Hello Again

I am back! I have been off enjoying the beautiful and unseasonably warm weather. After the challenge, I have wanted to write but the thought of finishing the 2nd part of my Paleo reflection has created some resistance in me. I think it stems from my perfectionist/procrastinator side. I want to find the perfect words for the reflection and if I can't, I just keep putting it off. I guess it's almost like I am afraid it won't be good enough, that I won't find the right words. I compare myself to other people and other blogs I have read. Today, I noticed this part of me come out again as I finally got through some thank you cards I have been putting off. I believe I have procrastinated writing them because I am afraid that I won't find the right words to convey my gratefulness. It always comes back to bite me though, because either I send them really late, or it becomes too late and I don't send them at all.

I have always seemed to have a similar problem with eating and exercise. I can get rather compulsive about it if I let myself. First, I often need to wait for that perfect day to begin. Then that perfect day just keeps getting put off because life happens. I finally begin and just when I feel I have a handle on my eating, the cravings kick in. Then, if I can't follow the diet perfectly, I get frustrated, beat myself up mentally and quit. My mind gets the better of me. Where is the resistance to being healthy coming from? When I look closely at it I wonder, what am I really afraid of: failing or succeeding? Who will I be if I am healthy and in shape? Where will the old me go? When I am carrying those extra pounds, what am I protecting myself from? Lately I have been looking at the many ways this pattern repeats in my life. I just listed 3 and I am sure there is more.

As I continue to learn to maneuver this Paleo lifestyle, I find myself coming upon this same resistance. The cravings in me for sweets have been strong lately, and occasionally I have indulged more than I should. It never feels good mentally or physically and then I find I beat myself up afterward, promising to do better next time and then feeling like a failure when I don't. I think the trick is to be more gentle with myself. I think of the phrase "what we resist persists." One of the reasons I believe that many people find success in the Paleo/Primal template is that we don't have to be perfect to see results. Yet the perfectionist in me needs to continue to learn this. I also need to start to ask myself: what is it that I am really searching for when I find myself starving in the kitchen searching for something, anything, to satisfy my cravings (usually chocolate)? Most of the time I think it is as simple as me the act of chewing to calm my nervous energy/anxiety. For some people it may be to fill a void. I plan to continue to just notice what other feelings are there when the cravings come and ask myself what it is that I really need before I reach for something to eat.

On a brighter note, I have completed two CrossFit sessions. I have started working out at CrossFit Wilmette where my brother works out and I have really enjoyed it so far. I am being gentle with my body as I work back into things. Most of the work I have been doing is mobility work, but my muscles are not used to being used this way so I absolutely feel it. I am incredibly sore, but as former athlete, I have grown to enjoy that feeling. Along with it comes a sense of accomplishment for a job well done. I find that in CrossFit, as in all the other areas I spoke about earlier, I have that same resistance. That same voice telling me I can't that, I will fail, that I am not good enough, that this will be another thing I can't stick to. My first workout required me to get over my own ego as I found that my body just couldn't do the things I wanted it to anymore. It was embarrassing to me. I started to beat myself up. How could I let myself become this out of shape? I found that beating myself up did not make me feel stronger, it made me feel weaker. Instead of putting my energy into accomplishing things I was putting my energy into feeling weak. Thank goodness I got over my ego fairly quickly. I started to tell myself how proud I was of myself for just going there and beginning again. I reminded myself that it took courage and strength just to try something new. On Saturday, my coach/trainer put a box in front of me and asked me to do a box jump. Again, my first thought was, "I hope I don't fall on my face". My second thought was, "I don't even know if I can jump that high anymore". After I got over myself and realized where my energy was going, I focused on the task at hand. Then I focused hard and I jumped it and then I did it again and again and felt more proud of myself than I have in such a long time. I have done a ton of different workouts in my life, but CrossFit is completely new to me. I am learning how to use my body again and it feels good. I already feel stronger and look forward to each session.

By the way, check out my brother's blog. As I have said before, I am so proud of him for how far he has come. He has also shown me so much support as I embark on this new Paleo and Crossfit journey.
http://www.thecrossfitpaleoparadigm.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

30 Day Challenge: Life After the Challenge Part 1

A lot of people have asked me how I am eating now that the challenge is over. I can honestly say I have stuck with Paleo/Primal eating for the most part (75-80%, maybe more). When I am at home, I will still avoid processed foods, soy, dairy, legumes, and grains as much as possible. That being said, I have eaten a pita bread from Rose's  (dairy and gluten free) here and there, and a small piece of high percentage dark chocolate on most days. I also had a yogurt yesterday.

I have eaten out a few times including going to Rose's for their gluten-free pizza and Da Luciano's for my dad's birthday. They serve fabulous (in my opinion) Italian food. Best part for me, they have a large gluten-free menu! If you have never been to Da Luciano's, I highly recommend it. It is a small place, and sometimes the wait can be long, but it is worth it. They do take reservations. I had the chicken marsala and indulged in their gluten-free bread. I also used a little Parmesan cheese with the olive oil to dunk the bread in. For dessert, I shared some gluten-free Tiramasu. I went to Panera for lunch and had a small Caesar salad and tomato soup (no bread/croutons). Lastly, I went to Red Robin where I had a grilled chicken breast and some guacamole and sweet potato fries (may or may not be gluten-free). Besides that, I have eaten at home most of the time and my dinners have continued to be strictly Paleo. Restaurants don't have the same appeal to me as they used to. I have learned that eating at home with the family can be just as enjoyable.

Some of the perks of eating at home:

1. 3 kids in a restaurant....enough said.
2. I control my portions and the ingredients that go into my food
3. I don't have to pay for seconds
4. Saves money
5. More time-efficient

I find that I feel better when I avoid dairy and too much sugar. One thing I have especially enjoyed about this way of eating is that it is really stress-free for me. I have tried many diets in the past and the biggest thing I have come away with from them is not permanent weight loss, but guilt. Guilt, because I couldn't sustain it. Guilt, because my temptations would get the best of me. With this way of eating, I don't feel deprived. If I want something that is not "Paleo/Primal", I eat it. Then, the next meal I get back to the basics, not because I have to, but because I want to.

Eating Paleo/Primal has become a way of life for me. While I may indulge here and there I can definitely see myself following the 85/15 rule. I will eat Paleo/Primal at least 85% of the time.

Check out these two links:

1. Coming Soon: My Crossfit/Paleo Experiment- Check out my brother's story on his blog! He has been my inspiration in this process and incredibly supportive! I am so proud of him! I will post it as soon as it's published.

2. Will Eating Red Meat Kill You? -Those of you who have seen footage of the meat study that just came out might want to check out a response to the story from the Primal side. I have never been a big red meat eater and still am not, but it is still frustrating to see the generalized statements about the horrors of red meat I have seen on the news.

Coming up in Life After the Challenge Part 2:

-Scott's top 5 picks for best meals we have had since the challenge started
-Amy's top 5 picks for best meals we have had since the challenge started
-More recipe ideas
-Tips for eating Paleo/Primal
-Pro's and Con's of eating Paleo/Primal
-Final reflection

 I have decided I will continue to blog. It has helped me to check in with myself and I have really enjoyed it.
Thanks to all those who have supported me throughout this adventure! I am excited to see where it will lead!

