Recipe: Joie's take on Paleo Stuffed Peppers with a Pureed Cauliflower side

OMG these turned out so flippin' NOM! Who needs the rice filler?

I followed and tweaked this recipe... .The Caveman Gourmet's Stuffed Bell Peppers

I did a pound each of lean beef and Italian sausage

And my pic looks JUST like that one!! 

I served with pureed cauliflower.... (cauliflower, a bit of coconut milk, butter, garlic, chives, salt, pepper, some Parm cheese and a dab of coconut flour to tighten it up)

Rachael: Update

I haven't updated in awhile.  Reason being, I haven't kept to Paleo very well lately in the last few weeks.  I was battling illness, then I went away on vacation, and I just haven't been able to buckle down and just plain do better than I think I should be doing.

However, I realized that I'm selling myself short.  Compared to the crap I've been eating in the last couple of decades, I'm doing pretty well. At least the scale and my latest blood work tell me so.

Since embarking on the Paleo style of eating, which I believe we started at the end of May, beginning of June I have:

Lost 25 lbs.and dropped almost one whole point on my A1C. That's big news!

If you are not familiar with the a1C, it's a blood test that shows a diabetic's blood sugar average levels going back for the past 3 months. How they gauge it goes something like this:

if you test at a 6.0 or under, you are considered a non-diabetic
if you test at 6.1 to 7.0 you are considered a diabetic with well-controlled blood sugar.
if you test at 7.1 and higher you are considered a diabetic with uncontrolled blood sugar, and are at risk for more severe complications as time goes on.

To give you an idea, in 2008 when I wasn't taking any medication or watching my diet at all, and was hospitalized with a leg injury, my a1c was 10.2. I was put on insulin while in the hospital, and converted to diabetic meds upon my release.

Since then, my numbers have gone down, but way slower than I'd like. I've had my meds adjusted over the years, and have made half-hearted attempts at controlling my diet, with mixed results.

Insurance will only pay for this test once every 6 months. So the previous time I'd had this done was in February 2012, and tested at an 8.2.  It was again, and improvement over the last test, but still not where I or my doctors wanted it to be.

So when I took the test again at the end of August, I knew that it would cover the entire time I'd been working on going Paleo (end of May/early June).

I tested out at a 7.3.

It's pretty amazing to have dropped almost a full point in 3 months.  My doctors were ecstatic and frankly, so was I.

I need to keep reminding myself that I am within .3 of being considered well-controlled.  If any of you know me personally, to be considered well-controlled with anything in my life is highly improbable. *snort*

As I said though, I've been letting life get in the way of my eating correctly for my body, and even though I don't have weight gain to keep me in line (yet), I have had some joint pain. I need to listen to my body, and not continue to make bad food choices.

But I also need to remind myself that I also don't eat like I used to.  I would say that my bread intake is less than 5% of what I eat. Or to put it another way, breads and processed carbs are in maybe 3-4 meals a week, instead of in every meal.

At 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, then a bread product (whether it be a tortilla or something like that) 3-4 times out of 21 meals is a heck of a lot better than what I was averaging before.

It's a balance not to beat myself up too badly, and yet not to let myself "celebrate" too much for what I have already accomplished.

And I really need to be more active here and on our companion facebook page in order to keep myself accountable.

Joie: Introducing Others to Our Paleo Journey

Joie ~~  introducing others to our journey~~

A girlfriend of mine at work was looking.... bigger. Not seriously overweight, but bigger.   And in pain.   So I asked her the questions...eating habits, how much tylenol (DAILY) yada yada.
She was interested.
But not enough to give it serious go.  "I can't let go of my diet Coke! Carbs are my life! No one can do this!"
Uh huh.

2 weeks ago she had a mild heart attack.  She's in her early 50's.  After her trip to the emergency room and being put on nitro glycerin pills .. she hunted me down.
"Please, Joie, can I borrow that book again?  The doc said if I'm lucky enough to MAKE it to the emergency room again.. I need to change my life!  And everything you were telling me... I swear your words were coming from his lips!"

