24Feb

The Beginning is the Biggest Step

Posted by: Elissa Garr Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts Health Inspiration Living
1 Comment

In the beginning I was just a sad lump of statistics: 5’2, 3 daily medications, knocking on the door of 200lbs at 191lbs.  Let me be clear:

Paleo Belle

I DID NOT GET THIS WAY EATING TWINKIES AND SITTING ON THE COUCH.

I thought I knew what good nutrition was; I worked out, counted calories, and never snacked.  In the summer of 2012 I started a personal voyage to get into shape.  For 2 months I worked out 3-5 times a week and ate 1200-1400 calories a day.  I tracked everything.  Nothing worked. I thought long gone were the days of weighing 130 and being fit.

In late August 2012 my husband and I decided to try and start a family.  I was on a sleep narcotic for 6 years, blood pressure medicine (2 years), and stomach medicine (2 years).  I knew that if I wanted to create a healthy human being I would have to become healthy myself.

 

I called my doctor’s office to schedule a visit to change my medicine. Fortunately my doctor couldn’t squeeze me in for a few weeks and felt it was important for me to be seen immediately.  He passed the paper chart that defined ‘me’ around the practice to see if anyone would be willing to pick me up.

DIVINE INTERVENTION

This is the point where my life took a 180.  As my chart was passed around that office is came across Dr. Scott Kempton.  He saw the paper version of me:

27, 5’2, 191lbs, bp medication, stomach medication, sleep narcotic, wanted to start having babies.

Dr. Kempton blocked out 30 minutes of his last shift on a Friday to talk to me.

As I walked into the office of that blessed Friday I did not expect to find the angel that would save my life.  Dr. Kempton walked into the waiting room he informed me he was going to change everything I believed about nutrition and health.

He was right.   sickandtired

With conviction and passion Dr. Kempton explained to me the ideal ancestral life plan called Paleo.  A practice he had been diligently following for decades. Sitting there I learned about the dangers of gluten, grain, dairy, sugars, and processed food.  He also convinced me that I was suffering from metabolic syndrome; essentially my body was shutting down and packing on any gluten and non food items as fat.  He also gave me homework and answered all my questions. The puzzle of why I couldn’t loose weight was solved.  But would it fixed all the other issues; high blood pressure, acid reflux, indigestion, and insomnia?

I left that office feeling refreshed and hopeful.  I immediately went to the store and bought all the essentials to start my journey.  When I got home my excitement and uncontainable, my husband was blown away by my enthusiasm.  I also think he was very overwhelmed.  The truth was:

I WAS SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED

I got rid of all the gluten, legumes, grains, sugars, dairy, and processed food.  Within a couple days I was off my stomach medicine and sleeping like a baby. I was motivated to press on despite the ravaging cravings.

Within a week I was down 9lbs of water weight, my eyes were bright blue, lips were luscious red, my skin was soft and glowing.

In a month and a half I was down 15lbs, off all my medications, high energy, positive attitude, and my mind was clearer than it had ever been.  My life had been turned around and people were noticing my miraculous transformation. At 2 months I had been interviewed and been given the cover AND centerfold of the local magazine.

Dr. Kempton and Paleo saved my life.  I have been Paleo for 6 months. have not touched gluten for 5 months (and do not plan to touch it again), I am down 40lbs and I feel AMAZING!

My passion is to spread the word in the most positive and upbeat way possible.  Taking the first step is the hardest but I recommend JUMPING end.  In this case the grass is greener.  Leap in, there are a plethora of people and resources out there to help you get your own start.

Get your life back, find your passion, become healthy, LIVE!

Imagine what Paleo can do for you!paleobelle2

 

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5Sep

10 steps to a healthier you

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts
2 Comments

Social media has been an amazing addition to our lives; we are connecting with old friends we lost touch with, seeing current events unfold in real time and connecting with various information sources that can often times be a bit overwhelming.  So if you’re searching for some help to make some small lifestyle changes without feeling overwhelmed by the mass amounts of information online, I’ve put together some quick tips for you. These small changes will make a big impact on your health!

Here are some quick steps to help make a fresh start; you can apply these at any time and don’t need to coordinate with a challenge, or lifestyle/special diet change. These will simply help you achieve a healthier approach to food choices, and to get on track for a healthier you. 

1. Commit these to memory and live them daily: 

  • Eat whole, unprocessed foods
  • Eat a colorful variety of plants
  • Get healthy fats from sources like nuts, seeds and avocados
  • Choose nutrient dense foods

2. Add a big, colorful salad to your lunch and dinner – starting with a salad ensures you’re eating your greens, and prevents eating too many carbs or other nutrient-lacking foods.

