If I am no longer eating clean,

What other options are there?

What about the Paleo Diet?

• Paleo Dieters eat: Lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats from: nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, fish oil and grass fed meats.

• Paleo dieters don’t eat: grains or dairy (milk, cheeses, and yogurt), processed foods, sugars, legumes, starches, and alcohol.

I’ve been reading a nicely written post (with adorable graphics) by Nerd Fitness, “The Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet,” which does an excellent job at breaking down the specifics if you want to read more about Paleo Eating.

• How does this fit into my style? I’m on board regarding the items on the allowed list, however I had reservations about not consuming legumes or dairy as yogurts and cheeses are something our family enjoys often and any eating plan that hates on peanut butter won’t fit in at our house. There isn’t a specific macro breakdown for the eating plan and it varies depending on what you are trying to accomplish: i.e., muscle growth, fat loss, or general well-being.

Okay, so I’m not exactly Paleo… now what?

Mediterranean Diet?

• Mediterranean dieters eat:

Fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, small amounts of dairy, and red wine.

• Mediterranean dieters eliminate:

Processed foods, limited amounts of red meat (only twice a month), and only two meals a weeks of fish or poultry.

• How does this fit into my plan:

A diet of 50% carbs, which is on the higher end, would fuel my workouts but as an active fitness person I feel I need more protein than this plan has to offer. If I manipulated the macros it might work for me, otherwise the ideals of the plan look great. I’m not much of a wine drinker or a fruit eater, so this type of eating doesn’t seem to suit me at all.

Could it be, Gluten Free?

• Gluten Free Dieters eat: meats, seafood, legumes, eggs, dairy, fruits and vegetables. Grain substitutions are: amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn/cornmeal, flax, quinoa, rice and many other gluten-free flours from things like coconut, rice, almonds.

• What Do You Eliminate?

Foods containing gluten. This includes malt, barley, bulgar, semolina, spelt, rye and wheat.

• How does this fit into my style: Other than the obvious modifications in cooking, this is an easy change to my eating style as I am not a big bread eater. To do this successfully I would need to modify the majority of my recipes as I go along.  Nutrient timing would still be a viable option with this plan as well, of course it wouldn't include GMO substitutes.

What about Atkins?

• Atkins Allows:

This changes slightly with each phase but: meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, vegetables and fats/oils at first; legumes, fruits, nuts, and some grains as the phases progress.

• What you eliminate?

Phase one: no fruits or grains

Phase two: add in fruits and juices along with nuts and seeds.

Phase three: Starchy vegetables

Phase four: legumes and grains.

• Does this fit my plan? With Macros like: Protein: 65% Fats: 35% and Carbs only 5%, I’d be in a constant mental fog going that low carb. Based on my TDEE of 2280 (more on that later), 5% would equate to less than 30 grams of carbohydrates daily and certainly be ketogenic. I've just completed 90 days of ULC, during that time I was less that 30g of carbs a day, I barely knew my name and often lost track of what I was doing in the moment. While you could run the program short-term, It wouldn’t work as a long-term eating plan.

Then there is South Beach?

• What Do You Eat?

Phase One: meat, vegetables, legumes, dairy, nuts and seeds.

Phase Two: Whole grains, fruits, starchy vegetables are added back in.

Phase Three: Includes the above, with the addition of more grains and sweets.

• What Do You Eliminate?

Early on you aren’t eating grains, starchy vegetables or sweets, but they are added back in over time.

• How does this fit into my plan?

It really isn’t an eating style at all, more like a short-term diet plan without any nutrient timing or long-term plan for health. I'm not fully aware of how it comes together, but it doesn't sound like it would be effective once the starches and sweets are added back in toward the end of the plan.

Finally, the Zone?

• What Do You Eat?

The Zone Diet isn’t about eating either “low-carb” or “high-protein,” instead by balancing protein, carbohydrates and fats, it is believed you can control the major hormones– insulin, glucagon and eicosanoids using the human diet.

