Once you start thinking about the absurdity of slathering your body with a daily dose of chemicals, it's hard to stop thinking about it.
Ditching shampoo was, for me, a gateway drug. I've moved on to eliminating most conventional skin care products from my routine, including soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and makeup.
Soap: I've used less soap than most people do for quite some time. What's wrong with a good, old-fashioned water rinse? The little soap (or soap-like substances) I use is mostly for shaving. I like Lush products, but it's worth checking them out on a site like Skin Deep because despite Lush's effective branding, some of their products are more "natural" than others.
Facial cleanser: My complexion, which improved dramatically upon removing grains and reducing dairy in my diet, looks even better now that I only cleanse my face once a day, typically to remove mascara. I use Lush for this, too.
Toothpaste: When it comes to dental health, diet (grains and sugar again!) is a significant factor. I recently took the additional step of switching from sweetened, chemical-laden Aquafresh Sensitive-Teeth Whitening to Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil & Neem toothpaste. I really like the mild flavor, and tooth sensitivity has not resurfaced as a problem.
Deodorant: This was the biggest change, for me. I've resisted natural deodorants for years for reasons similar to those that delayed my going pooless: I have a professional job that requires the wearing of professional clothes. Women's professional clothes, as you may have noticed, aren't generally well-suited (punny!) to antiperspirqnt-free living. I have yet to find a natural antiperspirant.
But, having achieved success on the pooless front, I finally consented to give it a go. Rather than trying a pre-fab natural deo, I mixed up my own based on a recipe posted by a reader on the womens' blog Jezebel. This is really easy. And cheap.
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
2 Tbs coconut oil
15-30 drops essential oil (Lavender and tea tree are recommended for their antimicrobial properties.)
The mixture is silky and snow-white. I keep it in a small, lidded container and use a fingertip to apply a pea-sized amount after showering. This stuff is seriously amazing! I've put it through long, summer days including farm work, heavy lifting sessions, laying out in the sun, and all manner of other sweaty ventures. No odor. None. For 24+ hours.
My commercial deo couldn't do that. And honestly, I'm not sure the commercial deo was doing a much better job on the antiperspirant front either. Plus, I swear my body has down-regulated on the BO front -- not that it's ever been a real issue for me, but these days, I can go a whole weekend on the farm with no deo at all, and no odor. Huh.
The only problem I'm having is that the homemade deodorant tends to give me a red, itchy, bumpy rash for about 12 hours after application. I suspect this is from the lavender oil and will be mixing up a batch later today without the oil, to see if that solves the problem while still working as effectively.
Makeup: I've never been a heavy user, but lately I've dropped the use of eye shadow, blush, and face powder. I keep a bottle of Lush's tea tree toner spray in my desk drawer for oily moments, but rarely need it. Mascara is my one holdout -- I just like how it looks. We'll see how long that lasts.
Moisturizer: I rarely need moisturizer these days, and have taken to telling people who comment on my "beautiful skin" that I moisturize from the inside by eating plenty of healthful fats. When I do use something, it's typically another Lush product. When I run out of that, I'll probably try the much-recommended coconut oil instead.
Okay, folks. What am I missing? What natural bodycare concoctions have you tried? Did you stick with it? Why or why not?
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Rubber, Meet Road.
I don't work out to stay lean, or look hot, or even for the undeniable health benefits. Those are perks. The real reason I work out is so I can run my farm.
There's a 55-foot flatbed parked on my upper driveway. It towers with 6 rows of tightly packed bales of Oregon hay. The bales average 98 pounds -- 17 pounds under my own bodyweight -- and the load totals 16.2 tons.
My mission is to unload the bales from the trailer and re-stack them, 6 to 10 high, for winter storage. This must be done by early next week, so the trailer can make another trip across the border and return with another 9 tons.
It's a hell of a workout. Wrestling those bales into place takes me, singlehanded, about an hour per ton. I try to move about 3 tons in a day. The effort compares to the same time spent on a heavy lifting workout -- a bit more variety, no breaks between sets -- but it's similar. Plenty of real-life deadlifts, bent-over rows, front squats, and lunges. Throw in some sled dragging. And do it all in an enclosed space so full of dust and pollen that you have to wear a mask to keep your throat from closing up.
A while back, I wrote that fitness is choices. And it is.
