A Traveler’s Life-Saver & A Gut Health ...

First of all, HELLO!  Remember me?  It’s been quite a while since I have published a blog post… actually, my recent “break” was the longest period of time I have neglected the blog since I started it.  It feels good to be back!

As you may have seen on my Facebook page, I recently returned from a week-long vacation in Disney World.  We had some good times, and some good foods!  But I have to admit, it is wonderful to be back home.

Eating Paleo-style is a little more difficult on busy vacations and hectic trips.  We took this trip with my husband’s family, and we had 5 parks to visit in 5 days, with two full travel days (10-hour drives each way).  My typical idea of a vacation is having no schedule at all… no time crunches or restraints (check out this post to see how I normally eat on vacation).  But, if you have ever been to Disney World, you know that the idea of “no schedule” is just a happy, distant thought.  From the time we arrived until the time we left, we were constantly on the run.  Late nights and early mornings were followed by crowd-fighting, sweating, and power-walking from attraction to attraction.

We stopped at a grocery store shortly after we arrived to pick up a few essentials.  Our breakfasts consisted of halved avocados, rotisserie chicken, blueberries, Paleo Krunch with coconut milk, and almond milk.  Not bad, but not ideal.  We were eating on the go to allow for more sleep each morning.

For lunches and snacks, we packed turkey-rolled avocado slices, raw fruit/nut bars, apples, sliced red and yellow peppers, pistachios, and Paleo Kits.

We mainly ate out for our dinners, except for two nights when we had burgers with guacamole, or baked chicken with a wonderful berry salad and brussels sprouts.  I was very impressed by our dinner at Smokey Bones Bar and Grill.  There were a ton of meat options on the menu, with lots of simply-cooked vegetables as sides.  I had 1/2 a chicken (and almost finished the entire thing!) with broccoli and sweet potato.  It was delicious and filling.  I’m sure the sauce contained more sugar than I would have liked though.

Another place that really impressed me was the Rainforest Cafe.  I had salmon grilled on a cedar plank (WOW – AMAZING!), and a few veggie sides that I don’t even remember because the salmon was so amazing.  There were several great options in the way of meat and seafood on the menu.

So what is this traveler’s life-saver that I mentioned?  The Paleo Kit, of course!  Order yours at StevesOriginal.com.  I had not tried these little bags of goodness until I attended the Balanced Bites Workshop a few weekends ago, where I fell in love with them.  I ordered 15 of them before our trip, and I was so glad I did!  It was really nice to have well-sourced protein (jerky), some good fat (coconut), and a hint of sweetness (strawberries) during those long days.  Each kit is SUPER filling, and really delicious.  From now on, I will always be sure to stock up on Paleo Kits before we travel.  Having a healthy, filling, and delicious snack option kept us from going overboard on overpriced, over-sweetened goodies between meals while we were at Disney.

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A Gut-Health Update

To those of you who have asked how I’ve been feeling lately, thank you!  In answer to your question, I am feeling great!  

For those who have no idea what I mean here, I recently had some pretty serious digestion woes.  After a few weeks of constant stomach aches after every meal, I created my own gut-healing protocol.  Within a few days, I was already seeing amazing results.  And now, months later, I have basically stuck with this program (only having nuts occasionally), and I’m doing really well with it!

My conclusion is that the cause of my extreme gut sensitivity was an intense period of stress and travel, combined with seriously overdoing it on nuts (raw almonds and pistachios, almond butter, almond flour, almond milk, raw fruit/nut bars, etc.) and eggs (I was eating around 3-4 each and every day).

Through this painful process, I learned some valuable lessons!  First and foremost, even if you’re eating “paleo foods,” balance is SO important!  Nuts were definitely too large a part of my diet before this experience.

I also learned that eggs are not the only breakfast food worth eating… check out my no-egg breakfast ideas here!  And, unfortunately, I still cannot consume eggs.  For one thing, I have no desire for them at all.  The thought of them makes me feel a little sick.  And for another thing, when I have experimented with them since healing my gut, I have had stomach pain right away.  Sad, but true!  I’ll probably try again every few months, but for now, I’m dealing with what seems to be an egg allergy.

