Change, Change, Change.......

Good Morning to all!!!

Yes, I am back and I'd like to apologize for my absence. There have been some significate changes in my life!! Not to worry, the changes were all very positive, but very time consuming and at times overhelming!!! Suffice it to say we have all come through it and learning to adjust and compromise.

As you may remember, my life's work(it seems like...) is to teach my teenager that one must view food as "fuel" for our bodies and the higher the quality, the better the "fuel for our bodies. However, this has proven to be a whole lot challenging!! By the way, did I mention that SHE'S A TEENAGER!!!!(AAARRRGGGG!!) OH and not only is she a challenge, but so is my Boyfriend(Tim)!!! Since we all now live under the same roof, they both try to gang up on me to cook "real food!" UH, HELLO PEOPLE....this is real food!!! Well, where there's a will, there's a way, right? Trust me MY will is sooo much more stronger than their's put together!!!

I don't much like being "sneeky", but I haven't much of an alternative. So, I've been developing my own recipes and taking others that I see on the internet and "tweek" them so that they are grain-free!! Some are hit's, others well, not so much. I made "Faux Mash Potatoes" for dinner one evening. Tim knew nothing about "Faux Mash Potatoes", Christina already knew this recipe and loves them! Neither I nor Christina thought anything about the "potatoes" so when Tim tried them, he commented to Christina "These are really good!" Christina said yes they are, but you know they aren't real potatoes. Tim said, oh are they the "boxed" ones? UH NO, said Christina, they are CAULIFLOUR MASHED POTATOES!!!! The look on Tim's face was PRICELESS!!! Since then I've introduced him to different foods. 'I can't say that he's going to convert over the "my side" but that's okay, he travels enough to different countries that even though he may not know it, he is eating healthy!!

I'm sure I've bored you enough for today, however, I would like to invite you to take a peek every once in while as I strive to find Grain-Free and "Healthy Organic Natural Sugar alternatives to everyday foods. I will be posting my recipes and pics.  Hmmmm, I may even post my failed recipes to get creative feedback on how best to fix a fail! Like I said, I'm not an expert and do not pretend to know what the hell I'm doing......It's all trial and error folks!! :o)

 

Stay tuned for my recipe on Grain-Free Red Velvet Cake and Vanilla Cashew Icing!!!! 

"Grok"

I received several request from friends and family to explain the meaning of "Grokerella."  The actual word or name, in this case is  "Grok".  Grok is a fictional character that was made up by Author Mark Sisson of the book "The Primal Blueprint."  Grok is a figurative model for evolutionarily lifestyle behaviors: diet, exercise, sleep, stress, etc.. The "rella" part is a spin off of Cinderella which  she  "evolved" from a simple peseant girl to a beautiful princess.  I too am "evolving" in my daily way of life.  Now, with that said, more about Grok.  Being the typical hunter-gatherer,  he lives the life of a forager – hunting game and gathering all kinds of roots, shoots, seeds and fruits for both himself and his family.  The way I see it is this, Grok is what and how our own lifestyle would be, had it not been for all the so called "advances" in today's modern society.  Think of it this way, way back before all the modernization, way back before agriculture..... Grok  went about , on a daily basis mind you, hunting and gathering food.  If Grok was super lucky and was able to spear down a deer, wild boar, chicken or heck even a pigeon, then that's what they had to eat for that day or if large enough, for a few days plus all the berries, fruits and seeds he found along the way.  Keep in mind however, that it could have taken Grok a few days of following after his prey just to get a good shot at spearing the wild game. Now, think about what Grok ate and did during his hunt.  He didn't have pasta or rice, potato chips or a quick bologna sandwich to hold him over until he caught his wild game.  Grok, perhaps  traveled miles and for days,(walking or at times, sprinting = cardio)  climbed trees (developed the legs, arms and back muscles = strength training) to see if he could spot any kind of wild game or even danger on the horizon.  Grok didn't have it as easy as going to the fridge or local grocery store.  Think about this, after his successful hunt he still had to carry his kill back to feed his family(this developed overall body strength and endurance).  He didn't have a truck to throw it into and drive back.  No, if large enough he threw on his back and hauled it back home.  He may have traveled with this on his back for days until he got back to his family.  This was Grok's daily life. Today we run to the nearest grocery store, fast food chain or restaurant, oh but wait, we don't run, heck we don't even walk, to these places, we drive our air conditioned cars and trucks. Our bodies were designed to live the "Grok way" or "Primitive" way of life.  Our bodies get sick and riddled with diesease because it doesn't know how to react to the fake foods we put into it and on top of that, our bodies begin to weaken and feel tired for the lack of exercise.  In an economy as we are today we are always looking to save a buck on this or that.  How about investing in your health?  It's as simple as asking yourself...."Would I rather spend a bit more money on quality whole food or save that money to give to the hospitals, doctors and pharmaceutical industries when I get cancer, diabetes, heart disease or any number of other illnesses or diseases.  We need to eat real whole foods and just get out and walk.  No processed foods, nothing that comes in a box, nothing that has been altered to look like anything else.  In short we should all be eating more veggies, fruit, protein and if nothing else....just get out and walk! 