Day 30: Challenge Complete!

Today was the final day of my challenge! I didn't have a whole lot planned menu-wise. Scott wanted to pick the last meal of the challenge so he picked Better Butter Chicken. It looked like a good choice and he had been wanting to try it for awhile.

Breakfast: I woke up and had 2 eggs and some left over spaghetti squash.

Snack: A small bag of almonds and a pear/spinach and peas pouch.

Later snack: I was on the run and the avocado I wanted to eat for part of my lunch wasn't ready yet so I had half of a banana and a few cashews (to offset the sugar from the banana).

Lunch: I finally got to sit down for lunch and had some canned salmon, the other half of the banana and a small piece of Trader Joe's very high percentage dark chocolate (no soy or extra junk included).

Snack: Apple slices

*Got in a nice long walk today. The temperature was brisk, but the sun and you could feel it's warmth.

Dinner: Better Butter Chicken on a bed of red chard (Everyday Paleo, 57) and steamed carrots. I can't compare this recipe to any other butter chicken recipes, but I was very happy with how this one turned out. The chicken was very tasty (dare I say buttery) and the red chard was a nice touch. We actually used ghee (clarified butter) instead of real butter, but it did the trick. I felt bad for Scott. He had a bit of a cold, which affected his taste, so he couldn't get the full flavor of the chicken. Guess we will have to make it again, soon!

Dessert: Sliced mango

Now that the challenge is complete, I feel like I should have a whole reflection or summary ready to post and quite truthfully I don't, not yet. I need a little time to think about where I was 30 days ago and where I am now. I also am still thinking about how I will continue. Stay tuned!

Day 29: And 1 to Go!

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of the challenge. Time went by so quickly!

Breakfast: This morning we had banana pancakes w/coconut oil, coconut flour, almond milk, eggs, vanilla and some cinnamon. To balance with some fat and protein I had a small bacon omelet.

Snack: Handful of cashews and one of my kids pouches (spinach, pear, and peas-actually pretty tasty).

Lunch: Spaghetti squash (yum) with a garlic and ghee (ghee is a form of clarified butter) sauce. We also had some ground turkey and kale chips. I added two little dried apricots as a "dessert." The spaghetti squash was fabulous again. One of my favorites!

Snack: Apple slices and peanut butter (I know peanut butter is not Paleo, but we ran out of almond butter and I was craving and hungry).

Dinner: We went out to dinner for my hubbies mom's birthday. I find it interesting that I hardly ate out at all during the past 30 days and now we just ate out 2 days in a row. We went to Di Pescara, a steak and seafood restaurant. We had a great waiter who was really helpful. They even had a small gluten-free menu. I chose grilled chicken and a sweet potato for dinner (the sweet potato was huge and filling). They did have options for gluten-free pasta and some salads. They also could have made many of the fish and steak options gluten-free as well. I had a glass of wine and decaf coffee as well. All in all, a great meal at a very nice restaurant. I am sure we will try it again.

Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge!

Day 28: A Special Lunch Outing

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and a sweet potato

Snack: Cashews and a banana

Later Snack: Almonds and a peach mango pouch (yes, one of my kids' pouches). They are tasty and quick. We go for the organic with only pure ingredients.

Lunch: Today we had our youngest, Sienna, baptized. For the other two kids we had 50+ people at a pizza place for lunch afterwards. To keep costs down we had Sienna's post-baptism lunch at a local restaurant with only our immediate family and the Godparents. At this restaurant,  I would have typically ordered a burger (no bun) and fries or a grilled chicken/avocado melt (with cheese, no bun). It was the first time I really looked at the menu and had to find another option. The most difficult part about the lunch was watching the potato skins go by. They looked so yummy and greasy! I was also worried that I would have to watch everyone around me eat fries, but most of the people ended up ordering a more healthy meal. I ordered a tasty broiled salmon with a mango salsa, spinach with some lemon, and a house salad with olive oil and lemon for dressing (if you are trying to eat gluten-free, remember to tell the server no croutons on the salad-it has been awhile since I have eaten out in a place without a gluten-free menu so I forgot). I also had a half of a glass of wine. The meal was very good and filling. It's amazing how eating healthy can be contagious. It started with my brother, spread to my family and my parents, then spread to some other members of our extended family. Eating healthy was definitely a topic of conversation at lunch today. We talked about how we eat, what we eat and even gave each other some advice on things to try. My brother and dad were even talking to the pastor about Paleo/Primal eating, and he noted one of the books we use so he can check it out =)

Snack: Apple slices

Dinner: We find at the end of the week we have some leftover food we need to use. We actually did pretty well this week and didn't have as many leftovers as usual. That means we planned well. We made seasoned ground turkey, avocado, and salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. We also attempted kale chips for the 3rd time. We didn't burn them, but some of them were not quite crunchy enough to make them chips. The taste was still good though.

Day 27: 10 Rules to Eat Safely for Life

I was watching an infomercial for the book The Blood Sugar Solution by Mark Hymen. I was curious to see where it was similiar and where it was different than the Paleo/Primal templates. I found out they are based on a few of the same premises, but his "solution" still involves eating whole grains, just not flours. The major similiarity is the push for whole, unprocessed foods that were grown or raised on a farm. One part of the infomercial I really liked was his "10 Rules to Eat Safely for Life." After the challenge is over, I will still strive to follow these 10 rules. It is very difficult with kids. Some of the rules we have done a good job following with the kids are: trying to eat foods with fewer than 5 ingredients, avoiding high-fructose corn syrup, avoiding hydrogenated oils, avoiding foods with ingredients I don't recognize, avoiding any food additives and avoiding foods with artificial sweeteners. At times I think some of the family members think I am crazy for doing that, but it is important to me. I would like to work on trying to decrease the amount of quick, less-natural foods we give the kids like cereal bars (even if they are organic).

The Ten Rules:
1. Try to eat food without labels.
2. If a food has a label it should have fewer than 5 ingredients.
3. If sugar or flour is on the label, throw it out.
4. Throw out any foods with high-fructose corn syrup.
5. Throw out any food with the word hydrogenated in it.
6. Throw out any highly refined cooking oils (stick with olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil for example).
7. Throw out any foods with ingredients you don't recognize.
8. Throw out any foods with preservatives, additives, colorings or dyes.
9. Throw out any foods with artificial sweeteners.
10. "If it came from the earth or the farmer's field, not a food chemist's lab, it's safe to eat."

One other article I found by the same doctor was called: "3 Hidden Ways Wheat Makes you Fat."

Breakfast: Leftover chicken stir-fry and jicama/carrot mix.
Snack: Walnuts
Lunch: Canned salmon and avocado
Snack: Banana and cashews
Dinner: Beef burger (no bun) and sweet potato. I love that I now know how to make a burger using ground meat. It is an easy and quick meal to make. I also love that I now know how to cook sweet potatoes. They are so easy and a good slower-acting carb. How sad it is that I had never cooked one in the past (almost embarassing)!

