I just went back and read my first posts from this blog. Whew! I really, really struggled with my body right after having Jenna.
It is still close enough that I can remember it.
Thank you, freedom! Freedom from the bondage of...
...self-doubt
...insecurity
...shame
...remorse - for letting myself go during pregnancy
...being self-consumed
...feeling hopeless
I genuinely do not feel any of those things most of the time. Sure there are times I wish I weighed less, was more "cut", could lift more...
But I work hard. I eat well. I'm committed to a healthy lifestyle. And to teaching my child a healthy lifestyle.
And I am free. Not consumed.
I'm content.
:)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Jambalaya awesomeness
This one is so worth sharing!
One of our good finds with Paleo recipes is the jambalaya recipe.
I made it this week with some of the spicy sausage we picked up from Caw Caw Creek Farm - it's always been a good recipe, but their sausage really made it good and spicy!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon olive oil (divided)
1/2 lb spicy sausage
1/2 lb shrimp
Chopped onion (to preference)
Green pepper (to preference)
1/2 cup celery
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning + 1/8 teaspoon cajun seasoning (divided)
1 bay leaf
2 cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup finely shopped cauliflower
dash of cayenne pepper
In a large skillet, heat olive oil, sausage, onions, peppers and celery. Saute for about five minutes, then add seasoning and bay leaf. Cook for one more minute. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
In another skillet, saute the shrimp, 1/8 tsp of cajun seasoning, and dash of cayenne pepper in 1 tsp olive oil. Saute for 2 minutes, then stir into the jambalaya.
My notes (you didn't think I actually did the recipe as it calls for, did you?!?): we like it thick, so...
...I use a four pack of spicy sausage (I never weigh it - the more the merrier, right?)
...I may use more shrimp, if we feel like it that week
...I generally also add a half pound of ground turkey
...I leave out the celery (my experience is that you can always taste celery over everything else)
...I use Old Bay Seasoning instead of a bay leaf
...I use a LOT of cajun seasoning (I just pour it in until it feels like enough!)
...I only use a cup of water
...If you want to kick up the spicy, then add jalapenos and additional cayenne pepper
I put the tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and all of the seasonings in a stock pot and put them on low. In a skillet, I cook the sausage in a hit of olive oil. Once it is cooked all the way through, I put it in the stock pot. Then I cook the shrimp, onions and peppers in the leftover sausage juice and oil. When they are cooked - I think they are cooked with the veggies look soft and the shrimp has turned color - I put them in the stock pot. I stir everything really good. If it's not thick enough, I add the ground turkey. Then I finish by adding the cauliflower, which might be more or less than the recipe calls for - I just eye ball it and go with what looks good.
BTW...that is the way I cook - I try the recipe as is once and then I start adding and subtracting to our personal tastes. It used to drive Laura crazy to learn to cook my recipes because I generally had my own variation of what was on paper, so it never turned out like I cooked it. I just eyeball it. Sometimes it doesn't work, but most of the time it does.
As a final note - this is jambalaya, not spaghetti sauce, so adding too many veggies will be more like a spicy spaghetti sauce or Beaufort stew than a jambalaya. I serve it over roasted cauliflower or spaghetti squash - both of which are delish!
Roasted Cauliflower:
Head of Cauliflower
Lemon Juice
Minced Garlic (or garlic salt or garlic pepper)
Olive Oil
Cut the florets from the head of cauliflower (I generally cut them in half so there is a "flat" side, which I lie facing down on the pan). Line on a cooking pan (I use a cookie sheet with parchment paper). Drizzle with lemon juice, then dust with garlic, and then drizzle a little olive oil on each one. Cook at 400 for 25-30 minutes (until they start to brown). Yummy!
Spaghetti Squash:
One Spaghetti Squash
Cut in half longways (it is hard - so I cut it like a coconut - but driving the knife through the middle and slamming it on the cutting board!)
Spoon out the seeds in the middle
Cook cut side down at 350 for 30 minutes (40-45 for a large spaghetti squash - the inside will start to turn dark yellow when it is done)
Take a fork and scrape it along the inside of the squash. It will naturally separate into noodles.
