Primal Pets

Cats are obligate (strict) carnivores, relying on nutrients from animal tissue to satisfy their nutritional needs (protein and fat).  They lack specific enzymes to properly digest carbohydrates (grains/vegetables).  Most commercial cat foods are loaded with carbs in the form of brown rice, barley, wheat and potato and corn.  Dry foods make up the bulk of carbohydrates, but several canned food brands also add these as fillers, mostly to bulk and keep the cost down.

Nami is a 2.5 year old black and white female cat.  She has had digestive issues since day one resulting in occasional episodes of both diarrhea and constipation.  She loved her dry food and had a can of wet food once per day.  She didn't particularly care for the wet food but steadily ate her dry.  Her weight was average at 11 lbs. 



Nami being ADORABLE


We took her to the vet numerous times to discuss her digestive issues only to be given a new brand of dry for her to try.  After several brands of her either not liking or not reacting well, we finally found a Hypo-Allergenic brand that she was okay with.  It cost $35 for a small bag.  Yikes!

In October 2010, we introduced kitty number 2 to the family.  His name is Mushi.  He's a healthy, hyper and a typically destructive but loveable kitten.  If you are interested, you can read about their introduction here.  My concern at the time with introducing him was that we were going to upset Nami's special Hypo-Allergenic diet.  The kitten wouldn't be able to eat her specific dry food, so I did some research to try and figure out a solution.



Mushi at 3 months


My research got me thinking.  After such incredible results modifying my diet and eliminating sugar and grains, I became concerned about some of the ingredients listed on the cans of food I purchased for Nami.  I always figured I was treating her well with only the finest "organic" brands of food featuring an animal product and some brown rice and vegetables.  Realizing that I didn't need grains to survive, I thought about what I was doing to my cats health.  It dawned on me that some of the digestive issues she was going through may have a lot to do with the brown rice and extra veggies in her diet.

I removed the dry food immediately from her diet and switched to wet food only.  After some more research, I came across a brand of cat food called Before Grain.  These are cans of 96% meat and are grain and vegetable free.  It was perfect for both cats and kittens so I didn't have to worry about separating anyone's dish.  They also provided a grain free dry food, but I considered the amount of processing it had to go through probably wasn't that good, so decided not to purchase it.

The cats loved it and Nami went through a bit of a digestive transition with the food resulting in a couple of episodes of diarrhea.  This most likely happened because of the sudden change in her diet (and also the stress of a new kitty in her territory).

It has been three months since the food has been introduced and I'm proud to say Nami has transformed.  Not only have her digestive issues completely vanished, but her fur is super soft and shiny and her eyes are so much brighter.  She lost 1 lb and she is so fit, lean and incredibly energetic (some credit should probably go to Mushi for giving her a regular run around the apartment).

Other brands that we've come across over the months are Wellness Core Grain Free and Merrick.  The Merrick brand, which also makes Before Grain, does contain some fruit and vegetable, but is free from grains. 

Of course, the ideal way to feed your cat would be to make your own.  For more information on this and switching your cats to a more "Primal" diet, please visit www.catinfo.org.


Play Time



Happy New Year and Coconut Brownies!

Such a busy holiday season!  I must admit I entirely forgot about my blogs.  But, Happy New Year to everyone!!  I hope you enjoyed the holidays with your family and friends :)

I started the new year immediately with a stomach flu that left me out of commission for an entire week (not the best way to start off a new year with your employer, either).  I haven't been sick like that in a long time and I'm usually very careful about handwashing and eating well to keep my immunity in check.  So, my first week of 2011 was spent dozing in and out on the couch with episodes of Desperate Housewives playing in the background.  My cats used my warm slightly feverish body as a heating pad all week, which is both morbid and cute.

My holidays were filled with non-paleo treats and I suffered tremendously.  It's all tasty at first, but the effects shortly kick in and all goes to hell in a hand basket for my guts.  I got into a pattern of just saying "oh, it's just one . . one won't kill me" and my indulgences for three weeks had me gain 5 lbs and some lovely headaches and lethargy.  Actually, that's most likely where the stomach flu stemmed from.  My craptastic culinary voyage got my immune system into a funk.  Lesson learned . . . I hope.

But, I'm all better now!  Got my eating in order as soon as I got my appetite back.  5 lbs gone (kinda thanks to the flu) and I'm in a good place.  My days are super bacon filled and I'm feeling pretty darn good.

I made some softball size Marvellous Meatballs tonight in a lovely sauce.  Recipe thanks to my most recent paleo blog discovery Everyday Paleo.  Created by Sarah Fragoso, her recipes are simple and incredibly tasty.  Definitely one of the best recent additions to my blogroll.  I wish Sarah all the best with the release of her new book and if you're interested, she recently started a podcast, Paleo Talk.

I just finished making a batch of brownies.  I occasionally like to test out recipes to bring treats for my colleagues at work. 

Coconut Brownies


7 Tbsp Coconut oil

1/2 Cup Honey

2 eggs

9 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

1/4 Cup Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

1/2 Cup Almond Flour

1/4 Cup Arrowroot

1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Mix all ingredients and pour into a coconut oil greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for about 20
minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

They turned out quite well and make a lovely thin cake brownie (1 cm thick).  Because of the sweetness of the dark chocolate chips, I could probably reduce the honey a bit more.  If you try them, let me know how they turn out!
 

