Oh hello anybody who still follows this blog!
Sorry for being so absent these last...er...well, let's just say it's been a really long time. So many things have changed since I last posted, but the most exciting update is that by mid-June 2013, I will be a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP). I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to go back to school and study a subject so near and dear to my heart; I'm especially excited that I have finally figured out my great passion in life and am taking steps to make it my career.
When considering the best route to official nutritional enlightenment, I researched many options - there's a lot of programs out there to choose from! Going back to college seemed like the best path, until I realized how incredibly long and painful a journey it would be. Long in that it would take four years of study plus an internship - essentially, I would have to start from scratch, as if my BA didn't even exist. I didn't go to college for four and a half years to have it end up seemingly meaningless, and I want to get into the nutrition field NOW, not almost half a decade later. Painful in that it would cost at least $30,000 - most likely about $80,000 total if I went to Bastyr, which has been my dream college for the last three years. I'm still paying off that first BA, however, so I have no plans to go into that much debt again for a long while.
All that aside, most colleges prescribe conventional nutrition, which I think is a travesty - low fat diets? Processed foods? Corn fed meats? No way; I'm not spending four plus years of my educational career learning that drivel only to have to unlearn it when I graduate!
So I began looking into holistic nutrition programs. I also started checking out the Paleo blogs I follow a bit more carefully to see where those nutritionists had studied. That's what lead me to the Nutritional Therapy Association. They believe in the teachings of nutritional pioneers like Weston A. Price and Francis M. Pottenger who championed a traditional, whole food diet. After researching them further, I knew I had found the perfect program. Nine months, distance learning, and all for a very reasonable tuition. Sure, I'm not licensed by the state like an RD, and I couldn't work in quite a few states who refuse to recognize any nutritional practitioners other than RDs, but I'm not in it for government validation. Look what they encourage people to eat, and you'll see why. I'm in it to help create a sustainable, whole food revolution! My goal is to spread good nutritional knowledge to the entire world.
But I've gotta start somewhere, right? Why not in little old Bothell?
All that said, this blog will be seeing some changes. I've got a lot of planning to do before I launch my own practice - and let's face it, who knows how long that will take! Unfortunately, I have zero business knowledge outside of my common sense, so after graduating from this certification course, I'll probably hit up several small business classes so I can really figure out how to get the ball rolling! But I digress - back to the point. I'm not sure if this blog will remain, or if I will ditch it and launch a brand new website and new blog; I'm leaning toward the latter.
Stay tuned right here for now though - I'm buried in school work and regular 40-hr-a-week work, but I'll do my best to post updates here.
Until next time!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A Change of Plans
So yeah - apologies for not really following up on the blog as planned. The last month has been a WHIRLWIND of craziness. My husband has had all kinds of medical ups and downs, and in addition to all the usual crazy holiday stuff, a friend had some major surgery last week, and we moved upstairs to a bigger apartment kinda out of nowhere.
Yeah. It's been that kind of month.
Too many things have changed in the last month; it's kinda crazy. And no, for the record, I'm not pregnant. One major thing that's changed is our diet. Sadly, we're really not what you'd call Paleo anymore - it just isn't in the cards right now. Josh's health is currently dictating our diet, and what's best for him is definitely not paleo. We're still gluten free and mostly grain free, though we now eat quite a bit of rice, quinoa and GF breads. I've also incorporated a bit more dairy into my diet, and it doesn't seem like it's an issue at all for me if I stay on top of my stomach acid as needed.
But what would you call us? Primal? Meh...probably not. Archevore? Possibly - see http://www.archevore.com/get-started/ for information. We eat a diet fairly consistent with what Kurt suggests, with the occasional added sugar.
It has to be obvious by now what I'm getting at - the content of this blog is going to change, just as I change. The Paleo diet is and will always be a fantastic diet. I consider it the best place to start when learning the basics of true nutrition, but as all of the great Paleo bloggers and supporters out there will probably tell you, one size does not fit all. It just doesn't. And if some grains (rice and quinoa, specifically), dairy, and the occasional added sugar are decently tolerated (gut and weight seem fine), then that's just what works for us. But you might be different, and it's important to realize that. You need to test these things on yourself and weigh the results yourself.
