It’s time to change the paradigm!

Quit looking in your rear view mirror at the old you and stop dreaming about what you’re missing. We’ve all had a moment where we desperately miss something; pizza, fried chicken, ice cream, pasta, candy……Everybody has their vice. Now ask yourself what you gain by taking that crap out of your life? Better energy, a clearer mind, better sleep, lower rates of countless diseases, longevity, self-confidence, look better naked (isn’t that pretty much everybody’s goal at the end of the day?)

But life is short, you say. What about quality of life? Well to that I say what about coconut curry, steaks cooked in butter, slabs of bacon, chicken salad, dark chocolate and red wine. Sound tasty? All totally acceptable/healthy foods. But you need cupcakes to live and live well? No, you don’t. But if you get your diet locked down, just google gluten free/paleo cupcakes or get a hold of my FAVORITE cookbook, “Make It Paleo”. You can have your gluten-free cake, and eat it too! You’re not too busy to eat well or spend some time preparing those healthy meals; I promise you watch far too much tv to make that a valid claim. Got a family to feed? Check out cavemomma and everyday paleo for awesome quick recipes to feed a whole family of picky eaters. Got any more excuses? Just post them below and we’ll get you a solution.

Start thinking like the person you want to be, start making the decisions he/she would make, and quit looking at the old, sick, fat, tired, (insert other crappy feeling you’ve had in the past) you in the rear-view mirror. Leave that lazy bones in the dust and start living the life you deserve!

Leave me some comments below on what you miss and get it ALL out of your system and let’s move on with a new year and a new you!

Let It Go

Welcome back to the real world everyone. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as much as I did. It’s get-reinpired Monday, and I thought this might be a timely thought given we’ve all just battled our way through one of the most tempting and delicious days of the year, which usually brings with it some major post-feast guilt.

The other day I was pushing through a WOD involving sets on the rower, and I had an amazing moment of clarity. Each pull was getting harder and harder as my muscles got sore and my lungs crapped out (2 months of inactivity thanks to my broken knee and now my lungs are totally shot!) but after each pull came the release and reset. With each pull I got madder at the machine. I grunted, I swore, I grit my teeth…but with each reset came not only a physical release but a mental release. I found myself saying “let it go” I let go of the pain, let go of the exhaustion, and then let go of the mental baggage I’d been holding on to. All the guilt I’ve felt for eating less than perfect, every missed workout, all the self-doubt and self-degrading thoughts, I released that energy. I found myself digging harder into each row, knowing that the reset would bring another burst of mental freedom.

I started thinking about this phenomenon, and why is it that it takes pressure to feel such enlightenment. Much like the mind deteriorates as we age if we fail to maintain mental stimulation, I believe that our bodies and our souls also need to be pushed to achieve a level of peace and balance. We were made to work, to achieve and to find a way to thrive in adversity.

Today I urge you to find something to dig into and work the burn. Your body will reach a new level of health, and a lighter spirit will be your reward. When you put those dumb-bells down, I promise you’ll be dropping much more than just those weights, if you can just remember to let it go.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! Today I am thankful to be surrounded by loved ones. This year our family survived my dad’s 3 month battle with life support and slow painful recovery, my broken knee, a major car accident and a battle with breast cancer and a major surgery. What I have learned is that the human spirit is a powerful force; that it wants to survive, to fight on as long as there is an ounce of strength.

Knowing this, I am so grateful to have these wonderful people in my life, to love me and nurture me and show me the meaning of true strength. Because of them I am made stronger. Because of them, I know that I am capable of enduring and thriving. And I am so grateful that they will allow me to give back to them, and to nurture them by preparing a healthy primal Thanksgiving meal rather than a traditional dinner full of gluten and sugar. We will dine on prosciutto-wrapped melon balls, deviled eggs, rosemary roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts, buttered carrot soufflé, garlic and herb mashed cauliflower with turkey drippings gravy, and pumpkin pie. And when the forks go down, the smiles will come up. And more importantly, I will know that I have given them more than just a good meal. I will have fed their spirits, and given them perhaps an ounce more strength, that they may stay with me a while longer.

May your day be full of the warmth, love, and strength of your family! Safe and happy Thanksgiving to all!

