The Paleo Diet

I just dipped a stick of celery in the Cookie Butter and now I am ready to talk about The Paleo Diet. The diet that seems to be the new "hot trend" in becoming healthier and slimmer. Some even say you don't even need to workout or exercise if you jump on the Paleo bandwagon and you will lose weight and be healthy. Stop working out to become healthy? Uh um...excuse me?! I'm pretty sure regular exercise is one of the healthiest things you can do for your heart and body combined with eating a balanced and nutritious diet.

I just finished watching this video about The Paleo Diet. I get the concept, it makes sense. Eat like a caveman. Mostly meat and veggies and a little bit of fruit and nuts. But no whole grains? That is where I get caught up. I think eliminating whole grains out of your diet is not completely balanced either. I think there needs to be a middle ground here.

The video points out that we need to eat more like our ancestors but there is also the added complexity and very obvious change in lifestyle. We do not spend all day hunting and gathering, as caveman did, which is a very active lifestyle. Instead, we order our food in our cars and eat in our cars because we are a very busy, fast paced, and technology based generation. In fact, most Americans spend the majority of their day on their computer or phone...not hiking around looking for their next meal to survive!

However, one thing I do like about The Paleo Diet is that it's simple. I like easy and simple! I enjoy trying to live a simple, almost slower paced lifestyle in this very busy world. It makes me happy.  That is why I'm convinced I need to just live on the coast and become a beach bum.

Anyways, it's simple! All you need to eat for dinner is a cut of chicken or whatever meat you like and some healthy vegetables. And because what you are eating is so clean and simple you can eat as much as you want. There is no counting calories or portion control here because you are eating "good" calories instead of "bad" calories. So I believe 100% if you are counting calories to lose wieght right now...STOP IT! Just be smart about what you put in your mouth. Eat "SANE" foods as it points out in the video and eat until you are too full for dessert.

My cousin started counting calories to lose weight recently and he posted on a Facebook about a month ago... "It makes me physically angry that avocados have so many calories. I know they have good fat and blah blah blah but the calories! Why?!?"

Why would anyone even question eating something so whole, and so fresh and so healthy?! That is what makes me physically angry! Let's get educated people on what is healthy and okay to eat and stop worrying about calories. Our bodies need calories to survive. It's healthy and it's sane. Do not starve yourself of healthy food! I can only question what he ate instead of the avocado?

Well, I just ran out of celery so my finger will have to do for now. Thanks for listening to me vent. I'd like to hear your thoughts...

Eggplant Parmesan

I have not done a lot of cooking with eggplant so this was a total experiment. I think eggplant is a beautiful botanical piece of fruit. The color is gorgeous and the flavor is delicious! I would consider this recipe a success because even my kids liked it...that is always a plus when you can make a nice dinner that even your kids will enjoy. I'm not good at following a recipe and doing exact measurements. I am a firm believer in cooking to taste. So adjust as needed to your liking.

 First, cut the eggplant into about 1/4 to 1/2 inches slices and place on a paper towel. Salt both sides and cover with another paper towel. Let sit while you prepare the three bowls. Bowl #1: flour, fresh ground pepper, and garlic powder. Bowl #2: Egg whisked with milk. Bowl #3: Bread crumbs. 

Dip each slice of eggplant first, in the flour (gently shaking off any excess), then in the egg, and lastly in the bread crumbs. Lay flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle melted butter over the tops and bake for 10 minutes in 400 degree oven. 

While eggplant is baking, boil a pot of water for your noodles and make sauce. To make sauce, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is clear. Add canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and season to taste with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 5-7 minutes.

When eggplant has baked for 10 minutes, pull out of the oven and top with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. 

Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and set aside.

Serve tomato sauce over pasta with eggplant on the side. Serve with a side of salad and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant, sliced and lightly salted
White flour
Freshly ground pepper
Garlic powder
1 egg, whisked with milk
Bread crumbs (I used Italian Style)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated

Sauce:
Olive Oil
3/4 Onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
1 roma tomato, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning
Salt

Fettuccine pasta, cooked

Once again, I apologize for not having measurements. But just make it to taste...you cannot mess this up!

Relationships with Food

source

What is your relationship with food? There are three types...

Love.
Love/Hate.
Hate.

I believe your relationship with food is directly correlated with what you are consuming.