In the end, I think a Paleo lifestyle is more than just a guideline for eating - I really believe it's a way of thinking for yourself and finding the best natural foods to fuel your body with. If I can encourage even one of you to stop buying crappy boxed food and start eating unprocessed fruits, veggies, and meat, then this blog has been a total success. I mean, really, the very existence of this blog is a total success - I've been able to share some really great knowledge with you guys, and I've been able to track my own progress. I've gone from around 195 lbs to hovering around 168. Sure, I have a good 10-15 lbs left to lose, but I would not be here if I hadn't found the Paleo diet and learned what real food really is.
I chose to step out of the blindly-accepted conventional nutritional guidelines, and find the path of true health. And I'm still wandering down that path, discovering all kinds of fascinating information. This is where the blog comes in. I'll dump that information in here as I stumble upon it, Paleo or not.
2012 will be a good year. A year of change. A year of bettering ourselves. We have only to act.
I declare 2012 the year of action. Let's do this.
Yeah. It's been that kind of month.
Too many things have changed in the last month; it's kinda crazy. And no, for the record, I'm not pregnant. One major thing that's changed is our diet. Sadly, we're really not what you'd call Paleo anymore - it just isn't in the cards right now. Josh's health is currently dictating our diet, and what's best for him is definitely not paleo. We're still gluten free and mostly grain free, though we now eat quite a bit of rice, quinoa and GF breads. I've also incorporated a bit more dairy into my diet, and it doesn't seem like it's an issue at all for me if I stay on top of my stomach acid as needed.
But what would you call us? Primal? Meh...probably not. Archevore? Possibly - see http://www.archevore.com/get-started/ for information. We eat a diet fairly consistent with what Kurt suggests, with the occasional added sugar.
It has to be obvious by now what I'm getting at - the content of this blog is going to change, just as I change. The Paleo diet is and will always be a fantastic diet. I consider it the best place to start when learning the basics of true nutrition, but as all of the great Paleo bloggers and supporters out there will probably tell you, one size does not fit all. It just doesn't. And if some grains (rice and quinoa, specifically), dairy, and the occasional added sugar are decently tolerated (gut and weight seem fine), then that's just what works for us. But you might be different, and it's important to realize that. You need to test these things on yourself and weigh the results yourself.
In the end, I think a Paleo lifestyle is more than just a guideline for eating - I really believe it's a way of thinking for yourself and finding the best natural foods to fuel your body with. If I can encourage even one of you to stop buying crappy boxed food and start eating unprocessed fruits, veggies, and meat, then this blog has been a total success. I mean, really, the very existence of this blog is a total success - I've been able to share some really great knowledge with you guys, and I've been able to track my own progress. I've gone from around 195 lbs to hovering around 168. Sure, I have a good 10-15 lbs left to lose, but I would not be here if I hadn't found the Paleo diet and learned what real food really is.
I chose to step out of the blindly-accepted conventional nutritional guidelines, and find the path of true health. And I'm still wandering down that path, discovering all kinds of fascinating information. This is where the blog comes in. I'll dump that information in here as I stumble upon it, Paleo or not.
2012 will be a good year. A year of change. A year of bettering ourselves. We have only to act.
I declare 2012 the year of action. Let's do this.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
It was a Paleo Thanksgiving...mostly...
In the next week or so, I'll be reviewing the recipes I found online and prepared for Thanksgiving. And let me tell ya - I found some gems. Quite a few of these dishes will be making another appearance come Christmas and for many years to come!
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Video Introduction to the Paleo Diet
As I was browsing through all my wonderful Paleo and Primal blogs, I found this little golden-nugget-of-a-video on http://www.30daysofpaleo.com/my-blog/2011/09/fireside-chat-with-robb-wolf.html, and I thought I'd share it with you. It's a great introduction to what "Paleo" is and how it can benefit you.
Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
Primal Fitness
Long time no see! This summer has been a bit crazy - hopefully I'll be able to start posting more soon.
I've been trying to figure out a way to work fitness into everyday in some way, and I had even halfway considered trying crossfit since so many Paleo enthusiasts seem to be in love with it. But after researching it a bit further, I'm pretty sure I'd hate it. I'm just not into that kind of workout. So I considered a regular gym again - nah, it's not me either. Then I remembered that Kirkland's community center offers a neat quarterly pass where you can go to as many fitness classes as you can for a pretty resonable price. The classes seem interesting enough, so I signed up. But I still didn't feel like that alone would cut it.
