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!