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!