This was enough of a scare for her to start the plan almost cold turkey.   She cleaned her kitchen, donating a lot of things to Houston's Waste Management.
Zero soda. Zero breads.  Zero dairy.  All of it.  She's exercising 20-30 minutes a day.  She is now in love with my Leslie Sansone.
I did tell here 100% compliance is  not mandatory.  But she's taking this seriously enough that it's all or nothing for her right now.  Maybe later she'll try the 80-20 school of thought.

I asked her a week into this, "When is the last time you took your tylenol?"
She stared at me.   Looked at her calendar.   And teared up.
"Not since I came home from the hospital.  OMG, Joie.  I've not had ANY.  I haven't even thought about it because I guess I don't NEED it now."

We hugged.  She's one of the lucky ones where the doctor is encouraging her to do this.
And she is now experimenting with foods and telling everyone who will listen when they ask her "you look better.  Why?"

All hail St. Paleo.
:)

Lola...Paleo Einstein?

Lolas Journey:Einstein  Is reported to have kept several sets of the same outfit in his closet so that he could simply grab an outfit without having to think about what he wanted to wear.  I am approaching Paleo the same way.  So far, I am happy eating the same things as it keeps me from thinking about the food too much right now.  I am trying to switch gears from food being "entertainment" to food being a "nutritional necessity".  Making food less of an "event" and learning what "comfortably full" and "satisfied" feels like.

I am in the swing of my Paleo adventure.  I have tightened my belt a notch (sometimes 2 depending on the day !!!!)   The scale has not reflected too much of a change but I FEEL a difference:  Less tired, less logy, less mood swings, less bloating..MORE FOCUSED.  

I have been doing Paleo about 80-20% minimum... 100% on a good day.

Typical day consists of:

Breakfast:  Hot soup.  Yup. You heard me right. :) Italian Wedding soup MINUS the pasta or Beef and Tomato Soup (both with copious amounts of garlic and red pepper )

Lunch:  Poached chicken, lettuce, artichoke hearts (sometimes a bit of feta cheese in there)... with olive oil/red wine vinegar and pepper.

Dinner:  turkey sausage with broccoli and mushrooms (and garlic) OR Turkey burger salad with melted feta (theres that crazy feta again!), -your basic turkey burger cut up on a plate with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and thousand islands dressing.  Yesterday I ate out at Red Robin and chose the Avo-Cobb-O salad !  I usually get the southwestern chicken but it has corn and black beans so I bypassed it for something else.  I did indulge in 2 mozzarella sticks and a handful of sweet potato fries. :)

I have been eating fresh fruit salad as well:  watermelon, mango, strawberry, kiwi and some  pineapple.  I readily admit Ive been eating too much of this. (my son is enjoying this as well !) Ive also been eating some vinegar based coleslaw after work before dinner time. (again..my son is diving in and enjoying this instead of cookies after school !)

Eating the soup in the morning gives me something warm to start my day with and I can make a huge pot of soup that lasts me the week.  No thinking in the morning.  My son has also started eating soup in the morning before school which beats eating cereal and milk ! YEY !!!!

Times I have veered:  Movies...I ordered popcorn...a big ass popcorn.   Ive had some chocolate Belvita or Apple Cinnamon Belvita in the evening.   Still enjoying coffee in the morning with flavored creamer and I have not given up diet soda yet....YET. (thats a tough one!)  I usually drink one during lunch at work.

Im not drinking enough water either.  Need to work on that.

New for this week:  I started taking fish oil capsules to combat aches and pains from work.

The adventure continues!!!!!

Sara: Homemade Chicken Stock

I was never one to do things like make my own broth.  Honestly, if it could be purchased from a store, I saw no reason to make something myself.  Who has the time?  Who wants to use all that effort?  I work full time and have three kids – why make chicken stock when I can just buy it off the shelf?

As it turns out, there are more than a few reasons.