A week of Thanksgiving-Day 7

Today I am thankful for the barbell. As much as I hate it, there’s something so cathartic about pushing that cold hard steel around. For this morning’s workout, I muscled through a ladder of power snatches. Don’t know what that is? Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h4r8tWGAKM

I knew after round 2 it was going to suck, but I’m so glad I pushed through. Once you have stared down a bar and conquered it, the world has to push you just a little bit harder and you can push it right back. The challenge is what brings out my light for the day. We all need something in our lives to challenge our notions of “I can’t” and help us realize we’re capable of more than we know. I urge you to think about what pushes you in your life, and take a moment of gratitude for the lessons it has taught you.

I'll leave you today with one of my favorite quotes. Ask yourself, what is YOUR light...
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

A week of Thanksgiving-Day 6

Happy short work week everyone! Today I am thankful for my community. Community comes in many forms; the family and friends that surround you, those that support your goals and share in your adventures, the people you turn to celebrate your victories and soothe your defeats, and of course, those that “like” your facebook updates. These are your people, the reflections of yourself, and the multi-faceted colors of your life.

I have been thinking a LOT about community over the past 2 months. Not to beat a dead horse’s knee cap, but indulge me in a broken knee story once more (I promise not to dwell too much on my injuries, but it’s so darn relevant to today’s thoughts!) When I went into my knee brace, I felt a strange wall of isolation go up. I felt cut off from the people that had previously given me great strength. My crossfit gym and my heavy lifting forums are full of amazing people with positive energy and similar goals. I enjoy each interaction and always feel uplifted after I’ve spent time talking with them. And then suddenly I was with them, but not of them. I couldn’t have my typical discussions about max squats or how much I love deadlift days because I couldn’t even walk well, let alone lift heavy things. I continued to go to crossfit, worked on achieving an unassisted pullup (which I’m proud to say I can now rep out 3-4 at a time), and whatever else I could push my upper body to do without the support of my legs, but I couldn’t participate in most of the workouts. I lost my competitive spirit, my sense of accomplishment, and I missed my name up on the wall with everyone else. I cheered loud for everyone as they struggled to beat the clock while their muscles ached and their lungs burned, but secretly I was sad and envious of their fully functioning legs, thinking of how small and ineffective my own leg was becoming. I was experiencing a full-blown loss of community, and it sucked.

And then last Thursday, a remarkable thing happened. With the brace off and 3 weeks of physical therapy under my belt, I walked into a workout of 40 clean and jerks. The first Olympic lift I’ve even been able to consider in months. Granted a full clean was too much for my knee, but a hanging clean and jerk put me in the game with everyone else. Of course the weight on the bar was definitely nothing to write home about, but that didn’t matter to me. My PR for the day was returning to the community I’d lost. I was OF them again. And when I posted my victory to my forums, and they celebrated with me. I had rejoined the pack, and it felt great. They say you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, and they were right. I missed my communities, and I’m so thankful to have them back!

A week of Thanksgiving-Day 5

As is typical of my Sundays, I was super lazy. While I did think up the post for the day, didn't get around to publishing till Monday. Technically my gratitude was given on the day in question, so I think it still counts! Anyways, enjoy!

Today I am thankful for-food!

As I anticipate my awesomly shortened work week, I’m still prepping loads of healthy meals to make sure the next 3 days (and the freezer) are stocked with healthy paleo options. After a trip to the grocery store where I had to beat up old ladies and small children to get at the sweet potatoes (Thanksgiving week or not, this primal girl needs her post-workout tubers!) I prepared a pot roast, corned beef, chicken salad, ground lamb burgers, chicken curry, beef jerky and marinated London broil. As I surveyed my filthy kitchen and my piles of delicious nosh, I realized how very thankful I am to be blessed with such an abundance of good nutritious food. I often take for granted how easily accessible it is, how quick the response is when there is a major food chain contamination, and how privileged we are to be able to demand the highest quality meats and vegetables. While I believe in my heart of hearts that everyone deserves access to sustainably raised, humanely treated grass-fed meats that are fed only what they are biologically inclined to eat (instead of crap fillers to fatten them, and eventually us, for quicker sale and bigger profits), and vegetables not sprayed with toxins causing untold damage to our bodies and the planet, when I think of the many areas of the world that don’t even have clean drinking water and must wait for humanitarian aid packages of the most basic of nutrition to arrive so they can feed their starving children, I must pause and give great thanks for the blessings of abundance I have. I will continue to look for ways to support better food systems, education and awareness of the food which becomes us, but today, I am just thankful that my freezer runneth over.

