I’m still alive! And I’m growing! (a v...

Note: This post is very personal, and may edge into the TMI (too much information) category for some of you.  You’ve been warned.

Some of you may have noticed that my last blog post was written in October.  And since that time, I also haven’t been very active on my Easy Paleo Facebook page.  A lot has been going on!  Actually, one very, very LITTLE person has been throwing a kink into everything.  That’s right, I’m pregnant!

This shot was taken in late December… I was already starting to show!

Death and Life…

We found out in late October.  It had been a very difficult month… my husband’s aunt, one of our most treasured relatives, had been fighting pancreatic cancer for quite a while, and everything really deteriorated during the month of October.  It was incredibly hard to watch her slowly slip away from us.  On October 28th, she passed away at only 43 years old.  We were, and are, utterly devastated.

On the day of her funeral, we discovered that we were pregnant.  It was a huge shock, and here’s why…

Infertility?

My husband and I have been married for nine years.  About two years into our marriage, we decided that it was time to have kids.  I stopped my birth control pills, and I fully expected to have a growing baby in my stomach by the following month.  It didn’t happen.  Those of you who have experienced infertility understand the emotional pain we suffered over the next year or two.  It seemed that everyone around us was getting pregnant and having babies, but for some reason we weren’t.

My husband and I both went to have things checked out by a doctor, and we were told that nothing was “wrong.”  We were told, however, that I was not ovulating regularly, and the words “polycystic ovarian syndrome” were tossed around.  I had no idea what that meant, and I didn’t really care to find out.  The doctors said that we would probably require some fertility treatments in order to conceive, and, at that point, we were in no financial position to consider that option (or adoption).

After stopping my birth control pills, it became clear that my menstrual cycle was not going to come on its own.  My doctor suggested that I call her office for medication to force a start every three months, so that’s what I did.  It was really frustrating to know that my body was not functioning as it should.  Since we would have still loved for pregnancy to occur on it’s own, we haven’t used any form of birth control in the last seven years.

Life Goes On…

Since all hope seemed lost, I prayed that God would take the desire for children away from me until it was time… the emotional suffering had to stop.  And miraculously, it did.  In the years that have passed since that time, I’ve been very content with my life.  I have an amazing husband, and we have grown in so many ways.  We have fallen more deeply in love, and we’ve had so many adventures together!  Looking back now, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.  Having nine years of marriage alone together has been pretty amazing.  And, to be honest, I decided during that time that I would be perfectly okay if we never had kids.  I even thought a few times that I might be really sad if I found out I was pregnant.  Life was good!

Back in July, 2011, we started eating Paleo-style.  After our initial 30 days, we noticed changes in physique, skin clarity, energy, sleep quality, and mood.  But after about a year, something really exciting happened… my period began coming on it’s own!  It still wasn’t coming every single month, but I didn’t have to call for medication again after that.  Eventually, it would show up, and it was always before that 3-month mark.  I was thrilled… it seemed that whatever problems had been preventing a regular cycle were disappearing.  I was excited to be healthier than I’d ever been, but the possibility of pregnancy was VERY far from my mind.

Shock and Awe…

At the end of October, I was pretty disappointed that it looked like I’d have to call in for medication like I used to.  It had been over three months since my last cycle, and though I had been having PMS symptoms for several weeks, nothing was happening.  As I had done so many times in the past, I took the routine pregnancy test before calling in for meds (this is required… just to be sure).  You can imagine my shock when I looked at the test and saw two pink lines staring back at me.

We went to see my doctor the next day, and learned that I was five weeks pregnant.  We were, and are, completely ecstatic.  Any chance of being disappointed by pregnancy flew out the window when I saw that little baby on the sonogram screen.  I could do nothing but sit there and weep for joy.

“Morning Sickness…”

I’m now 17 weeks pregnant… finally in the 2nd trimester.  At about 7 weeks, morning sickness reared it’s ugly head in the form of all-day nausea (who named it “morning sickness,” anyway?).  Now you understand why I haven’t been very active on my FOOD blog, or my FOOD Facebook page… because FOOD has been the absolute last thing I’ve wanted to think about.  

