Category: Paleo

The Hostage Negotiation of Christmas 2010

Okay, so THIS is about what I felt like by the around 9:15pm on Christmas Evening. . . . but let me start from the begining.

Paleo Christmas Eve Feast – A Success!

Paleo Christmas Dinner – A Success!

We went over to a friend’s house for Christmas Dinner – I knew that there would be tons of stuff there that wasn’t “Paleo-Approved”, so I took along some Waldorf Salad and some Paleo Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Icing. I figured this way, I could still have dessert along with everyone else, and not feel the least bit deprived. . . well. . . it was a good plan anyway. . . but would have been even better if I’d stuck to it!

We had a great time on Christmas evening, and I had already decided ahead of time that I would have a glass or two of red wine because it was a special occasion, but would stay otherwise Paleo-Compliant. I had about two glasses of wine before dinner, and then ate a sensible and Paleo-Compliant dinner. No Problem. I wasn’t even tempted by the mashed potatoes or stuffing – really! I was quite satisfied with myself after dinner, and decided to go ahead and indulge in a third glass of wine.

About half way through that third glass, the hosts broke out the DESSERT. And yes, that is DESSERT in ALL CAPS!!! My God – I have never seen such a spread in one place at one time in my life! And it wasn’t like it was store bought pies and cookies. . . oh no . . this was all home-made decadence, and gourmet cupcake shop debachery – all sitting there staring my slightly un-inhibited self in the face.

Tollhouse Cookie Pie (still warm from the oven w/ Whip Cream!), Red Velvet CHEESECAKE, Gourmet Mini Cupcakes from a local bakery (Chocolate w/ Peanut Butter Icing!!), Creamy Decadent Yule Logs, Godiva Truffles . . . . and that’s just listing the highlights!

Suddenly my “Paleo Cupcakes” weren’t looking quite so hot anymore!

Anyone that knows me personally knows that sugar is my weakness. When I’ve been strict Whole30 Compliant for a good stretch of time, my sugar demons go to sleep, but alchohol wakes them back up in a heartbeat (yes – unfortunately, even red wine).

Soooo I ate a Paleo Cupcake and sat there staring longingly at the dessert table trying to summon my willpower.

After what felt like 3 hours, but in reality was more like 3 minutes, I said to myself “Screw it – it’s Christmas, and I’m having some friggin REAL dessert!” I then proceded to fill a DINNER PLATE with desserts of every shape and size, and dug in. (Reference Picture of Young Child above – yep, that’s about right!) Then I went back for a second helping of Tollhouse Pie. Yes. Really.

After about 15 minutes of indulgence, I was able to turn the switch off, and publicly swore that my meltdown was over with, and that I was back on the Paleo straight and narrow as of that moment. I knew that I’d be in for some serious digestive distress, but at that moment (3 glasses of wine in), I felt that it was totally worth it but knew that I needed to get a hold of myself before I started snowboarding down that slippery slope.

As we left, the host was gracious enough to give my poor deprived hubby a big tupperware container full of “real” mashed potatoes and stuffing. They had listened to his tails of woe regarding my mashed cauliflower and stuffingless dinner table, and had pity on his poor soul.

On the drive home, my hubby reminded me that he had some cheesecake in the fridge that a friend of mine had given him (another “pity” gift!). He asked me if I needed him to “hide” it when we got home so that I wouldn’t be tempted, but I ensured him that my sweet tooth was fully satisfied, and there was no need to go hiding food. I was in control again.

Around 11:30 that evening, we were laying there in bed, and my hubby got up to have a midnight snack of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cheesecake. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the NEED to have cheesecake RIGHT THAT INSTANT. It wasn’t like I was sitting there and thought “hmmm. . cheesecake sure would be nice“. No. This was “I. MUST. HAVE. CHEESECAKE. NOW!!”


This is where the hostage negotiation began. I walked out to the kitchen where my husband was eating cheesecake straight out of the tupperware container. I batted my eyes as softly as I could, gave him my best “come hither” look, and in my sexiest voice said “Hey Baby – I sure would like just one bite of that cheesecake. . . . ” He proceeded to dutifully remind me that I had just sworn off sugar again not even 2 hours prior, and swore that he was doing me a favor by not giving me a bite. But in my cheescake craving frantic mind, I could not see reason.

All I could think about was a bite of that cheescake. So I changed the angle of my argument. I told him that my friend that had made the cheesecake would be insulted if she found out that I went off my diet for a few minutes, and didn’t eat any of her cheesecake (yeah, lame excuse, I know – but I was desperate!) Well, he didn’t buy that either, and slowly began a countermanuever around the kitchen island and into the living room.

As I began to follow him, he picked up the pace – before long I was literally (yes. . . this is real – you have to see this mental picture) chasing my husband around in the circle that goes through our kitchen and living room. He was holding the cheesecake out in front of him at arm’s legnth, running full speed ahead, pulling every evasive manuever he could think of – and I was nipping at his heels, fury in my eyes, screaming all kinds of obscenities and threats of what I would do to him if he didn’t give me a friggin bite of cheesecake. Reason had left the building!!

After about 5 or 6 laps, I had a brilliant idea. I knew that he was covetting the mashed potatoes and stuffing that he’d been sent home with, so I decided that I would take it hostage. Oh Yes I Did. On about my 7th trip through the kitchen, I ripped open the fridge door, pulled out “his precious” and strutted over to the sink with a sadistic grin on my face, ripped off the lid, and held it at a 90 degree angle to where it was just shy of dumping down the disposal. He froze opposite of me and we locked eyes. It was staredown time. He yelled “YOU WOULDN’T“ and I shouted back “JUST WATCH ME!!!”

This exchange was followed by about a minute of staring each other down in silence. He was weighing his options and trying to decide if I would really dump his sacred Christmas food down the drain. I was trying to read him to see if my threat was working, and drooling over the cheescake that was still in his hands and just barely out of my reach. As he started to draw back, I tipped the container just a hair more and he yelled “Nonononononononono!!!!! Fine – You can HAVE your freaking Cheesecake! Just Don’t Throw That Food Down The Drain!!” I slowly walked around the island and made a grab for the cheesecake, but he pulled it back at the last minute and made a grab for the mashed potatoes and stuffing that I was still holding hostage. Fast Forward a moment or two and we were chasing each other around in circles again (You just can’t make this stuff up kids!) Right about now, the dogs come out of the bedroom and start chasing us around as we’re chasing each other. So I’m screaming threats and profanities, the dogs are barking frantically and nipping at our heels, and my poor husband is simply running for his life and wondering how he ever got himself into this situation and how he can save his food.

