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It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

real_life_stories_stories-1-2As the old quote goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

I knew I would be embarking on great changes in my life when I decided to document my photos of how I looked before Paleo. I was not shamed by my body nor embarrassed, however, I wanted to remember how I felt. My body felt expanded. I felt heavy and had pains and aches. I am still a work in progress but I am happy to show you the difference through pictures that my body has gone through due to changing to a Paleo lifestyle.

I started my Paleo transition in March of 2014 after reading Terry Wahls’ The Wahls Protocol and following Mark’s Daily Apple. I knew that it was time to make a change. You see, back in December of 2006, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and at the time had lost complete feeling in my legs, was unable to walk without some sort of assistance, and I was unable to drive. At the time, I was at the young age of 26 being diagnosed with a disease with no cure. I had just graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Business Management and felt I had so much ahead of me. Then in one moment, I felt as if my life and soul was taken from me. I was very thankful that at the time I lived with great friends that were like family and helped care for me during a very difficult time. Happily, I was able to eventually feel my legs again and drive! I found a job that I loved and continued to move forward with my life, however, there would be moments that my disease would flare up and knock me down.

before

The most popular form of treatment is steroids for flares and various drugs to keep the disease from progressing. I would have to say I nearly took every drug on the market for the disease, and each one made me sick, or would have such bad effects on my quality of life that it became overwhelmingly depressing. However, I would continue to push forward and even met a wonderful man, who is now my husband, and we had a son in 2011. Again I faced some ups and downs with my disease, but I continued to be proactive, ultimately deciding to go off medication and try stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy was one of the best things ever to calm my disease and allow me to feel “normal.” Sadly, after putting my family in major debt, I ended up having a flare about six months after. It was not long-lasting, but the flare was bad enough have reality hit home that I needed to do something more.

during

Enter the world of Paleo—I finally understood the power of food and what it could do to help our bodies and minimize inflammation. I was lucky to be part of a study that allowed me the opportunity to try stem cell therapy once more, in conjunction with being Paleo, and it has been over two years since my last flare!!!!

Of course I feel Paleo is not a one size fits all style of life, hence my blog, The Paleo Mix. It is important that you know that I am a mixer of sorts. I take pieces of Paleo from several sources along with dabs of other ideas. I am a mix of Paleo, AIP Paleo, and other protocols.

last after

I also have chosen to not use any medications for my disease. Instead I use supplements and my doTERRA oils. Now I am by no means against medication, and if needed, I will look at the options of its benefits and whether a particular medication is worth using for me and my family. That being said, and long story short, I take care of my health and well-being by eating and living a Paleo Mix life, along with supplements and my doTERRA essential oils and, of course, making sure to live life and laugh!

Johanna

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(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Sometimes cooking for two just doesn’t feel all that decadent. You bake a couple of chicken breasts or grill a piece of fish, and although it’s delicious, it lacks that luxuriousness that something that you might cook for a crowd has, like a cheesy lasagna or a slow-cooked chunk of meat. Well, these creamy chicken Alfredo lasagna roll-ups solve this problem.

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(Image credit: Composite: Samantha Bolton; Day Planner: Shutterstock)

Mug food, or rather, food made in a mug, is loosely defined around the interwebs as ingredients microwaved in a mug that give you a perfect-sized portion all in a cute little cup. So when your editor asks you to eat nothing but mug cakes for a day, you first question what sort of world we live in where this is “a thing,” and then squeal with excitement and run to the pantry for all the mugs you can possibly unearth.

Challenge accepted! After all, is there anyone out there who doesn’t like cute, small food?

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Aunt Beru was onto something with blue milk. Although the color “blue” is normally deemed an unappetizing color for food, it seems to be popping up everywhere in drinks (blue wine!). The latest trendy beverage comes to us from Australia at Matcha Mylkbar, where the smurf “latte” was born only six days ago.

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Halving a recipe can be a challenge for even the best bakers, and no ingredient has generated more questions on how to split in half than an egg. The problem is an egg has two distinct parts — a fat-rich yolk and a protein-rich white — and most baking recipes require a bit of both.

Here’s the key (it’s very simple): You have to whisk before you can divide.

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From Apartment Therapy → 5 Design Ideas to Steal from a Deliciously Dark Kitchen

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Whether you’re camping or just having a bonfire in the backyard, making s’mores is a summer rite of passage. And while it would be easy to grab a box of graham crackers from the store, why don’t you take things to the next level with a homemade version?

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(Image credit: Blakes London)

This month we’re on a mission to seduce you with eggplant, and we’ve taken a broad mandate to introduce you to the purple guy in all shapes and forms — including, well, just the purple part. Eggplants come in the most beautiful stripes and hues, which is one of their pleasures. Why not extend some eggplant love to your kitchen? Seems bold, yes — a little daring, but these 10 kitchens show how eggplant-inspired paint can work oh so well.

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Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

You know these. I know you know these. So start doing them.

As a fairly new coach, what I find awesome and not a little touching is how often I get asked for advice. A lot of people, text, e-mail, or simply approach me before class or on the way to my car with a problem or question. Working and socialising with highly motivated populations such as the CrossFit and weight training community, I find the people around me are always looking for more ways to get better. It’s very inspiring. But it can be a little frustrating.

 

The complaint given to me and many other coaches out there is:

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Nathan Webb of shares his international perspective as head coach and co-owner of CrossFit Crescent in Amman, Jordan.

Nathan Webb is a Midwesterner who is now Head Coach and co-owner of CrossFit Crescent in Amman, Jordan. There, Nathan deals with a very different set of business practices and customs than in the U.S., including antiquated ideas about fitness, cultural and religious clothing challenges, and ubiquitous smoking.

 

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