5th Sept 2012

This is turning out to be more of a food diary than a blog about paleo..

Breakfast:
2 bananas
2.5 simmered chicken breast
nuts

Lunch:
Fried Cabbage
2 Roast Chicken Breast
Nuts

Post Workout Drink:
1 Coconut

Dinner:
Salad
Salad
Par-boiled Vegetables
Sirloin Steak

Found a lil secret hide away restaurant. There was no salt, seasoning or dressing on any of the veges, salad or steak. It is over priced for something I could whip up in 10 minutes. But heck, it's paleo =)

4th Sept 2012

Working away from home sucks for Paleo. Especially since Melaka is a foodie tourist place so everything is very unpaleo. Anyway there is no excuses for not Paleo-ing so here was what I had;

Breakfast:
Pineapples
Strawberries
Simmered Chicken Breast
Nuts

Lunch:
Dragon Fruit
Avocado
Roast Beef

Dinner:
Nandos.....

Roast vegetables
Tomato Spinach
Half a roast Chicken

3rd September 2012

Let the Challenge Begin!

Couple of weeks back, I was invited to a 4-week paleo challenge on Facebook. The event was created by Crossfit & Paleo Resources. This is the link to the challenge.

Since my sister and I have been on a strict Paleo challenge for the Month of August (which did not go too well as we both had one cheat meal a week. Her more than me. I had one cheat bite a week) I thought heck, September all out strict paleo. Let's do it and start living the lifestyle.

Since the very first Paleo challenge that I did (hence the creation of this blog), I have been eating Paleo about 65%/70%; but if you have ever lived in Malaysia then you will know why it is just that much more difficult. On numerous occasions I have said ok lets do full paleo and I just couldnt hop on that wagon again.

With this challenge being on Facebook and being a worldwide event, I am more determined than ever. Also, it's probably good to know that others are suffering with me =)

5 days before the challenge begin, I got news from my company that I have to be based in Melaka for a week or two. First thing I thought of was "OMG! What about my Paleo?!?!?!" I guess that's a good sign. This would mean I can't cook and I would have to eat out plus I can't continue in my strength program as I would not have access to a bar to do my lifting.

None the less, Paloe is a lifestyle and I should be able to do it anywhere I go. So I am here in Melaka and what did I eat? Well for breakfast since I was still home I had fruits and eggs. For lunch (kinda tricky since I was Melaka) I had opted for chicken rice without rice and no sauce. So I had a half a chicken which was steamed and cucumber pieces. For dinner, I went home to KL since my sister is leaving back for her studies so I had good home cooked Paleo food.

So all in all, Day 1 not too bad. The real challenge begins on Day 2 when I am fully based in Melaka. Let's see if I will get bored of chicken by the end of the week =)

Oh ya before and after shots. So here is me in the morning after I woke up and Day 1 has begun =)

June 1st

So, Day 1 went by quickly.

I must say the first and last edible thing I ate yesterday was a tiny vanilla cupcake and a carrot cupcake from TeaRoom.

In the middle was regular chicken, eggs and vegetable....and a bru coffee with milk which is non-paleo. Nevertheless, 85% achieved :)

I feel hungry now. As a hunter-gatherer, I shall hunt for my next meal.

June 2011

Am planning to go full on Paleo for 30 days - June 1st to 30th.

Anyone in it with me?

How do you know if you are intolerant or sensitive to carbs?

The simplest tool to know is your weight. Your weight is a reflection of water weight, fat weight and muscle weight. Some people know because of cravings that occur when they eat the carbs. If you’re eating a candy bar, and you can’t stop and you have to eat more and you’re still hungry, that means you’re sensitive to the carbs. A doctor can measure glucose and insulin in a medical clinic as a more formal way to make a medical determination. But you can figure it out by your own body weight and the cravings you have.

Flatulence/Wind

Understanding Flatulence/Wind When you find that you have excessive flatulence, it is time to sit up and start watching what is it that you are eating that is causing excessive flatulence.

