Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge

It's Wednesday!  I hope you are having a glorious week! 

Happiness is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it eludes you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It comes and sits softly on your shoulder.
 - Henry David Thoreau

Day 13 Completed!  

Wow time is sure going fast!  How am I doing on this challenge so far?  I love it!  So far the food recipes and food choices have been very easy for me to maintain on a daily bases.  The exercises have been fun and entertaining, and a little bit challenging on some of the harder PEM workouts.

I do find the Lifestyle challenge, just a bit more difficult for me because of my personal situation.  

I have not been weighing myself these past weeks, but I feel lighter, my clothes are a bit loser, and I have more energy!

I am doing this challenge, to experience how this lifestyle works, not so much in promoting or selling this program as I am not affiliated with the company in any way.  This is completely personal experience for me, and I am glad you are right here along with me, to see how it develops. 

Day 14 Challenge Steps

1. Diet - Top of Spectrum - Today's challenge is to acquire a food ranked at the top of the spectrum in each food category as follows:  

• Local, pasture-raised/grass-fed meal or fowl
• Local pasture-raised eggs or organic eggs
• Wild-caught fresh fish or cold water canned fish
• Locally grown produce
• Macadamia nuts - raw or dry roasted
• Raw, Fermented, unpasteurized, grass-fed dairy products (cheese, butter, kefir, ghee or raw whole milk and yogurt)
• Indulgences - high-quality red wine or 75% or higher dark chocolate

1. Exercise - Moderate Aerobic Workout - try and explore a new exercise today.
2. Lifestyle - Get Adequate Sunlight - Try and get some natural sunlight today - which adds Vitamin D naturally to your body and health.  

Primal Blueprint Lunch
Organic Chef's salad with kale and spinach, 3 kinds of lettuce, hard-boiled egg
natural salami, oven-roasted chicken, raw cheese, raw almonds,
avocado, cucumber with homemade oil/vinegar dressing and hemp seeds

Primal 21 Day Challenge

Happy Monday!

Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life. ~Seneca

Ocean Waves taken off the Newport Coast Pier
Photo by Lisa Powers

Day 12 Completed!  


It's another work week folks, how has your past few weeks gone?  Have you been following The Primal 21 Day Challenge?  I would love to read your comments and suggestions! Are you ready to jump In? Contact me anytime for your Free Health Consultation at Powers Health and Wellness.


Sunday went well!  I walked to the riverbed near my home, for about 2 miles, added in 2 sprint runs and a few PEM workouts! 

Primal Blueprint Lunch
Kale and Spinach Salad with roasted pasture-raised chicken
sliced raw almonds and avocado.
On the side, bowl of organic strawberries and blueberries with raw milk cream
Photo taken by Lisa Powers

Day 12 Challenge Steps



Diet - Go Coco-nuts! - Purchase an arsenal of coconut products and prepare a coconut-focused recipe or two.  Coconut oil can replace PUFA oils for cooking.  Coconut milk is a delicious milk substitute.  I also love to drink coconut water!
Exercise - PEM Workout - Do a full session depending on your energy and motivation level today.  Go until your muscles fail on each exercise.  Remember to rest between exercises.
Lifestyle - Nurture your Intimate and Social Circles - Schedule a family social gathering.  Enjoy conversations or/and play games together without digital distractions.  Get outside and play!

Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge

Hello my fellow bloggers!


"The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be" – Marcel Pagnol.


Day 10 Completed!


This post will be for both Friday and Saturday.  On Thursday evening, right after I ate my Primal evening meal, (roasted chicken and salad) I got very sick.  You don't need all the details, but I got food poisoning!  Earlier that day, I had gone to my favorite health food store and purchased one of the cooked roasted chickens they have on display.  I have eaten it before in the past, never got sick.    This time I did!  I was out of it for two days!  (I did go back to the store and explain what happened and got my money back).  


So in a way I was disengaged from all media and distractions all Friday, as I lay in bed resting.  I did not have the energy for my walk or the PEM workouts. 


Day 11 Challenge Steps


Diet - Creat a Primal Recipe - Concoct your own entree of Primal fare. Write it down for future reference.  Here is a free sample recipe, click here!
Exercise - Moderate Duration Aerobic Workout - 20-30 minutes of aerobic activity.
Lifestyle - Work Peak Performance - start your workday by carefully creating a to-do list with tasks ranked in order of priority.  Resolve to honor your to-do list for the duration of the day. 

