PaleoChix

Okay, last week we left off with weaning ourselves off of the Danger Foods:

Processed foods – Grains – Sugar – Dairy – Beans/Legumes

So now we are going to take it to the next level. Now’s the time to start transitioning from conventional meats to grass-fed, pasture-raised, and wild-caught. And don’t forget the conventional fruits & veggies switching to organic too. Just like Level 1, this can be done a step at a time.

Paleo Level 2

Making the switch from conventional to GF/PR/WC (grass-fed/pasture-raised/wild-caught) and organic fruit & veggies, will be more costly so it’s best to start a little at a time and start foraging for the best place to get your food at the best prices. Paleo is about Food Quality, and Level 2 is just more precise.

Check out local farms for great deals. Don’t know one? That’s okay, go here: http://www.eatwild.com/products/florida.html
This also happens to be a great resource for information on grass-fed.

If there happens to be no farm in your area, then you will have to opt for Health Food stores & grocery stores. Yes, grocery stores. Costco and Publix have a good selection of GF/PR/WC and organics, you just have to look for it. There’s also Chamberlain’s and Whole Foods. Shop around and read labels. It’ll be worth it.

What’s the Big Deal?

Conventional Food  vs.  Organic Food
From Wikipedia: “Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives.”

Okay, seriously, that definition of organic did it for me. I switched. I like my fruit & veggies sans human waste, thank you very much.

Organic tastes better and is better for you. So if you can afford it, then do it. But I understand it’s pricey, so keep in mind that going organic is not “life or death” unless of course you have a serious illness and must reduce the toxins/allergens on/in your food. AND keep in mind, just because it is organic doesn’t mean it’s good for you! An organic donut is still a donut and is NO good for you. Got it?! Okay, moving on…

Conventional Meat  vs.  Organic Meat  vs.  GF/PR/WC
Conventional meat: raised with the routine use of antibiotics & growth hormones; fed a diet of grains; and are caged/farmed.
Organic meat: raised without the use of antibiotics & growth hormones; fed an organic diet of grains; and are caged/farmed.
Grass-Fed/Free-Range/Wild-Caught: means exactly what it says. No antibiotics or growth hormones.; they eat what they were meant to eat (cows-grass, fish-other fish or sea life, chicken-bugs); and they are not caged.

The quality of our food is largely determined by the quality of food that the animal ate; with fruits+veggies, it’s the quality of the growing conditions. It really makes a difference, so try it out. Again, shop around. As a side note, since my meat sources eat plenty of grass and are more nutritious with more vitamin E, C, and beta-carotene… I actually eat less veggies.

Benefits of Grass-fed/Pasture-raised/Wild-caught

In a nutshell, GF/PR/WC meat has less fat, more omega 3’s, more vitamin E, C, B’s, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and CLA. It also tastes better! If you want to read more about the health benefits, go here: http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm

If the above wasn’t enough for you, how about these nuggets:
(Cordain, L. “The Paleo Diet Update” v3, #2)

• Grass-fed animals are lower in saturated fat
  • GF contain as little as 1.2 g saturated fat per 82g serving
  • Conventional contains 8.8g or more saturated fat per 82g

• Grass-fed are higher in protein
  • GF averages 76.5% protein by total energy *
  • Conventional averages 48.7% protein by total energy*

* total energy is simply total caloric amount. therefore (for example), 76.5% of the total calories for said food item was from protein, while 23.5% would be from fat calories. that’s how I read it anyway

Healthy On A Budget

Is there such a thing? of course! Shop for fresh fruits & veggies at your local farmers market or health food store. Most local small farms can’t pay the government to certify them organic, so they don’t get that cool little sticker. Be sure to ask or get to know the farmer. There is a difference between organic pineapple from Hawaii and organic (unlabeled) pineapple from a local farmer… not only in taste & freshness, but in cost!

And like I said at the beginning, check out Costco. Specifically, their New Zealand grass-fed, pasture-raised lamb; their wild salmon burgers; their jumbo bag of frozen organic broccoli; their jumbo bag of frozen berries; and their big jug of almond butter (for $6.00). They all stock differently, so check out a couple if you can.