Passing of wind/gas is a very natural thing, but excessive flatulence is quite another thing.  A normal healthy person passes wind at an average of 14 times a day.  About half of this gas is swallowed air.  40 percent is carbon dioxide produced by bacteria in the intestines which is odorless.

The remaining 10 percent wind are a mixture of numerous other gases including the by-products of microbes¾these are responsible for the offensive odors.

While it is normal for one to pass wind, too much wind can cause abdominal discomfort and can be a social embarrassment.  The best way to control flatulence is to watch what you eat.

After eating flatulence-causing foods, the gas will be expelled between five and seven hours.  So, to check what you could have eaten that might have caused excessive flatulence, work back that number of hours.

Symptoms of Flatulence/Wind

Excessive intestinal gas may cause abdominal discomfort, bloating, distension, and belching.  In infants, excessive gas (colic) is usually accompanied by abdominal pain.  It is not uncommon for patients with eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia) to be particularly stressed by these symptoms.

Causes of Flatulence/Wind

One of the main reasons why flatulence and putrefaction happen is because the colon's friendly bacteria have been wiped out from years of meat, milk and dairy products (except yoghurt) consumption. Taking a course of antibiotics and medications can also cause the same situation.

Excessive flatulence, constipation, diarrhea and other digestive problems can happen due to lack of good bacteria in the guts. Lactose intolerance and allergic reactions to milk also increase gas output by about eight times.

Another notorious gas producer are beans that contain a compound called oligosaccharide. Eating beans like dried beans or baked beans, soya beans, peas, legumes, etc. will increase the amount of gas by more than ten times.

Carbohydrates from starchy foods like wheat, oats, potatoes and pasta are also gaseous, though not as much as the others mentioned above.  A high-fiber diet may also produce gas, stomach cramps and other intestinal discomforts.  Introduce fiber to your diet gradually, especially those that you don't usually take, over a period of days

Other foods that cause gas: cruciferous vegetables (those in the cabbage family like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower), onions, turnips.

Diet Suggestions

Refraining from milk and dairy products (except yoghurt), and wind-causing foods should be one of the first steps to take when flatulence begins to be a nuisance.

Add a little anti-gas foods like ginger, garlic or spices, when you cook your pot of beans or gaseous vegetables. 

If baby is colicky, the lactating mother should also avoid the gas-causing food as mentioned above.  Breast-feeding mothers should get extra calcium from dark leafy vegetables like kale, algae (spirulina and chlorella), sardines, salmon.

One other often overlooked cause of flatulence is the lack of friendly bacteria in the colon. If this is the reason, you would quickly see a vast improvement when you take quality probiotics.

How you eat or don't eat is another contributing factor to a gassy stomach. If you tend to skip meals, you may encounter a bloated feeling, because of the gas forming in your intestines. Eat small amounts even if you don't feel like eating.

Finally, avoid gassy and carbonated drinks.  Do not use a straw when you drink as it would cause you to take in more air.  Habits like chewing a gum will also cause excessive gas.

Recommended Recipes to Reduce Flatulence/Wind

Garlic and ginger are effective in dispelling excessive gas in the body system.  These are used widely by Chinese midwives when cooking for women who just gave birth (during the two-month confinement).


Juice two or three cloves of garlic and a slice of about half an inch of ginger (or more if you can tolerate its spiciness).  Add water and raw honey and drink it frequently. 

Juice and drink either alfalfa sprouts or wheatgrass alone.  Alfalfa sprouts juice is mild and easy to drink.  Wheatgrass may smell a bit green but has a slightly sweet taste to it. Both of these are among the best and most nutritive greens.

Cut half an inch slice of ginger (or more) with the skin cleaned or scraped off.  Toss it together into the juicer with your alfalfa sprouts or wheatgrass.  But when you drink ginger juice, make sure it's not on the night of a hot date!!

Source: Juicing For Health