Anyone interested in a 30 day Paleo challenge?

[jem51]

mm, have fun and don't sweat the small stuff.

Leslie that's a narrow window. Whatever works, I guess.

I was just posting on a mayo thread in the ML and stated that I will never make CO mayo again.
I can dip vegies or make up a salad dressing w it but when it's gone, I'll just use store bought.
I was not making any plans on what to eliminate completely, or add back, after the W30 but these things just present themselves.

I do like the Ceasar dsg so will keep that and can use it in many places that call for mayo. For salad dressings a straight up OO mayo works great.

The curried shrimp was awesome. I added more curry, a bit more tomato paste, and some red pepper flakes.
I didn't add the ginger and garlic that I seem to add to everything ethnic but I was tempted.
So glad I stuck to the recipe since having a simple curry is so quick and easy.

I have more shrimp defrosted and may just boil 'em up for lunch.

I had a sweet potato the other night (w that awful chicken) and was reminded that they are not something I care to eat, for the most part.
Even in curry, I find them too sweet and usually replace them w winter squash. Problem is that we are in that in betw season where the stored produce is losing flavor but the spring/summer vegies are not in full swing.

Loving the smoothie for breakfast.

[ChristineCQ]

Found this recipe for baconaise that I'm going to try later today:

1 C bacon grease
2 egg yolks
3 t lemon juice
1 t mustard

I'll let you know how it goes. Menu for the week will be this:

Sunday dinner: Bacon, spinach, mushroom over chicken
Monday: Paleo spaghetti
Tuesday: Beef goulash
Wednesday: Pulled pork
Thursday: Zucchini frittata
Friday: Chicken fajitas

[Sugardemon]

I made an awesome coconut curry for lunch today. It is now my NEW favorite meal ever! I just got a packet of the Thai red curry paste and mixed 1T into 1c coconut milk and 1 pkt of stevia and let it simmer on the stove. I poured that over some microwave vegies and sprinkled some toasted unsweetened coconut on top and it was heaven!!! I did make some meat to go with it... but it turned out terrible so I gave it to the dogs.

B - Coffee w/ coconut
L - Thai red curry over vegetables
D - Chicken wings!!

I feel back on track today. No cravings. Thank goodness!

[jessreadytolose]

Christine, I would love to hear how the baconaise comes out, I was not a fan at all of the coconut mayo, I really wanted to love it, I just didn't at all. I will try the baconaise, and if it isn't ok, I am afraid I will have to return to my beloved Hellman's.

Kind of fell of the wagon over the weekend, I won't get into the details, it's very hard for me to stay on plan while away from home, I get into "vacation" eating mode, it's not good.
Back home now and back on track, tomorrow is a new day and I plan to be back to the plan.

[jem51]

My main complaint about bacon mayo is that I don't want everything to taste like bacon.
I like the flavors of other food.
Not to mention the fact that I can't afford nitrite free bacon on a regular basis so don't have enough fat.

The other alternative is chicken fat, shmaltz. It is delic and there's always enough fat on the whole chickens to pull off and render.

I don't know if I'll worry about it though. I don't eat that much mayo. But I'll be interested in everyone's results.

I am lovin' easy curries, as well and made the same shrimp and spinach recipe as last night but cut the shrimp up and added more liquid. So I have soup for two lunches.

I'm having an asian style cabbage stir fry again tonight....I never seem to get tired of it.

[jlhinbrisvegas]

I have not attempted making my own mayo yet. I only like Hellman's, so I am scared to try.

[ChristineCQ]

Day one went well!!

I started off the day with coffee and coconut milk, went to zumba, and didn't eat again until 2:30, when I had 3 eggs with bacon. I probably could have been satisfied by that for the rest of the day, but then I went shopping and had planned to prepare the spinach dish, so I ate that. It was good; leftovers at lunch (maybe).

This morning, I'm taking coffee to work with me and working on a coconut milk smoothie. It's a lot different from the LC shake I used to make, but I think I can get used to it!

[jessreadytolose]

B- 2 eggs, 2 slices bacon

L- Chicken wings!

D- Chicken curry, side of spinach

[lilly29]

Hi everyone, happy Monday! I had a great paleo weekend, and looking forward to another great paleo week! Food highlight was some exceptionally fresh salmon my partner brought home and we enjoyed last night with some delicious roasted carrots.

June - do you think Primal Blueprint is worth buying? I've been considering getting it but unsure if it has anything I haven't read already. I'm very interested in IF. Does it have a lot of discussion about it?

[jem51]

Lilly, I have PB and really just scanned it since there is no new information....just his recommendations. It's a fun read, I suppose but he gives up everything you need to know on his sit.

Also the forum is full of info so look it over.
Oh and youtube...tons of mda vids.

[lilly29]

Thanks, jem!!

