Posts

5 paleo weight loss tweaks speed up lose weight plateau paleo diet primal

5 paleo tweaks to speed up weight loss

/0 Comments/in , /by

For the vast majority of people, transitioning to the Paleo diet will often see dramatic improvements in their personal battle with weight loss. However, on some occasions, you may hit a plateau with your weight loss and find yourself struggling to reach your desired weight.

Before I go any further, I must stress that it vitally important not to worry about that number on the scales. If you’re looking and feeling your best, then ignore what the scales are telling you. Chances are, if you’re eating right and training well, you may well have added a little weight in the form of muscle mass.

If, however, you still have that last bit of body fat that you want to lose in order to look, feel, and perform at your optimum level; then you may wish to consider the following ‘tweaks’:

Watch your carb intake

Whilst it is a lot harder to take in excess carbohydrate on the Paleo diet, (largely due to the removal of grains and processed foods) it is still possible – and especially so if you’re not active. You may want to look at bringing your carb intake down to see how this helps you with your weight loss goals. Try cutting back on starchy vegetables like yams, hard squash, parsnips and beets, and replacing them with dark leafy greens like spinach, kale and broccoli. It may be worthwhile limiting your fruit intake as well to one portion per day. If you do eat fruit, berries are a very good choice. Otherwise, snack on hardboiled eggs, jerky, nuts and coconut to see you through between meals.

It’s important to tailor your carbohydrate intake to your activity level. If you’re relatively sedentary, then roughly 50g of carbs per day from vegetables is more than adequate. If you’re training more (and especially if you partake in high intensity exercise like Crossfit), you’ll be looking at probably double that. Time your carb intake as well – straight after a heavy workout to replace glycogen stores, and in the evening to increase melatonin and ensure a healthy sleep.

5 paleo weight loss tweaks speed up lose weight plateau paleo diet primal

Try Intermittent Fasting

Proven to break through even the most stubborn weight loss plateau, I can’t recommend Intermittent Fasting enough for fat loss and general appetite control. Try exercising when fasted, so your body turns straight to the fat stores for energy.

Move more

Sometimes, conventional wisdom does get it right. If you’re not seeing the fat loss results you’re after, it could be a case of not exercising enough. Just make sure it’s the right kind of exercise and you’re not slipping into chronic cardio territory. HIIT Training, sprints and Crossfit are excellent fat busters.

Sleep more

When you’re deprived of sleep, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which has been proven to increase fat storage. And, in case you needed any more reason to get a solid 8 hours sleep every night, the biggest spike in growth hormone occurs during sleep – which in turn, burns fat. Try sleeping more, and sleeping better too.

Stress less

As with sleep, if you’re stressed, your body will be releasing cortisol. Try meditating, exercising more, or increasing your sunlight exposure to help you manage your stress levels.

These are just a few ideas to help you break through your fat loss plateau. Do you have any other tips for fellow readers?

Are you suffering from Adrenal fatigue signs symptoms what is paleo diet-min

Are You Suffering From Adrenal Fatigue?

/6 Comments/in , , /by

Tired, washed out and exhausted, even when you had enough sleep? Feeling tired, weak and incapable of doing things? Could you be suffering from adrenal fatigue?




What are the adrenals?

The adrenals are like two caps on top of the kidneys which play a key role in the endocrine (hormonal) system. They produce more than 50 different hormones, such as adrenaline (epinephrine), noradrenaline, cortisol, progesterone and testosterone. These hormones are involved in energy production, water-salt balance, blood pressure, metabolism, heartbeat, liver function, the immune system, blood sugar level, fat storage and dealing with stress.

When we’re under stress, the adrenals should react by releasing adrenalin and noradrenalin to cope with physical danger, typically called the ‘fight or flight’-reaction. Whenever the ‘danger’ is gone, the adrenals make sure that the hormone levels are back to normal. Cortisol is produced in this situation and the release of DHEA is suppose to ‘un-stress’ the body.

