A Month Into Paleo - Sharing My "Wisdom" And Perspectives. Lucky you.
Hey there, Patchers. I know you've all been anxiously awaiting the next epic entry in this blog (sarcasm...sarcasm). I really am surprised that people want to read what I'm writing. I mean, Paleo is a vast topic...a hot topic, and there are several different sources out there for information. I'm getting better with my Paleo knowledge-base. Savvier by the second, actually. I still have a long way to go - but I'm looking forward to the trip! Join me, won't you?
So, this Paleo Party has been going on for about a month. I'll be honest, I didn't think I would last a month. Not only have I been on track, but I haven't once wanted to "cheat". Like not even once. In the beginning, I pictured this as a very limiting diet. I didn't see how I would even want to do it, but I knew I had to. I felt like I would be doing it begrudgingly - angrily, even. That is SO NOT THE CASE! I LOVE PALEO! I love the way I feel. I love the way I'm losing weight for real (18.1 pounds - whoop whoop!). I love the way I'm eating - healthy, natural, unprocessed, organic - GOOD FOOD. And I love the "community" of Paleo people I've found - my acupuncturist (who should have a blog entry dedicated to him - pure awesomeness - the whole office is just incredible), my family, friends and co-workers who are supporting me on this journey and making discoveries right along with me, and the people/bloggers/authors that are online are really such valuable sources of information. Having other people to reference/talk to is so important to me. I second-guess myself quite a bit, but my Paleo peeps keep me on track.
I figured I would just share what's on my Paleo mind this week. I'm a little bit all over the place. Lucky you.
I drive from Lindenhurst to Lake Grove to do my food shopping.
Yeah, it's far, but it's so worth the trip. The acupuncture office I go to is up this way, and I feel like my car just knows the way on it's own...lol! Right on Route 347, there is the ever-fabulous Trader Joe's. I do buy quite a bit there. They have quality stuff, and the prices are reasonable. Their return policy is also something to be envied. You try it, you don't like it, you bring it back for a full refund. What??!! You have to respect that.
When I get done at Trader Joe's, I cross the street, and BAM! Whole Foods. Whole Foods is amazing. It can be a little pricey, but it's worth it. The whole store is very allergy friendly (I am eating Paleo, which naturally lends itself to gluten free, but I do still check things to be sure.). I found the new love of my life at Whole Foods...Kombucha. Kombucha is raw, fermented, probiotic, naturally carbonated tea. Sounds nasty, but I promise it isn't. They sell it at the food bar (yes, you can eat at Whole Foods and everything...EVERYTHING is labeled for every possible allergy imaginable). I purchased a cup for the first time a few weeks ago. Such a strong taste, but so good! Now, when I go shopping, I treat myself to a cup. Whole Foods also sells Kombucha in small and large growlers, too. And the kicker is you get to keep the growler and bring it back for your next Kombucha fill-up. I got one - a big one. I'm looking into how to brew it at home, though. This is going to become a real expensive habit. Cha-Ching $$ Perhaps we'll discuss more about Kombucha in the next entry.
Meat. One of my least favorite topics.
Suffice it to say i've upped my meat intake. Mostly chicken and turkey. I've even added a little bit of "the beef". Ok, so it was an Applegate Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog, but still. I. Ate. Beef. Be on the lookout for flying pigs.
I Made Waffles. They Turned Green.
So buying ingredients to make Paleo versions of things can be a tad on the expensive side. Again, not that I mind. My health is worth every penny. But when you whip up a batch of waffle batter and make the waffles on your adorable new waffle maker (thanks, Aunt Gail), you expect them to be there for you to eat. They started turning green very quickly after they were made. I FREAKED. I don't deal well with things like that. If it's questionable, it's trash. Well, it turns out if you substitute sunflower seed butter for almond butter (which I did because I like to save my almond butter for other things...that stuff is EXPENSIVE), the chlorophyll in the sunflower seed butter and the baking soda do something scientific and chemical in nature, and you get green waffles. They're safe to eat. You live, you learn. Stupid chlorophyll - made me think I had to throw away perfectly good waffles. Note to self: Review 7th grade science.
Paleo Mondays: A Fun, New Way To Learn About Paleo.
When I shared with people that I was encouraged to go Paleo, the overall consensus was that people saw that as a bad thing. Me included, don't get me wrong. I was bummed, but understood. I was going to do it, but like I said before, I didn't think I would ever be happy about it. People at work would say to me things like "How are you doing?" with such a tone and expression that made me think something awful had happened and I was unaware of what that was. I had to find a way to get people on board and understand that this wasn't a bad thing - this was a good thing! A great thing! A gift, even. What better way to control people's minds than with cookies, right? I started the search. I came across a blog that not only had simple (like even I can handle it) recipes, but was so refreshing (and freakin' funny) to read. It's called Taylor Made It Paleo, and she has some great Paleo information on her blog. What I love about it is that she shares other blogs, sites, information, etc. She throws out whatever useful Paleo information she can for people. It's one of my go-to blogs. I really love it. Anyway, I baked a batch of cookies (yes, Paleo cookies), and brought them into work. I think people feel better about me being Paleo now. I've also made Taylor's PBJ bars (with sunflower seed butter), and Strawberry-Coconut bars. This week, we'll be trying Banana Bread Coffee Cake. If you want to check out her blog, go to http://taylormadeitpaleo.com/ . I stalk her blog, pretty much. It's cool.
I Ordered A Cookbook.
Never did I ever think I would utter those words, but I'm so pumped for this book to come, you have no idea. It's called Against All Grain by Danielle Walker. It looks INCREDIBLE! Paleo has turned her health around. She is a self-taught Paleo chef, too. The book releases on July 30th. Already ordered it on Amazon. I might have to stop myself from making everything at once. Can't wait! Who am I anymore?
So that's where I'm at. All over the place. Have any of you started eating Paleo? Anyone have any Paleo recipes to share? Please feel free to post! Nobody wants to keep listening to me. I'm not that interesting. Go try some Kombucha and let me know what you think. Until next time....
Peace. Paleo. Progress.
Kerry