Allowed foods:

• Lean Natural Protein

• Low GI Carbs

• Fat

• What Do You Eliminate?

No grains, breads, pasta, rice, and other similar starches

• How does this fit into my plan?

This plan is fairly close to how I currently eat, one that I feel I should investigate further to determine how this could fit into my plan. Perhaps the combination of Paleo and this plan might  be the best answer for me, I need further research before embarking on that eating plan.

I guess at the current time I am eating:

Dirty Paleo!!

What about you, my readers, where do you fit in? 

To make the whole process a wee bit easier for me, here is a short list of what I have done:

• Spent a year studying, then completing my Personal Trainer certification. (I passed, happy dance for me)
• Utilized free college courses, which assisted my PT Cert studies, with focus on nutrition.
• While Studying nutrition I completely changed my thinking on what, how, and when I eat and not in the way you might imagine.
• Went deep into boards that focused on fitness and nutrition to immerse myself in the environment and assist my learning.

I decided on Ace Fitness for my Personal Trainer certification, using the full package and time allotment I studied for the better part of a year to really nail down all that I felt I should know to pass the test and work with clients.

--> Now that I am a CPT, or certified personal trainer, I need to actually find and work with clients. <--

(Hint: This could be you!!)

Watch the trailer on FatHead:

I wanted to learn more, so I then watched the series out of Britain called, “Why Thin People are not Fat,” again they mention the Vermont Sims study… The BBC reports have this to say about this controversial series:

“….the science of weight gain is less straightforward than the headlines sometimes suggest. Why, for example, do some people seem to eat what they like and not put on weight, while others limit their diet yet struggle to shed their bulk? In 1967, a medical researcher, Ethan Sims, carried out an experiment at Vermont state prison in the US. He recruited inmates to eat as much as they could to gain 25% of their body weight, in return for early release from prison. Some of the volunteers could not reach the target however hard they tried, even though they were eating 10,000 calories a day. Sims's conclusion was that for some, obesity is nearly impossible. It was with this in mind that 10 slim volunteers - who were not dieters - convened in more hospitable circumstances, for a recent experiment devised by the BBC's Horizon documentary. The 10 spent four weeks gorging on as much pizza, chips, ice cream and chocolate as they could, while doing no exercise, and severely limiting the amount they walked.”

Here is the “Why Thin People are not Fat” series on YouTube..

(This post is only stating what I am currently doing, this is not a suggestion for you to follow my plan nor am I suggesting that you do it yourself. As with anything, read at your own risk and consult with a physician before starting any health, fitness, or nutritional program)

The quest began for answers to this burning question: Why were my allergies on fire? And why, when I cut out starchy carbs, did they suddenly clear up?

Possible symptoms of sinusitis include: (via: Oasis Wellness)

• Stuffy or runny nose
• Difficulty breathing through the nose
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Pain and/or swelling in the sinus areas (nose, eyes, cheeks, forehead)
• Jaw pain
• Dental pain
• Ear pain
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Bad breath
• Difficulty sleeping (especially chronic)

Oasis Wellness suggests checking for inflammation in the coolest way ever, scary flashlight face!!  Well not quite, but almost and who wouldn’t want to, this is how they suggest doing it:

“If you have a bad cold and are not sure if it has changed into sinusitis, there are a couple of simple tests you can perform. Mucous (from bacterial or viral infections) will often fill up sinus cavities if sinusitis is present. Tapping on the sinus cavities can help tell if they are backed up or not. Also, try shining a flashlight on the facial skin outside sinus cavities. Light will be visible inside the mouth if they are not clogged. Your health care provider can perform these tests, or a friend or family member who is knowledgeable about sinus cavity locations.”

