Anyone up for a challenge??

Welcome to the 60 Day Paleo Nutrition Challenge!!

Certain food groups like grains, dairy, sugar and legumes are probably having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it…..

 Is your energy level consistently low or non-existent?
 Do you have unexplained stiffness, pain or soreness in your muscles and joints?
 Are you training hard but still struggling to losing weight
 Are you pretty lean but still have a little extra jiggle in certain areas?
 Do you have a condition such as eczema, digestive upset or allergies that medication hasn’t helped?

These are a few of the symptoms that may be directly related to the foods you eat. Even the so-called “healthy” stuff might actually be causing you harm.

So how do you know if these foods are affecting your body in a negative way?

Eliminate them completely.

Cut out all the inflammatory, insulin-spiking, calorie-dense, nutritionally void food groups for a full 60 days and let your body heal, recover and reset from the negative reactions those foods may be provoking in the body.

What, exactly, does that mean?

Strict, 100% compliance with the diet and 10 Commandments for 60 days.

By committing yourself to this challenge you’ve made a huge step towards increased energy & performance and decreased inflammation & body fat. You will be amazed at the changes that will take place over the next 60 days. Committing to this challenge 100% will radically change the way you view food and your relationship with it. You will be supported in many different ways through the process to ensure your success. I will post helpful information and recipes here on the blog regularly, so follow along!

Challenge begins Monday July 26th and ends Thursday Sept 23rd!!
Leave a comment or send me an e-mail @ jennbodyfit@live.com to get started!!

Here is a bit of info on the Paleo principle.....

More info.....

• Eat like the cavepeople did, we are genetically built to eat the way they did
• Choose QUALITY FOOD over QUANTITY of food
• Eat lean meat, lots of veggies, some fruit and heart healthy fats at EVERY meal
• Exercise daily and get ample quality sleep

About Insulin...
For optimum health Insulin must be balanced in the body!

**The following conditions are all related to elevated levels of insulin in the body which results in insulin resistance. “When people become insulin-resistant, the pancreas must secrete more insulin than normal to clear sugar from the bloodstream. This creates a state in which the blood insulin level is elevated all the time.” -Dr.Loren Cordain, The Paleo Diet

Syndrome X are the diseases that come as a result of Insulin resistance.
There are 4 major types:

• Type II Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Heart Disease
• Dyslipidemia (low HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, & small dense LDL cholesterol)

There are many other Auto Immune Diseases linked to Insulin resistance.
Here are just a few:

• Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Acne
• Depression
• Alzheimer’s
• Cancer
• Parkinson’s
• Uterine Fibroids
• Gout
• Obesity
• Blood Clotting Abnormalities
• Lupus
• Multiple sclerosis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• High insulin impacts women’s fertility

Gluten
Gluten from most grains and flours irritate the lining of our gut. Ever wonder why there have been so many people lately dicovering they are gluten intolerant or have IBS??? Most likely because our culture has been taught to overconsume gluten laiden grains that our bodies don't know how to digest. Just a little gluten can leave the stomach lining irritated and inflamed for up to 2 weeks!
 
Inflammation
Inflamation causes joint stiffness and is the root of all the other Syndrome X dieaseses.
An overabundance of Omega 6 and elevated insulin create inflammation in the body resulting in disease.
Balanced Omega 3's & 6's and stable insulin have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, resulting in improved energy, performance and sleep quality and reduces the chance of Syndrome X disease in the body.
Our diets are often in excess of Omega 6's found in soybean, safflower and sesame oils.
Often we are in a defict when it comes to the friendly inflammation fighting Omega 3's. The 3's can be found in cold water fish, flax seed and grass-fed chicken eggs :)

The best source is found in a high quality fish oil such as Ascenta Nutra Sea.

Ratios
For general health & maintainance you should consume 0.5 grams of Fish oil/10lbs of body weight.
So, if you weigh 140lbs ~ 140 / 10 = 14 x 0.5 = 7 grams of fish oil

For weight loss, take 1 gram of Fish oil/10 lbs of body weight.
So, if you weight 140lbs~ 140 / 10 = 14 x 1 = 14 grams of fish oil

Fish oil comes in many forms flavored oil to capsules. Take whichever one works for you, just make sure it is a high quality and is taken with a meal.

Portion Sizes

• Lean meat portion at every meal should be the size of your palm (4-6oz)
• If weight loss is a goal keep nut and seed consumption to no more than 4 oz/day
• Similarly for oils (not including your fish oil) should be kept to 4 Tbsp or less/day. This includes Avocadoes. 1/2 a smallish Avocado is about 4 Tbsp.
• Eat lots of vegetables 1/2 to 1/4 pound per meal
• Eat a little less fruit than veggies. Fruit and a little yam consumption is great after your workout.
• When hungry or in doubt, start with a high protein, low fat food. Remember, lean protein is very effective in reducing appetite and getting your "fat furnace" (AKA your metabolism) blazing!!

Check the following posts for detailed info about what to eat
Paleo "YAY FOODS" & Paleo "NAY FOODS"

The guidelines of this challenge are based on my personal experience, the experiences of thousands of others and credible research. Take a look at some of the "Sweet Links" posted for more info.
If you have existing health concerns please consult your Dr. before taking on this challenge.