Appearances

A few weeks ago I was listening to my girl, Stefani Ruper, (I call her that, like we're friends, but she really doesn't even know that I exist) from Paleo for Women interviewing Stacy Toth of Paleo Parents (super cute blog, BTW). Stefani has been hosting a pretty new but inspiring podcast titled Live.Love.Eat. I would definitely recommend that you listen to it at least once when you have the time. Stafani just strikes me as a truly compassionate, inspired, and deep woman who really cares about where each of her guests is coming from and what they have to say.

Well, have you ever looked at the title of a podcast or a movie or show and read the summary and just immediately judged it as being boring and a waste of time before you even hit 'play'?? That was me for this particular interview. I don't know why, I'd heard the Paleo Parents being interviewed by others in the past and I guess I just assumed I knew everything about them. Like, "Woohoo, they wrote a super cute and crafty cook book geared towards kids titled 'Eat Like a Dinosaur' I feel like I know everything about their lives now. I'm hungry."

Well, I was wrong. DEAD wrong. This podcast was straight from the heart and inspiring. One thing that really resonated with me was that Stacy has lost a ton of weight on this Paleo journey that she has been on with her family. She explained how people look at you different when your obese. She said that after losing the weight, people weren't ignoring her. People were holding the door for her. People were treating her like...a person. She never realized it until after the fact, but when you are obese, people don't treat you like a human being. They avoid you. They don't make eye contact. She'd assumed that this was the way people treated each other out in society. But then she, along with her family, got healthy and her body naturally began to transform. Then she realized how alienated and alone she truly had been.

Stacy will be the first to admit that she still struggles with weight. Her body doesn't look like a 20 year old Crossfitter and it never will, and she's okay with that. We weren't all supposed to look like enter famous fit icon here but that's one of the things that makes life so stinking awesome. We are all different. We are all beautiful in our own ways. Each of us has our own, unique bag of magic. So love it, grab a hold of it and use it. There is no such thing as an 'ideal'. Scrap that piece of junk idea and start loving yourself.

A lot of those ideas came from the podcast itself, and some of them were just me ranting. The thing that struck home with me was the fact that a lot of people don't listen to Stacy's advice because she still carries a little extra weight. Yeah, I get it. Your not exactly going to take the advice from a dietitian who is, himself, overweight. The point is that she has come reeaalllyy reeaallly far. She wants people to realize where she had been, compared to where she is now. All the health gained. How it has changed her and her family. She unfortunately finds that people are, once again, seized by her appearance. It's got to be so frustrating for her. She and her husband work so hard to get the message out about how to live healthy as a family and people can't get past the fact that she's supposed to look like some 'ideal'. 

For me, it's a slightly different story. No matter how far this journey has taken me, no matter how many gains I have seen in light of my health, my energy, everything, many people who have always known me simply don't take the way I eat and live too seriously. Why?? I'm fit, but I've always looked fit. They don't realize or remember the little things like: a new cavity popping up for me every 6 months. Or: I felt like I had to be running/walking outside or at the gym ALL of the time. I used to have severe anxiety. I used to always have a bloated, distended belly. I was always just skinny, not toned and curvy. I used to always have trouble sleeping at night. I had a severe lack of energy that affected my social life. Actually, all of those things I typed above affected my social life.

So, to most people who I interact with from day to day, I haven't really changed all that much. They can't exactly look at me and see my brain has been lit up with so much alertness and energy it's crazy. They can't tell that feel SO good all day long without energy slumps at 3 in the afternoon. Nobody truly realizes how little I actually work out now. I at least hope there is no one sitting up and watching me easily nail eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. How about writing this blog post?? Do you actually think, with all of my anxiety and tiredness, I would have actually been able to sit and think and type all of this?? No way!
                                  

This is a photo of me back in 2008. That is me in the center wearing  the black shirt. That is my older sister, Sarah, on the left, and my younger sisters, Rachel and Rebekah, on the right. This is a little less then 2
years before I went full Paleo.
                               
                                   

This is a photo recently taken at my parents house. This is my son, Turner, and I on a Sunday morning before church. I have been Paleo now for over 2 years and as you can see, besides the hair-do, I pretty 
much look the same.
                                   
