No Complaining. Start Plantaining!

Fried Plantains 

Just look at 'em. That's right. Go ahead and stare. Is that a banana on your plate or are you just happy to see me?

If you said "yes" (about the banana part), you'd be right! It's a plantain, a fruit in the same botanical family as the banana. And, bananas are paleo friendly! PALEO TIP: try to not go bana..err..crazy on bananas or plantains...they are higher in carbs and can easily offset the 30-30-40 protein-fat-carb balance.

Sometimes, just when you think you'll spend the rest of your paleo life eating sweet potatoes (not a bad life), carrots, and all that other seemingly redundant stuff, God, and Kroger, put this natural wonder right on the shelf for ya. The only reason you probably pass them by is because you have no idea what to do with them.

I think most North Americans take plantains for granted; yet, they're very inexpensive, simple to make, and substitute well for that starch fetish you have. Just more case in point proof that we are idiots.

Fun Facts:
Plantains are lower in sugar than bananas, high in fiber (low glycemic load, which is good), and remain a great source for paleo-friendly carbohydrates.

Plantains are versatile. You can cook them when they are green (starchier like a potato), dark yellow (sweeter like a banana), or somewhere in between (starchy and sweet like a ponana). I just made that word up. Feeling pretty good about myself at the moment :-)

You can boil them, fry them, sautee them, bake them, whatever. But since I'm a paleo guy and can eat a higher healthy fat ratio, I'm going a'fryin' in my olive oil.

Here's How: 
- Heat skillet over medium heat with enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Slice a plantain into 1/4 inch thick slices.
- Place each plantain slice into pan, let sear to a med caramel brown.
- With tongs, flip each plantain, repeat the caramlization
- Place each slice on a dry paper towel
- while still hot, take a heavy object with a solid bottom  and smash the plantain down into a disc shape (I use a mortar and pestle)
- brush with fresh chopped garlic and a pinch of sea salt

Sweet, Sweet Potato Success

Laaaadies and gentlemen! Preee-sen-ting...

The secret to your paleo-success. 

Your go-to-tuber.

The food that roots for you! 

The Sweet Potato! 

(btw, if you didn't read this in a cheesy announcer voice, please go back for a re-do).

That's right. You can eat them and you should. Besides the fact that they are full of fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene, and carry a low glycemic load, they just taste great and are simple to make. 

And, believe it or not, they can be made and enjoyed without marshmallows. 

I didn't know this until a few years ago. To this day, I only ever see my Mom make them in a thick syrup topped with marshmallows. Sorry Momma. There are better ways. 

I'm going to give you tips on a simple method to get them into your everyday life without hassle. 

Step 1. Bigger is not better. Find managably sized sweet potatoes. Those huge boys are fun to look at, maybe even fun to hold in your hand for a bit too, but truthfully, they are too much trouble to work with.

Step 2. Blanching! This is the step that will change your world. To blanch your vegetables, place them in boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute, remove, and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. It will drastically decrease your cooking time and create both the taste and texture you want (cooked in middle, crispy on outside). Just cut up your sweet potato into cubes, blanch, and prepare for step 3.

Cheater Step 2. You can cheat and skip the boiling water if you are in a hurry. Cut up the spud, put in a bowl, and nuke 'em for 1 minute. It'll be fine.

Step 3. Heat a pan generously laced with some good oil (olive, avocado, or macadamia) over med heat. Once oil is hot, add potatoes, let sear for a couple minutes, toss repeatedly, then cover and toss again every 3-4 minutes until done to the consistency you like.

Cheater step 3. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and place a foil lined baking sheet in oven. Put sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss in olive oil. Spread on hot baking sheet and roast in oven for 20 minutes or so. 

Step 4. Season. I like a touch of sea salt and cinnamon. Sometimes some chipotle chili powder. I've heard ginger and cinnamon is good too.  You can also add onions and peppers to the mix while pan frying and make sweet potato hash. Whateva! These studly spudlies go with any meal of the day.




p.s. Don't ever, ever, ever buy a "pre-wrapped" sweet potato. Any sweet potato can be put in the microwave for 4-5 minutes and turn out just like a great baked potato.

Fried, Crispy, Good, and Paleo!

I get razzed sometimes for trying too hard. That's ok. I don't see it that way. I call it commitment. 