A week of Thanksgiving-Day 4

Happy Saturday everyone! Today I am thankful for rest, sleep in particular. My hubby and me celebrated today by buying a temper-pedic bed (an early Christmas present to ourselves). This was a huge investement in our health and I can't wait to report on how it affects us.

Studies show that rest is just as important for health and fitness as diet and exercise. In your sleep, muscles are regenerated, growth hormone is at its highest stimulating increased fat loss and strength gains, the immune system is strengthened, important brain functions are performed and memory is enhanced.

In addition, rest is good for your mind and soul. Rest allows you to clear away the mental clutter, refocus on what's important, and use your precious time on the things and people that truly matter in your life. I encourage everyone to have a little bone broth and curl up in bed and get a little extra rest this weekend. And with the holiday weekend almost upon us, we all have a little extra time to spend under the covers. Give yourselves an early Christmas gift and treat your body to some much needed and often deprived sleep! On that note, I'm off to spend one last night in my old bed and treat myself to 8-10 hours of slumber. Nighty night, and sweet dreams to all!

A week of Thanksgiving-Day 3

Hey all, happy third day of Thanksgiving! Today I am thankful for the power of recovery. Be it from injury, a hard-fought workout, a tough week at the office, or a personal tragedy, the ability to recover and achieve what we thought was lost forever is a priceless gift.
A little over 2 months ago, I fell during a run and landed directly on my knee. This resulted in a fully fractured knee cap. (Picture below for your enjoyment!) I was put into an immobile leg brace and told that with luck and strict adherence to keeping my leg straight, the pieces hopefully wouldn’t move apart and surgery might be avoided. I was out for 6-8 weeks and I was devastated. I had reached a point where I had significant strength goals I wanted to achieve, and now I was told pretty much any exercise from the waist down was out.
7 weeks later, my bone had healed but my leg still had a long way to go. Significant muscle atrophy and shrunken ligaments had left it difficult even to walk, and I was tempted to put the brace back on at times to alleviate the pain and move in a way that I was more confident in (even though I would be limited my recovery). I resisted the urge to crawl back into my safety boot, and pushed forward. Within a week I was walking normally. Within 3 weeks I’d regained most of my flexibility. If you saw me on the street, you may not even know I’d ever had an injury (unless you saw my sad little atrophied leg!) And whenever I get discouraged about the exercises I can’t do yet (squat, push anything with heavy weights, running or jumping), I remind myself how far I’ve come in just 3 weeks, and how I can hardly recall what it felt like when I wasn’t able to perform normal, natural movements like walking and sitting. Our bodies WANT to heal and be strong. They are built to overcome, to adapt, and to recover better, bigger and stronger (after all, the very process of muscle building involves the tearing down and rebuilding of tissue). I know that someday soon I’ll recover the rest of what I’ve lost. And once I’ve adapted to that level, you’d better believe I’ll be pushing onward to the next challenge, because if you don’t get back on the bar, you’ll never get to experience the wonder of recovery.

A week of Thanksgiving-Day 2

Be thankful for ability to adapt
Roughly 2 months ago I fell and fractured my knee cap. My goals of heavy Olympic lifting and muscle gain were indefinitely put on hold. I was told I must wear an immobile knee brace for 6-8 weeks and hopefully no surgery would be needed. Cut to 7 weeks later, the brace came off, the bone had healed, and I could walk again…barely. Tight atrophied muscles and ligaments made everything but the most basic of hobbling impossible. I started physical therapy somewhere halfway between a foolish positive hope that I’d be instantly cured and back to my precious heavy lifts again, and terrified that I’d never be “normal” again.
What I’ve come to realize in the last few weeks of PT is that life is rarely all or nothing. It is a spectrum of ability and our bodies are amazing at adapting. I was able to hobble around for almost 2 months without the use of my knee. In less than a month of therapy I’ve more than doubled my range of motion. When I get discouraged that I still can’t lift heavy shit or do a squat without severe pain, I remind myself how far I’ve come each week, and the fact that this spectrum will shift some day soon as well, and I’ll begin to decrease pain and increase strength. And the amazing thing is, my body will adapt to each step change so efficiently that I’ll forget how incapable I was the day before. Never underestimate your body’s wondrous ability to adapt. Be it a crippling injury, a goal that always seems just out of reach, or a personal trauma that has slammed down on your life. We're a hearty breed capable of surviving some pretty gnarly extremes. And have hope, because one day soon you'll rise out of survival mode to find you're actually thriving again.

Be good to your body, and it will be good to you! Now get out there and adapt to some crisp fall air!

