Saturday, November 19, 2011

From Vegan to Paleo: Week One

So I've been at it for seven days now. Beyond the joy I've had in making new things (it's a whole new ballgame now, searching for things to do with meat products instead of the bean-and-grain centered world that I'm used to) I have been experiencing an incredible, wonderful shift in my mood. I feel MUCH more stable now. This is by far the best side-effect of eating this way. Also, I have more power in my body. My husband and I are installing wood floors in our house, and I just have way more energy, stamina and strength now, which we both noticed during this process. My husband commented on my body as well, noticing that it's getting nice and firm. He has lost 5 or 6 pounds, and he is surprised by this, because he is not hungry all of the time, like he was when we were eating vegetarian. Food is more satisfying, and by this I don't mean the taste(although it does taste magnificent!), I mean I get full faster. And that fullness lasts longer. Also, I haven't been having weird, random pains or muscle spasms that used to happen quite frequently.

I do smell different, and noticed that right away. :) My bowel movements are still very regular, which I was worried that all this meat might "clog me up", but that hasn't been the case. Funny thing, I am eating more vegetables now that I did when I was vegetarian. Veggies are required with each meal, whereas eating vegan, you could just fill up on grains and legumes and just skip the veggies. I could have a peanut butter bagel for breakfast with beans and rice for lunch and lentil soup for dinner...not much veggies there. Now I have salads topped with grilled chicken or fish, spaghetti squash with tomato basil chicken sausage and spaghetti sauce, eggs and bacon with sautéed greens or a side of asparagus and some fresh fruit...

I still worry about my cholesterol and stuff like that. But if I just go off of how I'm feeling, I am happy to keep at this for three more weeks. We'll see what the numbers say at the end of it all... I'll keep you posted.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Paleo Chili

Who doesn't love a nice, spicy pot full of chili during the cooler months? I was craving it so...and yet, my go-to recipe involved 3 different kinds of beans, which are not part of the paleo plan. So I tried to find a veggie that would give a nice, soft feel like a bean, and not be too flavorful or overpowering. And it worked! This chili is easy, delicious, and everyone went for seconds and thirds...


Ingredients:
1 pound grass fed lean ground organic beef
2 green peppers, chopped
1 serrano chili pepper, minced
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 large rutabaga, diced into small cubes
2 parsnips, diced into small cubes
2 large cans of diced tomatoes
1 large can of tomato sauce
chili powder, cumin, a dash of white vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large stock pot, brown the beef. Remove from pot to drain. While the beef is draining, add the onions and peppers to the pot. Saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. (About 5 minutes) Add the rutabaga, parsnip and beef back to the pot. Sprinkle the chili powder over everything, about 2-3 tablespoons. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of cumin on top, then mix and let cook for a minute or two. If you wish, add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir in all 3 cans of tomato stuff, top it with a quick splash of white vinegar, and let simmer at least until the veggies are tender (about one hour), although the longer you let it simmer,the tastier it gets!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Going PALEO????

(I am sharing this with you because I want you to know that you should never be afraid to change or try something new, especially if you aren't feeling at the top of your game. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.")

This diehard vegan is changing her ways. Just for 30 days. It's all my little sister's fault. She challenged me. Repeatedly. Having studied nutrition so long and in such depth, when she first went Paleo, I worried about her. I thought, "she's killing herself!" After all, meat is the big taboo, the big no-no...all those studies show how it increases heart disease and maybe even cancer and everything. No, I knew better and I wasn't going to fall for the hype. So I kept on eating my precious beans and rice, my lentils, my split peas, my peanut butter bagels and veggie wraps. I kept on working out every day. And yet, there is this slight bloat to my belly. There's some jiggle in my thighs. Even on the day I ran my marathon. How could this be, for the girl who eats so well and works out so much?

And then there was the whole mood thing. My life is totally awesome now, and yet I battle depression and anxiety. I have crazy, weird things going on in my body...acid reflux, strange pains, my tongue would swell slightly and get sores on it. And the fatigue...tired all the time! My brain is cloudy, my vision blurry, my thoughts muddled. How could this be when I am doing everything I am supposed to be doing to be healthy?

So my sister made me read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf. After months of urging, I finally caved. There are so many concepts in this book that I never heard of, and a lot of the stuff challenges my education as a nutritional therapist. Most of my beloved foods, my "superior" foods, might be causing my problems! ??? The stuff in the book makes perfect sense. I figured that one month wouldn't kill me, so I might as well give it a try.

Let me tell you...I am on day 3, and already I feel better. Not perfect, but much, much better! I have more power when I workout. I'm not hungry all of the time. I'm not really craving much sugar or "bad" food today either. I drink and enjoy my coffee black, and I fill up on all of these foods I haven't bought in years....for instance, yesterday morning I sautéed 2 cups of spinach in garlic and oil, scrambled it up with 3 eggs, and chowed on 4 pieces of bacon, and then topped it off with some fresh berries. I was so full! I didn't even get hungry until 3pm. (I think I overdid it a bit!) So I had a nice, green salad for lunch, with some avocado, green onion, toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, green olives and mushrooms with a squeeze of lemon on top. Yum! And then I made homemade chicken vegetable soup for dinner. I woke up this morning feeling amazing, no, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! And...I lost 3 pounds already. My belly isn't bloated and I have a lot of energy.

I'm excited to see where I end up at the end of 30 days. I think I'll even get my blood drawn to see if my notoriously high cholesterol (yes, veggie girl has high cholesterol!) has budged in any direction. All I know is so far, I feel like a kid again...eating bacon and having energy. Who ever would have thought???!!!