Eating Paleo is Easy!

Here are a couple videos I found on YouTube that I think will be beneficial for people to watch regarding the Paleo Diet and Lifestyle.

Affording Grass Fed Meat

Eating grass fed meats is obviously ideal, but with my budget, I can't really afford much of it and must pick and choose when to splurgeand on what meats. So the question has lingered for me, what do I do since I can't afford grass fed meat a majority of the time?

My answer came in an email today. I subscribe to emails from paleocookbook.com and today's email by Nikki Young email addressed my question. Below is a copy of the email.

Eating as close to the dietary foundations of our hunter-gatherer ancestors has been proven by numerous research studies to yield positive health results, while at the same time eliminating many of the ailments plaguing modern-day society.

It isn't just what we eat that we need to focus on, but also the quality of the food we consume, and looking back through history is a great starting point in terms of analyzing quality. An area where particular attention should be applied is the quality of the meat we consume.

It is a no-brainer that grass fed organic meats are naturally going to be healthier for us, simply because the animal is eating its natural food source and living in a healthy, natural environment. Grass fed meats are higher in omega3, higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and have a higher density of vitamin E than grain fed meats.

However, grass fed meats may not be available where you live or may not be affordable within your budget. If this is the case, your best option is to purchase lean cuts of meat.

In addition to an under-consumption of omega3 rich foods, the modern day diet already contains a strong omega6 - omega3 imbalance due to grain fed meat and dairy intake. Although animal fats are healthy, when it comes to consuming grain fed meats we need to be aware of the omega6 to omega3 ratio. Grain fed meat yields a far higher omega6 to omega3 ratio, and is therefore detrimental to our diet.

So if grass-fed meats are not an option, opt for lean meats that will help reduce the amount of omega6 fats you are consuming, while ultimately reducing the amount of omega3 supplementation and omega3 consumption needed to maintain a healthy balance.

Hope this helps all of you as much as it helped me.

*Sidenote: I hope you are all taking omega3 fish oil! The benefits are overwhelming! I can always feel the difference when I'm taking it and when I'm not. If you're not, I have a link to a high quality fish oil below in my Amazon recommendation box. If you are considering fish oil, make sure to get a high quality liquid one, capsule form is not usually the best quality for a multitude of reasons . Also, please if you do not know much about fish oil, do some research as, like most supplements, it is not recommended for everyone.

Lasagna

I modified this recipe from Jen's Gone Paleo Roasted Vegetable Lasagna recipe.

Ingredients:
2 Large Zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices
2 Eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices
2 Bell Peppers, quartered and seeded
Thyme
Rosemary
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Coarse Sea Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
2 lbs ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce

Directions
1. Slice vegetables.
2. Brush vegetables with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
3. Roast zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper at 400F for  20-25 minutes, until soft and slightly caramelized.
4.While vegetables are roasting, brown the beef in a skillet.
5. Once the beef is browned, add tomato sauce and any Italian seasonings you like.
6. Once vegetables are roasted and beef sauce is made, begin the layering process in a 1.5 qt baking dish.
7. Layer eggplant and half of bell peppers, followed by half of beef sauce.
8. Then layer zucchini and rest of bell peppers, followed by the rest of the beef sauce.
9. Cover the baking dish with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.
10. Uncover and cook another 30 minutes.
11. Let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before cutting.

Review
It doesn't taste exactly like lasagna, but it does satisfy my craving. It may seem like a lot of meat, but let's be honest, we're eating paleo, we like our meat! Feel free to add any extra vegetables you like, mushrooms and onions seem like they would be a great addition.

Almond Bread and French Toast

BREAD! Yes BREAD! For those of you who struggle with the no grains part of the paleo diet, here is the recipe to satisfy that longing bread desire.


Almond Bread (adapted from Elana's Pantry Simple Bread recipe.)

Ingredients:
2½ cups almond flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:
1.In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add honey and vinegar.
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry.
4. Pour batter into a well greased 7 x 3 inch loaf pan .
5. Bake at 300° for 45-55 minutes on bottom rack of oven; until a knife comes out clean.
6. Cool and serve.

Review
The bread is very dense due to the almond flour. I would recommend cutting it into thin slices so the bread doesn't taste too heavy and overpower whatever you are making with it. Overall it is a great alternative to grain breads and was fantastic and very filling when we used it in making french toast. We cut thick slices for our french toast and I found it to be too much, so definitely cut it into thinner slices. Would definitely be great with some jam, apple butter, and I'm curious to try it as a sandwich.

French toast using almond bread with warmed blueberries and coconut milk topping and turkey bacon.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

This is a recipe I really had to work and play around with and modify. I've tried to make it once before, but really had trouble getting both the biscuits and gravy right. My first attempt a few months back resulted in sweet biscuits with a runny gravy. This time I was able to really perfect it.

