Week 6

My stats are pretty much the same...
My BIG news this week is..... Brayden (my 12yr old son) asked if he could go Paleo!!!!   We sat down with him and went over what it means, the difficulties of it, and how his eating would change.  He started on Sat and has been doing great!  I will not limit his fruit too much and he will have more dairy than me.  I can't wait to see how he does.

I started this blog to focus on my Crohn's and if Paleo would improve it.  Well....I feel like I never pay attention to the Crohn's part of it, but I have to admit.....I really don't have ANY Crohn's issues now.  Here, I am going to rewrite that (because it felt AWESOME!)  I really don't have ANY CROHN'S ISSUES!!!!
The results I hoped for are actually better than I could have ever expected.  I'll get my blood work done this week and will see if the blood confirms it.  I'll be sure to post the numbers for you all!

Pizzahhhhhhhh!!

I <3 pizza!!!! 
We use to do pizza night almost every week.  We could all choose our toppings and viola! Perfection!  I was really into putting that herbed cheese spread on there instead of pizza sauce...yummo!
Anyways, enough! I'm drooling.

I was out stalking the Paleo blogs...again, and came across a cauliflower pizza crust recipe.  We tried it tonight.  I REALLY wanted to take a picture of it, so you wouldn't assume it was horrendously ugly or something....but....we scarfed it down lightening fast.

So, I'll just share the recipe and hope you try it and like it as much as we did.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 head cauliflower
1 cup organic mozzarella
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

rice the cauliflower (basically grate the whole thing on a cheese grater- or food processor- just the florets)  microwave the riced cauliflower for 7-8 min. (no water needed)
Oven at 450, spray down a cookie sheet
Mix all the ingredients once the cauliflower is cook, spread over cookie sheet
Cook for 15 min.  Edges will be slightly browned.
Add your sauce and toppings, broil for about 3-4 min to melt cheese.
It is important to use already cooked toppings for this

Week 5

Wow, how time flies!!!
I am 5 weeks in and doing great!

down 16lbs.
4 inches off my waist
5 inches off my hips
I know I promised before and after pics, but the before is pretty horrendous and I am still getting up the nerve.

Bring on week 6!

So Saucy!!!!

I have a confession..... I'm kinda bored of meat.  Meat in the morning, meat in the day time, and meat in the evening.  Meat, Meat MEAT!!
Well, this is a 'for life' change for me, so I HAD to figure this out.

A friend of mine sent me a blog site recently. (Thanks, Shar!) It was like a Paleo lottery for me. 
* the site is  http://paleoonmain.blogspot.com/
The answer to my boredom was actually very simple

****Throw some sauce on that meat!!!!****

here are a couple that I cannot live without!

Mexi-Spiced Salad Dressing1/2 Mashed Avocado
1/4 C Avocado Mayonnaise
1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Dried Cilantro Leaves
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
the book "Everyday Paleo" has a good section on sauces as well.
My new fave is

Chimichurri Sauce
½ red onion
4 garlic cloves
1 ½ cups chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped parsley
juice from 1 lime
¾ cup olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process on low until the mixture is almost smooth but still a bit chunky. Serve on everything!!

And lastly....
I am always in the mood to whip up some guacamole and eat it with anything and everything....it just takes so darn long for those avocados to ripen!!!


So my rut is fixed and I am happily chowing down on meat again!

So What's What??

All along this journey I have turned to blogs and sites for guidance, ideas, motivation, recipes etc.  They have made such a positive impact on MANY days!  But, while I am trolling around I keep hearing different names for this "Paleo" thing.....and can't help but wondering- What's WHat????
Well, as a good citizen, I feel it is my duty to decipher this puzzle for you.  :)
Here is the FOUNDATION of going "Paleo"
If you can hunt it or gather it... you can eat it.
Meats- including beef jerky,
Vegetables (except corn, and very limited starchy ones),
Fruits (for weight loss- only a limited amount)
Healthy Fats- Oils,(except vegetable oil, Canola oil, seed oils)animal fat, nuts, avocados,
No legumes, no grains, no sugar
Avoid ALL processed foods
BASICALLY- if you can't pronounce it...don't put it in your mouth.

Now here is the tricky, grey area....
The early authors and gurus allowed some dairy, and they even allowed Diet Pepsi or artificially sweetened drinks (GASP!)
Then came along the reformation of Paleo and out went the dairy and all the artificial sugar.
But, some didn't like this strictness.
So here is a breakdown for you
Paleo-  100% compliance of the above- NO dairy, NO sugar at all
Primal- 80% compliance of the above- allows some full fat dairy,
PaNu or Archevore Diet- allows more starchy veg, some aged cheese, and leans more towards a range from 5-35% carbohydrate, from 10-30% protein and from 50 to 80% fat (mostly from animals)

In my opinion, what it boils down to is how strict you want to take it and what foods your body has a hard time with.  Some people shouldn't eat dairy, while others can tolerate it just fine.
Check out the Paleo Food pyramid....it is quite a bit different from the one we are use to seeing!!!