A week of thanksgiving-Day 1

Did anyone else think it was strange that stores put out their Christmas decorations before Halloween had even arrived? We’re so anxious to get to the next big celebration that we forget each season has its own special meaning. We get 12 days of Christmas, so I’m proposing we get at LEAST a week of Thanksgiving. After all, thankfulness has many health benefits. Studies have shown people who focus on gratitude show greater levels of optimism, positive mood, feelings of belongingness, report fewer physical illness symptoms and more time exercising, sleep more and have better quality sleep. As health-minded wisdom seekers, shouldn’t we all take advantage of every bit of health and well-being we can attain, and a happy attitude to boot?

Today I am thankful for second chances. Specifically, of the resilience of the human body to recover from the terrible decisions we make. Thanks to corrupt food agencies, bad “scientific” food experiments and disastrous government regulations guided by special interest groups, we are a society that is sick, misinformed, and addicted to foods that are slowly killing us. What’s worse is that these toxic foods have such a hold on us that even once we know the truth about how damaging they are, even after we have felt the benefits of removing the poison and replacing it with whole, nourishing food, many times we’re driven back to those old vices.

Earlier this year, I watched my father struggle on life support for two months. He fought like hell to breath without a machine while he had a tube shoved down his throat in a drug-induced haze he cannot remember. We fought like hell to have his medications reduced (instead of accepting that his mind was gone and the drugs were needed for his protection and the medical staff’s convenience), and he fought like hell through months of painful physical therapy after all of his muscle had atrophied away. He just celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday, and not only is his mind fully intact, he can walk without needing even so much as a cane. Talk about second chances. He was given a second chance at life, his body gave him a second chance for mobility and recovery, and we were given a second chance with our father. I share this with you not only to celebrate my family’s victory which I will toasting to repeatedly next Thursday, but to illustrate the awesome resilience of the human body. Never give up on your health, and never stop trying to give it the best nutrition, healthy stressors and rest. So let’s all give thanks for our bodies’ amazing ability to give us a second chance.

Refocus that focus!

Anyone else struggling to regroup after the weekend? Weekends are a great time to let the 20% of 80/20 live a little, feed your soul, and help keep you focused throughout the week. However, they can also leave you feeling like crap if you over do it, or full of self-loathing if you used it as an excuse fall back into behaviors you thought you'd conquered long ago. We make dozens of choices every day, some of which we later regret. I would challenge all of you to toss away that anchor of regret, and focus on the bright, shiny wrapped gift that is a brand-spakin'-new week. So let's all get happy and focused, and repeat after me: I cannot change what I did yesterday, and so I will accept it, learn from it, and grow. I cannot avoid having temptation placed before me, but I CAN chose to ignore it. Today, I will embrace my primal nature. Today I am in control of my choices, and I will make the right ones.

Love-Yourself Friday

It’s love-yourself Friday! Time to take a look back at the week, celebrate your victories, forgive your mistakes, and take stock of what an awesome person you are. Remember you’re more than your failures, and you’re greater than just the sum of your successes. So often people attempt to measure themselves by whether or not they hit their goals or caved into temptations. As if life were some 2-dimensional system of checks and balances. News flash, you are a creature wonderfully and fearfully made, with more depth and complexity than you give yourself credit for, and I can prove it. Take a minute and think of even ONE selfless act you’ve ever done in your life. Now put that into your 2-dimensional tally of workout/diet sense of self-worth. Oh wait, you can’t! Because life is about more than whether or not you resisted that cookie or got up at 5am to push yourself through the workout of the day. Yes, that’s part of taking care of yourself, but it’s not the end-all, be-all of what defines you. So thank yourself for every self-nourishing act, think about what you did to set yourself back, and celebrate the fact that you are more than just a spreadsheet with a total at the bottom.

Good enough isn't good enough

“Good enough” should NEVER be the goal. You do yourself such a disservice when you check out before you’ve reached your true potential. People perceive the edge of ability as being just out of reach, and if they can creep ever closer to it, they’ll feel they’ve done enough. But those who leap off the edge discover the truth, that it isn’t just a chasm of “can’t” after that edge, but another step up to a you that you didn’t even know existed, with abilities you didn’t think you could ever possess. And that new you is only a stepping stone to take the next leap. Your ability to grow and change is not finite, it’s an exponential growth factor. The question is, do you have the courage to take that leap, to grab hold of the bar, and once you’ve mastered it, to leap again?