1. It’s easier than you think.
2. I can control what goes into it
3. It’s not overly processed and/or full of salt/preservatives.
4. Making your own is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying the good stuff and a lot better for you than buying the cheap stuff.

The first time I made my own broth, I was amazed at how much I wound up with.  Surely it would take me MONTHS to use all this broth, right?  Wrong.  We went through almost all of it in just about 2 weeks.  I’d use it for cooking veggies, making soups, adding flavor to just about anything savory.  You can take leftovers, chop them up and add a few cups of homemade broth and – boom – instant soup. 

I like to use my crockpot for making broth.  I don’t have to watch it as closely, I can leave it on for 24 hours, and I can slow cook some chicken meat in the process.

Here’s how I do it:

You’ll need:

• 6qt (or bigger) crockpot
• 1 chicken (free range, if you can afford it!)
• ½ white or yellow onion, chopped
• Herbs of your choosing (optional)
• Other veggies (optional)
• Lots of water

(Really, even the onion is optional!  I just like the extra flavor it gives.)

I bought a free range bird this time – I figured if I was going to use this broth in everything, I’d go for the gold and get the best I could get.  The smallest bird I could find was over 5lbs!  It wouldn’t even fit in my crockpot.  I removed the breasts (saved for another meal) and cut up what was left until it fit.  I crammed that sucker in!

You can put the onion on the bottom of the crock or down the sides of the bird – wherever there is room.  Season the chicken before putting it in the crockpot.  Fill with water and either turn it on high for 3-4 hours or put it on low for 6-8 hours.



Tight squeeze!

Once the chicken is cooked, pull it out and take all the meat off the bone that you can.  Throw everything else back into the crockpot.  Add more water and turn it on low for another 4-6 hours.  At this point, everything should have fallen off the bones. At this stage, I used a slotted spoon to pull everything out of the liquid.  Any meat I missed before went in one container, cartilage/skin/inedible pieces that weren’t bone went in a bowl (I tossed this stuff) and the bones went back into the pot.  Add more water!



Left to Right: Crock, yucky stuff, meat!



I left the crockpot on low for another 12 hours or so. 



Check out that color! 



The next morning, I turned it off and let it cool for a bit.  Once it was cool enough for me to pick up the crock, I placed a strainer over a large bowl/pitcher and poured the broth in.  I wound up with so much, it didn’t all fit in the bowl I was using!  (Final measurement came to roughly 12 cups of broth.)

 

Put a cover of some kind over your container and stick it in the fridge for a few hours, letting the fat rise to the top.  Once it has, skim the fat off …and do with it what you will!  (I discard it, but I know others save it for cooking.)



I have no idea why this pic won't rotate for meeee!!!



I’ve heard of people using ice cube trays for freezing their broth. I don’t have any ice cube trays. The first time I made this broth, I had no idea what to do.  That’s when I came up with using a muffin tin.  Each cup on the muffin tin holds just under ½ cup of liquid.  I filled 2 tins and stuck them in the freezer. (The rest I put in a plastic cup and stuck in the freezer as well.)

Once the stock is frozen solid, pop them out of the tin (you may need to dip the cups in warm water to loosen) and place them in a Ziploc bag back in the freezer. 



Frozen flavor pods!



  

Tada! 

I spent $16 on this free range bird, but from that I was able to get: 2 large breasts (enough to feed all 5 of us a main course for dinner one night), enough meat for 3-4 servings of chicken salad, plus 12 cups of broth.  Not too bad, if you ask me! 

Sara: "I couldn’t believe I was paying that much $ to eat that pure CRAP"

Yesterday, I was feeling lazier than usual. I love cooking, but just didn't feel like it last night.  I texted Rick (my husband) and told him I wished payday was already here because I had zero desire to cook. 

He wrote back, "Pizza night?"  I don't take much convincing to not cook AND eat pizza!  We wrote a check, picked up the pizzas and chowed down.

I slept horribly - I spent most of the night in some kind of intestinal distress.  I can't even tell you how many times I ran to the bathroom.  I joked with Rick this morning that I was on the "Pizza Diet" - you just eat pizza...and then spend the next 12-24 hours crappin' your brains out!  (ew - sorry!)

