tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52259942742934759492024-03-08T03:32:17.260-08:00The Paleo Blog of YaySharing and learning with others about whole food nutrition and wellness from the perspective of a middle aged mom (and student) with teens.Pdxhollymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12904152291432369812noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225994274293475949.post-59931618305655366692013-05-15T13:36:00.000-07:002013-05-15T13:38:14.873-07:00Exciting changes coming!I have a few new posts coming up! I've had an exciting year, studying nutritional therapy and attending various workshops, events, & farms. I've started a new LLC: Nourishing Excellence Nutritional Therapy. New website to come after I graduate in the coming weeks!<br />
<br />
What do you need help with? I'm excited about what is ahead and what I can do to help people transition to a nutrient whole food diet.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, follow me on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ThePaleoBlogOfYay" style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.facebook.com/ThePaleoBlogOfYay</a><br />
and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-PaleoPrimal-Network/264256146978348" style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: underline;">www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-PaleoPrimal-Network/264256146978348</a> for Portland local resources. Pdxhollymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12904152291432369812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225994274293475949.post-7817268057002431592012-09-06T23:14:00.000-07:002013-05-16T14:53:44.592-07:00My Story & Why I started The Paleo Blog of Yay! <style>
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<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">My story is not so much about weight
loss-I don’t have any impressive before and after shots because I was never
very over-weight (I was perhaps "skinny fat")-my story is about the
unexpected benefits that happened on the INSIDE when I was simply looking to
improve my middle aged body composition. What drives my passion the most,
however, is how transitioning to a diet of whole foods and healthy fats helped
my kids too.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">I’ve always been involved in fitness
and nutrition-but mostly in the conventional sense. For many years I worked
evenings and weekends in a gym and later as a racewalk coach as part of a
corporate wellness team and on my own, in addition to a full time career. A few
years after son #3, life got much more challenging, so I narrowed my focus to
my kids, their activities, and volunteering in their schools. During all the
time I kept up with the latest and greatest in nutritional news and had tweaked
our diet accordingly-to what I thought was very healthy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">As glamorous and exciting as stay at
home mommyhood and volunteering is-after a while, I let it wear me down by not
taking proper care of myself. Accompanying me was all the pesky peri-menopausal
stuff. I wasn’t sleeping, was stressed out, was kind of blue, and was not
making it to the gym that often. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">One day, my husband, brought home P90x.
The program has it’s flaws (IMO) but I DID IT and it got me out of my slump
enough to try to figure out how to look like those “after” shots after all that
HARD work (BECAUSE I DIDN'T)-and honestly, now I don't care so much about
looking like those after shots, I care more about how I feel. Anyway, I didn’t
think I needed to change my diet because as I thought, my diet was really clean
(low fat/whole grains/mostly organic), plus I was totally uninspired by the
diet booklet that came with the program. That said, it was obvious that
exercising for umpteen hours alone does not necessarily deliver desired
results. [I don't want to dis P90x because my husband benefits from the
structure and home workout aspect of P90x and still does it regularly-P90x is
sort of like CrossFit at home (and you CAN overdo it).]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">About the same time, it just so
happens, I was listening to the audiobook version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The 4-Hour Work Week</i> by Tim Ferris and reading his blog. My
interest peaked when I read about his new <i>4-Hour Body</i> book and diet
(slow carb). I was drawn to the structure and rules of the diet and figured it
would be a good New Year’s Resolution. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">This was the real beginning, the baby
steps that eventually lead me to Paleo. The slow carb diet is not hugely
different than Paleo except it discourages fruit and starchy tubers (such as
sweet potatoes) but allows legumes and a once a week all-out cheat day. I
didn’t notice significant results until around week 6, however, those results
were surprising. I had hoped to just lose a couple inches here and there but
what I got was a lot more-way more than any results from any diet ever (except
Paleo, which came later). I had MUCH more energy, I was sleeping better, my
mood had significantly improved, my blood work was the best ever and I was
kicking those menopausal symptoms in the butt! My family and friends started
asking what I was doing so I began sharing with them and connecting with others
in online forums. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">So, what lead me to Paleo? Well, our