• Hydration.  (No worries, I have an addiction to H2O)
• Moist Air (Always at home, however my boss keeps the office at 19% humidity and suffers from asthma, we call him Dr. Dumass, no lie)
• Warm Compresses. (Not currently needed)
• Environmental Pollutants. (Like a rock star baby)
• Liver Support.  (My liver is doing great, I do nothing to tax it)
• Yeast/Candida. Be watchful for symptoms of yeast overgrowth and other factors such as antibiotic use (I haven’t been on antibiotics for over 25 years)
• Wild Mediterranean Oregano Oil is highly beneficial in controlling yeast overgrowth as well as helping with allergies and sinus inflammation.  The one my family uses and finds effective and the one I recommend to clients is Oregasil™. (I will try eliminating sugar, flour, dairy before adding any additional “things” to my day)
• Healthy Diet.  Eliminate sugar, white flour, dairy, hydrogenated oils and pre-packaged foods. (I don’t do pre-packaged foods or hydrogenated oils; eliminating sugar, flour, dairy should be a piece of cake... errr easy)
• Salt-Air Respiratory Inhaler. (Can do this as well)
• Steam. Inhaling steam with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil  (simple enough, worth trying)
• Don’t Skip on Sleep.  (I sleep like the dead on most nights)
• Immune Enhancement  (not ready for this yet)

• My sinuses have been clear on days with no starchy carbs.
• I am fitting into clothes that I haven’t worn since my little gene experiment last year.
• My body measurements are going down, which explains how I can fit into my smaller sizes.
• I’ve been pouchy these last few months, but not anymore! Now my lower abs have flattened out.
• I get to eat bacon more often and have one day a week where I eat cake too.. (but wake a little congesty)
• My strength training is going very well and my training volume has increased, who knew!!

It is January here in Vermont and it appears we are in a spring thaw as we woke to nearly 40 degree temps.. That will be my first photo of the day, with more added as time moves on..

I’ve added a food scale to my kitchen, it makes measuring ingredients so much easier..

It is nice to always have some light and flowers in bloom, all throughout the winter month

I like my gym space picked up after others use it, well at least others are using it..

From there we went out to watch the UVM Hoop Cats, it was a boring first half and livened up in the second half.. Thankfully

You have to show some team spirit… GO CATS GO

It was time to renew one of my favorite magazines, this renewal had so much more to offer than just 6 issues: Print copies, Digital Editions, Online Access, Courses and a free book.. NICE SCORE

I promised myself that I would sort through the boxes I had stacked in the far corner of the workout room..

After 10 days of absolutely no carbs, it was time to indulge a bit..  Blonde brownies with coconut and dark chocolate chips..

Unbelievable to have temperatures around 46 degrees at 5pm on January 12, 2013.

I've been working a different routine lately and the 12th was an day off..

This is the soil section, which I am leading with today, as I really like this piece a lot.

Here is a little snippet from The Small Footprint Family and their article titled: "Are Organic Eggs a Scam"

"Why Does A Pasture-Raised Egg Matter So Much?

Now something about the body..

Jillian Michaels' Fast Track to Fit Workout

  HIIT Can Get You Huge, Especially If You Are A Meathead In Need Of Cardio

The time has come, the last Twelve of Twelve before the end...  The end of what you ask?

• The world as we know it, darn those Mayans..

• The last time the: day, month, and year-end date will be the same number,

• Or just another great excuse to consume large amounts of alcohol?

Your choice, pick one... or two...  YOLO  (or as they say, YODO)

What better way to remember this oddly iconic date than to take twelve photos of your day..

 Then posting the your photos for all the Looky loos to see.

So, you ask, what is the Twelve of Twelve Project (click this link for further information) It was a creation of Chad Darnell, who is checking nursing a potentially broken foot as we speak..

Who is Chad Darnell..?   This handsome devil that's who, he is a very talented writer who knows all the cool people, I'm not kidding you about the cool people, and the talented part..

Please play along,

It's easy, just take twelve photos doing fun, silly and/or bizarro things, post them into a folder online so that you can share here.  Lets see what your 12th day of the 12 month in the year 2012 entailed...

December 12, 2012

My own Twelves: (clicking on any image opens a viewing carousel)