But fitness is also the ability to do the job that needs doing, brutal though it may be. And I have it.
If friends stop by to help, it'll be much appreciated. The job will be done faster, and I can get back to training horses. But they probably won't, and that's okay. I can handle it. It'll work out because I work out.
And that, my friends, feels pretty damn good.
There's a 55-foot flatbed parked on my upper driveway. It towers with 6 rows of tightly packed bales of Oregon hay. The bales average 98 pounds -- 17 pounds under my own bodyweight -- and the load totals 16.2 tons.
My mission is to unload the bales from the trailer and re-stack them, 6 to 10 high, for winter storage. This must be done by early next week, so the trailer can make another trip across the border and return with another 9 tons.
It's a hell of a workout. Wrestling those bales into place takes me, singlehanded, about an hour per ton. I try to move about 3 tons in a day. The effort compares to the same time spent on a heavy lifting workout -- a bit more variety, no breaks between sets -- but it's similar. Plenty of real-life deadlifts, bent-over rows, front squats, and lunges. Throw in some sled dragging. And do it all in an enclosed space so full of dust and pollen that you have to wear a mask to keep your throat from closing up.
A while back, I wrote that fitness is choices. And it is.
But fitness is also the ability to do the job that needs doing, brutal though it may be. And I have it.
If friends stop by to help, it'll be much appreciated. The job will be done faster, and I can get back to training horses. But they probably won't, and that's okay. I can handle it. It'll work out because I work out.
And that, my friends, feels pretty damn good.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday Tallies: Primal Menus and Movement
Once again, my infrequent answer to the frequently asked questions: "What do you eat?" and "How do you work out?," with notes following.
Thursday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Two eggs over easy with chile verde and sour cream. Coffee.
Lunch: Chicken curry clafouti. Garlic-seasoned kale chips.
Dinner: Steamed kohlrabi and carrots with butter. Blackberries with coconut milk. Iced tea.
Thursday's Workout
Several hours of horse training, riding, and farm chores.
Saturday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Two savory egg muffins. Ground beef, carrot, kohlrabi, and spaghetti squash hash. Blueberries and mango. Coffee.
Snack: Half a banana with coconut cream concentrate.
Lunch: Organic greens salad with black olives and guacamole. Sardines.
Post-workout: 100 grams plain, full-fat Greek yogurt.
Dinner: Beef potroast. Roasted brussels sprouts. Raspberries. Gin.
Saturday's Workout
Several hours of farm work in sweltering heat. 4x rotation of pushups, pistols, pullups, and weighted HLRs.
Sunday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Two eggs over easy with spaghetti squash "hash browns" and bacon.
Snack: Half a banana with coconut cream concentrate
Lunch: Organic greens salad with black olives and guacamole. Kippered herring.
Pre-workout: Raspberries. 1/4 cup coconut milk with cocoa powder and cinnamon.
Post-workout: 100 grams plain, full-fat Greek yogurt.
Dinner: Beef potroast. Roasted brussels sprouts. Small baked sweet potato with butter and potassium salt.
Sunday's Workout
5 hours of hoof trimming, training, riding, and farm chores. 5x rotation of backsquats, military presses, and bent-over barbell rows.
Monday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Beef potroast. Steamed beets and kohlrabi with butter. Blackberries.
Notes
Last Tuesday, I remarked in the notes that due to stress at work, I was making a temporary shift away from my usual habit of frequent intermittent fasting during the week. As you can see, I've not only continued that trend, but have been experimenting with pre- and post-workout fuel as well.
In the past, I've often worked out fasted and/or gone two or more hours after a workout without refueling. These are good leaning-out tactics, but I'm quite lean now and want to focus on building strength. I've cycled toward more farm work and fewer formal workouts, which remains appropriate while I have plenty of daylight to spend getting things done outdoors, but I've lost more on my lifts than I'm happy with, so I'm kicking things up a notch. Not three notches, but a notch.
I've added Greek yogurt post-workout despite my general avoidance of dairy partly for the growth benefits it offers in the wake of strength training, as well as for its probiotic content. I find that I feel better with an occasional probiotic supplement, particularly on those weeks when my stomach feels somehow less lean (more bulky, I suppose) though fat percentage remains low and digestion good. So, I thought I'd try some regular probiotic food consumption and see how it goes.
