been asked since I began this journey. It has been 25 days (started the day after Thanksgiving) and I'm determined to make it through Christmas without totally cheating. So here we go...
What is Paleo/Caveman diet?
This diet consists of ingredients only found during the Paleolthic era. This was a time when our ancestors were cavedwelling, hunting, and foraging. This can consist of meats, eggs, shellfish, fish, vegetables, fruits and nuts. What to exclude from the diet is bread, grains, wheat, milk, cheese, and processed foods of any kind. It seems very limiting, but there are still a ton of dishes you can create to keep it fresh and exciting each time. There are many websites dedicated to Paleo Recipes as seen here.
Why do the Paleo diet?
Honestly, before I even researched the diet itsef I was always curious on how my body would look without complex carbs. It is really interesting that we need to take a step back, oh a couple million years ago to make a step forward. From the span of our existence only a tiny fraction of it have we been digesting bread and milk (past nursing), we may not notice all the ramifications now but articles are slowly coming out of the woodworks proving this theory. Below are my own theories, some proven some not about the diet but here is my take on the benefits that I have noticed.
-Weight loss
-Cleaner teeth and breath
-More energy
-Better sleep
-Clearer skin
-Better immune system (have not gotten sick even when it was going around at the office)
-Memory seems to be improving
-No calorie counting or portion control
I feel like I add something new each week! :)
Cave boys and girls only lived until about 35, so why eat like them?
First and foremost, we were hunted during this time. We had natural enemies that saw us a prey. We didn't have the luxuries we have now, we were barely making tools and using them. Also, with the invention of penicillin and other life saving remedies we have been able to live longer and longer. It can be said that our diet now is actually starting to reverse our life span, as heart disease is causing the most deaths on record. Heart disease is caused by many factors but mostly hight blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. All these things are linked to a poor diet! If our ancestors survived and lasted millions of years on this diet, it can only be a positive change you can make too.
Isn't it hard to do? And expensive?
It is definitely hard to start and commit to, but see it as a commitment to yourself. Prove yourself wrong. Feel guilty anytime you reach for a piece of chocolate or bagel. It IS ok to cheat once and while to prevent you from binging, but try your best to stay good to the diet.
This diet is expensive, and it is sad that it is. I can go to a drive through and fill up on dollar menu items for less than a perfectly cooked salmon and roasted red peppers. No wonder why our nation is becoming so unhealthy.
Try it for a week or even a day an see how you feel. Let me know your progress, it feels good to have someone keep you accountable. After a week, you may feel a little irritable or sluggish and this is normal, it is your bodies way of adjusting and cleanising itself to the new intake of food.
Any questions please feel free to leave a comment! Thanks for listening!
Below is a good Paleo Shopping List:
Entrees:
Ground beef (lean and organic)
Alaskan salmon
Chicken breast
'Tis the season to be shopping amongst the crowds, almost in tears finding parking and cringing at your receipts of your recent purchases. It is all worth it though because usually you manage to find something for YOURSELF. :)
First let me start by saying I went to Best Buy over the weekend and just looked around at a store filled with BS. Granted, I do own an iPod shuffle from like 4 years ago that still works perfectly fine and an iBook that I got back in '04 that is still true to me but really people?!? There are gadgets on gadgets in here that are just ridiculous. Each company has to come out with the "new and improved" version so you feel that your edition is so "last year" and you pony up your savings just to stay in the loop. My philosophy is if it's not making me money, I'm not spending money on it.
I almost got sucked in to thinking I needed speakers for my laptop when the ones I have are perfectly fine!! Oh and how about Dr. Dre's "beats" headphones oh, just a cool $100! Call me simple and plain but all I need is music in my ears occassionally and a semi decent laptop to surf the web and store photos and whatnot. Other than that these items are overpriced pieces of crap that the companies brainwash to make you think you need. Ok, so I vented and I'm done. :)
Anyways, this is the season of GIVING so I decided to GIVE myself the gift of Crossfit. It was a pricey investment towards my health and Paleo goals but I truly see it being worth it. I have my first appointment today and I can already tell I will be sore since just walking up my stairs already kills me. It really goes hand in hand with the Paleo/Primal diet because it is based on functional workouts like pushups, pull ups, cattle bells, etc. So basically if you were in the wild, would you body be able to keep up. I love that.
I will leave you now with some work out motivation (for all the ladies) :) Men, too I guess. Ha ;)
Last night was a super fun girls night out but I was graced by an unpleasant surprise when I woke up. I was hung over, yes but thats not the surprising part. I couldn't see out of my left eye and it burned, itched and was super teary!! I rinsed it with water, but to no avail it killed! I went to work, one-eyed and started to scare the clients. Everyone thought I had pink eye (and we all know how we get that). I had a good night last night but not that crazy. I mean, I didn't wash off my makeup from the night before so that could be the culprit (rookie mistake). My co-worker looked up into my eyelid and saw a couple bumps and said I should go to the doctor. So off I went!
Disclaimer- not my eye
First of all, doctors scare me but I managed to find one that was cute, super nice, and fast! He gets straight to the point with everything so I'm in and out. So I get there and he looks into my eye says it's probably a stye, gives me some drops and I'm out the door. So now I get to stay home on this rainy Friday, watch I Love Lucy and relax.