I don't think it's that big of a deal to do something 100%. Yoda would agree with me: "there is no 'try.'" 

Think of it this way. There's nothing like saying: "I'm going to try something with 85% commitment."

I wouldn't date you. You're a cheater. 

And, there are reasons you should commit. If you don't, you'll never stop looking. Temptation is everywhere.  

Believe me, once you cross that 14 day hump, life looks a whooooole lot different. (14 days is the approximate time for your body to fully adjust to using ketones as your fuel source rather than glycogen, a far more efficient fat-burning fuel process and the theorized "original human" biological framework.) Having done this successfully, I can tell you, the difference is life changing. 

BUT! 

Just because we are in a deeply committed -  Paleo - relationship doesn't mean we can't flirt. In this case, you can even brag about it. Here's one way you can make your new Paleo ways just as amazing as your old habits:

Paleo Fried Chicken Fingers drizzled with local honey 

Stuff You Need:

1 lb white or dark boneless chicken meat, sliced 

1 cup almond meal* (see where to find, below) 

2 med eggs

1/2 cup water 

favorite seasonings (I used ancho chili powder, dried dill, 

2 tbsp local honey 

inch deep frying pan

thongs 

How to do it:

1. In a bowl, combine eggs and water, whisk. (this is called "egg wash")

2. Place almond meal in separate bowl. 

3. Dip chicken in egg wash

4. Lay chicken slices in almond meal, then season, then toss and coat thoroughly

5. (optional) for best effect, put coated chicken in freezer for 4-5 minutes

6. Heat up pan to slightly less than med. Coat pan with generous serving of olive oil* 

*don't be shy. When you're on paleo, you substitute your carbs and calories with healthy plant-based fat.

7. gently lay each chicken piece in hot oil, WAIT 2-3 minutes (or it'll stick). 

8. After 3 minutes, gently nudge. If it releases, it's ready to turn. If not, wait. Then flip and cook other side.

9. To ensure proper chicken cooking, add a lid to the process, it'll allow for convection cooking (hot air), although the chicken will be a lil' less crispy.

10. rest of paper towel for 3-4 minutes. 

11. drizzle with local honey.

12. Try it, eat it, and tell me what you think!

My Paleo Fried Chicken Fingers...Instagrammed no less!

Make a complete meal out of it by adding

a small sweet potato, some green beans sauteed with garlic, onion, and olive oil, and some avocado slices! 

*Athenians can find Almond Meal for a great price at the Bulk Food Depot - a hidden gem.
www.bulkfoodathens.com ; others may find it at Trader Joes. It's about $3.00/lb 

Why CrossFitters Go Paleo

I'm a CrossFitter. There it is. I admit it. Now the secret is out there.

Am I as good most of those C'f'ers around me? (C'f'er is my own slang, not standard, btw) No way. Do I try? I could do better. Am I an avid CrossFitter? Compared to some: very. Compared to others: not at all. But whatever. Like with all things in life, I'm a work in progress. And, that's just the way I like it.

CrossFit is an emerging phenom as far as household names are concerned. On a scale of 1 (which is: wtf?) to 10 (I love that crap and I tell everyone about it!), it is, in my estimation at a national 6 (brief confused look followed by, "Oh yeah! I think I saw those guys doing something like that on ESPN. Man, they're crazy!).


To define but not belabor it, CrossFit is a universally scalable fitness philosophy meant to increase a person's overall athleticism. It's about the whole person who is both a developer of and developed by a CrossFit community (usually their Box - CrossFit lingo for what most people call their "gym" and the people whom they CrossFit with in it).


Greg Glassman started it all and the first affiliate was born just 10 years ago. Now, there are 3,000 affiliates worldwide (like the one Sam, Jolene, and I just opened in Athens, Ohio - CrossFit SEO). Now, Reebok owns a huge piece of the CrossFit brand and it's beginning to emerge as a mainstream trend. This is interesting because CrossFit was started as a counter-culture to all things mainstream. We'll see how this goes.

Now that you've had a little snoozer of a history lesson, I digress to the point of this blog: why the hell do I, as well as many if not most avid CrossFitters, eat like this?

There are 3 main reasons:
1. Overall health
2. Fuel efficiency and overall athletic performance
3. Because we can
4. Because we're awesome
5. Commitment to being beyond mainstream.