Let me explain something here… unless you have been pregnant before, you have no idea how horrible morning sickness can be.  I assure you, I had no idea.  My idea of “morning sickness” was having a little upset stomach upon waking up in the morning.  This was not my experience.  There were no foods that sounded good, looked good, or tasted good to me.  Any random smell (even those that I usually enjoy) could set off a gagging fit.  It was impossible for me to shop for groceries because seeing all that food would send me running, and gagging, back to the car (true story… and quite an embarrassing one!).  After just a few bites of whatever I had FINALLY decided to eat at a given meal, I would feel full and nauseous.  It was absolutely miserable.  Add sheer exhaustion to the equation, and you have a formula for one very uncomfortable pregnant lady.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly grateful for this growing baby… but pregnancy is no joke.  (If you’ve experienced food aversions during pregnancy, you should check out this post from Whole9.  It helped me immensely!)

During this time, we also moved out of state and traveled a lot to spend the holidays with our families.  Things have been a little insane.

I’m Alive Again!

Morning sickness ended promptly at 15 weeks, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my food over the last two weeks.  It’s pretty amazing to “like” eating, so don’t take it for granted!  I know I won’t from now on!

Now that food is back in the “enjoyable” category of my life, I’m back to blogging!  And I’m looking forward to sharing a few of my “paleo pregnancy” experiences in the days ahead as well.  In fact, in my next post I plan to share some of the other changes we made in the months just before we conceived.  I’m not sure how many of them are directly related to the fact that we actually did conceive, but I think they’re worth mentioning.  Stay tuned!

PS: Our baby is due to arrive around the 4th of July.  :)

Super EASY Paleo Dinner!

I feel like every time I add a post, I need to apologize for how long it’s been since I last posted.  We have some pretty exciting changes and planning going on around here, and it’s funny how the non-essentials take the back burner when so much is going on.

I’m very proud to say that we’ve stuck to our commitment to make sleep a high priority.  I used to blog alot during late-night hours, but since my recent challenges, I’ve learned the value of going to bed early.  As a result, I have not had as much blogging time as I did before.

So if you’re still with me, thank you!  

Here’s a look at what’s for dinner tonight.  It’s one of the easiest meals to make, but it tastes gourmet, which is why I love it!  In fact, it is currently taking care of itself in the kitchen while I type this post.

Spice-Rubbed Sirloin Roast - This is one of our favorite recipes of all time.  We have probably made it over a dozen times already this year, and my husband asks me to make it more often.  To keep things simple, I pre-mix the spices and keep them in a glass jar.  When it’s time to get ready for dinner, I dump some in a bowl (just eyeball it), mix in the oil, and then rub on the roast.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your roast.  Recipe here.

While that’s in the oven, I get out my pressure cooker, and make Robb Wolf’s Butternut Squash. It’s not actually a recipe, but a method.  Check out this video to learn how to cook butternut squash in the pressure cooker.  When it’s finished, I stir in a little coconut milk for creaminess, and season with salt and pepper.

And finally, Easy Broccoli, which cooks in the microwave.  Tonight I’m using frozen broccoli, and I just dumped a bag in my Pampered Chef Micro-Cooker with a little water, and let it cook for 5 minutes.  Then strain, add a hunk of grass-fed butter, and season.

Tonight I’ll probably have some watermelon on the side.  Happy Summer!

So when dinner is ready (the roast still has about 15 minutes to cook, and 15 minutes to rest), I will have spent less than 15 minutes in the kitchen, but I will have a beautiful meal for my husband and myself!

Just wanted to share… hope this gives you some ideas on how to keep things simple.

My Fun August Goal

I’m all about goals and challenges.  It’s exciting to make a decision to do something, and then to look back at the results!  It’s also a really interesting way to practice patience and discipline… which I think makes us stronger!

My goal for August doesn’t have much to do with food (though I’ll still be sticking to my strict Paleo plan).  It does, however, have to do with some other health-related goals that I’ve set in the past.

First of all, one of my favorite parts of this past month was turning off my computer by 9 PM and settling down to relax until bedtime.  I took epsom salt baths, read a few nutrition books (reviews here and here), journaled, etc.  It was really nice!

