Back to Paleo

I had surgery and that knocked my world for a loop. It was supposed to be a 1-hour surgery where I was up and going the next day. Instead it was a 3 hour nightmare and will have several weeks of recovery. In the end, it's a good thing. While completing my minor surgery, they found a very dangerous condition (several organs had fused together!). I'm all fixed up, but recovery will take a while, as my insides had to be scraped clean. While I had no symptoms before, I can tell now that something was amiss, and had been for a long time.

While recovering from surgery, eating became less of a priority. I was willing to eat anything that would just. stay. down. I hate narcotics. The first week of recovery I was unable to cook for myself, so I had others preparing my meals. A good portion of what I ate was Paleo-compliant, but there were exceptions I happily made to ease the burden of my caretakers.

(Photo credit: Blog of Holding)

It's been 2 weeks and I'm now able to (mostly) care for myself. I am back to Paleo eating, for the most part, and am already feeling better. I've scoured the Internet for Paleo Thanksgiving recipes and am excited to try some of them out!

While this blog started out as a 30-day trial, I acknowledge that this is a lifestyle for me now. This is my permanent choice. I feel amazing on Paleo, and I won't be going back.

Day 13: Recipes and the joy of Paleo

Breakfast
Salty Lemonade. Eventually I will try something else for breakfast, but I love this kick this gives to my morning.

Snack
Yet another Paleo Candy Bar from Paleo Plan.

Lunch
Leftover Chicken and Dumplings.

(photo credit: Pragmatic Paleo)

Dinner

A throw together:

• Chicken breast covered in Old Bay Seasoning
• Layer on bacon
• Layer on sweet potatoes
• Layer on carrots
• Sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon
• Bake in Corningware on 350 for 35 minutes

Served with grilled spinach.

Food used to consume my life. I thought about it all the time: What am I craving? What can I eat? When can I eat again? Can I have seconds? How big is the portion? Will there be a dessert opportunity? Now, food is a constant state of being sated. Since I started Paleo, my energy doesn't deviate, my stomach never growls. When sometimes forget that I haven't eaten in several hours. I can be too distracted to notice hunger. This is a new experience for me, and an entirely pleasant one. For example, right now, dinner is still cooking. I haven't eaten in almost 8 hours, I am able to identify that I'm hungry, but I'm not scouring the kitchen, I'm not pre-eating.

Fascinated. Thrilled. I love Paleo.

Day 12: Recipes

Breakfast
Salty Lemonade

Snack
Paleo Candy Bars from Paleo Plan

Lunch
Steak salad from Garcia's Mexican Restaurant. I won't lie, resisting the chips and salsa was impossible, and I did eat some chips. The salad I ordered without the shell, no cheese, and no sour cream. I was pleased with my choices, although I regretted those chips later in the day.

Dinner
Grilled green beans (like I said, the chips were not a wise choice)

I will need to investigate alternatives to super-crispy chips. I really miss the hearty crunch of a tortilla chip, but the price I paid for eating them was not worth it.

Not a successful day, but some days are not.

Day 11: Grocery stores and recipes

Breakfast
Salty Lemonade.
Coffee

Lunch
Chipotle salad - lettuce, double steak, medium salsa and pico
Apple juice

Snack
Paleo Candy Bar from Paleo Plan

Dinner
Steak and chicken fajitas. By fajitas I mean thinly sliced meat tossed with onions and bell peppers and spicy seasoning.

At my local grocery store, the produce and the meat department are right next to each other on the east side of the store. I could arrange my shopping trips so that I only have to venture into the rest of the store once a month to buy household items and my collection of roasted nuts. This is a very strange adventure I've embarked on, ya'll.

I was the Kraft Mac 'n Cheese Mom. Yes, it always had mixed veggies and grilled chicken, but I was starch-as-the-staple like so many other single Mom's. I thought there was no way I could find the time to "do Paleo," but as it turns out, Paleo is easy. It's meat and veggies in a pan; it's salads and smoothies; it's apple slices and almond butter; it's Holy Grale Juice and Salty Lemonade.

This whole "Paleo thing" is really awesome.

Day 10: Recipes

Breakfast
Salty Lemon Water
Autumn Harvest Trail mix (almonds, papaya, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried apples, dried cranberries)

Snack
Paleo Candy Bars from Jason at Paleo Plan

These I made for my daughter to take as a snack to school. They are slightly sweet and very filling. I tripled the recipe to ensure enough for both of us for the week. I'm thrilled for such a tasty and healthy treat to send her. We used carob powder over cocoa powder and the chopped nuts we used were almonds (her preferred nut type).