So, again, thank you for asking about me!  I’m enjoying better gut health than I’ve ever experienced.

Paleo Ketchup + a tip!

I haven’t really had ketchup since July of last year (when I started eating Paleo-style).  I have been pretty appalled by the ridiculous list of ingredients (not to mention sugar content!) of the brands I used to consume, so I dumped the container(s) that were in my fridge, and never bought more.

But I have definitely missed ketchup!  I love to slather it on a big, grass-fed beef burger… there is nothing quite like it!

I was pretty thrilled to see that Paleo Comfort Foods, my all-time favorite Paleo cookbook, has a fantastic recipe for homemade ketchup.  It is easy to make, and it has a deliciously sweet after-taste, with no hint of chemicals (as you will probably find in typical store-bought ketchups).

The only problem?  We consumed most of the batch right after making it. 

A Ketchup Tip

Next time I make ketchup, I’ll be doubling (or tripling!) the recipe.

Then I’ll portion the batches into ice cube trays and freeze for later use.  These sizes will be perfect to defrost and slather all over something delicious.

Love it!

Coconut Milk vs. Almond Milk

This question has been rolling around in my head for a while now… Which is better: coconut milk or almond milk?  

From a taste standpoint, I enjoy drinking both.  Coconut milk feels more hydrating and refreshing to me, but I love the rich flavor of almond milk.

From a health standpoint, I have come to the conclusion that coconut milk is better for my health.  Have you heard of the N-3/N-6 ratio (better known as Omega-3/Omega-6 ratio)?  Both Omega-3 AND Omega-6 are necessary for good health, but they should be balanced.  (For a more scientific explanation, check out this post on Robb Wolf’s website.)  To quote Robb Wolf, “With the adoption of grain feeding our cattle and the use of seed and vegetable oils heavy in the short omega 6 fat (linoleic acid) we have witnessed a dramatic shift away from the essential fatty acid profile we’d expect to see from an ancestral diet of ~1-1 or 2-1 N-6/N-3 to more than 10-1. The health implications of this shift have not been great. The N-6 family tends to produce “pro-inflammatory” cellular signaling, while the N-3 family tends to produce “anti-inflammatory” signaling.  This is a simplification, but it get’s the idea across. More accurately, with excessive N-6 we see cellular signaling profiles that tend to promote pathology including cancer, autoimmunity and glucose dysregulation. I see this more like a band or orchestra playing out of tune than too much of one thing vs another thing, but the fact remains: folks likely get too much of the short form of N-6 fats. ”

So basically, we get MORE than enough N-6 fats in our diets.  That is why many of us supplement with fish oil (high in N-3 fats) to counter-balance… imbalance results in inflammation, as mentioned above.

Because nuts are high in N-6 fats, they should be a limited part of our diet.  In fact, the folks at Whole9 suggest that a serving of nuts should be limited to one closed handful.

Coconut milk should also be limited (read: you shouldn’t drink a can at a time), but not as limited, and only because it will fill you up quickly, leaving little room for all the meats and veggies that should surround it!

Therefore, because I am more concerned with my n-3/n-6 ratio than I am about my fat intake, I generally choose coconut milk over almond milk.  I already enjoy some nuts as regular snacks, and I like to use almond meal for several baked items, so if I can avoid MORE almonds in the form of milk, I will!

While we’re on the subject, let’s consider your purposes for using either milk.

*If you are just drinking either as a regular beverage, you are better off with water, unless you are trying to gain or maintain weight.  Both are easy to overdo because they are liquids.

*In coffee, either will work.  I prefer full-fat coconut milk in my coffee.  The creamy chunks melt into the dark elixir, and make a delicious treat.  Sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and you’ve got it made!

*For baking, I have found that most paleo recipes requiring milk do call for coconut milk.  But a glass of almond milk with my favorite chocolate chip cookies is AMAZING!

Forms Available:

I buy several forms of coconut milk…

1. The full-fat version comes in a can.  Be sure to choose one with no added ingredients (except guar gum, which acts as a stabilizer, and is even “okayed” by Whole9).  The cream usually rises to the top, so you will have to stir it really well before pouring.  For storage, pour the remaining milk into a glass jar and refrigerate.

