Big Goal #2: Be “Well Fed” (+ a giveaw...

UPDATE: I completed this goal!  Check out the picture post here.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out yesterday’s post, where I share my 8 BIG GOALS for these 43 days.

 And be sure to read to the end of this post to check out my exciting giveaway!

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Big Goal #1 will be expounded upon as I go through the month and re-read my highlights from It Starts With Food.  In short, we’re doing a Whole30 from now through the end of July.  I am so excited!

Big Goal #2 has already been super-fun, and I am so excited to share it with you!  Here it is:

In an effort to broaden my Paleo food horizons and experiment with some new styles of cooking, I’ve decided to make each and every recipe from Well Fed during the next 41 days (kinda “Julie and Julia” style, ya know?). 

We started our challenge on Tuesday, and our meals have been INSANELY DELICIOUS so far!  To be honest, I was starting to get into a little cooking rut – only cooking things that I’ve made a bazillion times (hey, they’re easy and delicious, so why not?).  But my sweet husband has hinted around a little lately that maybe we should try some new recipes.  That sounded like a challenge!

 

This kinda goes against one of the “keep it simple” tips in my eBook (Easy Paleo: 21 Practical Ways to Simplify Your Paleo Life, $4.99), but it’s just for a one-month challenge, so I can handle it!  Generally, trying to use a recipe every night isn’t the best idea… but this is going to be SO fun!

 

As I read through my new favorite book of all time, It Starts With Food, I learned that Melissa Joulwan’s Well Fed is completely Whole30-approved and recommended (except for one very desserty recipe at the end).  This was really exciting to read!  I LOVE Melissa’s work (check out my interview with her here – what a cool chic!).  She has an amazing website, and her book is so lovely.  I’ve made lots of recipes from her site (including Chocolate Chili), and they have all been delish, so I knew we were in for a treat!

Here’s a look at what we’ve had so far, and a peek at what’s in store for the end of the week!

Monday

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Good grief, this was good!  Just looking at the picture makes my mouth water!

First on the list, Salmon a l’Afrique du Nord (Well Fed, p. 103).  Wow.  That’s basically all I have to say.  To be honest, I’ve never cooked salmon on my own before, so this was really a challenge!  And to top it off, the recipe has you cook the entire 2-pound filet in one piece… yikes!  So when I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few things, I stopped by the meat and fish counter and spotted a beautiful piece of wild-caught Alaskan salmon.  The clerk was even able to tell me exactly where in Alaska it was caught (Anchorage), and who the fishermen were… very cool!  This was not a cheap piece of fish, so I was a little nervous about botching the recipe!

I followed Melissa’s instructions to the letter (except for the fact that we don’t have a grill… I used my oven broiler instead), and the fish came out beautifully.  I’ll tell you how it tasted in a moment.

Next up, we had Cumin-Roasted Carrots (Well Fed, p. 115).  Wow again.  Who knew that carrots could taste so freakin’ good?  The spices blended perfectly with the salmon, and the carrots were juicy and succulent with the tiniest little crunch deep inside.  Amazing.

Finally, we added Turkish Chopped Salad (Well Fed, p. 141).  This blend of chopped, raw veggies is perfectly spiced, full of flavor, and so good for you!  And I loved the excuse to use raw radishes… YUM.

All in all, this was seriously the most gourmet-tasting meal I have ever cooked.  My husband and I were saying “wow…” with almost every bite.  And the best part?  None of it was difficult!  The most time-consuming part was probably chopping all the veggies for the salad… but turn on a good podcast, and you’re good to go.

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Tuesday

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On Tuesday, we had another delicious dinner!

First off, Meatza Pie (Well Fed, p. 77).  Now, this is what I call a pizza crust… MEAT!  This recipe does not look complex, but the flavors are insane.  I started off by making Melissa’s blend of Italian Sausage Seasoning (Well Fed, p. 49), and then pressing it into the beef before forming a crust in the bottom of a baking dish.  Once that is cooked, you make up the simple sauce recipe, which includes Pizza Seasoning (Well Fed, p. 49), and just toss on whatever veggies you have available.  I have ALOT of yellow squash right now, so I used that, some broccoli, some onions, and some bell peppers.  This dish was easy, spicy, and delicious!

As a side dish, we had Greek Broccoli (Well Fed, p. 117).  What a cool recipe!  I would never thing to toss broccoli with tomato paste and a bunch of fabulous spices, but it totally works!  We really enjoyed this dinner.