Day 26: Winding Down

Day 30 is getting close. The Paleo Challenge will soon come to an end. I am starting to think about how I will continue when this challenge is over. As I have for this challenge, I will try to listen to my body and find out what it needs. Sometimes that isn't the easiest thing to do. I feel like after all I have read and learned about food, I can't go back completely to how it was before.

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and a banana

Lunch: Fancy Pear Salad (Everyday Paleo, 129): Really it's just salad greens, a pear, onion, balsamic vinegar and pecans. We had the salad with some ground turkey.

Snack: Apple slices and roast beef deli meat

Dinner: Chicken and Boiled Cabbage. We decided to go with a more basic meal tonight. We had some chicken in the freezer and some left over cabbage so Scott put them together to make a meal. He stir-fried the chicken breast (cut into pieces) with olive oil, garlic, onions, celery and a bit of chicken broth. He boiled red cabbage. The cabbage was more tasty than I had anticipated. Alexis had a few helpings of the cabbage, which was surprising. He also steamed some beans for the kids in case they didn't like the cabbage.

Dessert: Each of us had one Great Ball of Date (Everyday Paleo, 218) from the night before. They are such a yummy little treat!

No pictures today. Although the meal was simple. It was still tasty and filling. I think that as we progress with this way of eating we are going to have to use more simple meals more often to keep the costs down. We will still continue to plan our meals in advance and make a shopping list. We started doing that about a year ago and found that it is so helpful in keeping to a budget.

Day 25: A Beautiful Day!

Today was such a beautiful day (at least most of it)! I am so glad I had the opportunity to get outside and enjoy a little bit of sun and warmth! Can't wait until spring and especially summer. I am definitely a warm weather person. My ideal location to live is Arizona. I have always known that I am someone who craves the sunlight and the past 8 weeks on maternity leave have really reinforced that. This is my first (and only)winter baby. My other two were born in the summer. I think a big part of my recovery after the first two was sunlight and warmth. I know that I have been lucky that this winter hasn't been as rough as usual, but there is such a big difference in how I feel on days that it is sunny out (even if it is a little chilly). We try to get outside as much as we can, but when it is cold it is rough, especially with an infant. Here's hoping we have a warm spring!
Breakfast: Leftover turkey stir fry

Snack: Banana

Lunch: Sweet potato and turkey slices

Snack: Cashews and some apple slices

Dinner: Apple Shallot Pork Chops (Everyday Paleo, 94). I never realized I like pork of any kind until this past month. The recipe was great and Scott made a tasty side dish of jicama, carrots and some olive oil. It is so nice when something so simple tastes so good!

Day 24: Great Balls of Dates!

Sorry for the delay in the posting of Day 24. Yesterday was a busy evening. I went to my first Tai Chi class. I was the youngest person there by about 25 years =) It was an hour long class and the teacher was wonderful. She took us through slow deliberate movements that were more challenging than they looked. By the end, I was exhausted. Will I go back? Absolutely!

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon and a couple of strawberries

Snack: Blueberries and Almond butter and apple slices

Lunch: Turkey stir fry with mixed veggies (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)

Snack: An avocado and a couple dried apricots

Dinner: Easy Skillet Scallops and Spinach (Everyday Paleo, 105). This was a yummy easy meal. I love scallops and the kids even enjoyed them (it was a bit harder to get them to eat the spinach). We made them some veggie fried rice just in case they didn't eat the scallops, but they actually ended up eating both.

Dessert: Great Balls of Dates (Everyday Paleo, 218). I know that dates don't necessarily go with scallops, but this was a fun little dessert option that I have been looking forward to trying since I got the book. It involves medjool dates (seeds removed), almond butter, coconut flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and coconut flakes. They were actually pretty tasty and not as sweet as I imagined they would be. The kids thought they were fun and are looking forward to having a couple more tonight.

Day 23: Listening to your body

I have found that one of the keys to this way of eating is to tailor it to what your body needs. That requires us to do something that many of us are not very used to doing...listening to our bodies. Now that I have been eating this way for a few weeks I realize that I feel better with more carbs. During the past two years or so I have gotten very used to pairing carbs with a fat or protein to keep my blood sugar in check. Now I am starting to to realize that my body can handle some berries on their own to help give me the extra carbs I need.  I also pay attention to how I feel after eating or drinking something. I have taken a few days off coffee (even decaf) because I never feel quite right after I drink it (not sure why). One of the podcasts I was listening to from the Paleo Summit reminded me that we may need to tweak the way we eat every now and then to meet our energy needs. It also reminded me that this way of eating is not the same for everyone. One person may need more carbs than another to keep them balanced. This is especially true for those who are working out. My brother does well with juicing so typically one of his meals is a juice. I am not sure how I would do with that. I would like to try more smoothies for a snack (using almond or coconut milk). One thing I like about this way of eating is there is no counting points, fats, calories or carbs. It is eating in a way that works best for you. I will need to continue to experiment and tweak this plan as I go to find out what makes me feel best.

Breakfast: Leftover frittata (early morning) and left over chicken from the night before.

Snack: Handful of blueberries

Lunch: Steamed veggies and canned salmon

Snack: Handful of walnuts, an avocado and 3 small dried apricots

Dinner: Grilled Lamb Burgers (Everyday Paleo, 88), sweet potato and garlic orange broccoli. This is definitely one of my new favorite meals and something I probably would never have tried if I wasn't eating this way. AJ is still a huge fan of lamb burgers too! We have been buying a pound of ground lamb, which makes about 4 patties but I think we will have to increase this. Alexis loved the sweet potatoes and went to town with them today but she still ate some broccoli and burger.

Tomorrow: A scallop dinner....

Day 22: Sunday Family Dinner

Some people have been asking me how I feel now that I have been eating this way for 3 weeks. Overall, my energy has improved. I wake up in the morning with more energy than I should having an infant. I often wake up before the rest of the family. My lifelong stomach issues have subsided. I have lost all my baby weight plus some. Also, my blood pressure is getting really close to getting back in the normal range. It is nice to feel really good about how you are eating, especially when nursing. I am still playing around with getting enough calories and carbs (while nursing) and my anxiety issues are still a work in progress. My husband noticed that I have more energy and am in a better mood lately (when my anxiety isn't kicking in). I have found that eating alone can't do it all. Paleo/Primal eating should be part of a complete healthy lifestyle including fitness, stress relief, good sleep and plenty of sunshine (and anything else you think would fit in there). I am starting to add in some anxiety reduction techniques such as acupuncture and energy work and am even going to start a Tai Chi class tomorrow. Lastly, I am going to join a fitness center so I can start getting some light cardio before I venture into the Cross Fit arena.

One other thing I want to mention is that there is a free online Paleo Summit going on for the next several days. All you need to give is your e-mail and you will be able to access the podcasts. Yesterday  was Day 1. The podcasts from Day 1 will be up for a little while longer (they had some technical problems early one so they extended Day 1 for a short while). Even if you have missed Day 1 you can still catch the rest. Day 2's speakers look really interesting. In fact, one of them is Sarah Fragoso, the author of the book I am using a lot. I think each day's podcasts are generally up for 24 hours. Check out the Paleo Summit website for more details.