So, I hope this has answered a few of your questions but more importantly, I hope it has raised a whole lot more!  Please keep those questions coming!




And Thank You all for following me as I "evolve"!

Getting Back to Basics

So, let me tell you a bit about me and how and more importantly, the "why" I’ve “evolved”…..

I do not pretend to know how "exactly" to eat paleo or even follow any type of such diet.   However, I do know that I love to be outdoors working out, eating clean and feeling great!!!

Like many of us out there, I wasn’t always of this mind-set.  I worked in “Corporate America” and like just about everyone else out there, I would make my daily stops at any fast food place for a “quick” meal.  Now, I knew that home-cooking was the best, but really, who had the time???? In 2004 I was caring for my husband that had been diagnosed with stage 4 Lung Cancer.  Between work, taking my husband to chemo treatments and caring for my child, who was 5 yrs.old at the time,  I had no choice but to grab the closest food item near me! I look back at photos of myself and I can literally see the stress on my face plus of course, the fat!!! During that time, I had ballooned close to 200lbs.! Summer of 2005 after my husband passed away, I decided I needed to do something for me.  So, like thousands of people out there, I joined a gym.  I couldn’t afford a trainer, so I went about doing what I thought was effective.  By the summer of 2006, I had lost 4 sizes, the weight come off and I was feeling great again!  During all this time, in the background, my Mom is fighting diabetes (left leg amputated), congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and then in 2008 she was diagnosed with stage 4 Esophageal Cancer! So, here I go again……stress eating, adrenal fatigue and gaining weight!

I find a friend and a mentor……

As the old saying goes, one door closes to let a window open, or something to that effect!  Anyhow, in October of 2008, as my Mom is fighting this cancer, I was laid-off from my position of “Personnel Specialist.”  Since the economy has slowed down to a damn near halt, there was no need for my position as the company I was working for was not hiring any new personnel!   Yes, this was devastating to me!  However, on the up-side, I was able to spend time with my Mom during her last few months of life that I would have otherwise spent at work!  During the quality time I was able to spend with my Mom, we talked about the future, mainly mine and my daughter’s future.  My Mom helped me to see that I needed to make a change, not only work but in lifestyle as well.  I needed a career that would allow me to spend quality time with my daughter and I needed to make a change in my lifestyle. Life is so very short it can end in a blink of an eye!

  In January of 2009, I joined a “Fit Camp.”  It was held outdoors at a neighborhood park, I loved it!  There was a group of women ready to make a change in their lives and the energy was high!  The instructor shows up and she’s very cute, has a spring in her step and a very soft but motivating voice!!!  She met with me after our first workout and gave me “eating guidelines” to follow.  Throughout the month of January I faithfully attended her classes.  We would talk after the workout and I learned so much from her.  In February of 2009 my Mom passed away.  I continued to attend the workout sessions and I found not only did I actually want to work-out  but my body was “requiring” it!  With the help of the instructor, I changed my eating habits and slowly started to change how I viewed food and exercise.  Over the months that followed, the “instructor” and I bonded. She became a dear friend and mentor.  Through her encouragement I became a Personal Trainer.  It took me half a lifetime to find the key to being healthier and having “quality of life”. As I said before, I don’t pretend to know how the paleo diet works but I am learning and as a matter of fact would like your input and questions as it will help me to learn as well.  I have learned however, that it’s "what" you do and "how" you spend that time that counts.  In the end it’s about spending a bit more money on “quality food” to spend more “quality time” with your loved ones! If you eat crap...your body will be crap! And now my toughest challenge I face on a daily basis, is changing the mind-set of my 12yr. old daughter!  And "that’s" what this blog is mostly about.  The constant struggles and challenges of an "only" parent, to teach her child why all those “franken-foods” and “fast food” restaurants are not good choices!  I’m sure anyone with a teenager knows how difficult it can be to "get back to basics!"