Make changes where you can. Do the best with what you’ve got (financially). But remember, this is your health that we are talking about. Are there other less important items that you can eliminate? Lose the extra dinner out; the fancy coffee at Starbucks; the cigarettes; that extra pair of shoes. Forgo upgrading your car, your furniture, your house, your wardrobe. Anyone can find the way, as long as the will is behind it.

I spend the most money on health & fitness, because without it, nothing else would matter. How do you enjoy a vacation or your family time… if you are riddled with disease, bad health, always sick, have no energy, or have severe back and joint pain?

Heath & Fitness is where it’s at. And when you are on top of your game, you can be more available to the people you love most and be able to enjoy all the possibilities & adventures that life has to offer.

NEXT WEEK… I’ll cover Paleo Level 3. Oh yes, there is more.

Here’s to your health!!

~Monique

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Did you know that cats are little carnivores?  Any cat owner will tell of the little “gifts” that are proudly brought to the door by their stealthy feline hunters.  I have been presented with many beheaded mice and  voles. (I had to look that up the first time one was dropped at my feet.  After I was done shrieking.  And realized it was dead.)   Natural meat eaters, cats thrive on protein.  In fact, deficiencies of the essential amino acids taurine and arginine will lead to severe health problems in cats.    I want to share my experiment of cooking for and feeding my cats whole food, or Paleo, if you will.  Being that I only have experience with cooking for my cats, this post will focus on just that.   For those of you dog lovers out there, I am not snubbing you!  Cats and dogs have different nutritional needs.  Dogs can have serious health problems like secondary hyperparathyroidism* if they are on all meat diets.     A great brochure on the needs of dogs can be found here, courtesy of the National Academy of Science.    (My brother and sister-in-law have 4 (!) rescued greyhounds that they cook for- I know they use rice and veggies with ground beef and turkey).

Jack and I have 2 cats, Zaida a pretty, haughty female tortoiseshell (is there any other kind?) and Putter, a huge lovable slob of male tabby.  With the exception of a weekend when we were away traveling, (we left them dry food) we have had our kitties eating fresh meat – fish, chicken, beef, pork and eggs, since August.

I researched back in August to make sure that the cats could handle animal protein ( I didn’t know and wanted to make sure, I knew that dogs couldn’t handle it) and I found this little gem, also from the NAS.  “While not essential in the diet, carbohydrates provide an abundant source of energy.”  Essential amino acids, essential fatty acids… nope, you never hear essential carbohydrate, huh?  Things that make you go hmmm.

Yeah, I know, you’re thinking, ” Is she out of her birdcage?  I barely have enough time to cook for myself, let alone my pet!”   Believe me, I thought the same thing.  I actually read bout it in a book, and I thought, “That’s stupid. And time consuming.  And expensive.”

Easy peasy on the time component.  Family size package of chicken thighs, parts, whatever- put ‘em in a dutch oven, cover with water,  set on the back of the stove.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.  No spices, no stirring, no stress.  And if you have a fantabulous enamel coated cast iron dutch oven, there is also no mess.  (Full disclosure:  for all my promotion of their products, I receive NOTHING from Le Cresuet.  Sadly.)

Let the chicken cool, peel the fat off and shred the meat off the bone.  Voila!  Save a few bones.  The cats crack them open and get the marrow out.  Gross yet fascinating.   If you are a parent, you understand this concept well.

Point is, while you are cooking your own food, you can make several no-brainer cat meals in one fell swoop.   Dinner scraps are also another option.  All done with your T-bone steak?  Put it on a plate for your little guy and you will see those sharp little teeth put to good use, gnawing off meat that would have gone into the trash.

Other ideas- canned tuna, salmon with bones, sardines.  While I am not a fan of canned food for either human or animal, let’s face it- it serves a purpose and I do use it from time to time.

Plain scrambled eggs.  Hot wings- I’m not kidding.  Maybe it’s because they’re from Jersey, but these 2 cats eat wings with Frank’s Red Hot.  They also crack their knuckles when they’re done.