Breakfast: This morning we made the breakfast Frittata For All (Everyday Paleo, 183) again. It was very yummy and filling. I am still amazed at how much it fluffs up in the oven. I also ate a leftover Paleo Apple Muffin from yesterday (Everyday Paleo, 214).

After breakfast a friend came over to see the new baby and we went out for coffee to get some quiet time and chat. It was so nice to see her and chat. I had decaf coffee with my own Stevia sweetener and I brought some cashews to munch on because I knew all the yummy food in the coffee house would tempt me.

Lunch: Kids Love Cabbage Slaw (Everyday Paleo, 134) and some sliced turkey and roast beef (low sodium)

Snack: Apple Slices and almond butter

Dinner:  My brother, his wife, and a couple friends came over for dinner yesterday. We made Lemongrass and Coconut Chicken (Nom Nom Paleo). Our guests made sauteed mushrooms, and seasoned asparagus (paprika and garlic powder). All of the food was so tasty. The chicken was a lot better than I had anticipated. Everyone loved it and we probably should have made more. It was a nice dinner with great conversation. Scott and I have grown to really enjoy our Sunday dinners with family and even some friends. It is also nice to hang out with my brother who is so motivating about the Paleo and Crossfit lifestyle. He has truly embraced it and the changes in him are many. Of course he has gotten himself into very good shape physically, but his mood and energy have improved dramatically too. All of that together has him feeling very good about himself and life.

Dessert: My brother made fried bananas in coconut oil with cinnamon and honey. They also brought Trader Joe's Creme Brulee and Flourless Chocolate Cake. I had some of the bananas and a bite of the cake. I really don't miss the processed desserts much anymore (the kids were incredibly excited to have them though). The bananas will be a nice addition to our dessert menu in the future.

Day 21: Muffins and More...

Breakfast: My sweet tooth has been kicking lately, so for breakfast we made some Paleo Apple Muffins (Everyday Paleo, 214). The recipe called for almond meal, and included some apples and bananas. The kids thought they were great, though Scott was not a fan. I enjoyed them very much. Generally the texture of gluten free grains is different than that of gluten grains so it can take a bit to get used to. I think that so much of how we eat is habit and preconceived notions of what we like and don't like. I also believe it is possible to retrain our mind and our taste buds to accept a new way of eating. Things like this challenge and even fasting help our minds and taste buds to reprogram and get used to a new way of eating. After eating this way for just 21 days, I am able to more fully appreciate the sweetness of fruits and vegetables on their own (even steamed broccoli). I am also able to appreciate the sweetness of dark chocolate (with a really high percentage of cocoa), where as before I needed the highly processed and highly sugared milk chocolate to satisfy my cravings. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself. You can try it with the heavy hitters like salt or sugar. Make a commitment to eating less processed or better yet no processed food for 2 weeks (it doesn't have to be Paleo or gluten free) and see how you feel. Also, check out this site my friend sent to me. It is not a Paleo/Primal site, but it has plenty of ideas for eating healthier in general. I believe in the Paleo and Primal lifestyle, but for those who don't buy in yet or are just not interested in it, here are some other ways to improve your nutrition. The site is called 100 Days of Real Food. Let me know what you think! By the way, if you do want to know more rationale behind the Paleo template a great site to check out is FitBomb: Why I Eat Paleo.

Eating Well
Fitness Blackbook

Snack: Avocado and blueberries

Lunch: Boar's Head Gluten Free Lower Sodium Turkey, fresh beets, and steamed veggies

Dinner: Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breasts (Everyday Paleo, 55)- This recipe was a hit with the kids. It contained butterflied chicken stuffed with ham pieces and asparagus. The recipe called for some butter, but we used ghee (clarified butter). The butterflying of the chicken was a bit scary as I prayed Scott wouldn't slice his hand, but it was well worth it. We made 4 chicken breasts for our family and should have made more. We also had Baked Curry Cauliflower (Everyday Paleo, 121), which was fantastic. It had a great flavor and a bit of a kick. Alexis did well with it, AJ wasn't a fan and Scott and I couldn't get enough. The ingredients were super easy: cauliflower, coconut oil, curry powder, garlic powder, and turmeric.

Dessert: Sliced mango. It really hit the spot after the kick in the cauliflower dish

Day 20: And 10 to Go!

It's hard to believe it is time to plan another menu for the week. 20 days have come and gone.

If you notice on many of the recipes we use coconut flour, coconut oil or coconut milk. There is also coconut water that even comes sweetened in different flavors like mango and chocolate. Not sure if coconut oil is Paleo or just Primal, but in my mind it doesn't really matter. Coconut had a bad reputation for awhile, but many of the experts are starting to come around and recognize some of the health benefits it can provide in moderation. I personally will use some coconut milk in my coffee and I really enjoy drinking coconut water.

A few links:
 Huffington post
 Livestrong.com
 Mark's Daily Apple
 Mark's Daily Apple (2)

Breakfast: Paleo Pancakes. The recipe is from the book Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship by Sarah Fragoso. Alexis and my dad loved helping to make these yummy very kid friendly pancakes made with coconut flour, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, coconut milk and even bananas. They were definitely a hit. Alexis and AJ helped mash the bananas and Alexis added most of the ingredients in the bowl and loved to mix it all up! Sometimes it is hard for me to let her help because it usually ends up more messy, but I know it is so important and she loves doing it. It is also a great way for us to bond. AJ was a little grumpy this morning so he wasn't as interested in helping as usual. I don't force it. It took a few tries to get the feel for how long they needed to be cooked, but once we did they were great!  I also had leftover turkey stir fry with them to get some extra protein.

Lunch: Canned salmon and a salad with some fresh beets. I also had a banana.

Dinner: Homemade bison burgers made from ground bison meat, garlic powder and a little oregano. We also had some steamed zucchini, a small salad and some sweet potato fries (sliced sweet potatoes cooked in the oven with a little olive oil and a little cinnamon). It was a very simple, yet easy dinner to finish off the week.

Day 19: Paleo Pasta!

I had a question about what role nuts play in the Paleo way of eating. It is really up to the individual. I probably rely on nuts more than the average person because I am trying to make sure I get enough calories while nursing, I love nuts (especially cashews and almond butter), and quite frankly they are just so easy to eat on the go. Nuts and seeds are suggested in moderation for this way of eating. If people are trying to lose weight or get healthy from a chronic illness than then they should be eaten in very small amounts or not at all. There are plenty of recipes out there that do not contain nuts of any kind. We have been using Paleo cookbooks as guides, but we are also looking at gluten free cookbooks and tweaking. A lot of recipes call for coconut flour or oil (we also use almond flour), but remember that coconuts are not actually nuts.

Breakfast: Avocado

Snack: Apple slices and almond butter

Lunch: Turkey stir-fry with zucchinni, summer squash and mushrooms and a steamed sweet potato). A steamed sweet potato is my dad's new favorite thing.

Snack: Almonds

Dinner: Spahgetti Squash Pasta with homeade Paleo pasta sauce (Paleo Comfort Foods, 122), chicken breast, and steamed veggies. Scott had to work overtime so our family stayed at my parents house for the evening. My mom had a spaghetti squash she wanted to try so dinner was planned. We had never tried spaghetti squash before and I must say that it was incredibly good. I loved it, the parents loved it and the kids loved it. Of course it is not the same as regular spaghetti and sauce, but it is a fun substitute. There is a little bit of sweetness to it and it was fabulous with the tomato sauce my mom had made previously and frozen.

