Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 33: Still human
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 29: Getting Creative
This weekend, we went to Joe's Crab Shack and got some really tasty steamed crab. We also got some turkey with no added preservatives and had that for lunch with avocado, sundried tomatoes in olive oil, cucumbers and watermelon.
For last night's dinner, I found this recipe actually by going to the website featured on the sticker on my Dole banana. I modified it slightly to make it Paleo, and it turned out GREAT.
Chicken Coconut Columbo
Overview
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients: 12
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1 pound butternut or acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (2-1/2 cups) (I used butternut)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (I used allspice as a sub)
1 small green or red bell pepper, cut into short strips (I used small sweet red, orange and yellow bell peppers)
2 medium, firm bananas, sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice (from fresh limes)
Hot cooked rice (I substituted cauliflower. Just put in the food processor to give it a rice-like quality, then microwave for 5-8 minutes with no water or anything)
Directions
1. Cook and stir chicken and onion in hot oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until chicken is browned. Stir in coconut milk, squash, curry and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until squash is tender.
2. Stir in bell pepper; cook 2 minutes or until pepper is tender-crisp. Stir in bananas and lime juice. Serve over (cauliflower) rice.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Day 25: Lighter
I'm getting used to the way foods naturally taste, without a lot of salt and/or sugar. I've stopped seasoning my breakfast omelette at all, and just adding either a piece of bacon or a heaping spoonful of sausage and a whole cup of frozen spinach. I can eat steamed broccoli without anything on it and actually enjoy it. I have decided that salmon, fatty ground beef, steaks and pork all have some inherent saltiness and don't need much seasoning to be tasty.
I do miss being able to eat out whenever and wherever we like. It's difficult now to find a restaurant that serves food we can eat. We tend to fall back on steak restaurants, since they serve good meat and usually at least one steamed veggie side or baked sweet potato. However, I don't find that I'm missing the "forbidden" foods nearly as much...although I still occasionally dream about junk food.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day 18: Piece of...well, not cake.
One of the things that really helped was cooking two meals on Tuesday. We made a double batch of stuffed bell peppers to put in the fridge and eat for lunches and dinners. Then we made this awesome shrimp scampi dish and served it over sauteed zucchini. It was probably the best meal we've had so far, and it was fairly easy to cook. Plus, after one night of cooking, we haven't had to cook much since, aside from the occasional bacon and eggs for breakfast.
I've been trying to limit my intake of dried fruit and nuts because I know I ate them too often during my first two weeks, and they can be both calorie dense and bad for your digestion. They're often the easy choice, though, so I've been trying to grab a piece of fresh fruit or a vegetable, like a cucumber, when I need a snack.
As far as exercise goes, we went on a two mile run last night, and it was just okay. I still don't feel that massive energy boost that one is supposed to feel when eating like a caveman, but then again, David commented that maybe it's because our diet wasn't that bad to begin with. Maybe if we were going from McDonald's every day to Paleo, we would have felt a more drastic change. Still, I have lost 8 pounds so far!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day 16: Learning to celebrate
So it was hard to imagine a Fourth of July celebration at my house without all the typical fare, especially with my 17-year-old brother coming to visit. Luckily, traditional Independence Day barbecues lend themselves to Paleo eating. And, I did make cakeballs on Corey's request, but I didn't try one. I didn't even lick my fingers.
Paleo fare on the Fourth: steaks, hamburger patties and sausage on the grill; sweet potato hash; Ashley's guacamole with veggies for dipping; watermelon. I found that I didn't really miss the food much and was still able to really enjoy the party...even without partaking in the beverages.
I tried to make things Corey would eat the rest of the weekend as well. For breakfast, we had bacon and almond flour pancakes with bananas and raisins in them. For dinner, I employed the almond flour again for Paleo fried chicken. Both were very tasty meals that felt like cheating, but weren't. Foods like that keep me from feeling stuck in a rut.