Dare You To...

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Grain Brain. As always, the opinions expressed are all my own!

So last month I told you I was starting theGrain Brain Challengebased on Dr. David Perlmutter's book: Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar--Your Brain's Silent Killers.
Check out the initial post to learn all about the surprising effects carbohydrates may have on your brain health, and what the challenge entails.  It also contains some photos of foods that helped get me through!


Now, after four weeks have come and gone, the challenge is over and it's time to recap the experiences and outcomes regarding food, fitness, sleep, and general health:

Food:  As I discussed last time, the food didn't have drastic changes in selection; I just was more careful about my non-paleo, grainy/glutenous treats (namely, not choosing them), as well as carb-dense foods. About twice I went ahead and had a snack I wouldn't have usually c…

Last week marked one year since I first began eating according to a paleo template.  One wonderful year of paleo-esque eating.  Happy Paleoversary, me!

What have I learned in my (more-or-less/progressively improving) "paleo" year?  1. It works.  2. It's about consistency. 3. It's about you.  Let's look back...

It all began with an innocent week without wheat, and the positive results were so immediate and astonishing, that I dove head-first into a 30-day paleo challenge.  I enjoyed feeling like my body was functioning as it should--better than I knew it could--and it was still new, so I kept it up for the next few months, with a few non-paleo treats on rare occasions.  Then I became a bit lax, a bit lazy, a bit "why can't I have that," although I never reverted back to the Standard American Diet. Grains are no longer something I eat daily or even miss.  I've remained mostly gluten-free and paleo; nowadays, I'm pretty consistent, but do still …

Just23 days ago, I began the 21 Day Sugar Detox.  It's something I'd wanted to do for a long time now, and the new year seemed like the perfect time.  Well, it wasn't perfect, because I knew that I had a trip on January 19, during which I would not want to restrict myself, but I figured a 19-Day Sugar Detox was better than nothing. It would be a good chance to dabble in it and see how it went!


And now, my first go-round is complete :)

Here, I'll give you a small background on it (but go to the website for all the details!), a glimpse at some of my eats during the 3 weeks, and a set of lessons learned about myself and my food--thanks to the detox program.

A bit of background: 
The 21 Day Sugar Detox is not intended to be a permanent lifestyle.  It is a nutrition-based program for anyone who experiences sugar or carb cravings, energy spikes and dips, brain fog, lethargy, and other undesirable symptoms of an unhealthy, unnatural diet.  It's carefully designed by Diane…

Create a SlimKicker Challenge and WIN a kitchen scale!

SlimKicker motivates you to stay healthy by turning your diet and fitness goals into a game with points, rewards, and lots of health & fitness challenges.


Here at Dare You To, we're all about the CHALLENGES!  Dare yourself to take on some of these short-term and long-term goals.  Examples of SlimKicker challenges include replacing soda, drinking 8 cups of water per day, forgoing after-dinner snacks for a week, performing 100 planks, moving during commercials, eating 3 different veggies each day, and even meditating.  Check out countless others on the SlimKicker Challenges page for more ideas!!

In addition to challenges, the site has tools to track what you eat, tips for successfully completing challenges, and forums for users to write, read, and respond to others' questions.  SlimKicker turns healthy actions into a motivational game.


Since the folks at SlimKicker contacted me about their website, I've been playing …

Happy Memorial Day (weekend) !! 
Sooo.... I won't even sugar coat it: My running has lagged.  Miles dropped.  Motivation waned.

It's been a mix of being busy, getting some curveballs, some less than ideal weather, and then back to being busy.  I've continued to prioritize my gym classes over outdoor runs (thank you, belated April showers), running mostly just for the 15-30 minutes before a yoga class, once or twice a week.

Time to get back to my running!  Enter: Runner's World Summer Running Streak 2012. 


It's simple: Run (at least) one mile, every day, from Memorial Day to Independence Day.  That makes 38 days of consecutive running--more than the 21 said to be necessary to break or entrench a habit.  If I want to get back into my running habits of the fall and winter, then this is my chance.  I accept the RW challenge and commit to running one hour, every day, no matter how busy or hectic life becomes.

Can I do it?  I sure hope so.  I dare myself.

And I dare you.  …