Paleo Pals - Health, Weight Loss & Support

Yes it's here………….

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY – No gap? No problem!

Wednesday couldn't have come any sooner here in Bedrock…….Vegas had most of us by the throat over the weekend, so now it's time to leave the buffet and pay the bill.

This week I'm concentrating on a universally annoying hot spot that drives many a Cave Chick to distraction….THIGHS. Sometimes referred to as 'thunder & lightning', 'wide load' or the ever popular 'big Berthas'…..ain't some folks mean? Thigh gaps have become popular....and for good reason, less fat = better health.

After years of cardio and lifting I'm still not fully satisfied and long to complete the look of my hard earned thigh gap. I think I'm still too bulgey at the top of each thigh…..I call them my cheeseburgers )))))

Here's a blatantly ripped off Google visual of the Cheeseburger Zone:

Sorry about the bad text and drawing on the pic….momma didn't raise no tech! ))))

Now, I'm not looking for a thigh gap so wide I could pass a 57' Chevy through, but I do want to catch up to the rest of my legs…a lousy ¾-1" less cheeseburger would colour me happy. So what's a girl to do to attain a fit n' sassy thigh gap?

Eat right and move….the Cheeseburger zone is a high fat collection area by nature of being female. Burning fat in these areas is notoriously hard, but burning fat is necessary to reduce the bulge. I've added both vids into my life 2-3 times per week along with my usual workout. Crossing fingers I get my new parking space soon )))))

Want to fast track your way to a better gap? Do these>>>>>>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOlcqXdmk9U

(Another great gal….6 minutes but covers all the bases!)

Does spot training on a specific body part work? No. So why the HELL am I posting spot work centered training vids?

Reason: A healthy eating regime & a consistent exercise program that includes weight bearing movement will burn fat. Once the fat has diminished you'll clearly see the reward of all your efforts via sculpted and toned body parts, especially the hot spots! Like everything good though, they show up last….yup, best for last.

So grab your mats, runners, weights, bike or whatever and get moving!! Go carve yourself a gap to be proud of and throw those cheeseburgers where they belong.

*grumbling* Thunder & lightning....geeze.

Ksuze…….That's one heck of an olive! Where is the martini to match ))))) Have fun in Philly, don't work too hard, steer clear of the cheese steak sammies, and get some rest....thinking you might be sawing off logs as I type, at least I hope you are! Flying kills me....even a 20 minute flight makes me feel like Rip Van Winkle

ETA: Olive you! nuk,nuk nuk. ) Oh boy....I need professional help! )

KSuze - The lifestyle almost dictates a fridge in the room. When I was in TO I had them add a microwave too..lifesaver. I was fully stocked...a lot of boiled egg pouches saved me the hotel exorbitant breakfast fees..$21 a pop!! $21 for a buffet style breakfast that was just so much cantaloupe and lousy omelettes. Nice walking numbers you’re getting done....just don’t fall asleep in Staples. If you really must, they have a pretty good selection of comfy office chairs ))) All the best with the presentations!

PS.......I remember my Mum writing out grocery lists back in the day. She always spoke the items out loud as she wrote...and ended every list with “lettuce turnip and pea” immediately followed by guffaws. The day I innocently (and loudly) reminded her about her last 3 list items (in the middle of the produce section) she just about had a coronary. She never added lettuce turnip and pea to another grocery list ))))

Get your study on kids, its...……………………...

TUTORIAL THURSDAY – Finding Nemo….safely!

Dedicated to our peach of a gal Ksuze….in honour of her undying love of fish ))))))))

**

FISH. We all know it's good for us…..and that a healthy diet should include it, but in recent years buying healthy fish has become yet another stumbling block while sashaying through the fish department or freezer section of our grocery stores. We read about and see the warnings regarding mercury levels, farmed fish, overfishing, area specific hot spots, ad infinitum.

Let's do a quick and dirty breakdown shall we?