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Wednesday

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Last night’s dinner consisted of Grilled Chicken Thighs (Well Fed, p. 29) over Steam-Sauteed Veggies (Well Fed, p. 33).  As I mentioned above, we do not have a grill, so I followed Melissa’s “No Grill?” instructions… very handy!  Why in the world have we not been eating more chicken thighs??  They are DELICIOUS!  I don’t know why, but we usually spring for boneless, skinless breasts… and now I know that those are far less flavorful!  I picked up some organic thighs from Costco, and boy, they were tender and juicy!

As a side dish, we made a big salad with Creamy Italian Dressing (Well Fed, p. 59).  Most amazing salad dressing I have ever had.  Period.

My salad consisted of mixed greens, baby spinach, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, avocado chunks, slivered almonds, and cucumbers.  So, so, so good.  The dressing was so amazing that we actually “sopped it up” on our chicken thighs and scarfed it down.

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Thursday

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We didn’t get enough chicken thighs last night (seriously, we both wanted them again!), so I baked this again, but with a different spice mixture: Ras el Hanout (Well Fed, p. 47).  What an amazing spice blend!  It contains cumin, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.  Can you smell it already?  I can!  It is amazing.  I sprinkled the seasoning over the chicken before baking, and it gave it a beautiful flavor.

As a base, I also made Creamy Spice Market Kale (Well Fed, p. 111).  Have you ever had moist, juicy kale?  I hadn’t before tonight… the coconut milk in the recipe truly does make it creamy and wonderful.  But be prepared – it is definitely spicy!  We loved every bite.

We had a good amount of salad and dressing leftover from last night, so we were thrilled to enjoy that again!

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Friday

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Tomorrow night we are having dinner with some friends, and I’m bringing the food.  I’m making Shepherd’s Pie (Well Fed, p. 97), and I am so excited!  This will be my first experience with ground lamb, and I can’t think of many things I love more than mashed cauliflower (Well Fed, p. 113), so I’m sure it will be delish!

UPDATE: Check out the picture!  This was delicious… My lamb didn’t arrive in time, so I made the “Cottage Pie” variation from the book (ground beef instead of lamb).

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Saturday

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On Saturday, we’re going to visit some Paleo friends who live near our beef farmer, so we’ll pick up an order on the way!  Blair and I met through my Facebook page, and we’ve had lunch a few times.  We’ve had so much fun, that we decided our hubbies should meet as well!  Three cheers for Paleo meet-ups!  Blair is cooking for us, and I’m bringing a few side dishes (probably the Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Turkish Chopped Salad recipes that I tried earlier in the week – they are definitely winners!).

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Sunday

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On Sunday, I’m making Waldorf Tuna Salad (Well Fed, p. 67).  I have recently fallen in love with tuna, so this is sure to be delicious!

Update: Here’s the picture, and YES – it was amazing!!

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Also, as a snack this week, we enjoyed Carmelized Coconut Chips (Well Fed, p. 153).  I cannot believe how much these crispy little goodies taste like popcorn!  I will definitely be cooking up a batch before our next movie outing.  Fo’ sho.

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Who loves a GIVEAWAY?

 

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Seriously, people… not only is Melissa Joulwan a culinary genius, she is also such a sweetheart!  She emailed me today and offered a SIGNED COPY of Well Fed to one lucky winner… cool, huh??  I’m also throwing in a copy of my eBook, Easy Paleo: 21 Practical Ways to Simplify Your Paleo Life.  What a great combo!

Here are the rules:

1. Commit to doing a Whole30 yourself!

2. “Like” the Easy Paleo Facebook Page

3. Either “like” The Clothes Make The Girl on Facebook, OR follow Melissa on Twitter (@melicious)

4. SHARE this giveaway post with your friends on your own FB page (I will be able to see the “shares” under the post).

(The “share” button is directly under the FB post ON FACEBOOK – right beside the “like” button).

5. Comment on this post, letting me know that you’ve done all the steps above, and the dates of your own Whole30.

Easy peasy, huh?  Get on it!  You NEED both of these books!

Drawing will be done on July 1st, 2012.

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Be sure to check out the next post: Natural Skin Care!

It Starts With Food: My Review

When I checked my mailbox on Friday evening, I found a package that contained Whole9‘s new book, It Starts With Food.  I have to admit that I shrieked [numerous times] in delight, and that I squealed to my husband [numerous times] over how excited I was to read it.