In the long run, I was able to catch my hubby (Thank you CrossFit!!), and rip the cheesecake from his hands, simultaneously shoveling it into my mouth with my bare hands. He made the split second decision to save his mashed potatoes and stuffing, and give up on the cheescake. . .

We ended up the night on the floor rolling in laughter reflecting on what had just happened. I mean really. In what household does the wife go ballistic over cheesecake and hold mashed potatoes and stuffing hostage over the garbage disposal? I’m almost willing to bet Vegas Odds that this is a first. And part of me wishes we’d had a hidden camera somewhere because we definitely would have won an episode of America’s Funniest Videos!!

So I may very well be the only person on the planet that has gone batsh*t crazy when I had a massive sugar craving – but somehow I doubt it. While most sane people out there have probably never taken the pursuit of their object of desire in a moment of weakness to such great legnths, I’m willing to bet that many have at least contemplated it! Hopefully my honest disclosure will help others to realize that they’re not the only ones that have moments of “craziness” when in the grips of a sugar craving.

As for my “Recovery” . . I woke up the next morning with the worst belly-ache of my life. I asked my husband why the hell he let me eat the cheescake – and then we both laughed some more. This unfortunate incident did wake up my sugar demons with a vengance and I’m having to be very mindful of everything that I eat right now. I’m craving sugar a lot, and just having to suck it up.

I’ve made the decision to start a “Whole100” on January 1st, so I am being a little more “relaxed” with my diet over the next several days, but I refuse to fall of the wagon completely as I have in the past. It’s so easy to say “Well, I’m starting the Whole30 (or **insert diet name here**) in a week, so I have to eat this and that and this and that and this and that and this and that BEFORE I start so that I can get it out of my system”. How do I know this? Because I’ve Been There. Done That. I refuse to do that again. I have to remember that I want to hold on to all of the progress I’ve made so far in my journey to becoming a healthier person, inside and out. And a week long binge would NOT do much to set me up for success! All of my main meals and snacks have been 100% Paleo, but I did allow myself a single serving of ice cream last night. This was different though. Ice Cream is the #1 Item on my “Healthy/F-Off” scale, and I had made the concious decision a long time ago that I would have one scoop before January 1st when I will dig in for the long haul.

Also, I started a Pictoral Food Log that I plan to update with EVERY SINGLE BITE that I put in my mouth during my “Whole100” Journey. I started it this week so that I could work out all of the technical difficulties before my journey begins, and also so that I can get in the habit of snapping pics of everything before I eat it. There’s a link to my pictoral food log at the top of the navigation bar on the right side of your page. If you’re ever curious about what I’m eating, check it out! I hope that my log will help to show others that being “Whole30” Compliant REALLY isn’t as hard as some people make it. It’s basically just meat, veggies, and healthy fats – with some fancy stuff thrown in there from time to time to keep it interesting. Hey – if I can do it, ANYONE can!

A Very Nice Christmas (& a touch of Naughty. . )

Christmas in the Tracy Household was AWESOME 🙂 As promised, I prepared a Paleo Christmas Feast, and actually found that I enjoyed every minute of it! Every single item on my Christmas Menu was 100% Paleo and 100% made from scratch – the only cans/bottle I opened were the Coconut Milk and the jar of Raw Honey . . . I drew the line at cracking coconuts and extracting honey from bumblebees!!
Anyway, to say that I was proud of myself would be a massive understatement . . . I’m sure that my facebook friends are all sick of seeing pictures of my Christmas Food – but this is the first time that I have ever in my life prepared such a feast from scratch, and I really was glowing with pride! You know how they say that people who have jobs where they work with their hands and actually produce things often have a high rate of job satisfaction because they get a real sense of accomplishment from creating tangible things . . .well I can totally see that now! The sense of accomplishment while sitting down and devouring my Christmas Eve Dinner was one of the best natural “highs” I’ve felt in a very long time (Yes, even better than a PR on “Fran”!)
Here’s a picture of the Proud Paleo Princess Herself (No Makeup, Still Sweating from working in a hot kitchen, but Glowing with Pride LOL):
My Final Christmas Menu included a Pastured Turkey (brined for 24 hours), Sweet & Salty Broccoli Salad, Southern Style Farmer’s Market Green Beans, Mashed Cauliflower, Whole30 Cranberry Sauce, Cranberry Apple Waldorf Salad, Sweet Potato Casserole (Ah-MA-Zing!!), Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cinnamon Icing, and a Paleo Pumpkin Pie.
I also cooked a Ham for my hubby, and I saved the Ham Bone to use in my Green Beans before I glazed it (okay – to be honest – before HE glazed it . . . LOL – I couldn’t bring myself to dump a sugary glaze all over that beautiful ham!)
So it looks good, right? But the real question is how did it TASTE!?! – I can honestly say that my taste buds have never been so thrilled. I couldn’t have been happier with the way each one of the dishes turned out. My husband liked the Turkey, Broccoli Salad, and Green Beans. He wouldn’t try the Sweet Potato Cassarole or the Waldorf Salad because he said that it just wasn’t “right” to make these dishes w/o Marshmallows. As for the Mashed Cauliflower, well, he wasn’t a fan – but that’s okay – I thought it was awesome 🙂 I guess if you’re used to creamy mashed potatoes with gravy though the Mashed Cauliflower must have tasted a little “sad” – haha!
I prepared this meal on Christmas Eve Morning, and we our main Feast early afternoon on Christmas Eve . . and then I ate leftovers for dinner, and Breakfast and Lunch on Christmas day. We went to a friends house for Christmas Dinner, and I took some of my Waldorf Salad and Pumpkin cupcakes to share 🙂
My Entire Christmas Eve, and up until about 8pm on Christmas Day, I stayed 100% Paleo Compliant with no issues whatsoever. I HONESTLY didn’t even want a bite of Mashed Potatoes or Gravy or Stuffing or anything else that would traditionally mark “Christmas Dinner”. . . . . . that is until they broke out the desserts on Christmas Evening. . .
And then there was Naughty. . . .
But more on that in the next post – to be titled “The Hostage Negotiation of Christmas 2010”
For now, I’ll leave you w/ a Pic of my sweet Buster on Christmas Evening – He wore himself out playing w/ the toy that Santa brought him!