Lunch
Skyr (Icelandic yogurt), 1/4c blueberries, 1/3 banana

After I finish the yogurt we've got in the house, I'll be removing it from my diet altogether. This is the only diary I currently consume and I believe I can eliminate this category altogether. I was keeping the yogurt to help with some digestive difficulties I was having, but the lemon water in in the morning seems to have remedied this issue.

Snack
Raw almonds

Dinner
Boulder Sausage Company brats, sweet potatoes & carrots. I put them all in a pan and cooked for 20 minutes. A family favorite.

Post-run Snack
Marinara sauce with turkey

While my meals for the day were fairly boring, my hunger for the day was almost non-existent so I wasn't motivated to do much in the way of cooking. Sweet potatoes seem to be the most requested item in my house, which I find interesting. Since they are nutrient rich, I'm fine with providing them.

Paleo: A personal experience of the benefits

Today is the tenth day of my Paleo adventure. It has gotten easier with each passing day and now I'm able to reflect on what I've gained in the first ten days.

I no longer require caffeine to make it through the day. I used to be a 6 to 8 cups a day girl, and now I drink half to one cup a day. I occasionally make a cup of black tea instead. I went through some headaches with caffeine withdrawals, but the reality is I drank coffee because my energy was depleted throughout the day, and no longer require that bump.

(photo credit: Caffine Bar)

I no longer have food cravings. I don't have deep-seeded desires for bread, sugar, rich foods, or devilish treats. I don't feel allure from pizza or cheese or alcohol. I'm able to walk paste cake, cookies, and donuts without looking twice.

(photo credit: SNS Post)

I no longer have the PM drain. I used to get tired and grumpy at about 2:00pm and I would graze the entire rest of the evening to keep my energy up. No longer. My energy level is consistent and I find myself hungry on what would be a normal schedule. If I eat 150 calories, I'm hungry 2 hours later; if I eat 500 calories, I'm hungry 4 or 5 hours later; as opposed to when I would eat a 400 calorie bagel and be hungry an hour later.

(photo credit: Cartoon Doll Emporium)

I've lost 4 pounds. I wasn't trying to lose weight, but certainly wasn't going to complain if I dropped a few pounds. But I've lost 4 pounds. I won't complain if a few more decide they don't want to stick around!

(photo credit: Project Look Good Naked) 

My running has improved. This is a big one for me as I'm an avid runner. I was slightly concerned that decreasing my carbs significantly might deplete my glycogen stores too early in my runs, but I've found that not to be the case. I'm incredibly excited about seeing improved recovery times in my running, and increased speed as well. **As a note, weight loss typically increases running time. I cannot say whether it is the weight loss or the Paleo intake that has resulted in an improved running time.

(photo credit: Improve Your Running)

I sleep better. Who doesn't love a restful night of sleep? I wake up refreshed and ready to face the day. Yes, I get plenty of sleep (8 hours, ya'll, every night!), but I've always guarded my sleep carefully. Now my sleep is more productive and restful. I wake up with energy and enthusiasm (not cheerfulness, but I don't want to destroy the world on waking anymore).

(photo credit: O5) 

I am very grateful for the chance to try this fantastic new plan, and I am excited to see how I feel after another 10 days.

Day 9: Recipes

Breakfast
Over-easy egg over a hamburger patty and grilled spinach.
Salty Lemon Water

Lunch
Sugar-free marinara with turkey over spaghetti squash

Dinner
Jolene's Chicken Bake
3 chicken breast fillets
3 slices bacon
1 sweet potato
1 zucchini
Emeril's Original Essence

Directions: Grease a small pan with coconut oil. Add chicken breast fillets. Spice with Emeril's Original Essence to taste. Layer bacon over chicken. Layer sweet potatoes over bacon. Layer zucchini over sweet potato. Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes.

Dessert
Chocolate Chunk Paleo Cookies from Gina with Running to the Kitchen

This is a repeat recipe, and I cannot speak highly enough for it. They are just as good as the real thing, ya'll. Just as good.

Day 8: Back on the plan and enjoying it

Breakfast

Jolene's Good Morning Juice
1 bunch green kale
6 carrots
6 apples
1/2 head celery
2 pears

Serves 2.5 people.

Snack
Bacon Wrapped Dates from Paleo Plan.

The perfect blend of salty and sweet, this delightful treat will be a repeat in my house. Easy to make and an epic level of deliciousness. A++ grade in my house!