I know you automatically look at 3 and 4 and think I have discredited myself immediately. Fair enough; however, I can prove 3 and 4, whereas 1 and 2 and muddied in emerging, yet inclusive science and subjectivity. If you know me, you already know it's true. There's no cure for it.

Let's briefly explore. Here, take my hand.


1. Overall health.
- If you've read my other blog about how Paleo = Possibilities (get it? Paleobilities? It's a portmanteau of the two words "Paleolithic" and Possibilities.....Okay, maybe you didn't really need that explanation. Maybe I just wanted to use the word "portmanteau" which is a combination of the words "I-have-no-f'ing-clue-what-this-words-means") Wow, long aside. Let's go back.
If you've read my other blog about how Paleo=Possiblities, then you'll see that people living a committed Paleo lifestyle are experiencing true health benefits, including lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, lower triglycerides, body fat, etc. I am one of those people. So are the other people I know who do this and get their blood drawn


2. CrossFit can make you burn through your body's energy and reach fatigue very quickly. On some of our crazier days (meant for the avid C'fers, we can do as many as 100 pull-ups, 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, and 250 squats in around 20 minutes. Meanwhile, that dude at the gym is still staring at himself in the mirror after doing 10 bicep vanity curls. We need energy and we need our body's to perform aerobically as much as possible. A fully committed Paleo diet offers your body this option by using ketones and fat as fuel rather than glycogen stores from the liver and muscles.


Personally, I feel a huge difference. And, let me tell you, when you're busting your ass in a WOD (workout-of-the-day), you don't have the ability to make up a placebo effect. You're either physically better or not.


3. CrossFit people become disciples of their own personal discipline. They are not addicted to looking a certain way or closing themselves off to others (think of the territorial gal at the local gym and "her treadmill" or the guy who lays his sweat rag on a bench like he's pissing on his tree). CrossFit folks are, instead, addicted to accomplishment and results. These vary by person. But, with a combination of good nutrition and good functional fitness, it's PROVEN.


4. We're awesome. (<--- notice the period)


5. It is not yet mainstream to consider grass-fed, uncured, and naturally raised animal products. Very few people, including myself buy the majority of their meat from local grass-fed producers; however, in the CrossFit community, as true to form as its counter-culture revolution, people challenge themselves so much that they readily know that if you put shit in, you get shit out.

GRASS-FED SIDE NOTE:  Make sure to ask your local farmer's market grass-fed meat hocker if their grass-fed beef is "grass" or "corn" finished. I'm finding more often than not that grass-fed beef is usually corn finished, with a few exceptions. If they say "I don't know" (which has happened to me), say thank-you and keep moving. They are numbskulls.

Also, watch out for "vegetarian-fed" beef. It's a marketing gimmick to trick you into thinking that you are eating a healthier meat. Think about it, when's the last time you bought "beef-fed-beef?" If you see a cow grilling a burger, please call me. Otherwise, don't be a numbskull.

Paleo Beginnings: Turning Breakfast Into BreakFEST!

Right now I'm on an airplane and I'm drinking; It's the perfect time to blog. I have nothing else to do right now but to think of random shit and occupy my time by dreaming up ways to waste yours.

This blog idea has been rattling around in my head for a while now and is inspired by my good friend, Bethany. She repeatedly shares a very common and understandable sentiment: "I could get started on Paleo if only I new how to start my day on it."

Let's face it. B-fast is essential. It's everything. For most people, it involves a routine that is is simple enough for just your medulla oblongata to accomplish without requiring the rest of your brain to function without the help from of caffeine.

On the other hand, if you don't eat breakfast, you're an idiot. There, I said it. And, I mean it:  you're just insanely stupid.

You're probably not very healthy either. Just saying. Sorry (ok, so I'm not sorry). I can pick out people who don't eat breakfast by the yellowish tint to their skin and their dulled irises and not-so-whites of their eyes. You're like discolored wallpaper in a smoker's house and you don't even realize is discolored anymore because it's what you're used to looking at (sorry, Mom. It's true. I still love your cookies though.).

However, for your muy intelligente breakfast-eaters, like with Bethany, you're long-standing desire to commit to Paleo can also be thwarted by not having a solid understanding of your options for the beginning of your every day - the foundation. This is totally understandable. The good news is, the beginning of your day can also be the best part of your paleo day. And I'm talking: party on your pallet. Here are some of the things I eat on a regular basis for breakfast. R-E-G-U-L-A-R. This means my Paleo life is regularly awesome.

