Paleo Perfection!

Hello again!

I am back and here to tell you some of the amazing things I have discovered over the last few days! I was strolling the aisles of Trader Joe's as I have done many times before, but this time I had to ignore the ficelle (half baked) bread that was calling my name and look away from the fridge that housed my favorite rice pudding. Instead, I headed for the baking section, in hopes of finding almond flour. As I approached the area, I was disappointed to find no such thing. Instead, were the usual baking mixes that the former-me loved to purchase. Walking down the rest of the aisle, towards the exit, I came across coconut oil on my right! This was totally allowed in my diet. While I was expecting a milky liquid, it looked like some type of solidified white mayonnaise. A bit confused, I was interrupted by another customer. "I am on that diet, too," she told me. I did not know how she knew what diet I was on, only to realize that my Paleo cookbook was loosely hanging on my shopping cart handle. I was so excited to meet someone else who was also doing the diet. She said, "I know the coconut oil looks odd, but it melts as soon as you drop it on the pan. Sunflower oil is also great for frying". Then, she offered me the best advice I could have asked for..."You should go to Green Life Market on Rt. 23 N...if you go in there and mention paleo, the guys won't let you touch anything that isn't!" With that statement, I thanked her, and ran out of TJ's on to my next stop. 

Green Life Market is way farther down Rt. 23 N than I had expected, but it was worth it. I don't think I have ever come across a market that offers so much produce and products that fit into a healthy/diet lifestyle! The guys introduced me to one of their coworkers Julie, who was a Paleo expert. She showed me everything I needed to see. Among the presentations were Paleo Pizza crust, Super Green Guacamole, Almond Thins, Coconut Bread, and Colby Jack Goat Cheese. As I looked around while Julie wrote down some websites to go to, I was simply astounded by the variety of healthy foods that were available. From fresh nut butter to fermented tea to "breakfast balls" (dates, almond butter, cranberries, chia seeds), they had everything under the sun.  As Julie rang me up, she offered me some tips:

• Be really strict during your first 30 days
• No soy milk...it's a legume AND it can increase your risk for breast cancer if it is in your family history
• No flavored seltzer...flavor with citrus instead (lemon/lime)
• If you're on a budget, stick to meat and veggies
• Use date sugar instead of granulated or brown sugar (or honey/maple syrup)

I wanted to share with you some of my purchases...so far, I am really loving them!

• Organic Coconut Butter (plan to use a bit of it with blanched hazelnuts and 85% dark chocolate to make "Not Nutella" (Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield)
• Almond Thins (made of almond flour, flax, and spices)...perfect for dipping into guacamole 
• Miracle Noodle Angel Hair (Zero Calories, Soy Free, Gluten Free, Cholesterol Free, Vegan)...some say nothing in life is for free so I am a bit dubious; although, Julie said they were amazing! I have yet to try them but will let you know
• For dessert: Miracle Tart (Chocolate Raw Almond Butter...made with coconut oil)...it's amazing! I have one little pie piece at a time (it's the size of a homemade cupcake top)...really satisfies my sweet tooth. 
• Super Green Guacamole: The usual with the addition of spinach and something else that starts with a s (I'm so sorry, I can't remember!)
• Organic Lemon Super Cookies (organic coconut, sprouted organic sesame seeds, organic dates, organic lemon oil): These are not bad...I don't think they can replace Girl Scout Lemon Coolers...but they will have to do! These Gluten Free, Wheat Free, and Nut Free cookies are in really small rounds so it is easy to portion control. 

I must also share with you the websites Julie suggested I go to. I have not fully explored these websites, but from the cursory glances, they look quite awesome! PaleOMG seems to be humorous as well! Anyways here is what she gave me:

Check Out:

Google these blogs!

• Mark's Daily Apple
• PaleOMG (side note [by Arlene]: She writes about Mindy Project in one of her posts...SOLD.)
• Nomnompaleo

Read!

Chris Kresser: "Personal Paleo Code" (It's new and amazing!)

Websites for Food

• Steve's Paleo Goods

Restaurants!

Hu Kitchen (Manhattan)

GREEN LIFE MARKET! (Butler, NJ)

Lastly, the Tortilla-less Soup turned out to be really tasty! I think the key was the fresh lime and cilantro. I must admit I am a salta-holic (which is no ally to the Paleo diet)....so I might have added a dash (or three!) to the broth. I'm working on it!