Second, I have really taken seriously the goal to stress less.  It makes a world of difference when I actually focus on this effort, and when I make choices to promote a more relaxed state of mind.

In an effort to maintain and enhance both of these goals, I’m doing a fun little challenge for the month of August.

It all started last week when I had dinner with two of my friends, Erienne and Loren.  These two ladies have been very influential in my life.  Erienne is actually the person who originally introduced me to Paleo eating over a year ago.  She is a librarian, and I love talking to her because she is always honest, and she is very smart.  Loren has been a personal mentor for me in the past, and has always been a person on whom I have leaned during difficult times.  She is also one of the most genuine people I know… she tells it like it is, and that is an uncommon trait these days.

These girls are readers.  During our time together, Erienne and Loren talked about all the books they’d been reading, and Erienne (the librarian, who is AMAZING at recommending books that different personalities will enjoy) gave Loren a long list of books she should read next.  I was inspired!

I am not a reader.  Well, not in the traditional sense, at least.  I read nutrition books.  I read blogs.  I write my own blog.  And that’s about it.  However, all the conversations between Loren and Erienne the other night brought back memories of getting lost in a good book.  It is such a relaxing experience… it takes you out of your current circumstances and puts you in a different world.  It allows you to forget your stresses, if only for a little while, and use your imagination.  At Erienne’s suggestion, I am incorporating this into my nightly routine for the month of August, and I am so excited about it!

Instead of turning off the computer at 9 PM, I’m planning to shut down at 8:30 to allow a little more time for reading.  This has already been so enjoyable!  Since just last week I have read 2.5 books that were recommended by Erienne and Loren.  Well, I actually only read (book in hand) one book (Garden Spells - very good!)… the other 2.5 I have heard using Audible.com (The Night Circus and I’m half-way through Delirium).  I love listening to books because I can hear them while I’m cooking, driving, lying in bed with my eyes closed, etc., but there truly is nothing like holding a good book in your hands, turning the pages, and appreciating structure and style of the published work.

Check out Erienne’s blog: http://FictionFinders.blogspot.com

Fun, huh?  I will see Erienne again this weekend, so I’ll be getting more recommendations from her.  She knows the types I like to read, so it’s really fun to get her suggestions (she’s a true librarian!).

By the way, if you are a reader, you should really check out Erienne’s blog, Fiction Finders.  She reviews each of the books she reads, good or bad, and provides her honest opinions on each.  She also provides some excellent recommendations.

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Do you have any fun August goals?  Have you read any great books lately?  I’d love to hear about either!

Happy reading.  :)

AN UPDATE: My 43-Day Challenge

I saw this quote on Pinterest, and I really love it!  Are you working through some goals right now?  Don’t quit!

If you have been keeping up with my 43-Day Challenge, then THANK YOU!  For more information on what I’ve been doing, click here.  I am still pressing on, and really enjoying some fantastic benefits!

You have probably noticed that I have not been blogging as much lately.  In fact, I just took a look at my history, and I’ve only published one post in the last TWO WEEKS!  This is probably the longest stretch I’ve gone since starting my website.  So what has been keeping me so busy?  Well, aside from the fact that I do work a full-time job and run a household, I’ve had a lot of extra projects to do with the goals I’ve set for these 43 days!  Cooking through a cookbook is no joke… it takes extra time to prepare for the store, to shop, and to cook.  The results are well worth it, but this endeavor has definitely taken a good amount of time!  Also, I have done really well with my “go to bed early” goal!  However, turning off the computer at 9:00 has really cut into my late-night blogging time.

So how about an update on how all this is going?

Big Goal #1: Clean Eating:  We are still in the midst of our Whole30 (which I am extending through the end of July for a Whole43), and it is going really well!  It always amazes me how my husband and I always improve our body composition within just a few weeks of starting a Whole30.  We eat really clean most of the time, but just cutting out those occasional treats (frozen yogurt, corn chips, alcohol, etc… NO GLUTEN) makes such a huge difference.  This experience, and reading through It Starts With Food, has persuaded me that those occasional treats should actually be less occasional.