- Butternut Squash Pancakes and Pure Maple Syrup (are you biting your bottom lip?)
- Chicken, Bacon, and Spinach 4-egg omelet (is that your leg shaking? Can't you sit still?)
- Coffee with coconut milk and a dash of cinnamon? (closer..just a little ... uh ...more)
- Sweet Potato Hash with Smoked Turkey, Spinach-Mushroom Frittata (...You better stop that or you'll go blind..or you'll at least keep going until you have to wear glasses).

This is just a tip of the iceberg of combinations. I think they are all fairly self explanatory and if you don't like one thing, simply swap it out for something different or better. Just  remember to use olive oil as your oil of choice.

However, the pancakes might leave you wondering, so here, I'll give you the recipe.



Butternut Squash Paleo Pancakes
1 1/2 cups almond meal (you can buy at Trader Joes or local hippy food store - like in Athens, the Bulk Food Depot)
1 1/2 cups pureed butternut squash (I make from fresh roasted that I buy from farmer's market; however you can use any squash or canned pumpkin)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 2 eggs with yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh preferred)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 dash of sea salt

Oil pan with coconut or olive oil on med-low heat.
Drop in a couple spoonfuls of the goodness, cover pan with lid, and flip after 2-3 minutes, then let go for another 2-3 minutes. Rinse, repeat, add pure, local maple syrup, and call me and thank me.



Sweet Potato and Smoked Turkey, Spinach Mushroom Fritata 
4 eggs with all yolks or you make the call 1 handful of fresh baby spinach
3-4 ozs of smoked turkey (I smoke my own, but you can buy deli sliced - i recommend Wild Boar Natural if you go this route -- or just turkey or other meat will do)
3 fresh sliced mushrooms (cremini, portabello, white button, shitake, whatev)
1/2 medium sweet onion
1 med. sweet potato, diced
sea salt
pepper
olive oil

First, the potatoes: - blanch sweet potato pieces by heating a pan with water; bring to rolling boil. Add potatoes for 1 minute; remove from water, rinse with cold water. - toss sweet potatoes in olive oil and 1/4 of diced onion, sea salt - line baking sheet with alum foil, place in oven and preheat to 375. - Once pre-heated, remove pan, roll out potatoes and onion mix onto pan and spread evenly. - Roast 20 mins or until brown Second - the glorified omelet - heat skillet on med - low heat with olive oil, remainder of onion, and sea salt     (note, heating ingredients from cold skillet with salt will effectively sweat the onions) - once hot, toss in smoked turkey, mushrooms, and spinach. heat until warm and soft - beat eggs separately with black pepper and tbsp of oil, add to vegetables - feel free to add other Paleo approved goodies (broccoli, asparagus, etc.) - fold mixture in half after 3 minutes - flip - serve with roasted potatoes

 There are many, many more where these few came from. Want other recipe ideas, send me an e-mail. Have others? Share them here.

Paleo = Possibilities

So, it's lunchtime here and I just ate my Meatza (pronounced "Meat-Za," for those of you who can't believe what you are reading) leftovers from last night. I had to force myself to leave leftovers. Meatza is damn delish. Don't judge. Try it, then judge. I didn't create the Meatza; I didn't perfect it. I just made it, ate it, and loved it.

In fact, the first time I tried it, I was with Sam. It was a "guys' night" that was masterfully dulled to a perfect firepit, NorCal margaritas (more on those later), cigars from Easton, and Meatza.

Sam and I do this whole Paleo thing because about the only other thing we do is CrossFit. And, CrossFit makes you hungry because your body starts eating itself. That, and the Paleo diet really does help you use your body's energy more efficiently (i.e. less tired all the time, whiter eyes, better looking...you know).

There are no gender barriers for a meatza. It is meant for both man and woman...and anyone who might identify as either or both.

What is the Meatza? Well, I'll tell you. But first, let me dismantle your head a bit because I already know you're a judger. You judge most everything. For example, the word "crust" when used with the association of bread = good, yummy, and something you'll sell a bit of your soul for. However, when used by itself or in most any other combination, it somehow becomes associated with underwear. Humor me and don't think about my underwear. And, don't judge my crust.

