Sunday, July 25, 2010

Poo Free

I've been reading a lot about a life free of shampoos and soaps.  Those harsh chemical laiden products we use daily on our skin and hair takes a toll.  With our skin being our largest organ and acting like a giant sponge, I can only imagine the amount of craziness that runs through ones blood stream.  Using shampoos and conditioners is a vicious cycle that we've all been taught/sold in to.  The shampoo we use dries out our hair and scalps which causes our body to overproduce oils to heal the dryness.    In my continuing journey to live a primal lifestyle, I felt my next step would be to forgo the shampoo, conditioner and soaps.

I'm only 5 days in of being 'poo free and don't have much to report other than my hair has gotten REALLY greasy.  My hair is just long enough now that I can put it in a small bun, so this has been my saving grace for attempting this new lifestyle.  Yesterday I tried 1 tablespoon of baking soda diluted in 1 cup of warm water.  After rinsing my greasy hair with warm water, I poured the baking soda solution over my scalp and worked it through to the ends.  After rinsing the solution, I found my slick hair was now quite soft.  Much of the greasy feeling was gone, but I was curious how it might dry.

I decided to not bother with soap and just did a vigorous wash with warm water (although I did use a bit of shaving cream to shave my underarms.  That's an omission for another day).

I let my hair dry naturally, but as I had somewhere to be, decided to put my hair up.  It was 41 C with the humidex that day, so my hair dried with lots of frizzies, but was very soft and odorless (my husband's critique).

One MDA member also mentioned that using an egg yolk and then rinsing with cold water (you don't want to make scrambled eggs) will cut the grease fairly well.  I might try this in a few days to see how it works.

As I have read on MDA and various sites and forums, I have a 2 - 6 week transition period where my hair will transform from this awkward greaseball to magically soft and magnificent.  I'm hoping this transition is sooner rather than later. :)

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Primal Breakfast - Eggs

Well, here we are.  A post about Eggs!

At lease 5 days a week I start my morning out with eggs.  I have also ended many days with eggs.  They're versatile, delicious and packed with fats and proteins to help fuel your daily energy needs.

I like my eggs any which way; fried, scrambled, poached, hard and soft boiled.  Firm yolks and runny yolks, eggs are awesome!

My last post got me thinking about Primal meals.  I've had a few people very recently take interest in my food choices and I've either directed them to Mark's website or let them borrow the book.  And the most common question I get is, "What do you eat?"  So, we start with the first meal of the day example!

This is how I started my day yesterday.



  • 1 cup Pink oyster mushrooms sauteed in butter. 
  • 2 eggs fried in butter
  • 2 apricots, halved
  • salt and pepper to taste
 

Very quick and simple to make and the flavours of the oyster mushrooms mimics that of steak.  Like a poor man's steak and eggs.  :)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

I'm still here!

I'll be back . . I promise.  Life has gotten a little busy at work and the heat and humidity here in Toronto is killing me.  I still refuse to get an air conditioner.  I feel sucking it up in this heat can only make me stronger . . more Primal.  :)

A couple of times a week in the morning I pop by Vibrams on for a little jaunt around the neighbourhood.  I've started encorporating P90X back into my exercise regime.  I know I swore off it in my last post, but after taking a well deserved break, I noticed I was getting a little soft again, and fast.  Instead of doing the full hour everyday, I decided to break down the exercises.  My week goes something like this:

Monday - Chest and Back, one set of each (no repeats)
Tuesday - Morning walk/sprint in my Vibrams or Rest
Wednesday - Shoulders and Arms, one set of each
Thursday - Morning walk in my Vibrams or Rest
Friday - Legs and Back, one set of each
Saturday and Sunday are up in the air.  I'm usually pretty busy with chores around the apt and shopping and general out and about fun with the husband or friends and family. 

Eating Primally has been going well, although there have been quite a few slips as of late.  My husband has had a hankering for gelato and the little gelato spot on the corner is quite tempting and helps take the edge off the heat.

Lots of salads, yummy meats and fruits have been the bulk of my meals.  And eggs . . . oh eggs, how I love thee.  I've been obsessed with fried eggs over smoked salmon topped off with dill and a side of avocado.  Devine.  I should take a pic of my next breakfast.  It will leave you drooling!