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 In the past, even though on the outside I was British size 8 (American size 0) on the inside I was skinny fat with numerous health problems. I was sick of feeling sick all the time. Constant migraines, bloating, cold after cold, yeast infections, low energy levels and lack of concentration. were all I knew at that time. In fact, I was most probably on my way to become another victim of modern diet type 2 diabetes. Finding the Primal/paleo/keto way of living allowed me to reverse all my health problems.

Currently, I live in Shanghai, but my journey began in Poland in a small village next to the Baltic Sea. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a pollution free environment and on organic produce from my Granny’s farm. Sadly, my Granny stopped raising animals and growing her own vegetables when I was 15, and that’s when my family and I discovered processed food, coated in vegetable oils and sugar.

My favourite food to eat became chocolate, and because I’ve never struggled with weight I felt invincible and thought it was O.K. to eat it in unlimited quantities daily. I was also a carb addict, eating so called ‘healthy’ foods. My breakfast consisted of cappuccino and croissant, followed by freshly squeezed orange juice. For lunch, I would often opt for a sandwich (made out of ‘healthy’ whole grains, of course!), a pack of crisps and a chocolate bar. For dinner, I would have homemade pasta or a rice dish cooked in vegetable oils. I would often end my day with a dessert or a piece of fruit and a glass or two of wine. This high carb and sugar diet left me hungry, so grazing throughout the day on chocolate and fruits to sustain my energy level was also a daily occurrence.

Being too preoccupied with studying, working, partying, drinking, toxic relationships, traveling and staying up late throughout all of my teens and twenties, I failed to consider what was going on inside my body, my spirit, and my soul. Finally, in my late 20’s, I hit rock bottom with all sorts of health issues. This desperate “aha” moment brought me to the Primal Lifestyle. I finally realised that my dress size had nothing to do with health and simply being skinny didn’t equate to being healthy.

During this time my father was also diagnosed with malignant gastric cancer, which left me devastated and confused about the lifestyle my family and I were leading. I took this moment as a very loud wake-up call and decided to embark on a journey that would heal my broken relationship not only with food but also my soul.

For the past three years I have been studying, researching and experimenting with the healing properties of different foods, essential oils, and relaxation techniques. Thanks to my newfound application to a healthy lifestyle, I managed to overcome my health challenges. During my healing journey I had to restore my insulin sensitivity, treat my leaky gut, and cure my insomnia. Staying away from my best ‘friend’ chocolate and other man-made carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, chips, cookies, and cutting out refined sugar including ‘natural’ sugar like honey wasn’t easy, but these were the first steps I needed to take.

Luckily, I just happen to love food and was eager to bring everything I learnt about nutrition into the kitchen and create new meal plans without sacrificing the flavour. The food I make nowadays is gluten-free, vegetable oil-free and sugar-free, and it tastes scrumptious. When choosing ingredients for my meals I focus on locally grown, organic vegetables and grass-fed meat. I love to cook using coconut oil, real butter, ghee and plenty of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices. Through the healing properties of food and daily yoga practice I overcame my health problems. This new lifestyle changed the way I look at food, stress, relationships and exercise.

Of course, these changes didn’t come easily, and I met a lot of resistance—surprisingly mostly from people who I thought, at that time, cared for me the most. This new lifestyle among other things brought changes to my social life, some of which were too big for some of my ‘friends’ to handle or understand. Instead of happily going out for late nights drinking, all I wanted to do was to be active during the day and go to bed at 9 p.m. with my favourite book.

My true friends were happy to meet up, go hiking or play other sports and then make a paleo dinner together, something I really appreciate to this day. Now I understand that having a lot in common in every relationship is key, as without it love or friendship will naturally fizzle out.

“Don’t die with the music still inside you,” is one of my favourite quotes by Wayne Dyer. This journey made me rediscover parts of me that I thought were lost forever and gave me the courage to embrace the music within and get to know the person I truly am.

Now as a Primal Health Coach, my mission is to empower women to become the best versions of themselves by offering guidance through the journey to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The Primal way of life has nourished my body in all the right ways and made the best quality of life possible.

Izabela Misiuk, Primal Health Coach, ThriveInShanghai.com

The post From Skinny Fat to Healthy Fab! appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Mason Tyson’s life got off to a rough start. But this is a story about a kid who beat the odds and has come back healthier than ever. If you are looking for some serious inspiration (and some lessons about health) then you’ve got to check this out. Four-year-old gets a devastating diagnosis on his […]

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You’ve just got back from a long run. You’re tired and sweaty, and plonk down on the couch with a glass of water and a banana to reap the rewards of a temporarily guilt-less conscience. Off come the shoes, up go the feet onto the arm of the couch, you prepare to lie back for […]

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 Day 269 of 360

5 rounds of:

3 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 1 round. Goal is fluid, seamless transitions from front to back, and left to right. Each set should pose a significant challenge weight-wise- weakest lift/ transition governs weight.