Biscuits
2 T grapeseed oil
1/2 T honey
1 T vinegar
1/2 T water
1 egg
1 1/4 c almond flour
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Mix oil, honey, vinegar, egg, and water.
2. Add in almond flour, salt, and baking soda and mix well.
3. Scoop batter onto greased pan.
4. Bake at 350 for about 12 min or until starting to brown.
Makes 6 biscuits.

Sausage Gravy
1 lb ground sausage
2 T arrowroot
1 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
Fresh ground pepper

1. Brown the sausage in a large skillet.
2. Add arrowroot to sausage and mix. The arrowroot should mix into sausage using the grease from the sausage.
3. Reduce heat to low and add in coconut milk.
4. Simmer on low until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally and adding in the fresh ground pepper.

Review
This was a pretty spot on substitute and I was really happy with the way this turned out. The biscuits weren't as sweet, I'm thinking I can eliminate the honey altogether, and the gravy was much thicker like an actual gravy. Kevin had been craving Sweet Tomatoes' sausage biscuits and gravy and this definitely satisfied that craving while keeping it paleo. The biscuits with the little honey I did add to them will even be good with a nice jam or apple butter on top.

Recipes

I haven't cooked much this week, but I will hopefully be posting "lasagna", "cereal", almond flour bread, and french toast recipes and reviews this weekend. Keep an eye out for them!

Agave Nectar vs. Honey

Since starting paleo I've been using sugar substitutes since a lot of paleo recipes I see contain them. I had started following the recipes and using agave nectar but then I realized I didn't even really know what it was besides a sugar substitute. I had also seen a lot of debates in the comment sections regarding agave vs. honey and decided to do a little of my own research.

The agave plant is similar to a cactus, and the sweetener comes from both Salmiana agave and agave Tequilana (or Blue Agave, known best for tequila). The liquid is collected from the plants and then are processed thermally or by enzymes into agave nectar.Honey on the other hand is made by honey bees using the nectar they collect from flowers and is one of the oldest foods to mankind.

Agave Nectar v. Honey

Agave Nectar

Benefits:
Vegan
Low glycemic index (about 15)
Mild/almost neutral flavor
Thinner liquid makes it easier to pour, measure, and dissolve
Used to heal wounds

Cons:
The liquid from agave is not naturally sweet but when its fructose units are separated in production, the syrup becomes so. However, through this process, many of the original nutrients that would be factors toward more optimal health are lost.

Additionally, the end product is about 90% fructose.  It is low glycemic but research on the high consumption of fructose shows that other health related issues may arise, like interference with the formation of collagen and elastin (important for our connective tissue health), and an impaired ability to metabolize glucose. Agave nectar also converts to fat more easily than any other sugar. 

To fully understand the problem with the high amount of fructose in agave, here is an excerpt from Living-foods.com:

"Agave Syrup is advertised as “low glycemic” and marketed towards diabetics.  It is true, that agave itself is low glycemic.  We have to consider why agave syrup is “low glycemic.”  It is due to the unusually high concentration of fructose (90%) compared to the small amount of glucose (10%).  Nowhere in nature does this ratio of fructose to glucose occur naturally.  One of the next closest foods that contain almost this concentration of glucose to fructose is high fructose corn syrup used in making soda(HFCS 55), which only contains 55% fructose.  Even though fructose is low on the glycemic index, there are numerous problems associated with the consumption of fructose in such high concentrations as found in concentrated sweeteners:

A.    Fructose appears to interfere with copper metabolism.   This causes collagen and elastin being unable to form.  Collagen and elastin are connective tissue which essentially hold the body together.¹   A deficiency in copper can also lead to bone fragility, anemia, defects of the arteries and bone, infertility, high cholesterol levels, heart attacks and ironically enough an inability to control blood sugar levels.

B.    Research suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose.  This is because glucose is metabolized by every cell in the body, and fructose must be metabolized by the liver. ³  Tests on animals show that the livers of animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrohosis of the liver.  This is similar to the livers of alcoholics.

C.    “Pure” isolated fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and may rob the body of these nutrients in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.⁴

D.    Fructose may contribute to diabetic conditions.  It reduces the sensitivity of insulin receptors.  Insulin receptors are the way glucose enters a cell to be metabolized.  As a result, the body needs to make more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.⁵

E.    Consumption of fructose has been shown to cause a significant increase in uric acid.  An increase in uric acid can be an indicator of heart diease.⁶

F.     Fructose consumption has been shown to increase blood lactic acid, especially for people with conditions such as diabetes.  Extreme elevations may cause metabolic acidosis.⁷

G.    Consumption of fructose leads to mineral losses, especially excretions of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc compared to subjects fed sucrose.⁸

H.    Fructose may cause accelerated aging through oxidative damage.  Scientists found that rats given fructose had more cross-linking changes in the collagen of their skin than other groups fed glucose.  These changes are thought to be markers for aging.