Ok - that is my recipe for the day. It is a Paleo alternative to a Southern favorite - and it's very good!
One of our good finds with Paleo recipes is the jambalaya recipe.
I made it this week with some of the spicy sausage we picked up from Caw Caw Creek Farm - it's always been a good recipe, but their sausage really made it good and spicy!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon olive oil (divided)
1/2 lb spicy sausage
1/2 lb shrimp
Chopped onion (to preference)
Green pepper (to preference)
1/2 cup celery
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning + 1/8 teaspoon cajun seasoning (divided)
1 bay leaf
2 cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup finely shopped cauliflower
dash of cayenne pepper
In a large skillet, heat olive oil, sausage, onions, peppers and celery. Saute for about five minutes, then add seasoning and bay leaf. Cook for one more minute. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
In another skillet, saute the shrimp, 1/8 tsp of cajun seasoning, and dash of cayenne pepper in 1 tsp olive oil. Saute for 2 minutes, then stir into the jambalaya.
My notes (you didn't think I actually did the recipe as it calls for, did you?!?): we like it thick, so...
...I use a four pack of spicy sausage (I never weigh it - the more the merrier, right?)
...I may use more shrimp, if we feel like it that week
...I generally also add a half pound of ground turkey
...I leave out the celery (my experience is that you can always taste celery over everything else)
...I use Old Bay Seasoning instead of a bay leaf
...I use a LOT of cajun seasoning (I just pour it in until it feels like enough!)
...I only use a cup of water
...If you want to kick up the spicy, then add jalapenos and additional cayenne pepper
I put the tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and all of the seasonings in a stock pot and put them on low. In a skillet, I cook the sausage in a hit of olive oil. Once it is cooked all the way through, I put it in the stock pot. Then I cook the shrimp, onions and peppers in the leftover sausage juice and oil. When they are cooked - I think they are cooked with the veggies look soft and the shrimp has turned color - I put them in the stock pot. I stir everything really good. If it's not thick enough, I add the ground turkey. Then I finish by adding the cauliflower, which might be more or less than the recipe calls for - I just eye ball it and go with what looks good.
BTW...that is the way I cook - I try the recipe as is once and then I start adding and subtracting to our personal tastes. It used to drive Laura crazy to learn to cook my recipes because I generally had my own variation of what was on paper, so it never turned out like I cooked it. I just eyeball it. Sometimes it doesn't work, but most of the time it does.
As a final note - this is jambalaya, not spaghetti sauce, so adding too many veggies will be more like a spicy spaghetti sauce or Beaufort stew than a jambalaya. I serve it over roasted cauliflower or spaghetti squash - both of which are delish!
Roasted Cauliflower:
Head of Cauliflower
Lemon Juice
Minced Garlic (or garlic salt or garlic pepper)
Olive Oil
Cut the florets from the head of cauliflower (I generally cut them in half so there is a "flat" side, which I lie facing down on the pan). Line on a cooking pan (I use a cookie sheet with parchment paper). Drizzle with lemon juice, then dust with garlic, and then drizzle a little olive oil on each one. Cook at 400 for 25-30 minutes (until they start to brown). Yummy!
Spaghetti Squash:
One Spaghetti Squash
Cut in half longways (it is hard - so I cut it like a coconut - but driving the knife through the middle and slamming it on the cutting board!)
Spoon out the seeds in the middle
Cook cut side down at 350 for 30 minutes (40-45 for a large spaghetti squash - the inside will start to turn dark yellow when it is done)
Take a fork and scrape it along the inside of the squash. It will naturally separate into noodles.
Ok - that is my recipe for the day. It is a Paleo alternative to a Southern favorite - and it's very good!
Whole foods on a budget update
In doing more research, JP and I have become more committed to eating locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as finding local meats. Although this is a generally expensive endeavor, we have found ways to make it manageable.