Community Supported Agriculture

I recently gave a speech in my Public Speaking class on Grass fed vs Grain fed beef.  It was eye opening to say the least!  During my research I stumbled upon something very interesting.  CSA's, or Community Supported Agriculture, are an interesting option for those wanting to eat fresh and organic.  The idea is that you pay a share for a season of fresh, varied vegetables and fruit- straight from the farm.  Pick up is usually once a week and you can even opt for 1/2 and 1/4 shares to fit your budget.  Take a look at the website and the options in your area....
http://www.localharvest.org/store/local-csa.jsp

I also happened upon this gem of a site.... http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm#states
I am a HUGE fan of pick-you-own!   You can bet on me and the kiddos will be out there soon picking raspberries and strawberries. 

30 days of Paleo

I did it!!!!  Oh yeah!  30 days, strict Paleo!!!!  Down another 2 lbs. for a total of 15.  In all I had 2 bad Crohn's days.  2 out of 30.....this is a HUGE improvement as I could count on 1 or 2 Crohn's days a week before all of this. 
I will post more stats tomorrow and pics (I am getting my hair did today, and I don't want you all to see my roots and greys!)

Goodbye week 3, hello Easter!

He is Risen!!!!

Week 3 is complete and and I am into the 4th.  I am down another 2 lbs. for a total of 13.  My stomach is doing REALLY good, and my arthritis issues are slowly fading.  I think the last bit there is the most encouraging in this :)

My goals for week 4 are- combat some of the food boredom with new recipes, and incorporate some weights with my exercising.  As the flab is disappearing, the muscles underneath are a bit wiggly, if you know what I mean!

Chuggin' Along...

I'm still here, everyone!!!  It has just been a hectic week.  P was sick and then got an ear infection, my mom came to visit for a couple of days, spring break started, and I had to write and give my first speech in my Public Speaking class (Yuck!). 
So tomorrow is the last day of the third week.
Besides feeling better, having more energy (I, seriously, use to take a nap almost every afternoon), clearer skin, Lbs. lost...(my list is awesome!)  I am so proud to announce that I have not had a Diet Pepsi the whole time!!!!  This is a big deal, people! 
I look forward to posting my third week stats, I wonder what they will be?

oh, doctor....

I saw my gut doctor yesterday.  I so wanted to get on here and tell how wonderful it went and how excited he was about my Paleo decision, and on and on...
Well, all I really got was a Hmph!  from him.  He didn't decrease any of my meds and overall it was pretty much a waste of time.  One good thing came out of it, though.  I am set up to see him again in six weeks and just before that appointment I will get a full blood work up so we can compare my blood from March 1 to May 1.  Since he saw that my health was not declining, he agreed to give me the extra time and begrudgingly stated that he is curious what the blood will tell him.  My next appointment is set for May 18 and I will be using that time to reap all the benefits of Paleo.
While my original timeline was 30 days, I'm going all out for the 7-8 weeks.  I hope you will all stay with me on this journey!

very precarious, indeed

So, my dear husband, C, turned 42 today!  To celebrate, we went to Thai last night.  I was all prepared..I had checked many forums on eating out advice and went in there well equipped to maintain Paleo.  Well, we had a great dinner.  I ordered red curry, no rice, extra veggies...then coconut soup, and finally chicken satay.  No breading, no rice, nothing.  The waitress was really helpful, by the way, I probably sounded like a real mess when I was ordering :)
Well...despite the carefulness, I must have eaten something with gluten in it, or maybe something more processed than I am now use to.  I don't really know exactly, but what I do know is my belly is not happy.  It just shows me that I now walk a fine line and until I am remission from this flare, I cannot deviate.  ONWARD!!!

Paleo Snackin'

Apple Chips
2 large apples, cored (I used Red Delicious)

• 2 T. sugar (optional)
• 1 t. cinnamon
•  spray olive oil, or LIGHTLY brushed on

OR

 

 

Baked Zucchini Chips

• 1 zucchini
• olive oil cooking spray
• seasoned salt, or other seasoning(s) of your choice

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.  2 hours for the apples and 45min-1.5 hours for the zucchini.

*from Vittles and Bits Blog

Half way there!!!!

I am at the halfway point.  It was actually easier than I first thought it would be.
I am down another 3lbs. for a total of 11, at this point.
I see my gut doctor on Tues.  For the 30 days, I had to make an appointment half way through...to make sure I wasn't dying (he can be so dramatic sometimes!)  I can't wait to walk in there and sing the praises of Paleo.  He is sure to shoot it down, but I'll work some magic :) 
I'm off to celebrate the last two weeks with some eggs and bacon!