• Wild Caught Fish – "are caught by fishermen in their natural habitats, rivers, lakes & oceans". Wild caught fish eat organisms found in their existing environment, which is more diverse than what farmed fish get to eat on a regular basis…all antibiotic free."

*

• Farmed fish – "raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food". Farmed fish makes up about 90% of the fish consumed within the US & Canada. Farmed fish can be fed a low-quality fish meal that's a mixture of corn, grains, fish oil and ground up, wild-caught fish. Antibiotics may also be thrown in the mix, due to the questionable water quality in the raising tanks.

Note that not all farmed fish are created equal, and that standards are changing for the better, especially in the US. There are many fish farmers practicing ethical methods and provide great product. You must be constantly vigilant in checking our your fish sources. Ask questions at the fish counter….where, what & when is vital info.

Nutritional breakdown

The nutritional value of wild caught is thought to be higher than farmed because of the diverse diet and lack of 'dirty water'. Fact is Farmed salmon, in many cases, may actually be as nutritious as its wild counterparts and, in many cases, can be richer than wild in terms of omega-3s and omega-6s essential fatty acids. Wild fish, on the other hand, are full of trace minerals found in the oceans. In general, smaller types of fish may pack the most nutritional bang for their buck as opposed to larger fish. Think sardines, anchovies, herring and shellfish.

IMHO your biggest worry should not be farmed or wild caught. Mercury content is the deciding factor in what Nemo I choose.

Mercury Content - the sticking point

Rule of thumb, the larger the fish (long life span) and the warmer the waters Nemo swims in = larger mercury content. Cold water small to medium sized fish are the safest bets. Larger fish like swordfish, for example, contain higher mercury levels. Farmed fish may have lower instances of mercury than wild-caught fish, but farmed fish that are raised in the ocean generally have the same amount of mercury as wild caught.

Mercury Hot Spots

Certain regions are notorious for contaminated fish (along with over fishing & unsafe raising practices in farming).In June of this year the US shut down all fish imports from China for questionable levels of heavy metals that are harmful and carcinogenic, along unsafe food handling practices. China is also notorious for overfishing the oceans. This is NOT a racist slam, simply fact. Check your product label carefully for country of origin! If Asian or warm climate regions are listed think twice if you're eating fish on a regular basis.

Handy Dandy (simple) Fish Choice Chart:

*Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods.

** Farmed salmon may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects.

Tips:

• Buy from a trusted source, preferably local
• Read labels carefully for country of origin
• Stick to cold water small to medium fish
• Be vigilant by continually checking up on the status of our waters/fish (links below)

Want to check out your fish selection? These two sites are excellent resources, both with search capability and lots o' detail. Both links have been added to the original post (at the end of the guides and before recipe sources) for future reference:

http://seafood.edf.org/salmon

https://fishchoice.com/

So there you have it. I have further info if you want it….just PM or post and I'll be happy to share.

Enjoy your day Peeps, hope it goes swimmingly ))))) I'm on a pun kick lately….yeah yeah I know, lowest form of humour. Sue me.

Morning Cave Folks!

Ksuze - I can imagine the fish you posted would make for some pretty funky plating )) Joking of course! Ok so ten bucks goes to the first chick that can say it's name three times fast )))))))))

JKL - Happy you found the info helpful, oh yes the mag is GREAT for sounder slumber. I'll be posting collagen results soon...so good!! I bet your cheeseburgers are just fine! Ya' know I thought I couldn't have exercised my inner thighs to a smaller size until I started using the Hip Adduction machine at the gym. If your gym has one of these jump on and give it a try...works great! Warning though, my cavepup's high school had one of these machines and the kids named it 'the vagina buster'....the first time you use it you get a wonky pulling feeling 'down there'. Goes away fast enough. Great machine....just start low so you don't get 'busted' ))))

Vampriella - I added the asterisk info at the bottom of the chart....I tried this morning but couldn't for the life of me to get the pic to post complete. US tuna - take another peek at your label....does it say 'Imported for Blah Blah Blah Company' If so it might be an Asian import only packaged by a US company. You need to find the country of origin eg: Product of China, packaged by Blah Blah, Albany NY.....Canadian labels are bad for this...looks Canadian but it's only processed and packaged here. The type of tuna is important...check the chart...Skipjack is OUT. How often are you eating canned tuna and salmon?

