Paleo Pro Protein Powder - Whey & Soy-free!

I'll start off by saying I don't condone drinking protein shakes or recovery shakes just because you're too lazy to cook and eat real food. NOTHING is a substitute for that if you have the time and ability to eat immediately post workout. However, I am one of those people who doesn't get her appetite back until at least an hour and a half post workout and by that time I've lost the point where my body will best recover by having some good carb and protein sources fed to it immediately.

Every other protein powder I've seen that is marketed towards people who don't do refined sugar, soy, wheat, etc. is usually a whey protein powder. As much as I love heavy cream and cheese, I know my body does not. I just couldn't justify any of those powders for myself.

Enter: Paleo Pro - the naked flavor has only 3 ingredients: egg white protein, whole egg protein and beef protein. That's it. If you feel you need the vanilla and chocolate flavors, you get some cocoa and stevia added in the mix.

Below is my favorite recipe.. and keep in mind, this won't taste as sweet as some recovery shakes on the market. This is just meant to get down fast and taste good enough that you don't have to gag it down. Which doesn't mean you WILL need to gag it down, I just don't want something that tastes so good that I find myself replacing real meals with it on a regular basis. The purpose is purely functional, not for enjoyment :)

Sweet Potato Pie Recovery Shake

1 scoop naked PaleoPro protein powder
1/2 cup cooked sweet potato
1/2 banana
1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup crushed ice
dash of cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
dash of vanilla

If you want to prep this before your workout, blend it up and then throw in a few whole ice cubes into a blender bottle. After your workout, shake it up and drink!

To order and get 15% off your purchase, click here and enter coupon code: TJF15

Coco-Peppermint Patties (Paleo, 21-Day Sugar Detox Recipe)

In the Paleo-sphere I think us die-hard followers all have that one person who immensely helped and inspired us with the in's and out's of this lifestyle. For me, it's Diane Sanfilippo of Balanced Bites. I am not exactly sure how I ran across her page on Facebook, but it may have been because of her 21-Day Sugar Detox. Either way, I am glad that I did.

You see, I have a big sugar addiction. I thought it was just a FOOD addiction, but then I realized most of the foods I was over-consuming were sugar. Bread, pasta, baked sweets, chocolate, french fries, etc. Yes, all  basically sugar once it's eaten. I did the detox for the very first time about 6 months in of eating Paleo - January 2012. I was successful, but was out celebrating with good friends on the 21st day and did allow myself a glass of wine. Since then I have completed it a few more times and each time I am surprised at how much sugar STILL has a hold on me. It's everywhere. In everything. And even after a few weeks, once little taste of that sweet stuff and I am in a downward spiral. Basically, my life should be a sugar detox 24/7.

The good news?! Diane is putting out another book and this one is dedicated to The 21-Day Sugar Detox! Her first one is New York Times bestseller (I think 19 weeks at the time of this posting?!) Practical Paleo - this is the book I tell people to get when they are starting out. It explains everything in simple terms, gives a ton of meal plans and recipes and being a lover of all things design, the layout is awesome. Can we say lamb dolmas? I dream about those things.

So go pre-order her new book, order her last one if you haven't and head on over to her Facebook pages (here and here) and show her some love.

Now on to the recipe - the ingredients marked with asterisks are my suggestions if you are not on the detox. I haven't made them with any sweetener, so you are on your own if you try my suggestions. As I made them, they are definitely NOT sweet to the average person. Just warning you!

Coco-Peppermint Patties

1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup extra-virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tsp peppermint extract
1-2 tsp pure stevia extract* (omit for 21DSD)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate (use equivalent Enjoy Life chocolate chips if not on The 21DSD)

Just barely melt the coconut butter and coconut oil (you just dont want it rock hard) and then put in a food processor and blend well. Add in the peppermint extract and stevia (if you're using it) and blend again. Pour in the shredded coconut and pulse a couple of times to make sure it's evenly distributed.