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I’ve always been a student of performance—in my athletic days and now. Whether it’s nutritional intake, training strategies, or supplement choices, this is where science comes to life for me. Over the years I made this interest work for my fitness performance and now for my optimal health. It’s not about “hacking” the body’s functioning but understanding it from the ground floor up. This knowledge helps me live and age through life more on my own terms, which is exactly the way I like it.

Every bit of research, every connection, every choice has done its part to fill in the picture for me—the daily practices and overall philosophy behind the Primal Blueprint.

In the last few years, collagen has been one of the tools that has made the biggest difference in my life. It was instrumental to recovering from an injury that (I was told) would put me on the sidelines indefinitely, and now it supports continuing joint health and mobility as I push myself physically long after many people give up on their bodies period.

Recently, Brad Kearns and I recorded a conversation about my interest in collagen—how I started applying it to my health, what it offers for fitness performance, and how anyone—athlete or not—can benefit. Take a look.

Thanks for stopping by today, everyone. Have questions, comments? Share them below, and have a great end to the holiday week.

The post What Collagen Does For Performance appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Day 268 of 360

Strong, positionally sound sets of each movement. If sets require interruption, or position breaks, adjust accordingly and continue safely.

Today: Perform 

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It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday, I’ve been working for three hours, I just dropped my son off at school, my partner is still sleeping, and I’m already tired. The only thought in my head is “What am I going to do about dinner tonight?”

Just me?

I’m guessing I’m not the only one with a busy family of picky eaters that need to eat every day. And sometimes it’s really hard to make sure we’re all eating a balanced diet of foods we (mostly) enjoy without feeling like a short-order cook. While I’m by no means perfect, I have developed a few habits and techniques that work for me and my family, most of the time.

Before we go into it, I will say that your family is different from mine, and that you and I are different. What works for me may not work for you. Or you may have already tried all of these ideas. However, I encourage you — like with most things in life — to get a little curious.

Be open-minded about trying something new, or trying something again after a few months or years.

Even if your toddler threw your butternut squash-laden mac and cheese on the floor six months ago, they may try it again now and love it. Also, who knows with toddlers anyway? Mine could act like I’m poisoning him with carrots, and five minutes later he’s eaten them all and wants “More! More! More! Pleeeease!”

Here are three styles of dinner prep that allow you to incorporate lots of veggies, healthy fats, protein, and carbs in ways that your family may really enjoy.

The recipe links I’ve included may sound terrible to you, or wonderful. They may also not into account allergies, sensitivities, or dietary preferences you have in your family. My hope is that it at least inspires you to try something new, or sparks some creativity for you in the kitchen.

One Pot Meals, Sheet Pan Dinners, Casseroles & More

I know — we’ve all had soggy, overcooked slow-cooker meals. There are however some amazing ways you can use these techniques to your advantage. Extra bonus: less dishes! If you have vegetable-averse people in your house, you can “sneak” extra veggies into most of these dishes by dicing them finely, or even pureeing them to add to sauces.

The idea here is simple: you make one thing for dinner that incorporates protein, vegetables, carbs, and healthy fats into the same dish. Some of the ingredients might not be loved by everyone, but you can make them either too small to notice, or easily eaten around. Add a salad or an extra vegetable to round out the meal if you like.

Do note that some kids are expert detectives when it comes to food, and can become quite suspicious of these meals. My house has a pretty strict “no tricks” policy for mealtimes, so I have to provide full disclosure of all ingredients beforehand. They often try the meal offered anyway, and most of the time are surprised to find they like it, even though it has onions — somehow the most dreaded food of all time around here.

Recipes

Here are a few ideas for easy dinners you can do in one easy go. Do a search for “one-dish dinners”, “healthy slow cooker meals” to find thousands more. You can also use a couple ingredients you have on hand to let Google help you decide what to cook. Search for “chicken carrots and potatoes in crock pot” and you’ll get over ten million results.

Slow Cooker

• Slow cooker oats, grains, and fruit for breakfast
• Mushroom barley risotto (vegetarian)
• Smoky beanless chili

Stove Top

Chicken with rice in one pot — this can be so versatile you can do:

• Southwest style
• Biryani
• Italian, etc.

Baked

• Mexican chicken quinoa casserole
• Orange-glazed pork with sweet potatoes

Electric Pressure Cooker

• Soy sauce chicken (rice cooks alongside the chicken — together, yet separate!)
• Spaghetti bolognese

“Cafeteria Style” Meals

For some families, the idea of making a single pot of food that everyone is going to eat is laughable. Offering many choices that family members can pick and choose from to build a meal they will enjoy can be a better recipe for success.

