About this blog

In other words, the Zone + Crossfit = Optimal Heath!
This blog focuses on nutrition, using the Zone Diet as the basis. However, I often eat Paleo foods in Zone proportions.
I love to investigate anything having to do with food- what we eat and why. And what happens within our bodies, our organs, our brain, when we do? My precious mother struggled with eating disorders. I want to avoid this delimma based on research, common sense, and the natural consequences on my body. The Zone shows me where the balance lies between eating too much and eating too little.
My husband runs a Crossfit gym. Exercise and choosing the right foods have become a mission for ourselves and our children. We don't want to be nerds about it, we just want to be healthy.
I have been asked by several friends what I feed our family, especially our kids. My husband and I follow the Crossfit prescription to nutrition (meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar). If you know me, you know that the sugar part of this equation will be a life long struggle given my love for chocolate! Evan adheres to the stricter version known as the Paleo-Zone diet (and I do on my good days!) which requires the same foods in a ratio of 40% protein, 30% carb, and 30% fat. Children require 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you're wondering how to figure this out, I do it on a per meal basis and I have a "block" chart from the Zone website.
It seems like a headache at first, but if you're interested, just know that it is not that bad once you practice it for a couple of weeks. All you need is a $10 scale and some determination. It really is quite simple and makes my life easier at the grocery store and when cooking dinner. Most of all, I feel great when I eat well- mentally and physically, and we all know that the physical can affect the mental and visa versa!
Evan and I are hunter/gatherer wanna-be's! This blog will track my journey of health as it should be, and the honest reality of living in a sugar fried culture. When it comes down to it, I get excited to talk about nutrition, but I am definitely not perfect at it! If you have the desire to eat well, but it is often a challenge to overcome the temptations along the way, then you are in the right company!
I hope you leave this blog feeling enlightened and encouraged as you go throughout your day!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Want to Quit Sugar?



I have been trying to kick the sugar addiction for a while now. I just ran across this link that I think will be helpful. Mostly I am sad that it busted me on my coffee crutch. It says that caffeine disrupts blood sugar levels and is not a good substitute for sugar cravings. Then it lists two supplements to take to help with moods swings during the adjustment. I found that my mood was quit different and lacking that "good" feeling all week as I stayed away from sweets. I read in "Sugar Shock" that our bodies will have stronger sugar/bad carb cravings when we don't have enough healthy fats in our system (Omega 3's and 6's). So, this is incentive to take my fish oil on a regular basis. As far as giving up my coffee, I am going to have to gear up for that one. I think I will make sure I am in a good routine with the fish oil, then have the natural supplements on hand, all the while staying away from sugar, and then I will drop the coffee last. I was fed a wonderful meal tonight, that I couldn't turn down. Does anyone else suffer from not wanting to hurt someone's feelings when they hand you a bowl of homemade goodness? So for almost 7 days, I went with mostly no sugar (had some honey on Sunday, though) and began to feel a bit gloomy, all the while knowing that a good sugar fix would help. Now I will start again and hope that I can go for two weeks. If your like me, you have to learn to say no in a way you feel comfortable and confident about. Today, it was not even a mind struggle, it was the people pleaser in me. So, I will be interested to see how I feel tomorrow. I did notice that after my good southern meal tonight, I felt a pick me up like I had not felt all week. Earlier today, I felt lightheaded and then felt much better after I ate my lunch. Who going to argue that food is not a drug of sort?
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