Price, ah yes.  The great revelation.  Cooking pet food is cheaper than buying it!  Cost per pound of Friskies dry cat food, which is at the low end of the cat food price spectrum, is 1.09/lb for a 16# bag.    IAMS dry food is 2.59/lb and Science Diet is 3.59/lb.  Canned cat is even more expensive.  Chicken thighs?  Just picked some up .99/lb.  Dark meat is always cheap.  Organ meats are a very inexpensive option as well.

Seafood- scallops, shrimp, fish- these are more expensive options, so I generally just give them leftovers.  I will investigate the fish counter and see if there is some type of scrap fish we can give them.  If you ask at the butcher, and you tell them you are feeding your animals, they will often give you scraps, no charge, or at a very discounted price.

As far as the “stupid” part of cooking for a cat… well.  I chose to give my self and my family nutritious whole foods.  I love my two little ones and consider them part of my family.  They visit the vet annually, I brush them and play with them, why would I give them food that is full of fillers like corn, soy and wheat, when with a bit of forethought, I can give them the protein rich diet they need?   In fact, the vet is happy with their diet, and wished more of his patients owners would cook for them.  They are both in very good health.

Do you cook for your pets, be it a cat or dog?  Any other pet?  What do you make?  How do you fit it into your busy schedule?  The two pics here are my fluffy Zaida.  Like most cats, she only looks evil.

“Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea” –Robert Heinlein

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 One of THE prime reasons I choose a Paleo lifestyle is because it allows me to free myself of the restrictions DECADES of dieting dictated. I can eat within the parameters of Paleo and know I am treating my body well. Weighing and measuring are just not necessary if i’m not training for something. The number on the scale is irrelevant to who I am, and will NEVER dictate my mood. 

  But even with Paleo, there are going to be those that wonder “if I just tweak it enough will I look better/lose the last 5lbs” etc. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but there are warning signs that can go along with that. If you are beginning to worry about chosing between the size of two apples, you may be at risk. If you wonder if you will balloon up after eating a steak as big as your plate, and punish yourself with extended workouts to “rid” yourself of it, you may be at risk. I could go on and on.

 The only problem I have come across with Paleo in regard to ED is this: CHEAT MEAL. “Cheating” implies all sorts of bad things. It’s a CHOICE. In my recovery, I don’t view food as good or bad but rather fuel sources. If they were grades of gas, then processed foods and grains would be the cheap stuff and veggies and meat super premium grade. When I CHOSE to put crap in my body to fuel my tank, I enjoy it, I savor it, but I also know that my engine runs much better on premium. In my house we call them EAT meals. EAT meals are choices. EAT meals are not things we eat because we “deserve” them. Do I really “deserve” nachos? Sounds silly when you put it that way, but thinking of being worthy of eating foods can lead to all kinds of unhealthy emotions. Shame or guilt after going off path is also a red flag that I know a lot of us struggle with.

  I found many wonderful resources on the net including http://nationaleatingdisordrs.org. Here are a few of the warning signs:

*refusing to eat in front of others

*frequent weighing

*preoccupation or anxiety about weight and shape

*eats in ritualistic ways, such as cutting into small piece

*feels faint or dizzy frequently

*has developed cavities or enamel erosion

*calluses across joints or knuckles from induced vomiting

*obsesses about clothing size

*exercises excessively and compulsively

*lies about how much food was eaten

*insomnia or excessive sleeping

*begin to isolate from others to concentrate more and more on food,calories and weight

*low self-esteem and worth

*self berating

If you know someone who has some of these symptoms or fear you may be at risk, please get help immediately (http://edreferral.com) Remember eating disorders aren’t as much about food as they are control – don’t wait until it controls YOU.

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

- Anaïs Nin

*** UPDATE – I have made it to day 10 of kicking my Diet Coke habit!! WOOHOO!!!

Blessings – Cookie

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I own several health and wellness companies and I constantly get approached to sell supplement products.  Phooey I reply, we get our nutrients from the food we eat!  I will not name corporate names, but I do not want your pills, powders and magic creams!