If you like setting aside some time each week for meal prep, this can be a great solution to the “what’s for dinner” question. It also saves you time from preparing a lot of different foods every night. Make a few protein options, carb options, and veggie options so there is a good selection to choose from. It could look like this:

On Sunday afternoon you make a bunch of food:

• Put a pork shoulder in the slow cooker for pulled pork
• Roast a big tray of vegetables
• Steam a large pot of rice
• Bake some meatballs
• Grill several chicken breasts
• Bake sweet potatoes or squash
• Make a pot of soup

Then, when it’s time for dinner, these options are available for everyone. Dad wants meatballs and rice. One of the kids wants a sweet potato stuffed with pulled pork and a little BBQ sauce on top. You have a bowl of soup. Boom — dinner is served!

Everyone Gets Their Favorite — Sometimes

If you have kids who you want to encourage to help out in the kitchen, a great way to get them excited — or at least willing to help — is to get them working on their “favorite” meals. The principle is simple: sometimes what’s served is your favorite dinner, and sometimes it’s another family member’s. We all take turns getting to eat what we like best, and know that if we don’t like what’s for dinner tonight, we can be respectful to the family member who chose it, and know our favorite is coming tomorrow.

If your teenager asks for pizza as their favorite meal for the week, have them look online for a recipe and have them help make it — or even cook it all on their own! If your partner wants grilled salmon and roasted veggies, they can stop at the store on their way home to pick out the ingredients. Your five-year-old wants chili and cornbread? They can come in the kitchen and help stir the pot. It’s your favorite? Great, you’re helping!

Other Tips

Of course, there are lot of things that go into good nutrition besides what you make for dinner. Instilling good nutritional habits with your children starts at a very young age — they are watching and learning from you every day!

The same way toddlers learn to use the remote control or swipe up on a phone, they are watching what we eat and the way we talk about food before we even realize it.

With this in mind, here are some further tips that can help you encourage great nutritional habits with your family.

Make Snacks Available

By that I mean “the snacks you want your family to eat”. We all tend to eat whatever is easiest. If your child opens the refrigerator and sees a bowl of cut up fresh vegetables, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh fruit, they might just grab that instead of digging into the back for the cookies. Same for a cupboard: keep nuts, dried fruit, jerky, or whatever non-perishable snacks you want to eat in front of the cupcakes, chocolate-coated bars, candy and anything else you may not want as a first option.

Be Aware of the Way You Talk About Food

The way you talk about food is going to influence your family, period. Pay attention to the things you say regarding food over the next week. Do you find yourself talking about food being “good” “bad”, “clean”, “right” or “wrong”? Maybe you say things like “I’m going to be ‘bad’ and have dessert tonight.” Think about how that could impact your children and their friends, and if there are better words you could use instead.

We have a strict No-Ewww policy in our house. It’s OK if you don’t like something, and of course you are welcome to voice that opinion, but in a respectful way. Someone else may like it, and they may even love it, so we are mindful of the way we talk about other people’s food choices. My food, my business, so to speak.

In Erika Nicole Kendall’s article, How to Give Culturally Sensitive Nutrition Advice, you can see how discussing food is discussing culture, and demonizing cultural recipes is a great way to distance yourself from friends, family, and clients. I’ve never been in the business of telling people what foods are “healthy” or “good for you” — my goal is to empower you to make nutritional choices for you and your family that feel good, meet your unique needs, and allow you to spend your time as you choose, whether that’s in the kitchen or not.

Set (or Reset) Your Expectations

My husband straight up hates vegetables. All of them. He may eat a leaf of iceberg lettuce on a bacon cheeseburger, but that’s about it. When our relationship got more serious, as we got married, and now that our son is growing up, I had to come to terms with the fact that he may never love vegetables like I do. He may never even tolerate them. I learned to let go of expectations around how my husband eats because it really isn’t my responsibility.

My son’s nutritional habits are more of my responsibility, at least for now, and I’m doing my best to make healthy options available to him. I encourage him to try new things, and I let the rest go. He’s three: some days are better than others, and some days all he eats is fresh fruit. But I have friends who wish their three-year-old would eat fresh fruit.

The point is, the way we eat and the way our family eats will never be perfect, and it may never even be ideal. We do the best we can, knowing everyone is going to be OK at the end of the day. Even if they hated dinner.

The post Good Nutrition With a Family appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

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Talking with teachers has taught me some sobering lessons about today’s young people. An increasing number of school-age children are suffering from severe anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Hardly a week goes by, one educator told me, that a classroom isn’t disrupted by a student having a panic attack. They also added that […]

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Americans, in general, like a lot of freedom when it comes to choosing health remedies. In addition, there’s a fair amount of skepticism about the institutions that are supposed to protect the public’s health. For instance, recent news reports have exposed how Congress, the pharmaceutical industry and the Drug Enforcement Agency conspired to weaken safeguards that […]