1. Cut squash lengthwise 2. Take out all the seeds and excess stringy stuff from the inside. 3. Put olive oil in bottom of pan. 4. Put it in skin side up. 5. Cook for 40 minutes at 375 (or until the skin is soft when pricked with a fork. 6. When done take out of oven and let cool 5-10 minutes 7. Take a fork and scrape out the insides into a large bowl. 8. If you choose, add any other ingredients.

There are a lot of recipes out there that include many flavorings or seasonings. We just just ate the squash with the tomato sauce. It had a great flavor on it's own.

Dessert: Jicama (what is jicama?) and fresh organic strawberries. We just dicovered jicama. It is a very interesting vegetable that has a nice crunch to it. We ate it plain, but I could see dipping it in guacomole, salsa, almond butter, or any other sauce. You could also put it in a fruit salad.

I am excited that I have two new foods to add to our favorite foods list: spaghetti squash and jicama!

Day 18: Did Somebody Say Brussel Sprouts 'N' Bacon?

It is hard to believe 18 days has passed. It just occurred to me that I have gone 18 days (actually probably a little more than that) without a Coke. I used to love to get a small Coke from McDonalds. It was my addiction. There is something about the taste of it when Mconalds makes it. I always felt slightly guilty after drinking one, but felt it was out of my control to change. It was my go to drink when I was stressed out, which was pretty often. Giving up Coke hasn't been has difficult as I thought it would be. I feel like the way I progressed to this point really has helped the transition to Paleo in general. I did it somewhat slowly. Before I even knew what Paleo was, I ate gluten free so I was always used to eating different than most others. I did still eat other gluten free grains which always messed with my blood sugar. Then after the baby was born, my blood pressure was high so I started watching salt in my foods. I realized than that the salt content in most processed foods is really high. My usual gluten free waffle and cheese sandwich (cheese actual contains a lot of salt) became a potential threat to me so I stopped eating it. I laid off the Coke and caffeine. I decreased my sugar intake.  I never really drank real milk (we used mostly almond milk) but I loved my Chobani yogurt. It took two extra weeks, but I finally stopped eating that too. For me, it was a small price to pay to regain my health. I don't really miss it now, because there are so many other yummy foods that I have replaced it with.

One of the best things about this way of eating is it doesn't really feel like a diet to me. I feel like there is still such a variety of food I can eat and a variety of ways that I can make the food tasty. I usually feel full and sometimes even worry I am not getting enough calories. It also helps that I have a lot of support. This has definitely been a family affair. My parents are trying their hand at Paleo eating, Scott has done a good portion of the Paleo cooking and has even played photographer, and my brother has provided a great deal of information and motivation throughout this process. I am hoping to have Brian (my brother) do a guest blog soon to talk about his experiences with eating Paleo. He is the one who introduced Paleo to us and motivated us to give Paleo a try.

My Favorite Chef!

Breakfast: Leftover Pecan Chicken and leftover steamed veggies
Snack: Apple slices and cashews
Lunch: Scrambled eggs,  bacon and a banana
Snack: Raisins and blueberries
Dinner: Everyday Meatloaf (Everyday Paleo, 65) and Brussel Sprouts 'N' Bacon (Everyday Paleo, 147). I am not a meatloaf person, but I have to say the meatloaf was very good. Scott said the ingredients are pretty similiar to a regular meatloaf, except we used almond meal for the flour. The only thing we would have changed was that the meatloaf didn't stick together as well as we would have like. The surprise of the evening, however, was the brussel sprouts. I don't think I have ever had brussel sprouts before. If I have they were very forgetable. These brussel sprouts were so yummy! I actually had 3 helpings!

Yummy Brussel Sprouts 'N' Bacon

Paloe Meatloaf

Day 17: Just Breathe

As you may have noticed, some days in this Paleo Challenge have been more exciting than others food wise. I think this is pretty realistic in that I am looking to take Paleo living from this challenge to my everyday life. When I go back to work, we are not going to spend as much time on recipes and "special" meals. We will probably do a lot more basic foods throughout the week and leave the special high ingredient/time things for the weekend. Because of the challenge, we will have plenty of "go to" meals that have already been tried out.

In researching information on both Paleo and Primal lifestyles, I have found that both focus heavily on controlling insulin levels and reducing inflammation. Stress can affect insulin levels as well as blood pressure and other things so I have been trying to focus on reducing my stress. Here is a link with further information on stress : The Definitive Guide to Stress, Cortisol and the Adrenals. There are many more out there. As I find ones I like I will share them.

One super easy stress relief technique I recently learned by watching Dr. Weil on the Dr. Oz show is the 4-7-8 breathing method. I have found that this is one thing that has helped me immensely in getting a hold of my anxiety levels and reducing the stress response. Some breathing methods take a long time, a quiet, place, and are very complex. This is just the opposite. There are also 2 other breathing exercises that he explains on his site. I just had to share this. Let me know what you think!

Above is the video with Dr. Weil demonstrating 4-7-8 breathing. I also linked to his site where you can see a written explanation. If you try it let me know what you think! Better yet, try it at least twice a day for a week.

Breakfast: Sausage hash and leftover steamed veggies

Lunch: Green salad with deli meat (gluten free Applegate Farms turkey from Trader Joe's, fresh beets (love beets-you can buy them in ready to eat packages). Steamed veggies, mango. Check out some benefits of beets.

Snack: Canned tuna and cantaloupe, raisins for a later afternoon snack (tiny serving)

Dinner: Pecan Chicken (Everyday Paleo, 43). I know we have already done this one once but it is just SO easy! The recipe only used 4 ingredients (Chicken breast, pecans, honey or agave if you want, and spicy brown mustard).

Dessert: Baked Apples (Everyday Paleo, 209). These were pretty good. We baked apples with some chopped pecans and spices as well as some shredded coconut. The kids shared on for dessert. They weren't in love with the pecans in the filling, but they liked the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) There are so many things you can do with this idea to make it your own and tasty. Before I went Paleo, Scott would even put chocolate chips, peanut butter, caramel on top. This can be a fun thing to make on a camping trip, just wrap in foil and put over the fire. Yum! Reminds me of summer. Can't wait!

Day 16: Ginger CItrus Skillet Chicken

Today was a fairly simple day foodwise. Very easy for a Monday.
Breakfast: 2 egg muffins and leftover sausage hash

Snack: Apple slices and almond butter

Lunch: Lunch with the parents. They made a pork tenderloin yesterday and had some leftovers, which Alexis and I were happy to take care of. The pork was great. Alexis had several helpings. We paired the pork with some steamed broccoli which really hit the spot.

Snack: 1/2 avocado, some cashews, banana

Dinner:  Ginger Citrus Skillet Chicken (Everyday Paleo, 49): This was a very yummy and simple dish. Some of the ingredients in the dish were chicken thighs, mushrooms, bell pepper, green onions, 1 medium orange (we used 2), and basil. There were some others as well. We served the chicken on top of kale, which is becoming one of my favorite greens (high in calcium too). Scott said that this recipe might be in his top five when this challenge is through.

