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