I have a HUGE amount of respect for Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, and I am extremely indebted to them, as my own “Good Food” journey (and thus, this website) began with a Whole30 challenge almost one year ago… which was before I even knew what “Paleo” meant, by the way.  When I heard that they were writing a book, I knew that it would be amazing.  I actually pre-ordered my own copy as soon as it was available for pre-order.  A few weeks later, I got an email from Melissa, asking if I would like a pre-view copy.  Um… YES!  How exciting!

How did I know that the book would be amazing?  Well, mainly because Dallas and Melissa do everything with excellence.  They only make claims that are backed by extensive personal research, they stand firmly on their principles, and they don’t take crap.

I began reading that night (Friday), and I finished the book last night (Monday).  I can sum up my thoughts in one bold statement… are you ready?  Okay, here it is:

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This is, hands down, the best REAL FOOD book on the market today.

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Bold, right?  I know.  But I mean every word, and I’ll tell you why below.  But first, let me tell you that I have read almost all the Paleo books out there  (cookbooks included), and I have enjoyed almost all of them.  But It Starts With Food takes the gold medal for so many reasons!

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Top 15 Reasons I LOVE this Book:

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1. Dallas and Melissa left nothing out.  Maybe you are like I was in the beginning, and you know that you feel better without dairy/grains/sugar/legumes/etc., but you aren’t sure why you feel better.  So you continue to avoid them, but you cannot explain your reasoning to those around you.  If that is you, you must read this book.  It covers all the “less healthy” foods, and provides plenty of reasons to stay away from them.

2. They make everything easy to understand.  There is a lot of “science-y stuff” that backs up the reasons we should eat this way… and I’m glad!  This means that our food choices are not based on wild claims, government-sponsored programs, or personal agendas!  But science is a tough subject for me, and I do not typically enjoy it.  However, Dallas and Melissa did an outstanding job making sense of it all!  I can confidently proclaim that I understood every sentence in the book, and that it all made perfect sense.  They used a ton of useful analogies, included great illustrations, summarized the tough stuff at the end of each chapter, and described everything thoroughly.  I cannot tell you how happy I was to have so many things suddenly “click” inside my head (“oh, so THAT’S how that works…”).  I used 1.5 entire highlighters as I read.

3. They answer your questions before you have to ask them.  As I was reading, there were so many times I thought “Oh, someone is going to ask about _____.” And then, in the next sentence or paragraph, they’d say “Now, we know what you’re thinking…,” and then address the issue.  It’s like they really do know what you’re thinking!  This is not just a basic “here are the basic facts” book.  It delves deep into the issues, and covers all the related topics that you’ve been pondering for so long.

4. They have not written it as “a Paleo book.”  I absolutely LOVE that Dallas and Melissa have chosen not to brand themselves, or the book, with the “Paleo” name.  They do mention that their ideas fall right in line with the Paleo diet, but they are not defined by it, and I appreciate that!  So many people have suspicions that Paleo is just another fad diet (which is hilarious to me), and it is nice to have a book that is not standing on that platform as a base.

5. They have not written it as “Caveman Diet book.”  This one is huge for me.  I am a Creationist, so while I do believe that Paleo is the natural way that we should eat, I do not believe that it’s because it is how our ancestors ate.  I believe that God created the world, and that He put plants and animals on the earth for our food.  I believe that the way human beings have altered and adjusted His good creation is shameful, and that God knew what was best for us when He created humans and placed them in the midst of plants and animals.  I realize that this is a very different stance than most “Paleo people” take (including Dallas and Melissa), and I’m okay with that.

I love that they based their book on the premise of “biology and the natural patterns of behavior.”  They even have a section in the 2nd chapter that is entitled “Creationists Welcome.”  When I read this section, I was so thrilled!  Finally, a book that doesn’t go on and on about our paleolithic ancestors!  Finally, a book that doesn’t make definitive claims about the origination of the human race!  Finally, a book that gives Creationists the scientific facts that they have been craving, without clouding things up with talk of ancestors!

Explaining the Paleo diet to friends and family has been tough for me because I do not believe in the idea behind the name “Paleo” itself (see how I’ve explained it here).  This is a book that I will gladly pass along to everyone I know… whether they believe in evolution OR creation.

6. They write beautifully.  This may not be important to you, but I absolutely hate reading a book that still requires a red pen.  I am an English major, and, unfortunately, my tendency is to edit everything I read.  I typically find numerous “mistakes” in every book I read, but that was not the case with It Starts With Food.  In fact, I was so excited that I could not find one thing to edit, that my heart dropped when I thought I’d found something.  However, after re-reading the sentence in question, I realized that I was the one who had made the mistake.  Kudos to Dallas and Melissa, and to their editors!  The no-mistake streak continued to the end, and I enjoyed it immensely!