One great thing about being in Columbia is we have a number of year round farmers markets. The SC Farmer's Market has a shed open year round, and a lot of the vendors are local farmers. Many times locally grown fruits and veggies can be better than store bought organic, as store bought organic usually is grown and shipped from a different country, so it has to be treated to keep from going bad. As a result, locally grown items generally pass the test just as well (and buying from them lends support to local business owners). The Whaley Street Farmer's Market runs every Saturday and Wednesday. Wil-Moore Farms is a vendor there who has the best eggs. Caw-Caw Farms has a great selection of sausage and pork items (no additives or nitrates in their bacon). There are many other local farms who do seasonal Co-Ops and CSAs, and who offer bulk rates for locally processed, grass fed meat (if you really want to see the difference - go to Earth Fair and look at their meat cooler - the difference is obvious to the naked eye). Although you pay the bulk cost up front, the cost in the long-term is less than if you were buying from the store. This requires a plan for saving the bulk amount, but again, the long-term savings is worth it.
Another thing we have been doing is utilizing local produce stands. There are a number of honor-system produce stands in Irmo that have a good selection of seasonal items (even right now). And the cost of their produce is less than the store bought produce. The difference, though, is that you have to use it right away. Because their not treated with chemicals to preserve them, they go bad quickly (as they are intended to). Once you realize how fast untreated fruits and veggies go bad, it really makes you think twice about what you are eating that keeps them in the traditional store.
As for processed foods - eating whole foods are the only way you can control what products you are taking in. Did you know that mass produced meats are washed with ammonia to kill any bacteria that might be on them? That yummy-looking meat we eat from the grocery store actually has ammonia on it. Ugh. And the veggies are even worse. I bought a regular apple from the store in desperation a couple of weeks ago. I could barely bite into it. The wax on the outside made it difficult to eat. I threw it away - organic and locally grown apples taste so much better - even if they look ugly on the outside.
And that is what I have come to understand - like anything in life that requires being dressed up...there is always more than meets the eye. But with the locally grown and organic items, you get what you see. They are discolored, have bumps and bruises, and maybe a bug here or there (not that I haven't found bugs in my non-organic, not locally grown romaine or spinach - which is why it's important to wash your fruits and veggies before you eat them), but the taste is great. And they are nutritious without being poisonous (for the most part, anyway).
Ok. I'm done now. I need to take a nap and , for some reason, I am hungry for an apple. :)
One great thing about being in Columbia is we have a number of year round farmers markets. The SC Farmer's Market has a shed open year round, and a lot of the vendors are local farmers. Many times locally grown fruits and veggies can be better than store bought organic, as store bought organic usually is grown and shipped from a different country, so it has to be treated to keep from going bad. As a result, locally grown items generally pass the test just as well (and buying from them lends support to local business owners). The Whaley Street Farmer's Market runs every Saturday and Wednesday. Wil-Moore Farms is a vendor there who has the best eggs. Caw-Caw Farms has a great selection of sausage and pork items (no additives or nitrates in their bacon). There are many other local farms who do seasonal Co-Ops and CSAs, and who offer bulk rates for locally processed, grass fed meat (if you really want to see the difference - go to Earth Fair and look at their meat cooler - the difference is obvious to the naked eye). Although you pay the bulk cost up front, the cost in the long-term is less than if you were buying from the store. This requires a plan for saving the bulk amount, but again, the long-term savings is worth it.
Another thing we have been doing is utilizing local produce stands. There are a number of honor-system produce stands in Irmo that have a good selection of seasonal items (even right now). And the cost of their produce is less than the store bought produce. The difference, though, is that you have to use it right away. Because their not treated with chemicals to preserve them, they go bad quickly (as they are intended to). Once you realize how fast untreated fruits and veggies go bad, it really makes you think twice about what you are eating that keeps them in the traditional store.