As I end this post, I can tell you that I am six pounds lighter (from when I started)! Although many say you lose 15 pounds in two weeks on the Paleo Diet, I am in no hurry (well, until April...for my cousin, Ania's wedding in London!)

Cheers!

Arlene

Introduction

Hello all!

My name is Arlene and about a week ago, I decided to start the Paleo(lithic) Diet. Why? Well, I had been attending Personal Trainer sessions two times a week, substitute teaching for Zumba in four gyms, and going to the gym on my own for cardio for about 3 months...yet, I struggled to lose weight because of my eating habits. Each time I met with my personal trainer (who is awesome by the way!), I guiltily confessed the food and drinks I consumed. At the end of every session, I would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and discipline. However, due to student teaching stress and other responsibilities, I would lose my focus and eat something way too unhealthy.

You see, food is one of my loves in life. I love to cook, bake, and eat! Nothing makes me happier than having my nana's sorpotel, spending time with all my siblings and parents while relishing my dad's famous steak and basmati rice, trying out a recipe from Paula Deen or Giada De Laurentiis, or grabbing a breakfast-for-dinner at a local diner. Dieting and eating healthy becomes a huge feat when food is such a joy. Food doesn't just satiate my appetite, but it satisfies my soul (maybe that's why they call it soul food...).

Anyways, back to why I chose the Paleo Diet. First off, I decided that I needed something clear cut. I did not want any gray areas that would allow me to bend the rules and do what was convenient for me. My plan to lose weight required a more strict design that would leave no wiggle room. Secondly, I love meat. I don't think I could ever be a vegetarian or even give up meat for Lent, like my father does. The Paleo diet allows for red meat, game, poultry, and pork. The diet prefers you choose grass-fed kinds. Thirdly, the Paleo diet has a long list of foods you CAN eat. Yes, you can't have dairy, gluten, wheat, legumes, refined salt and sugar, alcohol, and processed food and oils...but it is easy to overlook this when you are allowed to have eggs, seafood, avocado, coconut milk, beef, lamb, veggies and fruit (serve as carbs), honey, olive oil; the list goes on!

Another unofficial feature of the Paleo diet is that you can customize it to your lifestyle. For example, you are allowed to have certain types of cheese (in moderation) and bacon. However, because I really want to lose weight, I have decided to cut those out. I allow myself to have something off the list every so often, but it has to be in a very small amount. This means that once in a while, I will treat myself to one Hershey's kiss or nonfat Greek yogurt.

I will admit that there are challenges. Initially, I was so excited to take a step in the right direction, that I did not fully realize what I would be cutting out of my life. I am a bread-and-butter type of gal when going out to restaurants, a wheat-toast-with-butter fan at diners, and a cream-of-mushroom advocate for casseroles. You definitely need to be creative when thinking about meals you can eat. There is one issue that I worry about: when and if I stop doing the Paleo diet once I lose enough weight, will I gain all the weight back with the consumption of carbs and dairy? Another concern...how do I maintain a budget when the diet calls for organic foods and grass-fed meats? I think this is where my customizing comes in...while I will try to look for affordable unprocessed foods, I will also consider what is feasible.

My first step in pursuing this diet was to purchase a recipe book at my favorite place: Barnes and Noble. I chose an illustrated and user-friendly book called Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield. Since then, I have made delicious (bun-less) lamb burgers with rosemary, oregano, and mint. I am planning to make Tortilla-less Soup today, hoping it will last me several days.


With a craving for meatloaf and a plan to use the food in the fridge, I created a sort of turkey bake on Saturday. I cooked ground turkey with yellow onions and red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, I baked turkey bacon with a bit of brown sugar and maple syrup. Then, I made a bbq sauce which was inspired by Food Network's Neely's. It was a mix of ketchup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, hot sauce, mustard, onion powder, and A1 sauce. I coated the turkey and onion with this concoction and then layered the turkey bacon on top. I then baked it for 20 minutes. While I don't think I will ever get used to the potent taste of ground turkey (to me, it's very turkey-ish), the bbq sauce kind of masked the ground turkey. It made for an excellent leftover the next day.

So, through this blog, I hope to share my achievements, challenges, struggles, and recipes with you. While I hope that friends and family read this, a main motive for doing this is to keep myself accountable. I genuinely want to stick to this diet and see results. Because of the Paleo diet and exercise (spin class, elliptical, personal training), I have lost 3 pounds so far. Not a lot, but it's a start!

Wish me luck!

Sincerely,
Arlene