It’s almost 3 pm. Do you know where your mind is? Mine is wandering, jonesing for afternoon coffee and sugary snack. So instead grab:
– baby carrots – eat them until you feel like you’re going to pop
– sugar snap peas – again, eat them until you feel like you can’t eat anymore
– olives – eat them until you’re burned out on the salty flavor
– pickles – eat them until you feel like you might shrivel up into a salted salty salt
In short, pick up something crunchy and eat away!
Ok, so there’s some confusion surrounding coconut milk so let’s clear the air right now. There are so many options and brands that it’s tough to know exactly what is recommended, what isn’t recommended and what is actually not even coconut milk.
Coconut water
Ok, so, I know you think this is obvious but coconut water is just that. It’s coconut that has been watered down. It is allowed on the Whole 30 but it’s really just over-priced water. Unless you actually like the taste of that stuff, it’s not worth the cost. I would recommend it if you’re looking to replace Gatorade during a workout or you’re a hipster who eschews everything “unnatural” but that’s about it. Brands include Vita Coco and Zico.
Cartoned coconut milk
This stuff is everywhere. You see it on the shelf next to the Almond and Soy milk and there’s yogurt and creamer made from the same recipe. The problem with this stuff is that it has added sugar. And we are on a sugar sabbatical right now. Brands include Silk and So Delicious. It’s not silk and it’s not so delicious.
Finally, the good stuff!
Coconut milk, IN A CAN
It needs to come from a can to be what we are look for. Where does one find such a product? In the ethnic food aisle! This product is often used in Thai and Spanish dishes. However, not all canned coconut milk is created equal. Make sure you look for BPA free cans since the overseas products can have some weird stuff in it.
So a few of you asked about what to do for breakfast and I am happy to share some tips and recipes. Bon Appetite!
First, any food you can eat at other meals works great for breakfast. Salad? Sure! Gilled shrimp? Why not? Ok ok… I know, that’s weird, right? We want breakfast. That special meal that typically isn’t repeated later in the day. Here’s some ideas:
– eggs and bacon, natch
– spinach muffins from the “Well Fed” cookbook. This is a great recipe to make on the weekends and then reheat during the week. It tastes like a spinach souffle.
– breakfast burrito! Take a PureWrap (you can find these at MOM’s in Del Ray) and stuff it with 2 scrambled eggs and some sautéed green peppers and onions OR spinach greens with some walnuts and chopped apple and a splash of rice vinegar OR wrap one around your favorite link sausage
– Paleo Pancakes
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup coconut flour
6 eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1) In a medium-sized mixing bowl smash the bananas until smooth.
2) Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together until well blended.
3) Grease a large skillet or griddle with coconut oil and heat over medium heat. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mix per pancake onto the hot griddle or skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
8 apples, 2 peeled and chopped, the rest just chopped
1 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 10-15 mins, drained
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup whole pitted dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 vanilla bean
Dash of salt
In a food processor, process the 2 peeled chopped apples, raisins, 1.5 t cinnamon and .5 t nutmeg until fairly smooth
Toss the 6 remaining apples with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Then pour in the pureed stuff from step 1. Mix it well and pour it into a 9×9 or 9×12 glass dish (don’t use metal for this… it can make your fruits taste metallic after sitting in the fridge)
The crumble is the remaining ingredients pulsed in your food processor. DO NOT USE THE WHOLE VANILLA BEAN. You have to split it and scrape the seeds into the processor bowl. The outside is not edible. Just pulse until its crumbly and then spoon it over top. You can eat now (yum!) or put it in the fridge until later when it’s nice and cold and the flavors have had time to meld. HEAVEN! This is raw, vegan, gluten free and paleo-friendly. Plus, it tastes amazing.
I put my money where my mouth is and attempted to find a good lunch in the heart of Texas. Texas is famous for it’s BBQ so I decided to hit up one of the many joints with the fiancee in tow.
Here is how I fared:
This is a platter of half a roasted chicken, pickles, peppers and green beans. Whoa, wait, what?!? Green beans?? Aren’t they verboten?
Well yes and no. Here’s the thing. The only “vegetable” options were baked beans, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, potato salad and these overcooked beans (with bacon!). And if you look on the Whole 30 plan, under “A few concessions”, you’ll see a note on green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas. They’re ok since they’re more pod than bean and they do not affect your body in the same way. And in this case, there wasn’t even a green salad option and no meal is a good meal without some vegetables. Otherwise it’s Atkins and well, let’s not even go there.
