The Adventures of Weeks 3-9: Persistance Rewarded

Oh my!!! Its been a while since I've shared about the goodies I've been cooking up. I've been on the paleo plan now for 9 weeks and I haven't cooked the same meal twice. I've had some extraordinary meals through out that time (some of which I previously posted) and some that I will share in this post.

I'd like to brag, if I may, at the good report from the doctor after my 2 month check up. I've lost over 10 lbs and many different elements of my health (hormones, cholesterol, etc) in my body have taken large strides in the right direction. She said most people don't commit to this way of eating initially and take a long time to see the kind of results I'm seeing. Praise God for granting me the drive and persistence to carry on. But isn't it true that when you know the fruit of a particular type of labor - its so much easier to keep working!

Further testing revealed that I currently have a "leaky gut" as "The Paleo Solution" calls it. My bacteria levels are so low that my stomach is struggling to use food as it was meant to. Side effects are headaches, sinus congestion, and swelling of the joints to name a few. Any of you that know me well - know Ive had constant sinus headaches for over the last decade and my hips and back are always giving me heck. So as you can imagine, I'm overjoyed to take some pro-biotic supplements to rebuild good bacteria and I celebrate in that the way I've been eating will continue to strengthen me. Also, it seems I need to stay away from eggs for a little while. Darn - just when I was started to like them (see recipes below).

I'm not nearly as active as I'd like to be (insert sad face), but I have taken a cycling class, swing dance lessons several times, bicycle riding by the Trinity river and around the lake, and horseback riding. I want to keep adding to the adventure list.

Tonight while trying to tame a sweet tooth I tried sliced strawberries with honey drizzled on top. Success!

Below I have listed out the best meals I've come across recently.

 

Almond Flour Pancakes

These were pretty tasty. But if I had another two hours on a Saturday morning, I'd convince someone else to slave over the stove. These are very delicate and fall apart easily. I'll definitely be trying other recipes to get this goodness in less time. I think they would have been better topped with mashed berries.










Cindy was so sweet to have blessed me with these "mini" peppers and tomatoes from her father's garden. They were scrumptious!







Chorizo and Eggs
 
This was my first time having chorizo and it was soooo good! But please, do not use as much chorizo as it calls for. I also added some awesome homegrown peppers from Cindy!





Bacalao and Eggs

Nichole taught me how to make this Puerto Rican dish. It was so amazing with wild caught Cod and fresh homegrown tomatoes and peppers from Cindy! Did I mention how much I loved the homegrown goodies?

 
Louisiana Fillets

So... I may have gotten carried away on the spice. It was so hot, it was almost unbearable. Next time I will try really hard to respect this recipe and only use the amount called for. So good! I used tilapia and added roasted broccoli using the same seasoning as with the fish. Turned out great, minus the atomic fire in my mouth.

Ahai Tuna Steaks

Frozen tuna steaks from Trader Joe's seasoned with Ahai seasoning packet from central market. This was my first time having a tuna steak and it resembled steak so much, I had a hard time believing it was fish. Great idea for people that aren't sure about fish. I even got Laura (anti-fish) to try this.

Summer Vegetable Mahi Mahi Bake

Do not, let me repeat myself, do not cook this using anything but homegrown vegetables! I will personally hunt you down. I picked up these delicious tomatoes, summer squash, and zucchini from a man who sets up in a gas station parking lot. What now?!

Crockpot Ropa Vieja with Cuban Style Rice

This is by far the most creative and good meal yet. First off, I traveled to a mexican mart to get my PORK BUTT. Now you know this has to be a good story, but I'll save that for later. The spices and tomato sauce covers any flavor from the cauliflower. This is an amazing flavor filled dish that is packed full of fuel for your body! Ron and Laura agree this must be repeat recipe.

Paleo Carrot Cake

Do me a favor - Don't make this. Its packed with flavor, but I don't know what this baker will do without sugar. Give me time to learn this new world of baking sweet goodness only from the nectar God has given us and I'll post some amazing delectables. I really just posted this picture to tease you. I know, I'm sick. Get over it.

Cinnamon Chipotle Sliders
And for my favorite dish so far. These pack so much flavor that I'm salivating just thinking about them. Don't think about it. Just add these ingredients to your list and believe me, you will thank me. You are welcome in advance.

The Adventures of Week 2: Buns of Paleo!

Trader Joe's
Still AWESOME! This week my friend Meredith joined me and it was double the fun. I splurged and got some new things to try such as Sausage with Sundried Tomatoes (you can hear about that next week. come on I've got to create some suspense). We have already made plans for a Sarah, Meredith, and Sara Sandwich Slumber Party which will result in... drum roll please... a trip to Trader Joe's the next day.

Fishy Business
I keep trying to enjoy fish... but it just hasn't happened yet. Since it is bursting with wonderful nutrients, I will persistently continue to put it in my weekly menu, holding onto hope that I will find a way I enjoy to eat it.

Book Worms - Its the New Protein!
The books I order arrived at my door on Tuesday and I've been diligently reading through The Paleo Solution. The author keeps it interesting and humorous which is greatly appreciated.


Menu

Last Week

• White Fish with Macadamia Salsa 
• Pollo Alla Griglia

This Week

• Salmon with Coconut Cream Sauce
• Burgers with Paleo Buns
• Chicken Fajita Salad

White Fish with Macadamia Salsa

 


The "salsa" is a creative idea and the flavors mixed very well together.





 
Pollo Alla Griglia

 
I didn't have all the ingredients I needed for this recipe, but before I would purchase them I decided to try it out. If it was worth repeating, I'd buy the ingredients the recipe called for.
 
