Book Review: Paleo Fitness by Darryl Edwards

I enjoy reading. I often read articles regarding fitness and healthy recipes from pages I follow on Facebook. Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to read books, which really needs to change. But thanks to Darryl Edwards, the Fitness Explorer, I read a book! His book, Paleo Fitness.

I’ve been following Darryl‘s posts and blog for a while now. I love his approach to nutrition and fitness. Basically…keep it simple. 

Eat REAL food and PLAY outside. 

He takes a lot of the info from his blog, along with other research on Paleo and functional fitness, and combines all that together in his book.

He reminds us of what humans used to eat and how physical we used to be. And that we really haven’t evolved as much as we thought we did, which is a good thing. He stresses how we should return to the way it used to be because that is what is good for our bodies, and it is also what our bodies crave. We were designed to eat real food and move a lot, instead of eating prepackaged convenience “foods” and sitting most of the day.

image from 365daysofselfcare.com

His book provides info on the history of our ancestors, and studies performed by experts, to help show the importance of eating real food and moving as much as possible. By embracing this, we can help rid ourselves of obesity and many other ailments. We really do become what we eat.

Also in his book, he provides a meal plan, several recipes, and demonstrates a range of functional body weight exercises. YES! You can do all of this at home, or at the park. No, you don’t need a gym membership. That is the beauty of these movements. They are simple, yet very effective.

This book is definitely a good read. It typically takes me a while to read a book from cover to cover, but since this book contained something I am very interested in, I was able to finish it in no time.

Have you read the book?
What are your thoughts on it?

Your Brain Needs To Workout Too

When I was in my early 20's my HR manager told me that she does crossword puzzles. She said that she does it to keep her brain in shape. Being my 20's I didn't think much of it. I was young. Why would I need to work out my brain when I've got so many years ahead of me? Well a year here and a year there went by and now I'm in my 30's. Where the heck did the time go?

I'm now in love with running - check!
I'm also doing cross training - check!
I do some sort of activity or workout everyday - check!
My diet has improved - check!

But what about my brain? Oh my. My old HR manager was onto something. The body is complex, but the brain is....well, the brain of it all. So how does one exercise the brain? You need to feed the brain things to make the gears turn.


crossword puzzles
word searches
scrabble
reading
solve a rubix cube
take classes
work on your budget
learn a new language
tutor
...and the list goes on and on.

What are you doing to keep your brain in shape?
Currently my favorite form of brain exercise is playing Words With Friends on my iPhone. Wanna play? What's your username?

username is melygreen

Lastly....don't forget to do your deep breathing. Your brain needs oxygen. Set aside a few minutes a day (for starters) to do some deep breathing. Your brain and the rest of your body will thank you.

10 Year Cancer Survivor - Join the fight!

Last month, October, was Cancer Awareness month. I celebrated LIVESTRONG Day by wearing my yellow LIVESTRONG shirt during my first 5k. I also wear my yellow band everyday. I donated to Lee Denim Day at work. I also promoted #beatcancer on Facebook and Twitter. And Team Lagade walked in the ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in San Francisco. I do what I can to help spread the word. Not only in November, but throughout the year.

me before the walk

I H8 CANCER!

I really do. So many people I know are affected by this horrible dreadful disease. So may people I know, know others who are dealing with it. My cousin's friend's husband just passed recently. Why? My father in law lost a toe due to an infection that wouldn't heal. Why? Why does this have to happen?
Unfortunately, your medical professionals won't help you prevent this. Yes, the check ups are a good starting point, and they'll tell you eat right and exercise, but that's all they'll do for you. DON'T just count on your medical professionals. They see a great number of patients daily, so they can't keep track of you or check up on you unless you're in a hospital bed.

I spoke to my primary physician about my concern about getting breast cancer. 

Why?

My cousin had it, along with brain cancer, and she passed this year. RIP coz. She was in her early 40's. My aunt had breast cancer and is now a 10 year survivor. How remarkable is that?! Woot! Woot! I just had to share this info and express how I feel about this disease.