Day 15: Halfway There!

Can't believe today is the halfway mark of the challenge! So far it has been going really well. We have discovered some great recipes and really bonded as a family throughout the process.

Breakfast: Leftover egg muffins and a leftover tortilla

Snack: Lara Bar/apple slices

Lunch: Ginger Shrimp Sald (Everyday Paleo, 123). This was one meal that I thought was just OK. It called for arugula lettuce which I wasn't a huge fan of and the tast was a little bland. Scott seemed to enjoy it though. As Scott said "it's very earthy." The kids were also not big fans of this and we ended up making them a separate lunch. I know I said we usually don't do that and it is true. This was a special situation where I should have known they wouldn't like it when we made it.

Snack: Cashews/banana

Dinner: Perfect Pork Pot Roast (Everyday Paleo, 93). We invited Scott's parents over for dinner. They happened to have a pork roast and we had a recipe so we put it together and it was amazing. I was a little hesitant about the sauce at first but it really made the dish. It is a bit labor intensive to make as there were a lot of steps. It included a lot of veggies like carrots, and celery and onions that needed to be chopped as well. We paired the truly "perfect" pork chops with a salad that Scott's mom made and bacon-wrapped asparagus. Easiest recipe ever - just wrap bacon around asparagus and pop in the oven under the broiler. It hit the spot. The kids would have had several helpings of those if we would have let them. By the way, the kids loved the pork roast (especially the sauce)!

Dessert: For our dessert we used a recipe that one of our friends passed on to us for a banana "ice cream" called Banana Soft Serve. No I did not completely jump ship and go for the dairy. It was just bananas that were frozen and then food processed until they are light and fluffy. It really looked and tasted like ice cream. We also made a little chocolate sauce using agave nectar, organic raw cocoa powder and a little water to loosen it up. I cut up some fresh blueberries and strawberries to top it. Now I know this does not officially fit in with the Paleo challenge, but I did have some in moderation. We loved it, and the kids loved and you never would have been able to guess it wasn't ice cream. Tough on the food processor though. When we get our new and improved food processor and the challenge is over we will definitely try it again!

Day 14: Paleo Fajitas Yum!

Breakfast: This morning we made Karina's Sausage Hash (Everyday Paleo, 90). It is such an easy recipe for a different type of meal. It is a little sweet but has a protein to balance it. The only ingredients are ground pork sausage, yams or sweet potatoes, some coconut oil and cinnamon. It is so easy to make. If you don't like pork sausage I am sure that you can substitute another meat. We also made some Egg Cupcakes (Everyday Paleo, 185). The recipe makes 18-20 cupcakes and we went through almost ten quickly this morning. Alexis and AJ each had 3. They are a quick and easy meal to take on the go and you can pretty much put whatever you want in them. We put in eggs, bacon, zucchini, red leaf lettuce (we ran out of spinach), and roasted red and yellow peppers.

After breakfast we hit up Costco, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's to get all of our supplies for the week. It was a bit pricey, but will calm down after the challenge is over. The kids don't love our grocery trips, but they do love all the samples. I even had some fruit samples at Costco today.

Lunch: By the time we got home it was already lunch time. We made our "go-to" turkey stir fry with ground turkey, frozen carrots and frozen asparagus. We threw some garlic, pepper and other spices in to make it interesting. So easy!

AJ and I even got to have some alone time today. We went to a store that has a play area. It was so nice to spend time with him. He is getting so big so quickly! And I'm sure Scott enjoyed the time with his girls.

Dinner: By the time we got home from our "date" it was time for dinner. We made Paleo fajitas. Scott used chicken breast, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, water, olive oil, frozen peppers and onions. We also had some chopped tomatoes and onions to put on and some homemade guacamole. The kids had regular store-bought corn tortillas and I had some homemade almond flour tortillas that were pretty tasty. Overall a great meal. AJ was a huge fan and Alexis did pretty well with them. I found the tortilla recipe from a website called Real Grubbin.

Day 13: Paleo Pals!

I am so excited! The author of the Everyday Paleo (the book I am using for most of my recipes) just came out with a kids book called Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship.

Just got this book in the mail and have already read it to AJ and Alexis. It is such a cute story about super hero kids (Paleo Pals) who come to help a boy named Jimmy learn about eating healthy food. It talks a little about Paleo, but it mostly focuses on eating healthy, whole, unprocessed foods. It encourages kids to get in the kitchen with their parents to help make and take ownership of the food they are eating. It also contains some very kid friendly recipes. AJ loved it! It was a little long for Alexis. We have not transitioned the kids to Paleo yet, even at home. They do eat mostly Paleo dinners with us though. They eat what we serve. If they don't want it they don't have to eat it, but we are not going to make a special meal for them. We have been having dinner that way long before this Paleo Challenge started. I am hoping this book might help them to start learning more about the food they eat and how it affects their bodies. AJ has a 4 bite "no thank you" rule at his school that I just learned about. If he is served something at school that he doesn't want he has to take 4 bites ("no thank you bites") and then he can "move on." Cute idea that we will incorporate at home. We always tell him that just because he doesn't like something one day doesn't mean he won't like it the next.

Breakfast:  I started the morning with scrambled eggs with mushrooms and zucchini.

Snack: Apple Flowers (Everyday Paleo, 207): some almond butter, apple slices, blueberries, and cinnamon. It was a nice little snack that Alexis enjoyed. She especially liked the blueberries.

Lunch: Leftover lasagna (Paleo) from earlier this week and some steamed veggies (also left over from this week).

Snack: Half an avocado and a banana.

Dinner: Skillet Salmon with Baby Bok Choy (Everyday Paleo, 103) and a salad: This was an incredibly tasty meal. Alexis had 3 servings of it. We substituted kale for the bok choy because I forgot to put bok choy on the menu. It worked just fine. This recipe used fish sauce, which we had never tried before, honey, sesame oil, chives, chili oil, bok choy (or kale) and some cashews (on top). The flavors were just fabulous. I would have had a lot more but then we realized that fish sauce is loaded with sodium so I stuck to one serving. This is something we will probably try to make once a month. We most likely would have had it more if it had a little less salt (I am still watching my sodium intake). AJ took some "no thank you" bites and then moved on to several helpings of the salad. He is still insistent that he doesn't like salmon. Highly recommend this dish!

Dessert: Fresh mango

Day 12: Yummy Burgers!

Though I have been basing my eating off of the stricter Paleo template, I have also been incorporating some of the ideas from the Primal template. I call them templates because the word diet seems so temporary to me. I know that this is the way I will eat for the rest of my life. I just can't go back. I may stray here and there, but I will continue to follow the basic ideas of the template.  I am still looking for a link to a very clear chart that can show the differences between the two (Paleo and Primal).

One book that I have really enjoyed reading is The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. He also has a blog I read everyday called Marks Daily Apple. In his book he shares 10 Primal Blueprint Laws: Eat lots of plants and animals, avoid poisonous things, move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things, sprint once in awhile, get adequate sleep, play, get adequate sunlight, avoid stupid mistakes and use your brain. His book reminded me especially of how important sleep, sunlight, and play are and I have been trying to incorporate them into my challenge.