Lunch
Sweet Tomatoes for lunch today. Easy to stay within the Paleo guidelines when it's an open salad bar. Yes, it was hard to stay away from the other offerings (foccacia and blueberry muffins, two of my favorites), but the salad I made really hit the spot. The disastrous experience with stepping back into grains from the night before was fresh in my mind, so staying away was a little easier than it might have been previously.

Snack
Envy Apple

Dinner
Just Plain Chili from Paleo Plan

This is exactly as advertised: It's chili. I used ground Angus beef and I was very liberal with the spices. I like my chili with kick and this chili is mild. Served over Paleo Cornbread from Kelly at A Girl Worth Saving.

A recipe so nice we tried it twice! We don't have butter in my house (dairy-free, ya'll), but it's good drizzled with raw honey. 

Day Seven: Recipes, McDonald's, and Jack in the Box

Breakfast
Made my usual Salty Lemonade this morning, but added 1T of Sea salt instead of 1t. Don't make that mistake. Yuck.

Snack
Autumn trail mix.

Lunch
McDonald's for lunch, and let me tell you that all I wanted was a hamburger. A Big Mac, or a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or the new Cheddar Bacon Onion Burger. Instead I ordered a Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad, didn't use the dressing, picked out the tortilla strips, corn and black beans.

The salad was freshly prepared, as usual, but it wasn't as riveting as, say, the same salad with crispy chicken and the Southwest Salad Dressing. I feel good about my choice.

Snack
Holiday Grapes, again, and then some roasted almonds.

Dinner
Dinner we decided to celebrate our first Paleo week with Jack in the Box. I survived 1/3 of a Spicy Chicken sandwich before I took off the bread and just ate the chicken. I ordered Chili Cheese Curly Fries (a limited time offering) and survived three bites. I managed 2 sips of an Egg Nog Shake. I spent the rest of the evening feeling slightly ill and bloated.

So not worth it

Day Six: Recipes and Chipotle

Breakfast
Salty Lemonade
Autumn trail mix: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried apples, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts. This is a delightful mix, but I wish there was a bit more fruit in it.

Snack
Dry roasted almonds and coffee

Lunch
We have a salad bar in my work building, so I helped myself to leafy greens, turkey, ham, hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, raisins, and olive oil. It was a singularly delicious salad, unfortunately it didn't stick to the ribs and I was hungry an hour later.

Snack
Plain non-fat Greek yogurt with organic raw honey and fresh raspberries. I created a small serving and then couldn't eat it all. It was too sweet!

Dinner
Chipotle Salad. I had lettuce, double steak, pico de gallo, and their medium salsa. It was heavenly! And reasonable (415 calories, 62g protein).

Snack
Sweet potato. Straight up, ya'll.

My food is becoming more "traditional" Paleo, which I expected. I love the simplicity of this diet plan. I love how much energy I have throughout the day, and the fact that I no longer have the massive blood sugar crashes in the afternoon. I love that I'm drinking less caffeine because I'm energized by my diet. I sleep like a stone and my running times are improving. I've not seen a single pound of weight loss, which I had hoped to, but it's only been 1 week.

Day Five: Recipes

Breakfast
Salty Lemonade again for breakfast. I cannot tell you how amazing this beverage is for breakfast. I crawl from bed bleary eyed and grumpy. I sit at the breakfast table with my salty lemonade, and by the time I'm done I'm awake, alert, and almost chipper. Incredible. I'm also not hungry for about 2 hours after.

Jolene's Salty Lemonade
16oz warm water
1T lemon or lime juice
1t Sea salt or Himalayan salt

Lunch
I ate out with a co-worker today, so I had to improvise. I got a sweet potato, grilled salmon, and grilled green beans. Are green beans really a bean? You can eat them right off the plant! I called it good enough and it was quite a tasty lunch.

Snack
Almonds and a cup of coffee.

Dinner
Paleo Shepherd's Pie from Neely at Paleo Plan.

There are so many variations on shepherd's pie it's a bit of a craps shoot as to whether you'll get what you're expecting. This shepherd's pie is delightful, robust, well spiced, and quite savory.

Modifications:

• recipe calls for onion salt, but I used onion power and then added Sea salt.
• Herbs d'Provence instead of Italian seasoning. I prefer to add my spices separately so I can tailor to my own palate.

I may never get over the noxious smell of cooking parsnips. How can anything so tasty smell so bad? The mushrooms I used weren't optimal (white beech), so I recommend sticking with something more traditional.