I.      Fructose can make you fat!  It is metabolized by the liver and converts to fat more easily than any other sugar.  Fructose also raises serum triglycerides (blood fats) significantly.^10"

Raw Honey

Benefits:
Boosts immune system (which in return prevents diseases)
Used to heal wounds from it's antibacterial properties
Energy booster (since it's rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and phytonutrients)

Cons:
Higher glycemic index (raw is about 30, processed is about 75)
Not vegan (due to the bees)
Distinct flavor
Thicker liquid that is harder to work with, solidifies and crystallizes
Can contain a bacteria that can cause botulism in children under 1 year old

Conclusion
Some feel agave nectar is a far healthier alternative to honey due to its lower glycemic index. However, since sugar/sweetners should be limited if not completely eliminated in a paleo diet, one should only be using very limited amounts. So while honey is higher glycemic, since one should be using only a small amount, I feel honey is the better alternative as it's more natural and unprocessed and prefer the cons of honey vs. the cons of agave. With that said, I understand the concern for those who are vegan and feel that everyone should choose based on their individual lifestyles and beliefs. I will however, use raw honey as my sweetner of choice and try to buy from local beekeepers whenever possible (think farmer's markets people!).

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

I got this recipe from Elana's Pantry.

Ingredients:
¼ cup Organic Coconut Flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar, honey, or other sweetner of your choice
1 ½ cups grated zucchini (do not pack down when measuring)
½ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

Directions:
1.In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon
2.In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, agave and zucchini
3.Mix dry ingredients into wet thoroughly
4.Stir in chocolate chips
5.Grease a mini muffin tin with grapeseed oil and lightly dust with coconut flour
6.Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin
7.Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes
8.Cool and serve

Review
These are sooo good! Very sweet like a dessert. You could even add less sweetner and I'm sure they would still taste great! Must make sure to limit yourself...it's hard to stop at just one. I have also made these without the chocolate chips and they are still fantastic. Kevin actually liked them a little better without as the chocolate is not necessary to make these delicious! And the bonus is they are SUPER easy and quick to make!

Meatloaf

I got this recipe from Everyday Paleo and then created a topping for it.

Ingredients for meatloaf:
1 diced red onion
2 lbs ground beef
1 c almond meal
2 eggs
1 can tomato paste
1 T crushed garlic
2 T dried basil
1 tsp marjoram
pepper to taste

Topping:
about 3/4 c tomato sauce
about 2 T tomato paste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large mixing bowl.
Place meat mixture in a loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour until meat is no longer pink in the middle.

For topping I just used tomato sauce (homemade or the Whole Foods brand is pretty good with no sugar or other things added) and mixed in some tomato paste to thicken it some. You can also
used stewed tomatoes or whatever. Add this to the top of the cooked meatloaf and place in oven for another 5 minutes.

Review
I'm not the biggest meatloaf lover, but this was great. Kevin even said it was better than his mom's. Shhh! We won't tell her!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients (not exact measurements on dry ingredients as I just threw it together):
6 eggs
2 tsp olive oil or Organic Coconut Oil
2 tsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c Organic Coconut Flour
1/8 c Arrowroot
dark chocolate chips

Put eggs in blender and blend until frothy. Add in oil, honey, and vanilla and blend another minute. Add in baking soda, coconut flour, and arrowroot and blend until mixed well. It may look a little runny at first, but the batter will thicken as it sits because of the arrowroot. If it's too thick then add a little coconut milk to it.

Heat non-stick skillet on medium low to medium heat. Pour some batter into the heated pan, sprinkle on chocolate chips, flip when it starts to bubble on top just as normal pancakes would. Be careful not to burn them as they brown quickly and easily.

Top them with whatever topping you like, heated blueberries, strawberries, bananas, honey, almond butter, etc. Kevin and I used pecans and honey and Kevin even added a little warm coconut milk on top.

Review
These were fantastic! Since we used coconut flour instead of almond flour they were much lighter and fluffier and tasted just like pancakes made with white flour. No one will ever know the difference!

Valentine's Day

It's the day when we are "supposed" to show the world and prove to our significant other how much we love them; but this is something that should be done every day. We are lucky for every day we get to spend with each other. I am so blessed as Kevin shows me every day sometimes in the smallest ways. From showing up with a plant to grow with our relationship, giving me a massage, doing the dishes, taking care of me if I'm sick, bringing me chocolate after a rough day, the hundreds of other things he's done for me just because, to things as simple as saying something sweet at the most unexpected times or just looking at me in that way. Words and gifts aren't necessary and proving his love to the world today doesn't matter, it's the way he makes me feel every day that's important. 

