Cleaning out the “cures”

Does this look familiar? Is your medicine cabinet full of chemical “cures” in the form of pills, capsules and syrups?

Well, if you are starting on the paleo diet, get ready to clean out your medicine cabinet…that’s right, throw it all away! You won’t need it anymore!

One of the biggest differences that I have noticed is the significant change in my health. I no longer have any headaches, pains, cramping, skin rashes (keratosis pilaris), psoriasis, dizzy spells, heartburn, acne, acid reflux or other medical symptoms that require medicine to fix. Not to mention the awful female monthly madness, which was so much more painful due to endometriosis…is now no longer an issue. No more pain pills, nausea, heating pads and gut wrenching abdominal pain. Gone!

How can that be, you ask? Just by changing what I eat allowed my body to fix itself, NATURALLY! No drug prescription necessary!

So what if you get sick? What should you do? Hydrate, drink bone broth (bone marrow is a super food), drink green juices, have some raw honey and cinnamon and get plenty of rest.

Remember, if you eat clean food, your body will get what it needs and will respond accordingly and you will be less likely to get sick. The Paleo Diet is my prescription and my medical advice is to let food be thy medicine!

Related articles

• The Biggest Paleo Sale Ever – 71 eBooks for $37 (paleoplan.com)
• Personal Responsibility: The Foundation of the Paleo Lifestyle (ultimatepaleodiet.org)

Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Here you have it…chocolate chip cookies that are paleo mom and kid approved. Shhh, just don’t tell them they are healthy;)

Mix 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of raw honey, 1 tsp vanilla and a pinch of sea salt together in medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, 1 cup of almond meal and 1 cup of (Enjoy Life) chocolate chips enjoy life
Pour batter into metal cookie pan (no need to grease pan due to coconut oil) bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Coconut Almond Waffle

Looking for a change for breakfast? Want something paleo friendly, grain free, gluten free, nutritious, delicious and fast? These waffles are exactly what you are looking for today! Takes a total of 10 minutes to prepare, cook and serve.

Here is the recipe! Enjoy!!

Whisk together 2 eggs and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Mix in 1 1/2 cups almond meal, 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, pinch of sea salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Next add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp raw honey, dash of nutmeg (optional). Pour into hot waffle iron and cook for about 3 minutes. Yields 2 large waffles

Make a bunch ahead of time then freeze them for a quick meal. Just pop into the oven to heat up and top with fresh fruit.

I might be banned from the grocery stores…

Ok, now that I am completely acclimated into the Paleo lifestyle, I am finding it harder to shop at our local grocery store…and actually, if I continue to respond the way I do, you may soon see my “NOT WANTED” poster on the front doors.  The more I reasearch and educate myself about the error of our eating ways, I just can’t help myself!!  (well unless I shop with duct tape on my mouth and blinders on my eyes).

I need to back up just a bit…I used to go shopping and just try to get in and out without a care in the world.  (Not caring what I put in my carriage or what the other 500 shoppers put in theirs.)  But now that I have seen how food truly affects every aspect of a person’s health, I WANT to help save everyone.  I find myself biting my lip on every shopping outing, I can feel my muscles stiffen watching people pile processed junk into their carts and i want to throw all their  “healthy weight loss tv dinners” on the conveyor belt back in the freezer aisle.  The other day,  I almost went over to a man loading his trunk with cases of soda to give him my help, (not to put them in his car, but to offer him some life saving gallons of water instead).  I am sure he would have told me just what he thought of my help…and I don’t think it would have been to thank me;)  Another time I got into a big discussion with the cashiers and baggers regarding meat and their lack of “grass-fed products”.  One proceeded to tell me they were laughing about people who buy grass-fed meat.  Well, what I had to say to them didn’t leave them laughing or wanting to eat their (animal by-product, antibiotic treated, hormone loaded, grain filled, chemical laden) meat any time soon. 

It’s not just at grocery stores either, it’s at schools, restaurants, gatherings…I just feel the need to pull out my “Paleo soap box” and save the world.  I’m a teacher, it’s what we do, we educate people right?  My main objective is not to judge or make anyone feel bad, but to help people on a personal journey to a healthier and longer life.

I have found that I do much better shopping at health food stores, farmers markets, whole food stores or ordering items online.  It’s just good karma for me, it puts me in my happy place, I’m with my people…lol. 

