Primal Journal (kwschulz)
(30 posts) (3 voices)-
Ken
MemberInspired by the desire to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines, I am going to give the primal challenge a try. Here is my story.
Initial focus is on reducing the insulin roller coaster by avoiding processed foods and grains in place of more primal meals and snacks. Since I still enjoy completing (and sometimes competing) in triathlons, I will have to find an appropriate balance in both exercise and diet.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 1: August 3, 2009
B: 0.67lb fresh fruit and a bottle of milk
L: 1.19lb salad bar w/ f greens, tomato, carrots, cucumber, egg, tuna, 2 olives, olive oil/vinegar/salt/pepper
S: Raw brazil Nuts and a Banana
D: Beef, carrots, green beens, beets. Produce from local farmers market w/ bok choy and shrimp soup (spicy!) - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: 30 minutes total: 10 min warmup jog, 10 min urban playground workout, 10 min jog w/ sprints
Technically this is day 7 on the Primal Diet. No migraines for 7 days but the last few days I've been feeling a little tired. Took a 1hr+ nap on both Saturday and Sunday. Fought the desire to grab a Mocha or Latte today and instead went for a short walk.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 2: August 4, 2009
B: Ham and cheese omelet and a bottle of milk
L: 1.25lb salad bar w/ f greens, tomato, carrots, cucumber, egg, tuna, 2 olives, olive oil/vinegar/salt/pepper
S: Raw brazil Nuts and a Banana
D: Beat tops, summer garden salad, Beijing radish salad, and tuna. Produce from local farmers market w/ bok choy and shrimp soup (spicy!) - Dinner by Chef Aubrey<img=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3630/3790119121_08f703db1e_m.jpg>
E: 40 min light mountain bike ride. One hour off-road sprint triathlon. 40 min light mountain bike ride.
Yea, not exactly primal on the exercise but this is my tuesday night outlet and it's a lot of fun. Ended up a few minutes slower than previous weeks and didn't feel like I had any pop. Energy levels in general have been more stable than in the past but right now seem a little low. First mild headache (not a migraine) after dinner (after triathlon).
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberMinor Setback
Fortunately the minor headache I was experiencing last night was NOT a migraine! Unfortunately, it was something a lot worse. While writing the post last night, I was interrupted by a two hour battle of diarrhea and vomiting. As best I can tell it's from a bad protein shake I took shortly after the race. All is fine now and I'm on another quest to primally rehydrate and replenish my body.
Mark, have you thought about adding a probiotic to your primal store or do you have any suggestions?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 3: August 5, 2009
B: Yogurt (Stonyfield Plain Whole Milk) and fresh peach
L: Chef's Salad w/ bacon and egg
S: Glass of whole milk
D: Garden salad (cucumber, pepper, tomato, avocado, oil, vinegar), chicken breast, with kale-almond pesto. Produce from local farmers, except avocado - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
Today was a rather inactive day because of the food poisoning. I'm almost 100% back to normal. One interesting note, when I woke up this morning I had a decent amount of energy. Kind of surprising giving the circumstances.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Wow, the food looks awesome. I wish I had a camera to take pics of my meals!
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 4: August 6, 2009
B: Ham and Cheese Omelet with 3 strips of bacon and 0.58lb of mixed fruit
L: Pork loin and cream of broccoli soup with a banana
S: Glass of whole milk, green grapes, and cherry plumbs
D: Whole foods "blue-plate" with steamed carrots and soybeans, green beans, and steak. Topped it off with a shrimp spring roll from the sushi section.Another rather inactive day. Feel a little guilty I didn't get to at least some push-ups/pull-ups. Ended up spending time with friends at a local concert in the evening.
Thanks for the complement on the pic's! I might be biased, but I think farm fresh food is very photogenic.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 5: August 7, 2009
B: Ham and Cheese Omelet with glass of milk
L: Cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, no bread, and a banana
S: Glass of whole milk and a handful of cashews
D: Side dish of Bok Choy with a Swiss Chard/Tomato Soup with Bacon on top - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: 45 minute lake swim with 12 friends
Observation: I drank a lot of milk today. Probably not in balance with everything else. Cafeteria at work SUCKS! I wanted something warm and had enough with the salad's this week. Maybe I had a moment of weakness but I stayed away from the bread.