7. They use some fantastic humor.  This is not just science and facts… it is also REAL LIFE, and it is surrounded by humor.  Dallas and Melissa tell some great stories in this book, and those stories related to me on so many hilarious levels!  Just as an example, in the section where they describe how to “build your plate,” they describe measurements in terms of palms (like the palms of your hands).  For protein, they suggest that you have 1-2 palm-sized servings with each meal.  This is the quote that cracked me up: “Also, for the record, these are not your only options.  You’ve also got 1.25 palms, 1.5 palms, 1.942 palms, and every possibility in between.  This should not be overwhelming.  You all have palms.  Choose your protein, look at your meat, look at your palm, call it good.”  HAHA!  Love it.

8. They inspire simplicity.  As you know from the title of my website, I am all about helping people realize that whole-food-eating does not have to be difficult.  Dallas and Melissa underline that fact over and over again throughout the book.  If you come away from it thinking “well, that sounds so hard,” then you have not really read it.  Prepare to have things simplified for you.  This stuff is not hard.

9. They tell it like it is.  Yes, that famous Whole9 tough love is present in their book!  I am a very “black-and-white” person.  I hate excuses.  I believe that you can do anything if you really want to do it.  I don’t respond well to wishy-washiness or weakness.  If you have excuses (“but my kids need their goldfish!”), wishy-washiness (“maybe I’ll try eating good food one of these days…”), or weakness (“but it’s too hard!”), then get ready to get over it!  I was basically shouting “AMEN!” during the entire tough love section.  I have heard just about every excuse in the book, and apparently Dallas and Melissa have as well!

10. They get it.  Even though there is some tough love in the book, Dallas and Melissa write it from a perspective of understanding.  They know that many of these ideas are [tragically] foreign to most of the modern world.  They explain concepts in ways that are easy to grasp, they pre-empt your questions before you even have to ask, and they help you figure out how to get started and KEEP GOING!

11. They give you a clear goal.  Since I started eating this way, I have always encouraged everyone interested to start with a Whole30.  It is the absolutely BEST way to detox your system and learn how specific foods affect you.  This book clearly defines the Whole30 program, provides detailed instructions, and gets you excited to get on board!  I have completed two Whole30‘s in the last year, and I am beyond excited to start another one soon!  If you want inspiration and motivation to get strict and healthier than ever, this book is exactly what you need!

12. They tell you what happens next.  One of the biggest problems I have seen from people who complete any 30-day challenge is that they don’t know what to do when it’s over.  They will either be ultra-paranoid about testing their system with a few things they omitted, or they go hog-wild and binge on everything from pizza to cupcakes.  It Starts With Food provides clear instructions on what to do next… how to re-introduce things and how quickly, and what to expect when you do.  Dallas and Melissa leave you completely equipped to make the most of your 30 days, and beyond.

13. They provide an abundance of resources.  Aside from the fact that the book is dotted with numerous great, practical ideas, Dallas and Melissa compiled some amazing appendices.  You will love their Meal Map (designed by the fabulous Melissa Joulwan), recipes, cooking conversions, cookbook and website recommendations, and suggestions on where to find sources of local meat and produce.

14. They did their homework!  They have 20 pages of master references at the end of the book.  And I’m talking small-print, multiple listings, etc.  This book was not written solely on the basis of opinion.  They have backed it all up with research studies, journals, and well-known authors and scientists.  Amazing.

15. They have challenged me.  I finished the book feeling more enthusiastic than ever about why I eat the way I do (and that’s a big statement for me!).  But the enthusiasm is different this time… Dallas and Melissa have made me more of a purist when it comes to food.  This way of eating is simple, and even more so when you aren’t trying to convert all your old, unhealthy choices into “paleo-friendly” treats.  I am done with that phase of my Paleo life, and, in fact, I have some cleaning up to do on my website.  A lot of the snacks, treats, desserts, etc., that I have too often enjoyed are about to disappear.  Does this sound sad to you?  Well, just wait until you’ve read the book, and you might be just as excited about it!

Aside from my new purist mentality, Dallas and Melissa helped foster a greater appreciation of food itself than I have ever experienced.  I am more eager than ever to find the best sources, prepare it purely and simply, and then give it the appreciation it deserves by enjoying it, undistracted, with those I love.  Beautiful.