I love my job!
Photo taken and created by Lisa Powers

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It's Saturday!  A holiday weekend is here!

Day 11 is finished!


I am feeling bit better today, and had the energy to go out for a 1 mile walk to the small lake near my house, take photos, walk to the store, then walk home. 

Small Lake in Orange, California
Photos taken by Lisa Powers

Since I was not feeling good on Friday, I kept me Primal meals very simple, I had chicken soup and water most of the day.


Today however, my tummy was bit better, so I braved a Primal lunch of roasted chicken drumsticks and organic salad.

Primal Blueprint Lunch
 2 roasted chicken drumsticks, salad with organic lettuce, avocados, cucumber, radishes, raspberries, sliced raw almonds and hemp seeds, with raspberry vinaigrette dressings (homemade) and my healthy drink is Coconut Water.
Photo created and taken by Lisa Powers

However, I was only able to eat 1 small chicken drumstick (with my hands) and 1/4 of the salad.  I have been practicing listening to my body, and since it told me I was full, I stopped eating. I ate without the TV on and without distractions.


Day 11 Challenge Steps


Diet - Creat a Primal Recipe - Concoct your own entree of Primal fare. Write it down for future reference.  Here is a free sample recipe, click here!
Exercise - Moderate Duration Aerobic Workout - 20-30 minutes of aerobic activity.
Lifestyle - Work Peak Performance - start your workday by carefully creating a to-do list with tasks ranked in order of priority.  Resolve to honor your to-do list for the duration of the day. 

Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge

Happy Thursday Everyone!


"Don't live in the past, thinking about mistakes or changes you made. Think of your life as a book, move forward, close one chapter and open another. Learn from your mistakes, but focus on your future, not on your past."


I am a bit behind on my Primal Blueprint Challenge Posts!  It has been such a busy week.  I will update the past few days from Sunday-Wednesday.  Also my PC mouse broke, and I had to go out and buy a new one, so was unable to update my posts.  Thanks for your continued support!  
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Sunday - Day 6 finished!  


Since Saturday was such a full day, I took Sunday to rest up and enjoy my day. I enjoyed a nice walk outside in my neighborhood.  It was nice and overcast here in "Sunny California". 

Day 7 Challenge Plan Steps:

1. Diet - No Labels Challenge - Conventional wisdom suggests you scrutinize the "Nutrition Facts" labels on all packaged foods.  Watch your fat grams, RDA percentages, sugar/carbohydrate ratios. Today's challenge is to give "Nutrition Facts" the boot!  Avoid any foods that have a label on them! Eat organic or local produce whole foods today!
2. Exercise - Sprint workout - Scale your effort to your experience with sprinting.  Be sure to warm up and cool down effectively.
3. Lifestyle - Tiptoe into the Barefoot world - Go barefoot as much as you can today. Let your feet breathe and become re-engaged in the act of walking, jogging and support your standing weight.

Lisa is Primal Bare-footing on the sand at Newport Beach!

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Happy Monday!  Day 7 Completed!


I made it through 7 days!!


Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole week already, time sure goes by fast!  


This morning I went for a long walk to the park, then did sprints on the baseball mounds!

No labels challenge was easy for me, as I normally purchase farm fresh whole foods! I rarely eat packaged foods, but if I do, I check the labels carefully and stay away from anything that has 5 ingredients or more, or names I can not pronounce.  It's a good practice to have!



Day 8 Challenge Plan Steps:

1. Diet - Intuitive Meals - Anything goes Today! Eat whatever foods you feel like eating without regard to cultural traditions.  If you feel compelled to indulge in non-Primal approved foods, go ahead and do so.  Pay close attention to how your comfort foods makes you feel.
2. Exercise - Grand Play Outing today - rock climb, bicycle, hike or play, etc.  
3. Lifestyle - Enjoy being outdoors with your friends and family today.

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Day 8 Completed!


Tuesday is among us!  

Wow today is a free day!  I enjoyed "without guilt" dining out today.  I tried to keep it all Primal today, but to be honest, I didn't for the whole day.  For breakfast I had 3 egg omelet with bacon, spinach and mushrooms at the local deli by my house.  

Wing Stop Garlic Parmesan

I had lots of errands today up in Costa Mesa, CA so I ate lunch out at a place I have been wanting to try for some time, call Wing Stop.  I ate delicious chicken wings with french fries.

Coconut Mango Sorbet
 w/dark chocolate chips

For dessert (which is a treat for me) I went to Cold Stone's and got their non-dairy Coconut Mango Sorbet with dark chocolate chips. Yum!


