Paleo Day #3

Okay, so I have endured three straight days without coffee, sugar, gluten, beans, and all the other stuff I can't eat. 

I feel AWFUL. Tired, headache, did I mention tired, and grumpy?

Before the last three days, I didn't know I was addicted to iky food (since I am a pretty healthy eater), but I guess I am, because my body is RETALIATING LIKE A *****. (I don't cuss, so the stars will have to suffice in expressing my frustration. lol).

Anywho - last night's dinner was actually breakfast...I made a two egg omelet for myself, and a four-egg omelet for Joel. It tasted incredible and kept me full all night long, which is crazy because I am like always hungry. 

I was probably full all night because this omelet had a large amount of protein and monounsaturated fat (yum). 

Anyways, if you are looking for a breakfast (or dinner, I guess) that will keep you full until one or two pm, this omelet is your answer. 

Ingredients: 

Eggs (however many you prefer - if you're not too hungry, stick with 2)

Avocado

Tomato

Bell Pepper

Onion

Chile Powder

Mushrooms

Pepper

Paprika

Lime Juice

Polska Kielbasa (grass fed!)

Coconut Oil (1/2 tsp. per omelet)

Directions: 

Heat medium skillet and throw in cubed Polska Kielbasa along with the chopped onions.

 Let it simmer. 

 Cut up your tomatoes, avocado, and bell peppers. 

Mix the Polska around with the onions. It will start to smell insanely amazing.

Add pepper to the polska

Take your eggs and crack them into a bowl.

Whisk the eggs until they are the same consistency.

Add paprika, chile powder, pepper, and lime juice to the eggs, to taste (aka however much you want).

Add the bell peppers and mushrooms to the Polska mixture. Let it simmer, until the Polska is finished cooking.

 

Heat a smaller skillet, and add 1/2 tsp of coconut oil. 

Swirl that good stuff around until you have the pan nice and coated. 

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. When it is 3/4 of the way cooked, flip the omelet over.

 

Wait like three seconds. 

Flip the omelet onto a plate, and add the polska and veggie mixture on top of it. 

Sprinkle with the tomato and avocado. 

Add more chili pepper/chili flakes if you like it sizzlin spicy like I do. 

Enjoy to your heart's content, and relish in the fact that you won't be hungry for a looooong time. 

Have a great weekend! 

<3 Beth

Delicious Paleo Balsamic Casserole 

For my first Paleo recipe, I wanted to go with something warm, comforting and delish. 

 

I found this recipe on PaleOMG  and, it fit my comfort food delish descriptions, so I had to go for it.

 Ingredients: 

Cubed Pork (lean cut) (or any other kind of meat)

Bacon

Kale

Butternut Squash

Onion

Cauliflower

Garlic 

Pepper

Chili Powder

Red Pepper

Ginger

Coconut Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Food Processor

2 large skillets

Roasting pan

Here's what I did: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt coconut oil in large skillet. Add chopped butternut squash, season with pepper and ginger. Let it cook for about five minutes, then turn them over and let the other side cook. 

Meanwhile: roughly chop cauliflower and put it in the food processor. Pulse on high to create "rice" like texture/size. 

Add onions (chopped) to the squash.

Heat large skillet, and add five to six chopped bacon pieces. Let the bacon sizzle and smell amazing. 

Add two large tablespoons (I say large because I mean be generous - lol) of balsamic vinegar to the squash. Add cauliflower rice. Spread everything around.Add more pepper/ginger/whatever spice you want. 

Drain half of the bacon juice (yes, I just used the work juice). 

Let the bacon dry on a paper towel. 

Add pork to the bacon-juiced skillet (oh, yeah). 

Add pepper, ginger, and a bit of balsamic to the pork. Turn each cube of meat over after about three minutes. 

Add chopped kale to the butternut squash skillet - add chile powder and red pepper (DON'T add any if you don't like it spicy!) and more balsamic. Don't be stingy, balsamic is amazing. 

When the pork is nearly finished cooking, add the butternut squash mixture into a roasting pan. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the mixture. Add the pork, distributing it evenly over the mixture.  Put it in the oven.