Personally, I take fish oil daily, hang out (with sunscreen) in the Arizona sunshine and get my daily nutrients from the food I eat.  Let me tell you what I know about fish oil: Fish oil comes from fatty fish like  Salmon, Tuna, and Hoki.  Fish Oil is recommended for a healthy diet because it contains omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic  acid (EPA), and  docosahexaenoic acid(DHA), precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body. Fish do not actually produce omega-3 fatty acids, but instead accumulate them from either consuming microalgae that produce these fatty acids, or by eating prey fish that have accumulated omega 3 fatty acids from microalgae.

There are so many studies about the benefits of fish oil that I could go on for days. In my research I found studies supporting fish oil  protecting men from prostate cancer on one end of the spectrum to  supporting  good brain health in preventing Alzheimer’s on the other end of the spectrum.  Personally, my joints benefit from it and I can tell a real difference in my mobility.

But wait you may ask, “Have you heard of the Mercury warnings?”  Yes, and I do spend a few extra dollars to purchase pills that are  purified of mercury, PCBs and many other contaminants.  What should you look for in the product you choose:

Fish oils actually contain two types of omega 3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA.  While they are both important nutrients, you should actually look for a supplement with higher concentrations of EPA.  EPA and DHA are two slightly different forms of omega-3 fatty acid. The body uses them in different ways. There is some debate over which ratio is most therapeutic, but the evidence leans toward more EPA being beneficial. This is because the body is able to convert EPA into DHA as needed, but the reverse is apparently not true.

One exception may be pregnant and nursing women, whose bodies require much more DHA than normal; they may want to go with a supplement containing more DHA.  IF YOUR PREGNANT OR NURSING don’t listen to me TALK TO YOUR DR!!!

For a fish oil supplement to be free of dangerous chemicals, it should be molecularly distilled to remove any additional impurities.

You should  look for products that say they are pharmaceutical grade.  A product that lists that it is pharmaceutical grade and molecularly distilled is much more likely to be free of any potentially harmful chemicals.

Also, look for fish oil supplements that are in capsule form and enteric-coated.

There are two reasons why enteric-coating is a quality you want in a fish oil. One is that it will spare you from experiencing fishy-tasting after-burps, a harmless but unpleasant side-effect experienced by many people who supplement with the oil.

A second reason to look for enteric-coated capsules is that your  body absorbs them more efficiently. Enteric coating is a special material which safely escorts the delicate oils through the acid of the stomach and into the intestines, where they are then safely released. In this way, less of the oil is broken down by the acid, meaning that fewer pills are required for your body to absorb the same amount.

RESEARCH and be a SMART CONSUMER for YOURSELF don’t just take my word!

Do you take fish oil supplements??  Do you agree with me?

Make Tuesday a GREAT day!

Rebe

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Last week I wrote about making shakes. This week I’m doing the same thing, only different! This week is all about juicing. I love my veggies, but I just can’t seem to consume enough of them and since I want to increase my vegetable intake, I decided to investigate Vegetable Juicing. I have to say, that my initial thoughts upon contemplating the word “juicing” turned immediately to either steroids or the old Wheat Grass/Carrot Juicer I used to have to use way back in my first job as a waitress at the Garden of Eatin’! As I’m not into any of those things, I never really thought that Juicing could be anything I’d want to get into, but here I am!

Step One – Acquire a good juicer.

I’ve discovered that my normal blender just doesn’t cut it (literally!) when I want to juice more than a bit of fruit and coconut milk. I have a citrus juicer, but that’s not appropriate for vegetables (and boy, is it messy!), so I went exploring to see what was available that might be appropriate. If any of you dear readers have experience with these or other products, please chime in!  A great choice seems to be the Vitamix mixer which is, shall we say, not cheap. A less expensive, although less powerful, option is the Healthmaster. Both of these allow you to use the whole vegetable, rather than just the juice (with the pulp separated out as a byproduct to throw out) because they are actually blenders, not juicers. There are three kinds of juicers: centrifugal, twin-gear, and masticating. The centrifugal juicer spins the food to separate the liquid from the solid, and results in a smooth juice. The Twin-gear juicer squashes the food in between gears to squeeze the liquid out, and Masticating juicers push the food against a mesh which then squeezes the liquid out. There are MANY kinds of juicers available, some less expensive than these two and some more expensive, so you’ll have to do a bit of your own exploration to determine what might suit your budget and your juicing plans.