A few days ago, I had the chance to read through Mark Sisson's blog, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/, and naturally, I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't read through his blog before now. When you sign up for his newsletter, you get access to some free e-books - nice! And there it was...a fitness e-book. FINALLY.
Presentation is everything I guess, and somehow, Mark's presentation spoke to me. He says that fitness should be made up of three things - move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things, and sprint. (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-succeed-with-the-primal-blueprint/#fitness)
SOLD! I'm only a few weeks into it, and I'm still working on fitting in heavy lifting and sprinting regularly, but I'm pretty confident this is a pattern I can get into and stick with. I'll keep you posted on how things go.
I've been in classes for 2 weeks now, and they're pretty great - I'll write a detailed post on them in the next couple of weeks.
I've been trying to figure out a way to work fitness into everyday in some way, and I had even halfway considered trying crossfit since so many Paleo enthusiasts seem to be in love with it. But after researching it a bit further, I'm pretty sure I'd hate it. I'm just not into that kind of workout. So I considered a regular gym again - nah, it's not me either. Then I remembered that Kirkland's community center offers a neat quarterly pass where you can go to as many fitness classes as you can for a pretty resonable price. The classes seem interesting enough, so I signed up. But I still didn't feel like that alone would cut it.
A few days ago, I had the chance to read through Mark Sisson's blog, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/, and naturally, I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't read through his blog before now. When you sign up for his newsletter, you get access to some free e-books - nice! And there it was...a fitness e-book. FINALLY.
Presentation is everything I guess, and somehow, Mark's presentation spoke to me. He says that fitness should be made up of three things - move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things, and sprint. (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-succeed-with-the-primal-blueprint/#fitness)
SOLD! I'm only a few weeks into it, and I'm still working on fitting in heavy lifting and sprinting regularly, but I'm pretty confident this is a pattern I can get into and stick with. I'll keep you posted on how things go.
I've been in classes for 2 weeks now, and they're pretty great - I'll write a detailed post on them in the next couple of weeks.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Life is tough...
...and so am I. And so are all of you, but maybe you don't realize it yet. Forgive me if I go on a bit of a tangent with this post as it will have mostly nothing to do with a Paleo lifestyle. If you're hell-bent on reading Paleo-only thoughts, skip to the bottom.
The last few months have been some of the most challenging of my life. My husband has been going through a lot of medical problems - thankfully, none of them have been serious. But they have been trying, and they have caused us both a tremendous amount of stress. I thank God ceaselessly that these difficult times haven't torn us apart - actually, they've brought us closer together, which I think is exactly why we haven't cracked up.
I think the stress has really started catching up with me lately though. I've gained about 9 pounds, which I think probably came from eating my way to comfort. It's something I've always done, and I've been able to resist the urge for a while. I've also, as some of you have noticed, withdrawn myself from people. I'm realizing that multi-tasking (socially or otherwise) is not my strong suit. And while I do love each of you, Josh is my priority.
So if I don't participate in a program I used to, or if I don't participate as much as I used to, or if I don't hang out with you as much as you'd like, or if you feel like I'm not there for you, or if you haven't even noticed a change in me - hang tight and be patient with me. Pray for me, send positive energy to me, or toss me some encouragement. I've been through a tiny slice of hell this year, so it'll take me some time to heal.
****back to some Paleo thoughts*****
All that said, I'm working on getting my eating under control. I'm back to eating almost totally Paleo (rice is an occasional indulgence instead of included in every meal), and I'm working really hard on establishing a workout routine. Have I measured myself? HELL NO. My body is a bit wonky as I've stopped taking some meds I used to take, so I'm experiencing a delightful onslaught of...well, side effects. It'll pass. And when it does, I'll give it a go.
While most of this post has been negative (BLECK), I'd like to leave you with some positivity. These are thoughts that have driven me to be healthier, physically and mentally, and I want to share them with you.
You deserve love, happiness, peace and success. Seek love, seek happiness, seek peace, seek success. You can absolutely do anything you choose to do. Step out and take the risk. And never think for a moment that you're not strong enough. Because you are strong enough. You are.
The last few months have been some of the most challenging of my life. My husband has been going through a lot of medical problems - thankfully, none of them have been serious. But they have been trying, and they have caused us both a tremendous amount of stress. I thank God ceaselessly that these difficult times haven't torn us apart - actually, they've brought us closer together, which I think is exactly why we haven't cracked up.