Now, put on some good ole Beastie Boys and dance for fifteen minutes while it is cookin' up a storm. 

And voila. Eat and eat. 

I forgot to take a pretty pic of this dish because I was so hungry. 

Shame on me.

Goin' Paleo

Happy Thursday Lovelies!

In my previous post, I wrote about my goals for 2013. One of the serious ones (the ones I am dead-set on accomplishing) is to EAT LESS SUGAR. When I followed the Eat Clean Diet, I was only consuming corn syrup/sugar once a week, which was awesome, but it still didn't break my sugar cravings. Additionally, I never completely gave up honey, which I added to my afternoon green tea.

About a month ago, Joel asked me a very surprising question: "Hey, Beth, what do you think about going Paleo in January?"

My reaction: "Paleo? A whole month?"

Let me explain. A few of my husband's friends are avid Crossfit junkies. They love to lift weights. They love to grunt. They love to pat each other on the back.

They also love Paleo.  Or hate Paleo. Or a combination of the two.

Paleo is not a "diet". It is literally a lifestyle change. The theory stems from "cavemen" eating - if you can't hunt/gather it, you can't eat it. This means anything PROCESSED is out of the picture. The diet also excludes dairy (the theory is that no other animal drinks another animal's milk, so why should we? some liberal-Paleoists believe that dairy is okay if it is unprocessed, raw, organic, and whole) gluten (which should not be in any human's diet due to the fact that is makes your intestines polluted...eww, gross), and refined sugar (including any processed sweeteners, like stevia).

So, "Paleo" is pretty much incredibly incredibly difficult and annoying.

The CEO of the company I work for is Paleo (he is also gluten intolerant) and he told me that he has never felt so good in his entire life...he never craves sugar, is full of energy, and sleeps better than he ever has! After hearing his story, I became a bit more inclined to trying it out, and since Joel had mentioned doing it, I thought to myself "well, what the heck? Let's give it a go."

Here is a list of "allowed" food: 

Meat (beef, poultry, fish, pork, etc.)

Veggies (except corn and peas)

Fruit (they encourage to go light on bananas since they are high in fructose)

Nuts (again, these should be limited due to high calorie and fat content)

Sweet Potatoes, in moderation (regular potatoes are not allowed because they were not "invented" until the agricultural revolution - sweet potatoes have been in South Africa since the Paleozoic era, so they are okay)

Here is a list of "banned" food:

Anything processed - the list is insurmountable, so I will not try to surmount it.

All dairy - Why? because dairy was not consumed by our ancestors, and if/when it was, it was completely organic, raw, whole milk, which pretty much doesn't exist anymore. Maybe at a Whole Foods. But still.

All gluten/high lectin foods: Why? Because it causes weird stuff to go down into your stomach/digestive tract, causes many forms of auto-immune diseases, and can also stimulate insulin production much like sugar. This includes all wheat and bean products.Additionally, our bodies were not made to digest foods that had to be cooked (beans and wheat have to be boiled/soaked) - they were made for animals like birds.

All Alcohol -  Some liberal Paleoists believe vodka and red wine to be appropriate, but strict Paleoists drink no alcohol whatsoever

 All Sugar - This includes artificial sweeteners too! Most Paleo-ists allow honey in its raw, wild form, as it can be found in the wild (hence, the name "Wild Raw Honey". Go figure.)

My Take on the Whole Thing:

Okay, so, I really want to stop craving sugar. And lattes. And did I say sugar? So, I believe that Paleo will help me battle my taste buds and possibly even win one for a change. Ha. I also love trying new things, and I am constantly on the hunt for ways to make my headaches/migrains go away, and I love cleansing my body of gross chemicals and toxins.

I am officially on Paleo day #2 and I am CRAVING sugar. Like reeeeal bad.

It's probably because of the Christmas cookies that are staring at me from my kitchen counter.

Oh, that reminds me, I need to throw away all of my tantalizing food. Blast.

Although I highly doubt this Paleo business will last longer than February, I am glad I am doing it, and it's kind of fun planning all of the recipes and cooking and shopping...especially with Joel!

Tonight I'll post my first Paleo recipe...hopefully it inspires you to eat more veggies!

<3 Beth