Well it's been a few days since I wrote but thought I should get on here and give a bit of an update on how things are going.
I'm still doing paleo and going strong. I feel like my stomach has shrunk so much that I am hardly ever even hungry anymore where as before I always felt hungry or like I needed to be snacking on something.. Freedom is what it feels like. I have been learning to get creative with my food and my taste buds are definitely thanking me for it!
Last night I recreated one of my favorite meals from Cheesecake Cafe but eliminated a couple things to make it paleo friendly. For any of you who frequent the Cheesecake Cafe it is the Chicken Down Under. It is made up of a bit of drizzled honey mustard, Chicken, Bacon, Mushrooms, and topped with cheese.. Instead what I did was just did the Chicken, Bacon, and Mushrooms.. and it was still amazing.. the bacon makes it lol. I added a salad to the side and thought you know it would be good to just make a salad throw in whatever veggies you want then chop up the chicken and bacon and mushrooms and throw it all together.. mmmm. add a little home made dressing and your good.
It has been so nice hearing from people who have tried changing their diet to paleo because of hearing my story.. I'm glad I could inspire some of you to make healthy changes and I am also inspired by you and hearing about your success stories! I will add some more recipes soon! thanks for reading
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Motivation
For me, lack of motivation is what keeps me from reaching my goals. It is what has kept me from being my best self. I think that when you are ready to achieve your goals you will know inside and that nothing will come between you and what you want. For me the lifestyle I am living now just clicked for me and it makes sense for me. I think it feels better to be healthy inside and out then the taste of any dessert or fast food meal could ever taste.
So how do I keep myself motivated. For me it does help to hear how good I'm doing from someone else but that isn't enough. If it was then I'd be a size 0 from all the times my husband tells me how good I look. haha so here are a few Ideas that work for me and might work for you too
So how do I keep myself motivated. For me it does help to hear how good I'm doing from someone else but that isn't enough. If it was then I'd be a size 0 from all the times my husband tells me how good I look. haha so here are a few Ideas that work for me and might work for you too
- Wear clothes that are flattering to your body.It is important to feel good about yourself or at least in my case I would run for a chocolate bar... If you don't want to spend a lot of money on clothes buy some second hand or at Walmart. I used to refuse to buy cheap clothes but if your trying to lose weight why waste your money.
- Set small goals that are easy to reach at first and give yourself rewards when you reach them. Try to make your rewards something that will help you in your journey or that helps you feel good about the changes you have made- new exercise clothes, arm band for I-pod, step counter, new exercise dvd etc.. whatever moves you
- take care of yourself in every way- do your hair and make up, wash your face morning and night, brush your teeth after every meal. This may sound like duh why wouldn't I do this but I found when I felt bad about myself I would let everything else fall apart and start to feel depressed
- It is important to be happy so spend time with friends and try to eat healthy and if you have a dessert once and a while don't feel guilty. I feel like that was my down fall so many times and you shouldn't feel guilty just try not to have dessert too often. once a week is not bad then it tastes 10x better anyways!
- Be honest with yourself and others. Especially yourself and with what is really going on in your body. Go to the doctor when things don't seem normal in your body. It is so important to listen to what our bodies tell us and treat the problems the right way. For me it was finding out that I have Celiac desease.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Exercise
So a few weeks ago, prior to my diet change I had a really hard time finding any motivation to work out. I felt tired a lot so that didn't help at all. Since the change, with all this energy I have gained I feel like it is so much easier. Even if you don't want to go totally paleo just eating more fruits and veggies instead of salty or sweet but unhealthy snacks could make all the difference in how you feel inside.
Even if you don't get a huge hour long or more work out in anything is better than nothing. And if you are to busy just keep moving. Doing your regular chores around the house is a great work out.You are just using your body to do the things it was made to be able to do. for me to do my laundry I have to carry my basket of clothes up some stairs. It might not seem like a work out but it is still helping your body. Whenever we go shopping we seem to always park at the end of the parking lot which sucks when its cold but its good exercise.
