More Paleo and a little {Lenten} challenge.

So you know we've been eating pretty clean the last 6 months. (Let's not factor in the holidays though. :) We've enjoyed better sleep habits, weight loss, energy increase, only 1 sickness (hmm, it sprang up right after the holidays), I'd also like to say more clarity of mind, although the husband may say otherwise. Grin. Here are a few more Paleo dishes I've made, and so easy and fast! (Laura):

My version of Paleo lasagna - spaghetti squash, spinach, and any tomato sauce mixed with whichever meat or shrimp I have on hand.

Sweet potato shepard's pie courtesy of Karen Kempf - check out her blog for yummy GF recipes and lots of nutritional info!

Red potato and leek soup.

Peach and blackberry crisp with coconut flour/almond topping.

Hmm, this doesn't look like something too delicious (taken with Andrew's phone camera) but it is the result of our first Paleo chocolate ice cream made with coconut milk and maple syrup for sweetener. I was out of town when Andrew whipped it up in my Christmas gift (which I have a very strong suspicion was more for him than I) but he said this ice cream is extremely delicious and he is looking forward to more. 

As sweets aren't found in our home, other then in the forms of dark chocolate and the occasional pint of ice cream, and the fact that meat is such a staple in our meals, I've been thinking about what food(s) to offer up this Lent. The fact that we are still eating Paleo style, makes treat or cheat foods all the more enjoyable, and so I figure, no treats/cheats for Lent and no evening wine glass for me. I've also decided to follow the Whole 30 "cleanse" which is basically Paleo in the strictest sense of the word. No occasionally safe add-in's like red potatoes, corn, cheeses, nut flours, Greek yogurt, cream, honey, dark chocolate, etc., and I will be keeping an eye out for added sugar in products. I feel it's a good sacrificial food choice for me to make, and one that will still allow me to get the nutrients I need as a nursing, active mama. Here are 30 reasons to do Whole 30 - most of these benefits apply to Paleo in general, but I am hoping these will be even more apparent as I complete this strict sugar cleanse. Also hoping that this will get me over the final little hurdle and back to my pre-pregnancy weight for good! I am starting today so that I will get 40 days of it in before Holy Week...not sure yet if hubby will participate 100%, but that's ok.  I will of course check in with my thoughts at the end of the 40 days and continue to share a few meal ideas along the way. Feel free to ask for any recipes that pique your interest!

We are thankful to have discovered this method of eating - it has worked so well for us and we enjoy it! So much so that it takes a very good restaurant to coax us to eat out, and we have decided to save eating out for the "cleaner food" restaurants. Thankfully we live in a more food-conscious city and can find quite a few places where I don't have to worry about what is in the meat. :) 

A day of Paleo eats.

Going on 2 months now, I have been cooking/eating Paleo. Paleo is a dairy free, grain/gluten free, sugar free lifestyle (I refrain from using the "d" word, because it really should be seen as a way of life, of healthy living!) Breastfeeding only took me so far in losing baby weight and since I did not want to go on a diet because I am still breastfeeding, I decided to tweak my cooking and eating habits. I have never felt my best when eating grains or starches and so was immediately drawn to Paleo recipes. I'm also a lover of strong and spicy flavors, and am impressed at how satisfying a deliciously seasoned meal is even sans the starchy carbs. And...it's working! I'm eating good lots of meat, all sorts of veggies, good fats, yams, some dark chocolate, and even a little wine, and those baby inches/pounds are slipping off. People question the regular consumption of fats within Paleo. Good, clean stable fats are used as fuel by the muscles and is a fast burning element, while it's those starchy carbs that eventually turn into glucose and are stored in the actual fat cells, spiking insulin levels, contributing to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the like.

Of course with any healthy lifestyle, one must keep active. I've bumped it up a notch by carrying Michael wherever I go instead of using the stroller or shopping cart. I've also made an effort to walk to the grocery store, to the post office or bank, and we live on the middle of a hill, just to give you an idea. And my load bundle of baby boy is no joking matter. ;) Andrew and I have also made it our goal to hike twice a week.

And so here is a sample day in my life of Paleo eats. 

First things first in the morning, I start either the coffee maker or the tea kettle.

I like to drink something warm in the morning to stimulate my "awake buds" and our chillier Seattle mornings invite just such a drink. As of late, it's been a toss up between TJ's French Roast, English Breakfast Tea, or some type of berry tea. Love putting a dollop of organic whole cream, yes whole (remember the fat deal) in my coffee/tea = delish!

Then I whip up some type of green smoothie for hubby and I. Usually a banana, spinach and/or kale, handful of berries or peach slices, and a little unsweetened coconut milk all topped with ice. Yum.

I pause to smile at this happy morning boy.

Next come the eggs - a staple source of protein. I cook them in a little coconut oil and top them with some type of veggie - this morning was tomato. Some mornings, I will serve a meat on the side. This morning, I finished off some eggplant bolognese leftovers and hubby had bacon. Those mornings when Andrew can't stay to eat, I try to send him to work with the smoothie and a few hard-boiled eggs.

Michael nibbled on some yam roasted in coconut oil/lil salt and chicken mashed together.

Lunch today consisted of ham/avocado/mustard wraps with a hearty side salad.

Some days, especially with breastfeeding, I will have a hunger strike in the afternoon and so go for a handful of nuts, a Lara bar (made from raw fruit and nuts), an apple with some almond butter, or a hard-boiled egg.

Dinner: chicken enchiladas topped with cilantro, avocado, olives, and lime juice w/roasted beets and yams on the side. Can I just say I am totally in love with beets these days? To me, they taste like sweet corn but with a potato-like texture. I did attempt some coconut flour tortillas for this dish; only half the batch came out in one piece - an art I must master. Although they were tasty, I still prefer my meat alone with veggies. Hubby appreciated them though. (I was just happy he didn't say he missed rice or corn tortillas or chips!)

And yes, some days we even have dessert, although I usually limit it to the weekends. This is one of our favs, being chocolate of course! Coconut milk chocolate pudding - simple, easy and decadent. I like to top it with berries; these blackberries were gathered from our private lane! Hope the neighbors didn't mind, but they weren't out there picking them. I even froze a bunch and have my eye on the next batch that should be ripening within the next 2 weeks. Free berries for the winter - score!

Recipe credits: http://everydaypaleo.com/ and Paleo Comfort Foods.  I have found many great websites/blogs with Paleo recipes and advice, some of course, gets a little too into the "caveman" mentality for me, but I'm able to apply some to aiding my baby weight loss. I'm feeling more energetic and stronger every day; am hooked for now. (Of course, I've slipped off the band wagon with a pastry or non-Paleo dessert here and there, but it's the getting back on track and sticking to it for the majority of the time that counts.) Perhaps in a later post, I'll compile some of the sites I've been accessing so you can try out a recipe or two. My one weakness is still...BandJ's coffee heath bar ice cream...but that's not in the budget now, right? :)