When I went to the doctors today I weighed 123 lbs which is a change from last time when I was 127 lbs, so Paleo really does cause weight loss and fast! I was also wearing a jacket and scarf so I probably weigh even less. Now I just need to gain some muscle. Have my first Crossfit training next Monday, yikes!
During my one-eyed blunder I started thinking about Doctors and how corrupt our medical industry is. Me and my theories, right? Well my doctor is awesome and he never pushes medications on me and usually goes for a more holistic approach which is right up my alley. Other doctors, however, are so cruel to just force pills on people to make a profit on it later. Our society is so accustomed to taking a pill for every ailment that it has become a billion dollar industry. People are not educated on the fact that there are natural remedies for most issues. I heard that the majority of headaches are caused from dehydration, so we take a pill for it instead of drinking more water!! I try to avoid any pills, even advil or tylenol. Our bodies need to boost their natural immune systems so that getting sick happens less in the future.
I also realized that some people LOVE going to the doctors for everything! Like, do people really go to the doctor's for the common cold still? They will just tell you what you already know. Get rest, take Dayquil, blah blah blah. Oh crazy I've never heard of that method. You know your body better than any doctor. To put it in perspective, if you were in the wild and you had an ailment what would you do? Most things you can cure yourself with natural products.
I also have to introduce everyone to the cure all end all APPLE CIDER VINEGAR! Just look at the long list of everything it helps get rid of. It's amazing! And you can pick it up at Henry's market. :) Supposedly you can drink it too!
5 o'clock could not come soon enough! I was so excited to write in my very own sophistimicated blog!
I had a pleasant surprise today, I got to go out to lunch with my dad, aunt, uncle & grandma. We went to this fabulous mediterranean restaurant called Rosine's and not only did I manage to stay Paleo but I made a full on speech at lunch on why everyone should do it too (inappropriate speeches are my thang). Here is what I got:
Quarter Chicken- leg and thigh
Babaganoush- eggplant dip
Tabbuleh- parsely tomato, garlic salad
I went on to say that eating carbs causes premature aging where my grandma replied: "Well I better stop now!" She's a doll.
After lunch I took everyone to visit where I work and introduced them all to my "work family". Everyone LOVED my grandma, and I mean were obsessing over her. She is the cutest, typical grandma with her red christmas sweater, ornament earrings and her white curly up-do. She is also really small, and impeccable. I mean at 88 or whatever her nails are done, her hair is did and she is rocking the bling. Oh and did I mention her name is Betty. Grandma Betty, ha. I love her so much!
Oh, and today I was bad and had a cookie that I could not turn down! Other than that I snacked on grapes, sunflower seeds (unsalted), and almonds.
Here's a precious picture of my grandma and little nephew Declan.
Ok so as some of you may know I started the Paleo or Caveman diet two weeks ago. So far it has changed my life, both physically and mentally. I have felt so much better and learned about all the corruption that goes into our food supply. Companies like Monsanto, who have a monopoly on genetically modified seeds bully small farmers out of jobs and their livelihood. Vanity Fair posted an article regarding the many evils that Monsanto is associated with. The only way we can protest this business is by not buying their products. They legally patented a seed, which is a living organism, how do we allow this??
I also suggest to everyone to rent Food, Inc. it is such an eye opener to what we put into our bodies everyday! This is what I took from the film:
1. Find lean, organic meats that are grass fed and cruelty free!
2. Buy organic produce locally in your own state and possibly your own town at local farmers markets.
3. Just like every vote counts in an election, every food purchase counts, too. Where you buy it and what you buy says a lot about what people want and who is going to make it into a big business either ethically or not.
Basically, most of what I've learned the past month is common sense, but it took a lot to open my eyes to it. I started the Paleo diet to see how my body would react without bread, cheese, milk and starch. Our bodies were not meant for these things!! We take so much energy to digest grains that it causes premature aging and a puffy, gross feeling. I can honestly say I'm glad I made this lifestyle change sooner than later and I want to tell the world about it! I even got my co-worker slowly coming around to it. :)
Let's get back to our caveman roots and go out in the sun (without sunscreen! gasp!), walk barefoot, and hunt down organic meats and pick some beautifully colored veggies! Trust me, I was RAISED on T-bell, McDonalds, Carl's and El Pollo Loco, if I can change that diet in two weeks anyone can! :)
Below is a Paleo shopping cart. :) Yes, that is Margarita Salt, ok not very healthy but a girl needs to drink!
...Those are the words of the fabulous Tallulah Bankhead who also gave us this gem: "I'll come make love to you at five o'clock. If I'm late, start without me." I love witty, powerful women!!
TO START:
I really decided to start this blog to monitor my thoughts, jot them down so I can reference back to a time when I began to feel alive and independent. I titled my blog Love.Live.Ramble because that is my life. Love, because all you need is it. Live, because I am the most spontaneous person I know, and Ramble because traveling inspires me most (not to mention the word Ramble is in some of the best songs ever).
No matter who reads this, even if nobody does, this is me and a way to vent and organize the mess that goes through my head everyday. Any insight or feedback is appreciated....SO welcome to my world bitches!!!! <3