Last night, when I couldn't sleep, we were emailing each other while he was at work. I told him I was regretting the pizza.  In his next email, he said something pretty groundbreaking.



photo credit: http://danielctw.com



"I don’t blame you on the pizza. The other day when I took the boys to McD’s, I was sitting there thinking about how I couldn’t believe I was paying that much $ to eat that pure CRAP. It was awful. That’s the last time I’m eating there."

It's true!  We spend SO MUCH money on crap and then try to say, "Ohhh...I try to eat paleo, but it's just so expensive."  Instead of spending $20 at McDonald's for lunch, spend $20 on a couple pounds of grassfed beef that can be used for at least two meals (more, if you have a smaller family).  It's amazing when you think about it.

My favorite example is chicken nuggets.  My kids have a strange love affair with chicken nuggets that I will never understand. I recently discovered Ian's brand frozen foods. I'm not touting this as Paleo-friendly food - I discovered these before I decided to try the Paleo way of doing things.   Still...read this description of their chicken nuggets:

Our beloved best-seller, Ian's Allergy Friendly Chicken Nuggets are a classic childhood favorite, made with wholesome antibiotic and hormone free skinless and boneless white chicken breast meat. We've made them with no wheat, no gluten, no milk, no casein, no eggs, no nuts and no soy, so they're friendly for all kids of diets!  Easy to prepare in the oven or microwave.  Also available in a 20oz Family Pack!

Ingredients:

Chicken nuggets (skinless, boneless no added antibiotics or hormone* chicken breast with rib meat, canola oil, potato flakes, water, sea salt). Coated with batter: (water, yellow corn flour, corn starch, baking powder, garlic powder, sea salt) and breaded with cornflake crumbs (milled corn, cane sugar, sea salt). Cooked in canola oil. Chicken raised without added antibiotics or growth hormones. *Federal regulations prohibit the use of added hormones in poultry.

http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com

So, yeah, there are some non-Paleo ingredients.  But compared to McDonald's chicken nuggets?  No brainer.  It's easy to see which one is better for your body.  Ian's nuggets are "expensive," though.  $6 for 3 servings!  (That's the best price I've found so far - at Sprouts.)

However, if we're willing to spend $4.50 on a happy meal, then maybe we need to step back and re-evaluate our priorities.  I'm just as guilty of this as anyone.  It's hard to get out of the "quick fix" mindset.  It's cheaper and better for us to have something like Ian's and some fruit at home...then go to a park.  But McDonald's has been ingrained in our minds - and our childrens' minds! - as this great "treat".  The food comes in a fun box and when you're done, you get to go play on the indoor playground!  Who cares if every single thing about the meal is sub-par?

photo credit: http://frisco-tx-homes.com

I'll tell you who cares.  I do.  My husband does, too.  You should, too!

Rick's also starting to notice the difference in how he feels when he eats junk.  We lose what little energy we had (because, let's face it, how much energy can one have when working full time and parenting three kids??).  We feel bloated and cranky.  I even have skin issues that flare up. And my legs swell!

When we eat right, we have an extra spring in our step.  We sleep better. We're happier because we feel better. The more we detoxify our bodies from these poisons we've been eating, the more we notice the difference when we "fall off the wagon."  Making small changes here and there can do a world of good.

My goal for this weekend is to cook ahead.  If I have a few things in the freezer that make for a quick meal, then the next time I'm feeling lazy I'll be less likely to resort to fast food.  I honestly don't think expense is the most difficult part of eating Paleo - planning ahead is.  If you don't have a plan, then you're far more likely to give in to old habits, which will likely lead to regret!

Sara: "I don't wanna feel sick any more!" Sara's New Motto

Yesterday, one of our remote offices decided to treat some of us to lunch by having it ordered in.  She ordered an assortment of foods from Jason's Deli. A month or so ago, I would have looked at these foods as fairly healthy options.  Various low fat wraps with veggies, pasta salad with veggies and a tangy vinegarette, blue corn chips with salsa, potato salad...and a big plate of cookies.

