Today was a fun day! We went sledding for our first family fun outing of 2013! We were planning to go snow tubing at Soda Springs, but it turns out that you have to be at least 42 inches to go down their hills. Keenan is obviously not 42 inches tall. They have a little kids park (“Planet Kids”) for $25 per person, but parents aren’t able to do any of the activities with their children, and there’s no real hill for tubing…lame! So, we drove 2 miles and found a little place called, Tubes R Us and bought a sled that fit all three of us and had a blast! We also packed a picnic and my husband made his decadent hot chocolate which we ate on the back of his truck (tailgating in the snow!) which was fun. All, in all, it was a great day and Keenan had a wonderful time! Though he wasn’t fond of having snow in his face on some of the rides down the hill (demanding that I get the snow off!), he enjoyed himself. I forgot how much of a workout going sledding or tubing is! Try carrying a 32 pound child wearing a puffy snow suit (probably adding on a couple of extra pounds) from the parking lot to the snow park, and then trudge up the hill (at least 250 meters) a dozen times! My husband and I would take turns, but we were both sweating by the end of the day! We both felt that we got our WOD in for the day.

Enjoying our first family fun outing of 2013!

Enjoying our first family fun outing of 2013!

Tailgating in the snow!

Tailgating in the snow!

Since we just got back from our snow day and finally got Keenan into bed (he was SO exhausted!), I’m going to keep this post short and sweet, especially since we need to cook dinner and still unload the car. But, before I go, I want to let you know about a little experiment my husband and I are trying, starting on Monday. I finished reading the book, “Paleoista” by Nell Stephenson, a couple of months ago. Ever since reading it, I’ve have been slowly making little changes, eating more and more the Paleo way. As a Wellness Coach and someone who is an advocate for adopting healthy habits to last a lifetime, I want to see for myself what all the hype is about, thinking of it as my own science experiment (though my husband is happily willing to participate with me, despite having to give up beer!) and if I experience positive changes, I might very well adopt them into my daily eating.

If you aren’t familiar with the Paleo way of eating, it is basically eating like our ancestors (cavemen) in the Paleolithic era, only consuming what was available at the time: fish, grass-fed raised meats, veggies, fruit, mushrooms, roots and nuts, excluding grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined sugar, salt or processed oils. Depending on what you read, some experts will even advise you not to eat root vegetables, because they contain too much starch. But, the main thing that I didn’t really think about was the source of carbohydrates. Most people think that they need to eat bread, pasta or rice to consume carbohydrates, but vegetables contain carbs. In fact, they contain quite a bit (not nearly as many as a serving pasta, but still enough), and from a healthy, fiber-filled source. It is a very simple and clean way of eating.

We eat “clean” most of the time, rarely consuming processed foods (if at all), eating fresh fruits, veggies, lean protein, dairy, healthy fats and whole grains, but after reading the case studies of Nell’s clients experiencing more energy, sleeping better, improving their workout performance, no longer suffering from asthma, allergies or digestion issues or losing the last few pounds of stubborn body fat and gaining more lean muscle mass, I want to experiment on myself. The health benefits to consuming only whole produce and lean protein with healthy fats is undeniable. Whole wheat contains a lot of fiber and is a low glycemic food, but it is still processed. I want to see if I experience the changes in my body, as Nell mentions. My husband and I don’t have any health issues and we aren’t overweight, but there is always room for improving our body composition and health! In addition, I also want to see if I can truly adhere to the Paleo way, cutting out two whole food groups: dairy and legumes. I’m not an advocate for following a strict diet and cutting out food groups (unless, medically necessary of course) by any means, but I can’t help but be curious. My husband and I love cheese and we enjoy milk in our coffee everyday, so not consuming dairy will be tough. Coconut milk here we go! (I have to say, I had my first coconut milk latte a couple of weeks ago from a wonderful local coffee shop, and it was delicious!). My husband likes good bread, and beer, so he’s not too happy about everything, but he wants to help “collect data”.

So, for our challenge, we are going to eat the Paleo Way for 30 days starting on Monday (since we are hosting a post New Year’s party with our friends tomorrow night!), eating only whole foods: fresh fruits, veggies, lean protein, healthy fats (olive and coconut oils, avocado and nuts, though no peanut butter), abstaining from dairy, legumes and whole grains (no wheat). As far as alcohol goes, we will only consume wine, drinking one glass a night and allowing ourselves a couple of glasses on the weekend (strict Paleo wouldn’t allow any alcohol, but we don’t believe in not living!). As far as sweets or sweeteners goes, it really depends on what you read, but we are going to continue using Xylitol and raw honey, since we consider both items “whole foods.” For baking, I’ll still use baking powder and soda (since it is only used in small amounts).

Well, more to come next week! If you are interested in doing the challenge with me, let me know; I’d love to have support!

Well, after I rambled on, I realized I didn’t keep this post as short as I intended…oops! Well, it’s time for dinner, our roasted butternut squash soup is probably cold by now! Have a great weekend!

Questions: Do you follow any particular eating plans, or do you just aim to eat healthfully? If you follow the Paleo diet, what made you start eating that way?

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