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.As you can tell, I really enjoyed the book, and I can hardly contain my enthusiasm and gratitude for the effort that Dallas and Melissa put into it (and it was obviously a lot).  This will be a tool that I use in my kitchen, a gift that I give to friends and family, a motivational piece to which I will return, and a guidebook that I will treasure.  This marks the beginning of my NEW Good Food journey, and I am crashing through the starting gate!

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This book needs to be a NY Times Bestseller!  

Click here to see how you can get on board!

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*Note: I do not make any commission from the sales of It Starts with Food.  I’m just that excited about the way it’s going to change your life!

Wrapping it Up: The Whole30

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WE MADE IT!

My husband and I completed our second Whole30 on March 1st.  Our first Whole30 was definitely life-altering.  We went from being grain-addicted, dairy-filled, and chubby to being energetic, strong, and healthy (with clearer skin and smaller waistlines!)… read more about that experience here.  That first Whole30 was in July of last year.

On the recommendation to do a Whole30 every 6 months, we planned our second round for February.  Honestly, it was time.  We had allowed ourselves to get a little lax with our food standards (cheating with corn and sugar a little too often, not caring quite as much about preservatives, etc.).  We welcomed February with gusto, and added several other goals to the mix (read more about our February goals HERE).

I knew that I would learn alot from this second Whole30 experience, but I was not prepared for how much I would learn.  Honestly, this challenge has not been very difficult… it’s not too far off from the way we usually eat.  However, I did not realize how many little things I had allowed to slip into our regular diet.  When they are just little things (like a few preservatives in So Delicious Coconut Milk, etc), we don’t see them as being very serious (it’s not like we were eating gluten!).  But during the course of this month, I was very fastidious about checking every single thing… we ate super-clean, and we feel SO good!

As with our last Whole30, we both trimmed up a little and feel better in our jeans.  We have been getting much quicker results from our workouts (three cheers for MUSCLES!).  We have slept better.  And the biggest difference has been our overall sense of feeling good.  All this from making a few tiny tweaks in the extra ingredients we were allowing to sneak in!

So until our next Whole30 (coming up in July), things will be different than they were before.  Sure, we might have a few corn chips  when we go out to eat.  We’ll splurge on some 85% dark chocolate occasionally.  We might even spread some goat cheese on our chicken.  BUT… our standards will be higher.  Except for a little dark chocolate here and there (it will ONLY be 85% or higher, and Mark Sisson says it’s okay!), cheats will only be “allowed” when we are out with friends/family (no corn, sugar, or preservatives will enter this house).  And even then, we will try to avoid them.  They truly just are not worth it!

So, in a nutshell, we learned this (it was more of a reminder, really…): we feel better, look better, and ARE BETTER when we eat simple, real, whole foods 100% of the time.  What a concept!

If you have never experienced a Whole30, YOU MUST.  If it’s been at least 6 months, YOU MUST AGAIN.

Click Here for the excellent guidebook… your best tool for making it through successfully!

An Update: The Half-Way Point (Whole30 + 21-Day Su...

If you read my Epic February post, then you already know that my husband and I have taken on some pretty intense challenges for the month of February.  Here’s a little update on how we’re doing, and what we’re learning…  It’s Day 15.

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 The Good

1. Whole30 – We have been really surprised by how easy this Whole30 has been.  Our original Whole30 was a much bigger transition for us, but this has been almost identical to how we usually eat anyway.  When we’re not on a Whole30, we will occasionally splurge on some corn chips or a little sugar, and we aren’t QUITE as careful about an added preservative here and there on most days, but not on a Whole30!  It is really good to test your self-discipline every now and then… and to get back into the habit of setting higher food standards.

2. The 21-Day Sugar Detox (level 3) – This challenge has been much more difficult than the Whole30.  It’s our first sugar detox, so we really did not know what to expect.  Leaving the fruit and sweet potatoes off the menu has definitely been an adjustment, but it’s been a VERY GOOD ONE.  I knew before we started the month that I had some serious sugar issues… possibly some insulin resistance.  I could even tell that my leptin signaling was off (I would feel full before starting to eat a meal, and then half-way through the meal, I would feel as though I were about to starve!).  I was having crazy blood sugar crashes every day, which lead to mood swings, exhaustion, and cravings for more sugar.  It was turning into a nasty cycle, so something had to give.  I can definitely tell that I am more “on-track” now.  Loving this new-found energy!