Big Goal #2: Be Well Fed:  As I mentioned above, I’m cooking through an AMAZING cookbook that is Whole30-approved (except for one dessert recipe).  This has been so much fun!  I’ve definitely made some dishes that I probably would not have tried if I hadn’t set this goal, and man, am I glad I did!  I have a gigantic picture post coming up soon… highlighting my favorite recipes from Well Fed, etc.  UPDATE: HERE IT IS!

Big Goal #3: Natural Skin Care/Oral Care: This has been a really cool experience.  My goal has been to use the Oil Cleansing Method for facial skin care, throw out all my chemical-filled body products, take lots of epsom-salt baths, etc.  I have to admit, the first time I tried the Oil Cleansing Method, I felt really crazy!  I mean, really… I’ve always gone out of my way to find oil-free facial products, and here I was smearing 100% OIL all over my face.  It was a little insane!  But since then, my face has been unbelievably smooth, never itchy, and almost radiant!  Except for a few blemishes that I believe were part of the detoxing process, I’ve also had an even-clearer-than-usual complexion.

Big Goal #4: Natural Hair Care: I recently did a post on the results of my natural hair care project, and I’m definitely still enjoying these benefits.  I have started using 1/2 the amount of apple cider vinegar (1 TBS. instead of 2 TBS.), and this has really cut down on the vinegary smell that I so dislike!

Big Goal #5: Go to Bed:  I have done much better with this goal than I expected.  I usually detest going to bed early, but after the first week of these challenge, my body and mind decided that this might be a good idea after all!  I’ve started feeling nice and sleepy around 9:00 when I turn off my computer, and then I take about an hour to wind down even more… and then falling asleep is easy!  The best part this goal has been how I feel when I wake up.  I can now wake up as early as 8:00 (I know that’s not really early, but it used to feel REALLY early to me!), and feel energized and ready to take on the day.  Before this challenge, I would sleep until around 11 AM or so on my days off, but now I naturally wake up by 9:00, and this gives me two extra hours to enjoy my day!

Big Goal #6: Meaningful Workouts: This has been the one goal that I haven’t stuck to as much as I probably could.  There have definitely been afternoons where I have just felt a little tired, and have taken opportunities to do other things rather than work out.  But what amazes me is that I still look and feel better than I did before starting this Whole30, even without working out as much.  Further proof that “it starts with food.”

Big Goal #7: Supplements: Not much to share in this area… I’m following through with all facets of this goal, and still experiencing great results!

Big Goal #8: Stress Less: This has been an amazing goal.  You can read more about how I’ve maintained it here.  One of the best ways for us to keep the stress levels low in our home is to make fewer plans on our weeknight evenings.  In general, knowing that we don’t have any place to go most nights helps so much!  We are home-bodies, so we look forward to just being home together.  Other than that, I have really fallen in love with my herb/spice-filled neck-wrap.  So relaxing and calming!

So there you go!  I’m not done yet, but it’s going so well so far!  

Have you been pursuing any of these goals with me?  If so, let me know how you’re doing!

Natural Hair Care UPDATE: Pros and Cons

I’m in the middle of a 43-Day Challenge!  Read all about it here.

One of my goals for these 43 days is to transition to all-natural hair care.  For details, check out this post.  What this means is that I’m washing my hair with baking soda and water, and conditioning it with apple cider vinegar and water.  Since it’s been a few weeks, I thought I would give you an update…

The Pros

Overall, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well my hair has reacted to this drastic change.  I’ve always been a cheap-chemical-filled-shampoo-and-conditioner kinda girl, so I figured I might look like a greasy squirrel waiting for my hair to adjust to its natural pH balance.  However, I am pleased to report that I have only had two really grungy days.

• The biggest pro to this whole thing is pretty obvious, and slightly redundant: it’s natural.  I really love knowing that I’m not coating my hair and body with chemicals.  I just feel healthier.  Call me crazy.
• Another pro is that my hair feels incredibly soft.  I can’t believe what a great job baking soda does to work out the grime!
• Softness isn’t even the word… Apple Cider Vinegar takes that “squeaky” part out of the “squeaky clean.”  My hair feels really velvety, even when it’s still wet!
• My hair is much lighter (in weight, not in color).  I have very fine, thin hair, so I was worried about how I would do without my “volume boosting” shampoo and conditioner.  Well, turns out that those products may have been weighing my hair down.  It maintains lightness and fluffiness all day now.  I have to admit, I do still use a little hairspray to hold it in place (I’m growing out a short hairstyle… what’s a girl to do?), but the texture is fantastic!