As for processed foods - eating whole foods are the only way you can control what products you are taking in. Did you know that mass produced meats are washed with ammonia to kill any bacteria that might be on them? That yummy-looking meat we eat from the grocery store actually has ammonia on it. Ugh. And the veggies are even worse. I bought a regular apple from the store in desperation a couple of weeks ago. I could barely bite into it. The wax on the outside made it difficult to eat. I threw it away - organic and locally grown apples taste so much better - even if they look ugly on the outside.
And that is what I have come to understand - like anything in life that requires being dressed up...there is always more than meets the eye. But with the locally grown and organic items, you get what you see. They are discolored, have bumps and bruises, and maybe a bug here or there (not that I haven't found bugs in my non-organic, not locally grown romaine or spinach - which is why it's important to wash your fruits and veggies before you eat them), but the taste is great. And they are nutritious without being poisonous (for the most part, anyway).
Ok. I'm done now. I need to take a nap and , for some reason, I am hungry for an apple. :)
A paleo/primal update
To start with the most exciting news first...I have lost a full 2.25 inches from my waist since going Paleo. A pant size. And the only thing that has changed is how I eat (and even that wasn't much of a stretch - see my previous posts). And (just as exciting) I have not lost any of my strength. Big smiles.
I'm sick right now, so my thought process is a little out of whack, so forgive me if I seem like I am jumping all over the place. :) I'm home at the moment with the anedovirus and a double ear infection, thanks to all the funk that my sweet Jenna brings home from daycare.
But back to the Paleo update... In the past four weeks, we have tried a lot of recipes that have been very good. We make Paleo brownies on Friday that were actually pretty good. Who knew you could make no grain, no dairy brownies, huh? It does defy the no refined sugar rule a little by using honey (or agave nectar - we just had some locally bought honey here) and cacao powder (the honey doesn't really break the rule since it's naturally occurring in nature, but the cacao powder is processed, so...), but sometimes you have to break the rules a little. Which is actually one of the principles of the Paleo lifestyle - some people use a 90/10 principle, others an 80/20 - JP and I are pretty strict, so I would say we have been on a 95/5 principle and it has worked.
The greatest reason for this is, after about 2 weeks, my cravings for anything outside of the Paleo way of eating really went away. I have no desire to eat out and we have found some very delicious recipes to cook at home, so we do. As long as we eat when we are hungry and don't let ourselves wait too long, all of our needs are met, so there literally are no cravings. No dreaming about french fries, ice cream or anything else. It's interesting how it happens.
I did try a recipe for Paleo chocolate chip cookies today, but I had the wrong kind of almond meal, and an attempt to substitute with coconut flour was an epic fail. Maybe next time!
The only down side to Paleo was this past weekend, when I really just wanted comfort soup because I am sick. So I decided to go ahead and get a potato soup bowl from McAlister's. It was good, but it really didn't do it for me. As a result, I made up a batch of Paleo jambalaya yesterday and will eat on that when I want soup - at least until I find a good Paleo soup recipe.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Whole Foods on a Budget
Ok. The number one thing that people say to me when I talk about how we eat is that they can't afford to shop the way we do.
Let me remind you that we are two social workers on limited salaries - with student loans, daycare, mortgage, insurance and all of the costs of living. If it wasn't for Income Based Repayment plans, our student loans would be more than my entire take home salary for a month. Even with the IBR, they are equal to what our mortgage payment is. All of that to say - we are not made of money and we do not have much by way of expendable income....
We have started a cash budget system, and it has made our budgeting manageable - much more manageable than we ever imagined it could be. And the line item spot for our food budget is probably more than what some people are willing to spend - but this also means we cut back in other areas to make it happen. Having stated this, I wanted to share a post that I thought was relevant - 8 Tips for Feeding Your Family Whole Foods on a Budget
I am going to add some information later about what we do to save money - things you can do locally to Irmo/Columbia, SC. For example, we discovered a farm that will deliver a dozen fresh farm eggs per week for 8 months out of the year for $80. That comes to approximately $2 per dozen - much cheaper than the almost $5 per dozen you'll pay at a whole foods store or grocery store for comparable eggs. I don't have a lot of time right now, so I will have to come back and do this later!