I used a mini cheesecake pan** and poured the mixture so about 1/2" tall in each cup. Put the pan in the freezer until hardened.

Once the patties are hardened, heat up the chocolate/chocolate chips in the microwave - only heat 30-45 seconds at a time to make sure not to burn the chocolate, stirring each time. Once melted, dip each patty into the chocolate and put on a flat baking sheet or plate covered in wax paper. Put the peppermint patties in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate - and then enjoy!

If you make them as above, with the sweeteners, please let me know how it came out!

**a mini cheesecake pan has bottoms that come out so you can just push from the bottom of the pan and it will release the patty once hardened - alternatively you could use candy molds or put the bowl with the mixture in the refrigerator, stirring now and then, until you have a consistency you can roll into balls and flatten into the desired shape

Enchilada Bake (Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)

I love me some mexican food. Almost a little too much for a white girl with English and German heritage. I can even stand my ground with the best of them when it comes to consuming spicy food. Did you know some people sweat like crazy when they eat spicy food? Does this mean they're out of spicy-food-eating shape? If so, I am a champ and could whip anyone's butt because I don't sweat at all.

So mexican food is lots of corn and cheese. I can do without corn on a daily basis, but I do love some corn tortillas and tortilla chips... and, well, cheese? Infatuated. But this recipe has neither. Corn doesn't bother me when I eat it, but I try to limit it due to it basically just being sugar and the fact that non-GMO corn seems to be almost be non-existent. Well, and the fact that I am doing a Whole30/21-Day Sugar Detox/Whole Life Challenge thingie right now. Cheese is off the menu due to the the last reason and because of its direct effect on throwing me back to being 16 and a face covered in pimples. Not attractive. But if you can tolerate dairy, PLEASE throw some on top and tell me how it tastes. I know it would be fantastic and I want to live vicariously through you.

Enchilada Bake

For the enchilada sauce
3 dried ancho (or pasilla) chiles
Enough water to cover chiles
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp mexican oregano
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt

Rest of the ingredients
2 small spaghetti squash
1 rotisserie chicken (I purchase it at Whole Foods since the plain one only is seasoned with salt. Alternatively, you could cook up some chicken breasts and thigh meat)
2 eggs, whisked
1-14 oz can of black olives, sliced
1 small can diced green chiles
Green onions, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup cilantro, chopped
Any veggies you might want to "hide" inside (spinach, kale, etc)
salt and pepper, to taste

Chiles getting cozy in the pot

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut each spaghetti squash in half and lay cut side down on a oiled baking sheet. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until you can easily pierce the skin side of the squash with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Using a fork, scrape out the insides of each of each half and place in a large mixing bowl.

While your squash is baking, put the dried chilis in a small sauce pan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from the water, but reserve the boiling water. Pull out the stems and if you don't like heat, cut open the chilis and remove the seeds. I didn't remove any seeds from my peppers and it actually wasn't too spicy, but I don't want to be blamed if you happen to get spicier peppers!

Add the boiled peppers and the rest of the enchilada sauce ingredients to a blender and mix well. If the sauce seems to thick, used the reserved boiling water and add a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

The final product

Now on to assembling the "bake" (I don't like the word casserole)! Grab the bowl with the spaghetti squash and pour out any water that may have collected at the bottom (the drier the squash gets, the more your "bake" will hold together). Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Feel free to be adventurous and add in all sorts of veggies. To be honest, I had bought some kale that I was going to chop up and throw in and I completely forgot! Last, add about 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce you prepared - feel free to add more or less depending on your tastes!

Once everything is mixed thoroughly, pour into a casserole (bake?) dish. I used one that was approximately 10"x7"3". Smooth out the top and add more enchilada sauce if you desire. And oh how I wish I were allowing cheese in my diet right now, because some shredded Kerrygold Dubliner added into the mix would be FANTASTIC. If you are using cheese, I would add it with about 10 minutes of cooking time left.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and let sit about 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with more cilantro and avocado.

