We blew that one right out of the water! We did our 30 day paleo eating challenge, and lemme tell you...it was so easy a caveman could do it! *slaps knee* Okay, maybe it was the transitioning period we had going into it, maybe it was that we were mostly on that mindset as it were. I don't think there was a day where we were like "I want pizza" or "I need cheese!", it just kinda went seamless.
Day one, I went through all our sauces and spices, and condiments since it was the last thing in our kitchen to purge. Anything that had fake flavor, msg, wheat (no matter how they tried to disguise it), rice, added colors or preservatives, or dairy went into a bag and into the basement. We've since thrown it all out knowing we can live without it. We instead use herbs from our garden, spices that were just that...spices, sea salt, pepper, evoo, coconut oil, pork fat, ACV, liquid aminos and white balsamic vinegar. The flavor of the actual food is allowed to really shine without disguising it with "fake flavors". We still to try to buy as much of our meat we could from the market, but sometimes just had to do with "store bought" and that is okay. It's how we've been living for months already. Nothing else really changed except we got smarter about looking for hiding items listed above and didn't buy those. Oh, and no more rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, or beans. No problem. *shrugs*
As for what we ate, I was amazed at some of the things we had. Let's start with breakfast. I mean how can you have a bad day when you start it off with a fat filet and a veggie omelet? Or how about "paleo breakfast burritos" for a nice change? Maybe you want something totally different like cereal? Well, how about "paleo granola"? I have tried several variations, but most always have a base of this one. Every day I had eggs and meat in one way or another. I figured out the very first week that for my body; if I ate the combo of steak, eggs, and a veggie that I would stay full until dinner time and not even think about food or hunger. So whaddya know, for me breakfast really is the most important meal! And to think I had gone SO MANY years without it. Most mornings we either had a pork chop or bacon with either fried or scrambled eggs because it's just easy. As we got farther into the month I experimented from probably my favorite website so far: paleomg.com . She has some of THE coolest breakfast ideas! I made a meat crust quiche that we couldn't stay out of, and just tonight I prepped a "mexican hash egg bake" for breakfast this week.
Lunch was usually a handful of granola for Goose, or a piece of fruit for myself, if I even thought about it. Dinner time was Goose's culinary godlike abilities time to shine. We did some experimenting with sauces. He ended up throwing some different flavors together and came up with a very delicious Asian Stir Fry sauce with a tahini base. I do love tahini. We liked the flavor so much we've repeated it three times. We also pulled some great mexican dishes together, paleo style. We did attempt to make a paleo tortilla for fajitas, but I think for the time it took to make them, it wasn't totally worth my time so I'd rather just eat the fajitas without the tortilla. Carnitas were also amazing! Of course steaks for dinner! On those nights I would usually save my steak for the next morning and put it towards my breakfast.
Now, lets talk about the sweets. Sometimes a girl needs a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate, amirite? Have no fear! I was not deprived of my two favorite things. I just had to savor them in severe moderation. I made my own chocolate (a process that can't be easier, and so settling knowing what's actually in it) and stored it in the freezer...you know, for the times I just need to fix my sweet tooth. Eventually I forgot that it was in there. I did make a couple desserts that I will most definitely do again and I found chia seed pudding. Wow, where has it been all my life? I should have tried out coconut milk long ago...yum! I made the original version the first time, and put some into a big fruit salad (which didn't last a full 24 hours, fyi) and just yesterday I whipped up a chocolate version that will be divine over the strawberries in my fridge. For me, I think knowing that these treats are in my freezer and are super healthy (calorie dense, yes but still), makes it easier to not crave them. I just have a small morsel on occasion, and I'm satiated.
On February 1, we celebrated our 30 days with blue cheese atop our steaks for dinner. But as far as sticking to strictly paleo, we will. Every now and then we will have a little cheese, or a bit of potato if we want but really, we are stuck this way. :) It was so much fun finding out how some of these super tasty meals were so healthy for us. For Goose's birthday (today) I surprised him with chorizo and mozz stuffed, bacon wrapped poppers and I nearly died at how wonderful this concoction ended up being! I have said several times this month, "I can't believe THAT'S PALEO!" Giving up rice, grains, potatoes, beans, and processed foods may not be for everyone but in this house it's the perfect way to go. I mean, how bad can it be to be able to enjoy a steak for breakfast? And any lifestyle that promotes bacon, is a real winner in my book!
As far as our health, I know Goose's BP has dropped significantly along with his weight. Lucky jerk :) I also have dropped a few pounds but its very slow going, since I'm really close to where I want to be anyway.
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