Back To Basics: A Review Of The Everyday Paleo Workshop

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a workshop held by Everyday Paleo’s Sarah Fragoso and Jason Seib.

Not only was I lucky enough to stumble upon the information for the workshop, it was also taking place on the exact weekend that I would be in California. I was staying in Anaheim and the workshop was being held in Lake Elsinore, about 45 minutes away. There was no way I was going to miss it! It was like the Paleo stars aligned and it was meant to be for me to find and attend the seminar.

The workshop was held at CrossFit Uncensored on an extremely wet, cold and rainy day in California. (It figures, doesn’t it!) As soon as I entered the Box though, I was warmly welcomed by Sarah and her husband who were checking people in at the door. We were each given informational packets that matched her slideshow presentation and included LOTS of space to take notes.

And OH did I take notes..

A little background on Sarah: She actually went to high school with Paleo-pioneer Robb Wolf’s wife, Nicki.  They reconnected later in life and Sarah was exposed to this whole ‘Paleo’ thing that they were doing. She recounted having breakfast with them one morning and finding it so strange that they drank their coffee black and refused the butter and gluten-laden biscuits. She began training in their gym but still felt like she wasn’t seeing the kind of results that she wanted. Despite her initial resistance, she decided to give Paleo a try.  She was very honest in describing those first few weeks as anything but pleasant.  There was a chuckle in the audience when she spoke of ‘literally crying into an empty cereal bowl’ because that’s all she wanted to eat at night.  She stuck with it and after 2-3 weeks said she had one of those ‘a-ha!’ moments. She realized that she did feel better – she had more energy, she didn’t feel bloated and she wasn’t experiencing the tears from cereal cravings.  Take a look at her before and after pictures here – girl put in some serious work and looks even better now than she did during her initial Paleo transformation.

Sarah started out the seminar with a demonstration of how easy it can be to prepare a Paleo meal.  She broke out a crockpot and guided us through adding the pre-cut veggies, chicken breast and seasonings.  She was preparing her ‘Slow Chicken Curry’ which can be found in her cookbook. After setting the timer and promising us we could try it in 6 hours time, we were ready to dive into the ‘meat and potatoes’ of the workshop. Between her and her professional partner, Jason, we went over everything from the nutrition basics  to high fructose corn syrup. They provided a guide for getting started which helped even this seasoned Paleo participant as it took me back to basics.  Here are some highlights/favorite quotes from the day:

• Agriculture and processed foods were “the worst mistake in history”
• Natural selection makes some people able to digest certain foods while others can’t
• White rice is actually better than brown (though it should be eaten sparingly) because it is more processed – the bleaching process kills off the lectins
• “I still eat cheese from time to time because..well..cheese is RAD!” -Jason Seib
• “Food shouldn’t have ingredients. Recipes have ingredients” – Jason Seib
• There will never be an acceptable artificial replacement for sugar and over-consumption is inevitable because your body has been tricked into thinking it’s not something it really is
• After dining out and being exposed to high levels of Omega-6 in vegetable oil, counteract with a dose of fish oil (Omega-3)
• Soy wasn’t actually a food until the 1920′s and is the 3rd largest cash crop in the U.S – they are trying to put it in everything
• “A+B doesn’t equal C. We should be asking what ‘A’ is and get to the source of the problem instead of fixing the symptoms” – Jason Seib
• Don’t go nuts for nuts; they are pro-inflammatory
• You can’t out-train bad nutrition
• Don’t measure your worth by the number on the scale – muscle weighs more than fat and measurements are best way to track progress

Jason & Sarah also provided a ton of information on how to introduce the new lifestyle into the family unit and how to get kids on board.  Sarah’s specialty with her books and blog are meals for the family that are easy to follow and functional.  She offers a lot of advice on how to make the transition easier on yourself and your family. Jason gave all of the science behind why eating this way makes sense for our bio-chemistry and delivered the information in an entertaining and understandable way.  Jason is also the author of a highly-anticipated new book called ‘The Paleo Coach’ which offers advice on how to get and maintain the body and health that you want by eating the Paleo way.

The delicious crockpot chicken curry we sampled at the end

Yours truly even won her book! Told you these Paleo paths were meant to cross

Sarah gave a recap herself of the day’s events here and there’s even a picture of the attendees with the duo. I highly recommended that you keep an eye out for any workshops that will be hosted in your area.  Whether you’re a certified Caveman or just getting into it, there is a ton of useful information provided to help you in your journey.

About Andi

Being raised in an authentic Italian family meant growing up around pasta, pizza and pastries. Every meal was an opportunity to remain honorary member of the ‘Clean Plate Club’ and Andi is never one to back away from a challenge. She spent the better part of her teenage years fighting the “I feel fat” mentality and has been experimenting with diets and exercise regimens for the better part of her life. As a seasoned runner, weights seemed intimidating and she was always ‘that girl’ in the gym who looked confused and uncomfortable. Sometimes smaller and at other times bigger she could never find a way of eating and living that made her truly happy and satisfied – And then Andi discovered CrossFit and the Paleo Diet.

Since that day she has become a self-proclaimed and socially revered ‘Paleo Proficionado’ and ‘CrossFit Fanatic’ who spends the better part of her non-existent spare time answering questions like ‘How can I eat more like you?’ and the more desperate ‘HELP ME ANDI!!’. Being able to write for Know My Body means she can streamline the answers to a lot of those questions and hopefully “push” some more diet fence-sitters in the right direction. She is extremely excited to be able to share her years of field experience and knowledge so you can look and feel as good as she does!

Want to get to know Andi just a little bit better? Visit her personal blog at:

http://www.lifescraving.com