And, who isn't faced with stress these days? Work, family, pressure from friends and our eating pattern put us under constant stress. This stress on the mental, physical and emotional levels, ensure that the adrenals are constantly overloaded with the amount of hormones they have to release. When these processes are prolonged, the adrenals can become exhausted; adrenal fatigue. We start to feel tired and are not able to cope with whatever comes our way any more.

Are you suffering from Adrenal fatigue signs symptoms what is paleo diet-min

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue

Because the adrenals play such an important role in the endocrine system, the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are expressed in various forms. This long list makes it more than clear that the right balance of hormones is crucial to us.

  • Appetite for salt
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Dizziness
  • Sleeping disorders
  • Inflammations
  • Headache
  • Unstable blood sugar
  • Excessive thirst and urge to urinate
  • Swellings
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Varicose veins
  • Bad digestion
  • Heart disorders
  • Asthma
  • Infections
  • Behavioral and memory problems
  • Allergies
  • Hyperpigmentation

Some other symptoms are

  • Mood swings
  • Irritation
  • Low energy level
  • Depression
  • Painful bodyparts
  • Low bloodpressure
  • Anxiety attacks
  • And many more…

What to do if you're suffering from adrenal fatigue?

Change your nutrition! When you have adrenal fatigue, the time you eat becomes very important. You need to keep the cortisol in your blood at the right level. If you don’t have the right amount of cortisol in your blood, it’s hard for your body to keep the right glucose levels. The result of this could be hypoglycemia.

People with exhausted adrenals often tend to choose the foods and drinks which give them energy at the expense of the adrenals, such as fast food, soft drinks and coffee. The fats in fast food are the wrong fats, the carbohydrates are often refined and the nutritional value is low. This way they withhold their body of the nutrients it needs more than ever, to function and recover. And this will make the adrenals more and more exhausted.

Eat immediately when you get up, to refuel your body. This is not the time for intermitant fasting.

Eat a strict Paleo diet, with enough protein, healthy fats, unrefined carbohydrates, vegetables and enough fruits. You may choose to experiment with increasing your carbohydrate intake in the form of things like pumpkin and sweet potato.

Stress is a huge factor, with sufferers of adrenal fatigue simply truing to do it all. When trying to heal, it’s really important to reduce stress, and take time out to meditate and relax.

Have you suffered from adrenal fatigue? What helped you to heal? Please share your stories and tips in the comments below, and help someone out!

Paleo Primal Diet Health Benefits Massage why good for you healthy natural muscles-min

8 Reasons Why You Should Have A Regular Massage

/5 Comments/in , /by

With a massage in Sydney typically costing over $100 for an hour, it has always been a very occasional treat. On my recent travels to Indonesia however, I found Balinese massages were offered almost everywhere – and the going rate worked out at somewhere between $4.50 and $12 an hour. With prices like that, I thought I’d conduct my very own experiment, which basically involved having as many massages as I could and seeing if I felt any better for it!

The first few were quite sore, probably because I had some muscle tension. By the end of the trip, the soreness had completely gone. I noticed my sleep was better (though being on holiday probably has a big part to play), I felt relaxed and I'm certain I am a bit taller!

Having got back and researched it a bit further, there are lots of reasons for having regular massages.

Paleo Primal Diet Health Benefits Massage why good for you healthy natural muscles-min

The Benefits of Massage:

1. Posture gradually improves as the muscles around the spine become more flexible and less tense.

2. Circulation is encouraged, which is good for muscle recovery and healing

3. Massage encourages deeper breathing, helping oxygen circulate encouraging healing and growth

4. Joint flexibility is increased and tension relieved


5. A calm mind is encouraged by massage along with a completely relaxed body.

6. A massage is claimed to boast alertness and improve attention.

7. The cortisol that is decreased by massage is said to boast your lymph flow and immune cells (though I think the massage I had by the sneezing, sniffing masseuse in Bali probably didn’t have such a benefit to my immune system)

8. The decrease in cortisol and increase in serotonin and dopamine provided by the massage may also reduce stress, anxiety and depression.

If only a daily massage was an affordable option!

What benefits have you gained from massages? Do you regularly have them?