So I will leave you with one piece of advice, if nothing else…please try to avoid products with High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup. Oh, and if you see a lady walking around your local grocery store with duct tape and blinders on or in disguise, it might just be me,  the one banned from the grocery store.

The proof is in the Pants

Ok so this is out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to give a visual (scary as it may be for me to post). This is a photo I took last month that shows that what I am doing (eating real not processed gluten free food) really works!

I was in a size 16/18 pant and now i am in an 8. As you can see due to the rapid weight loss, I still have quite a bit of toning to do…and I am working on it. But the picture shows the results.

So keep pushing, reaching eating right and never ever give up. I will help however I can, cause I BELIEVE IN YOU!!

Energy “Lara” bars

We tried our hand today at making homemade Lara bars. Ours is the top one and the store bought one is on the bottom. They came out really good! What a quick, easy and healthy paleo friendly snack.

What’s in you?

It’s easy guys…just eat REAL food! Shop the perimeter of the store, avoid processed foods and bar codes. What you put in is what you get out. Fill your body with good clean food not chemical filled junk.

Let’s face it, paleo works

As hard as it is to post these before pictures, it’s even harder to believe that this was what I looked like just a few months ago. Wow! I was truly shocked.
But let’s face it…paleo works. Not only do I physically look better, my health has improved 100%. I would love to help you on your path to a happier and healthier life. Slow and steady! Love your reflection and keep going in the right direction!!

Crunchy Kale Chips

1 bunch of Kale (de-stem & remove hard center ribs)   

1 tsp of olive oil or melted coconut oil  

dash of sea salt

Rinse kale and dry.  Toss in oil and sprinkle with salt.   Spread Kale flat on baking pan and bake for 20 min. at 300 degrees.  Watch closely as Kale burns quickly.  Chips will be crunchy. 

Variations:                                                                                                                        
add garlic and cayenne/paprika/chipotle for smoky BBQ taste 

apple cider/balsamic vinegar for salt and vinegar flavor 

try curry, coconut, chili, pepper or thai seasonings 

you can also try swiss chard, collard greens or spinach

How I went from Gluten Girl to Paleo Princess

So I have mentioned in my 1st blog, what my driving force was to go Paleo, but so many people ask me how I did it.  The answer is simple, one step at a time.  Here is how I went from GLUTEN GIRL to PALEO PRINCESS.

In Feb. 2013, I started out giving up one of my all time favorite beverages, diet coke.  Then in April 2013, I decided to give up all sodas, all artificial flavored waters and all fast food.  I was feeling better already and knew that my body was responding positively to the changes. 

So what was next for this carb queen to do?  Now I have to say that I was a pasta loving, bread indulging, cereal junkie and processed foods snacker…BIG TIME!  NEVER did I think I could live one day without these things…but guess what, you can.  Shocking I know, but once you change what you put into your body, it no longer craves those items. 

At the end of May 2013,  I knew it was time to say goodbye to gluten.   So I started out trying a few gluten free pastas, breads, snacks and treats.  Most supermarkets have a well stocked gluten free product line in the health food aisle.  Plus gluten free menus are available at most restaurants if you just ask.    Thanks to a co-worker, I decided to get rid of all white flour,  white sugar and began making smoothies.   (More on these another day)  😉  

In June 2013, I began reading a lot about the “Paleo/caveman” lifestyle.  The writing was on the wall and I knew I was going primal.  I gave up dairy (including milk my second most favorite beverage-I consumed a gallon every couple days) and all processed foods (even the gluten free stuff). I switched to raw whole foods, organic fruits and veggies, grass fed meats, free range eggs and nuts.  I was wild about my abundance of food options and what I could eat.

So here it is July of 2013 and I am LOVING my paleo life…learning new things everyday (so much of what we have been taught is a lie-more on this soon) and trying out new recipes.  I can’t tell you enough how great I feel, how different I look and how easy it is to do ( and I have 4 young very active kids and work, if i can do it, you can too-no excuses!) 

So what is on the horizon for me?  Adding a workout regimine that is free, effective and in phases.  It’s time to get physical, tone, train and condition. 

Fitness finds favor with this female and I will forge ahead to whole body health…one step at a time!