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