Fitness, News

Making It Happen

I will admit that  I live in a paleo bubble of sorts.  As a trainer for Norcal I am surrounded by a huge community of friends who generally all eat paleo too.  When Robb Wolf and Nicki Violetti happen to be the folks you work for, that’s just kind of how it is… Which by the way, if you haven’t yet pre-ordered Robb’s book– I strongly suggest you do so!!  So, back to that paleo bubble I mentioned – a typical outing or get together with friends often includes paleo friendly food, but sometimes when I venture out of my paleo bubble, I am reminded that we are modern day hunters and gatherers, often having to forage for the foods that fuel us.  I left the boys at home this weekend and made the four hour drive to the bay area to attend a wedding shower. When it comes to food choices in social situations and sticking to what’s best for us, sometimes we simply have to make it happen.  Making it happen at the shower included eating the delicious green salad that was served at the party, and deconstructing the cute little sandwiches to get to the protein.  No one even noticed my uneaten bread.  Later that evening when my friend decided to order pizza, I offered to run to the store for you guessed it – more salad and I also tossed some roasted chicken in the cart which I ate instead of the pizza.  On my way home this morning I ran into Safeway and picked up sliced turkey, fruit, and nuts for my breakfast – it took me 10 minutes and I was back on the road.  My only other breakfast option in the vicinity before I hit the freeway was a Burger King.

Making it happen can also mean getting those work outs in, even while on the road.  The last time we visited the in-laws, we loaded up our boys along with all of our nephews and nieces and hauled them to the park for a family workout.  The kids had a blast, and we got in some exercise – it’s all about making it happen!

We can choose to, or choose not to; it’s really as simple as that…  Trust me – I am FAR from perfect but I know that putting in the extra degree of effort is worth it in the long run and making choices that sometimes seem more difficult  at that moment, actually make everything else in life much more enjoyable and manageable.

Cheers

Sarah Fragoso

Sarah Fragoso is an international best selling author of 6 books, co-owner of the Chico, CA based gym JS Strength and Conditioning, and founder of the Everyday Paleo franchise. Sarah is the co-host of the popular Sarah and Dr. Brooke Show podcast and she also conducts workshops and retreats on the subjects of nutrition, lifestyle and fitness.

Her message is from the heart and she carries a genuine desire to help other families looking for guidance. These attributes have contributed to her successes and provide the drive to keep the discoveries coming.

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18 Comments

  1. I love this post! We just pre-ordered Robb’s book, The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet! Looking forward to reading it.

    About making it happen: Lee and I recently went on vacation and took our nephews to the elementary school for a work out. We always get out workout in somehow.

    We do, however, have to get better and standing up for our food choices. Its so hard to decline food that Lee’s mom prepared especially for us… we are going to have to be more clear about our eating style and stay true to it.

    We are very lucky to have a good circle of fit and healthy friends. Although it is very awkward during social situations with people that are unfamiliar with our lifestyle.

  2. Awesome! You are an inspiration!! I hear you on that bubble thing. I love my bubble. Loved the analogy of modern day grok exiting his bubble and having to forage for sustenance. Just a fantasteak blog post. 😀

    1. Sarah says:

      Thank you Melissa!! : )

  3. Jeromie says:

    Doesn’t Planter’s nuts have cottonseed/soybean/peanut oil? On an aside, I pre-ordered Robb’s book and I can’t wait for it! I know he’s not a saturophobe like Cordain, but he’s smart, dedicated to paleo, and he’s a crossfitter!

    1. Sarah says:

      I was in such a rush I didn’t even check the nuts. I typically buy nuts from our local farmers markets or tader joes so I didn’t think t look at them. If they do have soybean or peanut oil in them I figure the small handful of nuts I ate along with my fruit and turkey will kill me slower than a croissant sandwich or french toast dippers from Burger King…. ; ) They are still in my husbands car so I’ll take a look at the back when he gets home and report back.

  4. Kimberlie says:

    So true! At home it’s so easy! We manage to do a pretty good job of keeping ourselves and our two year old in a primal-style bubble at home. We went on vacation with my parents this week and every time I turned around my little guy was begging for a chip or some other crap food my parents were eating. That NEVER happens at home because we don’t keep that kinds of stuff at home and he doesn’t expect it. Although I wasn’t thrilled our vacation was over, I was happy to be back home in a controlled eating environment.

    1. Sarah says:

      Kimberlie! I hear you on that – vacation is great but I’m always happy to come home to good food!!

  5. Well, that just throws all of my excuses out of the window. I love you and hate you all at the same time for this post. lol Thank you!

    1. Sarah says:

      Linzi! Thank you for reading! You all inspire me to keep this up!!