However, I did walk over 3 miles while doing my errands, then afterwards I went to enjoy the beach!  I played in the surf, watched the surfers, walked up and down the pier, took tons of photos and then relaxed watch the waves.  It was so much fun!  You can view my pictures on Flicker under Powershealth.

He got the wave!
Sufers at Newport Beach, CA

How did I feel after all that food?  I felt great, but to be honest, since I had been off of sugar all week, eating the sorbet did give me a headache later in the day and my rash came back the next day.  So now I know I have a reaction to sugar and have to stay away from it.


Day 9 Challenge Steps

1. Diet - Track Macro-nutrient Intake - today track your caloric and macro-nutrient intake through an online calculator.   Write down everything you eat today. Visit www.fitday.com
2. Exercise - Increase daily movement - Rediscover more ways you can move more today.  Double your efforts and park purposefully far away, use stairs instead of elevators, and take a break every 30 minutes.  Try standing instead of sitting at work. Log in 10,000 steps today!
3. Lifestyle - Media Fast - Today challenge yourself to refrain from tv or media, and only get 10 minutes a day worth of news or entertainment tidbits. 

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Mid-Week Crisis! Wednesday is here!

Day 9 was all mine!  

How is everyone's week going? I have had a very busy week.  Today, I was in Tustin Ranch running errands and when my work was done, I headed over to the park and did my one mile walk and PEM workout.  

Water fountain at the Irvine Marketplace Mall

Afterwards I decided to check out the Irvine Marketplace Mall, and walked the 1 1/2 miles to the mall, all around the mall, and back again.  

Tustin Ranch Park

I kept to the Primal Blueprint meal plan today, but since I was out most of the day, I ate at the Corner Bakery for lunch, but had an avocado salad and fresh fruit. (no bread)

When I came home in the evening I joined my roommate and her dog, and did a fast/jog walk to the park and back home.  Wow, I am exhausted today!

1. Diet - Eating Environment - Today focus on creating an optimal eating environment for all meals.  No more wolfing food on the go! Take the time to create attractive place settings and calm, quiet environments dedicated to eating only.
2. Exercise - Primal WOW - Workout of the Week - a popular theme at MarksDailyApple.com where a creative workout honoring the Primal Blueprint Fitness philosophy are suggested.  Today combine the PEM exercises with some sprinting and plyometrics to produce the following fun and challenging session. Click here to Follow WOW 
3. Lifestyle - Email Fast - Engage in email correspondence only during the morning or afternoon time periods of 30 minutes or less.  Disengage from email server and pursue focused, productive tasks without succumbing to distraction.

Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge

Happy Saturday Bloggers!


"A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier." - Tom Stoppard



Day Five Completed!


Hi everyone, I hope you had a wonderful Saturday!  

Today, I attended a USANA Healthy Summit Conference in Hollywood, California; where I got to see Dr. Oz on stage live among other wonderful and inspiring speakers in the health industry! 
It was very exciting!! 

Dr.Oz on stage at USANA Healthy Living Summit 2012

As that being said, I was not able to follow all the steps required today for the Primal Blueprint 21 Day Challenge. However, instead of eating out and risk falling off the challenge, I brought my own lunch, which followed the Primal Blueprint meal plan.  And on our lunch break which was 1 1/2 hrs long, I walked all around the hotel, went up and downstairs, then found a quiet place to eat my lunch.


I have been off of all sugars and carbohydrates now for five days, as recommended on the Primal Blueprint meal plan. I have experienced some slight headaches and bit of cravings (I did not give into them) which is normal, as your body heals itself, but it is getting better everyday! My energy level is up!

Primal Blueprint free-range two egg omelet
 with organic mushrooms, red onions, spinach and pastured -raised beef sausage.
On the side, slices of organic cucumber and one strawberry.

Day 6 Challenge Plan Steps:



Diet - After your dinner meal, take an evening stroll for 10 to 15 minutes.  A leisurely evening walk promotes efficient digestion, helps relax the mind and body after a busy day, and facilitates an easy transition to a good night's sleep.
Exercise - Do an extended workout of aerobic activity for at least an hour or longer, if you have the fitness base.  
Lifestyle - Listening Challenge - Challenge yourself to be a good listener this evening. Focus on gathering information and insights that may help you become an effective guide and mentor for those who may someday aspire others to do their own 21 day Transformation.

The Hollywood Sign from Hollywood, CA April 2012