Invictus Blog

PaleoKai – When You Need A Little Yum
Written by Invictus Athlete Kari Michal

In all of us there lurks a child. CrossFit and the Paleo lifestyle have reconnected me with mine.

For ten years I was a vegetarian, until I fell in love with a man that ate meat. He introduced me to CrossFit and the Paleo lifestyle. After researching it, because I was a naysayer at first, I decided to change my eating and exercise regime completely. And with that, everything changed. I became stronger, leaner, full of energy, and definitely more aware of the adverse effects of sugar and grains on our body.

An athlete all of my life, I trained mostly in my home garage at first. But I realized I was missing some crucial elements that would help me succeed. I wanted to be involved with the CrossFit community, be pushed to overcome some of the self-doubt I had with regards to my abilities, and I wanted to be instructed correctly. Nonetheless, I was very intimidated to walk through the doors of Invictus for the first time.

It’s now six months later and I run into Invictus every morning with a smile on my face. I enter the gym knowing that “today” will be the day that I achieve a goal that yesterday I had not.

I have approached my Paleo nutrition with a similar commitment and creativity. I love eating a clean Paleo diet . . . BUT I still want to bake “treats” for the days when “we all need a little yum.” So I started experimenting. I started baking Paleo goodies and testing them out on friends and bringing them into the gym. They were a hit!

My little baking experiment has now evolved into PaleoKai – an online bakery that sells brownies and cookies throughout America, and to the troops overseas. In fact, large shipments have been sent all the way over to Afghanistan!

It has been a whirlwind of a ride the last six months. But at age 50, I feel like I’ve pushed back time. I am lifting heavier and accomplishing new “firsts” daily, like a first handstand, or a BIG string of double unders. I have also started a business that I love and which allows me to deliver joy to others.

So what do CrossFit and Invictus do? For me, they make dreams come true.