Raisin Nut Crunch Cereal

Here is my cereal prior to going into the oven. It smells delicious now!

Paleo Diet: Day 1

It’s here!!! I was so excited to get started this morning but was also a little nervous to say good bye to all my comfort foods. Thankfully, everything went smoothly. We had bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. David was very happy since his favorite food is bacon. I don’t think I will be able to eat bacon and eggs for every breakfast as I prefer a sweeter breakfast most of the time. I’ve found a couple interesting Paleo cereals and granola’s though. Here is the one I chose and I bought all the ingredients for it this morning! I’m going to make it this evening so it is ready for tomorrow.

This morning my friend, Jen, came over to watch D while I went out and did all my shopping. Jen is huge blessing and has such a servant’s heart. She is a nursing student and whenever she has a break from school she always offers to watch the children of the mom’s in our community group so we can have some alone time. When she asked if she could watch D one day this week I jumped on it! I was able to go to Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Kroger babyfree!

Trader Joes was amazing this morning. It was not crowded at all so I had a much better experience this time around. I knew I was going to have to spend a lot of money this first week since I needed to stock my pantry with items we do not have, like nuts and grain-free flours. I was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful selection and great prices on nuts at Trader Joes. I was able to buy all my vegetables, nuts, coconut milk, and canned goods for only $49.00! I was ecstatic.

Thankfully Whole Foods, aka Whole Paycheck, is only a hop, skip, and a jump from Trader Joes. What I love about Whole Foods is their bulk section. I bought pumpkin seeds, coconut, sea salt, and figs in the exact quantities that I needed and at much lower prices. Unfortunately, I could only find one brand of coconut flour, almond flour, and arrowroot at Whole Foods and they were all expensive for only a small amount. I went ahead and bought them because I needed them now but if we stick with this diet after the 30 days I will definitely be buying my grain-free items online. I also bought coconut oil, garlic, and sweet potatoes at Whole Foods. My bill came to $49.00. Haha, yes the exact same as Trader Joes!

Finally, I went to Kroger for all my meat. I just can’t pay Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s prices on meat. One day we may be able to swing it but for now it is Kroger. Lucky for us we have a nice Kroger not far from our house and they offer free- range chicken and Laura’s beef products. I needed a whole lot of meat today and I also bought D a box of clementines because he LOVES them. My Kroger total came to $50.00. I was sad that it wasn’t $49.00, lol. So this week I spent $200 on groceries. On Monday I spent $45 at Costco where I bought honey, 3 lbs of almonds, enough chicken stock to last 6 months, and a month’s worth of bacon. (nitrate free of course!) All and all I am happy with how much I have spent. I knew I would spend more the first week and my goal for the next 3 is $100 a week. Eating healthy is not cheap but I think we need to spend more money on better food because it really is preventative medicine.

Some of the items I bought today.

When I got home from grocery shopping it was around 1:00 and I was starting to feel hungry. Usually I am counting down the minutes to lunch by 11:30 a.m so this was a huge improvement. I haven’t made my grain-free bread yet so my lunch was a little thrown together at the last minute. I had a turkey dog, some almonds, and a clementine. I’m feeling pretty satisfied so hopefully I can make it to dinner without craving an unhealthy snack!

My lunch on day 1

Week One Menu

Hearty Beef Stew with Paleo Biscuits

Steak and Roasted Squash

Chicken, Broccoli, and “Rice” Casserole

Sweet Potato Sausage Soup and The Perfect Paleo Biscuits

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

I’m excited week one is here and so far it is off to a smooth start!

-e

30 Days of Paleo

My life has needed many changes lately and one of the major changes I need to make is in how I eat. When I was a young girl I played many sports and spent my days outside running around and exploring the woods surrounding my parents home. In high school I played soccer and fast-pitch softball. In college I spent more time playing ultimate Frisbee than studying. When I got married in 2007 all of that physical activity came to a screeching halt. I started working full time as an elementary school teaching assistant and when I came home from work I made high calorie/high carb dinners. I ate huge portions too, unconsiously matching the portion sizes of my new husband. My weight quickly went up 40lbs.

4 years and 1 pregnancy later I have allowed myself to stay 40lbs overweight. Many of my current friends have never known me to look different. They are kind and tell me I look great but inside I know and remember what great felt like. I felt great for 22 year and I want that feeling back! I’m tired of feeling slow, sluggish, incredibly uncomfortable in my clothes, and embarrassed of myself in pictures. We also, Lord willing, want to have more children and I desire to be in much better shape for those pregnancies than I was for my first.

In August 2011, one year post baby, we joined the Y as a family. I have gone to the Y almost 5 days a week for 16 weeks now and have not lost a pound. I can feel that my muscles have gotten more toned but the fat stays put. This tells me that my eating is the problem. I love to workout but I also love to eat and all that eating is keeping me from losing weight. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to change for the better. Why don’t I seem to have the discipline it takes to do this?!?

Enter the Paleo diet. Along with loving to eat I also love learning about food in general. I like to read articles, blogs, and books about natural and organic food. I try to buy my family mostly organic foods and we have a garden in the spring and summer. We also enjoy frequenting local farmer’s markets. All that to say, eating organic foods does not help one to lose weight. In the last month I have been researching the Paleo diet, which I learned about through David’s cousins. They have been doing it successfully for 6 months or so now. As a Christian I do not adhere to the evolution side of the Paleo diet but I do believe that our bodies were never meant to process many of the grains and dairy products we put into them.

The Paleo diet at its simplest is eating meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. If I want to eat bread I have to make it with coconut flour or almond flour instead of wheat flour. I have spent the last month researching living Paleo. I have gathered recipes and tips from blogs and Pinterest. My friend Michelle, who is allergic to gluten and dairy, has graciously answered my many questions regarding ingredients such as ghee, agave nectar, and coconut milk. She even let me tag along with her to Costco yesterday so I could check out all their organic items and see if I wanted a membership for my family. I am grateful for a friend like her! My dear husband, David, has lovingly volunteered to join me in this 30 day Paleo challenge, all though he is sad to leave behind his friends, bread and Basmati rice. Finally, I cleaned out my pantry. Yay!!

All and all I feel very organized in starting this diet. I think being organized is going to give me a higher chance at success! I am grateful to the Lord for giving me this body to occupy during my time here on earth. It is time for me to start taking care it! Starting Thursday, I will be blogging about going Paleo for the next 30 days. I will share with you what we are eating and how we are feeling. I am excited to get started! Join me in making 2012 a healthy year!

David and I pre-Paleo 30 day challenge.

-e

Little Wild Man

David enjoyed throwing tissue paper around tonight at his great papaw’s house. I think he likes opening gifts better than playing with them!