Here is the text of the blog, but it includes a lot of links that may not go live when I copy and paste it (and I don't have the time or energy to convert them all)...
Let me remind you that we are two social workers on limited salaries - with student loans, daycare, mortgage, insurance and all of the costs of living. If it wasn't for Income Based Repayment plans, our student loans would be more than my entire take home salary for a month. Even with the IBR, they are equal to what our mortgage payment is. All of that to say - we are not made of money and we do not have much by way of expendable income....
We have started a cash budget system, and it has made our budgeting manageable - much more manageable than we ever imagined it could be. And the line item spot for our food budget is probably more than what some people are willing to spend - but this also means we cut back in other areas to make it happen. Having stated this, I wanted to share a post that I thought was relevant - 8 Tips for Feeding Your Family Whole Foods on a Budget
I am going to add some information later about what we do to save money - things you can do locally to Irmo/Columbia, SC. For example, we discovered a farm that will deliver a dozen fresh farm eggs per week for 8 months out of the year for $80. That comes to approximately $2 per dozen - much cheaper than the almost $5 per dozen you'll pay at a whole foods store or grocery store for comparable eggs. I don't have a lot of time right now, so I will have to come back and do this later!
Here is the text of the blog, but it includes a lot of links that may not go live when I copy and paste it (and I don't have the time or energy to convert them all)...
8 Tips for Feeding Your Family Whole Foods on a Budget
Many people have this misguided idea that it is impossible to feed your family a whole foods on a budget. If you live in Alaska or some remote part of the country, this may be the case, but in most areas, you can feed your family natural, unprocessed foods without spending hundreds of dollars each week to do so.
Sure, you might spend a little bit more than someone who is eating a diet composed mostly of processed foods, but it really doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg as some people will make you
think–especially if you’re willing to get creative and think outside the box.
think–especially if you’re willing to get creative and think outside the box.
Now, let me be upfront and tell you that our weekly meal plans probably wouldn’t win us the Healthiest Family of the Year award. We eat some processed foods (though we do make the majority of our food from scratch), we like sweets and we certainly do not eat 100% organic.
I know some people are really bothered by this, but we strive to have a balance of serving lots of fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains while still enjoying the occasional brownies and ice cream or even letting our children have a Happy Meal every now and then (gasp! Can you believe it?!)
So, despite the fact that I’m not the most knowledgeable and experienced person to be tackling this issue, here are some suggestions:
1. Plan a Menu Based Upon What is In Season and On Sale
If you want to feed your family on a budget, you need to have a plan for what you’ll be eating. If you can make your menu plan mostly based upon what is on sale at the natural foods store, what is in season at the Farmer’s Market and/or what you’re reaping in abundance from your garden, you’re going to significantly reduce your grocery bill.
2. Practice the “Buy Ahead” Principle
If you happen to come upon an incredible sale on tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market, or the health food store has organic frozen vegetables on a great sale, stock up. Buying items you routinely use when
they are at their lowest price is another surefire way to savings.
they are at their lowest price is another surefire way to savings.
3. Plant a Garden (Or Barter With Someone Who Does!)
If you can pull it off, plant a garden. Produce is typically only pennies per item from your own backyard, it’s tremendously fresh and you know exactly what you did or didn’t spray on it. Plus, you can can or freeze your extras–or bless your friends and neighbors with them!
Have a brown thumb? Find a friend who loves gardening and trade services (babysitting, breadbaking, car maintenance?) in exchange for their garden excess.
4. Stick With Simple Meals Using Inexpensive Ingredients
When you’re planning your menu, think about how much your recipes will cost you to make. It doesn’t have to be a scientific to-the-penny figure, but just having a good idea that there is a $10 difference between the price of making one meal as opposed to another meal can help you decide whether you can afford to make something or perhaps should save it for a special occasion.
5. Serve Meat as a Condiment
I shamelessly stole this idea from Family Feasts for $75 Per Week because it’s so brilliant. Serving meat in soup or on pizza is going to be a lot less expensive than serving roast and sirloin,
especially if you’re buying high-quality meat.
especially if you’re buying high-quality meat.