 Susan G. Komen Walk 2009

 Susan G. Komen Walk 2010

 

So what are the chances I'd get it? According to my doctor, she wants to start breast exams when I'm 35. Ok, cool. She told me about the BRCAI and BRCAII tests. Ok, cool. Let's do it! Doesn't it make sense to take the tests to see if I'm a carrier of a breast cancer gene? You know...try to be preventative here. But get this, if I am a carrier then it's noted in my medical record. AND if I do get cancer, guess what!

I would be UNINSURABLE. 

Yup! Can you freakin believe it?! UNINSURABLE. Say it with me...

un-in-sur-able

Yeah, so I'd pretty much get a big freakin EFF YOU from the insurance companies. What would you do at this point? Give it a think. It's pretty hard to swallow. Because of this, I opted not to take the tests and do all I can to be preventative.

Note: I have heard that there was an act that would make the insurance companies cover you even if you are a carrier. If it's true, it would be a great start. If you have info, please contact me.

YOU need to take care of yourself. I've said it before and I'll say it again - YOUR body is YOUR temple. Yes, eat right and exercise. Include cancer fighting food in your diet. Get enough sleep. One of the best sources of info is by Dr. David Servan-Scheriber. He had brain cancer. After conventional treatment, he beat it. But his doctors told him to go back to living his life as he did before cancer. You know what happened? His cancer came back. You see, even doctors don't have all the answers, so you must do your own research. If you've gone to his website and want more info, he has written a book called, Anticancer: A New Way of Life.


So what am I doing to be preventative?

• I exercise daily. I keep moving.
• I buy mostly organic food.
• I eat lots of fruits and vegetables daily.
• I limit red meat.
• I eat clean.
• I limit intake of high fructose corn syrup.
• I do not smoke.
• I do not drink alcohol.
• I drink lots of water and green tea.
• I even limit items I apply to my skin in order to be a natural as possible.
• I examine my body.
• I try to get 7 hours of sleep a night. (this one is difficult for me)

As you can tell, I'm very passionate about spreading the word about cancer. Life is WAY too short and precious. I was a teen once, and thought I was invincible. Even in my 20's, I figured I had lots of time. But in all honesty, you don't. More and more kids are dying of cancer. More and more adults are dying of cancer. It does not discriminate.

What are you doing to prevent cancer?

How are you spreading the word?

Join the fight. Lets #beatcancer!

The Barefoot Running Book second edition Book Review

I have wanted to read this book for quite some time, and now there's a second edition. Where have I been? Thanks to Jason, I got the opportunity to read it. I spent my lunch hours at work reading this book. I have a cubical job which does not help with being active during the workday. But reading Jason's book kept me in the running spirits. Yay!

physical aspects of the book
Although the cover of the book is in color, the rest of it is in black and white. I felt that eliminating the use of color in the pictures kept a minimalist tone throughout the book. I believe that minimalism and barefeet definitely go hand in hand.

what I liked about the book
I enjoyed reading about his screw-ups when it came to barefoot running because I think many of us experience them and get disappointed. But it really is a learning experience. Although I did my research, I still pushed myself too hard and ended up with TOFP. There is WAY more to it than just taking your shoes off and going for a run as you normally would. Jason provides a multitude of tips on how to get started right. But the detailed descriptions really helped reveal whether my technique was correct or not. His experiences gave the book a human voice. It definitely was not a scientific article which made the reading enjoyable.

Something else that reminded me that this book was written by a human were the spelling mistakes. OH MY GOSH! Those stuck out like a sore thumb. I would find myself focusing on that misspelled word. I asked myself if this book was even reviewed before being published. Having experience as a software tester and a document reviewer, they caught my eye immediately. After the third misspelling, I did find it humorous and reminded myself that that was just Jason's humor. (which he did mention the book would be full of)

Jason added muscle to this book by including articles from doctors, professors, and other barefoot runners. He definitely bled the social theme of his websites into his book. He doesn't take credit for all of the information, but pulls in resources in addition to his knowledge.

who should read this book
If you want to read about history and a story about barefoot running then you should read Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. I've read it and it is a good read. But if you're ready to begin your journey to becoming a barefoot runner, then get a copy of THIS book. It will provide you with the right steps to running free.