Proscuitto-Wrapped Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

Although this seems like such a simple recipe to me, I know some people out there need some instructions. I get that. Most people I know would find it hard to believe that at one time I had no clue what I was doing in the kitchen. If I had a recipe to follow, I followed it to the "t" and hoped that it came out. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't. But I always carefully measured and always, ALWAYS followed the directions exactly as written.

But with trial and error and some new-found confidence, I have started experimenting. People tell me all the time that they can't cook and I tell them it just takes practice - like anything else. I think because our society has so much readily available food, it has made us lazy in the cooking area. So if you really want to learn how to cook, just pick up a cookbook and start cooking! It won't always look good, it won't always taste good, but you can't get better at something if you don't keep trying.

This is one of those recipes that looks like it took a lot of effort, but takes barely any at all.

Proscuitto-wrapped Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

8 chicken thighs (I bought them bone-in, skin on and removed the skin, but you could buy boneless. I just feel the bone keeps the meat more moist)
8 pieces of proscuitto
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
Fresh rosemary, about 1 tbsp finely minced and 8 small sprigs
4 tbsp butter (from grassfed cows if possible)
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter with the garlic and minced rosemary. Baste each thigh with this mixture and salt & pepper to taste. Place one sprig of rosemary on each thigh and wrap the entire thing in proscuitto, with the ends meeting underneath. Place the thighs on a baking sheet and cook for about 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

I served it with a side of sauteed dandelion greens and cauliflower mash. If you don't know how to make the perfect cauliflower mash and yours always comes out soupy, that recipe will be down the road!

Spanish Meatballs with Asparagus

Have I told you how much I LOVE cookbooks? I like all books in general, but ever since getting an iPad I've downloaded all reading books. But not cookbooks. Those are meant to be in hard copy. One of the first few Paleo cookbooks I purchased was Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. What made this cookbook different from the others ones I bought were the recipes were unique. I'm all about experiencing cuisines from around the world and this cookbook definitely had that flair. So if you haven't purchased this cookbook, go get it! You can never have enough cookbooks! Plus, I think she may have another one in the works?

A few nights ago I decided I wanted to make this recipe again and I thought I had purchased all the ingredients awhile ago.. however I was WRONG. So I used what I had and it still came out fabulous. Plus, you can't go wrong with a recipe that has lamb in it.

Here's my version - which I renamed Spanish meatballs because I used cilantro and fennel bulb - both which probably have nothing to do with Spain, but who cares. Oh... the other great thing about this recipe is it's all made in one pot!

Spanish Meatballs with Asparagus

Meatballs
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pounds ground lamb

Sauce
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
2 tbsp minced cilantro



In a large mixing bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients except the lamb. Then crumble in the lamb and mix through completely with your hands. Form the meat mixture into meatballs and set aside. (I like large meatballs, so I used about 2 tbsp of lamb per meatball.)

Heat the coconut oil in a deep skillet and add the onion, fennel and garlic and saute until soft. Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes, water, tomato paste and cilantro and mix thoroughly. You might have to smash down the diced tomatoes slightly.

Bring the sauce to a boil, place the meatballs in the sauce, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. After about 20 minutes I went in and flipped the meatballs and then cooked for another 10 minutes or so. Once the meatballs were pretty much done, lay the asparagus on top and re-cover - cooking for about 5-7 minutes or until tender. I think by cooking the asparagus this way the entire stalk came out so tender!

Let me know what you think if you make this :)

Ginger-No Soy Flank Steak with Sweet & Spicy Slaw

Boy oh boy, what a week! Tonight was my fourth Crossfit workout of the week and at this point I am simply amazed I can do four a week. When I first started Crossfit last September I was struggling with 3x a week and would look at others in awe of their four, five and six times a week.

