Day 3 Pre-Paleo

For breakfast I had the same as day 2, but I added half an avocado. For lunch, I had the same salad, except without the dried cranberries and feta cheese.  For snacks I had Almond butter (instead of peanut butter) with celery sticks and carrots with hummus.  For dinner, I experimented with cauliflower and mashed them with a little butter and heavy cream. I didn't use very much of either and it was plenty of flavor, so I plan to use less of each next time.  I wasn't able to get it as smooth as mashed potatoes, but I have to admit that I prefer mashed cauliflower over potatoes.  I did add in a treat for dessert, which was a cup of strawberries with less than a table spoon of heavy cream. 

According to the Paleo book I am reading, coconut milk is the best substitute for dairy; it recommends getting it in a can.  However, I am having a difficult time finding that in the store.  I will have to check out Trader Joe's or the COOP this weekend, so that I am prepared next week.  Another substitute for dairy is Almond milk, but since it has a large amount of omega-6 fat in it, it is not as good for you as coconut.  

Since I have stopped eating processed sugar (I guess aside from the dried cranberries), crackers, rice, cheddar cheese, bread and such I have noticed a difference in how I feel. I don't feel bloated and I have been more focused at work, with fewer bursts of energy and sugar crashes.  I can only imagine it gets better from here.

Day 2 on Pre-Paleo

Day 2 of Pre-Paleo was good as far as food and no-cravings went, but I received a screaming headache around 3:30 in the afternoon.  At first I attributed the headache to low blood sugar, even though I had snacks to tide me over until my lunch break. However, it wasn't until after finished lunch that my headache set in.  So, if it was low blood sugar, I do not understand why it set in after I ate lunch.  I'll start from the beginning, so I can get an accurate reading on where I went wrong. 

For breakfast at 7 am, I ate two eggs scrambled with red bell pepper and chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and fresh oregano. Mmmm, even better than my eggs on day one. 

At noon I was feeling the hunger pangs, so I ate an apple, some celery sticks with almond butter and a handful of local strawberries.  At 2 pm I had another handful of local strawberries thinking that I would be good, but by 3 pm I was starving and craving an actual meal.  So, just after 3 pm I sat down to enjoy my lunch.

For lunch, I had a salad with chicken, cucumber, feta cheese (I am all out of feta cheese, so worry no more), dried cranberries and black beans with apple cider and olive oil for dressing.  Unless I pick and dry my own cranberries, I will have to ditch those from my salads.  

Just after finishing my salad, I started feeling the onslaught of a headache and by 5 pm it was slammed in my face. I could barely keep my eyes open at that point. It wasn't until I got home at 5:30 that I took Ibuprofen, a nap and about an hour later I was good to go. 

For dinner around 7pm I made a new dish out of a primal approved cookbook I am borrowing from my parents. I made Spice-rubbed grilled pork and carrots. One thing about attempting this diet, I have excuse to try new foods with which I never dare to cook.  Pork is one item I very rarely buy; maybe once a year.  I have also never grilled carrots or pork for that matter. The rub I made was with butter, cumin, cinnamon and chile powder mix. I rubbed that all over the carrots and pork then placed them right over the flame on the grill. I grilled each side for about 5 minutes with the grill cover open. When that was done, I moved the food to a cooler section of the grill, closed the lid and let them cook for additional three to five minutes. Viola! The pork was cooked to perfection, but the thicker carrot pieces should have been cooked longer. 

In any case, it was a completely delicious and filling meal.  Usually, after dinner I crave something sweet, but the cinnamon in the rub was a sufficient sugar fix. 

As long as I can keep my fridge and pantry filled with Paleo-friendly food, so I don’t snack on Justin’s snack food, I think I am going to like this way of eating.

Until day 3 :)

Day 1 on Pre-Paleo

Day one of Pre-Paleo week was June 24th. The first day of full-fledged Paleo will be July 1st. I am using this week to familiarize myself with the expectations of Paleo and to weed out all of my non-Paleo food products in my cupboards.  This weekend my in-laws are having a family picnic as Justin's brother's going away party, so I will see how well I do...  Day 1 was a good start, but there remain several items that need to be removed from my diet, which I describe below.  For breakfast, I made two eggs scrambled with 1/2 an avocado and red pepper seasoned with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. I had 2 cups of coffee with 2% milk, which I have to replace with either whole milk or whole cream. Why? I believe it is because of all the additives that are in less-fat dairy products.  This breakfast was a much welcome improvement from my typical scrambled eggs with ketchup, which I can no longer eat either, unless I make a Paleo-friendly version. I ate a handful of almonds and carrots with hummus for a mid-morning snack.  The hummus definitely needs to go since it is processed and not homemade.  Whether or not homemade hummus is okay with Paleo, I am not exactly sure yet, but I will know soon enough.  For lunch I ate 1 cup of Whatcom county strawberries and a salad. My salad consisted of lettuce, tuna, red bell pepper, cucumber and feta cheese with an apple cider vinegar and olive oil dressing.   Delicious! The one ingredient I need to remove is the feta cheese, since that is not allowed in Paleo. Later, I had some fruit for a mid-afternoon snack.  For dinner, I had the same salad I had for lunch and a bowl of steamed broccoli with olive oil.  I wasn't really prepared for starting Paleo, so I had nothing else to eat.  One great thing I noticed was that I did not experience any cravings throughout the day.  Unfortunately, I was super-duper tired around 2 pm, trying really hard not to fall asleep at my desk.  Other than that, it was a good day.

I did go shopping later on and got some "Paleo" approved items, some of which I have never purchased, eaten or cooked with before in my life.   I want to try "turnip browns" which replace hash browns, so I bought a few Turnips. I also picked up a Rutabaga, which I am excited about trying. I got a spaghetti squash which I will use to make a scrambled egg dish for breakfast as well as a replacement for regular spaghetti noodles.

I don't think this diet will be too difficult... The biggest challenge I see is forgoing the desserts and occasional beer, which I thoroughly enjoy.  Although, maybe I can weave it back into my diet after my month long trial on a Paleo diet.

See, I am already trained in hunting and gathering... for water! For everything else, I will be utilizing my local grocery. :)

Thanks for reading!