Dessert
Holiday grapes from Whole Foods.

The only grape juicer and sweeter than the Scarlotta, this grape has a very short harvesting period. They are shamefully expensive and worth every penny.
I am coming to understand why people on the Paleo diet don't complain about the Paleo diet.

Day Four: Recipes

Breakfast
Salty Lemonade (16oz warm water, 1t Himalayan salt, 1T lemon juice). It was everything you can imagine it being. It was also more energizing than a cup of coffee and really set me in a positive mind frame for the day.

Snack
Dry roasted almonds

Lunch
I attended an off-site meeting with a catered lunch. As luck would have it, I was able to pilfer a chicken breast and mixed vegetables for lunch. Sure, neither we Paleo-prepared, but it's close enough for me. I avoided the potatoes, gravy, cornbread, and apple pie. If that's not a success, I don't know what is.

Snack
Half a Honeycrisp apple

Dinner
Paleo Chicken Alfredo from Jason at Paleo Plan.

I was wary of this recipe because it's Alfredo with no cheese or cream. I'm an Alfredo snob, a side effect of having my daughter's Dad make the stuff from scratch for me (he trained as a Chef in The Broadmoor, and then hopped through the kitchens in New York). I was prepared to just make myself a smoothie if this didn't pan out.

Let me tell you something: This is the best Chicken Alfredo in existence. I'm serious, I wouldn't change a single thing about this recipe. Now, we did not make it with kelp noodles as the recipe suggested because I have hang-ups about wet seaweed, neither did we have it with spaghetti squash. Instead, I found grain-free dairy-free sweet potato gnocchi. I could serve this meal to non-Paleo people and they would never know. It was amazing.

Day Four of Paleo was successful. That dinner was epic, ya'll, and the recipe will become a repeat offender on this blog.

Day Three: Recipes

Breakfast
Breakfast consisted of eggs and bacon and a glass of Holy Grale. I wasn't feeling well Friday, my daughter is home sick today, so I opted for more kale than usual and the juice was incredible.

Snack
I returned to the Egg-free, Grain-free Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins. Apparently they are an acquired taste, or perhaps they improve overnight, but today those muffins hit the spot today.

Lunch
Greek yogurt mixed with honey, almond slices, and fresh raspberries. I know that dairy isn't Paleo, but I also know that my stomach appreciates the probiotics. Or at least I'm hoping that helps with what I'm dealing with at the moment.

Snack
Scarlotta grapes are another favorite in my house.

As with apples, a few years ago we took a tour of the grape varieties available in our markets. One result of this experience is the Scarlotta grape. They are the biggest, sweetest, juiciest grapes I've ever eaten. I can only eat a handful because they are so rich. Scarlotta grapes are purple balls of joy.

Dinner
Because I felt sick and now my daughter is sick, I've opted for the ultimate comfort food: Chicken Soup.

Jolene's Chicken Soup
1 small, whole chicken, sans innards and giblets
1/2 pkg baby carrots
1/2 head of celery
1 medium yellow onion
1 cinnamon stick (whole)
Sea or Himalayan salt
Black pepper
Herbs d'Province

Add all ingredients to a crock pot. Add water until the ingredients are covered by the water. Cook on low for 7 hours.

After 6 hours, take out the chicken and cinnamon stick. Throw away the cinnamon stick. Bone and skin the chicken, adding the meat back to crock pot.

 In celebration of Paleo, I decided to try to make dumplings to go with my Chicken Soup. After pilfering through the Internet for recipes, I decided to try the following:

1c Coconut flour
4 eggs
1c water
Sea salt or Himalayan Salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder

Mix all ingredients until dough is sticky. Turn crock pot on high. Press dough into balls then set in crock pot. Dumplings cook in 20 - 25 minute

The soup was exceptional, as always. The dumplings need a little bit of work. The flavor is good, but the consistency isn't exactly what I was looking for. The dumplings were a little mealy, and not as fluffy as I'm accustomed to. It may be the this is just the consistency of a Paleo baked good, but I'm not ready to stop trying. In my former life I was a very accomplished baker, so I'm confident I can master either an ingredient or a technique to yield the results I want.

Another very successful Paleo day.

Day Two: Recipes

Breakfast
Fried Eggs and Sweet Potato Hash from Jason at Paleo Plan

To add extra spice I made this recipe with Aidells Cajun Style Andouille. While the recipe says fried eggs, I found over-easy preferable. The recipe also says it feeds two but I found it feeds three. There is still a very large serving leftover after my daughter and I ate.