There are lots of little ways to get a little more exercise in your life if you just get creative!
Even if you don't get a huge hour long or more work out in anything is better than nothing. And if you are to busy just keep moving. Doing your regular chores around the house is a great work out.You are just using your body to do the things it was made to be able to do. for me to do my laundry I have to carry my basket of clothes up some stairs. It might not seem like a work out but it is still helping your body. Whenever we go shopping we seem to always park at the end of the parking lot which sucks when its cold but its good exercise.
There are lots of little ways to get a little more exercise in your life if you just get creative!
Friday, 2 March 2012
How do I make the change?
Okay, I have got a lot of questions about how to make the change from the "American food guide" type living to Paleo Eating so I thought I would give some basic outlines and how to replace old items with new ones.
Typically my breakfast doesn't look quite the same.I either have bacon and eggs or eggs and a piece of fruit. other then that the sky is the limit to what kinds of meat and veggies you can mix with your meals.
Let me explain what things you can use instead of your old ingredients I want to go through the things you shouldn't eat one by one and give your a solution for it. Lets start with start with starches. Potatoes and rice are the two main ones that I have weeded out of my life. I hardly ever had a meal without rice or potatoes. ever. What I do if I ever feel like Id like something like that is kind of a trick on the brain I guess. It tastes a bit different but really good
Mashed or chopped Cauliflower
1. Put whole head of cauliflower (chopped up) in pot with water
2. add 1/4 tsp ground Pepper
3.add 2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic
4. Boil till cauliflower is soft enough to mash
* If you have a food processor you should be able to chop it up like rice or turn it in to more of a mashed potato texture. I have a Kitchen Aid and it made it more like a rice when I mixed it. (my daughter liked hers with soya sauce on it!)
Next lets talk a little about bread. I personally don't miss it but if you would there is a solution to that problem. I made some Paleo bread a few days ago and it tastes great! there are some different things though that you would need to make it. Depending on the recipe you use you will probably need to have Almond Flour or Coconut Flour. I buy these at the bulk barn in Lethbridge but I suppose if you are from somewhere else try the bulk section of your store or look at local health food stores. This bread also takes Honey with a lot of you probably have on hand if Ive got about a one Litre container of it ( i like in on top of my bread too) I also used apple cider vinegar in the bread I made. Other than that the rest of the ingredients were basic baking stuff that most people probably have in their home if they bake. I'll add a recipe for the bread tomorrow.
Okay, so you know that vegetable oil or canola oil you have sitting in your cupboard that you thought was good for you.. well its not. I'm not going to get all scientific if you want that info read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf.. I know Ive suggested that a few times but it makes it all make sense. Instead use Olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Oh and Butter.. Butter=Good , Margarine=Bad
Lets discuss Fruits and nuts.. good for you but don't go overboard. Fruit even though it is healthy has alot of sugar in it,Fruit is good after a work out to give back the energy you used up. If I am tired in the middle of the day fruit helps me get that energy back up so I can get through the day but that situation has only come up once in the past week of doing this because I never have that food coma from eating too much junk anymore. my food lifts me up, not drag me down. When it comes to nuts if I feel a little hungry between meals first I go to veggies for a snack but if I still need a little more substance I grab 5-10 walnuts and I'm good.
Water is a VERY important component. I 2-3 Litres of water a day. My skin has benefited from that and I'm sure a lot of other parts of my body have as well. When it comes to drinking skip the milk, soda pop, and juice. The only time I use any kind of juice is when I make a fruit smoothie. I should mention how I make my smoothies if you want to try.. all you need is orange juice and a bag of mixed fruit or berries (I get mine at Costco. I dont measure but I try to make a single serving most times cuz I use a magic bullet. so I would say about 1-1 1/2 cups of your choice of fruit fill with orange juice so the juice covers all the fruit by half an inch or more(all depends on how thick you want your smoothie.. I like them thick) then blend till smooth! they taste great!
steer clear of anything that is packaged and has refined sugars. Everything should be real you should know exactly what the ingredients are.. almost everything I buy is only one ingredient- Vegetable-nothing added, Meat-plain nothing added, nuts-plain-no salt nothing added, fruit- same thing, herbs and spices fresh or dried. I add the ingredients to my food.. not a factory of some sort.
okay I'm done for the day.. sorry its so long but Its easier when you understand.. if you have any questions if I missed anything let me know!