Step 2 – Start Juicing!

There are many ways to start life as a juicer. Dr. Joseph Mercola has a great guide to juicing which includes how to progress from “easy to tolerate” veggies to other, more nutrient-dense veggies here.

Best Green veggies to juice include:

Celery
Fennel (anise)
Cucumbers
Leeks
Asparagus

Green leafy vegetables:

Red leaf
Green Leaf
Romaine
Endive
Escarole
Spinach
Cabbage
Chinese Cabbage
Bok Choy
Parsley
Cilantro
Kale
Collard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Mustard Greens

Best red/yellow/orange veggies to juice include:

tomatoes
peppers
carrots
parsnips
radishes

Some important tips are:

Don’t throw away the pulp! You may not be able to consume ALL of it to start with, but it’s an important part of the vegetable and contains plenty of fiber, so start with a little and find the amount that suits you best. If you keep ALL the pulp in, you get a very thick concoction that doesn’t pass well through the tiny opening of a portable drink bottle and might actually require a spoon!  I actually like to vary how “thick” my drinks are.

Make it when you’re going to drink it. Most veggie juices don’t last very long when exposed to air, so don’t plan on making it in the morning and drinking it in the afternoon.

Vary what you juice. Don’t get stuck on the same things over and over – there are so many things you can juice, so many ways to combine ingredients, and it’s really better for you all around if you have some variety.

Go easy on the sweet things. Carrots and beets are very popular, but that’s because they are high in sugars.

Throw in some fat. You can add oils (Omega 3s to balance out your Omega 3 and Omega 6 ratio), coconut milk (everything is better with coconut milk!), and nuts & seeds (macadamia nuts are yummy, as are pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds). Seeds might need to be ground up first, depending on your mixer.

How about a dollop of protein? I have my trusty EggWhites from EggWhites International; you could, if you are still eating Dairy, add a scoop of Whey-based protein powder.

Go wild! Add more weird stuff! You can toss in herbs, spices, a clove of garlic, lemon juice, ginger, vanilla, a spoonful of Chlorella or Spirulina.

Here’s a great recipe from HealingDaily.com, which has a ton of juicing recipes here (not all are Paleo-friendly so read carefully!).

Super 8 juice

1 kale leaf
1 collard leaf
small handful of parsley
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot, greens removed
1/2 red pepper
1 tomato
1 broccoli floret
celery stalk for garnish

Step 3 – Expand your horizons!

There are many good books and websites that are all about juicing. Go exploring, read their ideas, try some of them out, and see what you like. Remember, most of those sources are not coming from a Paleo perspective, so you’ll have to wear your critical reading hat and ignore or modify recommendations or ingredients that don’t suit the Paleo lifestyle; nevertheless, there are some great sources of information and inspiration available, including these:

JuicingBook.com

Herbal Home Remedies

Health Benefits of Vegetable Juices and how to prepare them for juicing

Let’s hear some “juicy” comments today, all right Chix?

Hope you all have a wonderful day

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As with Crossfit training, the Paleo diet can be scaled down accordingly for every individual. Most people cannot just jump right in with 100% strict Paleo. In my gym, CrossFit Evolution, I have found that a better way is to dial in each individual. Seek to improve upon your current diet and strive to make it cleaner & better, by setting new food goals, every 1-2 weeks.

First, A Few Ground Rules

You must start a food log. You will always get to your destination faster if you have a map, know where you are starting, and know where you are going. You need more than a lofty goal, you need a game plan. Keep the food log simple. Use 1 page per day. Record the time you ate, what you ate, and how much of it you ate. This is the very basic and first requirement.

Get yourself a regular notebook or journal to work as your logbook. Pick up a cheap food scale from the “household” aisle of your local grocery store, it’s about $10.00. Read up on the “Paleo cliff notes” to get a basic starting point, buy the book “The Paleo Diet” (the only one I recommend because it is written by the World’s leading expert on Paleolithic diets), or visit his website for the best current information and published scientific research.