New “Toys”!!

Christmas came EARLY in my house this week!!

I am so excited!! I ordered an Organic Pastured Turkey, a package of GF Steaks, 3 lbs of Pastureland Organic GF Butter, some “Gold Label” Virgin Coconut Oil, and some Coconut Cream Concentrate last week, and it arrived on Friday – what a perfect start to the weekend! I’ve got BIG Plans for my turkey for Christmas Dinner 🙂 And I’m going to try to make my own coconut milk using the Coconut Cream Concentrate – If it turns out well, I’ll post instructions and notes.

I also finally caved and bought a Pressure Cooker this week – I’ve been contemplating making this purchase for a few months now, but my hubby was concerned about the safety issue. I looked into them and found that they’ve come a long way and now have a ton of safety features built in, so I made the purchase – and I’m SO EXCITED to play w/ my new toy! I’m going to use the heck out of it when preparing my Christmas Feast this year! I’ll post back about my success, failures, and lessons learned while experimenting.

Another Fun Moment of the week was planning out my Paleo Christmas Feast, and doing all of the grocery shopping in preparation. I hit the Farmer’s Market early this weekend, so I actually got there before they were picked over and MADE OUT w/ all kinds of leafy greens and root veggies: Beatiful Swiss Chard, Sweet Spinach, Sweet White Turnips, Red Rocket Radishes, Multi-colored Sweet Carrots, Onions, Apples, Kale, Peppers, and some squash. Lots of inspiration for this week’s dinners. I’ve currently got a Garlic Beef Stew cooking in my Crock-Pot that I dumped a ton of these veggies into – I can’t wait to see how it turns out – it smells AH-MAZING right now!

Speaking of my “Christmas Feast”, here’s what I’ve got on the menu:

  • Roasted Pastured Turkey – Brined in home-made Brine of Sea Salt, Cranberries, Apples, Orange Peel, Juniper Berries, Black Pepper, Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage.
  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Paleo Sweet Potato Cassarole (my own recipe – I’ve combined different parts of a bunch of different recipes that I’ve found online – if it turns out good, I’ll post it after the holiday!)
  • Southern-Style Farmers Market Green Beans – Slow Cooked w/ Hamhock & Sweet Onions (Another of my own recipes)
  • Mashed Cauliflower – Will be making w/ Clarified (at home), Organic GF Butter
  • Sweet & Salty Broccoli Salad
  • Cranberry Waldorf Salad
  • Pumpkin Pie

I’m really looking forward to preparing this feast and gloating as my hubby (who’s been doing a bit of “griping” about Paleo-izing this year’s Christmas Dinner) scarfs down every last bite!

And now for a quick update on my Whole30 Progress: So far, so good!! I’m not even quite sure what day I’m on right now – I’ll have to look it up, but I think it’s probably around day 20-ish. I’m past the “this is hard” part, and am cruising right along, enjoying every minute of it. Mid-week last week, I did go a bit “off the deep end” w/the Dried Mango and Dates, much to my tummy’s dismay! I’ll cover this “divergence” in another post though. One concession that I’m making – I plan to use a smidge of raw organic honey in the Pumpkin Pie that I’ll be making for Christmas, and will also be using a bit of Clarified Organic GF Butter in my Mashed Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Cassarole – neither of these items are Whole30 approved, however I’m making the concious decision to consume these items in moderation on Christmas, thus ending my “strict Whole30” at a “Whole25”. I will then jump right back on the Whole30 bandwagon on December 26th and start another 30 days. I’m making this decision for personal reasons, and I woudn’t reccomend it to many others, but I know that I’m living a “Whole30 Life” and will be for as long as I’m graced w/ breath to breathe – so going slightly off the Whole30 bandwagon w/ some Clarified GF Butter and a smear of Organic Raw Honey is totally justifiable to me because I was never looking at this as a 30 day journey in the first place. Make Sense?

Recipe: Spicy Spanish Chicken

It’s been really cold here in South TX for the last week or so, and as a result I’ve found myself craving spicy food like crazy! For some reason, whenever the weather turns cold, I start craving dishes w/ HEAT!

I made this one last night, and was pretty impressed w/ the way it turned out, so I thought I’d share:

Spanish Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
Sea Salt to taste
1/8 Cup Coconut Flour
4 Medium Size Chicken Breast, tenderized
2 Tb Olive Oil
1 Green Pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 Red Pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 Sweet Onion, cut into wedges
1 (14.5 oz) Can Diced Tomatoes – Undrained (I like the Organic Fire Roasted kind)
1/2 cup Organic Free Range Chicken Broth

Instructions:

  1. Combine Coconut Flour, Sea Salt, and all of the Spices except Red Pepper.
  2. Use 2-3 Tb of this seasoned flour to coat both sides of chicken (I sprinkled it on, patted it a little, and rubbed it in).
  3. Heat 1 Tb Olive Oil in a large skillet. Brown both sides of chicken (about 2 min per side).
  4. Remove Chicken from Pan.
  5. Add remaining oil, onions, and peppers to the skillet and cook until tender (about 5 minutes).
  6. Stir in tomatoes, broth, remaining seasoned flour, and red pepper flakes
  7. Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

I served mine over a bed of fresh spinach. The warm chicken and peppers wilted the spinach just enough, and it was really good! This would also be good over some Spanish “Cauli-Rice”. . . . hmmmm . . I think I have inspiration for another recipe. . . to be continued 🙂

Whole30 Week 1 Summary


GF Steak, Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Homemade Paleo Ketchup – YUM!
Yesterday marked the end of week 1, and so far things are going. . . okay.