                                    
And THAT my friends, is why it's not always wise to go by appearances. One person might look the part of health and fitness, but are they really, truly healthy?? Perhaps it's that lady on the other side of the coffee shop who has the key. The one who just lost a crazy amount of weight, but still has a little extra to lose. The one who has three young kids, and can't exactly hit the gym whenever she feels like it. Surprise.

Enjoy a fabulous day, guys. Thanks for reading!!

Spaqhetti Squash with Liverwurst and Bacon

Monday night this week was my time to get creative in the kitchen. I'd been pretty lazy in the cooking department this month. My husband was overseas for over 2 weeks, so between not having the family 'baconwinner' looking for a nice, hot meal after work and the fact that the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, Turner and I have been skimping on the ol' dinner meals. Fried eggs every night can't be wrong!

Now that the husband is back, and things are once again kicking into the gear of normalcy, I decided to have some fun in the kitchen. On a whim I had bought a little spaghetti squash last week (it was so cute) and felt like I had to use it soon for fear that I would forget all about it. We also had some leftover bacon and liverwurst from U.S Wellness Meats that HAD to be used before things started to turn grey or green. My last piece of inspiration was a tomato that was fresh from a friends garden.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 small spaghetti squash
1 medium tomato
1/3-1/2 a U.S Wellness Meat liverwurst sausage
2 slices of nitrate-free bacon
1/2-1 cup Bove's Vodka Sauce (my husband and I LOVE this sauce)
sea salt to taste
basil
oregano
2 TBS grass-fed butter
rosemary (optional)
1-2 TBS heavy cream (optional)


Directions

Rinse off the outside of the spaghetti squash and slice it in half length-wise. Dig out all of the pulp and seeds and place the two halves skin side down on a microwave-safe plate. Cover thoroughly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 15-16 minutes.

While squash is cooking, cut bacon into small pieces and place them in a large cast iron pan (or something similar) set at low heat fry for 10 minutes.

Rinse and cube tomato, add to fry pan. Continue to cook for several minutes, long enough for the tomatoes to soften and the mixture to begin to thicken. Add spices and salt at this time.

Add cubed liverwurst to fry pan, cook for a minute or two. Stir in vodka sauce.

Remove squash from the microwave. By this time, the squash should have had time to sit and cool off. Scoop out all of the soft flesh from the two squash halves, adding it to the pan. Mix everything together, adding the butter and heavy cream.

Serve with your favorite grated Italian cheese and a bottle of red wine.

Enjoy!

Happy Labor Day and thanks for reading!!

A Very Real Coconut Milk Threat That You're Not Aware Of

I've been enjoying my weekly bone broth made from soup bones Turner and I buy from Harris Farm in Dayton, Maine. After I've allowed the broth to simmer for the appropriate number of hours (I aim for 20+) and I've scooped out a good amount of the fat that has risen to the top, I like to enjoy a bowl with some full fat coconut milk. The coconut milk adds a nice, sweet creaminess that the broth would otherwise be lacking. It will also turn a bowl of boring broth into more of a yummy soup, that if eaten at lunch alongside salad or buttered spinach will keep me satisfied until dinner time.

So here I was, in the kitchen on a Wednesday afternoon in the middle of August. Just like every other week this past summer, I equipped myself with the can opener, twisting the tool as I allowed my mind to wander. The hard work had been done. The long hours of simmering beef bones in water, salt, and a touch of vinegar. The patience of my ladle as I carefully scooped away the offending fat that rose to the surface. It all led up to this moment. All that was left was the mixing in of a yummy can of coconut milk. A task that I'd performed without a hitch nearly a dozen times before.

Twist. Twist. Twist. POP! Scoop. Scoop. Scoop. OOUUCCHHH!!

Just when you think you're dialed in. That you've got it all figured out. That's when you will fall flat on your butt. Or, slit open your thumb with the sharp edge of the can that you had just opened seconds ago.

Canned, full fat coconut milk is generally accepted as a healthy go-to in the Paleo community. It's quick. It's simple. It's tasty. If you are a Paleo purist, you are probably well aware that canned coconut milk, although it does have a respectable tract record, still keeps a couple of skeletons in the closet. Immediately buzz words like BPA, guargum, and importation should be popping up in your head.