Need ideas? Laura shows you how to make six meals out of one chicken.
6. Buy in Bulk
It is usually much more cost-effective to purchase meat and staple ingredients in bulk. Call around to local farmers and see what they would charge you for purchasing half a cow. In many cases, it’s at
least $1 cheaper per pound to purchase in bulk. Buying grains, beans, as well as many other basic ingredients with long storage lives in large quantities will almost always save you at least 20%, if not more.
least $1 cheaper per pound to purchase in bulk. Buying grains, beans, as well as many other basic ingredients with long storage lives in large quantities will almost always save you at least 20%, if not more.
Costco, as well as many bulk foods stores and local co-ops, offer great pricing. You can also check with your local health food store to see if they’d offer you a discount for bulk purchases.
7. Consider Joining a CSA or Co-Op
If there is a co-op or CSA in your area, check into pricing and details for joining. You might find that it is an affordable and money-saving option for your family. If you can’t find an affordable co-op in your area, you could consider starting your own co-op.
8. Use Coupons on Non-Food Items
I know a number of my readers don’t eat processed foods, but they use coupons to save money on toilet paper, toothbrushes and other non-food items which they purchase. Your savings might not be so exciting as others who use dozens of coupons each shopping trip, but even saving $5 each week by using coupons can start to add up over time.
Friday, January 13, 2012
How do you do that?!?
When JP or I talk with people about eating the way we do, the most common question we get is, "How do you do that?" How do you not eat grains/breads, dairy (even cheese?!?), refined sugar or beans/legumes? The answer is that we have done it slowly.
Honestly, going the final stretch to this wasn't much of a stretch for me. The only dairy I had to cut out was the occasional Greek yogurt and cheese. As for grains, the only thing I was taking in daily was a 1/2 cop of organic rolled oats and maybe a slice or two of Ezekiel bread. I would eat sweet potatoes with lunch a couple of times a week, and although sweet potatoes are allowed with Paleo/Primal, we recently discovered that baking sweet potatoes increases it's glycemic index by just about 70 points - making it a high glycemic food when cooked that way. So...maybe I will eat them from time to time, but quinoa, which is actually not a grain, will probably take the place of the sweet potatoes in my eating rotation. By I digress...
Back to how we did it.... Well...like anything else. We tried everything else until we found something that works! I have railed against WW and other "diet" programs. And I understand their value & that people who make healthier choices are being healthier. I no longer have a dog in that fight. BUT (wink) - my experience was that, on WW, I gained weight and was miserable with cravings. When we switched to what can be summed up as a "body building diet" - macronutrient breakdown determined my body fat percentage & tweeked based on improvements in body fat percentage - we started severely limiting carb intake to almost what I described above. And it worked wonders. But it was miserable at first - it was a lot to eat, especially when learning how to time it, and then we couldn't use any of the condiments we loved?!? Honestly, sitting here today, I cannot imagine how I ever ate salad loaded with dressing (I rarely have any dressing at all these days, and if I do, it's usually a small amount of olive or flax oil drizzled on the salad). But immediately my energy level evened out, my cravings for carbs and sugar went away, and my body started changing. Then I found out I was pregnant...and let it all go to the wayside.
Once I had Jenna, I started trying to eat like that again, with no success. So I started making more tweeks...all which work wonders for other people, but don't work for me. I started realizing that I saw more results - not just on the scale, but in how my body looked - on the weeks where I just happened to take in very little carbs (at least carbs by way of oatmeal, breads and sweet potatoes). After reading up on the Paleo philosophy and starting on the Primal Blueprint, I felt called to take the leap.
So here I am, two weeks in. I'm starting to lean out already, which feels good. I still have a long way to go, but making progress feels good. No cravings, no insane hunger pains, energy level is stable. I feel really good! And I seriously don't have a desire for anything other than what I have been eating.
Speaking of eating...people think that eating this way is boring. It's not. And they think it's soooooo time consuming. With a little planning, it's not. This past Sunday, this is what my kitchen looked like...