I have to admit that I had some CRAZY cravings in the first week but I was able to ignore them and am still going strong. Reflecting back, I definitely ate a bit more fruit than I really should have in the first week, so I am going to be more mindful of my fruit intake this week. I didn’t go hog-wild or anything but I can definitely think of 4 or 5 instances where I was craving the hell out of some sugar and reached for a piece of fruit to quiet the craving – not a good habit to get into if I want to put my Sugar Demons back to bed!

I have made some uber delicious meals this week though 🙂

  • Paleo Veggie stuffed Meatloaf with a Balsamic Glaze & Grilled Broccoli w/ Garlic Olive Oil
  • Nitrate/Sugar Free/Organic Chicken Sausage and Sweet Peppers and Onions over a bed of baby Spinach, topped w/ homemade guacamole
  • Grilled GF NY Strip with Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts & homemade Paleo Ketchup
  • Lots of salads for lunch chock full of colorful veggies, Avocados, HB Eggs, Pistachios with Wild Tuna or Sardines or Chicken
  • Delicious GF Beef Stew with Brussel Sprouts and lots of other veggies (was really good when I was sick!)
  • Curry Chicken and Cabbage
  • Breakfasts have been Poached Eggs over Broccoli Slaw w/ Avocados & Sometimes the addition of blueberries and walnuts (YUM!)

I bought a bag of bing cherries mid-week and those things were like candy! They were juicy and delicious but I don’t think I’ll be buying any more for a few weeks because I did tend to “crack out” on them a bit when I was craving sugar.

I also bought a few small tangerines and these were really juicy and delicious too, but I was able to “control myself” much better with these. I think I’ll buy 4 this week and make them last.

Yesterday was my first day back to CrossFit after being out for vacation and then being sick as a dog for 2 weeks with the flu – I got my booty handed to me on a silver platter! I hurt EVERYWHERE today! But it’s that “good hurt” that just reminds me that I’m doing something right 🙂

My energy levels are still way off and at this point I don’t know whether to contribute it to the after-effects of the Flu, my Thyroid, or the adjustment back to Paleo. I really don’t think it has so much to do w/ my adjustment back to Paleo because I only went “off-course” for about a week and a half. I’ve got to get back in to get my Thyroid levels measured again. The last time I had them checked right before vacation they were continuing in the wrong direction, and the doc told me that she’d have to put me on Thyroid meds if they continued that way, so I’ve been dragging my feet a little with the followup. . . .but I think it’s time to get myself in there!

So to summarize – all in all it was an “okay” first week. I stuck to the plan 100%, and prepared lots of yummy foods, but fought my fair share of cravings and also was sick the first half of the week. I hope that next week goes a little more smoothly as a result of my returning to the gym, and no longer being sick.

I am a Food Evangalist!

The Whole9 Crew recently rolled out a few new t-shirts that I absolutely love – my favorite being the “Food Evangalist” T-shirt pictured above.

When I saw this T-shirt, it actually caused me to spend a few minutes asking myself – Am I really a food evangalist? I am proud to say that I truly am, and will be able to wear my new t-shirt with pride!

You see, I’m one of those people that can be very charasmatic, and when I find something that changes my life, I just can’t stop talking about it – I want to share with the world how GREAT this new “thing” is!! I somehow find ways to bring it up in almost every conversation, without even meaning too. . .and while I know this may be annoying to some, something about my enthusiasm usually (although not always) sparks interest rather than annoyance.

Two of the things that I’ve found myself talking about A LOT over the last few years are Paleolithic Eating and CrossFit. These to things have together changed me forever – both physically and emotionally. I have a very different approach to food (no longer emotionally attached) and I no longer work out simply to “look good” but instead in order to become stronger and more capable in my every day life. This shift in thinking has resulted in my being a much happier person in general.

Most of the time, I have no idea whether my ramblings ever end up actually making a difference, as often the people that I’m talking to are strangers or very casual aquaintances that I don’t keep in contact with. Occasionally though, someone tells me that something I said really stuck with them and as a result they have been able to change their life for the better – and I can’t even begin to tell you how great this makes me feel. I’ve found these amazing things that have improved my quality of life 10-fold and to know that someone else is experiencing the same quality of life improvement is absolutely awesome!

I’ll just share one recent example: My husband and I take a vacation every year and have found a resort in Jamaica that we love, and have returned to for several years in a row. We just recently returned from our 2010 vacation to this resort. We were boarding the bus on our last day of vacation to head to the airport when I heard someone call my name – I turned around and a girl said to me – “Are you Christie from TX“? When I said yes she said “We were on the same bus to the airport last year, and you were telling me all about the Paleo Diet and the great changes it had made in your life – I just wanted to let you know that when I got home from vacation I looked it up and started it right away. I love it and can’t believe how easy it has become. And I’ve lost 60 lbs over the past year by just following a Paleo Diet and becoming more active“.

Now I have to admit that I felt REALLY bad because I didn’t remember the girl’s name (I am SO bad with names!), and only vaguely remembered the bus trip from the year before, but it felt great to know that something I said had caused her to go home and re-evaluate her diet and make positive changes that improved her life! Unfortunately, the bus driver was waving us on to the bus and I didn’t have time to catch up or get any details or even exchange contact information with her but the fact that she recognized me and shared her amazing accomplishments with me really made my day 🙂

This experience also encourages me to continue to be a “Food Evangalist” – because if I share the “good food word” with even one person that uses it to change their life for the better, and then they share it with one person and so on, maybe, just maybe one day it will help to reverse the rising obesity and unhealthy lifestyle epidemic that this country is facing.

If you think this shirt is as cool as I do and can’t live without it in your wardrobe, visit the Whole9’s shirt store HERE where they have several cool shirt designs 🙂

Excuses, Excuses!

Today is Day 3 of my Whole30 and I’ve got to say that the first three days has NOT been easy. My brain has come up with all kinds of crazy excuses to eat “just one bite of this or that”. I feel like I’ve been one huge craving monster for 3 days straight. . .I know it gets better, and this knowledge will help pull me through to the “smooth sailing” part. . . but I have to say this is BRUTAL!