For a long while I knew something was wrong with my body. I couldn't push myself too hard or I would be down for the count for a couple of days. I recovered slow. I just felt like crap. I fell asleep ok, seemed like I slept a good 7-8 hours a night, but I never woke up feeling ready to go and would almost always need a nap after work. I was just draaaaaaagging.

Now don't get me wrong, eating whole foods and removing most sources of sugar from my diet helped (meaning all grains, most fruit and just plain ol' sugar), but something was still missing the mark. The doctor did blood tests and everything tested "within limits". Little did I know, "within limits" is a bunch of crap. Do you know how they get those limits? Well, they take a bunch of people.. and in the medical community the most readily available bunch of people are medical students. They take blood samples of all of them, the bottom 5% become "below normal", the top 5% are "above normal" and everyone else is normal. Doesn't that seem a little... off? So because every single number on my blood tests came back in that "normal" range, I was fine according to my doctor. Even if I was right on the edge or just barely above. I am still fine. Really? In my head that is basically saying I have to be really screwed up to warrant any attention. Nevermind "attention" means throwing a prescription drug at me to make it right...

Enter my visits to a naturopathic doctor.

You might be wondering what is the difference between the doctor you have and a naturopathic doctor. My understanding and the easiest way to explain is this: your doctor may gently tell you to change your diet, but still prescribe you a medication to artificially make your lab tests go back to "normal". A naturopathic doctor looks at your entire lifestyle, figures out WHY your bloodwork is off or WHY you are having the symptoms you are having and works to resolve that PROBLEM at the root cause. Why prescribe medication for Type II diabetes when we know the issue is SUGAR? I guess so maybe you can continue to eat sugar, take the medication to make your lab tests look ok and then suffer the side effects down the road of the medication? Ahhh, I digress.

Basically, we determined my thyroid was low (but only on the lower of "normal" according to lab tests) and my cortisol levels were sky high (a lab test I did through the naturopathic doctor). The combo of the two was running my body through the ringer. Every. Single. Day. And I was quickly going in the direction of adrenal fatigue if I didn't fix stuff. He put me on a few supplements to SUPPORT adrenal and thyroid health (note: support, not artificially giving me more thyroid hormone or suppressing cortisol production), is coaching me in better sleep routines and is encouraging me to find something I ENJOY waking up for each day.

Since my first visit in January, I feel at least 60% better. I know this is not an overnight fix, but this is where we go back to my 4x a week Crossfit classes - I am doing them and am amazed that I still want to go on my days off. Naps after work rarely happen now and on my days off where I am go-go-go all morning with housework or sometimes heavy yard work, I can still keep going in the afternoon without a recharge nap. Will we do lab tests again to confirm everything is going in the direction we want? I am thinking there is a good chance we won't - because the best indicator at this point is how I feel, not some number.

I encourage you, if you have ANYTHING going on that just doesn't seem right.. spend a little money and invest in some visits to a reputable naturopathic doctor. You can find one with a simple Google search.

Now on to food!

I made this last night and already want more. If it were nice and warm outside I would say this is a perfect summer dinner, but it's not, so make it anyway. Just make sure to make a LOT.

Sweet & Spicy Slaw

2 tbsp nut butter (I used pecan, almond would probably be awesome!)
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp honey (omit if Whole 30 or 21DSD)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp chili paste* (level of heat you prefer - I like it hot!)
1 tbsp Red Boat fish sauce
4 cups finely shredded cabbage and carrots
1/4 cup scallions, finely sliced
1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
1 jalapeno, finely sliced (leave the seeds if you like it hot!)

Combine nut butter through chili paste in a bowl. Toss in the rest of the ingredients until fully combined. Let sit for a few minutes to let all the flavors to get to know each other :) It was still Good and slightly crunchy the next day for lunch!





Ginger-No Soy Flank Steak

2-3lb flank steak
1 tbsp chili paste* (level of heat you prefer)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp orange zest
2 ginger, finely minced
2 tbsp garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar (omit if Whole 30 or 21DSD)
1/2 cup coconut aminos

Combine all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and marinade overnight in the refrigerator. I found if the marinade ingredients are put in the food processor it makes the whole "mincing" process that much easier!

Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking to come up to as close to room temperature as possible.

Heat a BBQ on high for 10-15 minutes. Put the flank steaks on and cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes for medium. Remove the steak and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

*I found 3 levels of heat of chili paste in the asian foods section of my Whole Foods

Paleo Pancakes Perfected! Grain, dairy and refined sugar free

I love pancakes.

Since starting my Paleo journey almost two years ago I've made several pancake recipes. Most were good, one recipe was a total flop, but I have to say that this morning I think I figured out the PERFECT recipe. I've used several recipes to come up with this one and I've tried several temperatures of cooking, timing to flip, etc. I think I finally got it... so I will try to be as DETAILED as possible. With that said, remember that bananas come in different sizes, have different levels of sweetness based on how ripe they are and sometimes I am sure elevation and humidity level can take a toll on how they come out. So don't blame me if you don't think these are perfect! Experiment on your own because, seriously people, I've said it before:

THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

Have fun in the kitchen. Add stuff. Take stuff out. If you aren't having fun while you're cooking, then you're doing something wrong.

Paleo Pancakes Perfected
(Makes 9 3-inch pancakes)

2 eggs
1 banana
1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk (I like this one)
1 heaping cup of blanched almond flour
1 tbsp coconut flour (if needed - see below)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

Now here's the easy part - throw all of the above in a food processor and blend, scraping down the sides as needed. I let my food processor go for awhile to make sure the batter was nice and creamy. If the batter seems a little loose, add in the coconut flour and blend, blend, blend. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

And here's the tricky part: Heat a griddle pan on medium heat .. and give it some time people! Let it heat up for 10 minutes or so and make sure to oil it up with some melted coconut oil, butter or ghee (if you are doing dairy). I used a 1/4th measuring cup (not entirely full), to scoop batter in about a 3" diameter. Now be very, very patient. This may be where you might need to adjust your heat as well. The pancake will do most of its cooking on this side so the temperature on your stove should be lower than you'd cook pancakes made with wheat flour -  and the overall cooking process is longer as well (you can tell by how dark my pancakes are). Once the whole pancake seems solidified when you QUICKLY slide a thin spatula under, then carefully flip and cook well on the other side. If the pancake doesn't move as a whole and tries to wrinkle up - it's not ready!

To keep it Whole 30 approved you could get some frozen berries and cook them up on the stove, smashing them slightly, to use as a topping. Otherwise, throw some good quality Grade B maple syrup and some pastured butter on and enjoy!

Day 1 Whole 30 & Bison Sausage, Peppers and Zucchini

I got home from Las Vegas last night... late. Like rollin' in the door at midnight and not getting into bed until 12:45 type of late. It was a relaxation vacation and I mean that in every sense of the word. Even my eating habits were GREATLY relaxed. Probably not the wisest thing to do, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Three whole glorious days filled with margaritas, bread, cheese and chocolate. And probably some more bread. Oy.

The plan was to start The Whole 30 today and that I did. It's very similar to the 21-Day Sugar Detox I did before, but I think just giving it a new name makes it feel like a new challenge.

Well let me tell ya, I can tell my eating has been horrible because I have a headache at the end of day 1. The kind that makes me want to reach for some sort of bread-y goodness. And then I remember that is exactly what caused it. So I am holding steadfast. This is for my overall well being and happiness and I know that a little pain now will reap big rewards down the road. I hear ya... "yada yada yada".. ok, so on to the recipe.

I am a huge fan of the Italian dish "Sausage and Peppers". I've made it quite a bit and often didn't even eat it with pasta or rice. However, this morning in a last minute attempt to plan ahead (wait, what?!) I pulled out some ground bison from the freezer before I jammed out the door to work. Sausage and Peppers is made with Italian sausage. I had bison. What's a girl to do? Well, I looked up the seasonings for Italian sausage, threw those in with the bison, cooked it up, added veggies.. and wa-la!