If you want to know WHY you should eat Paleo, here’s the “WHY Paleo cliff notes” . Start recording everything you eat & drink into your log, start NOW. Even if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be eating. You need to see clearly what you are actually eating every day. After about 3 days of recording, you should be able to see where your trouble spots are. Now, let’s improve your diet.

Pyramid of Danger

The Paleo diet end goal is to eliminate Processed Foods, Sugar, Grains, Dairy, & Legumes/Beans from your daily diet. And I placed them in a specific order I call the Pyramid of Danger. Eliminate these groups a step at a time.

Processed Foods

Real food doesn’t come from a box or a can. The toxic chemicals used to preserve it, the added salt and/or sugars do not need to be in your body. Frozen dinners… read the ingredients label. If you cannot pronounce something or you don’t know what it is… don’t eat it. Simple ingredients are always better than chemicals. Eliminate the processed foods from your diet first. Cook large batches of quality foods and then pack into tupperware. Store in the fridge or freezer and now you have a healthy frozen dinner that YOU made.

Sugar

There is nothing good about sugar. NOTHING! It spikes your insulin levels, making you more susceptible to becoming diabetic, having high cholesterol, stunted growth, inability to absorb nutrients, getting hyperinsulinemia, or just plain old getting fat. Where am I getting this stuff? Go HERE and read the references at the bottom. Sugar is bad stuff! Get it out of your diet. This is #2, because at least it’s not a toxic chemical (unless you eat/drink that made-made sugar, then see #1 above), but it will still lead a sure path to disease and sickness.

Grains

Also called cereal grains, include wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, oats, rye, & millet. Grains are used in cereals, breads, pastas, and used in almost ALL processed foods (read the label!). Grains are not nutritionally balanced compared to fruit, veggies, nuts, and even meat! Our digestive systems and bodies are flat-out not designed to process grains, no more than it can process dirt (and there are some nutrients in that too but why would I want to eat it?).

Grains contain anti-nutrients (phytates) that rob your body of nutrients, like affecting calcium intake. And then there’s gluten containing grains (wheat, oats, rye & barley) and Lectins. Those cause intestinal permeability, which means that your gut lining weakens and food bacteris etc can pass out of the intestines and start floating around the body. All this causes inflammation of nerves & tissues, causes intestinal distress, and can lead to disease when consumed in excess. Read the full article HERE from Loren Cordain, PhD. Lose the grains!!

Dairy

Babies are meant to get milk from their mother, not a cow or a goat. And adults don’t need milk. Most of us lack the enzymes to process it anyway. On top of that, dairy raises insulin levels. I don’t care what the Dairy Council says or even Mark Rippertoe. You don’t need milk!

Why do you think you need it anyway? The protein? You’ll get better quality protein from animal sources. The vitamins & minerals? That’s why you should eat nuts, veggies, & fruit. Worried about osteoporosis? Worry less about calcium intake (you get calcium from fruit & veggies) and worry more about calcium excretion (caused by grains!). Read HERE for more info. Get the dairy out of your diet.

Beans & Legumes

This includes: peas, beans, black beans, kidney beans, green beans, lima beans, soybeans, tofu, peanuts, anything ending with bean or peas. This group contains phytates and lectins, that you read about above in the grain section. So, same problems. They gotta go too.

Level 1 Paleo

It’s tough. That’s why there’s a pyramid to ease you into this. Just keep in mind, I always allow 3 “cheat meals” or “open meals” per week. This allows you to reap the benefits of staying healthy while allowing for a couple indulgences to keep your sanity and have fun, because life is meant to be fun. But you have to be healthy enough to enjoy it!

This is what I call Level 1 Paleo. It’s systematically eliminating unhealthy foods from the daily diet and recording food intake, whatever it is, in a logbook. It’s the first step to success. Eliminate one group at a time. This could be daily, weekly or monthly. Whatever will keep you consistent, on track, and moving forward. If you fall off, just get right back on track. No one is perfect, but we must strive to be healthier, not just for ourselves, but for our families.