2. The lite version is just watered down a little.  I keep a few cans on hand for smoothies.  You can simply add extra water to your bottle/mason jar of full-fat coconut milk if you prefer to water it down yourself.

For more info on coconut milk, click here.

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There are also a few different forms of Almond Milk.

1. The best way to obtain almond milk is to make your own.  Simply soak 2 cups of almonds in water overnight, strain them, and then blend thoroughly with 2 cups of water.  Once the mixture is completely liquified, pour it through a very thin strainer (like the one pictured above).  I actually purchased a $2 paint strainer from Lowes Hardware, and it works beautifully.  Store in the refrigerator for one week.

2. You can also find almond milk in cartons with brands like “Almond Breeze” or “Silk.”  These do contain some preservatives, and you should look for the UNSWEETENED version to avoid added sugar.

Hope this helps you!

Food Diary: Top 3 Easiest Paleo Meals

I love cooking.  There have been many days that I have cooked all day… just for the fun of it.  My husband works on Saturdays, so sometimes I will wake up, do my grocery-shopping, and then just make one recipe after another, after another, etc.  By the end of the day I am ready to be off my feet, but I have had so much fun! However, there are other days where cooking falls last on my list of  ”things I’d like to do right now.”  On these days, I am especially thankful for the quick and easy Paleo meals… These three meals are super-quick, and super-healthy!  I keep the ingredients stocked so I can pick one to make any day of the week.

Paleo “Fajitas”

This was actually our dinner tonight!  I came home exhausted, and my back yelled at me when I mentioned cooking a big meal.  We love Mexican food, so this meal is ALWAYS a welcome sight at our table.

Saute an onion and some peppers (tonight I only had 1 green pepper, so it got tossed in).  Brown some ground beef, or cook some diced chicken- whatever you’re in the mood to eat.  Season with some chili powder and cumin, salt and pepper.  While the meat is cooking, whip up some quick guacamole (my super-simple version here) and dice some tomatoes.  When the meat is done, lay down a bed of spinach or lettuce, pile the meat/onion/pepper mixture on top, accessorize with some tomatoes (I had yellow tomatoes tonight- pretty!!), and top with big blobs of guac and salsa (I love salsa from Trader Joe’s).

Done!  Easy Peasy, right?

Breakfast!

Whether you are trying to whip up a quick breakfast OR a quick dinner, frittatas are a quick and easy choice.  This is also a great way to get rid of some miscellaneous items in your fridge.  Tonight, while my beef was browning, I whipped this up so we’ll have a ready-breakfast for the next few days.  Just whisk together 10 eggs, salt, pepper, your choice of spices, and whichever vegetables you wish to add (tonight I used red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, broccoli, and spaghetti squash).  Pour into a HOT skillet and allow it to cook for about 2-3 minutes (do not stir).  Then put the entire pan under the broiler for about 5 minutes.  Done!  Cover, and store in the refrigerator if you are saving it for breakfast.  If not, be sure you start some bacon before your frittata starts cooking!

For more frittata combo ideas, click here.

Paleo Spaghetti

This is probably my favorite Paleo meal right now.  Not only is is fast, it is mind-blowingly delicious!  There are several ways to make it… pictured is the simplest version- sliced zucchini rounds, sautéed with onions and spices, and topped with ground beef and marinara.  You can also julienne the zucchini if you like it to feel more like noodles.  But my favorite way to make it is with the fabulous spaghetti squash.  Cut the squash in half, and microwave one half for 9 minutes.  When done, scrape the strands onto plates using a fork.  Top with ground beef that has been browned with sauteed onions, and then add a generous scoop of marinara.  I use a delicious pre-made marinara that is made from all-natural ingredients.

So good!!

I hope this makes your life a little easier!  For 21 other SIMPLIFYING tips, check out my eBook…

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Robb Wolf describes it as “fantastic!”

