Pure African Paleo Living- 7 Days Challenge

Beyond the commercialism of Paleo Diet, there really is something good there and I once did a whole month of Paleo in May and it was really good but you know I love my grains so I can't be forever 100% Paleo. Stop eating Jollof rice (made with brown rice of course)??? No thanks!

However once in a while, I clean up my diet and go 100% Paleo and that's exactly what I want to do for 7 days starting this Sunday 19th - Saturday 25th.

Robb Wolf has a comprehensive article on what Paleo really entails here


Hint: Did you know Plantain is paleo-approved?

HERE IS THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO: Make sure you understand the food list below, and then go stock up on items on the WHAT TO EAT & WHAT TO DRINK lists. And keep this list handy. You’ll need it over the next 7 days!

WHAT TO EAT!

• All Meats (beef, chicken, pork, and also things like
sausages without additives, deli meats, organ meats,
jerky, etc.)
• All Seafood (including shellfish and fish)
• Eggs
• All Vegetables (including sweet potatoes, plantain and
white potatoes, but corn and rice are NOT veggies)
• All Fruits (but not dried fruits or fruit juices)
• Nuts (peanuts/groundnuts are not nuts!)
• Good Oils (coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, tallow,
lard - not hydrogenated, bacon grease, avocado oil,
macadamia oil)
• Almost Any Seasoning (salt, pepper, all
herbs, and any spices without any added sugar or
additives)

WHAT NOT TO EAT

• Wheat (including “whole grains” and anything made from flour,
including bread, pasta, cookies, & cakes)
• Other Grains (including rice, CORN, rye, barley, and oats, as well
as cous-cous and quinoa)
• Legumes (no beans of any sort except for green beans and peas)
• Soy (including tofu, soy milk, & soy sauce)
• All Processed Sugar (including corn syrup, high fructose corn
syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, honey, &
maple syrup)
• Dairy (including milk, butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, & kefir)
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Bad Oils (including canola oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, or any other
oils not listed under Good Oils)
• EVERYTHING ELSE (including MSG (often called “natural
flavoring” or “monosodium glutamate”), artificial food colorings,
mayonnaise, and anything not listed in “What to Eat”)
• Alcohol of Any Type
• Sodas (even diet)
• Fruit Juice
• Milk
• Sport/Energy Drinks
• Any Sweetener

So who's in? I will be posting my meals, tips, and other relevant information specifically for Nigerians, and other Africans who feel our meals can't be paleo-approved.

Feel free to email me on africanpaleo@gmail.com

Follow me on Instagram!

Quote

A healthy body is a palace. An unhealthy body is a prison. Eating right shouldn't be a task. It shouldn't be a chore. Remember that the groundwork for happiness is good health.

It's a lifestyle change!

Day 2! How is it going? I am so proud of myself because I worked out twice yesterday and burned a combined 875calories plus I ate 100% clean meals.

Breakfast- Plain Yogurt + Granola
Snack 1- 100cals of Pistachio nuts
Lunch- Brown rice + healthy vegetable soup made with Kale and without oil
Snack 2- 1 slice of honey dew melon
Dinner- Left over vegetable soup from lunch

Today's morning workout was also intense. I am in so much pain. Pleasurable pain I tell ya! My evening workout will be a 30 minutes brisk walk because tomorrow is weights training at bootcamp and I need my muscles relaxed tonight. Shout out to my workout partner Chiomz!

One thing I have learnt on my fitness journey is the fact that it is a lifestyle change. I lost 12kg between August and December last year and I hit a plateau. I think I must have gained 1 kg because although I worked out, I didn't really watch my meals. I saw myself going back to the unhealthy lifestyle and I recently came to the realization that I need to adapt to this new healthy lifestyle change. Yes I will have cravings, but they can be managed. I can indulge once in a while but in moderation.

This 6 weeks plan is for me to reset and kick up my weight loss a notch. I have 10kg to go and I am hoping I can achieve a significant loss by the end of 6 weeks. It is exciting to me. I have so many new yummy recipes to try and the adrenaline from working out keeps me going.

Remember, it is not a quick fix. It is a process with great progress. So Relax and have fun!

I am off to eat my lunch of wholewheat pasta in tomato sauce+shrimps.

Week 1: Meal Plan for 3rd March - 9th March

Week 1 is here, My #6WeeksToGoal Journey and like I promised, here is my meal plan for the week

Note that this is what I think will work for me. I have a very busy schedule so I can only afford to cook once a day which will be the lunch I take to work. So my breakfast, snack and dinner have been modified to easy meals with little or no cooking involved.

Feel free to substitute appropriate meals but remember, HEALTHY EATING is the goal. Control your portions no matter how 'healthy' your meal seems.

Keeping track of your meals is also very important to success. Check out my post on it here

Lastly, drink A LOT of water. Minimum of 3 Litres a day. Good luck and share your stories in the comments.

Grocery list (excluding items I have at home already)
• Kale/Spinach
• Coconut oil
• Tomato paste
• Brown rice
• Mixed veggies and mixed pepper frozen
• Strawberries, Greek Yogurt
• Bananas
• Mangoes
• Pineapple
• Grapefruit
• Brown Beans
• Plantain
• Sweet Potato
• Shrimps
• Goat meat
• Salmon
• Fresh Catfish
• Pepper soup ingredients

6 weeks Fitness Bootcamp and Clean Eating: Join me

Hi guys,

I can't believe I have not blogged this year. That is changing now as I will be documenting my #6WeeksToGoal journey starting on Monday, 3rd March.

Target- Lose 8kg (17 lbs) in 6 weeks.

Plan-

1. Eat healthy and ensure I cook 90% of my meals. My weekly meal plan will be published here.

2. Workout 2 times a day, 6 times a week (make sure I get in at least 10 workouts a week)

3. After recording my start weight, do not weigh myself till the end of the 6 weeks challenge.

4. Ensure I post on this blog at least 2 times a week to stay accountable.


Who wants to join me?

So help me God!

Random + Workout Boost

Hey All,

It is a great Monday and I am so excited for many reasons. Well 2 reasons:

1. I spiced up my routine

2. I joined the Smartest loser competition at work which involves having a workout buddy and competing together to lose the most weight in November. Winners go home with a new Samsung s4 phone. I know I need that phone in my life. I hope we win.

Now back to reason 1. I get bored easily and I feel like my body resists certain workout routines after a few weeks so I always look for ways to switch things up. After losing almost 15kg with Cardio-focused workouts, I hit a plateau. My friend _Sirius_ advised me to mix things up with Strength training. I am a big fan of strength training so I jumped at her suggestion. I decided to infuse my usual workout routine with 3 days of strength-focused training by using Shaun T's T25 Beta Phase (Rip't circuit and Upper Body are weights-based) and also Les Mills Body Pump dvd. It has been 4 weeks and I see a lot of difference. I feel toned and sexier...haha. I am starting to see definitions plus I am losing inches, although the scale is not really moving. It doesn't matter, as long as my clothes are getting loose.

I am bored again so today I decided to dump Shaun T and Les Mills for Jillian Michaels' Shred it with weights DVD. I enjoyed it today. Let's see how the next 4 weeks go. This is in addition to my evening workout classes at The Shrinkers.

In other news, did you know that different body types have different workout types and plan? I am sure you do. If you didn't, then start researching the best workout plans for your body type.

What are your favourite workout DVDs? especially strength-focused ones or how do you spice up your workouts?