If you love food you probably eat a very healthy and balanced diet full of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, and whole grains. These types of foods are fuel for your body. They leave you feeling full and give you the energy you need to get through your day.

If you love/hate food then you are probably eating a lot of quick and easy or convenient foods that are not the most nutritious and leave you feeling full but sluggish. These foods might include unhealthy snacks that come in crinkly packages, processed meats, white bread, etc. They just don't have the nutritional value to give you energy and you might be finding yourself drinking a caffeinated beverage around 3 pm for extra energy.

If you hate food then you are probably eating "too healthy" (extreme dieting) or eating extremely unhealthy. Either extreme will leave you hating food. For example, there is nothing worse than looking at something you want to eat but having to say, "Oh, I can't eat that, it doesn't fit with my... fill in the blank (whatever extreme diet you might be trying at the time)."

I used to have a love/hate relationship with food. I used to eat things that if I ate too much of would definitely make me fat. Now I try to choose foods that I can eat as much as I want because they are good for me and will not make me fat. I can now eat my entire meal and not feel guilty afterward because what I am eating is completely healthy and full of nutrition. I don't deprive myself of treats. I like treats. I tend to get a sweet tooth after meals and I am okay with having a treat every now and then without feeling guilty. I am not afraid of eating carbs. Whole grains are healthy and we need that balance in our diet. I am also not afraid to eat meat. Meat has fat in it, but it is healthy in moderation.

All things in moderation and balance are key! A good reminder of this can be found in Doctrine & Covenants Section 89. In February of 1833 revelation was given to a Prophet of God about this very topic.

Let us not forget the blessings that come from following the Word of Wisdom...

Health, wisdom, treasures of knowledge, energy, and the destroying angel shall pass by...what more can you ask for?! (D&C 89:18-21)

Kale and White Bean Soup

My husband would kill me if I ever decided to implement "Meatless Monday."

"It's not a meal if it doesn't have meat," he says.

But every once in a while I can sneak in a vegetarian meal that he is okay with. I want to share one with you that I began making just a few years ago. My neighbor (who has since moved) had the most beautiful garden and she was not afraid to grow anything. One year she grew kale. I had never cooked with kale but this is a fabulous recipe that uses it. And now I love kale and try to use it in other recipes. The original recipe (and photo) came from Whole Foods.

Ingredients:

2 Tbls olive oil

1 C diced yellow onion

4 cloves garlic, chopped

32 oz. vegetable broth

4 C packed chopped kale

1 (14.5 oz) can diced italian style tomatoes

1(14.5 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add vegetable broth, kale, tomatoes and carrots. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add the beans and heat thoroughly.

So easy, so yummy, and so good for you!

Xagave Granola

Ingredients:
12 packets plain instant oatmeal (4 cups)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (and/or 1/2 cup coconut flakes)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup xagave
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl mix the oats, almonds (and/or coconut), brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small saucepan warm the oil and xagave. Whisk in vanilla. Pour the liquid over the oat mixture. Stir gently. You may need to finish mixing by hand. Spread granola evenly into two 9x13 Pyrex pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 10 minutes). Remove from oven and cool completely. Once cooled you can add in raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips.

Eat it plain, serve with milk, or over greek yogurt...yummy! 

Not your regular diet tips...

I have never tried a "diet" plan. I simply don't believe in it. I don't agree with cutting things out of my diet and don't think it's good for anyone else to do either. I think the best way to stay healthy is to eat a balanced diet. Call me old fashioned but it's true.

Because I simply don't like to diet, I've learned a few other "tricks" that do not require cutting anything out of a healthy, balanced diet but just might help you stay a bit slimmer. These are things I think about and try to do regularly.

1. Brush your teeth. Hopefully you already do this every morning and night. But if you want to try to eliminate afternoon snacking for example, then try brushing your teeth after lunch. Or if you tend to snack all day long then try brushing immediately after every meal. Once your teeth are cleaned you will be less likely to "dirty" them up again if you come across an unhealthy snack when you are not really hungry.

2. Chew gum. If you are the type of person that likes to snack a lot chances are you like to keep your mouth "busy". Try keeping your mouth busy with gum instead. Less calories, and fresh breath. I will chew minty flavored gum to get the fresh clean teeth if I am not home to brush and I will chew something sweet and fruity if I have a sweet tooth but definitely don't need to consume any more treats.