Food Diary: Eat More Chicken

I talk alot about grass-fed beef, but our other favorite meat is chicken.  Sometimes chicken is boring because it does not carry much flavor on its own.  But the chicken I just ate for lunch was FAR from boring!

Chicken is a great go-to item because it can be made very quickly.  My husband and I usually take leftovers from dinner to eat for lunch the following day.  Last night we had some delicious beef stew, but there was not enough left to make up two full lunches.  I sent the stew with Dustin, and decided to whip up some chicken for myself.

I do not like to spend much time in the kitchen each evening, so I needed to make this fast. I have found that the quickest way to cook chicken is to dice it first, and then throw it in a hot skillet on the stove.  You can do almost anything to season it… last night I decided to cook it in coconut oil with sea salt, black pepper, and a Penzey’s spice mix that I got for FREE!  I covered it for about 7 minutes, then checked the temperature, and it was done!

I had some leftover cabbage salad in the fridge, so I tossed that into my lunch bag, and got out of the kitchen!

Lunch was great.  Dustin and I will sometimes eat chicken for breakfast too.  If it is diced small, and lightly seasoned, it is perfect for on-the-go protein.  Pair it with a delicious smoothie, and you’ve got magic.

If you can find pastured, organic chicken, that is WONDERFUL!  I cannot find that option at a reasonable price (YET- I’m still researching!), so I purchase fresh chicken from Costco.

Here are a few other Quick Chicken Ideas that you may enjoy:

*Throw in some paleo mayo, grapes, and pickles, and you’ve got chicken salad.

*Pour on some salsa and guac for a Mexican twist.

*Season with just a little sea salt and a pinch of pepper for a milder breakfast option.

*Keep some barbecue sauce in your fridge to pour over diced chicken.

*Throw some mushrooms and onions in the skillet for a wonderful savory combination.

*Add diced bacon to the pan… bacon makes everything yummy!

*Some fresh lemon juice and oregano is the perfect addition for Lemon Chicken.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Paleo Snacks

I have recently started moving away from pre-packaged snacks (like Larabars, beef jerky, trail mix, etc.). After taking a close look at several recent grocery store receipts, I discovered that the most expensive category was that of snack food items.  These items are definitely not “necessities” in my diet, so I have decided to really cut down on them.  I still keep a Larabar in my purse for “hunger emergencies,” but I am not consuming one each day like I was before.
Since Dustin and I are “snackers,” I had to find some replacements for the convenient pre-packaged items I used to pack in our lunch bags.  Here are a few of my favorites…

Garden Fresh Meatballs - I love this recipe from Sarah Fragoso.  She has taken lots of excellent meat and vegetables, and combined them in a bite-sized little package.  I make a double recipe of these, and keep a bag in my freezer.  They are delicious, and very filling!  They are great re-heated, but I enjoy them lukewarm too.

Egg Cupcakes - These are another protein-packed treat.  Egg Cupcakes have some of the same ingredients as the meatballs, but you can switch it up based on your favorite vegetables  (for example, try adding shredded carrots or chopped green peppers instead of spinach, etc.).  My Mom made these for our breakfast when we visited my parents over the weekend, and she used sausage instead of bacon.  They were delicious!

This recipe also came from Sarah Fragoso.

Paleo Comfort Foods also has an excellent version.

These are not as delicious from the freezer as they are fresh, but they are definitely good cold or lukewarm!

Sweet Potato Wedges - These have become one of my favorite on-the-go snacks for busy days.  When I am using tons of energy, the carbs help me re-fuel and keep going!  Aside from that, they are absolutely delicious.  Just peel your sweet potatoes, slice them into wedges, and toss in coconut oil (about 1 TBS per potato), cinnamon, sea salt, and a dash of chili powder.  Bake on a foil-lined pan, in a 375-degree oven, for appx. 30 minutes.  I like mine crispy around the edges, so sometimes I will give them a few more minutes.

I keep these in a plastic container when I’m on-the-go  so I can eat them in the car without taking my hand in and out of a plastic bag.

A few other non-packages snack items for us have been baby carrots, almonds, apples, bananas with almond butter, coconut flakes, etc.

Happy Snacking!