I bought a canister of potassium salt and have been using about 1/4 tsp per day in salad dressing and on food, not because I'm concerned about sodium intake, but because it's an easy way to supplement potassium. (I got the idea from this post by Astrogirl.)
Finally, you can't tell from the tallies above, but I'm making an effort to finish meals at least an hour (preferably two) prior to bed. This is tough, particularly in summer when farm work fills my evenings, but I'm hoping it will improve my sleep quality and increase the HGH release that occurs early in nighttime slumber.
Thursday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Two eggs over easy with chile verde and sour cream. Coffee.
Lunch: Chicken curry clafouti. Garlic-seasoned kale chips.
Dinner: Steamed kohlrabi and carrots with butter. Blackberries with coconut milk. Iced tea.
Thursday's Workout
Several hours of horse training, riding, and farm chores.
Saturday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Two savory egg muffins. Ground beef, carrot, kohlrabi, and spaghetti squash hash. Blueberries and mango. Coffee.
Snack: Half a banana with coconut cream concentrate.
Lunch: Organic greens salad with black olives and guacamole. Sardines.
Post-workout: 100 grams plain, full-fat Greek yogurt.
Dinner: Beef potroast. Roasted brussels sprouts. Raspberries. Gin.
Saturday's Workout
Several hours of farm work in sweltering heat. 4x rotation of pushups, pistols, pullups, and weighted HLRs.
Sunday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Two eggs over easy with spaghetti squash "hash browns" and bacon.
Snack: Half a banana with coconut cream concentrate
Lunch: Organic greens salad with black olives and guacamole. Kippered herring.
Pre-workout: Raspberries. 1/4 cup coconut milk with cocoa powder and cinnamon.
Post-workout: 100 grams plain, full-fat Greek yogurt.
Dinner: Beef potroast. Roasted brussels sprouts. Small baked sweet potato with butter and potassium salt.
Sunday's Workout
5 hours of hoof trimming, training, riding, and farm chores. 5x rotation of backsquats, military presses, and bent-over barbell rows.
Monday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Beef potroast. Steamed beets and kohlrabi with butter. Blackberries.
Lunch: Office barbecue! Chicken breast, hamburger patty, salad, and kale chips.
Pre-workout: Half a banana with coconut cream.
Dinner: Green salad with eggs, olives, sundried tomatoes, and guacamole. Almond butter and chocolate.
Monday's Workout
Unloaded and stacked 1 ton of hay in 100 lb bales.Notes
Last Tuesday, I remarked in the notes that due to stress at work, I was making a temporary shift away from my usual habit of frequent intermittent fasting during the week. As you can see, I've not only continued that trend, but have been experimenting with pre- and post-workout fuel as well.
In the past, I've often worked out fasted and/or gone two or more hours after a workout without refueling. These are good leaning-out tactics, but I'm quite lean now and want to focus on building strength. I've cycled toward more farm work and fewer formal workouts, which remains appropriate while I have plenty of daylight to spend getting things done outdoors, but I've lost more on my lifts than I'm happy with, so I'm kicking things up a notch. Not three notches, but a notch.
I've added Greek yogurt post-workout despite my general avoidance of dairy partly for the growth benefits it offers in the wake of strength training, as well as for its probiotic content. I find that I feel better with an occasional probiotic supplement, particularly on those weeks when my stomach feels somehow less lean (more bulky, I suppose) though fat percentage remains low and digestion good. So, I thought I'd try some regular probiotic food consumption and see how it goes.
I bought a canister of potassium salt and have been using about 1/4 tsp per day in salad dressing and on food, not because I'm concerned about sodium intake, but because it's an easy way to supplement potassium. (I got the idea from this post by Astrogirl.)
Finally, you can't tell from the tallies above, but I'm making an effort to finish meals at least an hour (preferably two) prior to bed. This is tough, particularly in summer when farm work fills my evenings, but I'm hoping it will improve my sleep quality and increase the HGH release that occurs early in nighttime slumber.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Pretty Pooless
This business of switching to shampoo-free living has gone much, much more smoothly than I could have hoped. I'm just about to wrap up Week 2 of Project Pooless...and I think the project might be over. Transition complete. Lifestyle element integrated. Deal sealed.