This recipe is definitely worth repeating, over and over again. I can't remember ever having chicken so tender. It was so tender, my unsuspecting taste tester had a moment of panic - afraid that it wasn't cooked thoroughly. But it was.

The smell created envy in the office throughout the work week.

Salmon with Coconut Cream Sauce





Salmon with Coconut Cream Sauce. The sauce was awesome, but underneath it was still fish. My father would possibly disown me if he knew how much I struggle as he spent his childhood on a shrimp boat.

I will hold on tightly to this recipe for when preparing a meal for someone that loves Salmon - it is sure to impress.






Burgers with Paleo Buns

This was the most fun and creative recipe I've prepared yet. The buns were made from scratch with Almond flour and Coconut flour. They have a consistency similar to corn bread but softer and holds together better. The flavor is very mild and slightly sweet. Easy and fun. Laura and Ron really enjoyed this meal and I have to admit, it was my favorite to not only make but also eat! Laura suggested making these "buns" and freezing them to eat later with breakfast... 




Chicken Fajita Salad

Eventually, maybe, salad will grow on me. Even with all of these amazing toppings (fajita goodness), I still did not get much satisfaction out of this meal.

Salad lovers - make this immediately!!!

Also, I grabbed a avocado that was bad and the flavor freaked me out - that is probably what ruined this meal for me.


A Meal Fit for a CaveWoman
On Friday I treated myself to my favorite restaurant and a paleo meal...Buffalo Wild Wings. I was so excited to discover that they fry there wings in beef tallow (animal fat). No I did not break my diet to eat this deliciousness. ^^


Spontaneous Fitness
Tuesday, after a long day at work, I felt so energized I went for a walk with the dog. Yvaine kept getting ahead of me, so we had many random bursts of jogging. Almost 3 miles later, I felt great. Let me be clear. I have NEVER felt like I had an ounce of energy after work. Praise God! He keeps making life sweeter and sweeter. If I could have even imagined the freedom and joys of clean eating, how much sooner I would have embraced it.
On Saturday, I made my way to the 7th street LA Fitness and had a good time pumping some iron. lol. Havent been able to lift my arms above my shoulders since, but surely that's temporary, right?!

The Adventures of Week 1: Trader Joe's Discovered!

I feel significantly physically stronger.

I'm really starting to enjoy this. On friday after work, I stopped by a local farmers market near work. I felt like I was robbing the place as I purchased 2 bags full of vegetables for $11.

On Saturday, I ventured out to my new happy place also known as Trader Joe's. This description is an understatement. As I left, I felt like I had found a paradise that turned "my problem" into a "pleasure". I couldn't help but buy a recyclable bag to support their business and flowers for myself, because I am a treasure and sacrificing my desires for unhealthy food to be blessed in new ways by my creator God who loves me more than I can ever imagine.

My spoils:

• natural hormone-free chicken
• tilapia
• natural hormone free ham
• nitrate free smoked turkey bacon
• large bag of nuts
• spinach

 My housemate had told me they had "better" prices, but I never could have imagined how affordable this store could be. The items I bought were all comparable to the cheap hormone/chemical pumped food I'd been buying for years at any of the local grocery stores. I was able to get enough food for 8 days (3 meals and 2 snacks a day) all for the same amount I'd been spending previously. Praise the Lord for his provision!






 
On saturday, I had my first steak and egg breakfast with cilantro and fresh garden salsa.
For lunch I cooked Garlic Chicken, red peppers, and mushroom sauce. Delicious!
For dinner I cooked Warm Potato and Steak salad (mine was w/o the potatoes) for me and my friend Meredeth. The turkey bacon was the shining star in this recipe.

Today I placed my order for The Paleo Solution and Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People who Love to Eat. I can't wait for them to come in.

Also, I went to a Mexican restaurant today and did not enjoy it AT ALL. For those of you out there that don't eat gluten or carbs, where are you favorite places to eat out?

The Decision to go Back in Time

There once was a little cave girl...

Let me start out by saying that my dreams thus far in life are as follows:

• to be generally healthy and have a lifestyle that will optimize what time I have left on this earth
• to find healing for the physical ailments already affecting my body
• to be active: not in the "I work out on a consistent basis" capacity, but more of a "I laugh in the face of a mountain that thinks I can't climb it" or "I enjoy white water rapids on the weekends" or "My idea of a perfect first date is my next undiscovered adventure"

Unfortunately my lack of desire, lack of discipline, my weight, my poor health have always held me back. This year I made resolution to aggressively and persistently seek out adventure. And this may be the first great adventure that I hope will last a lifetime and open thousands of doors I had never even thought to dream of. What great adventure do I speak of? One of paleolithic proportions.



Paleolithic
Reference: www.dictionary.com

• of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the cultures of the late Pliocene and the Pleistocene epochs, or early phase of the Stone Age, 

Paleolithic Lifestyle 
Reference: http://paleodietlifestyle.com

• A Paleo diet, also known as paleolithic diet or caveman diet, is all about natural foods to help achieve great health and a perfect physique. The human body evolved for more than 2 million years with the food found in nature: game meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts. The human race was thriving on this diet high in animal fat and proteins and low in carbohydrates, but things changed when we introduced unnatural foods to our bodies.  

More Resources

• Paleo 101
• Mark's Daily Apple
• Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat
• The Paleo Solution

Never before have I seen a path to achieve my dreams, but I now have hope. I've recently learned of several friends that have had their lives transformed by this lifestyle. I'm overwhelmed and excited all at the same time.