I told myself I'd just have a little.  A little couldn't hurt, right?

I grabbed one of the half-wraps - turned out to be chicken salad - and a small scoop of potato salad and went back to my desk.

The tortilla tasted awful - tasteless and dry... gummy in my mouth.  The chicken salad wasn't impressive, either, honestly.  Neither was the potato salad.  I still ate most of it, though.  I think the "free food" alarm was going off in my head. Not sure why else I would eat something that tasted so bland.

A little while later, I went back.  I don't even know why I went back. Old habits die hard, I suppose.  I grabbed a scoop of pasta salad.  There were two cookies left - both were white chocolate macademia.  I convinced myself it was kismet and took one.

Back at my desk, I ate the pasta salad. The salad dressing was the saving grace - nice and tangy.  There were olives and peppers in it, too, which I love.  The pasta wasn't doing anything for me, though. 

I'm not going to lie, the cookie was kinda tasty.  I ate the "chocolate" and nuts out of it, mostly, leaving the dry bits without any fun stuff behind.

And then it happened.  Within an hour, I felt like I'd eaten a bowl of rocks.  My stomach just felt awful. I was so gassy another hour or so later that I was in pain just sitting at my desk.  I kept wiggling and twisting, I got up and went for a little walk. I just wanted relief.

Walking out of the building at 5pm, I started burping.  My body was NOT happy with me.

By the time I got home, my left ankle was starting to swell. I still felt like there were rocks in my stomach. 

I ate a Paleo dinner and felt better.  I even worked out last night - first time in a while. 

This morning, I was in a rush. I'd let the morning slip away from me and two minutes before I needed to leave I realized I had not prepared anything to take for lunch.  I panicked.  I have no cash until payday, so going out wasn't an option.  I grabbed a bag of broccoli slaw and some balsamic vinegarette.  I headed to the freezer in the garage, content to claim just a mild defeat by grabbing a spicy black bean veggie burger.  Then I realized I had fully cooked frozen chicken tenderloins out there!  (Tyson makes a kind that's not perfect, but lower in salt than most store-bought frozen grilled chicken. I bought the bag a couple of months ago.)  I grabbed a few of those and tossed them in a ziploc.

Add to that a bag of baby carrots, a peach, a Larabar and some pistachios to snack on and I was set.

I received an email this morning from our admin letting us know that there was still some Jason's Deli food leftover from yesterday if anyone wanted it.  I told Rach and Joie about the email and how my immediate reaction was, "NO NO NO!" (In my head, of course, I wouldn't want to be rude!) 

The way I felt yesterday after eating those foods was awful.  I was miserable all afternoon and into the evening.  Talking to my husband, I wondered aloud, "Did I just feel like that all the time before and not notice?"  I can eat Paleo foods until I'm stuffed and not feel sick afterward.  No amount of Paleo foods make me feel bloated and ill. 

I don't wanna feel sick any more. 

My friends say I'm lucky because I have the almost instant reaction to these bad foods.  That's a good way to look at it, I suppose.  I'm still shocked at how badly my body reacts to things I used to consider "healthy" not so long ago.

I put my lunch together today and the plate of food just made me smile.  Not only are these foods very tasty, I know they're doing good things for me as well.  I know when I'm done eating, I'll feel satisfied, not sick.



My body is healing with this diet.  I don't consider this a "low carb" diet because I still eat plenty of fruits and veggies, so I'm getting my carbs. I'm just getting them from a more natural source.

As my body heals, I have more energy. As my energy increases, I move more, exercise more, etc. 
And with the better foods and extra movement comes weight loss.  Yes, I need to lose weight, but being fat was never enough to convince me to eat right long term.  I'm not eating just to lose weight any more.  I'm eating for my health.  Not just some theory that might add three years to the end of my life - my health today. Right now. 

If I want to feel good today, I need to eat well today. 

How life changing is that?