After Week 1, which ended with a Monday morning shampoo before going to the office, I got a little bolder:
Tuesday -- Salad Treatment (baking soda wash and apple cider vinegar conditioning). My hair was soft, shiny, and manageable all day at work. Ironman noted he didn't even detect the vinegar odor, let alone become bothered by it.
Wednesday -- No poo. Water rinse only. I noticed while combing out my wet hair that it was much less tangle-prone than usual. I'd go so far as to call it tangle-free, which is a near-miracle for my long, fine, straight hair.
Thursday -- Egg wash and ACV conditioning. Still looking good and feeling fantastic.
Friday -- No poo. This was a risk. This was the fourth day since I'd used shampoo, and I was going to face the office after only a water rinse. I used my new boarshair brush to smooth the natural oils along my hair, then rinsed for a couple minutes with medium-hot water. It worked. My hair looked clean all day, and even shinier and softer than before.
Saturday -- No poo. It was a dusty, sweaty day on the farm, and I wore a hat until my cool late-afternoon shower, which left my hair slightly oily but certainly acceptable for a weekend evening on the deck swing.
Sunday -- Salad treatment. I almost went with just another water rinse, but I'm planning on a de-greasing egg wash tomorrow before work, and I thought it would be considerate of me to bother with a deodorizing baking soda wash in case my coworkers are more sensitive than I to any lingering scents of livestock and sweat.
I think I've done it. I'm free! My hair looks and feels fantastic. It styles fine even with air dried, which it never did before. I even "shed" less. Seriously. You have to try this! If I can do it, with my long hair (see my "about me" photo at the top of this page), so can you.
But watch out...it's a slippery slope. I've progressed to natural varieties of almost all other bodycare products. Details to follow.
Go forth and go pooless!
After Week 1, which ended with a Monday morning shampoo before going to the office, I got a little bolder:
Tuesday -- Salad Treatment (baking soda wash and apple cider vinegar conditioning). My hair was soft, shiny, and manageable all day at work. Ironman noted he didn't even detect the vinegar odor, let alone become bothered by it.
Wednesday -- No poo. Water rinse only. I noticed while combing out my wet hair that it was much less tangle-prone than usual. I'd go so far as to call it tangle-free, which is a near-miracle for my long, fine, straight hair.
Thursday -- Egg wash and ACV conditioning. Still looking good and feeling fantastic.
Friday -- No poo. This was a risk. This was the fourth day since I'd used shampoo, and I was going to face the office after only a water rinse. I used my new boarshair brush to smooth the natural oils along my hair, then rinsed for a couple minutes with medium-hot water. It worked. My hair looked clean all day, and even shinier and softer than before.
Saturday -- No poo. It was a dusty, sweaty day on the farm, and I wore a hat until my cool late-afternoon shower, which left my hair slightly oily but certainly acceptable for a weekend evening on the deck swing.
Sunday -- Salad treatment. I almost went with just another water rinse, but I'm planning on a de-greasing egg wash tomorrow before work, and I thought it would be considerate of me to bother with a deodorizing baking soda wash in case my coworkers are more sensitive than I to any lingering scents of livestock and sweat.
I think I've done it. I'm free! My hair looks and feels fantastic. It styles fine even with air dried, which it never did before. I even "shed" less. Seriously. You have to try this! If I can do it, with my long hair (see my "about me" photo at the top of this page), so can you.
But watch out...it's a slippery slope. I've progressed to natural varieties of almost all other bodycare products. Details to follow.
Go forth and go pooless!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tea-Berry Paleo Popsicles
Can a person get too old to want a popsicle on a July afternoon?
I surely hope not.
Here's a lightening-fast recipe (loosely based on the Eades' Paleolithic Punch from Protein Power LifePlan) that I whipped up over the weekend and have been enjoying ever since. Using herbal tea in place of water adds depth of flavor; adding half-cup of coconut milk to the blend makes for a creamy option.
Feel free to use whatever berries you like. I like tartness in food as much as in personalities, so I used a fair number of cranberries and raspberries along with the blueberries. A cherry-strawberry-blueberry blend would be much sweeter.
Tea-Berry Paleo Popsicles
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups iced herbal tea (I used Lemon Zinger)
Blend all ingredients together, using as much tea as necessary to make a thick, icy concoction. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze at least 6 hours. Makes 8 popsicles (using standard 1/2-cup molds).
I surely hope not.