For the record – I’m still sick as a dog. I’ve got the flu that just will NOT GO AWAY! I have never been this sick for this long before in my entire life (well, other than when I had mono in high school . . .). The tricky thing about this particular strain of the flu is that I’ll start feeling better and see a light at the end of the tunnel. . . then I’ll get up and start becoming a bit more active and BOOM it comes back with a vengance.

Anyway – yesterday I woke up with horrible, horrible nausea. I couldn’t even fathom eating anything. I think that it was probably my body’s reaction to the Tussionex that the Dr. prescribed to help w/ my cough/chest congestion. It has some Codein in it, and since I usually won’t even take IbuProfin my body tends to react a little more strongly than typical to any kind of medication. . .

After I visited the porcelain god a few times all I wanted to do was eat a nice warm bowl of Cambell’s chicken noodle soup and some saltine crackers. The thought of anything else sent me running for the bathroom again, but for some reason saltine crackers just sounded sooo good to me. I started rationalizing again and saying to myself “You’re sick – you have to eat something and if saltine crackers are all you can keep down, then you should eat saltine crackers“. . . but I managed to talk myself down from the ledge with some frozen grapes. Frozen grapes actually worked out really well b/c I could suck on them a little bit and then they were very soothing to my sore throat 🙂

I love my hubby, and he’s only looking out for my best interest of course, but he has said several times “You should really wait until your not sick to go back on that diet“. My reply every time has been “Honey – I’m not going back on any diet. I’m just choosing to only feed my body the whole, nutritious foods that it needs to heal itself. Saltine Crackers have absolutely no nutritious value and will not do anything to help me heal any faster.” And of course he supports my decision, but I still see him shaking his head every now and then as I go on another coughing jag!

I think the fact that I haven’t been able to work out in nearly 2 weeks is just compounding things – you know how when you work out, it kindof makes you WANT to eat healthy because you don’t want to undo all of the hard work in the gym with a Snickers Bar? Well, absent that post-workout healthy eating urge, my cravings seem to be a bit worse.

Okay, I’m done throwing my little pity party now! The good news is that I am on Day 3 and going strong. I have made up my mind that nothing is going to “throw me off the wagon”, and hey, I can’t stay sick forever right?!?!? The end to this funk is just around the corner, and I can only imagine how good feeling “healthy” will feel after having been in the sicko trenches for 2 weeks 🙂

I’ll leave you with this little cartoon, which I found particularly funny given the time of year, and my current health

Okay – Vacation’s Over!

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I know I’ve been MIA again for a bit, but it’s been for good reason this time 🙂

My husband and I recently celebrated our 10 year anniversary a few months early with a vacation to Jamaica. I didn’t post anything about it ahead of time because I try to be “smart” about the kinds of personal info that I put out there for the world to see. . .:)

Anyway, we spent an amazing 10 days in Jamaica from November 13th through the 21st. We stayed at an all inclusive resort, and I made the concious decision ahead of time that I would try to make the majority of my meals Paleo Compliant, but would allow myself a few desserts and sugary frozen drinks. I also decided that I would workout most of the days of vacation because I actually ENJOY working out, and it’s not a “chore”.:)

Vacation was AWESOME, and I did stick to my plan for the most part. Most of my meals were made up of only lean meats, fresh veggies, and delicious fresh fruits. I wasn’t as careful about sauces and seasonings as I would typically be at home, but I did avoid any sauces/seasonings that were obviously cream or milk based or overly processed. Most everything on all of the menus was comprised of WHOLE FOODS and it was very yummy. I never had a problem asking for veggies to be subbed for starchy carb sides.:)

Where I went off-track a little bit was on the desserts. . . . yikes. I had slayed my sugar demons back in August but I woke them up with a VENGENCE on vacation! I found myself eating desserts (albeit small ones) after almost every lunch and dinner. . . so while the actual MEAL was Whole and Natural. . . the desserts were most definitely not!:)

As I said earlier, I had already planned on eating a few desserts, so I didn’t beat myself up over this stuff (even though I ate considerably more desserts thant I had planned). I truly believe that you have to live your life to the fullest. I made a very personal decision to stray from my typical eating habits while on vacation, and I did this guilt-free. . . although I do have to say that my digestive track gave me a hard time over it! I had planned to do another Whole30 round starting the day that we returned from vacation in order to put a stop to the sugar cravings that I would have undoutedly re-awakened, and get myself back on the right track. (More on this in a moment!):)

As for drinks, I did drink a ton of water, but also drank my fair share of drinks with various liquors and fruit juices. . . I’ll leave it at that.:)

As for working out – I did work out the first 5 mornings of our trip and it was AWESOME! Burpees on the beach in Jamaica suck just as much as burpees in the back yard – but the scenery was a heck of a lot better! By the end of the vacation though, I found myself staying up later, drinking a bit more at night, and failing to drag my lazy butt out of bed . . .I didn’t officially “work out” the last 3 days, however I did play 3-5 agressive games of beach volleyball daily, so that’s got to count for something! :):)

The day before we left my hubby and I started feeling a little bit icky, and by the time we got home we had come down with a full fledged case of the flu. And this is the Flu that would just not die! We were sick as dogs from the 22nd through the 27th. . . we’re both just starting to feel human again today.

As I mentioned earlier, I had planned on going back to strict Paleo the day we returned home, but the Flu threw a wrench in my plans. I’m guilty of “justifying” an extra week of junk eating with “rational thoughts”. Looking back it was stupid and I probably would have recovered more quickly on a diet of whole, natural foods . . . but my “justification” was that I felt like crap and was running a 102 degree fever and couldn’t even contemplate drumming up the energy to go grocery shopping and prepping a bunch of food. So I picked up a ton of soup, a turkey, and **gulp** some ice cream (for our sore throats . . .some justification, huh?) Not exactly “Whole” foods. . .

So here I sit after 10 days in Jamaica of splurging, and then another 7 days at home eating “sick” foods that were most definitely not Paleo. . . and I feel nasty inside. And not from the flu!

Of course the fact that I’ve been entirely too sick to work out for the last week doesn’t help matters either!

But it’s time to put down my foot and say enough is enough!

I’m starting another Whole30 on Monday Morning (yes, tomorrow!) – and can’t wait! I am aware that this will take me through Christmas, but I’m A-Okay with that 🙂 I’m actually looking forward to preparing a Whole30 compliant Christmas dinner to show my hubby that it CAN be done!

