Ok, so here's an update. After less than 2 weeks of strict Paleo (by strict I mean 80% of the time, and I still have a decent amount of dairy), I've lost 10 lbs. I feel amazing. My complexion is the clearest it has been since I was 12. I love eating.
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. I'm not a scientist. I'm just a person who's into Paleo. If you disagree with this stuff, that is OK. If you want more info for the real facts, check the internet. It has a ton of sources for more info.
For those who are wondering here's a little list of the food ideas on the Paleo diet (at least what I'm doing - feel free to surf the net for more lenient or strict restrictions that will fit your needs):
- No Soda - diet or regular. If I'm thirsty I drink water, iced tea, or on occasion a small glass of coconut water.
- No Processed food - Does it come in a wrapper and sit on a shelf? Most likely, it's not that great for you. There are some exceptions, but as a general rule: If you have seen marketing for it, it's probably processed and it's probably not so great for you.
- Grains - I know. This part is a bit of a far reach for most people. wheat, barley, oats, corn, rice, and everything you can make with these products are pretty much out. There are two main issues. One is the gluten in wheat; it can cause a ton of different issues, and we've been eating them for so long (our whole lives) we may not even realize that stomach aches, heavy gas, bloating, and other digestive issues are NOT normal. Grains are also almost all carb with very little actual nutrition.
- Fats: Eat them. Obviously stay away from trans-fats and the "vegetable oils," but try out some new ones. Coconut oil is my new favorite cooking oil. It has a high smoke point and it smells and tastes amazing!
- Switch your peanuts for REAL nuts. Peanuts are actually legumes. Switch to delicious nuts like almonds, cashews, etc. Even switch your nut butters. I like Almond nut butter.
- Stop eating white potatoes. Seriously.
- I eat a moderate amount of dairy. I'll probably cut back on that soon, but for now, I'm going at my own pace.
- Cut WAY back on sugar. Way back.
- Meat - try to stick to grass-fed whenever possible. No farmed fish.
- Don't eat beans.
- I'm sure I'm missing something, but it's a good start.
A few of my favorite things to eat:
- Fresh Whipped Cream and Organic Berries: Take some heavy whipping cream (organic) and put about half a cup into a medium sized mason jar. Shake vigorously until it feels like the liquid is gone. [NOTE: Do not shake for more than 5 mins; if you shake past the whipped cream phase, you'll end up with organic butter and buttermilk. Delicious, but not what we're looking for.] Wash your berries. Spoon out as much whipped cream to top the berries. Enjoy!
- Roasted Veggies: I just wash and chop organic/local veggies from the farmers market and throw them in a gallon size zippy bag. Toss in a few tablespoons of oil (you can do olive oil, but I found I LOVE the flavor of Coconut oil in this recipe) a bit of salt and pepper to taste, and any other seasoning/herbs/spices you're into. Zip the zippy and shake that bag like crazy! Once you feel like everything has a good amount of coating, toss it into a large baking/Pyrex dish and pop it in the oven on 425 for 20 mins. Take it out, toss the veggies around a bit (make sure to get the bits on the bottom, so they don't burn) then put it back in the oven for another 15 mins. If they're not roasted enough for you at this point, feel free to leave them in a bit longer, but keep an eye on them! When they're ready, take them out and let them cool a little -- they will be hot! Then enjoy. If you're using coconut oil, make sure to heat up the leftovers so you don't get the solid oil grime from it being in the fridge.
- When I'm going out to eat, I love ordering a Caesar salad with no croutons, dressing on the side and a big fat sliced skirt steak on top. So yum.
- Bacon. Eggs. Sausage. Love it.
- Beef (or other meat) Jerky: When we were on our way back from Yosemite (120 route) we stopped by the Tie Dye/Jerky lady and got some amazing, delicious bison and elk jerky. I've been craving more, but obviously, it's not that easy to get around Chicago. I've found a recipe I'm looking forward to trying very soon.
- Olives: They have an olive bar at my local Whole Foods. I get the black olives and the green olives stuffed with garlic. Yum.
- Nuts: Seriously, one of the best take-along treats you can find. Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamia nuts, cashews. (My mom HATES walnuts and pecans, but if you dig 'em, toss them into your veggies while you're cooking! They add healthy fat, a nice crunch, and the fat content will help you stay satiated [full] longer.)
- Kimchi and Homemade pickles: I like to buy "King's Mild Kimchee" that is available at my local Whole Foods. Pickles… make them yourself! They are amazingly easy to make. Last week I made a batch of homemade dill pickled cucumbers and a batch of pickled radishes. Radishes are my all time favorite pickled veg. Wash, trim and cut up your radishes to the size you want the final product to be. Put them in a jar with a couple teaspoons of salt sprinkled on them (this was for about 1/4 gallon of radishes). Put cheese-cloth over the top and put a rubber band around it (this keeps the bugs out). Come back in 24 hours and you'll see quite a bit of water drained from the radishes. Take off the cheese-cloth and fill the jar all the way to the tippy-top with filtered water. Put on the screw-top lid. Flip it over. Unscrew the lid a little at a time until you see a bit of the water come up around the edge of the rim. This means you have a seal. Place this on a kitchen towel on your counter, out of direct sunlight, for 1 week. Screw the lid back on (if you forget, you may have a bit of a mess to clean up) flip the jar right-side-up and voila! You have pickled radishes. They might smell a bit funky if you're not used to naturally fermented pickles, but seriously, try them. You might dig 'em. You might hate them. I think they're delish!
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