I made these two recipes for dinner last night: Paleo Moroccan Chicken and Avocado Cream Zoodles.
To borrow a baseball analogy, they were both home runs!
I adapted the chicken recipe by baking in on a rack in my oven at 400 for about 30-35 minutes. It was juicy, spicy, and had nice crispy skin. The zoodles came out great and were very reminiscent of a creamy pesto sauce, without any dairy.
I highly recommend you try both of these recipes!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Friday Night Dinner
Here's what I will be making tonight for dinner:
Paleo Moroccan Chicken and Avocado Cream Zoodles
I'll let you know how it goes :)
Paleo Moroccan Chicken and Avocado Cream Zoodles
I'll let you know how it goes :)
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Preparation!
One of the most important things on my journey so far has been learning to prepare. A major culprit of my bad food decisions in the past has been a lack of preparation. The old adage goes "if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail" and it holds very true in this case.
Here are some of the ways I prepare to make sure my healthy choices aren't harder than they need to be.
1. Prepare your pantry at home: The first and simplest thing you can do to prepare is to remove all of the bad stuff from your pantry. Don't worry about throwing away "useable" food, you are doing this to free yourself from having to make the choice between potato chips devoid of nutrition and healthier options. If you feel bad, donate the food to a local food bank.
2. Prepare for temptation: Understand that you will be tempted by less-than-healthy foods. You know what they taste like, and you know that the trigger the pleasure center of your brain just like a good drug. It's ok. They will always be there, but you are strong. You can do this. And if you do grab that snickers, don't hate yourself. You haven't failed.
3. Prepare for the grocery store: Learn the habit of reading labels. Make a shopping list. Stick to it. You will largely be shopping the outer perimeter of the grocery store. So feel free to skip the aisles in between. The center of the grocery store is predominantly a nutritionally-devoid wasteland of "food-like" products. Fill your shopping cart and your plate with vegetables, fruit, some nuts, and the best proteins you can afford.
4. Prepare for the week: If you are busy during the week, try to set aside a few minutes each Sunday to portion food and make a plan for the week. Preparation here will make the week a lot easier to get through.
5. Prepare to eat out: Eating out can be hard. Most restaurants these days have decided their path to profit is by creating increasingly outrageous combinations of foods with increasingly outrageous calorie counts. Simple is almost always better when eating out. If you know where you are going ahead of time, do a little research. Many restaurants are very good at posting both nutritional and allergen information on their websites. If it's there, take advantage of it. If it's not, try asking when you get to the restaurant. When you can pick the place, choose somewhere that is a little more likely to have choices that fit with what you are trying to do. If not, most restaurants can whip up a simple chicken salad, a bunless burger or a steak with veggies. Don't be shy to ask for something that fits your needs. But most importantly, don't stress about it. You're going to make great decisions.
I wish you well.
Here are some of the ways I prepare to make sure my healthy choices aren't harder than they need to be.
1. Prepare your pantry at home: The first and simplest thing you can do to prepare is to remove all of the bad stuff from your pantry. Don't worry about throwing away "useable" food, you are doing this to free yourself from having to make the choice between potato chips devoid of nutrition and healthier options. If you feel bad, donate the food to a local food bank.
2. Prepare for temptation: Understand that you will be tempted by less-than-healthy foods. You know what they taste like, and you know that the trigger the pleasure center of your brain just like a good drug. It's ok. They will always be there, but you are strong. You can do this. And if you do grab that snickers, don't hate yourself. You haven't failed.
3. Prepare for the grocery store: Learn the habit of reading labels. Make a shopping list. Stick to it. You will largely be shopping the outer perimeter of the grocery store. So feel free to skip the aisles in between. The center of the grocery store is predominantly a nutritionally-devoid wasteland of "food-like" products. Fill your shopping cart and your plate with vegetables, fruit, some nuts, and the best proteins you can afford.
4. Prepare for the week: If you are busy during the week, try to set aside a few minutes each Sunday to portion food and make a plan for the week. Preparation here will make the week a lot easier to get through.
5. Prepare to eat out: Eating out can be hard. Most restaurants these days have decided their path to profit is by creating increasingly outrageous combinations of foods with increasingly outrageous calorie counts. Simple is almost always better when eating out. If you know where you are going ahead of time, do a little research. Many restaurants are very good at posting both nutritional and allergen information on their websites. If it's there, take advantage of it. If it's not, try asking when you get to the restaurant. When you can pick the place, choose somewhere that is a little more likely to have choices that fit with what you are trying to do. If not, most restaurants can whip up a simple chicken salad, a bunless burger or a steak with veggies. Don't be shy to ask for something that fits your needs. But most importantly, don't stress about it. You're going to make great decisions.
I wish you well.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Start Now!
I began my journey to living a healthy lifestyle by trying to learn more about nutrition and the way our digestive systems work. Two books were very inspirational to me: The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, and It Starts With Food by Melissa & Dallas Hartwig. I highly recommend reading both of these to learn about paleo nutrition and the Whole30 program. I will admit that the tone of the Paleo Solution can be a bit grating at times, but the information is very useful.
I learned a tremendous amount about why grains irritate our digestive tract (phytates) and how over-consumption of carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes (and retention of weight). The principles put forth in these two books have helped me lose 41 pounds in 2 months without feeling like I am on a diet or denying myself food. In addition to the weight, I have lowered my cholesterol, lowered my blood sugar, and lowered my risk for diabetes. But I have also gained more confidence and a healthier relationship with food.
In the near future I am going to start adding links and recipes to some of the great food I am eating regularly. I wish you well.
I learned a tremendous amount about why grains irritate our digestive tract (phytates) and how over-consumption of carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes (and retention of weight). The principles put forth in these two books have helped me lose 41 pounds in 2 months without feeling like I am on a diet or denying myself food. In addition to the weight, I have lowered my cholesterol, lowered my blood sugar, and lowered my risk for diabetes. But I have also gained more confidence and a healthier relationship with food.
In the near future I am going to start adding links and recipes to some of the great food I am eating regularly. I wish you well.
Friday, March 10, 2017
My Paleo Journey
Hi folks. At the suggestion of a friend (Brian), I am going to use this blog to collate recipes, resources, and my musings on my version of a healthy lifestyle. The first thing you need to cut out of your vocabulary is the word "diet". Look for changes in your lifestyle and your relationship with food.
I've struggled my entire life with excess weight. My relationship with food has been messed up for a long time. But I've finally made real progress not just in losing weight, but improving my health.
Life is a journey. And along the way I am going to share with you what has worked for me, what has NOT worked for me, and what makes me happy. As with anything related to your health, please do not take what I say as ABSOLUTE FACT. Please do your own research, run your own experiments, and consult with your trusty healthcare practitioner.
Please enjoy the ride. I look forward to your comments, insights, and witticisms.
I've struggled my entire life with excess weight. My relationship with food has been messed up for a long time. But I've finally made real progress not just in losing weight, but improving my health.
Life is a journey. And along the way I am going to share with you what has worked for me, what has NOT worked for me, and what makes me happy. As with anything related to your health, please do not take what I say as ABSOLUTE FACT. Please do your own research, run your own experiments, and consult with your trusty healthcare practitioner.
Please enjoy the ride. I look forward to your comments, insights, and witticisms.
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