If anyone wants to start on Monday with me, let me know, and we can help keep each other accountable 😉

Oh, and here’s proof of those burpees on the beach:

Why?

Why Do I Live the Paleo Lifestyle?

I remember when I did my first round of the Whole30 Program in July, I had a TON of people ask me why in the world I would “put myself through that”.

When I say a TON of people, I’m not exaggerating in the slightest. Family, Friends, CoWorkers, Waitresses in Reastaraunts. . . . . No one could understand my motivation.

I tried explaining myself, but most people just shook their heads and said “Well you’re crazy, but good luck!” (By the way – when I get called “crazy” from time to time – I take it as a compliment. . . it means I’m different – and I want to be different! Who wants to a carbon copy of everyone else?!?)

At the time, I had a ton of reasons for wanting to “Put myself through it” ranging from health issues to vanity reasons. After about two months of strict Whole30 Compliance, I sat myself back down and re-evaluated the reasons that I have chosen this way of eating. I am one of those people that won’t do something unless I understand WHY it is that I’m doing it. In other words, I have to understand the Why? behind the How? before I can fully commit to a decision.

So what are my personal reasons for choosing to stay Paleo?

#1: Prevention of Autoimmune Disease

  • Autoimmune disease runs rampid in my family. It would be easier to list the autoimmune diseases that DON’T run in my family than to try to list the ones that DO. But a short list of the biggies include: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), Interstitial Cystitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Autonomic Neuropathy, Ulcerative Colitis, and Thyroid Disease. Additionally, adult onset Diabetes and Osteoporosis are also prevalent in my immediate family.
  • I love my family dearly and I hate to see them suffer with the pain that these diseases cause. I would do anything that I could to make it go away for them. Unfortunately, I don’t have the power to take their diseases away, but I am going to do everything in my power to prevent the onset of these diseases in my future.
  • The elimination of Grains, Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Nightshades, Legumes, and Artificial Sweetners has been linked to the remission of many auto-immune diseases, and there are a ton of studies out there that suggest that adhering to a diet free of these inflammatory foods can prevent the onset of autoimmune diseases in people that are pre-disposed to them. THIS is the BIGGEST reason that I have chosen to follow the Paleo Diet for life! My health and quality of life is worth a little “inconvenience” when it comes to finding and preparing approved foods!

#2 – I Feel Better!

  • My personal experience has shown me that I feel like a million bucks when I adhere to a strict Paleo Diet. I have all kind of digestive problems that all but dissapear when I’m “strict”. My mood in general is better, I have more energy, I sleep better. . .I just plain feel better. MUCH better. So much so that I can’t imagine ever going back to feeling like I did before!
  • I honestly didn’t think that I was “sick” or that I didn’t feel good before. But in comparison to how I feel now, I realize that I was tired, sluggish, and drained most of the time. When you’ve felt like this for a really, really long time, it just becomes “normal” to you, and you forget what really and truly feeling GOOD feels like!

#3 – I’m Vain!

  • Yep – you heard that right – I’m admitting it. I’m Vain. I look and peform SO MUCH better when my diet is dialed in. . . . and I like that! And you know what? I like it when people notice it too! I love the feeling of squeezing into a pair of jeans that I couldn’t get my big toe into 3 months ago. And I don’t ever want to experience the feeling of having those jeans get too tight again! I like going to the beach and not worrying about taking off my shorts and exposing my cellulite! I love setting PR’s in the gym and watching my strength increase. I love watching the little “turkey neck” that I had under my chin dissapear (no more gobble gobble!!), and watching my abs show up a little more each week. Lastly, I love that for the first time since I was a teenager, I’m 95% acne free.

Well, those are my PERSONAL responses to all of the “Why’s”. These reasons may or may not motivate you to try or stick with a Paleolithic Diet. I have found that it’s not worth doing unless I want to do it and have good, solid reasons to fall back on when I have a moment of weakness and really want a DQ blizzard. . . 🙂
So if you’re considering trying a round of the Whole30, or you’re finishing it up and trying to decide if you’re going to make this new way of eating a way of life – do yourself a favor and do a little self-reflection. Determine what YOUR reasons are for wanting to eat this way – write them down – and pull them out to remind yourself from time to time.

Paleo-ized Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala (Paleo-ized Version)

I stumbled across this creation in my kitchen earlier this week, and it turned out REALLY great, so I thought I’d share!

Ingredients:
2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb Coconut Oil
1.5 lbs Organic Free Range Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size cubes
1 Sweet Onion
2 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 (14.5 oz) can Organic Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup Coconut Milk (FULL FAT!)
1/2 Tb Arrowroot powder
Sea Salt to taste

Directions:
  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and liemon juice; cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink (about 10 minutes). Add all of the spices except red pepper and cook/stir 1 minutes

  2. Stir in tomatoes and mix well. In a small bowl, stir together coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and salt until smooth. Gradually stir coconut milk mixture into skillet. Stir in Red Pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.

This dish was slightly ethnic and spicy and just what I was craving on a crisp fall evening. . . I served mine with “Curry Fried F’rice” – an amazing cauliflower recipe by Melissa Joulwan.

Oh, and no – the serving size on the plate did not even cut it. . . I ended up going back for another generous serving of the “Fried F’rice” to sop up more of the yummy Tikka Massala sauce with!