Well, add to that list 'flesh slicer'. That awful BPA lined/guargum hiding/imported lid ripped a canyon in my right thumb. I was thankful my son had gone down for his nap because I was hard pressed to keep the bloody mess under complete control for the first minute or two. Truly, this was not a tale for the faint of heart.

I soldiered on. I showed that coconut milk who it's boss was and ate it with my bone broth soup like it deserved. I even stirred it around a few times to make an example out of it.

I kept my thumb tightly bond with paper towels, turning my house upside down in search of band aids which I knew in my heart I would never find. I'd used up our massive box of band aids from Sam's Club months ago, all on measly scraps, cuts, and bug bites that had seemed significant at the time. Now, under these fresh circumstances, I mourned the wasted life of each band aid I'd thoughtlessly soiled.

I had to settle for my paper towel remedy until my son woke up from his nap hours later, refreshed and unaware of the violence that had taken place in the kitchen, which had since been scrubbed and stripped of all the bloody aftermath. During the time Turner had been asleep, I had taken due revenge upon my lunch by eating it. I'd also successfully sketched out a logo idea of Stefani Ruper of paleoforwomen.com in response to her t-shirt logo contest that she recently posted on her blog. I managed to keep the sketch about 99% free of blood and took the time to Photoshop the rest out.

Thankfully, I remembered the stash of Peanuts band aids that my son had acquired for his birthday, or Christmas, or whatever, and have been using them up on my poor thumb while telling my conscience that I will replace my sons totally cool and colorful 'stickers' on my very next visit to the store.

I took the time, as a good citizen, to snap pictures from the scene of the crime. For the comfort of my readers, however, I did not include images containing blood or the wound.

                                         The guilty at the scene of the crime.

                                       
                                         The victim. The witnesses.

Have an awesome weekend, everyone! Summer is almost over, so get out there. And beware of those pesky coconut milk cans.

Thanks for reading!

Claustrophic yet??

I'm a stay-at-home mom. Sometimes, like every honest human being, I question the choices I made in my past that would have brought me to this point in my life. "Should I have done things differently??" As I go to change that dirty diaper or scrub pee out of the rug, I'm wondering what my life might have been like if Jess and I held off on starting a family. "What if I had a 'real' job??"

Then, the sweetness of reality will bring me back. My son will give me a hug and profess his undying devotion to me, or we'll go outside and breath in the fresh summer air while picking wild blueberries at the park.

And then, of course, I come across pictures like these. What was I thinking in those fleeting moments of doubt?!? I'll gladly take motherhood over a life like this any day:

Feeling 'caged in' yet??

I can't help but think about my brother and sister-in-laws new pet rabbit, Flower. My brother-in-law proudly built an impressive two-story cage for the critter. He did a good job, and explained that while doing his research on building it, the instructions dictated that a proper rabbit cage should allow the hopper to be able to hop 4 times across the length of it's cage. Clearly, the guidelines for a proper and 'humane' rabbit cage merited more concern then the consideration that went into constructing those office cubicles depicted above. Take note, dear reader, that the large, pet Leporid also gets to enjoy lot's of sunshine and fresh air:

Time to go outside and take a refreshing stroll.

Enjoy the 2012 Summer Olympics and thanks for reading!

Willpower Will Get You Nowhere!

I was jut spending this rainy, Friday morning listening to my man, Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness. He hosts a popular podcast over at Blog Talk Radio in which he interviews various health guru's and specialists to help inform the public on the latest.

Today he was interviewing Dallas and Melissa Hartwig of the Whole9. They've got a very popular health program and website and have devoted their lives to helping people thrive. They're promoting they're new book, It Start's With Food.

I've heard Dallas and Melissa talk before on a couple different shows. I really like the main message that they are promoting and the results they get with people are very inspiring. Today Melissa said something that really caught my attention and I just had to share.

Basically, it's simply that willpower will NEVER work. You can't white-knuckle your way through a diet, day in and day out. Things like hormones and the psychological relationship you have with food will kick your willpower to the curb all of the time. What the Hartwig's want the person who signs up for their program to understand is that they want to help people change their entire relationship with food.