This is the Paleo food pyramid. (obviously) Meat and Veggies are very
important This is what your plate should look like at almost every meal:
Let me explain what things you can use instead of your old ingredients I want to go through the things you shouldn't eat one by one and give your a solution for it. Lets start with start with starches. Potatoes and rice are the two main ones that I have weeded out of my life. I hardly ever had a meal without rice or potatoes. ever. What I do if I ever feel like Id like something like that is kind of a trick on the brain I guess. It tastes a bit different but really good
Mashed or chopped Cauliflower
1. Put whole head of cauliflower (chopped up) in pot with water
2. add 1/4 tsp ground Pepper
3.add 2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic
4. Boil till cauliflower is soft enough to mash
5.Strain and put in food processor, or us a hand mixer or kitchen-aid Mixer
6. Add a tablespoon of butter, mix, and serve!
* If you have a food processor you should be able to chop it up like rice or turn it in to more of a mashed potato texture. I have a Kitchen Aid and it made it more like a rice when I mixed it. (my daughter liked hers with soya sauce on it!)
Next lets talk a little about bread. I personally don't miss it but if you would there is a solution to that problem. I made some Paleo bread a few days ago and it tastes great! there are some different things though that you would need to make it. Depending on the recipe you use you will probably need to have Almond Flour or Coconut Flour. I buy these at the bulk barn in Lethbridge but I suppose if you are from somewhere else try the bulk section of your store or look at local health food stores. This bread also takes Honey with a lot of you probably have on hand if Ive got about a one Litre container of it ( i like in on top of my bread too) I also used apple cider vinegar in the bread I made. Other than that the rest of the ingredients were basic baking stuff that most people probably have in their home if they bake. I'll add a recipe for the bread tomorrow.
Okay, so you know that vegetable oil or canola oil you have sitting in your cupboard that you thought was good for you.. well its not. I'm not going to get all scientific if you want that info read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf.. I know Ive suggested that a few times but it makes it all make sense. Instead use Olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Oh and Butter.. Butter=Good , Margarine=Bad
Lets discuss Fruits and nuts.. good for you but don't go overboard. Fruit even though it is healthy has alot of sugar in it,Fruit is good after a work out to give back the energy you used up. If I am tired in the middle of the day fruit helps me get that energy back up so I can get through the day but that situation has only come up once in the past week of doing this because I never have that food coma from eating too much junk anymore. my food lifts me up, not drag me down. When it comes to nuts if I feel a little hungry between meals first I go to veggies for a snack but if I still need a little more substance I grab 5-10 walnuts and I'm good.
Water is a VERY important component. I 2-3 Litres of water a day. My skin has benefited from that and I'm sure a lot of other parts of my body have as well. When it comes to drinking skip the milk, soda pop, and juice. The only time I use any kind of juice is when I make a fruit smoothie. I should mention how I make my smoothies if you want to try.. all you need is orange juice and a bag of mixed fruit or berries (I get mine at Costco. I dont measure but I try to make a single serving most times cuz I use a magic bullet. so I would say about 1-1 1/2 cups of your choice of fruit fill with orange juice so the juice covers all the fruit by half an inch or more(all depends on how thick you want your smoothie.. I like them thick) then blend till smooth! they taste great!
steer clear of anything that is packaged and has refined sugars. Everything should be real you should know exactly what the ingredients are.. almost everything I buy is only one ingredient- Vegetable-nothing added, Meat-plain nothing added, nuts-plain-no salt nothing added, fruit- same thing, herbs and spices fresh or dried. I add the ingredients to my food.. not a factory of some sort.
okay I'm done for the day.. sorry its so long but Its easier when you understand.. if you have any questions if I missed anything let me know!