Update on my Paleo Progress

I know I’ve been neglecting my blog again, so it’s time for another update –

I’ve stayed strict Paleo with very few exceptions since the end of July when I began my Whole30 journey. I found that this kind of nutrition just “works” perfectly for me, and I don’t want to mess with a good thing! The only exceptions that I have made:

  • I have made an absolutely “to-die-for” marinara sauce from scratch and used a little bit of red wine in the recipe. I wanted to see if I felt any ill-effects from it, and fortunately I did not – and the sauce was AMAZING!! I served it over some calamari, steamed shrimp, broccoli, and kelp noodles. . YUM! So I’m going to allow myself to use a little wine for cooking from time to time going forward. This isn’t going to be a daily thing, but more like a “once=or-twice-a-month” kind of thing. Of course this wouldn’t be condoned during a Whole 30 stint, but I’m in “maintenance mode” at this point 🙂

  • A week or so after cooking with red wine, I decided to have one glass with dinner. I nice medium-rare grass fed steak paired perectly with a glass of Merlot. I had only one glass, and had no desire to go back for a second or third glass – it just served as a great complement to an awesome dinner. Again, I felt no ill-effects that evening or the next day, so I have decided to allow myself the occasional glass of red wine with dinner – but again, this will not be a regular thing – only once every month or so as a special treat.
  • I competed in Oktoberfest Obliteration II at CrossFit Champions this last weekend. I had been perectly strict with no cheats whatsoever other then the wine mentioned above up to this point, so I decided a few weeks ago that I would treat myself to a frozen yogurt after the competition. They have an awesome Frozen Yogurt chain called “FreshBerry” in Houston, and a girlfriend and I swung in after a grueling day of competition. I ordered a regular size yogurt w/ shredded unsweetened coconut as a topping. . . and it was just what the Dr. ordered! My tummy was admittedly a little upset for the rest of the evening – no doubt due to the re-introduction of dairy. As a result I do not plan to indulge in frozen yogurt on a regular basis – maybe just once or twice a year as a special treat. . .

  • Lastly – over the weekend, my hubby baked some sugar cookies. . . they smelled SO GOOD and I managed to resist them all weekend long. . but had a moment of weakness this morning and decided I would have just one. . . Oh My Goodness. . . NEVER AGAIN!!! Gluten is definitely something that I do not have any desire to re-introduce into my diet, even as an occasional treat. My stomach has been screaming at me ALL DAY LONG – I’ve literally been doubled over in agony several times. Lesson Learned though! And the good news is that I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to eat any more of those darn things, and now fully remember why I cut that stuff out of my diet in the first place!

So since I did a “Whole60” from July 29th – September 29th, with the exception of the Edamame slip-up around day 28. After 60 days of 100% compliance, I’ve “tested the waters” just a few times (listed above) to see what does and does not affect me negatively. I’ve found that I can cook with wine occasionally, or have a glass with dinner from time to time but don’t plan to make a habit of it – I’ll only splurge here occasionally as a special treat byt outside of this I plan to pretty much stick to Whole30 principles for my day-to-day life.

So how has the last 75-ish days of Paleolithic nutrition affected me?

Mentally, I feel clearer and more “in tune” than I have in ages. I’m leaner than I’ve been in a long time, and my performance has finally started to come back up in the gym. I did have the complicating factor of some thyroid issues that I’m still working to resolve, and this has affected my energy levels, stamina, and recovery ability however I feel like all of these would be even worse than they are if I hadn’t jumped back on the “Paleo Wagon” when I did.

I plan to continue to work to build my strength by focusing on the Strength Programming that Coach Wilkes has provided and limiting my MetCon. Once I have built up some more strength, I’ll gradually add a little more MetCon back in to my routine.

Where Does All of the TIME Go??

I recently received the following question through email, and thought that I’d answer it in a blog post because I think it involves a topic that a lot of people (myself included) struggle with!

Hi Christie, I have read your blog and what you blogged on Whole9. My goal is to get in shape before I turn 30 – the only thing I seem to be having a problem with is Time. I am currently in Chiropractic College and it takes up all of my time. Do you have any advice?

Unfortunately, I know that much of the all of us end up feeling that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. We all have different things that require our time (spouses and children, work, school, workouts, cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, household chores, etc). . . it can be a bit intimidating to consider adding anything to our already full plates! Then we read Robb’s great new book “The Paleo Solution”, and realize that we’re “cock-blocking our fat loss efforts” (his words!) if we’re not getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep a night . . . REALLY Robb??? But I’m different, right? I’m fine on 6 hours, right? Apparently . . . well . . . .NO!!! I’m not. And neither are you.

So what do we do?

Do we give up on trying to eat right and hit up Mickey D’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (hey, it’s quick, cheap, and easy, right??)

Or do we take the time to cook nice healthy meals at the expense of letting our workout time slide into never-never land?

Or do we ignore our schoolwork and procrastinate constantly, stressing ourselves out of our minds at the last minute to finish assignments with all-nighters because we HAVE to fit in our workout and meal preparation at all costs?

Or maybe we call our bosses and tell them that we’ll be working 5 hour days from now on because time spent in the office has fallen below time spent in the gym and in the kitchen and catching our Zzz’s on our own personal prioritization scales.

Seriously – these are some of the options that have run through my mind, even if only in a sarcastically joking self-speak kind of way. I mean, what in the heck ARE we supposed to do when we run out of hours in the day? Where do we draw the line, and how are we expected to set priorities when EVERYTHING is a non-negotiable priority?

Here are a few things that I’ve done in the past that resulted in an epic FAIL:

  • I’ve prioritized my health (workouts and meal prep) over my schoolwork. I procrastinated to epic lengths only to find myself pulling all-nighters out of my butt in order to meet my deadlines. The result? Cortisol levels THROUGH THE ROOF due to lack of sleep, and the extreme amount of pressure resulting from the rapidly approaching deadline. I ended up turning in a poor quality paper with weak references because let’s face it – no one does their BEST work when they’re sleep deprived and stressed to the max. Then after turning the paper in, it took me at least a week to get my sleep schedule straightened back out. . .not fun at all. I was a big hot mess.

  • I’ve sacrificed “healthy eating” in order to make some extra time in my day. When I didn’t have to plan or prepare meals or go grocery shopping, it freed up an average of 1-2 hours a day and more on the weekends. For about 3 months, my diet consisted of primarily fast food. Really. It started innocently enough with a Subway salad . . . then I graduated to daily Subway Subs. Then I started adding the obligatory Cookie. Before I knew it, I was eating Big Macs, Bean Burritos and DQ Blizzards for Lunch and Dinner, and skipping breakfast most days. They’re not kidding when they say that fast food is addictive. I justified this in my mind by working out harder. I was religious about my workouts and for a little while I maintained my weight. The first thing that I noticed was that my workout performance and strength started to decrease. . then the jeans got tight. . then I couldn’t button the jeans. . . that was the last straw for me. Whole30 to the rescue and by the grace of God I was able to turn it around. But not without a lot of work and willpower!