Bison Sausage and Peppers w/Zucchini
1 lb ground bison
1 bell pepper (I used red) - sliced
1 red onion - sliced
2 small zucchini - cut into thin strips
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp ground fennel seed
1 - 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
dash of oregano and thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the bison and all the seasonings over medium heat until just done (be careful, it can over-cook easily due to the low fat content!) and then remove from the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the veggies and onion to the pan and cook until the onions are soft and the peppers and zucchini are just barely soft. Turn the heat down to low and add back in the meat and the can of tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 mins.

Enjoy!

21-Day Sugar Detox - Day 14

I can't believe it's been two weeks already! They seriously have flown by so fast. It's weird to think I haven't had an ounce of processed sugar (and most fruit sugar) OR grains in that time. I don't think even when I started out Paleo I did that - I allowed myself one cheat meal a week. Talk about self-control here.

And let me tell ya: If I can do it, you can. I will admit I still haven't had any major withdrawal symptoms. I have a friend who just started this week and has had a major headache all day for a couple of days now. Others are getting the "carb flu" and here I am, doing ok.

source

I did have a minor meltdown that ultimately ended myself up in the E.R. last Monday though. Before January 1st hit I stopped at one point and asked myself if I was making too many changes all at once. New workout program (or prep for it anyway), no sugar/grains, getting up early to workout before work on some days, etc. Well, combine that with a little residual heartache from late last year, some issues involving planning some wedding festivities (as long as the future hubby agrees, we're quasi-eloping) and an issue with online bill-pay that had my bank trying to double pay my mortgage - well, that will affect you.

Monday morning I arrived to work early as I noticed when I woke up early that morning that my "pending" bank balance was in the negative. I took advantage of the online chat with a customer service representative (a service I love for many reasons - one being I can "hang up" on them when I am mad and not feel guilty). By the end of the chat I literally could not see straight I was so upset. Have you ever had whatever you're looking at bounce back and forth repeatedly like your eyes don't know where to focus? That was me.

Next thing I know, I am telling a co-worker about my issue and she tells me the left side of my face is swollen and the left side of my mouth is drooping. FREAK OUT MODE. I work in a hospital for those who don't know. We take this sh*t seriously. E.R. bound I was.

Thankfully I checked out fine neurologically. My jaw had started to hurt at this point, but the swelling seem to go as fast as it came. The only logical conclusion was stress. Wow.

So maybe instead of headaches and the "carb flu", the lack of sugar running through my system was messing with me in a different way, i.e. inability to suck it up and move on.

Recently found TJ's almond butter - better and cheaper than Maranatha!
Alas, none for at least a week :(
source

I think I am better now.. I had a great week full of lots of good food. I feel proud of how far I've come and am determined to make this next week really count. In fact, I've discovered I've replaced one addiction (sugar) with another (almond butter), so I am cutting that out this final week as well.

On the menu for this week for the detox:
Monday: Bachelor night so the sister is cooking - thinking fish tacos
Tuesday: Going to visit a friend out of town - should be interesting
Wednesday: Garlic Ginger Chicken (yes again!) with mashed Turnips & Parsnips
Thursday: Going to attempt some Tom Ka Gai soup
Friday: Spaghetti & Meatballs

Usually 4 meals gives me enough leftovers (as a single gal) for lunches/snacks for the rest of the week. Now that I can't do almond butter, I most likely won't do apples - so I might make a LOT of ginger garlic chicken so I have a lot of leftovers!

Menu planning - DONE. Last week - here I come!

Two Fantabulous Paleo Recipes

Last week on The 21-Day Sugar Detox Facebook page, the authors  of the Make It Paleo cookbook posted a recipe. I love recipes so I usually take a peek at most of them, but I knew this one was special when they said they licked their plates afterwards. I'm not sure if they really did, but the next day they posted that they made the recipe again! "Ok, I am putting this on next week's menu plan for sure."