Seemed to have a bit more energy today, despite the rather small lunch. Also noticed, for the first time in a while, my elbow didn't bother me in the swim.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 6: August 8, 2009
B: Eggs with kale-almond pesto
S: Mixed veggies and red pepper hummus
L: lettuce, garden cucumbers, tomato, and pork loin. Very tasty rolled up in the leaf lettuce.
D: Asparagus, tomato/pepper salad, lettuce, green and yellow beans, cheeseburger and chicken (from the grill)
E: 45 minute walk/geo-cache along the Erie Canal
This weekend we took an adventure along the Erie Canal but first stopped by the Troy Farmers Market. Spent a lot of time outdoors, eating primal, and enjoying time with family.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 7: August 9, 2009
B: Crustless broccoli quiche, sausage, and watermelon
L: Garden salad, cheeseburger, chicken, fresh tomatoes, shrimp, carrots, and a hard boiled egg.
D: Sushi - mixed rolls
E: Boating activities ranging from washing to moving through 6 locks! Lots of out door fun! Also went to another farmers market and took a short walk around town.Felt a little guilty about the sushi. Not sure yet what selection is primal. Decided the 80/20 rule gave us a little room for enjoying a few sushi rolls.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 8: August 10, 2009
B: Fast
L: Garden salad with a cup of tomato soup
S: Glass of whole milk and a half bowl of nuts (brazil, cashews, and hazelnuts), blue berries, and raisins
D: Stuffed cue-ball squash with beets and beet-tops - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: None
Observation: Really dragging today. Slept a little more than usual the night before and just couldn't seem to wake up today. Fought the urge to grab a late mid afternoon. Could the excess rice make me feel that way?
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 9: August 11, 2009
B: Ham and cheese omelet with bacon and a bottle of milk
L: Sushi lunch with salad and miso soup
S: Banana and a Clif Bar < First processed food
D: Summer tomato salad, garden meatloaf w/turkey, with a shrimp and swiss chard, coconut milk soup - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: 40 min light mountain bike ride. One hour off-road sprint triathlon. 40 min light mountain bike ride.
While my energy levels were low last week, this week I was on fire! Ended up breaking my previous PR on the swim and overall time and had plenty of energy to spare. Just hope that Clif bar didn't mess up my progress.
Thank you Mark for answering my question about week 2 energy levels. That made a lot of sense and this week it's apparent! In the words of Mark, "Grok On!"
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 11: August 13, 2009
B: Fast
L: Panang Duck (no rice)
D: Salmon with a tomato salad, carrots, and string beans. Small portion of edamame for appetizer. All produce from the CSA - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: Corporate 5k (22 minute tempo run)
Observation: Although I had enough energy to get through the day, I didn't feel all that fast on the run today. Then again, for the effort, 22 min 5k isn't half bad. Still no migraines since the start of the primal diet. Still need to work on more primal exercises between the Swim/Bike/Run that I enjoy.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 12: August 14, 2009
B: Bacon and Cheese Omelet with a glass of milk
L: Company picnic, slim primal pickings. Ate one hamburger, one cheeseburger, one turkey-burger, with lettuce, and tomato. No chips, no potato salad, no soda, no ketchup, no bread, no pretzels, no cake...
D: Mache, spinach, avocado, mango salsa salad with kale chips and half a chicken - Dinner by Chef AubreyE: Softball (bare feet) followed by a 45 min lake swim
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 13: August 15, 2009
B: Two Omelet's with peppers, tomato, spinach, bacon, and ham with a side of sausage from the Farmers Diner.
L: Nuts, dried fruit, and an apple
D: Mountain House Beef Stew - Two ServingE: 6 mile hike in the White Mountains with ~35lbs backpack
Note: Still need to research better camping food. The nut/dried fruit mix was perfect and primal. Dinner was ok, 46 grams of carbs. Some day I'd like to by a dehydrator.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 14: August 16, 2009
B: Two "primal" energy bars (Mark Recipe) and an apple
L: 1/2 a bag of beef jerky and turkey jerky
D: Duck with vegetables from a Thai restaurant (no rice)E: 8 mile hike in the White Mountains with ~35lbs backpack
Primal bars were AWESOME! Highly recommend for long slow efforts like a hike in the Whites. Two energy bars = 1/3 a batch.