 Before you read this next part it is important that you know I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. Always check with your doctor before starting a diet or exercise regimen. I am just passing on some information that I have read because sometimes this way of eating can be hard to understand in the beginning. It actually ends up being very simple.

General guidelines for the Paleo/Primal templates (for an average person):
-Eat eat mostly if not all whole, unprocessed foods.
-Focus on eating good quality vegetables (leave out white potatoes-sweet potatoes are OK in moderation).
-Eat good quality meat, fish, and eggs
-Eat in moderation (depending on your level of health and weight loss goals) nuts and seeds and fruits (no this is not Atkins).
-We use a mixture of Paleo and Primal approved oil like coconut oil and olive oil. Other choices might be sesame oil and avocado oil. No Canola oil or vegetable oils.
-Leave out all grains, legumes, and dairy (the Primal template allows for some high quality dairy if your body can digest it well), and sugars (even brown sugar).
-There are some exceptions to these guidelines that I won't go into now.

With all that being said, there are so many slightly different takes on this type of eating that most people find a level that is comfortable for them. You really learn to listen to your body and what it is telling you. When I feel like a certain food is causing me problems, I cut it out for a week or two (completely-no cheating) and see how I feel. Then I add it back in slowly and see how you feel. I try to remember that food intolerance's might not show up immediately. It could take a few days to see the effects of the food I added back in (if there are any). I have heard gluten needs to be left out longer because it takes longer for the gut to heal from it.

On to the day:

Breakfast: Leftover turkey stir fry. Leftovers are an easy way to get a good breakfast.

Snack: Doctor's appointment so I brought a Lara Bar and some almonds.

Lunch: Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Slaw (Everyday Paleo, 133). This was a great recipe that Scott and I both really enjoyed. Some of the ingredients it contained were cabbage, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and apples. I can't even describe it. It had such a nice mix of tastes including sweet. You need to use precooked chicken so have it ready if you want a quicker meal. I will definitely use again (especially when I go back to work).

Snack: 3/4 of an avocado and a small box of raisins

Dinner: Grilled lamb burgers (Everyday Paleo, 88) and steamed veggies. Yes, you read that right- lamb. I am proud to say that I made most of this (with Scott's guidance). It was such an easy recipe with ground lamb, onions, garlic, some fresh mint, 1 egg, and other spices. I just mixed up the ingredients, made them into patties and put them in the oven. The recipe called for it to be grilled but we ended up broiling them and they were still fabulous (loved the hint of mint in them). AJ even said he wanted these "every day" and "every night." Always a sign of a good recipe and fairly quick to make. Now I can take what I learned from this recipe and make regular burgers too.

Sweet treat: Cantaloupe. I love that cantaloupe still counts as a dessert for my little guys =)

Day 10 & 11: V-Day and More!

Due to Valentine's Day yesterday and a little too much wine, I am a day late on my blog. So, I decided to put Day 10 and Day 11 together.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. Breakfast was a turkey (ground turkey) stir-fry. Simple and really easy to make for an inexperienced chef like me. Alexis and I took a trip to Rose's Wheat Free Bakery. It is still one of my favorite places to eat. It is a completely gluten free bakery/cafe in Evanston, IL. It also offers other options, such as dairy free.The food is wonderful and when I was just limiting gluten it always felt so good to walk in there and know I could order anything off the menu. Now that I am eating Paleo, I will use Rose's on special occasions and enjoy it thoroughly when I do. I bought pita bread there for our dinner date later that evening. It is wonderful that so many more restaurants are having gluten free options, I just wish more had gluten free bread too (Wildfire does by the way). Alexis and I indulged in a sweet treat at Rose's. Alexis got a cookie and I got a gluten free, dairy free, lemon cupcake. I ate half of it. It was pretty tasty. Then Lex and I went home and had leftover chicken soup for lunch. We shared an avocado for a snack and then right before dinner I had a tiny box of raisins for a pick me up.

Scott and I went to Francesca's North. It was our 3rd year in a row going there for Valentine's Day. Randomly, this year my brother and his wife made reservations for the same restaurant at the same time. Quite the coincidence (no, we didn't end up sitting together). Francesca's has a nice gluten free menu. They even have some tasty gluten free desserts. As I wrote in my provisions of the challenge on Day 1, I did not follow Paleo for dinner. I did however, order off of the gluten free menu. I brought my pita and had some while waiting for food in place of the bread they offered. I also had a couple glasses of red wine. The dinner was fabulous. We had carpaccio for an appetizer. Yes, I actually ate raw meat. I had a shrimp and scallop meal with spinach, mushrooms and tomato for the entree. We also shared a gluten free creme brulee (my favorite) and a flour less chocolate cake. We really indulged!  The desserts were so yummy I tried to savor every bite. I highly recommend the restaurant; the food and service were great. The dinner flew by so quickly, I wanted time to slow down. It was so nice having some time alone with Scott. I think we also both enjoyed eating out for a change.

Unfortunately, the food choices of the night were not without their consequences. I felt the alcohol more than normal (due to both the challenge and nursing). I did not sleep well and when I woke up I had a bit of an upset stomach. My body felt really off today. My anxiety level was sky high (possibly from the wine and the sugar spike and drop from the desserts). I just felt really off. I am not saying it wasn't worth it; it was at the time. I just think I learned that next time I will go a little easier on the sweets and the wine. Two desserts may have been a bit much, even if we shared them.

Day 11: Today, I just wanted to get back on track. I had scrambled eggs and a few slices of bacon for breakfast. For lunch, I had a very nice veggie stir fry that my dad made and a few slices of gluten free Boorshead turkey. For a quick stir fry we use frozen veggies from Costco or Trader Joe's. I had some nuts, a Lara Bar, a banana, and apple slices as snacks throughout the day. For dinner, Scott made Hasta La Vista Pasta Lasagna (Everyday Paleo, 86) and a salad. We are very lucky that our kids love salads. AJ usually has seconds and even thirds. Today was no different. We used ground beef and ground pork for the meat. The recipe called for Italian Sausage instead of the pork, but I was hoping to lower the salt content by going with the pork. Instead of lasagna noodles, zucchini slices divided the layers. A mandolin would have come in handy to slice the zucchinis thinly lengthwise. We will have to plan a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond soon. The lasagna was very good (Scott thinks the Italian Sausage would have given it more of a kick). AJ said he liked this lasagna more than regular lasagna. I don't know if I would go that far, but it could definitely grow on me. For dessert we each had two unsweetened dried apricots. On to Day 12!

Day 9: Less Difficult Than it May seem

A few people have commented that my blog makes it seem like this way of eating is really difficult. Truthfully, the way I am doing the challenge takes a little more work and effort because I am following a recipe book. The recipes we are using require some preparation and involve several specific ingredients, which takes more time. I am also not very experienced in the kitchen so it takes longer. With a little more practice the prep time should decrease.