[tttmom]

Hi everyone. I'm back, had a bad week and fell off plan and t.o.m. was here. Gained a bunch of (water) weight. Went out for dinner last night, it was our 18th anniversary. Felt sick the rest of the night, up and down all night. Ugggh... why o why do I do that to myself?
Starting over today, and have eaten clean and looking forward to losing what I gained over the last few days. My whole family is doing this type of eating now, so no more junk in the house! Yay!
Have a great week everybody!

[jlhinbrisvegas]

Originally Posted by jem51

Lilly, I have PB and really just scanned it since there is no new information....just his recommendations. It's a fun read, I suppose but he gives up everything you need to know on his sit.

Also the forum is full of info so look it over.
Oh and youtube...tons of mda vids.

I agree. The book is a good read, but all the information can be found on his site and forums.

[ChristineCQ]

Originally Posted by tttmom

Hi everyone. I'm back, had a bad week and fell off plan and t.o.m. was here. Gained a bunch of (water) weight. Went out for dinner last night, it was our 18th anniversary. Felt sick the rest of the night, up and down all night. Ugggh... why o why do I do that to myself?
Starting over today, and have eaten clean and looking forward to losing what I gained over the last few days. My whole family is doing this type of eating now, so no more junk in the house! Yay!
Have a great week everybody!

Happy anniversary! Welcome back!

[tttmom]

Thank you!

[gwynhyvar]

I just got the new PB cookbook, Quick and Easy meals, and THAT is well worth buying. I love recipe books, and this one is gorgeous! There are great pictures of everything, and the recipes are amazing!!! I've tried a few already, YUM!

[jlhinbrisvegas]

Originally Posted by gwynhyvar

I just got the new PB cookbook, Quick and Easy meals, and THAT is well worth buying. I love recipe books, and this one is gorgeous! There are great pictures of everything, and the recipes are amazing!!! I've tried a few already, YUM!

Thank you for mentioning this! I've been eyeing the cookbook, but wasn't sure if it was a good one.

[tttmom]

I just ordered that yesterday! Can't wait for it to arrive. I'm glad to hear it's a good one

[jessreadytolose]

Good afternoon, It's school vacation this week, so we have lots of fun-filled busy days ahead. Sorry I have been a bit MIA, I am still plugging along though.

Have a great week everyone!

[jem51]

Okay, so I take back what I said about mayo and will continue w the EVOO type.
I made a batch this morning paying more attention to the salt and lemon, and it is awesome.
The nice part is, I can use it for salad dressing adding flavors (like chipotle or....), or just use it as mayo. That way I'll use it up before it goes belly up.

Today I had legal ham in romaine w mayo/mustard mixed.

I've stuck w smoothies for breakfast and started adding an egg the past two days. I really am not big on cooked breakies.

Finished off the shrimp/spinach curry tonight and I'm pretty sure I could live on curry. So good.

I am trying to wait til the end to make caveman custard but am nervous about not having anything ready for work this weekend.
I am on call and sometimes work 50 hours in a weekend w only rare glimpses of my home.
Last few times I've stopped at McD's for breakfast sides but last time it gave me some heartburn.....Guess I'll decide when the time comes.

Do you guys think mm may've been swallowed up by Disneyland?

[gwynhyvar]

Originally Posted by jem51

I am trying to wait til the end to make caveman custard but am nervous about not having anything ready for work this weekend.

What's caveman custard?

[jem51]

I think it came from sonofgrok which is no longer active but still up so you can look at the recipes.
I realized that he posted a zucchini hummus recipe, as well.

Caveman Custard
2 bananas (small ones, or it's too sweet)
1 can coconut milk
3 eggs
cinnamon

Whiz up the first three ingred. Pour into greased custard cups. Sprinkle w cinnamon (I like nutmeg). Bake at 350 for 45 min.
Pay attention to baking time depending on the cup size.

This stuff reminds me of bread pudding.

Rather than throw out all my cheese, I vac sealed it.
Right now I can't imagine eating it, but will not rule it out in the future on occasion.
I have some really good aged cheddar but over the past year, it's tasted too salty.

I only have 2 qt blackberries left in the freezer. Got to get the strawberries thinned and replanted so I'll have some early berries....or I may have to buy some and don't want non organic strawbs.

Also picking up my starts today...tomatoes, beans, eggplant, zucch. I only do a small gardem which consists of what i can eat.
I think I'll start some flats for baby greens. The storebought are so old even w a good date.

I have a good size blueberry patch w probably a dozen plant...also raspberries. Only problem in a stray rabbit has done some trimming.

[LCNana]

Hi all, glad to see this thread as I've been trying Paleo nutrition on and off for some time. My weight stays pretty steady but I do 'lean' out eating this way - no more grain bloating. I'm hoping to lose about 10 lbs over time.

I follow Kurt Harris, M.D. over at Archevore - don't know if that's spelled right but you can google it as PaNu and the site comes up with the pointer to his new name etc. Fantastic site. Look for his 12 steps - a guide on how to eliminate foods that cause diseases of modern civilization from first (sugar) to last (dairy).