Posted 7 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 15: August 17, 2009
B: Ham and cheese omelet with side of bacon and glass of milk
L: Salad with tuna and egg and a cup of split pea soup
S: Dried dates, apricots, and raw brazil nuts
D: Green beans, tomato salad, olive stuffed chicken - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: Rest Day
Observation: 21 days without a migraine!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 16: August 18, 2009
B: Fast
L: Pulled pork with cauliflower and a cup of split pea soup
S: Clif bar (pre-race)
D1: Post race food: Two cheese burgers (no bread or ketchup) and a salad
D2: Shrimp with homemade pesto, quiche with swiss chard, onion, egg, and cheese, and a cucumber salad. All produce from the CSA and a friends garden - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: 40 minute light bike ride and the final off-road sprint tri of the season!
Observation: Went for the double dinner tonight. Seemed to make sense given the exercise. Felt really strong during and after the race. Energy levels are the highest they've been since I started this challenge.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 17: August 19, 2009
B: Ham and cheese omelet
L: Curry chicken w/rice, broccoli and cauliflower
D: Meatloaf, salad, and a bowl of cucumber/avocado gazpacho - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: Short urban workout and a track speed workout (400, 800, 1600) @ 5k pace
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 18: August 20, 2009
B: Fast
L: Buffalo chicken wrap & beef barley soup
S: Stuffed chicken leftover and a bowl full of hazel nuts, walnuts, raisins, and dried apricots
D: Yellow squash and a Pork loin with a mango salsa - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: Bike commute 11.5 miles (~1 hour) each way
Breakfast "fast" is always unintentional. Sometimes you just run out of time.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Can you tell me how you add photos?
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 19: August 21, 2009
B: Ham and cheese omelet w/ bacon
L: Salmon with rice and squash
S: Stony Field yogurt (plain/whole) with frozen mangos and raw mixed nuts
D: Vietnamese Restaurant: Ginger Shrimp, soup (rice noodle, shrimp, pork, and chicken), and a shrimp roll. Yes lots of shrimp tonight.
E: Rest dayFirst migraine in 25 days. Family stress, too much intense exercise over the past three days, and extreme temperatures and humidity leading to a thunderstorm appear to be major factors. Duration and intensity were much less than in the past.
Adding Phots
You can use html tags within the post. Here's a sample for an image:
< img src=http://www.flickr.com/path/image.img>
Just replace the url with the path to your image and you are good to go! You'll also have to remove the space between '<' and 'img'. I did notice that when you edit a post, this website likes to put in quotes which break the code when you save a second timePosted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 20: August 22, 2009
B: Scrambled eggs w/pesto and cream cheese and breakfast sausage
L: Meatloaf, pork-loin, zucchini, with fresh tomato and cucumber
D: Roasted chicken, potato salad, garden salad (fresh from the garden), asparagus, broccoli quiche, and a spinach quiche (home made)
E: Rest dayPosted 6 months ago # -
Cool! Thanks for the tip :)
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 21: August 23, 2009
B: Fruit, yogurt, spinach and broccoli quiche, watermelon
L: Leftovers from the last two meals
D: Fennel, chicken w/ peach salsa, and celery salad w. a glass of white wine - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: 9 holes of par 3 golf
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 22: August 24, 2009
B: Ham & cheese omelet with bacon, 0.72lb of fresh fruit, and a glass of milk
L: Stuffed baked potato with everything on it
D: Pulled pork stew, with a (farmers market) salad, and coconut baked potato - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: Rest day
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberDay 24: August 26, 2009
B: Ham & cheese omelet with bacon, 0.51lb of fresh fruit, and a glass of milk
L: Stuffed chicken w/ broccoli and a cup of beef chili
D: Chicken ratatouille w/ fresh corn (CSA), and garden salad - Dinner by Chef Aubrey
E: Light pool swim ~20 minutes
Posted 6 months ago # -
Ken
MemberFinal Thoughts
I decided to wrap up recording this challenge a bit early. Technically day 23 was my 30th day since I started a week early. The primal challenge gave me an opportunity to change the way I eat and consider a different way to exercise. In 30 days I only experienced one migraine and feel like I have more energy, fewer cravings or feeling agitated if I didn't eat at a precise time of day. I also got an opportunity to practice assisting in making and taking pictures of some fantastic meals. In the end, this challenge served as a catalyst of change to a positive experience. Thank you Mark Sisson and the MDA community.
Posted 6 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.