  • I’ve sacrificed sleep so that I can fit in everything else. M – F I’d get up at 4:45am for my MetCon at the gym. Then off to work. I’d squeeze my Oly Lifting in on my lunch break, and then head back to the gym to help coach classes in the evenings. I’d walk in the door at 7pm, and cook dinner. I’d end up eating around 8pm which made going to bed before 10 or 11pm an absolute impossibility. After a few months of this the sleep deprivation really started to catch up to me.

Through trial and error, I’ve found that the only thing that really works for me is prioritization, pre-planning, and refusing to over-commit myself. I have found that when I’m able to “control” the Workout and Eating Right parts of my life, everything else kind of falls into place. When I start to lose control of my “routine and schedule” surrounding workouts and meal prep, everything else spins hopelessly out of control as well. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to happen like this Every Single Time.

So here’s some time-management steps that I have found helped me when trying to squeeze everything in. I know that these won’t apply to everyone, but hopefully they help at least one or two people de-stress their lives just a little! Life is too short not to enjoy every minute of it!

  • Put ME first, and don’t over-commit – I know this sounds selfish, but it’s got to be done if I want to maintain my sanity. I had to look at my life, evaluate which of my responsibilities/commitments I absolutely had to do, and which ones I could cut out or scale back without the world coming to an end.
  • Consider cutting back on your workouts – you may just be overtraining! If you’re always feeling tired and run-down and begin to get the point that you’re not looking forward to every single workout, it may be a good idea to cut a day or two out and see how your body reacts. This will free up more of your valuable time for other stuff too!

  • Plan Ahead – Schedule/Plan your meals and time commitments a week in advance. I sit down every Sunday Morning and figure out what I’m cooking for lunch/dinner for the entire next week (breakfasts are usually left-overs). Then, I make a grocery list from my meal plan and walk through the house to make sure I add any other things like toiletries, cleaning supplies, and dog food to the list. There is nothing that is a bigger waste of time than making multiple trips to the grocery store in a single week because you forgot “one thing” that you must have. After I’ve planned my meals and made the grocery list, I pencil out a daily schedule for the week. I write in MetCon times, Oly Lifting times, Meal Prep Times, Work hours, Coaching Hours, SLEEP HOURS, Famiy time, grocery shopping time, and any additional commitments that I have that particular week. Some weeks I have more commitments than others, and I can see from the start that I won’t be able to fit in everything. So I cut out a workout or two or maybe reduce family time by an hour one day in order to make everything fit in. By planning out my schedule at the start of the week, I don’t feel stressed mid-week when I’m trying to cram everything in and just run out of hours in a day. Missing a workout every now and then (and scheduling it that way!) is not going to be as detrimental to my health as running myself into the ground.
  • Take advantage of left-overs! I cook for 2, however most meals that I make, I scale up to serve at least 4. This way I can use leftovers for breakfasts and lunches and often only end up having to physically prepare one meal per day.
  • Make the Crock-Pot your best friend! CrockPot cooking is healthy because it slowly cooks the meat and the meat is not exposed to much air during cooking. This reduces the oxidation and the amount of free-radicals created by cooking meat! Not only is it healthy, but it’s such a big time saver. . . and most crock-pot meals are big enough to feed my husband and I at least twice! There are a million recipes out there on the internet, so just plug in a Google search for “Paleo Crock-Pot Recipe” and let the internet work it’s magic! Since I’m talking about time-saving tips – they make these things called “crock-pot liners”. They are made by Reynolds, I think. They’re great, and significantly reduce the cleanup time!
  • Dedicate a block of 2-3 hours at least once a week for “Food Prep”. My block of time is usually on Sunday night. During this time period, I make the following:

    • PWO Sweet Potato/Egg White Puffs
    • Spinach “Muffins”• Big Vat of Guacamole
    • Hard Boiled Omega-3 Eggs
    • I bake a pan of chicken tenders with whatever spices I’m “feeling” at the moment
    • I cook one lb of GrassFed Ground Beef
    • I Dice/Chop lots of veggies for use in meals during the week: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Celery, Jicama
    The preparation of these items sets me up for the week with:

  • • My PWO Meals (Sweet Potato Egg Puffs)
    • a handy veggie snack that I can just grab and go with or add to a breakfast/lunch/dinner that’s a little low on the green stuff (Spinach Muffins)
    • Guacamole which I use as a snack (dip carrots or Jicama in it), and on my eggs in the morning, and on salads at lunch, and sometimes I’ll even slather some on a chicken tender for an in-between-meal fix.
    • Hard Boiled Eggs (O3 Variety) which are a great protein/fat source – I’ll add them to salads or just grab one with a chicken tender and a spinach muffin or 2 for a quick meal on the go,
    • Chicken Tenders which are a great protein source that I can grab on the go or add to salads, or serve as lunch or dinner in a pinch w/ a bag of veggies steamed in the microwave.
    • GF Ground Meat – I’ll mix this with some Guac and throw it on a salad (or eat it right out of the bowl), or I’ll sauté it for a quick moment with some broccoli slaw and a poached egg for a quick and easy breakfast.
  • Take advantage of Pre-Cut Veggies – I L-O-V-E Broccoli Slaw!! It’s just fresh shredded broccoli hearts, cabbage and carrots in a bag. This stuff is SUCH a timesaver. I use it all the time to add veggies to my breakfast (just throw it in a skillet for a moment and top w/ a poached egg or two and some avocado). It also makes a really quick skillet meal or dinner – in literally less than 10 minutes. Throw it in a skillet w/ a meat and seasoning of your choice – cook until the meat is done, and that’s it!

Well, that’s all the tips I have off the top of my head, but hopefully that helps! I’m not in school any more, but I do remember how stressful things were when I was trying to juggle my coursework along with a full time job, family time, and a healthy fitness/eating plan. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to do the best that you can, and not beat yourself up if you fall a little bit short every now and then. But seriously – preparation and planning is the key! A few hours on a Sunday prepping some basic stuff saves me HOURS of work and an unlimited amount of stress and lost sleep during the week.

Good Luck!