At Level 1, I don’t restrict calories. I want the focus to be on food quality. I also advise everyone to eat a minimum amount of protein. The easy method: take your bodyweight; the first 2 digits is the amount of ounces of protein you must eat at a minimum. For example: I weigh 150 lbs. I need to eat at least 15 oz of protein per day. In actuality, I eat about 30 oz of meat (yes, about 2 1/2 lbs). This is because right now, I am training very heavy in prep for the CrossFit FL Sectionals. After competition, I will go back down to about 20 oz. But all that is another level.

Next Friday, I will post Part II. I’ll be talking about Level 2 Paleo and beyond.

~Monique

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I’m curious as to how you approach cooking.  For me, it’s all about the process.  If you saw the movie Julie & Julia, with Julia Child walking around the market stalls in France, delighting in all the different textures and fragrances, well, that’s me.  Except for the clothing.  I dress WAY better.

I’m short too.  I’m also getting distracted.  The point here is that I truly enjoy everything about cooking.  Figuring out the recipe, either by selecting one or making one up.  Shopping for fresh ingredients.  The prep work all the way to the finished product.

But I wasn’t always so in love with cooking.  In fact, ten years ago I wasn’t in love with cooking at all.  I was a decent cook,  barely feeding my family marginally healthy food and just figured cooking wasn’t my thing.  My mom, love her dearly, wasn’t a great cook and I grew up eating bland, overcooked food.  To her credit, my mother raised 11, no- that’s not a typo, that is eleven, as in one short of a dozen, children.  Can you imagine the logistics of planning dinner for such a swarm of children?  To accommodate all the picky palates, she had to appeal to the lowest common denominator, and so it was.

I got warm fuzzies listening to friends who shared stories about their favorite meals, that their moms would make for them on special occasions.   I wanted to give that gift to my daughter.   But that wasn’t in me, or so I thought.    I cooked at that point to provide- because it was cheaper than eating out, I knew it was healthier, as well as the “right thing to do”.  Deep down, though I wished it were different, I hated it.

I BURNT a hard boiled egg, how’s that?  Pretty bad (though funny) if you ask me.  Hard rice, undercooked pork, bland veggies… wow , was I a mess.  I hated having company over and would rush to order takeout if unexpected company showed up.

Now, I don’t know how it happened, it’s not like Hestia, the Greek goddess of hearth and home, struck me with a lightning bolt.  I didn’t fall asleep one night after reading Like Water For Chocolate and woke up with a passion for cooking.  It happened slowly, and when it dawned on me that I was starting to enjoy cooking, I started to incorporate a few things that accelerated the process into a full fledged love affair with the kitchen.  I can now proudly say I have a culinary legacy for my daughter.   There really is nothing sweeter than hearing her ask for a favorite meal.

So what did I do, and what can you do to either change your attitude if it isn’t so positive, or to enhance it and make it even better if you already like cooking?

• First set your attitude.  You can’t have bad attitude and create a masterpiece.  You don’t have to be Mother Theresa about it, but doom and gloom don’t work.

• Then set your atmosphere.  Um, is your kitchen a mess?  Ack!  Well, tidy up a bit here and there as you have little chunks of time, or if you aren’t pressed for time, clean before you cook.  Don’t go overboard, just give the floor a quick sweep with the broom, clear and wipe down the counters, and PUT STUFF AWAY.  Feels better already, right?

• Next, get your apron, or tuck a clean dish towel into a belt loop, or wrap it around your waist.  Think like a pro.  Watch any cooking show.  They have GEAR.  Put on some music, doesn’t matter what kind.  I set my ipod to shuffle, or listen to WQXR or WRXP.

• Supplies are next.  Colander, cutting boards, knives and sharpeners, spices, cookware- these are your tools.  Pull out what you will need.  Think like a surgeon, line up your instruments down on the counter.  Do the same thing with your ingredients.  Take them all out and make sure you have everything.  Nothing like having freezing cold hands with bits of greasy meatloaf on them and you realize you forgot to add the shredded coconut!

• Clean up as you go.  When something needs to simmer or bake, set the timer and resist the urge to collapse.  Spend a few moments clearing away dishes to the sink, let bowls and utensils soak.   If you have the energy,  do them and wipe the counters down again.  Not too bad, right?