Quote of the Day

Heard on Episode 52 of Robb Wolf's podcast:

"Paleo is a logical framework applied to modern humans, not a historical reenactment." -John Ryan, online comment

Don't beat yourself up for indulgences :)

Exermacise

Although I've stuck quite well to the primal/paleo eating lifestyle, the exercise portion has been quite lacking these past few months.  I walk as much as I can every day, taking breaks throughout my work day to stroll the dowtown core.  I venture to find lengthy stair cases in the city.   The proximity around the CN Tower and SkyDome (called the Rogers Centre for years now, but it will always be the SkyDome to me) has quite a few stairs as well as the subway and underground PATH.  I'll occasionally sprint a block length but always remember that I need to be courteous to my work mates and minimize my sweatiness.  My goal is for an hour per day, if things aren't too hectic around the office.

I decided tonight that my upper body has had a wonderful vacation, and that it was time to get back at it.

Tonight, I started out slow:

5 Chin ups (modified with foot on chair) x 4
5 Pull ups (modified with foot on chair) x 4
10 Push ups (knees) x4
20 squats x 2

I will definitely feel that tomorrow.  The plan is to repeat on Saturday and slowly build these soft little muscles back up to where they were when I completed P90X earlier this year.

Wish me luck!

This is the part where I talk about menstruation

I've been primal/paleo since April and in this small span of time many magical things have happened.

I don't recall discussing this on here, but I have been dealing with PCOS for almost 15 years, most of which has resulted in infrequent menstrual cycles (3 to 4 times a year, tops!) and some other minor side symptoms.

I was placed on Birth Control at 17 to help regulate and stayed on for 7 years before my body decided to let me know that it had enough.  After ceasing the pill, I went back to irregular periods for a couple more years until I self diagnosed myself with Candida.  I had all the symptoms and during a year on a strict Candida Diet (very similar to primal/paleo, but even more limited) I managed to regulate my periods once again.  That diet was very difficult to manage at the time and of course I fell into temptation.  I gained quite a bit of weight and went back to the same infrequency f which I had been experiencing. 

I'm proud to say that since going primal/paleo, I've had my period regularly for the months of August, September and October.  That's a record!  And I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the end of this month, too!  It's not really something that most women look forward to, but after feeling a little less than "regular" for a good part of my life, I think it's wonderful.

A serious contemplation of education

*orginally posted Nov 8th on my other blog


For those of you that know me, you are quite aware that I'm not incredibly thrilled with my current job. I work in the financial industry, mostly doing pawn like work, and while the job itself is fine, it lacks the ability to keep me interested.

The past few years I've thought long and hard (that's what she said) about what I've wanted to do with my life. With pawn like work, I've felt like I've had no real direction or purpose. If you've ever been in this position you can understand how stressful, depressing and demotivating it can be. It was only a few weeks ago that I realized I may have found the direction I probably should have gone years ago . . . Nutrition.

On Saturday I attended an Open House at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. I had been researching the school for a bit and decided to attend to get more information. There were lectures on adrenal fatigue and nutrition in relation to memory retention and the psychology of disease. I felt incredibly comfortable as I sat there like a sponge absorbing all this fascinating information. I gathered all the information I could and left feeling invigorated about the possibility of finding a career that was meant to be.

As I continue to ponder each day, I'm realizing that it might be time for me to go back to school; as terrifying as that feels since I graduated college nearly a decade ago.

Step one: Apply

...and then we wait...

More Poolessness and the Arrival of Primal Blueprint Fitness

I am officially three and a half weeks into my shampoo/soap free lifestyle and so far it's I've had fairly good results.  Every three to four days I do a baking soda and apple cider vinegar rinse.  I used to get really dry skin on my scalp and face, but since forgoing the products, my epidermis has naturally healed and I no longer get dandruff.  My hair still gets greasy, but the build up is a lot less than when I started.

Ditching the Dove soap has been fine too.  My skin is softer and smoother and I don't get as oily around my T zone. :)  No real body smells, at least my husband Robert hasn't said anything.  I've told a few people around the office and they haven't noticed anything either. 

This week brought Primal Blueprint Fitness to my inbox and I am so excited.  Started my first Lift Heavy Things day on Wednesday and felt amazing after.  I'm planning to incorporate this regularly as it is much more doable than my modified P90x schedule which, by the way, I've slacked for the past few weeks.  It's just not realistic for me and the temperature in the apartment has been a little unbareable lately.  Too damn hot!

Wednesday's workout consisted of 40 Wall pushups, 50 full squats, 90 second plank and side planks, and 20 overhead presses.  Now it may seem silly for me to start with wall pushups after my success with P90x a few months back.  My intention is to start slow and ease into this routine.  Oddly enough, I apparently can't do 40 wall pushups in a row (2 sets of 20).  Once I have the full straight 40 under my belt, I"ll move to the next level (which I'm sure will be soon).  The only excercise that was missing was the pull up portion.  I don't currently own a pull up bar and didn't really get the impression that the P90x resistance band alternative was working the same muscles.

Vick on Marks Daily Apple forum gave me this suggestion in lieu of the pull up bar:

Put your hands on the back of your neck and interlock your fingers. Keep your grip close to the shoulders not up close to the head.



Pull down down trying to touch your waist with your elbows. Tense all of your muscles right down to your tummy. When you think you are about to quit... pretend your life depends on it and don't quit until you fatigue.


Repeat 7 days later.

I tried this and it seems to be working the muscles that need to be worked.  I don't really know how much it will strengthen, but until I have access or purchase a pull up bar, I'll be doing this.

One more round of this routine today and tomorrow I'll go for my sprint!