The left back stove eye was jambalaya (with cauliflower in place of rice), front left stove eye was pulled chicken (like pulled pork - or chicken BBQ), back right stove eye was spaghetti sauce, right front stove eye was ground turkey (to use for spaghetti sauce and some to put to the side to use for salads), to the right is fresh green beans and spaghetti squash. The other picture is of stuffed chicken (with tahini, spinach and tomatoes). Not pictured: roasted cauliflower, turkey burgers (for a Paleo PB&J burger recipe), sliced squash/onions/peppers, broccoli and other assorted fruits and veggies that can be cooked (quickly and fresh) daily or doesn't need to be cooked. From start to finish, it took me 3 1/2 hours to cook everything and have it put up. With JP's help, the kitchen was cleaned up in that time, too. And this fed us all week - and we eat a LOT of food.
Because of JP's schedule, we don't eat a traditional meal every night, but I do eat something from one of these selections once Jenna is put to bed. That is also the time I take 20-30 minutes to cook our breakfast for the next day and portion out our meals for the next day and saute or roast any veggies for those meals (sometime I get this done while Jenna is playing). How long does the average person take to cook dinner every night? To decide what to cook, to get all of the ingredients together (or make a quick run to the store), to defrost meat or frozen veggies, to prep and cook everything and get it ready to serve? From start to finish, I know a lot of people who spend well over an hour a night to do this. When looking at that, I really don't take any more time than anyone else. I just take the bulk of it on Sundays. When I first started this, it seemed so time consuming, but when I put it in this context, I realized it really wasn't a crazy time commitment.
All of this to say that eating like this is possible. It just is.
I have found it's self-reinforcing.
And I actually really like it.
Honestly, going the final stretch to this wasn't much of a stretch for me. The only dairy I had to cut out was the occasional Greek yogurt and cheese. As for grains, the only thing I was taking in daily was a 1/2 cop of organic rolled oats and maybe a slice or two of Ezekiel bread. I would eat sweet potatoes with lunch a couple of times a week, and although sweet potatoes are allowed with Paleo/Primal, we recently discovered that baking sweet potatoes increases it's glycemic index by just about 70 points - making it a high glycemic food when cooked that way. So...maybe I will eat them from time to time, but quinoa, which is actually not a grain, will probably take the place of the sweet potatoes in my eating rotation. By I digress...
Back to how we did it.... Well...like anything else. We tried everything else until we found something that works! I have railed against WW and other "diet" programs. And I understand their value & that people who make healthier choices are being healthier. I no longer have a dog in that fight. BUT (wink) - my experience was that, on WW, I gained weight and was miserable with cravings. When we switched to what can be summed up as a "body building diet" - macronutrient breakdown determined my body fat percentage & tweeked based on improvements in body fat percentage - we started severely limiting carb intake to almost what I described above. And it worked wonders. But it was miserable at first - it was a lot to eat, especially when learning how to time it, and then we couldn't use any of the condiments we loved?!? Honestly, sitting here today, I cannot imagine how I ever ate salad loaded with dressing (I rarely have any dressing at all these days, and if I do, it's usually a small amount of olive or flax oil drizzled on the salad). But immediately my energy level evened out, my cravings for carbs and sugar went away, and my body started changing. Then I found out I was pregnant...and let it all go to the wayside.
Once I had Jenna, I started trying to eat like that again, with no success. So I started making more tweeks...all which work wonders for other people, but don't work for me. I started realizing that I saw more results - not just on the scale, but in how my body looked - on the weeks where I just happened to take in very little carbs (at least carbs by way of oatmeal, breads and sweet potatoes). After reading up on the Paleo philosophy and starting on the Primal Blueprint, I felt called to take the leap.
So here I am, two weeks in. I'm starting to lean out already, which feels good. I still have a long way to go, but making progress feels good. No cravings, no insane hunger pains, energy level is stable. I feel really good! And I seriously don't have a desire for anything other than what I have been eating.