A Meatza (n.) is a pizza with a meat crust (you figured by now...I hope). That's right, folks. A MEAT CRUST. Don't turn your nose. Don't gafaw. I've seen it all before. It's thin. It's not greasy; and, after you try it, you wonder "where in the hell has this been my whole life?" If Papa Johns really wanted to finally put the nail in Domino's coffin, they outta introduce the Papa Meatza. It's just a matter of time.


Behold! My Meatza.

And this, my friends, is what makes the Paleo diet so supremely amazing. For the few things one sacrifices, he or she gets a whole new world of tremendous in return.

It's a pretty simple make. And don't take this recipe as the end-all-be-all. Be creative and substitue whatever you want. In fact, for God's sake, pretend you have an imagination. For this one I used:

Crust (not underwear)
1 lb locally raised grass-fed beef
1 lb locally raised pork sausage
1 locally raised egg
2 cloves minced garlic (yep, got at farmer's market)
Italian seasoning
tblsp yellow mustard

Toppings (still not underwear):
1 small can of tomato sauce I mixed with fresh garlic, pepper, italian seasoning
1 portabello 'shroom cap
1/2 red pepper (farmer's market)
1 handful fresh spinach
1 tomatillo

How To:
Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix crust ingredients and place in oiled glass baking dish. I don't know sizes, just use one that looks like the size and thickness crust you'd want. Bake crust in oven for 15 minutes. Drain fat. Wipe off excess (fatty fat fat) using paper towel. Add toppings. Place back in oven for 8-10 minutes. Then finish under broiler.

Wipe your chin off and go make one.

A Guide To Start Your Paleo Life

This doesn't have to be difficult. Get over yourself, and get over your whiny little addiction to bread. You'll thank me and everyone else in the Paleo community later. I'm not talking a year later. I'm talking about 14 days or so. That's all. You'll see what I mean. And, it only gets better over time.

The Paleo lifestyle is simple and there are a few different philosophies that range based on your athleticism. I'm going to summarize them here. If I'm wrong, feel free to call me out, but please back it with references (not 'cause I'm being an ass, but because I want to learn). 

Here are the fundamentals (drastically summarized and drawn from The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf). It's a great book; however, most people I know get a little bored or lost when he geeks out with the scientific sections. I understand, although I appreciate the scientific backing. 

The Point: 

• The way we eat now is hurting us, causing disease, obesity, etc. through a variety of inflammatory responses in our blood, organs, and body. 
• Humans didn't eat like we do now until after the agricultural revolution. On the football field of life, this  represents only the last 2.5 yards
• The diet eliminates foods that "were not designed to be eaten" and elicit low to moderate levels of inflammatory toxins. Example, blueberrys = meant to be eaten (you get nutrition, it gets reproduction after you poop its seeds out in the woods); wheat germ = dies inside you when you eat it, fights you with inflammatory toxins
• The way we use energy in our modern diet is far different from those of our paleolithic ancestors: glycogen (now) vs. ketones (paleo). A full sustained paleo diet allows your body to perform more efficiently so it may sustain longer periods of physical activity through preventing your body from going into anerobic exercise. (See My Experiment) 
• Inflammatory responses trigger other responses (i.e. cholesterol storage, fat storage, free radical invasion, unhealthy mitochondria (the nuclear power plants of your cells) and unhealthy cell reproduction
• Nutritionists don't usually advocate for this diet. Why? They generally receive their certification to offer advice and counseling from the FDA model which uses grains as the very basis of the food pyramid. Why would the FDA do such a thing? Umm...well, money. How much money in subsidies does our government pump into corn, wheat, etc? Yep.
• Grass-fed meats are the aspiration. If the cow eats corn and you eat the cow, you eat the corn.       
•  Soapbox Sidenote: Cows are not meant to eat corn. They are fed antibiotics to keep them alive from all the diseases they get after their bodies start shutting down from eating something their rumen (stomachs/bacteria/system) cannot and were not made to digest. Corn makes cows big. That's why we feed them corn.
• Know any other species of animal that is over-medicated because of poor diet?

The Myths (de-mythed):

• MYTH: This is about cavemen (or cave women). FALSE! It's about the healthy 6 foot tall, largely disease-free Paleolithic ancestors who were doing well into they discovered how to harvest grains, corn, etc. 
• MYTH: You eat just meat and fats. FALSE!  In fact, I eat more vegetables now than I ever have in my life
• MYTH: It's not sustainable because you sacrifice too much good stuff. BULLSHIT! You will discover more amazing foods and combinations that you have ever imagined past your normal meat and potatoes, spaghetti, pizza, or whatever the hell you are eating now. 
• MYTH: It's expensive. HELL NO. It's not. With a little practice and a plan, you can and will actually lower your grocery bill. This blog will, in part, tell you how. I'm a mad genius like that.

