Day 1

Day 1 started out a bit hectic. The girl called saying she was sick and needed some delicious soup. So I started the morning out making soup. Then I hit the shower and headed out for my workout with Jason. He has yet to kill me! On the way I realized I had forgotten to eat breakfast. Fine, I'm sure cavemen missed meals but they didn't take insulin. I do, so I had to get something. Mickey D's offers nothing, no time to hit the store. Subway, here I come! Ordered a flatbread omelette minus the cheese, added turkey, spinach, and tomatoes plus a bag of apple chips (they are apples and lemon juice only). Tossed the flatbread and headed to Crossfit.

I had taken the girl her soup and we had it for lunch at home too. Chicken "Noodle". Just make your favorite recipe minus any non Paleo ingredients and use spaghetti squash in place of the noodles!

So, What is Paleo? Why Try It?

What did cavemen eat?  Well, contrary to popular belief, I wasn't around back then, so I can't say for sure.  Fortunately for the world, (I need sarcasm font) science believes it has figured it out.  That is what this Paleo lifestyle (not a diet they say) is all about.  They feel our "ancestors" lived healthier lifestyle than we do today, mainly due to the foods they ate.  Once again, I wasn't there so I can't vouch for that.  I also know that they were not my ancestors.  Why then would I want to eat like them.  I mean they were probably scavengers as well as hunters and that does not appeal to me at all.  And the first time the hubby tries to drag me somewhere by my hair, well, let's just say that will be the last time he does it too!  I digress.  Again, why would I want to eat like a caveman?  In a few words-maybe I can lose some weight and feel a little more energetic.

Here it is as simply as I can put it:
-cavemen were hunter/gathers and did not farm, there for they would have eaten very little, if any, grain, legumes, dairy, or concentrated sweets (sugar, honey, maple syrup).
--since they did not farm or raise livestock their meats would have been wild and subsisted on a grass diet, not one of grains.  Their fish and seafood would have also been wild and not farm raised.  This also means they would have had more omega-3 acids in their meat.
--They would not have had access to processed foods.  No Twinkies, not TV dinners, no Buffalo Wild Wings (poor guys).  They also have eaten a lot of raw foods.  Very simple meals.

What busy mom these days wouldn't love to have simple meals all the time?  Sounds good to me.  And raw foods means less cooking, therefore less clean up.  Right? 

So here are some things to avoid in your Paleo lifestyle (not a diet, remember):

--Grains-even ancient grains, sprouted grains, and grain-like seeds-buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa
--dairy products-all dairy products (I will miss you cheese)
--legumes-beans, peas, peanuts, lentils, miso, soybeans
--Starchy veggies-potatoes (sweet too), starchy tubers, tapioca (that will be a hard one, not)
--Salty foods-condiments, bacon, processed meats, olives
--fatty meats-bacon, ribs, fatty cuts of meat, lamb
--fruit juice
--concentrated sweets, including honey and maple syrup (although these two can be used in strict moderation), candy, cookies cakes
--anything containing any of these products

Now you are thinking "Great!  What can I have?  That is my entire diet!"  I know, that is the typical American diet (lifestyle).  Here you go:

--lean meats of any kind-preferably grass fed or free range, organ meats also
--wild or game meats-bison, deer, elk, fish, turkey
--eggs-about 1 a day, remember, for cavemen these would have been seasonal
--Nuts and seeds-but not peanuts, they are a legumes.  Walnuts are the best.  You want a good ratio of omega 6/omega 3
--flax seed and it's oil
--low glycemic fruits and veggies-basically stay away from the starchy veggies.
--dried fruits in moderation

The Paleo Diet-Loren Cordain, PhD is a great reference book.  It has a lot of info and some good recipe ideas.  I would recommend reading through it if you are interested.  Also check out www.everydaypaleo.com  This mom and Crossfitter has some great recipes and info on her site.  She also has some personal examples of how it has affected her family's life since they started eating this way.

Two more day of the American diet  and then I will try this new lifestyle  Will I stick with it?  I don't know.  I may only make it two days and then decide I want my dairy.  Especially my cheese.  One day at a time for the next 30 is what I am aiming for.  I'll have some more info in my next post. 


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So far...

...so good. Tried the granola this morning with some coconut milk. Pretty tasty. I'll have to try the milk out in my coffee. That will be the real test. Actually, using stevia will be the real test.

Date Change

After looking at the calendar and what will be happening in the next month, I will now start my challenge on the 15th. After all, I have all that Valentine's chocolate to consider! Okay, not really, but it will work better with our snowboarding trip in March and it gives me a few more days to get things in order. This is not something that I plan to impose on the family. Elijah will still have his cheese sticks and oatmeal, and Jeff his protein bars, but when I cook dinner, it will be what I am eating for everyone. If they want to add to it, that will be fine.

Dairy is going to be the hard one to replace. I, as the doctor who took care of my broken arm reminded me, am at that age where I need to supplement calcium. I know I can get it in a pill, but there are also plenty of other non dairy sources. Most of which I like. (I'll get a list together and post it later.) Of course, I like food and that's what got me to this point in the first place.

So, time to put the groceries away. By-the-way, Sunflower Markets had great looking portobello mushrooms today. They make great replacements for burger buns!

No Grain Granola

I posted this recipe a while back, but I am in the process of making some more.  I am going to try (and it will not be easy) to do a 30-day Paleo challenge.  No grains, dairy, (the hard part), legumes and a few other no-no's.  I'm not a huge cereal eater, but here is my substitute for the next month.  Well, I actually wont start until the 10th, but I need to get some things going.

No Grain Granola

2 cups raw pecans
2 cups raw almonds
8-10 pitted dates
1 tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 eggs (cage free or omega-3)

Process the nuts, dates, and cinnamon until they are a course meal. Stir in the coconut. Add the two eggs, slightly beaten. Stir. It will be thick and clumpy. Spread on a baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, stirring at 10 and 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Serve with your favorite milk and add fruit, fresh or dried, if you like. I will be using almond or coconut milk for the challenge.

So, if you want to know how it goes you can keep up with my progress here.  Hopefully you will get 30 days worth of updates.

Garden Clean-up

With our horribly dry and hot summer in 2011, I was all to happy to neglect the garden.  It seemed that the only things producing were the squash and the grasses and weeds.  I was not about to pull weeds in 100 degree heat.  I'm just not that young anymore.  (Although I am sure I still look it!)  When it did finally rain and cool off the veggies went nuts.  Of course this was right before the frost killed them and most tings went to ruin.  Now all those seeds are out there as well.  I look for a lot of volunteer plants next summer.  If there are any plants next summer. The weatherman says the jet stream pattern looks to stay the same.  Great!  Maybe I'll just manure and mulch it this year.

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Tomato plants needed to come down.

Raked leaves and hay, too many weed and grass seeds to let it stay.  We will burn it later.

Still had some Swiss chard that was good.  Picked it for dinner!

Nice and clean

New Things

I took the girl to Crest for groceries tonight and found some fresh herbs grown hydroponically. I am hoping to keep them alive until spring. I had rosemary make it through the horrible summer and so far it seems to be doing well in the house. I guess we'll see. Hopefully I can set them and my pineapple plants out on nicer days.

I also like to buy mangoes on occasion but rarely do because they are such a pain to cut. Not any more! I found a mango splitter at Williams-Sonoma. I didn't get it there, but this was the first time I had seen one. Later in Target I saw they had them (and for less) soI picked one up. It is awesome and I will be buying more mangoes from now on!!