Here it is, next week already, and I made this recipe last night. It lived up to the expectations for sure. 

Garlic Ginger Chicken w/Mashed Cauliflower

It's not hard to make, so you really should make it tonight! 

You can find the recipe here.
~~~~~~~~~

Then, while perusing their website some more, I came across a recipe for crab cakes. I haven't had crab cakes in FOREVER, so I decided to give them a try. Oh my.. they didn't disappoint either. If you like the crab cakes served at most establishments that have a very noticeable presence of bread crumbs, you may not like these (and you're weird). These are all crab, baby. And all yum. I didn't have macadamia oil, so I just made Everyday Paleo's mayonnaise recipe as I like the taste.*

Crab Cake w/Homemade mayo garnish

You can find the recipe for the crab cakes here. 

Paleo doesn't have to be boring or bland. I am in awe of the recipes I have been coming across lately and feel like I am eating like a queen every night! This definitely is making The 21-Day Sugar Detox easier to handle :)

While you're at it, make sure you "like" author's page on Facebook and show them some love. They will for sure shower you with more fabulous recipes!

Happy cooking!

*I have recently found out that olive oil should never be heated and since the mayo is used in the crab cake, it eventually gets heated up. Read more about why we shouldn't heat up olive oil and should use other natural oils instead here. (Short answer: heat damages olive oil, releases free radicals, and free radicals are baaaad.) 

21-Day Sugar Detox

For those who've been reading my blog for awhile, you know sugar and I have a love/hate relationship. Heck, it even made it into my 2010 goals. I love how it tastes, I hate how it makes me feel and sometimes how it seems like it controls me. Oh, and the excess pounds it causes - don't forget that.

When I started eating Paleo (mostly naturally-raised meats, veggies, some fruit and nuts) last summer I began a "liking" spree on Facebook for anything and everything Paleo. The great thing is, the community is so accepting and supportive of everyone in it who is trying to help get the word out. One cookbook led me to a blogger, who wrote about another cookbook, who led me to a nutritionist and that got me to the 21-Day Sugar Detox. I knew since it had a Paleo structure to it, this wasn't going to be powders and pills and weird crap. This would be something my body really needed.

Today marks day 7 and the end of the first week. I think since my house has been mostly Paleo since last summer and any non-Paleo eating was mainly when just eating out, my body wasn't quite as in shock as some people who have been posting on the Facebook page. For me, it was giving up something I wanted. For some, it can be as serious as giving up something like cocaine - no joke. Just take a peek at this article from Details magazine. Think you're not addicted - I dare you to give this detox a try then.

Uncured, nitrate-free bacon, free range eggs and
leftover cauliflower, broccoli & sweet onion saute.
Breakfast, Day 7

I think Day 1 and 2 I had a very slight, nagging headache. Kind of like when you are a little congested, but easily ignored. Through day 4 or 5 I found I was just stuffing my face with anything approved to prevent myself from driving down the street to the most fabulous cupcake shop ever. I figured I was ok with this as weight loss wasn't my goal in this detox, it was keeping sugar out of my body. Luckily by the end of day 5 and through today, I haven't been shoveling as much food in and have surprisingly been eating very little - which I'll talk about more in my next post.

I'm also learning to discover the breakfast that isn't sweet. I grew up on cereal, LOVE a good bowl of oatmeal, crave cinnamon rolls, can devour a stack of pancakes and stuff like eggs and bacon were always secondary. And vegetables at breakfast?? Unheard of!

I have lost a couple of pounds with this, but that really isn't the point. I do feel empowered, I feel lighter, I am definitely less bloated and I can tell my sensitivity to sugar is increasing - green apples are tasting surprisingly sweet!

So here's to two more weeks.. and don't forget to "like" my Coach page on Facebook and spread the word. My goal in 2012 is to help motivate others in both areas of nutrition and fitness!