What Not To Eat:

• Grains (Soy, Wheat, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, etc.) 
• Legumes (peanuts, peas, some say cashews, soybeans, beans, i.e. lentils, chickpeas, pintos, black, red, navy you name it)  
• Milk, Cheese, butter
• Heavy starches (potatoes, red skin potatoes)
• Processed foods, heavy salt
• Vegetable oil (made from soybeans)
• Canola Oil (made from cans and olas)

What To Eat: 

There are over 8000 meal combinations you can partake in. This list is by no means comprehensive. 

• Lean, Grass-Fed Meats. If the cow you're eating ate corn as its primary diet source, then so are you.
• Vegetables: (carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, etc.)
• try to limit sweet potatoes to work out days or early mornings
• try to limit higher glycemic vegetables (if fat loss is your goal), i.e. turnips, parsnips, beets
• Fruits:
• ranked in order of preference: 1. berries 2. apples 3. melon 4. bananas and peaches 5. sugar citrus (oranges - lemons and limes are A-OK)
• Non-Animal fats: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, avacados
• Oils: (also a non-animal fat): olive oil, sunflower oils (great to cook with)

YOU MUST USE YOUR NOGGIN 

The Paleo diet is not a strict format; it's a philosophy. You have to think about what you eat and WHY.
Most people have no idea what they eat. For example.

• Soy sauce is something you can't have. Why? Made of soy, also contains wheat. What, wheat? Yep. Wheat. Don't eat it.
• Hummus is made of chick peas. Chick peas are legumes (beans). So, no hummus. 
• Most store bought seasonings contain wheat or soy ingredients and therefore contain gluten. Read the labels. 
• Wanna thicken that soup with corn strach? Don't even try it. Not paleo friendly.
• Kevin, what about onions? They aren't on your list. Answer: Derrrr...My list wasn't comprehensive. Onions are vegetables. Eat them. Use your noggin.
• Don't cheat. Unless you are doing some intense atheletic training, you can't really cheat. If you do intense training, you can take down a protein shake, a glass of milk, some chocolate, or virtually whatever your conscience will allow within a half hour of your intense exercise. Why? Your body moves the sugars differently during that time period. Otherwise, stick to the plan. After 14 days, it gets easy.

Major Barriers:

There are some big barriers one must overcome; I did too.

1. The initial sacrfice: parting with foods you love. This is more difficult for some than others. Make a choice and commit.

2. Withdrawal. Some of you sugar addicts will realize very quickly how relative sugar is to heroine. This goes away within a few days. Drink water, tea, something. Don't drink artificial sweetners as they just trick your brain and you really never overcome the addiction.

3. Weird feeling. I have to admit, the first few days no one feels too great. Your body is converting itself; there will be some changing happening. Embrace them. In 10-14 days time you will be reborn. (I've known a lot of people now to experience exactly what I mean. In fact, I haven't met someone who hasn't)

4. Stocking your food stores. This one was tough and it takes some practice. You either didn't buy the right thing or not enough of the right thing. Meal planning takes a little time to master. But, soon enough, it's a way of life.

My Experiment - My Personal Proof 

So, if you've read my first post, I started this whole thing because I wanted to see if the hype was true.
Well, it is. In fact, within the past two weeks, I just learned and did two interesting things.

1. I ran a marathon (26.2) in under four hours with no real training. One day I went out and ran 20 miles to see if I could, and it was easy. I never got brain drain or too tired. Besides my usual CrossFitting, this was pretty much the extent of it.

2. Just got my blood tested. The results, the lowest cholesterol and best blood balance I've ever had in my life (High HDLs = Good, High LDLs = Bad). You can see for yourself below.

Total Cholesterol: 131
HDL: 78
LDL: 39
Triglycerides: 72
Glucose: 83

Not bad for 150 eggs every month ;-)


This is a Paleo Friendly Salad from Chipotle. It has romaine lettuce, fajita vegetables, double meat (chicken and steak) two salsas, guac, and I doused it with lemon.