Here's a lightening-fast recipe (loosely based on the Eades' Paleolithic Punch from Protein Power LifePlan) that I whipped up over the weekend and have been enjoying ever since. Using herbal tea in place of water adds depth of flavor; adding half-cup of coconut milk to the blend makes for a creamy option.
Feel free to use whatever berries you like. I like tartness in food as much as in personalities, so I used a fair number of cranberries and raspberries along with the blueberries. A cherry-strawberry-blueberry blend would be much sweeter.
Tea-Berry Paleo Popsicles
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups iced herbal tea (I used Lemon Zinger)
Blend all ingredients together, using as much tea as necessary to make a thick, icy concoction. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze at least 6 hours. Makes 8 popsicles (using standard 1/2-cup molds).
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Savory Egg Muffins
Egg muffins: The ultimate in primal breakfast to go! I found this version particularly tasty, but feel free to substitute any variety of meats, vegetables, and seasonings. Leave out the cheese if you prefer; replace it with a couple tablespoons of coconut milk or cream.
If you like them cold, great. Prefer hot? 1 minute in the microwave is perfect for 2 muffins. Serve alone or with a side of fresh berries, greens, or sliced tomato and avocado.
Tip from a friend: Baking these in silicone baking cups (like cupcake papers, only reusable) virtually eliminates clean-up. The silicone cups make the muffins a little smaller, obviously, because they take up room in the muffin tin, but they stick to nothing and make the muffins even easier to eat on the fly.
Savory Egg Muffins
1/3 lb hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 Tbs minced jalipeno, with seeds
9 eggs (more or less, depending on size)
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tsp oregano, dried (or 3 Tbs fresh)
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook Italian sausage, onion, bell pepper, and jalipeno in a skillet over medium heat until sausage is done and vegetables are al dente. Meanwhile, scramble eggs in a bowl and whisk in the cheese and oregano. Divide sausage mixture among 12 muffin cups, either greased or lined with silicone baking cups. Pour egg and cheese mixture over sausage mixture, filling muffin cups to just over 3/4 capacity. Bake 25 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned and centers are set. Enjoy hot and refrigerate extras, covered, for up to a week. Makes 1 dozen muffins.
If you like them cold, great. Prefer hot? 1 minute in the microwave is perfect for 2 muffins. Serve alone or with a side of fresh berries, greens, or sliced tomato and avocado.
Tip from a friend: Baking these in silicone baking cups (like cupcake papers, only reusable) virtually eliminates clean-up. The silicone cups make the muffins a little smaller, obviously, because they take up room in the muffin tin, but they stick to nothing and make the muffins even easier to eat on the fly.
Savory Egg Muffins
1/3 lb hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 Tbs minced jalipeno, with seeds
9 eggs (more or less, depending on size)
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 tsp oregano, dried (or 3 Tbs fresh)
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook Italian sausage, onion, bell pepper, and jalipeno in a skillet over medium heat until sausage is done and vegetables are al dente. Meanwhile, scramble eggs in a bowl and whisk in the cheese and oregano. Divide sausage mixture among 12 muffin cups, either greased or lined with silicone baking cups. Pour egg and cheese mixture over sausage mixture, filling muffin cups to just over 3/4 capacity. Bake 25 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned and centers are set. Enjoy hot and refrigerate extras, covered, for up to a week. Makes 1 dozen muffins.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday Tallies: Primal Menus and Movement
Once again, here's my infrequent answer to the frequently asked questions, "What do you eat?" and "How do you work out?" (Click here to view more Tuesday Tallies.)
Monday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast -- Omelet with onion, cheddar, and spinach. Sliced tomato and avocado. Coffee.
Lunch -- Lamb burger (with *gasp* bun, at a restaurant), Asian slaw, and beer.
Dinner -- Cold chicken thigh. Roasted zucchini. Blueberries with coconut cream.
Wednesday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast -- Two egg and sausage muffins (mini-frittatas baked in muffin cups, not Egg McMuffins!), sliced tomato and avocado, cilantro garnish. Coffee.
Lunch -- Big ass salad with organic greens from my garden, tuna, green onion, olive oil and lemon juice. Spearmint iced tea.
Dinner -- Bunless burger with spicy mustard. Zucchini and carrots sauteed with garlic and butter.
Wednesday's Workout
4x rotation of backsquats, pullups, weighted HLRs, and bench presses.