I mentioned in an earlier post about forgetting perfection when it comes to cooking.  Relax, and enjoy the process.  Enjoy the chopping, measuring.  Get lost in the sounds and smells.  Cookie reminds me often that our journey is one of progress, not perfection.    I know, there are days when the old baking soda volcano experiment is being constructed on the kitchen table, and the Boy Scout Pine Wood Derby is tomorrow and the kitchen is now a woodshop.  Yes, these things happen.    You are exhausted from a long day at work.  Your feet hurt.  The toddler cracked a dozen eggs on the dog’s head while you ran downstairs to change the laundry over.  (Boy, do I wish I had a picture of that now.  I wasn’t thinking of running to get the camera, I’ll tell you that.)  It doesn’t always have to be perfect.  In fact, it can’t be.  So on one of those days, make the best of it, and make do.

When you are feeling up to it, give this approach a whirl.  Tell me, how do you approach cooking?  With enthusiam?  Disdain?  Dread?  Boredom?  Do you feel daunted?  Overwhelmed?  I am running out of adjectives.  Please post to comments!

XOXOXO

Aileen

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   Hi. My name is Patty, and I’m a Diet Coke Addict. Okay well, let me correct that….. WAS  a Diet Coke addict.  By the time this posts I will be on my third full day of kicking the habit.   

     I should probably back track a bit.  Like most people who have taken up the diet soft drink habit, I started downing it while “dieting” back in the 80s.  It’s CALORIE FREE ya know!!!  Oh boy!!!  An open invitation to fill up on the delicious, bubbly beverage.  At the time, the fact that it was also  nutrition free didn’t seem to matter.  After all, I was “saving calories” by drinking by lovely carbonated joy.  And I can recycle the cans and pay for yet more of it!!!  How could this go wrong???

   Now fast forward to today.  I know that it’s pure crap.  I know the dangers of aspartame, and thanks to   www.sweetpoison.com I am a lot more educated.  I had no idea that it erodes tooth enamel, is linked to cancer, causes kidney stones, vision problems and host of other ailments.  Nothing like purposefully injecting poison into my otherwise healthy body. So why has this Paleo princess continued to hold on to her beverage of choice?  I’ve been asking myself that same question for 7 months now.

    Oh I’ve quit before, and attempted to quit on numerous occasions.  Upon my first Paleo Challenge I tried to go cold turkey.  At the very same I gave up coffee.  It was painful to say the least!  I decided at that time one withdrawal at a time was all I could handle.  I knew once  I was ready I could tackle this beast and move forward.  After all, I recommend that clients battle the enemy one at a time, why sholdnt I.  It’s only two little cans a day, right?  How much damage can I be doing.

    During each of my pregnancies and while nursing each of my daughters to nearly 2 years old I didn’t touch the garbage.  It was easy then.  I was doing it for these precious angelpies because I knew it wasn’t good for them.  Now it’s time to do the same for myself  – love myself enough that I quit putting this poison in a body I have worked so hard for.  I am 7 months Paleo strong as I say to people. I fuel my body with quality food, and train my body with regular workouts.  I owe this to myself to take the last step here   I committed along with the other Delta5Fitness coaches to do this.  I view it as a challenge to myself.  How will this change my Paleo?  How will this change how I feel?  I can’t wait to share the process.

  Whether you have one last vice to quit or a few to go, we are here to support and help you through the process.  I’d love to hear your experiences!

Blessings

Patty 

aka Cookie

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Hello ALL!!!  First off everyone on the team of Paleo Chix would like to THANK YOU for welcoming us into your LIFESTYLE!!

Your response to us on this site and Face Book is very humbling.

Our friend Tyler gave us a young perspective on Paleo Nutrition and we loved it.  Due her busy schedule she is no longer available to work with us and stepped down.  Myself and all the girls want to THANK YOU TYLER for your contributions to our site!

As the ADMIN of this site it gives me great pleasure to welcome our newest CHIX to the team, please welcome MONIQUE AMES.   Monique is the Owner/Manager/Head Coach at CrossFitEvolution in Central FL.

Check out her page and read her bio it is VERY impressive!

Monique will be taking over the FRIDAY spot and contributing as needed on the weekends with the rest of us!

Please WELCOME MONIQUE AMES to Paleo Chix!!!

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