3. Workout. This is obvious for the reason that you are burning calories and therefore are able to eat more calories through out the day. But have you ever noticed that when you are working out regularly, you tend to crave healthier foods? I do, for sure! That's not to say I never get a sweet tooth craving when I've worked out...I still like my treats. But for the most part I do not come home after a hard workout and sit down and think, "Man, I could really go for a donut right about now." Usually I will come home, drink a lot of water and then eat something healthy and nutritious because that is what my body craves after a workout. Amazing phenomenon!

4. Wear tight clothes. Ha ha! I can't believe I'm writing this because I pretty much wear pajamas or workout clothes all day every day. But seriously, on Thanksgiving day do you wear loose fitting, stretchy clothes so that you can eat more? Well, try doing the opposite...on a daily basis. Maybe if you are wearing more form fitting clothes then you will be more aware of when you are actually full and not over eat.

5. Drink water. It helps to drink a lot of water through out the day. It's been two years since I've given birth to a baby but I still drink out of my big water jug that I got from the hospital. I love that thing! It's good for you and sometimes you will think you are hungry but actually if you drink a glass of water you may find that is all your body really needed. Also, try drinking an entire glass of water before each meal.

6. Stay busy. Do you eat when you're bored? Well, don't get bored. Find another hobby besides eating. And that is all I mean, by stay busy. Because if you are too busy to make yourself a healthy meal then that's not good either.

7. Portion control. When you are full, stop eating. Listen to your body. If you are going to eat ice cream, eat a small portion and enjoy every single bite of it. Or, if you order a pork salad from Cafe Rio, share it with your husband. If your husband is like mine and laughs at the thought of sharing a meal, eat half and save the other half for later.

8. Sleep. Getting lots of sleep and rest is so important to staying fit and healthy. Our bodies need time to recover and we actually are burning calories while we sleep. So if you are up late with a sick or crying baby, don't wake up early to hit the gym. Never sacrifice sleep to workout. Sleep in, take the day off from working out and hit it hard later that day or even the next day.

9. Cleanse. I've never done any crazy cleanses where you don't eat for a week and drink a nasty mixture of things but I hear you lose weight pretty fast. I am definitely NOT recommending that you do that! Remember this is how to lose weight without cutting anything out of your diet. I do, however, recommend Zija. They have a tea cleanse that works like magic. Drink it at night and wake up the next morning and...well, you will be running to the bathroom! Gross, I know. But it works and feels great. You can do it as often as you like. I only do it once a week and I love it.

10. Make your kids eat healthy too. Have you ever made your kids a plate of chicken nuggets and mac n' cheese and then find yourself eating the very same thing along side them? I have, and then I feel disgusting after. So why do we feed our kids that? Feed your kids healthy foods. Don't even buy chicken nuggets and goldfish crackers and then you won't be tempted to eat them. I'm totally guilty of this. I have a picky eater so I still give in and buy crap food. Sometimes I make my kids something and then I'm too lazy to make something else so then I end up eating a whole bowl of mac n' cheese for lunch and it wasn't even good.

11. Listen to your cravings. Generally, if you have a craving it's because your body is lacking something that it needs. So eat what you crave. Now, if you are craving french fries, eat em' but not a large amount. Just stick to the small value menu size. Or think about what it is in the french fry that your body is actually craving then eat a healthier equivalent.

12. Take a daily vitamin. I still take Prenatal vitamins every day as my "daily vitamin". If your body is getting all of the daily nutrients and vitamins it needs then you are less likely to have crazy cravings. Your body has what it needs already.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is yummy. It is packed with protein. I like vanilla for eating and plain for baking. I like it better than "regular" yogurt because I like the thicker consistency. If you have not tried it...you should!

However, have you looked at the amount of sugar that is in your yogurt?! Holy...I am addicted to the vanilla flavor but 27 grams of sugar per serving? Not so good for you.

Like I said, I like vanilla for eating and plain for baking so I usually buy both and have both in my fridge at all times. Instead of eating the sweetened flavor of Greek yogurt that you like all by itself, try mixing it with the plain to cut the sugar in half. That is what I have done and it is still a delicious treat or snack. Top with fresh fruit or homemade granola and there ya go!