Sure he came home today after the Crossfit morning class just to make me breakfast and pack my lunch as I got ready for work, but he didn't do it because it was Valentine's Day, he did it so we can spend some time together and just to make my day just a little easier (and he wanted the leftover coconut chocolate chip pancakes, lol.) Making me breakfast and packing my lunch is something he's done on numerous occassions, never because it was a "holiday".

Today is just another day for us. <3

Paleo General Tso's Chicken

I found this recipe on Scrawny WOD's blog and decided to give it a try especially since I love General Tso's and because Kevin loves food.

Here's Scrawny WOD's recipe:

Sauce
¾ cup Organic Free Range Chicken Broth

2 tbsp Arrowroot
3 tbsp raw organic honey
1/3 cup (plus a little more) Coconut Aminos
½ tsp ginger
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 scallion, chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk thoroughly and set aside. Melt the honey in the microwave before adding so that it mixes fully with the rest of the ingredients.

Meat
Using a large pan or wok, put two tablespoons of olive or coconut oil in the pan and set it to medium heat. Cut two chicken breasts into small strips or cubes and place in the pan. Brown all sides of your meat. This should take a few minutes. Once the chicken is starting to brown, add the sauce and begin stirring everything together. The sauce will begin to thicken. Add broccoli and chopped carrots at this point and continue to stir everything together. Cook the chicken and veggies in the sauce for another five minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Cauliflower Rice
Since I'm all about saving time yet still want the best tasting food, I tried the cauliflower rice in the microwave recipe and it worked really well! So here's how I made my "rice".

-1 head of cauliflower

Process fresh cauliflower until it is the size of rice, either using the plain steel blade or the shredder blade in the food processor. If you don t have a food processor you could also use a hand-held grater (which is how I did it) or cut it very finely by hand.

Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe covered dish. Cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. You don't need to add any water, just cook it as is. When it's done, you'll have a slightly firm, but tender rice alternative and great way to add some more veggies into your diet!

Review

Kevin and I both loved this recipe! It turned out great and is definitely a new favorite. It's surprising close to original General Tso's. Kevin would like me to try making the chicken with a "breading" using coconut flakes, but I personally loved the chicken without any "breading". Also, the coconut aminos are a wonderful substitute to soy sauce. I have tried Bragg's Liquid Aminos and didn't really care for the taste as it tasted extremely salty to me as someone who uses very little salt in my diet. The coconut aminos didn't have that really salty taste like regular soy sauce or Bragg's and has been added as a staple in our cabinet. We have used it several times since making this and it's great to add a little flavor to plain old broccoli which can get boring.

Incidental Epiphanies

My incidental epiphanies, while irrelevant to most and most likely a hodgepodge to all, will hopefully become a compilation of recipes, music, the sweet moments of love, and amusings in life and the incidental epiphanies that result. I am not witty, a talented writer, nor do I have a way with words. I'm just your average girl with a laptop and an outlet.


Recipes
I have began a paleo lifestyle. For those of you who are unfamiliar with paleo, it is a way of eating modeled after our hunter/gatherer ancestors. The belief being that is how we are genetically built to live. If it cannot be eaten raw then you should not consume it which means eating mostly lean meats and veggies, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starches, no sugar/grains/dairy. Gasp! No grains! Really it's not as hard as one thinks it is and since we all have our vices when it comes to food and it seems we could never give these foods up, I look to make those favorite foods using paleo recipes which I find on the web or adapt myself. I have learned that there are many ways to substitute and not miss your favorite foods at all! Spaghetti squash in place of pasta, nut flours and coconut flour replace white/wheat flour, coconut or nut milks substitute for dairy (great ice cream!), etc. For more reading on the paleo diet I would recommend The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, The Primal Blueprintby Mark Sisson, and The Paleo Diet by Robb Wolf.

Music
Like most people, when it comes to music I listen to basically whatever's on the radio...that is until I met my boyfriend. His taste in music is quite different than mine and since relationships are about compromises and learning about each other's interests, his being music and nerd computer games, I chose to learn, understand, and hopefully like his music. No it is not country or polka that he likes, but rather house music, not in the Top 40s sense of house music, but more of the underground house, tech, tech trance, disco house. Experiencing this is like experiencing a whole new world. It has taken me out of my comfort zone and even got me dancing. We shall see where that dancing takes me as I learn more and more about his music. The real test will come with WMC (Winter Music Conference) in Miami in March.


Love

Meet Kevin.

Kevin is my amazingly wonderful, affectionate, and caring boyfriend. Even though we have only been dating a short while, we have this indescribable chemistry. He does not like to admit it or even want me to say it, but he is very "gooey" in the chocolate chip cookie kind of way and does the sweetest things for no reason all the time and even loves to cuddle. Kevin and I will be moving in together in April which is when I'm sure the real stories will begin.


Life
Life is a journey and this is where I will chronicle the amusings and incidental epiphanies it brings. :-)


Enjoy!