Last Friday I completed my 30 days of The Paleo diet. The 30 day challenge can be found on this site with all the information on how to get started. I would reccommend this challenge to EVERYONE!!! As I have done this challenge I have talked to several friends and family and the common question has been "What are you eating?" So I wanted to post some of my favorite Paleo recipes and the results I had with Paleo!
First thing is first - FOOD! Here is a typical 3 days eating Paleo, featuring my favorite recipes. I would highly recommend that you research recipes and be prepared with the ingredients in your fridge before you start. I did not prepare enough and thought I could "wing it" like I do most of my cooking. This led to a very difficult first week!
The basics that I always remembered were :
NO sugar, carbs, dairy, alcohol, or processed anything.
and YES to - meat (especially lean meat and fish), vegetables (the more the better), fruit (one serving a day - and prefer berries and melons),and some nuts (almonds, pecans)
Example - Day 1:
Breakfast - this was the hardest meal for me. I have never been a good breakfast eater but with these restrictions it was harder. I usually ate a hard-boiled egg, and some berries and a big glass of water.
Lunch - tuna or chicken salad (I always keep this in the fridge for hunger moments) I eat it with homemade mayo, And on lettuce or with celery sticks (I really like the crunch of celery). The original recipe I used for mayo you can find HERE. and the first time I made mayo - FAIL! But I learned a few tricks and now make my mayo with no problem.
When I make Mayo I ALWAYS use a blender. I crack my egg in and add some lemon juice, dijon mustard (I like the chardonnay flavor and mustard is a paleo approved condiment) , and a tablespoon of EVOO light tasting. Then I press blend and add the 1 cup EVOO light tasting very slowly! and I have never had a FAIL! Depending on what I want to use it with I may add oregano, paprika, garlic powder, possibilities are endless. But always use those ingredients as my base. And let me just say if you have never made homemade mayo - it is amazing, once you make it you will never want to go back!
Supper - Chicken Chili Soup! This soup is amazing, even if you didn't do Paleo, you should cook this soup!
Example Day 2:
Breakfast: I did eventually put together a paleo smoothie that I enjoyed - but it does use up your fruit for the day. So you have to way the pros and cons!
One banana, juice from 1/2 an orange, some berries, and 1/4 cup coconut milk (paleo approved). Blend well and enjoy!
Lunch: A go to easy thing to eat on Paleo is obviously - salad. My favorite way to eat salad - Lots of leafy greens, green onion, turkey, mushrooms, red pepper, egg, and nuts. For dressing I use either vinegar and oil (love the pomegranate vinegar) or make some ranch type dressing with my homemade mayo, coconut milk, and ranch seasonings.
Dinner: One of my favorite recipes was Gingered Carrots with Mahi Mahi. But I used Talapia instead of Mahi Mahi (more affordable) I had always been afraid to cook with fish but this made it easier.
Example Day 3:
Breakfast: When I have enough time I like to make an omelet with lots of veggies. Or fry an egg and eat with avocado.
Lunch: Taco Salad is also one of my go - to favorites with ground turkey, onions, green peppers, avocado, cilantro and even made some avocado ranch by blending some avocado with my homemade ranch - yummy!
Dinner - One of my favorite dinners has been HOT WINGS! For the Super Bowl I made hot wings and meatballs, homemade ranch and celery on the side. It felt good to make what felt like "normal" food! I just found a hot wing seasoning that didn't have a lot of sugar and I could read all the ingredients - I chose Frank's. and made the meal basically the same as you would now. Very fun dinner!
As far as Snacks - I snack on nuts (mostly almonds), carrots, veggies with homemade ranch, grapes, etc..
Results - The biggest result I had for this eating lifestyle was how I feel! I have more energy, don't feel sluggish during the day, and don't feel cloudy like I use to. I also am happy to report that I am down 15 lbs. With the combination of Paleo and taking my Nutrilite vitamins, I am seeing great results and working towards my goals!
Lots of people would say you should eat this way to take care of your body and live longer, and this IS true. But I am MORE interested in feeling the best I can TODAY! Living my best life TODAY. Being the best mom, wife, and friend that I can be TODAY! And not being affected by junky food plays a HUGE role in that! From this point on I will continue to do Paleo for periods of time. I gave myself 3 days off and enjoyed some carbs, peanut butter, and some sweets for valentine's. But am now committed to strictly paleo for the next 10 days. I plan to do cycles like this until I reach my fitness/health goals and incorporate this way of cooking and eating for life! I want my family to feel their best and operate their best on a daily basis and food plays a huge role in that! Overall I just wanted to share my experience and encourage everyone to be educated and mindful of what you are consuming and how it effects you! There is a lot of great information on how you can live your best life TODAY!!!
Some websites:
http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/
http://everydaypaleo.com/
http://whole9life.com/
(if you aren't a blog reader they also have facebook pages for daily recipes and updates)
I would also recommend watching - Food Matters, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, and Food Inc! All great documentaries!
I hope you enjoyed this LONG post, thank you for letting me share. And don't forget to enter my first ever GIVEAWAY here - the winner will be picked tomorrow!
Prayers and Blessings - Dawn
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