I also have to plan what I will eat when I go out so that I am prepared with snacks or food options. Experts in nutrition recommend bringing your lunch and snacks if you are trying to eat healthier. So it seems that would be a given in any "diet." My OB actually said she brings her lunch on most days because she has more control over eating healthy. She is able to balance her nutrients and her portion size.

But in reality, this challenge is not as difficult as I may have made it seem. There are ways to simplify the recipes so that they are less time consuming and even less expensive. Taking a little time on the weekends to prepare things we  need for the week can go a long way when we are just too tired to do a lot of cooking after work. For those who like quick snacks, you can actually buy Primal and Paleo snack packs. Two online places to buy them are Steve's Original and Primal Pacs (if you are limiting or watching salt content you may want to go easy on these though). Also, Trader Joe's has almonds in small little serving bags that can be used easily. I think the point is that it is all very doable, it just takes a little practice.

As for the actual eating part, it hasn't been extremely difficult for me to not eat certain foods. I don't really crave them very much because I know I could eat them if I really wanted to. As I read in some of the books, there is a kind of momentum that builds and after awhile you don't want those foods (at all or as much) anymore.

Today, for breakfast I had 2 eggs scrambled and some apple slices. For a snack I actually just had a spoonful of almond butter (not the best snack but time effective). For lunch I planned on having Salmon Rolls (Everyday Paleo, 199) which involve salmon (canned), zucchini and some spices. I realized that I didn't have a mandoline, nor did I know what one was. I guess it is something that can slice things thinly-like the zucchini that I needed. So I modified the recipe and just chopped the zucchini and mixed it in with the salmon and the mix. It was still tasty. We will be looking into getting a mandoline though, because this would be a great recipe to take to school for lunch. It was easy to make and filling.

For dinner we made a Red Curry Beef Stew (Everyday Paleo, 165) in the slow cooker with some Thai red curry paste and sweet potatoes and cabbage. Scott prepped the veggies and I put everything in when it was time. Well, actually my mom helped with the very raw stew meat-yuck!. I will have to get better with the whole raw meat issue. Overall, it was such an easy meal for us to make. A couple hours after everything was in it smelled soooo yummy in our house. My mouth was watering and
I couldn't wait for it to be ready. We didn't know what to expect because neither Scott nor I had tried Thai red curry paste before. Turns out, you couldn't really taste it. The recipe said to half it if you didn't want as much of a kick. So I did. We probably didn't need to. We ended up putting the Thai red curry paste on the side and kind of dunked the meat in a little to get the taste. Scott really liked the sauce and said he will use it for a lot of things in the future. I thought it was OK. Scott also sauteed some spinach and mushrooms with some lemon pepper and garlic. That was incredibly yummy.

I am looking forward to Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Day 8: Paleo Brings the Family Together

Week 2 begins! We woke up this morning and we made some pumpkin pancakes from our Paleo Comfort Foods book. They were OK, but a little watery. It can be tough to get the hang of working with gluten free flours (this one is made from almond flour). After breakfast we went to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's to shop for the week. It is so much easier to shop when you have a menu and shopping list to work with. This week was a little more expensive because we have some special meats on the menu. Scott is OK with the added expense for now and once the 30 days are up we will probably calm down on the specialty meals a little. I remind myself that while it may be a little more expensive now, we are not eating out as much for family dinners (or taking in) and I am not eating out as much for breakfast or lunch when I am home with the kids. 

We made BLT's (Everyday Paleo) for an early lunch (minus the bread-we used lettuce to wrap it) which was tasty, but was not filling enough to stand alone as a snack unless we increased the portions. 

We also had some random veggies left over from last week so we made a soup. The soup contained gluten free low sodium chicken stock, celery, mushrooms, carrots, parsnips, green onions, zucchini, bacon, chicken, crushed garlic, basil and black pepper. It was fabulous. The kids absolutely LOVED it! 

For dinner we planned a Paleo family dinner with my parents, my family, my brother and his wife, and my brother's friend and his girlfriend. My parents made yummy pot roast from the Paleo Comfort Foods book with lots of veggies and also some stir fried veggies. We made some mashed cauliflower (kind of like mashed potatoes). My brother made cinnamon sweet potatoes. My brother's friend and girlfriend made gluten free cupcakes (not sure if they are Paleo because they included dark chocolate which probably contained dairy). They also included my favorite allergen free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand). I ate half a cupcake. The cupcakes were ridiculously yummy and probably a sweet treat that I will eat again after the 30 day challenge. As I posted in my challenge goals-I am not going to feel bad about a treat now and then. I ate it and enjoyed it and am back on the challenge. Overall, the meal was fabulous! Everyone enjoyed eating good food and engaging in great conversation. Paleo has definitely brought our family closer.

Day 7: One Week Complete!

Wow! I can't believe today is Day 7 of my Paleo Challenge. The week has gone by pretty quickly. We had a very busy morning getting many items together (clothes, blankets, accessories) to take some professional pictures of the kids and family. It was great that we had the Frittata in the fridge from last night. Did I mention that the Frittata was one of my absolute favorite meals so far this week? Check out the picture that I just added to my Day 6 post. Since we were going to be away from home for the morning I grabbed some nuts and one of my kid's veggie pouches (the squeezeable ones). I know they are not low in fructose, but they are an easy pick me up if I need it. I also packed some water. I find that between nursing and eating this way I am in a constant struggle to stay optimally hydrated. T

he pictures were fun and our kids (and the photographer) did a great job. One of our friends is a professional photographer so she took them for us. It was a fairly stress-free situation and she was fabulous with the kids. After the pictures, all of us went to Whole Foods Market-Lincoln Park. It was the biggest Whole Foods I have been in. There is even a food court in it with a ton of options. It would have been nice to walk around and check everything out but nap time was getting close so we just got our food and ate upstairs in the seating area. I went straight for the salad bars and food areas that have all the ingredients labeled. I found a ton of options that looked fabulous and filled quickly filled my container. The only questionable item in some of the salads was Canola Oil, which is not recommended in the Paleo template that I am using. I decided not to worry about it and enjoyed my food, my friends and family knowing that I still had a very Paleo lunch.

My son has been asked for mac and cheese lately, so AJ and Alexis had gluten free mac and cheese for dinner and Scott and I had Spice It Up Salmon (Everyday Paleo, 100). The fillets contained quite a few spices mixed in that gave them quite the kick. There was a little too much cayenne for my liking (my husband's pinch was a little more like a handful). We also had some steamed veggies, which the kids absolutely love. We tried to make kale chips, but once again we lost track of time and they were burnt (this time Scott did it). I think we will try again today. They are so worth it if we could just figure out the timing of them.

I also sat down and created a meal plan for next week. It does take a lot of work and planning, but it is worth it. This week was easier than I thought. I have cooked more than I ever have and I have been paying attention to how Scott cooks. I even cooked raw chicken for the first time. I have eaten a better variety and quantity of vegetables than I have in my whole life. I am not looking at the scales, but I know that weight wise I am feeling good. I will feel even better now that I can start working out. I feel like I have more energy overall and don't feel bloated and uncomfortable around bed time like I used to (a week without dairy may have helped with that). I hope to continue to see great results (like my blood pressure stabilizing) in the next couple weeks.

Week 2 here I come!