His main point is that we cannot eat exactly what our Paleo ancestors ate mainly because we don't know just what they ate. But we CAN eat the way they did NUTRITIONALLY.

This means all meats (including liver, heart, tongue, tripe etc.), chicken (with all the skin and fat), fish, eggs, butter and lots of fat. Root veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes etc. but not other veggies. He does suggest that dairy has to go, however, butter is high recommended because we often can't get enough fat if we eliminate it - as our meats are trimmed so severely. And he does use heavy (35%) cream in his coffee. Oh, and NO fruit - way too sweet! But small amounts of WILD berries are ok, with heavy cream)

Yes, it is strict and he does not recommend substituting for things not on the list (like paleo custard!!!) because this simply causes the cravings for sweets to persist. His site is really comprehensive and takes a lot of reading but well worth it. He gives really well grounded research for his ideas and has links to other really solid stuff.

I started back strickly about a week ago. I have been eating salads with walnuts for dinners but will stop that. Here's my menu for today:

Breakfast: large coffee with heavy cream
Lunch: pork butt - meat and fat (as much as it takes to satisfy me)
Dinner: beef burger with heavy cream and spices (maybe curry)

I don't have solid food for breakfast because I like to have lots of hours between dinner and next meal - intermitent fasting sort of. I eat at 6pm and not until noon the next day - between 16 and 17 hour fast. Very good for the system, and gives the body a chance to burn some fat.

Anyway glad to see others who like the paleo nutrition way of eating and I'm looking forward to comments on PaNu when any of you have a chance to do some reading over there.

[LCNana]

Oops! Sorry all - I didn't realize the whole30 was a specific program when I butted in with my PaNu stuff....I'm over on the Whole30 site now and will read all I can. I like what I see so far. Not sure about the "eat lots of veggies, and fruit" part as I know many veggies and fruits can spike blood sugar BUT it does sound like a good program.

I'll pay more attention next time!!

[gwynhyvar]

Nana, I'm new around here as well, but don't run off... I'd love to hear more from others following "paleo" in any form!

[jem51]

I used to follow KH but then he stopped posting for a while and I quit following.
I like his style, though.
If I remember correctly, he is a hunter so really has great meat.

I actually decided to include fruit because I wanted to see if Whole30 would have an effect w all the legal stuff.
I ate a sweet potato once and decided it is not something I need.
I use fruit in my smoothies and have the occasional Larabar from my emergency car pack.

So far, so good. My FBG was 92 today so is coming into place nicely even w the fruit.

I actually like vegies and there is much controversy about whether they are necessary/healthy/harmful. We must all decide for ourselves. It works for me.

Whole30 also is against paleo-izing pancake/baked sweets, etc. So making caveman custard will be a stretch and I probably won't make it, but it is in my thoughts.

[jlhinbrisvegas]

Jem - the caveman custard sounds good. Will have to give it a try when I get the courage to add fruit in.

Nana - I am roughly following Whole 30, but also take ideas from Robb wolf's paleo and primal. I eat veggies daily (less starchy variety), but have not added fruit right now.


Went out with hubby last night and had Thai. Was surprisingly easy to stay on plan. My body really seems to enjoy this food plan, as I have lots more energy and minimal cravings. Even did weight training last night!

[LCNana]

Thanks for all the above!! Very interesting this Whole30 concept. I've done a lot of reading this afternoon on the Whole9 web site and I think I will do the 30 day challenge starting tonight.

Can't say I've been clean so far today as I've had about 1/2 cup of whipping cream. It will be hard to give up all dairy but what the heck it's worth the experiment! So as of tomorrow I'll go back to coconut milk in am coffee.

So from now until 30 days fly by, I'm in. And I will do it totally clean. Going to make some more Ghee tomorrow with grass fed, organic butter so I can still have the taste I love. No alcohol for 30 days will be a real challenge for me as I usually always have a glass of red with dinner, but I'd like to see if my rosacea will clear up in 30 days if I stay alcohol free.

Dinner tonight: a huge salad with a whole avocado as the fat source, EVO and apple cider vinegar dressing.

I intend to post everyday too. Good luck all!

[Star73]

well guys I'm struggling to find the balance. Having fruits has made me vulnerable to eating candy and well that has led to even worse things I'm ashamed to even type about.... I'm gonna get back on track... TOM doesn't help matters (sigh)

[LCNana]

Star73 sorry to hear you are having a bit of a struggle. Can I ask a rude question? Do you have candy in the house or are you buying it when you crave it?

If it's the former - shame!! What a silly gal!!! Get rid of all the nasty stuff and you won't be called to eat it. If the latter, close your eyes as you go through the checkout so you won't see the candy!!

And yes, I agree that fruit can be the start of the old sweet lure - can you ditch the fruit for a week to see if that settles you down? I personally think most WOE's allow fruit because it's easier to stick to a weight loss program if fruit is allowed - but we don't really need it for nutrition - and we don't really need veggies either - we're just so used to eating them we think we MUST have them. Anyway, I hope things get better when you get back on track!!!