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Trying new things
I am the first one to say that I don’t like trying new
things. My Husband Jeff would always make fun of me when we would go out to eat
because there was one meal at each restaurant we would go to that I would eat...
Cheesecake cafe- The
Chicken Down under
Moxies- Ranch House Chicken Burger
Boston Pizza- Chipotle Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
...and so on. I was the most boring eater ever. I hated
peppers, onions, broccoli,mushrooms and many other things. So how do you teach yourself
to like these things? Try, try again. And keep it simple.
My whole life I hated Broccoli but one day when at a restaurant
broccoli was the seasonal vegetable that ended up on my plate. I just told
myself “Megan you can’t eat a meal without any veggies at all, so suck it up
and eat it!” And I did.. and I liked it! And People- Don't drench them in Cheese. Don't take something that is so good for you and make it bad. Peppers on the other hand I have
always had a struggle with. I hated them. But when I found out I had Celiac I
felt worried that I didn’t like enough foods to have variety in my meals. So I
had to figure out how to like them and here is my train of thought on this one.
Take something you like and and something you don’t like to it.. In my case I
was ready to eat my first omelet with Peppers and onions in it ever. The
first day I had a hard time getting it down. My food was cold by the time I
finished. Day 2 on the other hand was a different story. It tasted 10x better!
I think the key here is that when our bodies are used to
eating Junk, good food tastes bad, but when you start changing your eating
habits and eat healthy, the unhealthy food doesn’t appeal to you at all. It may
take a few days of forcing yourself to eat the right things and sometimes you
might feel hungry but there is nothing wrong with being hungry.
Let’s talk about that for a minute, Hunger that is. Our
society is so used to being full all the time. Imagine that every restaurant
and grocery store disappeared. There are no farms, just wilderness. You need to
find your food. On this particular day of hunting, all you find are a small
basket of berries and a small bird. You have to feed your family of 4. You have
nothing else to eat that day. Are you going to die? NO!
The thing I have realized in just a week is something my
aunt Kim explained to me day one of my journey. This lifestyle is not full of restrictions. I
do not feel restricted at all. It is about dietary FREEDOM!!! If I am out doing some shopping and I get
hungry it is not the end of the world. I don’t need to rush to the nearest fast
food joint or food court and grab something to eat. I can wait till I can get
home and make a healthy snack or meal. And by eliminating all of the packaged
junk that you can get at the store you lose the craving you once had for those
things. if we put sludge and junk into our systems then our bodies wont work at their full capacity. If we eat the right things we can run smoothly without too many problems.
Here are some things I have noticed since beginning Paleo
just over a week ago.
-It takes a lot less food to fill my stomach
-I have lost one pant size
-I have lost 8 lbs
-I never feel bloated after a filling meal
-My head is clearer
-I am not depressed anymore
-I don’t get angry anymore
-My clothes fit better (who doesn’t love that)
-I sleep better
-I don’t get stressed AT ALL
-My skin is clearer
-I have limitless energy during the day
-Exercising is not hard anymore
The results are limitless. I will try to explain some of
these things later and why they happen. But for now all you need to know is
they will happen.Good luck trying something new!
So Recipe of the day- Jeff suggested I add this particular one so here it is (sorry I don't have a pic of this one but trust me it looks good and tastes great!
Sauteed Apples
3 Apples, Cored and sliced
1 tablespoon butter (not margerine-bad for you)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 cup pecans, Chopped (Instead of pecans I have used raisins instead and it is really good too)
1. Bring Frying pan to medium heat
2. Toast Pecans for 3-4 minutes then add butter
3.Add the apples and cinnamon
4 Saute for 5-7 minutes and serve
I use this as a side dish for dinner but you could also use it as a desert! It's like eating pie without the crust! so good. The nice thing about this is you could do it with peaches or pears and it would taste great too.
Thanks for your questions and interest in my blog! I love hearing from everyone so thanks guys!
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