I've become so accustomed to keeping carbs low that I have to actually pay attention to eating extra (by trading them in for a bit of protein and fat; note my moderately reduced meat intake). I have to remember that anything under 150g or so is still waaaaaay less than the damaging quantity of carbohydrate consumed by most westerners. Also, I'm choosing high-quality, paleo carbohydrates rather than harmful ones like grains and legumes. Carbs are not evil! They have their place; I need to give it to them.
Grokking on...
Monday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast -- Omelet with onion, cheddar, and spinach. Sliced tomato and avocado. Coffee.
Lunch -- Lamb burger (with *gasp* bun, at a restaurant), Asian slaw, and beer.
Dinner -- Cold chicken thigh. Roasted zucchini. Blueberries with coconut cream.
Monday's Workout
One hell of a climb straight up the ski slopes at Baldy, for lunch at the restaurant at the top. (By the way, this counts among my best dates ever.)Wednesday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast -- Two egg and sausage muffins (mini-frittatas baked in muffin cups, not Egg McMuffins!), sliced tomato and avocado, cilantro garnish. Coffee.
Lunch -- Big ass salad with organic greens from my garden, tuna, green onion, olive oil and lemon juice. Spearmint iced tea.
Dinner -- Bunless burger with spicy mustard. Zucchini and carrots sauteed with garlic and butter.
Wednesday's Workout
4x rotation of backsquats, pullups, weighted HLRs, and bench presses.
Friday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: Big ass salad with the last of my garden greens, roasted red pepper, green olives, garden peas, tuna, fresh basil, olive oil and lemon juice.
Lunch: 2 savory egg muffins and half a cup of blueberries.
Dinner: Cold chicken thigh. Beet greens, carrot, and garlic sauteed in bacon grease. Small sweet potato. Red wine and 99% chocolate.
Friday's WorkoutHad planned for bodyweight/gymnastics, but decided to skip it after a stressful week.
Saturday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, onion, and peppers. Bacon. Sliced tomato and avocado.
Lunch: Spinach salad with chicken (dark meat), green onion, boiled beetroot, oil and vinegar. Handful of cherries. Iced herbal tea.
Dinner: Chile verde with sour cream and cilantro. Blueberries with coconut milk. 99% chocolate.
Saturday's Workout
Long day of farm work (horse training, miscellaneous repairs, chores, and duck wrangling). 4x rotation of heavy lunges, weighted situps, deadlifts, and military presses.
Sunday's Food as Fuel
Breakfast: 2 savory egg muffins. Baked apple with warm spices and coconut milk. Coffee.
Lunch: Spinach salad with chicken, boiled beets and carrots, tomato, garden peas, avocado, olive oil and vinegar. Iced herbal tea.
Dinner: Chile verde with sour cream. Berry-tea paleo popsicle.
Sunday's Workout
Another long farm day. Even longer, actually. Long enough that a formal workout was rendered quite unnecessary.
Notes:
Although I normally include 4 or more 16-hour IFs in my weekly routine, I've temporally laid off them out of respect for my current stress levels. As Robb Wolf says, IFing is for people who have everything else dialed in -- not people who are dealing with too much stress, lack of sleep, high training levels, injury, etc. I'll go back to it when work settles down a bit.
The highly observant among you may have noticed that I've cut back on my nut consumption. I don't have any known issues with nuts, but my new Carlson's fish oil adds about 400 calories to my daily intake. So, I can clearly afford to nix my usual 1/4 cup of nuts from my salads. Extra O-3's instead of extra O-6's? Yes, please.
Also, I'm making a concerted effort (again) to bump up my carb intake for extra energy. Summer days on the farm are very long and active, especially when combined with the mental/emotional stress of my job, plus formal workouts, and I find that I run better when I take in at least 85g/carbs daily. Up to 125 (!!!) seems to work well.I've become so accustomed to keeping carbs low that I have to actually pay attention to eating extra (by trading them in for a bit of protein and fat; note my moderately reduced meat intake). I have to remember that anything under 150g or so is still waaaaaay less than the damaging quantity of carbohydrate consumed by most westerners. Also, I'm choosing high-quality, paleo carbohydrates rather than harmful ones like grains and legumes. Carbs are not evil! They have their place; I need to give it to them.
Grokking on...
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