It's kinda like cigarettes...
Melissa made that perfect point. If you are like me, when someone offers you a cigarette you will easily refuse it. THAT'S what your goal should be when it comes to your food choices. You should be able to refuse that cookie, or that cake easily. It's about rewiring your brain, developing healthier habits. When you are feeling stressed, you won't naturally be reaching for that ice cream anymore because you'll know that it will just make you feel worse in the end.

They admit that you have to do a little 'heel digging' in the beginning. This is when you'll have to get creative, maybe even find someone to support you while you fight those normal craving or habits. Maybe grab the phone instead of the chips during that usual 8 pm snack attack.

Once you truly change your relationship with food, everything else on your journey towards health will seem relatively easy.

Dallas and Melissa have an elimination diet plan of their own design call the Whole30. Which is quite fitting, I think, considering the common knowledge that it takes about 30 days to form a habit. Kinda like refusing a cigarette from a friend at a party....Or that chocolate cake.

Here's the link to the podcast. The part of the show that I just tipped my had towards can be heard a little bit after the 30 minute mark. The entire show is about 72 minutes long.

Have a wonderful weekend! Thank you for reading!

The Gideon

I'm a huge fan of a quick, efficient workout. Especially on days like today....The second day of summer and 95 degrees!! Recently, I've been aiming to go down to the basement at least once a week to do some heavy lifting with my husband, Jesse. We've got some weights, a bench, and a pull up bar. I only like to lift down there when my husband is with me. I feel secure having a 'spotter' and it allows me to push myself all the way. It's also MUCH cooler down there. Phew!

Another thing I like about working out with Jess is that our sessions are brief, but effective. I'm usually groaning when he say's 'We're done.' because I feel like I could have done so much more. However, the following day or two I will feel the familiar aching of my muscles while I'm walking up the stairs or lifting up my two year old. That's when I'm sure my short time spent in the cellar the day before was all I needed.

Perhaps it's the fact that my husband's ladder fell out from beneath him at work the other day and he's now covered in scraps and bruises while rocking stitches above his eyebrow and an arm brace. But for some reason I think it's going to be a couple of weeks before my favorite lifting buddy will be available to sweat it out with me downstairs Frowny face.

No workout buddy. What's a girl to do?? The Gideon, of course! You are all well aware that I'm a big fan of Prayfit. I love receiving their devotionals every morning, and even though I don't agree with all of their fitness and nutrition recommendations, they still motivate me and set my heart and head straight when it comes to priorities. Almost every Monday they include a 'Workout of the Week'. I really enjoy these. I don't always do them, but when I do, I'm almost always glad that I did. They are always harder then they sound and most of them don't take long at all, we're talking 10-15 minutes.

I did my first 'Gideon' about 6 months ago and it is still my go to when I want a killer lower body workout in record time without equipment. I do this workout maybe once a month, or so, depending on how I feel.

Try to go through your sets as quickly as possible but do rest when you need to. I usually take a break after the wall squats, like Prayfit recommends. And boy, do I need it!

 Also, work your way up to performing jump squats. Some people can't handle the high impact and need to take it soft and slow. That's okay, as long as you are pushing yourself. I've actually completed this workout doing a full minute of body weight squats instead of 30 seconds of jumps squats followed by 30 seconds on body weight squats. My house shakes and my landing can be loud if I'm doing jump squats, so I avoid those if I'm working out during my son's nap.

Try to hold yourself in that wall squat position AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. Don't wimp out. If you think you cannot hang on any more, then hang on another 10 seconds. The effectiveness of this entire workout depends upon you really feeling it. It's such a short time, 20 minutes, tops, for you to perform a Gideon. Make every second worth it and I promise you will feel it the next day.

Good luck! And happy summer. :)

In case you fellow Mainer's missed this....

Last night on the third episode of American Ninja Warrior (Monday nights at 9 on NBC) Maine's 'Ninja' from Westbrook, a fisherman and father put in an impressive performance. Jesse Villarreal, 24, will be advancing to the finals to take on Mt. Midoriyama, and try to become the first American, ever, to conquer this mother of all obstacle courses.

Jesse, you've done us proud. Good luck!