  6. Amy says:

    I know what you mean, but boy, am I envious of you! I am gluten, egg, and casein intolerant, so I can’t just remove the protein from a sandwich or just grab some nuts or roasted chicken and assume they are safe for me to eat. When we went out of town for a long weekend, we got a hotel with a kitchen and I cooked all of my own meals. It is a lot of trouble but I do what I gotta do. So, my point is, if I can do this, the average person, who doesn’t have several food intolerances, can maintain their Paleo lifestyle with much less work!

    1. Sarah says:

      Amy! Thank you so much for your response, you make such an excellent point. You are truly an inspiration!

  7. Excellent post. Eating paleo simply requires a little discipline and minor (depending on how you look at it) tweaks in the way we eat. I picked up some salad greens, and some almonds, and tuna in olive oil for lunch.

    Also, all your recipes/pictures are awesome. Keep up the great blog!

    1. Sarah says:

      Thanks Eric! : )

  8. Here here!!! Great post. I think Amy really said it well when she mentioned her food allergies and how much harder it is for her when others of us can simply pick things apart to make our paleo lifestyles work for us. I find that getting protein and veggies (or fruit if I must) isn’t that hard if you have your go-to’s in mind all the time. Salad and roasted chicken are two of my favorites for dinner from a grocery store that’s fast. I try to eat pastured or organic chicken as often as possible, but hey, in a pinch, chicken will be chicken! Recently I was out all day with a friend and we wanted to run into a store for a quick snack. I had no trouble letting him know that some raw almonds and a peach were all I really needed… no muss, no fuss. It’s really not that hard if you know what to eat and where to get it– there is at least SOMETHING you can eat in most places, even if it’s not your first choice when at home.

    Keep up the great work!
    Diane 🙂
    San Francisco Nutritionist, Paleochix blogger & CrossFit-a=holic 🙂

  9. Leigh Ann says:

    The idea of eating paleo is definitely intriguing. I have many food intolerances so I’m not afraid of modifying my diet, packing my food or turning down food when offered… However, my biggest issue with eating paleo is that I don’t like eating lots of animal flesh, meat or fish. I can handle it in small/medium amounts, but I don’t like it as my major protein source. Whether it’s my blood type or ideology, I can’t seem to get into eating lots of meat. AND, I can’t seem to find many paleo main dishes w/o it. I know beans are only suggested in small quantities, as well as nuts. I do CrossFit and trail run so I definitely need the protein… Any suggestions?

    1. Sarah says:

      Hey Leigh Ann! Well, shoot – I wish I had a magic pill that would help you get over your protein aversion, but my best advice is to keep at it. I was a vegetarian for years and I clearly remember thinking that there was NO way that I would ever let a piece of meat pass my lips, but boy are those days gone. I think eating quality meat helps. I know the meat that I am eating has been humanely raised and is not full of hormones, or other crap. If you stick with it, you might be surprised that you will soon grow a strong affection for meat. I suggest not cheating at all and if you are ok with eggs, try and utilize this protein source as much as possible in conjuncture with other animal proteins and see if after 30 days, you start to feel better/differently about eating meat. Let me know what happens and hang in there! Another great source, if you have not already found him, is Robb Wolf. http://www.robbwolf.com He is a paleo guru and has a million answers to everything paleo related. Good luck!

  10. Through the power of search engines and clicking on link after link, I found this site after searching for homemade egg rolls. Go figure! Don’t know if you’ll see this comment so long after you posted but I really enjoyed this post. I’ve been on Weight Watchers for over a year now and have lost almost 55 pounds – it’s been a life saver – but I’ve also been slacking. Your advice about how it’s a choice really struck home. I can choose to be unhealthy or I can choose to be healthy; it really is that simple. I’m from the South and the thought of no bread or cheese is enough to terrify me but I’m intriged by what I’ve read on your blog about the paleo lifestyle. I’ll be digging around on here for more information about off limit foods and such. Thanks for putting it all out here.

    1. Hey Kelie! I’m so glad you found my blog – maybe it was somehow just meant to be…. : ) So, in order to become more familiar with the paleo diet, I suggest you check out http://www.robbwolf.com, and order his new book, The Paleolithic Solution. Another great resource is Dr. Cordain’s site which is http://www.paleodiet.com. The paleo diet is about sticking to what our bodies are intended to eat based on our ancestors – which is meat, veggies, a little bit of fruit, and good fat from sources like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and oats and should entirely be avoided. Gluten is a gut irritant and to make a long story short is clinically proven to cause all sorts of issues for folks from chronic swelling to well, even heart disease and cancer. Start researching and keep in touch – I would love to hear what you decide to do!

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