3. The Sleep Challenge – I expected this part of our February goals to be the toughest, but it really has not been too difficult at all!  The goal is to get at least 9 hours of sleep each night, and to make sure we’re asleep by 10 PM.  We have done really well!  My husband and I are night-owls, so this has definitely forced us to apply some self-discipline.  Shutting down the computers and cell phones at 9:00 helps alot.  When we take some time to get ready for bed and just relax, and being asleep by 10 really isn’t that hard!

The best part of the sleep challenge has been how much better we feel the following morning.  It was very common for us to wake up feeling drained and somewhat emotional before we started this challenge.  Now we rise with energy, and we’re ready to take on the day!  I can also tell that I respond to stress MUCH better when I’ve had more sleep.  Things don’t bother me as much, or as quickly.

What a difference a few more Z’s make!

4. Fitness - The first week of February, I did great in this department.  My goal is to work out 3-4 times each week, and work toward 10 consecutive pull-ups.  I did great the first week, but not so great this past week.  Unfortunately, almost every day this past week was so busy that I would have had to bust up my sleep goals in order to accomplish my fitness goals… yeah, it was a CRAZY week.  Thankfully, this week is much more free, so I’ve have plenty of time to make up for my workouts!  I’m still at only 4 pull-ups, so I’m hoping I can crank out some more as I continue my weight training!

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The Bad

I am going to admit here that the combination of Whole30 + The 21-Day Sugar Detox has been a little tough.  I don’t complain much because I believe anything worth having is worth some sacrifice, but limiting our diet to meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, has been very challenging.  It’s been tough to come up with snack ideas (other than too many nuts), but we’ve managed.  And now I know that we were way too dependent on fruits for our snacks!

This past weekend we took a trip to visit some of our best friends, and it was definitely a downer to not go full-force into celebration mode!  I didn’t realize how much we use FOOD to celebrate good times!

We have also come to realize how steeped we were in the “after-dinner-sweet-treat” habit.  Every single night after we eat, my husband and I seriously crave something sweet – even a slice of apple would be nice!  We are very excited about the thought of breaking this habit, and being able to just be DONE after dinner.

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The Ugly

Yep… there is an ugly side to this month.  Here it is:  I am craving chocolate like nobody’s business.  I can’t think of many things I wouldn’t do for a huge hunk of 85% right now.  Seriously… I want chocolate.  Bad.  So bad, it hurts.  I get mad when I see others eating it.  And if I smell it, I feel ready to fly into a tail-spin.  See?  I told you it was ugly…  I’m glad to be breaking this huge addiction.

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So there you go… overall, we’re really enjoying our February CLEANSE!  I can’t wait to see what our complete results will be after the next 15 days!  We’re only half-way there!

Food Diary: Garlic Lemon Chicken, Rainbow Chard, a...

So far, this has been our favorite 21-Day Sugar Detox / Whole30 dinner.

Honestly, we have not missed sugar sources much at all!  It’s been a nice change of pace…  For more information on what we’re doing during the month of February, click here.

Garlic Lemon Chicken

This fantastic recipe came from The 21-Day Sugar Detox Guidebook.  It is definitely one of the BEST chicken recipes we have ever tried.

You start by butterflying the chicken, and then marinating it in a fantastic mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then cook on the stove until done!  SO easy and SO good!

Rainbow Chard

I bought a HUGE rainbow chard at Whole Foods last week.  I decided to chop it roughly, and sauté it with onions in lots of coconut oil.  Simple and amazingly good.

Tomato/Avocado Salad

What an easy side dish!  I needed to use up some too-soft avocados, so I took this idea from The 21-Day Sugar Detox Guidebook as well… you just slice up the avocados and tomatoes, then drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice to taste.  I like some black pepper with mine.  SO good!

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These recipes impressed me because they are SIMPLE!  Not alot of mixing and measuring… just pure  ingredients dumped together.  Get creative in your kitchen and see what you come up with!

Food Diary: UNSWEETENED Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

**My variation is 21-Day Sugar Detox-friendly, and approved for MY OWN Whole30 (if you deal with cravings for baked goods and muffins, do not give in with these!  Those are not regular cravings for me, so I’m okay with these).**

On Saturday evening, my sister Katie posted a pumpkin muffin recipe on my Facebook wall (her pic above!).  She is on a Whole30 right now, so she omitted some ingredients and started baking!  I was inspired, so I decided to give them a try as well.  They were delicious!

While they are 100% Whole30-approved, they do contain pumpkin.  So if you are on the 21-Day Sugar Detox (level 3), they are on the “Limit” list.  They are perfect for a quick post-workout snack, but do not over-do it on these!