Speaking of eating...people think that eating this way is boring. It's not. And they think it's soooooo time consuming. With a little planning, it's not. This past Sunday, this is what my kitchen looked like...
The left back stove eye was jambalaya (with cauliflower in place of rice), front left stove eye was pulled chicken (like pulled pork - or chicken BBQ), back right stove eye was spaghetti sauce, right front stove eye was ground turkey (to use for spaghetti sauce and some to put to the side to use for salads), to the right is fresh green beans and spaghetti squash. The other picture is of stuffed chicken (with tahini, spinach and tomatoes). Not pictured: roasted cauliflower, turkey burgers (for a Paleo PB&J burger recipe), sliced squash/onions/peppers, broccoli and other assorted fruits and veggies that can be cooked (quickly and fresh) daily or doesn't need to be cooked. From start to finish, it took me 3 1/2 hours to cook everything and have it put up. With JP's help, the kitchen was cleaned up in that time, too. And this fed us all week - and we eat a LOT of food.
Because of JP's schedule, we don't eat a traditional meal every night, but I do eat something from one of these selections once Jenna is put to bed. That is also the time I take 20-30 minutes to cook our breakfast for the next day and portion out our meals for the next day and saute or roast any veggies for those meals (sometime I get this done while Jenna is playing). How long does the average person take to cook dinner every night? To decide what to cook, to get all of the ingredients together (or make a quick run to the store), to defrost meat or frozen veggies, to prep and cook everything and get it ready to serve? From start to finish, I know a lot of people who spend well over an hour a night to do this. When looking at that, I really don't take any more time than anyone else. I just take the bulk of it on Sundays. When I first started this, it seemed so time consuming, but when I put it in this context, I realized it really wasn't a crazy time commitment.
All of this to say that eating like this is possible. It just is.
I have found it's self-reinforcing.
And I actually really like it.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
PRIMAL!!!
No...I'm not yelling. Just excited!
JP and I have been going Paleo - actually Primal, which is similar to, but not exactly Paleo. I'm still holding on to a few of my old habits - like Stevia in my coffee - but overall we have made the whole change and it feels great.
We've been working toward it - or something like it - for a few years, so it's really not that much of a stretch. The big difference is not considering this our "healthy" eating and then pining for a cheat meal - or even having a "cheat" meal. Through our own experience - being very aware of how we feel after eating lots of simple carbs or refined sugar - we have become convinced that eating that way is not a benefit. But eating Primal does allow for some indiscretion, but I am finding that eating this way without indiscretion is more self-reinforcing than anything.
And the Primal lifestyle - for more on what this is click here: Mark's Daily Apple - is something we are doing more research on. It challenges a lot of my pre-conditioned ideas (what he sarcastically calls "Conventional Wisdom"), but the idea of what it is all about just feels right.
***This is where I say you were right to a certain friend - the only person I think who reads this with any regularity - it just took me time to get around to it!***
I'll try to keep updates on our progress here. So far, feels good. :)
JP and I have been going Paleo - actually Primal, which is similar to, but not exactly Paleo. I'm still holding on to a few of my old habits - like Stevia in my coffee - but overall we have made the whole change and it feels great.
We've been working toward it - or something like it - for a few years, so it's really not that much of a stretch. The big difference is not considering this our "healthy" eating and then pining for a cheat meal - or even having a "cheat" meal. Through our own experience - being very aware of how we feel after eating lots of simple carbs or refined sugar - we have become convinced that eating that way is not a benefit. But eating Primal does allow for some indiscretion, but I am finding that eating this way without indiscretion is more self-reinforcing than anything.
And the Primal lifestyle - for more on what this is click here: Mark's Daily Apple - is something we are doing more research on. It challenges a lot of my pre-conditioned ideas (what he sarcastically calls "Conventional Wisdom"), but the idea of what it is all about just feels right.
***This is where I say you were right to a certain friend - the only person I think who reads this with any regularity - it just took me time to get around to it!***
I'll try to keep updates on our progress here. So far, feels good. :)
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