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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