The Cons

Yes, there are a few negative effects of this wonderfully natural method.  The good elements FAR outweigh the bad, but I’m going to share these with you anyway for kicks.

• Apple Cider Vinegar stinks.  Like really… it smells vinegar-y.  Weird, huh?  I’ve read on lots of other blogs that the smell quickly dissipates as your hair dries, but this is not the case with my blonde mop.  I can still smell it bold and strong after an hour, which makes going out lots of fun.  After blow-drying it, I can tell that it’s a little better, but still not gone.  By the way, don’t use more than one or two drops of essential oil to mask the smell… you will only create a very strong, slightly sweet vinegar-y scent.  Trust me.  I know.
• This relates to the previous point, but I really do miss smelling like tropical fruits.  Little things, people… little things.
• You have to be careful to not wash too often.  Once I did two days in a row, and the baking soda definitely gave me a little itchiness on my scalp (and yes, I rinsed VERY well).  If you must rinse and re-dry two days in a row, do it without the baking soda.
• I only had two bad days, but they were BAD.  My blonde hair turned an odd shade that I believe is called “grease pit.”  Thankfully, I was able to avoid leaving the house on these days.  But I’m glad there were only two!

Conclusion

Overall, I’ve been very pleased with my new hair habits.  And don’t think for a moment that the cons have swayed my decision to keep going!  There is so much more value in the pros, so I’m sticking with this old-fashioned “craziness!”  Who’s with me?

Paleo Friends: A Cool Story

A few months ago, I posted something about my grass-fed beef source, Little Creek Ranch, on my Facebook page.  One of my “fans” commented to say that she lives about two minutes from the farm… small world!  We got to talking right there in the comments section of that post, and decided to get together for lunch sometime.

A few weeks later, we met at a local lunch spot, and enjoyed a good meal and great conversation!  Her name is Blair, and we totally hit it off.  So many things to discuss… bone broth, cooking methods, supplements, family food “roadblocks,” etc.  We talked for at least two hours about food and health, and it was so amazing to see all the things we had in common, and to talk through things with someone so like-minded.

At our next lunch date, we decided that we should plan a time to get together for dinner, and that we should involve our husbands.  Well, last Saturday was the day, and Blair and Korey generously invited my husband and me to come over for dinner.  They live about an hour away, so we hopped in the car after my husband left work, and enjoyed the long drive into the country.  Blair and Korey live on a huge plot of land, and they have an amazing garden, lots of chickens, and plenty of sunshine!  They are also just a few miles from Little Creek Ranch, and around the corner from a pastured pork source!  I have to admit, I’m just a little jealous!

And the best part of our evening?  The amazing meal that we shared as new friends.  Check out the amazing selection that graced the table…

Blair made an amazing grass-fed top round roast, and topped it with a fantastic balsamic-merlot reduction.  It was perfectly cooked, and so tender!

I brought Cumin-Roasted Carrots (a recipe from Well Fed, of course!).

Blair whipped up some delicious Rosemary Green Beans…

…and some Yellow Squash Latkes (so good!).

I brought a Turkish Chopped Salad (with a few substitutions, as Blair can’t do FODMAPS).

What an amazing meal!  Dustin and I felt like we were eating at a gourmet restaurant.  People who think that a Paleo diet limits your food choices need to think again!  I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this meal.

I think we talked about food almost the entire time… and it was so nice to eat with people who not only don’t question why we eat the way we eat, but who also AGREE!

I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to Blair and Korey for having us over.  We had a wonderful time.

And not just that… we left with one dozen fresh eggs, a jar of pickles, a jar of pickled cabbage, and a bag full of cucumbers and squash from their garden.  WOW!

Three cheers for Paleo Friends!

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If you have some Paleo friends who appreciate REAL FOOD as much as you do, be sure to take advantage of the opportunities you have to cook for each other and enjoy the things you have in common.  What fun!