I think the stress has really started catching up with me lately though. I've gained about 9 pounds, which I think probably came from eating my way to comfort. It's something I've always done, and I've been able to resist the urge for a while. I've also, as some of you have noticed, withdrawn myself from people. I'm realizing that multi-tasking (socially or otherwise) is not my strong suit. And while I do love each of you, Josh is my priority.
So if I don't participate in a program I used to, or if I don't participate as much as I used to, or if I don't hang out with you as much as you'd like, or if you feel like I'm not there for you, or if you haven't even noticed a change in me - hang tight and be patient with me. Pray for me, send positive energy to me, or toss me some encouragement. I've been through a tiny slice of hell this year, so it'll take me some time to heal.
****back to some Paleo thoughts*****
All that said, I'm working on getting my eating under control. I'm back to eating almost totally Paleo (rice is an occasional indulgence instead of included in every meal), and I'm working really hard on establishing a workout routine. Have I measured myself? HELL NO. My body is a bit wonky as I've stopped taking some meds I used to take, so I'm experiencing a delightful onslaught of...well, side effects. It'll pass. And when it does, I'll give it a go.
While most of this post has been negative (BLECK), I'd like to leave you with some positivity. These are thoughts that have driven me to be healthier, physically and mentally, and I want to share them with you.
You deserve love, happiness, peace and success. Seek love, seek happiness, seek peace, seek success. You can absolutely do anything you choose to do. Step out and take the risk. And never think for a moment that you're not strong enough. Because you are strong enough. You are.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Struggling with Addiction
I have an addiction to food, namely, grains and starches. It has become especially obvious since I've started drifting away from a strict Paleo diet. I've added rice and potatoes back to my diet, and my jeans have started noticing. And so has my brain.
I can feel it as I type - I'm not hungry, but I have this desire to go grab some more of my roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes from the fridge. I would also kill for a bowl of buttery rice.../drool. Maybe another rice biscuit and some jam...cobbler...
*Whimper*...
So I'm planning a swift retreat from these enemy foods. I mean, let's face it - food should not have this power over the mind. I shouldn't be distracted by the thought of certain foods. I shouldn't feel like I'm going through withdraws when I just had a freakin' bowl of rice 17 hours ago. And I DON'T like my size 10s feeling snug like this!
This is getting just a bit ridiculous. Again.
And that's where the blog comes in. I figure I need some accountability here, so I'm thinking some daily posts might be in order to get me back on track and keep me there. I mean, I've got a wonderfully supportive husband who supports all things Paleo, etc., but he's been nudging me for a while to stop all this non-Paleo stuff, and his attempts were met with, "I CAN HAVE WHATEVER I WANT IN MODERATION SO SHUT IT!" type attitude (maybe a pinch less attitude than that, but I was determined). So I'm guessing that I need more than one person encouraging me.
And here we go - tonight, I plan on doing some measurements, getting a proper before picture, and getting this ball rolling. I've stalled long enough - I mean, for crying out loud, I really only need to lose maybe 15 more pounds.
How hard can it be, seriously?
I can feel it as I type - I'm not hungry, but I have this desire to go grab some more of my roasted rosemary fingerling potatoes from the fridge. I would also kill for a bowl of buttery rice.../drool. Maybe another rice biscuit and some jam...cobbler...
*Whimper*...
So I'm planning a swift retreat from these enemy foods. I mean, let's face it - food should not have this power over the mind. I shouldn't be distracted by the thought of certain foods. I shouldn't feel like I'm going through withdraws when I just had a freakin' bowl of rice 17 hours ago. And I DON'T like my size 10s feeling snug like this!
This is getting just a bit ridiculous. Again.
And that's where the blog comes in. I figure I need some accountability here, so I'm thinking some daily posts might be in order to get me back on track and keep me there. I mean, I've got a wonderfully supportive husband who supports all things Paleo, etc., but he's been nudging me for a while to stop all this non-Paleo stuff, and his attempts were met with, "I CAN HAVE WHATEVER I WANT IN MODERATION SO SHUT IT!" type attitude (maybe a pinch less attitude than that, but I was determined). So I'm guessing that I need more than one person encouraging me.
And here we go - tonight, I plan on doing some measurements, getting a proper before picture, and getting this ball rolling. I've stalled long enough - I mean, for crying out loud, I really only need to lose maybe 15 more pounds.
How hard can it be, seriously?
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