The original recipe is here, but check out my ultra-healthy variation below (changes in BOLD PRINT - I added some extra liquids to replace the date/water mixture)…

Paleo Pumpkin

Streusel Muffins

½ cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup coconut oil, melted

4 tablespoons coconut milk

6 eggs

6 medjool dates, pitted and mashed with 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon maple syrup)

1 tablespoon REAL vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

½ cup coconut flour

Streusel

½ cup pecans, chopped

¼ cup almond meal/flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with paper liners or grease with coconut oil (I did not have liners, but my fantastic muffin pan released them perfectly).

In a small bowl, add pitted medjool dates and 1 tablespoon water.  Heat in microwave for 30 seconds on high.  Mash the dates with fork and add 1 tablespoon maple syrup and mash again.

In a bowl of a food processor combine date mixture, pumpkin puree, coconut oil (melted), coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin spice.  Process until well combined and the date mixture is pureed (I just used a hand-mixer).  Add coconut flour and process again until combine.

To make streusel, combine all ingredients and stir to combine.

Fill each muffin cup ¾ full of batter and top with streusel.  Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes.

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These were really yummy… They are NOT sweet, but they have a good flavor, and are delicious warm!  I have made a few recipes for coconut flour muffins, and this recipe is definitely more moist and “muffinny.”

Dinner for a Whole30er + Some Whole30 Advice

My good friend, Anna, came over for dinner last night.  She is currently working on her FIRST WHOLE30!  She started on Sunday, and she is doing great!  Anna has powered through a few cravings, some headaches, and some changes in digestion, and she is already seeing a change in her food-mindset.  I cannot wait to hear the final results once she finishes her 30 days!  The perseverance is TOTALLY worth it!  My first Whole30 completely changed the way I think about food and health.  It is such an exciting journey, and I’m thrilled that Anna accepted the challenge!

I really wanted to make Anna a big, delicious, Whole30-approved, FILLING meal, so I decided on Smokey Roast (a new recipe for me), roasted brussels sprouts, and a salad (this is what I had planned to make for dinner anyway… Whole30 is not too different from regular Paleo!).

The Smokey Roast recipe came from Sarah Fragoso of EverydayPaleo.com.  It had a yummy flavor, and it was very tender.  The recipe tells you to cook it in the crock pot on high for 5-6 hours.  I didn’t have that much time, so I just placed the roast in a glass baking dish (with a chopped onion and 1/2 cup of water), and baked it, covered, in a 350-degree oven for about an hour.  I let it rest for about 30 minutes before carving.  It was cooked perfectly!

For the brussels, I quartered them, steamed them for about four minutes, then dumped them onto a foil-lined baking sheet.  I drizzled a little olive oil, and sprinkled some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  They roasted in a 450-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the leaves started to blacken.

We had a great time eating, laughing, and discussing Paleo!  I love spending time with Anna, so I was thrilled that she joined me for dinner!

One of the things we discussed was how much to eat.  I have noticed two common concerns among first-time Whole30ers… they are either CONSTANTLY hungry, or they are afraid they’re eating too much.

Both of these concerns can be remedied with a simple rule: Eat to satiety whenever you feel hungry.

You should not feel hungry all the time!  If you are, consider why you might be so hungry…

During the first several days of our Whole30, we were not as prepared as we should have been, and we were very hungry.  We mainly just ate eggs and salads, and we were not staying full for very long.  Once we started preparing more meats and vegetables (actual hearty meals), we started feeling that comforting “that-was-a-good-meal” type of satiety.

I also believe that our bodies were simply not used to digesting our food so well.  We were ready for more food more quickly because the foods we were eating were passing through more rapidly (I have no scientific knowledge to back up this theory… that’s just how we felt).

Hunger is a shout from your body.  It is telling you that it needs nutrients!  Ever wonder why you used to feel hungry soon after eating a big meal full of pasta or rice?  Probably because you were not giving your body the nutrients it was craving.  Once your body gets accustomed to getting the nutrients it needs on a regular basis, those constant hunger-pains will become less frequent.

So how can you prevent constant hunger?  Well……….. eat!  Eat GOOD food!  I cannot stress enough the importance of BEING PREPARED!  Make a meal plan, get lots of great meat and produce, and cook!  Make extras so you have leftovers! Pack tons of healthy snacks to get you through the day (not just fruits and nuts, either!).  Remember, you are not on a diet.  You are eating the way your body was designed to eat… these foods will not make you fat if you are not gorging out on them!  It is amazing how our bodies are capable of slimming down, or shaping up, exactly as they should when we feed ourselves real, whole foods (you don’t have to starve yourself!).