middle son was preparing for wrestling season and knowing that he wanted to
wrestle at a lower weight and we probably couldn’t stop him, my husband asked
if I could put together an appropriate diet for him. We first tried the slow
carb diet but it wasn’t working as a wrestler’s diet. A couple people on Tim’s
forum suggested <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Paleo for Athletes</i> by
Loren Cordain. I read the book, listened to every Paleo podcast I could find,
and put together a plan. With a lot of trial and error and keeping the once a
week cheat day, we made it work. He made weight while eating all he wanted,
stayed hydrated, and was strong and powerful as ever. He also stayed healthier
than any season prior to this one. At just about every match we went to, people
asked what the heck I was feeding him. He ended up the regional champ. Of
course, it wasn’t just the diet, my son had the heart and determination to
stick to the diet and to win his matches! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">My youngest son, listening in to some
of the podcasts, and also wrestling, asked if he could do the diet too. We said
yes, but told him he didn’t have to (he was 13 at the time). This was his first
real season (after a not so great try when he was much younger) and he won 3<sup>rd</sup>
in our district! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">Not long after the whole family (at
home) began eating (mostly)Paleo, my husband and I started noticing significant
improvements in our boys’ moods, skin, body composition, attention, and much
more. My youngest son had has most successful school year ever and adults close
to him took notice. Besides all the benefits I mentioned a few paragraphs
earlier, after removing the legumes and once a week cheats with gluten, my
Raynaud’s Syndrome & digestive issues finally went completely away. My
husband has also greatly improved his body composition and overall health.
These positive changes have really motivated us to stick with a Paleo framework
as a lifestyle. We are not perfectly Paleo all the time and we got a little off
track this summer, but the consequences of those choices has made us that much
more resolved to get back and stay on track.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">My oldest son was in college when we
started Paleo and isn’t totally convinced yet but is slowly incorporating what
makes sense to him. Actually, my middle son is away at college now too.
Choosing to stay Paleo is now completely up to him. It will be a challenge in
the college dining halls but he knows what to do and I’m confident he will make
the best of it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">I firmly believe that although my
family was not eating much junk food before, we were eating too many grains
& soy, too much sugar, not enough animal protein, and definitely not enough
healthy fats. I’m very concerned about the typical standard American diet and
how it is affecting the well being of our children. Interestingly, although my
body composition improved through all this (and I am happy about that), the
biggest reward for me was what happened on the inside-my overall health and
well-being. I also changed how I look at and accept my own body. I no longer
feel the need to attain that (perception of the) perfect body (which was
previously an obsession). I feel confident, strong, passionate and so much more.
What I do with my body and mind (not how I look) is what truly matters. This
transformation has inspired me to go back to school to study nutritional
therapy. I really hope to inspire others and make an impact like all those that
have inspired me down this path.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">I have a lot of people to thank,
chiefly my very supportive husband, Tony. My kids have been awesome too, even
though they like to poke fun at me about my “passion”. Parenting has been
harder than any job I ever had-my three spirited boys have taught me a lot
about thinking outside-the-box, patience, tolerance, acceptance, &
resiliency. [And karma-oh those past judgments!] They have a lot to do with who
I am now. I also have my parents to thank, they have been my cheerleaders since
birth, always encouraging me to follow my passions and to stand up for what I
believe in! I was also lucky to get my genes from them and to grow up eating
mostly homemade meals that included things that were good for me, but I didn’t
necessarily like-such as liver! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">I really want to thank all the people
I’ve connected with through social media too, people like Tim Ferris, Jimmy
Moore, Robb Wolf, Diane Sanfilippo, Liz Wolfe, </span><span style="font-family: Chalkboard; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Angelo Coppola, Beverly
Meyer, Ann Childers, Ute Mitchell, Jen Cereghino, the Paleo Parents, and
Sarah-The Paleo Mom</span><span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">. Actually, the
list of all the people that inspired me (including the food bloggers!) goes on
and on so I’ll have to save that for another post or this one will never end!
Last but not least are my friends, including those I met online in Facebook
groups (Cireena & RF). Thank you-I hope you all know who you are!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">Thanks for reading!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Chalkboard;">-Holly</span><br />
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Pdxhollymhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12904152291432369812noreply@blogger.com0