3. Stock a healthy pantry – think non GM foods, gluten-free (but not sugary type replacement foods) and avoid processed foods as much as possible.

4. Choose lean, grass-fed protein sources when possible

5. Adapt your plate to focus on veggies first, then protein, with nuts & seeds as highlights for flavor.

6. Get healthy fats from whole foods – think nuts, seeds and avocados

7. Choose while grains over refined (if you’re still eating grains)

8. Avoid processed & refined sweeteners – think of fresh, frozen and dried fruits to sweeten meals instead.

9. Add nutrient dense oils to your routine – think Coconut and Olive Oil instead of vegetable, cottonseed or corn based oils.

10. Remember GIGO:  garbage in = garbage out. You are what you eat, so make sure you’re eating nutrient dense, whole foods whenever possible!

 

 

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6Aug

Exercise more, eat less, Paleo diets… who has it right?

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts Paleo
4 Comments

Jane Fonda vs Jack Lelane, Vegans vs High Protein diets, Paleo vs Southbeach – who had it right?

Both? Niether? Perhaps they were each onto something, but as the debates rage on as to whether the old adage about exercising to burn more calories than you intake is really the key to weight loss, and more people turn to Primal and Paleo ways of life, we can’t help but wonder… who really has it figured out? 

We follow many authors and experts; from Western MDs with a more Eastern point of view, Nutritionists, Personal Trainers and average folks who have transformed their bodies, it seems they all have a personal plan which they swear by. If you’re into Crossfit you probably follow the Paleo way of life. For those looking for a bit more flexibility, it’s common to turn to the Primal Blueprint diet by Mark Sisson. 

 A group of ND’s and Eastern medicine/personal training enthusiasts we follow as well are the Metabolic Effect guys. They have a very active Facebook page which you can view here, and they tend to promote a balanced way of life consisting of rapid, intense workouts which spark the “Metabollic Effect” or EPOC after-burn.  They tend to believe that you will gravitate towards the eating plan which best suits your metabolic make-up, and not necessarily to prescribe to any one particular dieting plan. 

One thing I definitely agree with them on is their belief that exercising more does not equal weight loss. Sorry Jane Fonda!  There are too many studies to support that it’s not a simple equation of calories in vs. calories burned.  Old school aerobic exercise burns some fat, but also strips the body of metabolically active muscle. Recent studies as well as a recent report in Time Magazine have shown convincingly that aerobic centered exercise provides little advantage in creating real body change.  According to Metabolic Effect, “the longer more traditional forms of exercise, like running or jogging, burn calories during exercise, but can negatively impact key hormones responsible for calorie use at rest. Smart exercise uses short, focused bouts of exercise focused on weight training and intervals to “turn on” fat burning hormones. Research shows these techniques increase fat usage for hours and even days after the activity has stopped and outperform “aerobic zone” exercises like running.”

That’s good news for those of us with little time on our hands! 

But perhaps you’re still not sure which group to believe? Overwhelmed by all the “experts” touting the advantages of their exercise methods, diet plans, etc? Here are a few articles which may help you shed some light on this ever-evolving approach to health, wellness and weight loss/management…

 

“Weight of the Nation”

This past May, HBO premiered a four-part documentary series called, “Weight of the Nation,” which it produced in collaboration with the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition to the films, Weight of the Nation encompasses an entire branded campaign replete with a book – called “The Weight of the Nation.” The aim of the entire campaign? To take an “unflinching look at the severity of the [obesity] crisis and its crippling effects on our health care system.” HBO has provided free online access to the entire documentary, as well as topic-specific segments, action steps, discussion guides, and other materials, available here.

 

Lack of exercise is not a key factor in obesity, study suggests

Lack of physical activity is not likely to be a key factor in Western obesity rates, according to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, which suggests that over-consumption of calories is the biggest culprit. http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/Lack-of-exercise-is-not-a-key-factor-in-obesity-study-suggests

 

 

I hope these help you on your path to better health and looser fitting clothing! And remember, what works for one, is not necessarily going to work for you. We are certainly not a ‘one size fits all’ species, and I would argue that simply taking a step in the right direction – cutting down on sugar intake, decreasing starchy carbs, increasing fruit and veggies, and getting moving more than you are now. These are all heart-healthy measures that will help you feel better, if not shed some extra pounds and increase your sense of personal happiness. And confidence and happiness go a long way towards the journey to a healthier body, mind and spirit!

 

 

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