So the lesson here is to make sure you know your “rights” under this plan. The fine print is worth reading here and definitely worth eating there!
Depending on how long you’re sitting in an airport, you may find it a requirement to actually purchase food there. Sometimes, based on where you are, this can present a real challenge.
Yesterday I had to fly out of Dulles. One would think an airport that large would have a bevy of great choices! One would be wrong. Even in the A terminal which is brand new and full of restaurants, there is suprisingly little in the way of passible.
Here’s the good/decent:
Bananas
Cosi
Gordon Biersch
Green Leaf’s Grill
Harry’s Tap Room
The bad:
City Wok
Five Guys
Fuddruckers
Matsutaki
And the ugly :
Famous Familiglia
Great American Bagel Bakery
And the worst of the worst, the REALLY ugly:
Cinnabon
Dunkin Donuts
There are a few others but I’d like to explain what makes up each grouping so that you can make a more informed choice. The good choices all offer salads (keep an eye on what’s in them, though), fresh fruit smoothies, grilled meats and vegetables. None are perfect choices but you should be able find something at each.
The bad typically includes places where food is fried or cooked heavily in oil and I can tell you they’re not using extra virgin olive or grapeseed! Sushi falls in there mainly because very few people actually order only sashimi. Remember, too, soy is out which means miso soup and soy sauce are no-nos.
The ugly is white carb HELL. It’s a place where there is virtually no dish not made with starchy, useless, bloat-inducing, blood-sugar-spiking evil processed flour. And in the case of Italian, more cheese than your arteries can cringe at.
And finally, REALLY ugly needs no explanation. It’s all of the bad from above. And really, there is no place in any eating plan that includes Cinnabon and Dunkin Donuts.
So try to think in terms of “what can I have” when looking at your choices rather than “what can’t I have”. I’ve also found that at sit down restaurants, you’re sometimes able to get things prepared without certain stuff like cheese or oils but having menu items already paleo-friendly makes it easier on you and the kitchen.
Besides, we all know that wafting smell of warm cinnamon buns is not going to suddenly summon Nana to gate 18 with a plate of made-from-scratch heavenly goodness like she did when you were 8.
Finally, the last thing I want to emphasize is water. Water. Water. Water. Healthy eats and lots of water ensures that when you land, you don’t actually look like Nana.
Happy and healthy travels!
So with this whole challenge comes life. And in life, things do come up. So part of what I want to do here is post great stuff you can still eat when <insert excuse here> comes up.
Today’s topic is travel. I know everyone does it, some for work, some for vacation, some for whatever. What is probably the most challenging thing to do is travel somewhere “off the DC-esque” path, say like a foreign country. Or even Texas, which could easily be considered a foreign country at times.
Never fear! You have options. Let’s explore some, shall we?
Fruit
Plain old, easy to port around fruit. When it’s fresh, go for the stuff that holds up to travel like oranges and apples. They’re sturdy, they “age” (aka rot) slower and they can be thrown in a bag and voila! Done! Also, dried fruit is wonderful here, however, be very careful. Make sure you buy ONLY fruit. Some of the fruit mixtures contain sugars, “flavorings” and the like. Also, if you’re going for a mix of fruit and nuts, steer clear of peanuts and don’t even think about soy nuts or candies. I love how healthy mixes contain a lot of junky stuff.
Bars
I love bars. Bars remind me of candy bars and everyone likes candy bars. However, we all know they’re a bit unfriendly on the blood sugar and belly. So I’ve been doing some “research” (i.e., eating) and can recommend one – Lara bars. These little gems come in all kinds of delicious flavors that mimic foods you may already have a big love for including lemon bars, key lime pie and various cookies. Make sure when you’re picking them out you choose the ones that do not have peanuts. Some even come in chocolate-ish flavors. Giant carries some of the flavors. The MOM’s in Del Ray has pretty much every single one. They’re nothing but nuts, dried fruits and an occasional hint of flavor.
Nuts
Nuts are your friend (*) They are packed with good aminos and healthy fats. They also do a great job of sating hunger. The thing about diets is often there isn’t enough “good fat” in dietary meals to make you feel like you ate anything. You know how you can take one bite of a heavy, rich, super dense truffle and feel that instant ohmahgawd, I’m done! It’s the crazy amount of fat you’re eating, albeit not good fat. We’re going to talk about fat in a later post but eating fat does not make you fat. Your body needs it and nuts are a wonderful way to get it. They’re portable, they’re tasty and often if you find yourself at a cocktail party, it’s about the only healthy thing there. And bonus! They travel.