Also for breakfast is my favorite beverage: Holy Grale juice. There are recipes all over the Internet for this delightful raw juice. I've played with red kale, green kale, and several varieties of grapes. My favorite, and what I made this morning, is green kale and green grapes. Sweet, refreshing, and more of a pick-me-up than a double shot of espresso.

Lunch
Egg-free, Grain-free Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins from Cat at Paleo Plan

The muffins were not ideal. They over-cooked outside and under-cooked inside. The texture was unexpectedly dense and 1t of all-spice is entirely too much for my palate. The recipe has potential and I'll try it again, but not until I've practiced with Paleo baking a bit more. The addition of walnuts will likely help, as will omission of the frozen fruit.

Also for lunch: an Envy apple.

A few years ago I took a tour of the apple section, purchasing a different type of apple every week. I bought Honeycrisp apples last because I thought the $2.99lb price point ridiculous. Now I consider the price worthwhile. I'm a devout Honeycrisp apple fan, eating one every day of their short season. Envy apples are very much like a Honeycrisp in firmness and sweetness, but Envy apples little less sweet and a little more firm. Possibly a perfect apple.

  

Dinner
We ate at a friend's house tonight. They made a pork and green chili stew. I couldn't have asked for a better dinner, and it aligned nicely (if not perfectly) with Paleo restrictions.

Dessert
Chocolate Chunk [Paleo] Cookies from Gina at Running to the Kitchen.

There was a dough consistency failure in this recipe (trend of the day, apparently), but this time the dough was too soft. The cookies mushed into one solid cookie. Aside from that, these cookies are epic. If I hadn't made them I would never have known they contain no dairy, no sugar, and no gluten.

Substitution replacing the chocolate with unsweetened carob chips worked well. I prefer my chocolate bitter, so I will use unsweetened carob or cocoa chips for my chocolate substitutions in all recipes.

A successful second day of Paleo.

Day One: Recipes

Lunch:
Chicken breast grilled with red onions, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers. Sauteed spinach with Himalayan salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

Snack:
Paleo Lemon Bars from Kara at The Primal Home

These are very lemony and very good. My daughter became fully supportive of the Paleo diet after this delightful snack.

Dinner:
Pork roast, onions, carrots, and celery in the crock pot for 8 hours.
Paleo Cornbread from Kelly at A Girl Worth Saving

The Paleo Cornbread is perfect. We slathered the slices in raw honey and it couldn't have been better. Delicious, moist, and the caraway added something delightful. This will be a repeat recipe in my house.

What a successful first day in the Paleo diet.

Dessert
Paleo Hot Chocolate from Jennie at Easy Paleo

Modifications to this one: Instead of 3T cocoa powder, I used 1/2C vegan carob chips.

Day One: Breakfast at McDonald's

I refused to buy groceries this week in anticipation of today. I've been preparing myself mentally for Day One of the Paleo diet all week. By "mentally preparing" I mean I've been eating the last of the rice, pasta, cereal, bread, and lapping up the last of the vanilla syrup I use for my lattes. I woke up this morning with the realization that it was time. I tossed out everything left that didn't fit the Paleo lifestyle and immediately took down the trash.

I committed to having a pleasant breakfast on the way to the grocery store, so this morning I enjoyed my last experience at McDonald's. I savored a Western Burrito and Non-fat Vanilla Latte while my daughter munched a McGriddle and Fruit 'n' Yogurt Parfait. It was a delicious breakfast and I experienced an ounce of grief in the knowledge that I won't have it again.

For about a year I've been waffling between starting Paleo and continuing my normal American diet. I know from previous fasting experiences that my body responds to grain-free eating with absolute joy. I know when I cut out processed foods and sugary treats my energy increases, my skin clears up, I have more energy, and weightloss is effortless.

Knowing these things, I still eat the normal American diet. I eat it because it's convenient and I'm a single mother. I eat it because it's within my price-range and after a full-time job, full-time school schedule, volunteering, and running, I'm exhausted. Those were my excuses. This week falls during a slow week at work, a slow week at school, and conveniently when my pantry and fridge are almost barren.

After my delicious McDonald's breakfast, my daughter and I went to Sprouts and King Soopers where we diligently followed the carefully prepared list. I know the key to a diet change is interesting and easy meals, so I selected several tantilizing but simple recipes from the internet. We're both excited to try them out.

This blog will contain my reflections on the Paleo diet, amazing (or horrible) recipes I try, and an evaluation in 30 days as to whether this is sustainable for me and my daughter.