Pixi(dust) Awwwww, come on! We want to see DH's latest creation!!!....paleo or not! Post away, we won't mind! ) Cute fishy....does he have a name? What kind of fish is that? God lord, he's staring at me. ))))

Shout out to our newest cave chick Kickin…..I'm hoping your surgery on Tuesday was smooth and that recovery is painless! TwoH...still working on your southern cuisine....paleo style! Inna (godda Davida)….gentle hugs sweetie, hope the rads are still going well!

Ok chickies,I'm off to get Foodie Friday rolling...having a lot of fun with it....so much fun that I'm doubting my sanity. ))

Morning Cave Chicks!

Saturday at last....and a chilly one it is! The houses and cars on my street are all covered in a fine layer of frost and the leaves are escaping from branches at breakneck speed. We've already had a skim of snow that didn't hold a few days back. Snow tires went on last week. Comfort food is hitting our table more often than not. Starting to think about a Christmas menu. *sigh* time to face reality, summer is not coming back. If it wasn't for bad driving conditions, freezing temps for months on end, and shovelling snow, I'd love winter! )))) Retirement destination.....anywhere on the equator!

Inna (godda davida, Pixi(dust), Kathindc….thank y'all so much for your kind words. It's a relief that the nutbar thoughts rolling around in my grey matter might actually give someone a chuckle, or be helpful in a small way. Hugs ladies...you're too sweet!!

Inna (godda davida) - I'd make you a dozen carby barbies….unfortunately they'd probably arrive less than appetizing, maybe even green ))) The recipe is actually very easy....and yup, they freeze well.

Pixi(dust) - Love Pishy's name...that's awesome! Amazing how pets reach in and grab your heart....may he live long and prosper!!! Your DH's dish looks REALLY yummy. Also easy enough to hack over to Paleo as the only non-compliant item you listed was the spelt breading. I'm going to give it a shot this week...I adore eggplant!! Kudos to DH....and the plating is pretty!!

Kathindc - I'm tellin' ya, that book dedication will have your name in it, thank you again....gotta' love ya!!! )))

Vampriella - I'm sorry, I forgot to include a reply to your leg cramp issues earlier (bagel brain here). Ok, so continue with the squats and lunges. It takes time to build muscle mass, and along the way you'll get DOMS (workout soreness) and a few extra leg spasms (thanks tamox) in the beginning, this is normal. If you're doing s & q's at least 3 times per week then you should see a difference within 4-6 weeks. If you can, do 1-2 sets of s&q's on your off days (10 mins tops). This will build muscle mass even faster, and you should see an end (or HUGE reduction) in the leg issues. Example: I did a yoga class once and woke up that night with one of the worst calf pulls EVER. Between taking tamoxifen and using the muscle in a different way, my leg freaked out. Just keep going...it will get better!

JKL, JunieBee…..hope you ladies are feeling better!! Rest up!

Sunday Funday Chicks!

Vampriella, those pizzas look stunning!! *drool* Vamp’s test kitchen was a resounding success! Send any leftovers my way pls )))) one question, you said the first crust was a ‘chicken crust’...?? Never heard of a chicken crust...recipe? Love to try it! I could never settle with pizza crust and like you the search goes on. Best I’ve made yet was a dairy free cauliflower crust that wasn’t goopy or wet....pretty easy too.

S&q...you could do the chair type if you’re wiped out....or you could just rest )), listening to you bod is always smart.

Everyone: Random Cave trivia question (no googling allowed)..what was Wilma Flinstones mother’s full name?

Hope everyone's day is splendiferous!!!