(*) In moderation. Remember when I said you don’t need to count calories most of the time? Well, this is one time where you don’t want to consume an entire can of Diamond almonds in one sitting. Think the size of your finger and thumb, touching to make an “O”. That’s about one serving so stick with only 1-2 at a time. And no peanuts.
We will continue this discussion later today..
So today as I was grabbing my morning cup of the most amazing tea ever (side note – I buy it by the case from Amazon and it’s called Nutcracker Sweet by Celestial Seasonings. TRY IT if you get a chance) I feel victim to a thing I like to call “old habits”
You see since starting paleo, I have nixed my refined sugars for honey and agave syrup. Being a total sugar addict, I still crave sweet things way more than I do salty. However, I used to totally OD on a certain sugar substitute, figuring that all that real sugar was bad for me. Artificial sweetners, while not great, were not nearly as bad. Boy, was I wrong.
So out of habit (yes, this is going somewhere) I pulled out several packets of that fake stuff and poured it into my tea cup as I ran off to a meeting. First thing I noticed was that my tea tasted insanely sweet compared to my new normal “tame sweet” which I’ve grown accustomed to. However, the worst was yet to come. Within about 15 minutes, I was cramping like a mad woman. If you’ve ever gotten severe gas and not been in the privacy of your home or car, you know what this feels like. Misery and pain, trying to hold it in while your belly smooshes out, making you look like you’re several months deep into procreation and unnerving you to fear that at any moment, something bad will come out in front of those around you. Not a pretty sight.
Once I was able to break free, I made a break for the bathroom and unleashed the fury within. Sadly, that lasted the better part of two hours (although I didn’t stay there that long, mind you)
So where am I going with this? In short, artificial sweetners are worse than sugar for you. This is why it’s vitally important that you start thinking about the reality of ridding yourself of them. Here’s a great read on their effect. Yes, Splenda was created as a by-product when attempting to make insecticides. Yes, it raises blood sugar in diabetics. And yes, it can cause an increase in appetite.
And worst of all? It will give you severe gas, even in very small quantities.
So let’s work to keep the air clean! Nature’s trumpet deserved to be played only from the fiber in our natural foods. Do yourself a favor for the next 30 days. Steer clear of the fake stuff.
So I know you’re thinking, ok, how’s this going to be any different than any other “diet”? If our ancestors were so awesome, why didn’t they live longer? (hint: modern medicine)
But in all seriousness, everyone is bombarded these days with “eating plans”. Eat This, Not That! Low Fat, High Protein! Biggest loser! Calorie Counting! Exercise more! Weight Watchers! Nutrifast! All of this becomes overwhelming, no? We have more information available to us than ever before and yet we’re larger than we have been in the history of this country. In fact, we are one of the largest countries in the world and we face more health problems than ever before. Why?
As our society has evolved and things have become more “convenient”. we’ve lost some of what made us healthy in the first place – hard work. The thing is, we don’t like hard work. I know I don’t, anyway. But I do like “smart work”. And the heart wants what the heart wants.
So when I started having health issues, specifically related to my stomach, I knew I had to make some changes. So I tried raw food. I tried “bland food” (where everything you eat is ‘white’), high protein, low fat, etc. They all were ok in some areas but disastrous in others. As someone who spends a lot of time working out and running, I knew I needed to find something that helped me feel good but also run well. So along came paleo and I figured, what the hell?
I can go on and on about it but it’s really just this – eat real food. You wouldn’t put fake gas in your brand new car. Why put fake food in your body? You only get one of those. So here are some really good reads about the way in which we eat and why we should be doing better…
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/1202/paleolithic_diets.html
http://www.robbwolf.com/2012/01/24/the-porn-you-eat/
Here’s where it all happens. You’re here because you decided to take the nutritional challenge. Congratulations for taking that first step! I’ll be posting tips, insight, notes and general how-tos here to help you in your journey. I’ll also be sharing a lot of resources with you as we do this thing together so bookmark this page and come back regularly! Also, feel free to share your experience in the comments section. Ask questions, leave feedback and even post your triumphs, frustrations, accomplishments and anything else you are dying to get off your chest.
As Lao-tzu said, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let’s take that first step today, shall we?
Eat to live well 