Again… eat when you are hungry.  

And when you eat, enjoy each bite until you are full, and then stop.  

Simple, huh?

I have tons of tips and suggestions on being prepared and keeping things simple in my $4.99 eBook.  You do not have to have an e-reader device to get it.  It’s available as a PDF instant download.  You can also put it on your Kindle or Nook.

Here are a few posts I’ve written with some meal suggestions for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.

 

Be sure to check out the Recipe Tree too!

The Importance of the 30-Day Commitment

I cannot over-emphasize the importance of making a 30-Day Commitment when you are ready to give Paleo a try.  If you are like I was, you probably say every day “I’m going to eat healthier tomorrow.”  That kind of flaky, maybe-I-will-maybe-I-won’t phrase will not get you anywhere.  Trust me.  I said it for a few years, and all the while I was also complaining about how my jeans were fitting.

Are you aware of the fact that if you just DO IT CONSISTENTLY for 30 days, you can erase most of those problems?  For the life of me, I cannot understand why people won’t just make a little sacrifice for the amazing results!

Yes, starting something new does require a little sacrifice.  Any time you make changes to habits that have formed in your life, you’re going to experience a little stress as you adjust to the change.  Will the adjustment kill you?  Um, no.  Will it be hard?  Maybe for a little while, but not long-term.

There are multiple reasons why a 30-Day Commitment is VITAL to success:

1. It ensures that you have time to break old habits, and build new habits.  Have you ever heard the statement “it takes 21 days to form a habit”?  I believe that whole-heartedly.  And just to be sure, take 30 days just to really cement it.  You can’t just decide one day to eat healthier, and then expect it to happen automatically.  It requires a little discipline, a little sacrifice, and a little effort… all things that most Americans do not enjoy.

2. It makes the goal more do-able.  Think about it… saying “I’m going to eat healthier for 30 days” is a much more attainable goal than saying “I’m going to eat healthier from now on.”  It’s just 30 days!  You can do anything for 30 days!  When you’re having a craving for potato chips, you can just remind yourself that you’re only doing this for 30 days (and we’ll see if you still want them after 30 days… we’re breaking habits, remember?).

If it helps you to keep that 30-day mentality, then do that!  Just try it, and see how you feel.  Don’t go into it thinking “it’s time to change everything about the way I eat forever,” just think “I’m testing this for 30 days.”

3. It forces you to REALLY make a commitment.  If you think you want to give Paleo a try, but your kitchen is still full of grains, dairy, sugar, etc., you are very likely to just slip back into old habits in a moment of weakness.  But if you’ve made a real COMMITMENT, you will make the effort to remove temptation so you can’t slip up.  Cleaning out your kitchen is SO important.  If you come home starving, and you have a bag of nachos in your cabinet, you are just begging for failure.  Hunger is a powerful motivator.  If there are no nachos in the house, you will not have to fight that battle, and you will probably take the time to whip up a healthy alternative.  And then you won’t have the belly-gain OR the guilt.

You may feel a little yucky the first week.  I will explain why this occurs in a later post.  In the meantime, be assured that the feelings will pass, and the results are more than worth it.

4. It allows you time to experience the complete results.  If you are doing a little Paleo eating, but are still having a slice of bread every few days, you are robbing yourself of the amazing results that come from a good 30-day cleanse.  Grain is a gut-irritant, and gut irritation causes numerous problems- from bad digestion and belly-bulge, to inability to absorb nutrients and the health effects that come from vitamin deficiency.  It takes several weeks for the gut lining to heal, and for the inflammation to decrease.  Give your gut the time it needs to heal, and see how you look, feel, and perform!  

You might not even know how the foods you’re eating are contributing to negative health effects.  I can guarantee that you will get some great results!  It’s the same with dairy… go without it for enough time, and you will probably see your acne start to disappear and your digestion start to improve. These results cannot be achieved by just doing a few good meals here and there.  Sorry!

So what do I do now?

The easiest way to go about this is to decide on a date (tomorrow???), throw out ALL, and I mean ALL,the off-limits foods in the house (don’t be stingy and worry about wasting food- it’s trash that no one should be eating anyway!), and make sure you have other alternatives ready.  There are thousands of healthy things to eat, and a ton of them are delicious (have you seen my Food Diary?).  You just have to make up your mind and DO IT.

Check out the results of our Whole30 and what we learned.  I highly recommend that you set a date, and start your own Whole30 ASAP.  Click here to buy the guidebook… it is super-helpful to help you get started!